In the Studio
The humor that is laced into this piece seems to capture authentic "in the studio" moments with the band. Again, since there are no by-lines, it’s entertaining for me to make guesses about who wrote each article (I’m easily amused . . . (c:) I must say, I felt this particular writing sounded extremely Taylor-esque. Why? First of all, the idea of all three sitting in a revolving chair, taking turns writing each word is just plain bizarre. Second, Taylor is great at saying something (like suggesting a way to "clear your head") and then also arguing a case for the opposite ("the last thing you want to do is clear your head"). The snippets of conversation give the article an audio dimension. That’s pretty cool.

(P.S. Check "lose" and "loose" in your nearest Webster’s.)

I also really like those strips of photo negatives that accompany the text. It gives it a "raw" feeling native to all creative endeavors (especially fitting, since the subject of the article is the making of the next album). The writer also mentions patience in this process which reminded me again of just what an accomplishment "3 Car Garage" (or should I say "MMMBop"—the album) really was. Their limited studio time and less experience only illuminated their level of talent. Now that Hanson’s resources are much more expansive, "Album X"—the name the band has given when referring to their next project—should be nothing less than brilliant. At the same time, I would never want to be guilty of "Phantom Menace-like" hype that spells trouble for any project with too much anticipation behind it. However, I am already prepping my non-Hanson friends for this album—NO PRESSURE guys, really!! hehe

NOTE: Well apparently, I missed a major clue to the "true" author of this piece. Thanks to a very observant MOE member, evidence is mounting against my Taylor theory.  Kim writes:

I wanted to let you know that the Hanson that wrote "In the Studio" was actually Isaac. No this isn't my opinion :) it's a fact. If you look at the bottom left hand corner of the thingy..you can see Isaac's siggy! :) Wait..It might be on the bottom right hand corner of the page before "In the Studio" Have a wonderful day!!!!!

Another possibility is that Isaac signed the graphics page since he did the layout for that. ::shrug:: The guys always keep me guessing.  ::grin::

On the Slopes
Hmmm. Who could be the writer of this article? Let’s see, it’s written in first person—which means that anyone referred to by name can be taken off the list of possible suspects. Does it sound like I’ve played one too many games of "221 B Baker St." as a youngster (This is a sleuthing game based on the character of Sherlock Holmes.)?

Anyway, this article was of special interest to me since I still bear a scar on my arm from a mogul incident that turned nasty. I took a black diamond slope on a very warm day and like Isaac(?), caught an unfortunate edge. Currently, as I write my reactions to MOE, I am about a mile above sea level (taking a course in Flagstaff, Arizona) and can also relate to Zac’s altitude sickness. I sympathize with Zac, because there is truly nothing like pushing off from the ski lift and turning to face nothing but DOWN!

Albumitis
I don’t know . . . Zac? (the identity of the cartoonist) ::smile:: Yes, for those of you wondering what could possibly survive inside Zac’s unpredictable and generally zany mind, this has got to be it! Second engineers and cleaning crews fall prey in madcap adventures. No piece of equipment is safe when Zac Hanson is in town. (My friend actually hired a bagpiper to celebrate another friend’s party. Unfortunately, my requests were not played. ::grin::)

A Near Dead Experience
In a recent conversation with my aunt and uncle who are the same age as Mr. and Mrs. Hanson, they said that the appeal of "The Grateful Dead" hinged on the alternative states of reality most "Deadheads" were in while attending concerts. My relatives are pretty hip musically speaking, so I appreciated their perspective. Just thought I'd share . . . The poster from Hanson’s appearance in the Wetlands benefit concert is extremely lush and beautiful!

ItzNewz
Hanson proves once again that "They LOVE Tulsa!!" Like the Blue Rose Cafe, Admiral Twin and Mayfest, Chillicothe may find out just how loyal Hanson fans can be!

Revelations from Adult Hanson Fans
The word "adult" in our times carries some strange connotations. Especially when phrases like "adults only" usually refer to something only a small percentage of the population actually patronize (Except, aren’t the most popular sites on the Internet geared for "adults"? ::shiver:: I won’t think about that. Ahem!) To refer to myself as an "adult fan" of Hanson sounds slightly wrong to me. "Mature fan" sounds like I’m ready for a senior citizen discount or something (Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ::grin::). I’m not sure if there’s any way to categorize Hanson fans by age without sounding a little bit cheesy. For fans with high school or college diplomas, um, "Grad Squad?" I guess some people like to distinguish themselves from "teenies." But I’m probably not a category person.

My friends and family know about my appreciation for Hanson. They find it amusing, but have grown in their respect for the band’s talent through the exposure to the music they’ve received through me. Fans who are older than the band members need not feel like witness protection participants. We’re in good company: the Dust Brothers, Steve Greenburg, Christopher Sabec, Mr. and Mrs. Hanson—for goodness sake!! (At 28, I’m actually younger than all of these people mentioned, I might add—not that age matters or anything. hehe)

Aaron's humor and enthusiasm are evident throughout his "Tales from the Fans" account of each person’s devotion to Hanson. My only complaint is the white text over the Hanson symbol—it’s difficult to read considering my fading eyesight. hehe

Centerfold
I like to call these images, "Hanson’s birthday pictures." Can you guess why?

MOEMan
Does it get any nuttier or punnier than MOEMan? Poor MOEMan—maybe all he needs is a shot of MOEca or an EskiMOE pie to set him on the road to complete health! (Yikes! It’s contagious!) My favorite detail? The window, hanging from a nail.

News from the Net
I love the "Where is Johnny" concept since I’ve had a theory about that for the longest time—but who hasn’t? Ü The NetPick is awesome! Monica seems like such a sweetie! She totally deserves the recognition! Way to go!

Chatroom
You know that things have hit a lull when even the chatroom seems tame. I mean no "glass eye" questions or references to "chicktionaries"? But I must say that my heart sank when I heard the braces I bought were not authentic (Do I sound sarcastic to you? Good. (c;).

Merchandise
My only disappointment is that MOE doesn’t offer the appropriate undergarment to wear with the MOE tanktop . . . which makes me wonder . . . Nah (cough cough).

From the Fans
Does Hanson love their fans or what? I thought the quilt in MOE3 was pretty amazing, but how about that stained glass window? Again, it’s cool to see net-friends in MOE: Jason and Alanna, your stuff is terrific!

Dr. Food
This recipe has my mouth watering. Dr. Food continues to explore beyond the land of Dr. Pepper, hamburgers, french fries and meat lover’s pizza that we so often associate with Hanson. I already love every single ingredient in Pho Bo, with the exception of the fish sauce (but I’m willing to give that a try). When I hear something is salty, I’m already biased towards it though.

And on to a more important issue . . . Again, I’m distracted by the identity of Dr. Food. Cloaking himself as a "friend of the Hanson’s" does not necessarily mean that he’s NOT a family member. At the same time, Ashley Greyson is the only non-family member listed as a writer and I’ve accounted for the writers of all the other articles with my master Pink Panther sleuthing abilities. (c: But again, at the same time, the person who wrote the "Adult Fans" article was not included in the staff list—therefore, leading one to believe the list is incomplete. All this to say, my theory on Dr. Food’s identity remains unchanged.

The en-HANSON-ed CD
The entire time I was installing "Worlds" on my computer (More on this virtual chat after I’ve had time to explore it . . . BTW, my "Worlds" name is daisy), "Boomerang" played continuously. I’m not sure why . . . I mean, this is among my favorites, but on repeat it felt like it just kept circling back again and again and again. =)

I’m overwhelmed by the band’s generosity in cutting a CD only for MOE members of formerly bootlegged "copy of a copy of a copy" songs. The tracks are amazing—Love "Boomerang"!!  "Rain" is right up there with my all-time favorite songs, so naturally I got chills listening to that one. Did I want to weep when I heard "More Than Anything" with Isaac’s "Taylor voice?" ::sniffle:: For just an instant, I thought I was going to hear "Something New," but then I realized, "No, it’s ‘Baby, You’re so Fine.’" "Incredible" always sounds like nephews at a wedding reception. And last, but not least . . . my only request would have been to hear the evolution of "MMMBop."  It could have come full circle. If "Lonely Boy" were on this CD, we would have experienced the creation of a song in backwards order: Dust Brothers version, "we’re recording" original and then "Lonely Boy"—the song that inspired the discarded background sounds that turned into, yeah, MMMBop.

All I’m going to say about the wallpaper, screensaver and mouse pointer: It was very thoughtful to include instructions on how to de-activate these once they were installed. It was a cool idea, and I love MOE, but . . .

The video clips are priceless!! Sometimes I wonder, did Hanson grow up in a time warped ‘70s like I did? I mean, it almost sounds like they’re "Mork and Mindy" fans (Nanu Nanu). It was fun to see the guys explain the MOE editorial process. The clip from the new album was short, but sweet (not surprising, huh?). I was listening very closely since someone sent me a rumor that one of the next songs on the album was going to be "D—it girl!" which caused both my sister and I to laugh out loud. Of course, we won’t be laughing (well, maybe just a little) when a song with that title is released as the first single off the new album. (Disclaimer: I hesitate to pass any kind of rumor along since I am not a gossiper, but hey, this is just too outrageous that nobody would actually believe this, right? Right? hehe (c;) I would like to say more about the video clips, but I've said enough already.