– Karen  wrote:
Hey John,

You talk about old, slow and dial-up service, that’s Alabama, that’s when we have phone service.  I got your message when I was there, but decided to wait until I got back to answer as up there it’s torture.  We go there for the weather and the quiet, so I guess it shouldn’t matter if I can e mail or not.

Again, you forced me to drag out the year books, two of them this time since not everyone had a senior picture.  I envy you to see or speak to anyone, as I told you, I’ve lost track of everyone.  My brother and sister still have ties to Brecksville and even travel back there on occasion. I did look at you Cleveland section and missed it a bit, but I guess there’s no going back.  One of my patients lived in Brecksville and brought me pictures of the downtown and also a Plain Dealer, I think I read it cover to cover and it was during high school football season.  My sister e mailed me pictures of Mill Rd when it flooded, that was fun…….

I think the only people I read in the Beehive that live in Florida are retired teachers, imagine that!

I would love to hear about any “Bees” that you have contact with. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it to a reunion, but there should be a few more left.  The only high school reunion I ever went to was my husband’s, but then he went to school with Michael Keaton and that was great to meet him. I’m really going to think about a trip to Las Vegas some time soon, but I’ll make sure you’re going to be there first.  That was to be the first trip after my husband’s retirement, but since that’s put off a bit, I just need to find a good time for me to be away, and we’ll do it.

Anyway, it was really great to hear from you, I appreciate you taking the time to catch me up a bit, if you’re ever in Florida look me up, and please stay in touch.

Karen    —–Original Message—–
From:Oscar Sent: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 8:58 pm
Subject: Re: (Keaton)

Hi Karen, funny you said Michael Keaton, John Pechman, a guy I met in Clev. said Keaton went to Kent state and his last name was Douglas, changed to Keaton cause he liked Woody Allen movies and Woody was married to Diane Keaton, so they didn’t need two Michael Douglas in Hollywood, so he changed his name, ask your husband about it, Keaton has a ranch in Montana and Pechman’s brother has been there being that the 2 of them are good friends, Pechman also said that while at Kent, they told Michael to go to Hollywood, that he was too funny to waste his time in college, Pechman sister is married to Ken Wiler, law director in Broadview Hts. Just got an email from David Leoce today, I keep in touch with Tom Goll about every day and Ronn Eagle I had keep in touch with, but I haven’t heard in a long time from him, Scott Griffith has been years in N. Car. and works for Post office, I talk to him a lot durring football season, I gota go to Ohio in Oct. mom turns 80, take care, get back to me to confirm on Keaton, Thanks, JohnO
– :Karen
His name was Michael Douglas and yes the change had to do with Diane Keaton.  My husband played basketball with him on the state championship team the St Malachy Blue Bombers, hence the shirts in many of his early movies, next time you see Gung Ho, check Ron Howard’s brother, whatever his name is. He went to California with a guy named Rich MacNamara who wanted to be a comedian,Michael went along for the ride, but things worked out for him instead.  They also took along Ricky Ferko who is still an attorney out there.  My husband heard from him recently, just a hello on classmates.  When we saw Michael last , he had done the show where he was the President’s joke writer with Richard  Crenna and Bernadette Peters, at the reunion he was on the Mary Tyler Moore show.  Some of the guys said he went to the 25th class reunion, said the prayer and left.  They went to Montour high school in the Pittsburgh area.  The day after the 10th reunion we went over to the school and played basketball, then got together with the Priest, typical day with those guys. We haven’t heard from him in years and the last address was in LA, I did know he was in Montana.  If you should ever see him just mention the blue bombers, I’m sure it will get his attention, tell him Mike says hi.  Say hi to Ron Eagle for me, I always loved his mother, she was really nice to me, only because he wasn’t. Hey, tell David Leoce to look me up, but not by my tax ID number, audits suck.  Keep updating, it’s great fun.  

 

In a message dated 7/15/2008 12:00:43 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Oscar                                          Karen, did your Mike ride with Keaton to La or Ron Howards bro.? On my web site, Paul Brown took Drew Carey to LA and Paul brought Drew over to my house in early ’80’s see www.oscarandbernie.com/carey.htm I know Artie Mataris, he runs the Station casino’s sports book, he’s from Pitt. and went to Kent with Jack Swan and Dave Bronczak. Artie gets interviewed on tv before super bowl or world series, I wonder if those guys knew Artie, small world, but I’d hate to have to paint it! Things like knowing this stuff opens doors, in sho biz it’s not what but who, Sandy Hackett, Buddy’s son got me on the Gong show 89-90. I auditioned for the old Gong and Rip Taylor was doing my material a week later on Norm Crosby’s Comedy show. When the new Gong came on in 89, Hackett asked me if I wanted to go on, I told him how those sucks ripped me off, he said he’d get me on. I went down there and they said what do you want to do, I said gong me, they said are you nuts? Everyone wants to get famous, I said gong me ten times and I will be famous, they brought me back 3 times and then Arsenio Hall show bumped the Gong show, I think Triumph the Insult dog, Robert Smigel stole the idea after seeing Bernie with a cigar insulting people. I just auditioned for new gong with Dave Atell, my buddy was just down there and Triumph is a judge, he doesn’t want any competition, I think because they told me they wanted acts that been on before, and haven’t called, who knows? I got a million of them like that, still waiting for the big break. When I performed at Funny Stop Cuyahoga Falls, Cheryl Katell came down with Carl Thompson and Diana Slygh, other time Tom Chilar, Steve Zenzak and Mike Mayor came down too, it was nice they came down, Now I got your email address, I send out crazy stuff to people and I’ll include you on the mailing and you’ll see some email addresses you can copy and write to classmates, Thanks, JohnO                                                      From Karen,By the time those guys were in college my Mike was in Viet Nam.  They were very close in Catholic jr high, that’s where the Blue Bombers were from.  I believe those were some of Michael Keaton’s fondest memories and why he makes references to them in his movies.  If you ever have the chance to speak to him or send him a message, tell him Mike Weiss from the Blue Bombers sends his regards, he’ll know what you are talking about.  I have lots of pictures from those days, and I believe Michael was the ball boy, although he wouldn’t admit it, my husband is and has been for quite a while 6″4″, a lot of the articles are about him.  They did go to Mountour High school together and graduate in 1969.  Michael let me sit on his lap at the bar at the after party in case he ever got famous, so there you go. Let me know how it goes and where to look for you next.  Karen                               
To: jpacman
Sent: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 7:41 pm
Subject: Hi John

Hi John, hope you got my email, Mike Weiss asked about it, since his mom passed, he has been trying to gather up address on old friends. I forgot your brother in laws name who grew up in Pitt. If you could get back to me on that, Thanks, JohnO

Johnny O, This is a new day, errrr, evening…and I am ready to speak. I was a poor ragamuffin from the ghetto town of Independence. I sought my way in the world by attending Kent State…as the saying goes, ” if you can’t go to college, go to Kent”…so I did. Whilst dutifully attending numerous advanced and complex courses I met Linda in Geology. One thing led to another, we got to know each other…I met her brother, Brad Sinicrope who in the near future was a roomate of Micheal Douglas, as I was later. They were good buddies from high school in Pittsburgh, Anyway, Mike was a lot of laughs…the kid was never  down. We all had a blast doing crazy, harmless…mostly harmless…stunts to amuse ourselves. Ocassionally visitors from the Burg would show up. I do remember a Jimmy Tracy who was always wired, a good kid, but wired. After a year or so, Mike discovered a business major was not for him…I suggested Drama as KSU had a drama major…well, he must have thought I was full of shit and so he went for accounting or some such similar endeavor…that did not last…I again said get into drama…”you effortlessly make people laugh get into drama” He chose Art!*?%# And I saw him carrying around all his art shit on campus looking so out of place it was sad. Well, finally he did get into drama, loved it, left KSU without graduating, went to LA with $65 or maybe $165, did standup, got on a TV series, etc, etc and I have only heard from him once since. Oh well, life moves on…I did pester him to pursue what I perceived to be his calling. I could provide you with more names if my wife was talking to me but she is not. Which reminds me…last week my car’s transmission line blew out so I had to see a friend/mechanic to get it fixed…$$$…again proving the old adage…” if it has tires or tits it will cause you problems”….Johnny P —–

On August 10, 2008 Oscar and Bernie performed for the Habitat auction at the Palace Station. Robert Picardo of Star Trek fame was the auctioneer and there was tons of Star Trek memorabilia. Oscar mentioned to Robert, that while in Ohio visiting Mike Mayor’s CPA office that there was all kinds of pictures up on the wall of Captain Janeway. When Oscar asked Mike, “Who’s got a thing for her?” Mike laughed and said, “She’s married to Tim Hagen and he works out of this office.” Robert laughed and said, “funny story.” That was probably the best laugh of  the night, Oscar was brought on stage while people passed by in front of the stage looking at items up for auction. Bernie said he had a great time anyways. The food was great, dessert even better, and thanks to Pat for inviting us. We even signed an autograph and donated a “You Got D. Bird!” t-shirt.

Last night on August 7, 08 Oscar and Bernie performed and MC’d the poetry show. Ray was a great host bringing us up on stage as we opened the show. After doing about 10 minutes, Oscar brought up the poets and did comedy between the acts. The poets did a cross between humor, to the dark side, and the political. Some of the poets set their style to a hip hop beat and others go more conventional. They were competing in a national contest. They are given aproximatly 3 minutes each to perform. If you are a poet, this is the place to try your stuff in a friendly enviroment. Every Thursday night at 9:30 seating begins. The Poetry Club is located in the Forum Shops at Ceasars Palace upstairs in the Chinese restaurant. 

 This is my original message, here’s the proof that this last year, AGT’s Sharon Nash didn’t do her job and follow up to the contestants.                                                                                               On Mar 26, 2008, at 1:50 PM,  wrote:

Hi Gang, send us your AGT stories on Bernie’s Blog on www.oscarandbernie.com, just scroll down to Bernie’s Blog and let us know your stories, I had a great time. So please take a moment and give us a shout out! thanks, Oscar and Bernie

Yes but I heard confliciting information they sent a email telling about. Date changes for los angeles I had waited to be contacted about the dates there were gong to be here .  No biggie I guess it wasnt meant to be
Sent from my iPhone vincent cook.com,

I don’t know who messed up but I received an E-mail after my initial sign up stating that I would be assigned an audition time and date. I prepared my materials as instructed but was never contacted again. Feel free to use what I wrote on your blog.Freddie in Dallas,                                                                                                                                Never got it man. It’s like the date just came and went. D.B.L. – “Donny B. Lord” ,                                                                          They never even contacted me after they changed the date. I was supposed to hear the new date and time on the third. When was the audition?                                           Carol Hughes                                                                      Hello… I was contacted quite a few months ago, but I’m not sure of the name… they said I would be contacted in march (nyc) about an audition date, but it hasn’t happened yet. And after getting your email, I just wondered if I was forgotten.Thank you for responding, Morgan                                                                                                     Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T,     “Sharon Nash”  wrote: Hi  how are you.  Just an update on the America’s Got Talent 3 auditions.       We are excited about seeing your talent at our auditions!  After the New Year we will be contacting you to set up appointment times and dates and Venue information  Because we are casting in 13 cities we are going to be contacting people from the cities in order of of the dates we are going to that particular city.    SO IF YOU LIVE IN Orlando, Nashville, and Charlotte you will be contacted in January and given an appointment time.    Houston, LasVegas Miami, New Orleans, and Branson we will contact you at the end of January or the beginning of Feb.   Atlanta the middle of February Dallas the end of February   If you are in Los Angeles the beginning of March and Chicago the middle of March  New York the end of March   So if you have not heard from us in a couple of weeks or a month or two don’t worry we have not forgotten about you. We will be contacting you in time for your auditon. Please prepare two 90 second performancessingers at least one should be a cover, singers you may or not be able to do them both just be ready.  you are welcome to bring a keyboardcomedians only need one 90 second set Dancers one 90 second performance Bands we will not have band equipement but we would like to meet you and view your tape during your audition time.  Please bring a video tape All other acts, variety etc.  also have 90 seconds… A cd player and microphone will be provided. I will go over all of this again when I set up your appointment Also please if you have made a submission to one email address or have registered on a sign up page PLEASE DO NOT register any where else.  We are casting all over the country and you may run across a casting announcement.  Please DO NOT  sign up more then once.   And if you have signed up and someone else has contacted you please let me know.  It is not necessary to respond to this email unless you have questions.   Happy Holidays from America’s Got Talent! –Then she hears I’m asking questions, and I get this email. Sharon Nash Senior Casting Producer America’s Got Talent 3 if you have copied our address book please stop sending emails to people.  I am going to send out a mass email asking them to block your email as spam.   – Sharon Nash Senior Casting Producer America’s Got Talent 3 ,                                                                          Then she sends me this email to take my act to the next level!   Hollywood talent coach  SHARON NASH  can show you how to take your talent to the next level!!!   dancers, novelty acts writers stand ups reporters have a childhood career dream and you’re trying to figure out how to make it come true corporate media training public speaking training acting coaching performance coaching consulting entrepreneurs audition coaching If it has to do talent… 26 year entertainment veteran Sharon Nash can help.     You may know her as Sr. Casting producer for the summer’s number one show America’s Got Talent but she also is one of Hollywood’s top talent coaches! Please visit  . click on the service page to sign up for a coaching session – Sharon Nash Talent coach I  received this email after Sharon Nash was done working for America’s Got Talent, now how crazy is that? How can she help anybody after what she did to US contestants across the country?

This last week earth lost a great comedian and heaven gained comic relief. I first met George by osmosis, he wanted to fuzz a buzz when performing at Cuyahoga Community College’s homecoming in 1972. He asked our fraternity if we could spark him up. When he hit the stage, his first words were, “I’ve got cottonmouth!” He used my pipe. When I mentioned this to my cousin’s husband, he said he had grown up with George in the old neighborhood and if I ever wanted to talk to George, drop his name and I’ll get through to him. I moved to Las Vegas in 1973 from Cleveland, Ohio. One night, I think late  ’74 or early ‘75, my buddies were going to see George at the old Alladin Hotel. I said to my friends that my cousin’s husband said to use his name to talk to George and they said , “BS, there’s the phone, try to call him!” I did, and son -of-a-gun, I get George on the phone. I apoligized and he said, “no problem, how many tickets and meet me backstage after the show.” My wife and I got front row seats while my friends were in the back flipping me off! After the show, we go backstage and I explain to George how I was the class clown and would love to get on stage, but never had. He said, “Kid, the first time I got on stage, they offered me $300. to do an album, go for it!” That encouragement was all I needed. My first time on stage was in LV at Rancho High talent show in 1976 for Sandy Zimmerman and I won a ribbon. In 1980, I did the Forrest Duke Show and asked George if he could do the show with me, he said yes. What a thrill to be on TV with the comedy genuis George was. I did my impression of Hippy Dippy Weatherman and gave George a t-shirt and said it’s great for washing your car. His Mercedes license plate was PHUNNY. Over the years we drank Oly’s at the LA.  Improv, and I would call him for advice or drop him a note to say hi. When I was back in Cleveland, I went to his book signing for Brain Droppings and I showed him pictures from the 1980 TV show. He said,  “That’s me a hundred years ago, who are the other two guys?” I said that dark haired guy was me! He laughed and went on signing peoples books as I sat on my puppet case and watched him for awhile. After a few minutes he smiled at me and gave me the look that it had all came back to him. He was one star that took the time to encourage you and hear you out. We had even talked religion and I gave him the book, “Late Great Planet Earth.” George said he liked the idea that God would allow such chaos in the world. I said to bring peace to the world, the Palestinians should open casinos. The three men that helped me most, by encouraging me on, were George Carlin, George Burns, and Buddy Hackett, God Rest Your Merry Souls, if they only stop long enough from partying! The wine is free in heaven.

I was in a couple of scenes in the movie when shot here in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood. In the scene at the front desk, about five minutes into the movie, you’ll see me standing there on the left side of the screen looking around while in line. It was a blast on the set. They feed you well at a location set up with  mobile caterers who pitch a big tent for a dining room which gives everyone a chance to get to know the other extras. You have a lot of down time and we spent that time in a large conference room, so there too you mingle and get to talk to other aspiring actors. The gig was provided by a company called Wild Streak Casting here in Vegas. They called me off a list because normally they charge you $35 up front fee. Casting companies charge  also a  10-20% take of your work. Usually you will make 100-125 dollars for about 8 hours. Sometimes you’ll work overtime, or then maybe a short day and still get paid for eight hours. I’ve been booked mostly by agents who take a percent, but no up front fees.  Networking with others is best.  There are so many scams that try to get you to buy acting lessons, photos, and other “make you famous” crap off the internet. Don’t fall for it. Community theater is a great place to start. It won’t cost you much, if at all. I’ve had speaking parts on TV and in the movies and the base pay is a lttle over $400. If it’s a national show, you will get royalties too. The Gong Show paid royalties when it ran in reruns. I got a $300 check from them and didn’t even expect it about a year later. My lady and I went to see the movie at the Fiesta casino and the room was packed. I noticed myself right away because I knew where to look, she spotted me pretty fast, but it wasn’t enough.We asked a young usher if we could stay and see the begining again and he said fine. This time we picked the best seats in the house and sat about half hour to catch that quick glimse. I got to admit, it is exciting seeing yourself up there on that silver screen. My sisters and mom saw the movie in Ohio and said it was neat and that I should be a movie star. I need an agent like that. 

The new season is about to start and we were invited to audition again, but Sharon Nash forgot to tell us when. We weren’t the only act to get invited and then never told when. Through my research into the matter, others have come forward with similiar stories and when I emailed Ms. Nash, I was told that I had no right to ask contestants for their stories. While I was in Cleveland this last weekend doing a TV show for the Akron Today Show, I received an invitation to go to New York to audition, so I appreciate their offer, though it was unfortunate to miss the Las Vegas audition date where I live. Bernie was going to tell the world that, “Terry Fator  is a fraud, he was lipsinking! Didn’t you see his Millie Vanillie puppet?” I had fun on the show, Bernie was pissed he didn’t get to sing, the AGT people said it was to hard to get the royalty permission for the music. He felt that they clipped his wings; being he’s such a warbler!

June 16, ‘07 Oscar and Bernie were seen on America’s Got Talent. We were flown down to LA by NBC and put up at the Universal Hotel in Burbank. It was an interesting flight because I got to talk to David Brenner. We were overheard by Buddy Hacket’s attorney and David said that Buddy gave him his first break in show biz. It was Buddy’s son, Sandy, who got us on the Gong Show and Sandy had given us our first stage time here in Vegas. NBC treated us great and had us sign contracts that stated we couldn’t talk about the show. We were not allowed to tell anybody anything, but to my surprise, NBC put acts not seen yet on tv, on You Tube. Did this give those acts an unfair advantage? We will see as the show goes on. Jerry Springer interviewed us before we were brought on stage. Jerry asked what we were there for and Bernie said the 3x’s. Jerry laughed and said, ”Get the camera on this guy, he wants the 3x’s!” I told him how we were gang-Gonged by Salt N’ Pepa on the Gong Show, and the 3x’s would be the comedy tri-fecta of our career. When we got on stage, first the judges interview you, and Piers did all the talking. Then to open our performance, Bernie said, “America, you got the bird!” The x’s were flying! Piers said, “That’s the most ridiculous ventriloquist act he ever saw!” I said, “Thank you!” What the tv audiance didn’t see was the banter between Piers and myself, when I tried to explain to him that our act is a parody on vetriloquism, he kept saying, “You’re moving your lips!” “So,” I said, “They don’t do that in England?” By the time my short interview was over, Piers had the crowd against anything I would have done. He was so rude to the “Mouth Banger”, she was in tears and they had her talk to a shrink after her performance, afraid she’ld jump or something. I had a great time anyways, not caught up in the hype that you’ll win a million dollars, and met a lot of wonderful people. They asked what I would do with a million and I said, “Keep it, I got x-wives that would fight over it and cost me $10,000 of my own money for the lawyers.” I wished they would have mentioned the name of the act. Next time I’ll have Bernie sing and I’ll grow a moustach, that way Piers won’t see lips that move!

Bernie and I just got back from Cleveland after working the week with two great guys, Mark Poolos and headliner Charlie Wiener. Charlie is well known in the Clev. area for over 30 years performing and it was a pleasure to work with him. Now that we are back in Vegas, come see us at the Fitzgearld’s Casino, working the crowds in front of the casino, and see the Larry G. Jones show. Larry’s show is kid friendly, music and singing, and lots of comedy. See You There!

Last night at the Venetian Hotel in the TAO night club in Las Vegas, Oscar and Bernie were invited to the movie premier. We were treated to free booze and Pauly Shore’s new movie Natural Born Komics. It was raunchly funny as Pauly did parodys on Greta Van Sustren and the Punked show. The format was like a David Chapple show, turned movie, with Pauly’s standup act interspersed with sketch comedy. The mood of the room was good, filled with laughter and Pauly’s hospitality, at it’s best. We exchanged words about mutual friend Larry Scarano, and Bernie said how he knows Pauly’s mom, Mitzi, loves puppets.