Off-Ramp

Off-Ramp releases first Special Podcast and inaugurates live music at the Mohn Broadcast Center

By John Rabe | March 8, 2010 | 1 comment

Donovan has a concert at the El Rey Theatre Friday, March 19th, and he came to KPCC’s new Mohn Broadcast Center in Pasadena to record an interview and sing some of his hits.

(Donovan at the orange wall of the MBC. Credit: John Rabe)

We’re using the occasion to launch an occasional series of special Off-Ramp podcasts. I mean, somebody who learned to meditate with the Beatles and had 11 #1 hits deserves more than 6 minutes … especially when he’s willing to play cool tunes like “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” one of the weirdest and most wonderful songs of the 1960s.

Come to the Off-Ramp page to listen to the half-hour interview and find out more about Donovan’s benefit concert, which is raising money to help at-risk kids.

What to make of a taco truck’s name … One man’s slur is another’s nickname.

By John Rabe | March 8, 2010

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WARNING: Some readers might be offended by the content of this blog entry, which contains a word that -- in English -- is anti-Semitic.
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Nicknames are weird in many languages. I’m not sure how you get “Jack” from John or “Hal” from Henry, or more to the point, “Chuy” from Jesus or “Pancho” from Francisco. (“Nacho,” from Ignacio, I get.)

But what to make of the nickname for Enrique, which is sometimes spelled “Quique,” is pronounced KEE-kay, and – in another form – adorns the taco truck that parks at Second and Beaudry downtown?

I was flabbergasted when I saw it for the first time Saturday night, and figured someone had noticed it before, but most of the gastronomes on Yelp! don’t have a big problem with it. It gets 4 out of 5 stars.

“i'm soooo glad my friend took me out after my work festivities cuz this is the scene i wanted to see in la!!! late night taco dining on the streets! with ramen from the truck if u want to too!” Chi N.

!I've never been here but this business has my name on it. Love it!!! Thank you Kike's tacos. I feel honored to be named after you. Maybe one day I will try you. -- Enrique E.

“So the name of the truck kinda offended my people, but I was more offended for being unable to eat anything (not counting some knock-off ho hos).” -- Tamar F.

The site Tacos y Ramen tackles the name head-on, -- ‘To clear any confusion, and to alleviate the concerns of one of my coworkers, Kike's Tacos is pronounced "Kee-kay's" and not something else’ – before giving it the coveted “four Jarritos” rating.

I’m trying to figure out what to make of this. I’ve only been in Los Angeles ten years (this month) and don’t want to be one of those PC types who tells everyone what to do and think, based on how it was done the last place they lived. (In Minnesota they probably would have taken up a collection to pay for the owner to change the name, then talked about how good it made them feel to be so sensitive to the needs of others.)

Since the owner probably doesn't mean offense, is this simply an interesting byproduct of the rich diversity of Los Angeles? Should the owner be more sensitive and change the spelling or the name? (The truck, and before that, a stand, has apparently been around for a long time.) Does anyone even use the term "K---" anymore as a pejorative? Frankly, all the anti-Semites I've known just used the word "Jew" and assumed their audience shared their feelings about Jews.

Please leave your thoughts below.

(Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp.)

Surrealist Film Festival coming to Downtown LA; Rabe offers entry.

By John Rabe | March 8, 2010

“Dadaists would remove the wings from a dragonfly and call what is left a red pepper. Surrealist would put wings on a red pepper and call the creation a dragonfly.”

Check out the International Surrealist Film Festival, on March 21st at 8pm at the Downtown Independent Theatre -- 251 S. Main Street LA CA 90012.

Here’s the promo:

The organizers say they’ve received 300+ films from 30+ countries. They’ll screen some number of them over 3 hours (with musical accompaniment if needed) and will give away a vintage 16mm Bolex movie camera or a Digital Harinezumi Video Camera to the Grand Prize winner.

Off-Ramp will cover the results of the Surrealist Film Festival on the March 13th Off-Ramp.

The film below, "The Vigil," which I posted some months ago here, will be on the bill. The organizers tell me it's "on the edge" of surrealism.

The Vigil - A New Movie from KPCC's John Rabe from 89.3 KPCC on Vimeo.

(Check out John's weekly show Off-Ramp.)