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Off-Ramp®

Off-Ramp for November 7, 2009

John Rabe
Cameraman shoots LA Mayor Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief-nominee Charlie Beck at Getty House, 11-03-2009.
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Nov. 7, 2009|1 comment

NOTE FROM JOHN RABE: This week, we're looking forward with new LAPD Chief Beck, and back at the career of Bill Bratton. But we're also bringing you a special story from writer RH Greene. Before I interviewed him about his new "memoir" of Dracula, he told me he hoped we'd also let him tell the story of his late twin brother Tommy, who died before the book was published. It was too important to mix with the book interview, he said, and I agreed. We're proud to bring you Greene's commentary this week, and hope you'll check out his book reading on the 15th at Book Soup.

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It would be extrordinary for the LA City Council to reject Mayor Villaraigosa's pick of Deputy Chief Charlie Beck to head the department. Here, KPCC's Frank Stoltze joins Off-Ramp host John Rabe at the official announcement. We've also included Beck's entire opening remarks as the second piece of audio.


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This Sunday, the LA Conservancy is hosting a tour of iconic 1960s structures around the South Bay. One of the highlights is the futuristic Theme Building at LAX, which is in the final stages of a massive renovation. Tourgoers will have access to the observation deck - open to the public for the first time since 9/11. Off-Ramp contributor Jackson Musker got a sneak peak earlier this week. (Follow the link for ticket info, and a movie shot atop the observation deck.)


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RH Greene, who wrote "Incarnadine, the True Memoirs Count Dracula," tells us his own true memoir -- that his book is privately dedicated to his twin brother Tom, who RH says was the other half of his heartbeat. Greene will be at Book Soup on Sunday, November 15 at 4 PM. (8818 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069-2125, (310) 659-3110.)


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My Dear CyberFreaks,

There comes a time when you have to make a stand. And this week, we're making ours with Ann Minch and her Debtor's Revolt.

Last week, Pew released a study surveying the credit card policies of a dozen banks, which together control about 90 percent of credit card debt in the US. Many of these banks got our bailout money or are borrowing our money from the Feds at extremely low interest rates.

So, how are they repaying us taxpayers? They're jacking up the interest rates on our credit cards - no questions asked.

Ann Minch got the treatment from Bank of America, which notified her that they're raising her interest rate from 13 to 30%. And so she posted a video on YouTube, which she hopes will become the shot heard around the world.

Minch's solution to bring down the big banks? Take your money out of them and put them in credit unions and community banks.

We dish about Minch's ideas with Marketplace Radio's Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch. We ask Paddy, does Minch make sense or is she wack? Go to CyberFrequencies to find out more!


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Note from John Rabe: The best line about the giant fork in the road in Pasadena, planted by pranksters last weekend, comes from the Pasadena Star-News. β€œIt remains to be seen if the city will get the joke.” Yes, the thing was done illegally, but it was done well. It's witty, pays tribute to old Olde Pasadena, and -- as an Off-Ramp contributor put it, it shows Pasadena is not populated by fuddy-duddies ... unless of course they take it down. Come inside for all the details. (By the way, I broke this story on my blog, which is a good reason to check it every day.)


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KPCC's John Rabe talks with Mayor Bogaard, who likes the fork and says all good things in life don't need to be authorized. And we get him on the record promising to fight for the fork.


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KPCC's Shirley Jahad talks with Justinian Jampol of the Wende Museum, which is marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with pieces of the old wall, and new art.


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KPCC's Frank Stoltze followed all seven years of former LA Police Chief Bill Bratton's career with the LAPD. This piece is the result of extensive interviews he did looking back on years that may prove to be the most important ones in the department's long and checkered history.


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Melrose Larry Green, the thorn in OJ's side and a frequent guest on Howard Stern, opines on the Mayor's pick.


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