Diamonds and Rust Part 1

"Well, I'll be damned...here comes your ghost again. But that's not unusual, it's just that the moon is full, and you happened to call." ~Joan Baez~

Please feel free to hit PLAY and listen while you scroll.

While researching for a story, I found some bad news. I was hoping to connect with my old boss at Universal Studios. What a drag.

Well, like my Uncle Reese says, “Son, when you get to be my age, people start dropping like flies.”

But he was only 60.. that sucks. He was from Kentucky, and had a very friendly, down home accent. Everyone liked Joseph Pardieu.

When I saw him last, he was in the Guest Relations department.

When I started at Universal Studios, I worked on an in-park show called Rugrats Magic Adventure. I was responsible for re-setting the show after each performance.

I sniveled to my supervisor, asked him if there were any other opportunities for me. (

can't recall his name, but he was cool)

I showed him my resume, and he got me transferred to Terminator 2 3-D.

This was more like it. Rugrats Magic Adventure was fun, but all those screaming kids, the slime, and getting Angelicas enormous Styrofoam head into position for her stage right entrance…lol I wanted more.

Terminator 2 3-D was more like it. I loaded the show, reset after each performance, and sometimes escorted actors with machine guns..long story…anyway.

Enter Joseph Pardieu. I was offered a position in an off-lot warehouse. I jumped on that like a pitbull on a pork chop! I was already commuting from Lancaster on Metrolink, and from the Burbank station, I could take the bus straight down San Fernando Rd. to work.

Imagine getting off the bus, walking into an industrial area, and the first thing you see is this:

ROB ZOMBIE’S FACE, STRAPPED TO THE SIDE OF THE WAREHOUSE.

Anyway, this is about Joseph. More about the warehouse later.

Joseph Pardieu introduced me to Lew Wasserman. A quick hello, but I got to shake the hand of another bonafide legend.

On the Lower lot, the Towering Inferno, exterior scenes were filmed…if I remember correctly. That is the Wasserman building. More on that building later.

One day, a few years later,I printed out a stack of Unclaimed Property findings from the California State Controllers Office Website www.sco.ca.gov .

I tracked Joseph down at the Guest Relations office, and told him that I wanted him to deliver them to the accounting department. I explained what it was, and that he might possibly get a finders fee. Joseph was a Yes Man, very personable. He said, “Aaron, even if I didn't mention your name, I would be out of bounds. I don't want to step on anyone's toes.”

Joseph Pardieu was absolutely right.

Now, let's play some Skynyrd while we do some math…Mr. Hand

.

25 accounts per page.

8 pages, with the last page usually having less than 25. In his case, Page 8 has 22 accounts.

Subtract 3, and you have 197 accounts for Universal Studios, in Universal City, California. Listen, you know that employee store on the Lower Lot? I wanted a Universal letterman’s jacket, and could've bought one.

But I scored one from none other than the mighty Scott Tranter, owner and chief bottle washer of Crazy Otto's…Herkimer New York.

To be continued…

8 pages, less 3=

“I'm Bob Cormier. And now, from the racks and stacks of the best on wax: Richard Cheese, with his latest big hit, People Equal Shit!” ~Stephen King~