A Magical Day

It was a simple flight, really. Take the boss somewhere, drop him off and come home. Forty minutes out, forty minutes back. Done it a hundred times. But yesterday was different. Yesterday was strange.

Some days I’m much more self-aware than others. Some days, it’s like I’m in the cockpit with myself as an outsider, a third-party watching the other me fly the helicopter, while at the same time doing and feeling it directly. It’s an odd, almost out-of-body experience. I can see myself moving the sticks around…unconsciously, intuitively…and think to myself, “How does he know how to do that?” Because he…I…know that I’m not consciously telling my hands what to do; they just do it…somehow. Like I say, it’s quite odd.

And yesterday was one of those rare days when everything went perfectly. The air was so glassy smooth that it seemed almost unreal. I didn’t make any of my usual screw-ups. And the helicopter was doing its part, running exceptionally well.

You wouldn’t think that a mechanical device like an aircraft would fly differently from one day to the next, but it happens. And it’s hard to explain. A helicopter has many moving pieces, and things that don’t normally move but have a certain amount of allowable movement (or “play”) built in (like the transmission and engine mounts, say). These things have to fit “just right” with each other, and they usually do. However, sometimes the flight loads and power settings can combine to strain these moving parts ever so slightly. The parts can still be within their allowable movement tolerances, but not exactly their “sweet spot.”

And yesterday, all the bearings, bits, shafts, and other assorted moving pieces had found their perfect harmonic “set.” Nothing was even slightly out of whack. I reached up and affectionately patted it on the top of the instrument panel, “You’re flying good today, girl.” (I don’t know why we refer to aircraft as a “she” but we do.)

On the way home, as I approached our airport, the Navy had a few trainer planes in the pattern as usual. Not wanting to interfere with them, I dropped down low over the trees and swung around to come in from the north, over the river. The wind was still dead-calm so it didn’t matter which way I landed.

I made a textbook shallow approach to the taxiway that leads into the ramp. Then I slowly hovered over to where I parked the wooden platform that we land on. This is the tricky bit, getting exactly positioned. We pilots can be a bit anal about things like this – at least, I am. Although the helicopter can be pretty much anywhere on the platform left/right and fore/aft as long as it doesn’t fall off, I like it right here, with that skid tube on that stripe. Most times, I set it down and then have to “jiggle” it a little bit to put it in the right spot or to straighten it out. Some days it takes two or three tries to get it right. Yesterday, I hovered in and eased it down so smoothly and nicely that I had to shake my head in disbelief. You know the feeling when you have to parallel-park your car and you do it perfectly on the first try? Yeah, it’s like that.

This is the platform we land on, and the tug we use to pull the ship in and out of the hangar. The helicopter says "Police" on the side because we were using it in conjunction with the Sheriff's Department during an anti-drug presentation they were putting on at elementary schools throughout the county. When the girl at the decal place asked if it was legal for me to put big "POLICE" lettering on the side of the aircraft, I said, "Hell, I dunno. If the cops don't care, I don't care!"

Whenever I have such flights as yesterday's, I always ask myself, “Why can’t I do this all the time?” There have been days when nothing seems to go right: I’m always “behind” the aircraft; I make more mistakes than a student pilot on his first solo flight away from the airport; and when I get back home I can’t put it on the dolly to save my life. Usually this is when the Navy geeks are watching. Normally our little airport is pretty dead, people-wise. But occasionally some Navy guys will be hanging around, and everybody likes to come watch the helicopter land! Those are the days when I’m usually not on my best game, of course.

I don’t know why it is that some flying days are better than others. But yesterday was magical. If only I could figure out a way to make that happen all the time.

McChrystal's Exit Strategy for Afghanistan

You’d have to be living in a cave to have missed the fiasco involving General Stanley McChrystal the other day. And I’ll bet that even our favorite cave-dweller, Osama Bin Laden has heard as well.

But for those who don’t have kidney dialysis machines and big-screen TV’s in their "cave," let me recap: A reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine spent some time hanging around with U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal and his staff. McChrystal is...was...the commander of all of the military in our war in and on Afghanistan. He is known to be blunt and outspoken.

The Rolling Stone reporter captured McChrystal and his men in…shall we say, “rare form,” mouthing off on everything and everyone in their path. Hoo-boy, did they mouth off! Anyway, upon publication of the article, McChrystal was summoned to Washington D.C. where he was - to the surprise of no one with even half a brain - relieved of his command.

Wait…was it even “rare form?” Stan McChrystal has made it a habit to spout off like that. He’d already been called on the carpet of a certain blue and white Boeing 747 by President Obama once before, at which time he was basically told to shut the hell up and be a good little soldier like that General Patraeus over there.

Career soldiers know a couple of things.

1) They know not to criticize the Commander In Chief, or any other superior, whether or not they consider that person a superior. It’s career-suicide. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (Subchapter X, Sec. 888 Art 88) even specifies that you will not publically ridicule certain people – and then it lists them. It is an offense punishable by court-martial.

2) Career military men certainly know that anything you say to a reporter – especially a reporter for a left-wing hippie rag like Rolling Stone Magazine is going to get printed. No matter how drunk you are (on beer or power or both), you don’t make fun of the President or Vice President of the United States.

Not if you like your job.

Hmm. Not if you like your job?

So here’s the thing. McChrystal is not a dumb man. Far from it. I think he wanted to get fired. I think he was tired of the job, tired of not being able to fight the war his own way, tired of Obama…just tired of the whole deal. The article mentioned that he only got home to see his wife maybe 30 days out of the year. Some life. Personally, I think he was just tired of it.

Quitting might have seemed like an obvious move to you or me, but not to guys like McChrystal; they’re not quitters. (Plus, it’s not like McChrystal could have said, “Mr. President? I really don’t want to do this job anymore. Can you replace me, please?”) For McChrystal, quitting would have been out of the question – a sign of weakness. It’d be tantamount to him saying, “I give up! I can’t do it. The war can’t be won…by me or anyone. We’re fighting the Taliban, but the Taliban IS the Afghan people, and they don’t want us there in the first place.” Which is kind of the case.

We’re trying this “counter-intelligence” deal in Afghanistan. But that only works if the people we’re fighting are outsiders who have infiltrated a society. In the case of the Afghans, in many towns the Taliban live among them as family members. And we’re trying to get family members to give up their husbands and fathers and sons? Not bloody likely!

It is an impossible job. The Russians figured out after nine years. Finally, they said, “To hell with this – we’re going broke!” and bugged-out. Now the U.S. has stepped into a war in a country that has been at war more or less continuously since the time of...well, I was going to say "since the time of Genghis Khan." But given that the Mongols didn't even conquer Afghanistan until 1219, Ghengis was just a Khanny-come-lately in a country that been constantly at war since the 7th Century! And we arrogantly think we’re going to “win” it? And what constitutes “winning?” Even Obama doesn’t use the term.

I think McChrystal realized the futility of what we’re trying to accomplish. We’re not merely trying to route out and crush some Al Queda terrorists before they can hatch their plans and come over here to perpetuate them. We’re throwing billions and billions of dollars to fight an enemy who is apparently as well-funded, well-armed and motivated as we are – because we sure ain’t “winning!”

But getting fired! Ahh, now there was something McChrystal could get behind. Especially being fired by President Obama, a man who is truly hated by some percentage of the world’s population. It would make the general a martyr. If McChrystal could get himself fired, he could leave with his head held high and his reputation intact. I can just see him stomping away, half-turning back to give Obama the finger. He’d tell the press, “By God, I said what I meant…what I believed. Screw ‘em! I'm sorry I ever voted for Obama.”

And yes, he did.

Getting fired by Obama is not exactly a bad thing. The Conservative Right adored McChrystal to begin with. He’s been elevated to God-like status now. If he ever wants a career in politics (because you know that all military men think they’re such experts at politics), the Republicans will champion him like the second coming of one R. Reagan (the actor who sat out WWII making propaganda films, not the gay son with the same name).

But even if McChrystal just wants to go home to the wife he only gets to see one month out of twelve, kick his feet up, crack open a cold Bud Light Lime and watch the new season MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” "Glee," and “So You Think You Can Dance,” he can do that. Hell, the man deserves that! He will not face a court-martial. Fox News will undoubtedly snap him up as one of those paid anti-Obama commentator/consultants. Hell, he could be the next Ollie North!

No, getting fired was not exactly a bad thing at all for Stanley McChrystal. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s what he really wanted all along.



Want to read the actual Rolling Stone article?
The Runaway General by Michael Hastings

Oil Spill June 23 Update: Black Goop

Ironically, on Wednesday morning my friend Bart Pullum optimistically posted on his Facebook page that all of Santa Rosa County's beaches were open for swimming and boating. I say "ironically" because as he was posting this, a large amount of oil was washing ashore on Pensacola Beach, which is in Santa Rosa County. And it was bad. Our Florida Governor, Charlie Crist happened to be in town to witness it and pose for a photo op. Talk about timing!

Here's the story from the Pensacola News Journal:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20100623/NEWS01/100623008/Oil-spill-OIl-tar-balls-on-Pensacola-Beach

We've been lucky so far. The only oil we've seen have been in the form of tar balls. They've been heavy at times, but not this bad. In the News Journal story, people were also reporting a strong chemical smell along with the huge globs of black goop.

Large mats of oil - what they euphemistically (and appetizingly!) call "mousse" have reportedly entered Pensacola Bay, sparking a frantic effort to skim and clean them up before they get into the various little bayous, coves, nooks and crannies that line the bay.

However, just to the east, Navarre Beach remains clear.

And that's how it's going to go. One area will get hit hard for a couple of days. The onslaught of oil may then subside for a while, but other areas will get hit.

The liquid "mousse," which has been described as resembling melted Hershey's chocolate, may not be as easy to clean up as the semi-solid tar balls. Attempts at shoveling the "mousse" only result in getting it mixed with the sand - not a good thing.

I believe that in the really bad areas where liquid-ish oil washes up on the beaches, they're going to have to come up with some machine that can collect the sand, wash it and separate the oil out, then return the sand to the beach. Kids with shovels and plastic bags ain't gonna cut it; what we need is a modern-day Eli Whitney.

There is a lot of oil out there. The latest estimates are that the Deepwater Horizon well may actually be leaking as much as 60,000 barrels of oil or more into the Gulf. Folks, that's 252,000 gallons per day. And it's a far cry from the 1,000 barrels of oil BP estimated was leaking in the beginning. Turns out that they knew it was much worse than that even then.

Without a doubt, President Obama was slow to react to the seriousness and enormity of this situation. When he finally got up to speed and realized just how bad the leak was (much worse than BP was claiming), BP was still allowed to be in charge of both capping the well and the cleanup. Many people feel that the federal government should have taken over the cleanup effort - and should still!

(It's kind of funny, in a way, how so many people who are criticizing the Obama administration for being too "big government" are now calling for the government to take charge and do something about this mess. You just can't please everybody, I guess.)

In any event, the volume of oil in the Gulf grows by the day. As it does, it will be washing up in more and more places. I've said before that it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. All we can do is wait for BP to get the hole plugged by drilling the relief well. Hopefully that'll work.

But when will that be? God only knows. And He's not telling.

Reducing Our "Dependence" on Foreign Oil: A cynic's point of view

President Obama says that we must eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.

::::Yawn::::

Sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before? Ohhhhh yeaaaaaah.

I clearly remember 1973: the first “gas crisis” which occurred when OPEC shut us off due to our support of Israel. I remember days of not being able to buy gasoline at all, or waiting in long lines to buy what little was allowed that day. I remember President Nixon telling us that we had to rid ourselves of our “dependence on foreign oil.” And we all agreed. In theory.

The Nixon Administration even gave us the ill-fated Project Independence, which was supposed to end our “dependence” on foreign oil by lower consumption (conservation), developing alternative energy sources, diverting money to mass transit, and switching oil power plants to coal (such a deal!).

I remember President Ford saying the same thing. And then President Carter. Then Reagan. Then Bush. Then Clinton. Then the other Bush. Did I forget anyone?

And now President Obama tells us what we’ve known for nearly 40 years. Wow. What a friggin’ GENIUS!

Okay, but when are we actually going to DO something about it?

Lowering the national speed limit to 55 mph didn’t work. People “voted with their feet” and ignored it. Building small, fuel-efficient cars didn’t work. Remember the Chevy Chevette? I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. Total piece of shit. Even worse than the Chevy Vega, which was bad enough to begin with.

1976 Chevette

Remember the first Honda Civic? Teeny-tiny little piece of shit. A toy of a car, actually. It made the VW Beetle seem big and roomy and substantial. The Civic looked stupid, and you looked stupid driving it. Pictures make it look bigger than it actually is. The car was so narrow as to be comical.

Original Honda Civic

Gradually, over the years the Civic got bigger and bigger, so that the current Civic is bigger than its big brother, the original Accord. And the Accord has become huge! Automakers figured out how to make big cars that get great gas mileage, and Americans didn’t (and don’t) want to cram themselves into clown-cars.

And as gas mileage improved, Americans saw less of a need to buy flimsy little shitboxes that we perceive would be unsafe in a wreck or that can’t tow a trailer. Thus, the Honda Civic grew into a substantial car, and we keep driving like there’s no tomorrow.

Why should we stop ? And how would we? What are the alternatives to driving? The government never did fund mass transit initiatives. Here in Pensacola, Florida there is no rail service to anywhere. Local bus service is all but nonexistent. To get anywhere, you have to drive.

So we aren’t going to be giving up our cars/trucks in the near future, that’s just a fact. We have to accept it and move forward with other ways of reducing our need for oil.

We Americans have come to cherish the freedom afforded to us by our personal transportation. We can hop in and drive from coast to coast if we want…no one to stop us. In fact, it is pretty much what defines our freedom: the ability to come and go as we please. We have come to see this as a right, something that we will not surrender easily.

But back in 1973, use of our automobiles was more circumspect. You had to plan trips more carefully, with gas availability in mind. There were times when we simply could not drive. Thus, our ability to use our cars in the arbitrary way of the past was gone.

And you know what? We adapted. It wasn’t fun, but we did what we had to do.

So here’s what we should do, and do now. The tax on gasoline must increase. And not just a little, but it’s got to go up to a point where it hurts – to the point where we’re forced to cut back on our driving.

I have a perfectly good motorcycle out in the garage. It gets 55-60mpg all the time. But do I use it when I have to run errands around town? Nope, I take the air conditioned, 18mpg Jeep. Now, would I cut back on driving the Jeep if gasoline doubled in price to $5.00/gallon? You betcha! (Actually, right now gasoline in the Pensacola area is about $2.58/gallon.)

Then, with the revenue increase from the gasoline tax, “alternative energy” sources could be funded and implemented. As Americans cut back on their driving, the demand for oil (both domestic and foreign) would lessen. Gradually, we could substitute foreign oil for our own. (That’s the fantasy, anyway.)

There is no question that we must keep drilling for oil. No matter how much we want the infernal internal combustion engine to go away, that’s just not going to happen overnight. Wanting “something else” is terrific, but what? It will take decades before a suitable, practical alternative could be in place. So. Let’s be realistic. Keep drilling in the Gulf of Mexico (as safely as possible), and open up the Arctic National Wilderness Refuge (ANWR) to drilling too. We have no choice right now.

But dammit, let’s get started! We’ve heard the same bullshit from presidents for 40 years about the evils of foreign oil. One of them needs to get off his ass and DO something about it. I mean, a cynical person might get the idea that there’s something bigger going on – that in the interest of macro-economics or geo-politics or something, we really don’t want to eliminate our “dependence” on foreign oil.

But we’re not that cynical, are we?

Selling Cat Food

And who doesn’t like cats?

Usually I avoid watching TV commercials, considering them an interruption and supreme annoyance. But my attention was grabbed by a soft, melodic tune reminiscent of something from the 1960’s. My head snapped to the tube, and there on the screen was some cat that was apparently having an LSD-induced hallucination. It was dancing with purple and blue, stork-legged turkeys and riding on a fish sailboat. There were flying cows and windmills on clouds. I stared at the screen slackjawed and went, “Whaaaaaa?”

The commercial is stunning...gorgeous. The music works perfectly with the lush visuals. Okay, Friskies, you got my attention.



Because I am obsessed with these things, I had to research it. Turns out that this commercial is the brainchild of a certified wacko named Erik Denno of the Avrett Free Ginsburg ad agency. It’s just the latest in a long-running ad campaign called “Feed The Senses." This particular spot is called, "Adventureland."

Denno reasoned that if we humans visualize Italy when we eat Italian food, say, then cats must also do something, err, similar. He wanted to create a world of flavors that a cat might experience when it ate Friskies cat food.

Ooookaaaaaaaaaay.

And he was serious.

So Erik put together a team of other LSD-takers (and apparently cat-lovers) who each contributed their part to make this whole thing come to life. The amount of work they put into it is astounding. Remember, it's cat food.

The spot is bizarre. There is of course a short (30-second) version and a longer one. Even in the 60-second commercial it's hard to catch all of the intricate detail and texture they put into it. You have to watch it online, pausing to study a scene that would otherwise flash by so briefly that you'd miss it.

It's amazing. I watch it and shake my head, staring at the screen and going, "Folks, it's just CAT FOOD!"

The comments to the YouTube video are great.

Fuzzfilm says: "Yes, the most awesome cat food commercial of all freekin time, I love it! What the hell were the ad hacks who came up with this smoking anyway!"

Lluvio3: "It's like Purina hired a bunch of animators on drugs to make the best commercial for cat food ever!"

Finally, Albeer45 sez: "My cat likes the food, but he thinks he's not the target audience for this campaign-its not masculine enough for him."

I know, I know...I get fascinated by the weirdest crap. After all, it's just a dang television commercial. And I mean, I don't even own a cat. Hell, I don't even like cats!

But I admire creativity. And Friskies produced a commercial so imaginative and compelling that it not only got me to watch it (forced me to watch it, actually), but to write about it in a blog. If that isn't hitting their mark perfectly, I don't know what is.

Bravo, Friskies!

YOUTUBE: The Making of Adventureland (It's worth watching, too)

What Is General Aviation?

When I tell people that I’m a professional pilot, they usually ask what airline I fly for? I’ll bet you that most people in the country really don’t understand the difference between the airlines and General Aviation. To them, General Aviation is pretty invisible and/or inconsequential.

“General Aviation” comprises all civilian, non-airline flying. From flight training to corporate/business use, and everything in between: cargo, point-to-point charter, powerline and pipeline patrol, air ambulance, sightseeing, news-gathering, and yes, even private owner pleasure flying - it's all General Aviation.

The helicopter we fly falls under General Aviation. It is a tremendous help for my boss, letting him get things done much more efficiently. Our dealerships are spread out all over the whole state of Alabama. But we can visit two or three them in one day with the helicopter, landing right at the specific location. We have one board meeting that my boss must attend every month in a small town that’s not anywhere near an Interstate. When he used to drive, it took him three hours one-way. That was six hours total – the better part of a workday - spent in a car with limited productivity.

All across the country, General Aviation aircraft (both helicopters and airplanes) help businessmen do exactly what my boss does. They get people to places that are not served by the airlines. Say I had to go from Pensacola to, oh, Huntsville, Alabama, a distance of 350 ground miles. There is no airline service, not even a commuter (we call them “regionals” now). Mapquest says it’s five hour and thirty-five minute trip by car – figure six hours. If I had a meeting in Huntsville, it would be a two-day affair.

In the helicopter it would take me a little under three hours to do the trip one-way, which is do-able but a little impractical (that's a loooong time to spend chugging along in a helicopter). Using an airplane like a twin-engine Cessna 421, the trip would only take about 1:15. It would be a piece of cake to fly up to Huntsville in the morning, have my meeting, and then fly back in the afternoon. This is what General Aviation does best.

Many pilots aspire to work for the airlines. There always was a certain romance to being an airline pilot. They were once held in high esteem by the general public. Sadly, those days are gone. Airline pilots suffer the same indignities that the rest of the flying public does: they have to remove their shoes and proceed through the security checkpoint with just as much suspicion aimed at them as anyone else in the airport. The job of “airline pilot” has lost its luster - and a lot of the respect that used to go along with it.

Some pilots, like me, have no desire to work for the airlines. I like it here in General Aviation, flying these wacky helicopters and doing the goofy things we invariably do. The pay isn’t great (compared to a 767 captain) and the benefits are awful. My schedule is…well…I’m just always on call, even if I don’t “work” a lot. (My friends think I don’t work at all.)

Jason Schappert, one of the guys who are doing that Flight Across America thing, is also a General Aviaton kind of guy. Here, he explains why he does what he does.



Jason and Vincent begin their month-long cross-country adventure tomorrow, Friday, June 18, 2010. They will be carrying across the country the message of how important General Aviation is to America. It's a worthy cause, and they need your support.

Hanson: They're Back...

If you do not already, you’ll think I’m weird after this post. Bear with me. And do not judge.

I am a big fan of pop culture. I’m fascinated with the way that the American public latches onto certain fads or trends, then completely devours them before spitting them out like yesterday’s chewing gum and moves on to the next flavor du jour.

Back in the mid-to-late 1990’s there was this musical group called Hanson. They were three singing brothers from Tulsa, Okalahoma: Isacc, Taylor and Zac, aged 16, 13 and 11 respectively. You may remember a little song they had called, “MMMBop.” Unfair comparisons to groups like The Monkees and Jackson5 aside, the Hanson brothers played their own instruments (kind of) and wrote their own songs (sort of). Of course they had professional help. (Big-time professional help.)

I first saw the video for “MMMBop” in 1997 on a late-night MTV show called “120 Minutes” which usually previewed new and up-and-coming “alternative” artists, not boy-band pop groups. The song/video is ridiculously, infectiously catchy. The host even liked it a lot and opined that the song would be a big hit. He had no idea…

Of course, “MMMBop” was a monster hit for Hanson and launched their career. They were signed to Mercury Records. But in a strange twist of fate, Mercury got absorbed in a merger and ultimately dissolved. The boys found themselves on a record label called Island Def Jam. The management at Def Jam did not understand how to handle Hanson’s development.

The brothers ended up leaving the record label and striking out on their own. They stuck together, musically, and continued to put out a few well-reviewed if not well-received albums. But without major label promotion and the radio airplay it would have generated, they might as well have dropped off the face of the earth. Out with the old! Bands like ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys immediately stepped in and took Hanson's place. Out with the old (again)! Then the Jonas Brothers took their place.

Here we are in 2010. The brothers Hanson have just completed and released a new album called “Shout It Out” and they’re attempting the impossible: A comeback. But it's not that simple. Their former image carries with it a lot of baggage, a lot of it negative. I'm sure they look back on that "MMMBop" video and cringe. Nevertheless, they persevere. They’ve added a horn section for a more “rootsy,” Motown-ish sound. Question is: Should we care?

One song on the album, the first single and grammatically horrible, “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” seems, at first listen to be a direct rip-off of Ray Charles’ “What I Say?” The keyboard riff throughout is identical. Taylor even uses the title of that Ray Charles song in his lyrics, among obvious references to other songs like “these arms of mine,” “respect,” and “tainted love.” I was really predisposed to dislike the song. But I listened to it a second time. Oooooh, big mistake. It is unbelievably catchy – and you know how I am about these things. It is also just as long as it needs to be, and not one second longer. DAMN YOU, HANSON!

Then I saw the video. Oh, God.

The Hanson brothers make no excuse for their love of the great movie, “The Blues Brothers.” They realized that there’s a scene in it that really fits with this “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” song. It’s at a point where John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd and their band visit a music store owned and run by an old black musician played by Ray Charles. (Look, it’s not a documentary, okay?) Ray offers to let the band try out some instruments, and they launch into a rendition of “Twist It (Shake Your Tailfeathers).” The music spills out onto the street, causing people to break out into spontaneous (and choreographed) dance. It’s a wonderful part of the movie. Then again, pick one part of that movie that wasn't completely awesome!

Hanson decided to remake that scene. They recreated the set, then dressed up actors, musicians and dancers the way they were in the movie. They went to a lot of trouble to get it right.

Ray Charles from the original scene

Taylor Hanson in the remake

The end result is not just a shot-for-shot remake but a loving homage to a classic movie that many of us hold as one of our favorites of all time. They could have screwed-up big-time here. They didn't.

To appreciate the Hanson video, you have to know the original. Here it is.



For Hanson’s version, Ray’s Music Exchange was changed to “Tay’s.” On the updated mural painted on the outside of the building is a huge picture of Ray Charles. Nice. Before you watch it, pay close attention to the first few seconds of the video before the music even starts. It’s simply amazing and hilarious. Watch for:

• Taylor’s wide-collar, polyester shirt just like the one Ray Charles wore
• The bass player in the green shirt on the left with the pipe in his mouth (details, details!)
• Isaac on the right in a dual role dressed up as a dead-ringer for famous guitarist Steve Cropper
• Isaac-as-Aykroyd ripping the piece of gaffer tape off the organ just like Aykroyd did
• Zac picking up the cowbell from the drummer (who is also Zac in a dual role)
• “Tambourine Guy” who unobtrusively slides into the shot at :20 seconds. Could it be?…Is it…yes, Weird Al Yankovic! Weird Al is the acknowledged master of the parody video. And he just flat steals this one.



You can see the effort the crew took in doing this. Shot with a relatively low-tech Canon video camera, the video has a strikingly different and unique look. I have to give Hanson credit. They took a classic movie and instead of just ripping it off and remaking the same song and scene, they went in a different direction yet at the same time paid “The Blues Brothers” a fittingly awesome tribute. I’m blown away.

It’s almost impossible…I challenge you!...to watch the video only once. The song is infectious enough by itself, but combined with the video it gets into your brain like crack. It’s just so damn fun to watch. It looks like everyone had a blast making it. The song has the potential to be this summer’s “Umbrella” or “Paparazzi.”

For me, the whole thing works on many levels. Isaac is 29 now, Taylor is 27, and Zac is 24. They're not kids anymore. I’m happy to see Hanson grown up, still together and still making arguably good music (your taste may vary, but I love this song). I'm happy to see Weird Al Yankovic getting the recognition he deserves.

Hanson's professional career has so far spanned thirteen years. After all, The Beatles only lasted ten years. But then, they weren’t actually brothers. And I'm not equating Hanson with The Beatles, only saying that as a band, The Beatles did not last all that long. They couldn't make that tough transition from teenage boys who played music together to adults doing the same.

Speaking of other bands…and brothers…and bands of brothers…I can just imagine the Jonas Brothers watching this video and going, “Holy shit. We’re so screwed. They’re back.”

Yep, as the computer kids would say these days, the JoBros just got pwned.