The Power of Lyrics - "The Love You Take, is Equal to the Love You Make."

"...The love you take is equal to the love you make." - Lennon/McCartney
(from the song "The End" from The Beatles album, Abbey Road -1969 [w/solos - Click for Video])

The final song from the final album (yes, I know - Let It Be was released after Abbey Road, but as you all know, Abbey Road was recorded last.) This is not only an apropos swan song for a band that preached love and peace, and the only one that features instrumental solos from all four Fabs (especially Ringo's renowned solo), but a lyric that is oft-quoted and a sentiment that we all should embrace. Yet as much as this lyric speaks to me - and far (far) be it for me to second guess The Beatles - upon closer analysis I find the thought - as phrased - a bit flawed.

"The love you take..." is a harsh thought that makes one think of force. I would think a better phrase would be "The love you receive" or "The love you get back" - I believe either is closer to the intended sentiment.

The remainder of the phrase "...is equal to the love you make." makes it sound like simply "you get what you give" which in and of itself is OK, but not as encompassing as it could be. You get a dime because you gave 10 pennies. To me it makes love sound like it needs to be or it is nothing more than an equitable exchange.

Knowing Beatle lyrics as well as I do, and having read and listened to hundreds of hours of interviews and personal writings by the lads, I feel that what they were really meaning to say is not "The love you give is equal to the love you receive in return" but was more along the lines of "The more you put out there, the more your efforts will be rewarded."

Right or wrong this is what I take from the phrase. It's not about the receiving or the taking of Love. It's about the giving, the making. We should be putting it out there, regardless of whether it is returned in kind. Interestingly, in the 1939 MGM Film, The Wizard of Oz, I find a similar sentiment in a similarly mis-phrased thought (to my thinking): "A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others." This is what The Wizard tells Tin Man when he bestows the silk heart. This also seems to point to the merits of 'taking love' over 'giving love' - the flawed sentiment that seems prevalent in our society (or in mankind in general).

But back to The Beatles. The intent of their lyric seems to me to be more of a wish for us, along the lines of: "may you receive as much love as you give (if not more)" - a reminder that you don't get it if you don't give it. So give it... freely and often. The more you love, the more you are loved in return.

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make."

The Power of Lyrics - An Introduction

Anyone who knows me, knows how powerful I find music to be. I walk around whistling; always a tune in my head. I listen to music at the gym, in the car, at work, at home. I aurally consume dozens of hours of music a week.

Usually, I couldn't tell you what the song is about, I don't hear the lyrics, I hear and feel the structure of the song... oh, and it has to be a structured song. No Jazz or Classical tends to do it for me. It's a structured song: Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge with a Key Change-Chorus to Completion.

If my mind doesn't necessarily notice it, my body does... be it a head bob, foot tap, finger wiggle... I feel it. And no, I can't Dance either... I don't seem to have that sort of Rhythm. I even use it to concentrate - I abhor Silence. To read a book, I need some music playing. When I worked in the Legal Department, I needed to keep one half of my brain entertained with music while the other half of my brain typed out the contracts.

But every now and then, a Lyric jumps out at me. It need not be timely nor profound, it doesn't necessarily relate to something going on in my life, but something in that simple, concise string of words grabs me at that moment. You'd think with my appreciation of lyrical phrases, I would be a fan of Poetry as well. Let me put that to rest. No - I am not a Poetry fan. (Though there are a few exceptions to that - I mean, why is the Snark always a Boojum?)

So today I begin a new exploration of Lyrics. As a phrase catches my ear, I will jot it down and the expound on what I might mean to me or why it may have caught my ear at that moment.

I hope this will be fun.

Article about Me - March 23, 2010

Weisberg traveled from Warminster to Hollywood for 'Dragon'

By: Lou Gaul

Bucks County Courier Times

For Larry Weisberg, the road from Warminster to Tinseltown has been a long, winding and rewarding one.

The 47-year-old Philadelphia native, who devoted years to working toward a creative production assignment, served as production supervisor of modeling and surfacing for DreamWorks Animation SKG’s computer-animated “How to Train Your Dragon,” opening March 26 in 2-D and 3-D.

His trip to a Hollywood career actually began more than three decades ago when he was 14.

“In May of 1977, my whole family went to see this movie that was supposed to be cool,” Weisberg said during a telephone interview from DreamWorks in Glendale, Calif. “We got there late and had to sit in the front row.

“When those yellow letters started on the screen, they spelled out ‘Star Wars.’ I looked up and watched these giant spaceships go from left to right, and they were so realistic.

“I remember sitting there and saying to myself, ‘I want to do this!’ ”

Weisberg, whose mother resides in Trevose, Pa., spent some time at William Tennent High School in Warminster, Pa. (and left when his family moved in the middle of his sophomore year). Soon after graduation, he set out to see the world.

“I went into the Navy, because I had no interest in college,” he said. “I wanted to make films, but I didn’t want to be told (in a cinema course) whose films were genius.

“I wanted to attend the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas School of Filmmaking and create blockbusters and fun movies.”

After the Navy, in which he served from 1980 to 1985 on submarines, he became assistant manager of a music-store chain. At age 28, he grew tired of the retail record business and decided to get different experiences by becoming a temp in Long Island.

He was married at the time, and his ex-wife had some recording-industry job offers in California. They packed their car and drove to Los Angeles.

Weisberg answered an ad in the Hollywood Reporter for a receptionist/office manager for a small TV production company responsible for the documentary series “ABC World of Discovery.”

He then worked on a children’s show revolving around the Museum of Natural History in New York City before landing a temporary position in 1996 at the Walt Disney Co. He was responsible for letters from nursery school owners asking for permission to paint pictures of Mickey Mouse on their walls.

In April 1996, his life took a major change when DreamWorks hired him as a temp in the legal department. Weisberg worked as a paralegal for nine years and then felt burned out.

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He appealed to DreamWorks’ human resources department to find him a job involving the studio’s animated output. He agreed to take a 40 percent pay cut to do just that.

He worked on “Over the Hedge” (2006), “Flushed Away” (2006) and “Bee Movie” (2007) in the production office. For hands-on experience, his big break came when a staff member quit suddenly and Weisberg found himself doing what he had always wanted to do — working with artists to make a movie.

On “How to Train Your Dragon,” he became production supervisor of modeling and surfacing. That process takes artwork and makes it a 3-D model in the computer. Surfacing adds textures and colors to an object.

“They (artists) can make the model shine like glass, look like rock or wood and other things from that same piece of (computer) geometry,” he said. “Everything in the film — except fire and water — is modeled and surfaced.”

Recognizing that “How to Train Your Dragon” is a technical marvel, Weisberg feels the striking visuals only work so well due to the film’s heartfelt story.

In the PG-rated picture, a teen (voice by Jay Baruchel of “Tropic Thunder”), whose father (voice by Gerard Butler of “300”) is a brave Viking leader, feels like a misfit and a poor candidate to follow in the macho footsteps of his protective father. The boy ends up capturing and taming a legendary dragon and then rides the winged creature to defend his people.

“The film is about a boy who is different and who doesn’t fit in,” said Weisberg, who named “The Jungle Book” and “Aladdin” as his favorite animated movies. “But as soon as people take the time to stop and listen to him, they find out his alternate way of thinking isn’t weird or wrong. It’s just different.
“Sometimes, different is good and better.”

And what advice does Weisberg give young people who seek a job like his?

“If you want to get into animation as an artist, you must keep drawing,” he said. “Even though the characters in these films are computer-animated, it’s still all about the (original) drawings.

“Also, post your comics on Facebook and use networking sites to find other people doing similar work.”

And even though Weisberg is now firmly established in California, he still has a taste for a particular spot in Bucks County.

“I remember pizza from Longhitano’s (which was located in Warminster and is now in Southampton, Pa.),” he said. “Thinking about their pepperoni pizza still makes my mouth water.”

How to Make the Perfect Scrambled Egg

Something as simple as a scrambled egg can be an art.

I've tried different techniques and ratios of ingredients, debated adding milk or not, struggled to break the habit of my Mom's 'scramboozled' eggs (simply scrambling them in the frying pan as they cook), and as of this morning, I have discovered how to make the perfect scrambled egg.

For starters, the hardware: bowl, whisk (not a fork, not a spoon, but a whisk), a spatula and a frying pan (non-stick is preferred). Then comes the software: egg, milk, salt, pepper, butter. That's it. Nothing else.

The key is the ratio: one egg + one teaspoon milk + one pinch salt. This ratio works no matter how many eggs you make. I made two (so two eggs + two teaspoons milk + two pinches salt).

Crack the eggs into the bowl (or measuring cup like I use). Add milk and salt. Whisk for one minute. Your goal is to achieve a uniform color, uniform consistency, and introduce some air into the mix. Air=fluffy. You are not beating it into a froth. You do not want peaks. You just want some airy consistency.

Once done, let it sit for about a minute as you bring your frying pan up to heat on just above Medium. Add enough butter to coat the pan and before (not after) but before the butter completely melts (and begins to burn, which you know it will), add the egg mixture.

Let it is sit for about 10-15 seconds, adding a few crrw-crrws of freshly ground pepper. Once the edges begin to cook, gently use your spatula to move the sides into the center of the pan. Do not stir, chop, flip or even fold your scrambled eggs. Just remain calm and make simple moves. This should continue for about a minute (for two eggs). Your time, of course, will differ depending on the amount of eggs you are preparing (although I would highly suggest cooking your eggs in small batches).

Keep doing this until the egg is ALMOST completely cooked - leave some runny. If you wait until all the runny is gone, you will overcook your egg. The egg is hot enough to continue cooking the runny after you remove it from the pan.

Quickly plate and enjoy.

New Year, New Start - Make Changes NOW

As January 1 approached, most people began to think about things they'd like to change; things they wanted to do differently; something new they were going to start - eating better, exercising more, being nicer, thriftier, stop nail biting, no more snacking... on and on and on.

But why what for some date in the future... DO IT NOW. Don't wait until January 1, or your next Birthday, or as soon as you Graduate, or as soon as school is over or summer is over, Labor Day begins, and on and on and on. One delay after another.

One excuse after another.

"Tomorrow I will ______." Is that because I want one more day to error before I change? Procrastination perhaps?

I had a friend who loved to say, "I'm going to give it six more months." What happens at the six month mark? Why make up such a generic, meaningless deadline for yourself?

Do it NOW. Do you really need a deadline? A goal? A date to shoot for? No... that's just an excuse - and I do it to.

So here's my resolution. No more artificial deadlines. No more delaying to some calendaric milestone. If I want to change something, I'm going to start right now... this very second.

We all should.