Sponsor

I think #AlcoholicsAnonymous is bullshit. I've read the #BookOfBill. (Most of the 12 steps are tied to religion and I'm not religious so it's easy for me to call BS),

The one element of #AA I do appreciate: The sponsor

The sponsor is the person you call when you are feeling weak. S/he talks you down from the moment when you might take another drink.

My friend Roy* is a former student. He's also a good friend. He quit drinking six years ago. It was the right thing for him to do. He didn't join AA he just quit; like Dad, but I digress.

Roy's hit a tough patch in life. Work issues, marital issues, social media issues... it easy to see how it could lead a man who has chosen sobriety to go back to drinking.

Because he's not in AA I've become his de facto sponsor; which is weird because I know I am an #alcoholic by the AA definition and I don't care. I am happy to be Roy's phone call when he is feeling the need to take a drink. I know it's his goal to not take that drink so I think I'm equipped with the skills to talk him back from doing something he'd regret. 

My favorite radio show is #ThisAmericanLife had an amazing story that made her famous. The problem? She was not an alcoholic. Here is the link... skip to Act 3: The Wisdom to know the difference  or check her page. 

I support Roy. He's a good man. I chose Roy as the psuedonym for my friend because I admire the Roy Kent character in Ted Lasso. 

*Name changed to protect his identity... given his recent issues on social media there is no way I'd use even his first name. 

Ginseng

 

In 1994 I got into taking supplements. Of which, my favorite was #Ginseng. I took it religiously. I gave it to my friends. It gave me energy. This is awesome!

Two years later my mentor wanted to hire me to teach a class at #CoeCollege as an #adjunct. Yay! I replied.

"One condition," he said, "stop taking ginseng."

"Huh?" I replied,

"Dude, since you started taking ginseng you have been walking around with a semi at all times and YOU HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW."

He was, of course, correct. 

To say I love my mentor is an understatement. I'd have given my life for him without hesitation. I also had zero attraction to him so the fact I had a semi when it's just us talking in his office... yeah, time to stop taking ginseng. 

I'm now 54 - pretty much the age Doc was when he gave me that advice. I want to see what ginseng does for me now. 

Easier here

 Is the company in growth mode or optimization mode?

LFG is in growth mode as it has introduced new key strategic objectives focused on maximizing distributable earnings and capital generation. 

But are they? It's easy to give a press release saying, "we are in a growth mode" Bezos taught the world that saying "we are in a growth mode" keeps the dogs of  Wall Street off him for decades.

When your profit/loss looks like this you obligated by your coms team to say, "We are in a growth mode."

This is YogaBabble and it has some spelling mistakes. In a critical analysis of a company never be afraid to call out BS.

Great overview of the industry.

Great Five Forces - except... and there is a theme to me being critical here... the threats and rivalry. There are a dozen companies who could eat them up and spit them out tomorrow. Apple financial, Morgan Stanley, Amazon (the company you trust for everything else wants to offer you life insurance and financial planning... you already trust us with everything else... why not trust us with this?)Etc.

WAY too kind. Your assignment is NOT to swallow everything their coms team says. 

Everything else you have is boilerplate review... If I were grading this it's a B+.

This is a company that has one way to be successful - which its coms team has done pretty well: Make yourself as attractive as you can and hope some big boy bank asks you out at the next dance. 

In other words, the only way forward for them is a merger/acquisition.

Those are my two cents. 

 July 25, 2023

Stephen King once said, "We are all gonna die... I want to make it more interesting." Well...

Steven Kranz is dead. The driver of the Coke truck that took him out is under questioning right now but authorities doubt there was foul play as Mr. Kranz was wearing a Coke shirt when he died.

In 1985 Steve was on a High School trip to Mexico and almost taken out by a Pepsi delivery truck. Recently Steve learned that the aspartame in Coke Zero is his most likely cause of death. Little did he know, it would be a delivery driver in the UAE.

The Suicide Tollbridge

 My Aunt, my uncle and my brother all committed suicide. So when it comes to depression and suicide you've never met a guy better equipped to discuss this than me. 

I won't speak about the aunt I never met and the uncle who is technically my godfather but I don't really remember him.

I can speak about Mark. 

Mark was Steve 1.0.

By all accounts Mark was insanely smart and witty. I don't think he was as extroverted as his Mom and me but he really knew how to make people take notice... I think all who knew him would say that Mark would have been a social media influencer.

Instead, my brother dropped out of HS weeks before graduation and became the story they told to all other #BCHS grads for generations of what NOT to do. 

I won't lie; my relationships with my siblings is complicated as fuck. Mom designated me as the favorite early on and Dad designated Miriam as favorite child and Marty as favorite son early on... leaving the oldest sister Kathy and oldest son Mark somewhere out there but not a great place to be.

Dad saw his reason to be on this planet is to be a good older brother and be a protector of his wife and kids. I have numerous videos on this.

Mom? This is tough. 

Mom is so much more complicated than Dad. I did Spellman's eulogy in two hours. It was easy. 

I wrote and revised Dad's eulogy because Miriam HATED the first draft. The second draft has her edits upfront and the rest is the same. 

For Mom, I have no guardrails. I is/was whatever her favorite son. So what I say is the definitive take on her life. 

And that terrifies me.

Oppenheimer

The first hour of the movie is cutting from 1932 to 1942 to 1945 to 1949. The only way the viewer knows what time period we are in is by seeing the makeup of the stars. I know this story inside and out and even I was like WTF as one moment they are talking about the need for atomic bomb that is only theoretically possible and the next moment they are discussing its impact on the future of mankind.

I wondered during the movie if my theater had the sound on wrong. It's jarring. I couldn't hear the dialogue in many points because the relentless techno sound track overshadowed the voices of the actors. From reading other reviews I learned that for Director Christopher Nolan that's a feature, not a bug.

The movie has a 3 hour run time, and this three act play is almost to the minute broken into three acts by hour. The only act I liked was Act 2, So for Star Wars fans, the second hour is the Empire Strikes Back - enjoy it. 

The third hour goes all political; which you'd think I'd enjoy. Rami Malek appears and gives a passionate speech which would be awesome if we had ever seen him before that speech. In other words it did nothing for me.

Cillian Murphy will get a best actor nomination from this movie. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins it. Cate Blanchet also has a scene in the third act that will get her a best supporting actress nomination.

Joyce Anna Ford Kranz

Prologue

We all need a person in our lives who believe in us more than we believe in ourselves. For me? It was Mom. I was the youngest of her five children and I was her favorite. None of my siblings will argue on that. At the age of 40, Dad said, "I'm happy you were there for her. You handled the side of her I couldn't." Dad's comment will make sense when you hear the rest of the story.

Part I - the early years

Mom grew up dirt poor. Her parents were raging alcoholics. Her mother died when I was very young. My only memory of her funeral was my sister Miriam saying, "It's too bad you'll never know her." 

Mom was born on August 11, 1934. She was the second oldest of a family with 5 girls and one boy. 

Because they were poor Mom took baby siting jobs as young as she possibly could. The rule: When she returned home she had to leave her pay on the kitchen table. Most days she'd wake up and see the money was gone. 

Her parents were, unfortunately, physically abusive alcoholics. 

The best thing that happened for Mom was meeting Merlon Kranz. Dad was tall, good looking and drove a nice car. As I noted in my eulogy for Dad, it's self-serving for me to refer to Dad as good looking because I am physically mini-Merlon - but I didn't drive a nice car in HS.

On the night of graduation of Mom's graduation Mom was beaten badly and Merlon rescued Joyce by taking her to her best friend Miriam to stay. That my sister is named Miriam is not a coincidence.

A few months later Mom turned 18. That's the age where two people can legally marry without the consent of their parents. On August 11, 1952, Mom and Dad were married. 

It is worth noting that Mom forgave her father - grandad as we called him. He sobered up and I have nothing but fantastic memories of him.

Part II - Mental Illness

Besides growing up poor, Mom's life was not easy as mental illness and depression - to whatever degree there is a biological component to it - runs deep. Her sister and brother committed suicide and, tragically, so did her son - my brother Mark. 

I was standing in line waiting to fly back to the UAE when I saw the news that Robin Williams had taken his life. I screamed NOOOO  - which is not a good thing to do in an airport. I had to explain quickly to everyone around me and the security guard who rushed up to me the news.

In many ways Mom and Robin had a lot in common: Wickedly funny extroverts who found humor in the darkest places.

This eulogy is not meant to be depressing, so trust me, some of her humor is...

Part III: Wickedly Funny

For approximately 30 years Mom worked for Newhall's lawyer - Dave Weichman. Dave was a super well respected man,. After Mom retired, Dave retired. He said, "I'm too old to adjust to a new secretary." 

To lighten things up let me give you some of Mom's better gags.

On their 25th wedding anniversary she made typed out divorce papers glued them to a giant piece of cardboard and had it served to Dad at work. 

For my 21st birthday she took out an advertisement in the school newspaper: "The friends, classmates, and fraternity brothers regret to announce that Steve Kranz's surprise birthday party has been canceled due to lack of interest."

More than once she said, "You should be happy abortion was not legal in 1968 - you might not be here if it was."

Strike that one.

So yes, wickedly funny AND very dark.

Part IV: Systemic Lupus

Mom suffered from systemic lupus, a disease that by cosmic coincidence my mentor also suffered from. It's an auto-immune disease that can attack any part of the part of the body. My mentor suffered through it nobly. After an operation that removed a chunk of bone from his arm to be replaced by a metal rod he commented that he was lucky. "Lucky," I replied incredulously. "No, really, I mean it, if the lupus attacks my brain I'm dead in less than 24 hours.

Mom did not take gracefully. She embraced lupus as her right to say or do anything. At the 2004 Ford family reunion Mom announced to all present, "I have less than a year to live." Sitting across from her I rolled my eyes. When she sat down I said, "So what are you going to tell them when you are here next year?" Spoiler alert: Mom lived another 7 years.

BTW, if you have ever noticed my white spots - that's a sign I also have have an auto-immune disorder... fortunately, knock on wood, only my thyroid has shut down. 

Part V: The Extrovert's Extrovert

Extroverts are people who crave an audience. We extroverts gain energy from those around us. Introverts gain energy from time alone. Mom was the extrovert's extrovert married to the introvert's introvert... 

You know those people who feel compelled to talk to other people in the checkout line? That was Mom. This actually served us well. Mom befriended all of the staff at the local Eagle's grocery store. Once a year the manager would stop Mom as she was about to pay for the week's groceries and say, "It's on us. Now, go to Hy-Vee buy exactly the same products, we will reimburse you." Eagles used Mom as a secret shopper. Whatever Mom found that was significantly cheaper at Eagles would then appear in a TV ad for Eagles. Thanks to Mom's extroversion we received two weeks of groceries for free.

In High School, I encouraged Mom to join the mother's who supported the fine arts - the theater, the madrigal, etc. She did... and Joyce being Joyce... she asked, "Would any of you like to try a salty dog?" The ladies were intrigued so Mom made a huge batch. By introducing alcohol and fun to the group she was instantly popular and elected President the following year.

When I did Dad's eulogy I came to the conclusion that at his core my father was an introverted brilliant mathmetician who didn't get to do what he loved most - math - but was able to OK with himself because he provided a good life for his wife and kids.

I have struggled with how to characterize Mom. Mom was truly troubled and had demons she couldn't share with Dad nor me. At one point Dad and I were at wits end and by Iowa law it takes two adults to say someone needs to be committed for them to be committed for a psych evaluation. Mom realized we had reached that point so she went in voluntarily and as one of the nurses put it, "Joyce could win an Oscar for her performance in here." Mom was released before they could find something to help her.

Mom and Spellman - my mentor - also suffered from systemic lupus. Spellman connected her to the world's leading doctor on the illness at the University of Iowa. Whereas Spellman saw lupus as a disease to be overcome, Mom saw it as a way to get an audience. 

My greatest WTF moment with mom was in 2004 when she announced to the Ford family reunion that she had less than a year to live. Spoiler alert: Mom lived for another 7 years.

Mom's relationship with her sisters - particularly Leona and Ruth is my favorite memories of her. Mom was the older sister who knew she had a built in fan base with her younger siblings.

Mom is/was the extovert's extrovert. She married the introverted mathmetician and at some point had me. I am mini-Joyce.  More than once I asked them how they first dated.

Mom: He drove a nice car.

Dad: I knew immediately I loved her. (He later explained she made him laugh... given how German his background is... it makes sense)

When I moved to the UAE I started writing a blog. Why? Mom very much loved me and wanted to know I was safe. Blogging was my way of letting her know I'm OK. 

In the summer of 2011 Mom insisted all of us kids gather for their 59th wedding anniversary. Mom was doing great physically and emotionally so I challenged her. "Why not wait until the 60th?" I asked. She burst into tears and said do this for ME. "Yes, Mommie Dearest" I replied and she immediately laughed.

As a teenager Mom and watched that classic movie. If either of us went too far she'd same to me, "Don't make me get the wire coat hangers." and I'd say to her, "Yes, Mommie Dearest." 

I have not almost died of shingles as she had by my age... or been diagnosed for lupus as she had been at my age... but my vitaligo is proof enough the auto-immune genes from Mom's side of the family are part of me. 

 Iowa is less than 1% of the population of the United States yet has two universities in top 50. In other words, we punch above our weight.

In politics, Iowa has the privilege of going first. Bottom line? Unless a candidate finishes in the Top 3 in Iowa, their chance of getting their party's nomination is dead. The one notable exception is Joe Biden who came in 5th in 2020.

In 2020 172k Iowa Democrats caucused. Me? I flew home to support Pete Buttigieg. 

On January 15, 2024, we Iowa Democrats can still play a role but this time? This time let's help the Republicans by supporting someone on their side who is sane.

What does that mean?

1. Accept that the 2020 election was fair.

2. Support democracy.

3. Support the rule of law.

In 2016 John Kasich would have been the right candidate for our side to have supported in the caucus. We have yet to see who will be the John Kasich of 2024 but... but the clock is ticking and we Iowa Democrats must pay attention. 

Today is Rahul Kumar's birthday. Rahul is one of the most insightful intelligent person I've met. My favorite moment with him was when I somehow scored higher than him on an International Econ exam. I started doing a victory dance to which his response was:

1. You need to get a life
2. You can't dance.

He was, of course, right on both counts.

As Student Body President at Coe I had the honor(?) of calling #FlunkDay and a budget to produce the Flunk Day newspaper, for which I recruited Denise to edit. She did an amazing job and most #Kohawks credit it as the best one ever produced.

My only request of her was to give me the back page. I had some grievances. And I had some kudos to give.

I won't get into the grievances but for the kudos it was a backhanded attempt of displaying my love for Rahul and my disdain for my alma mater's leadership in how they treated him. 

Rahul Kumar:

1. Steve: Please remember me after you make your first million.
2. President Brown: Please remember Coe after you make your first million.
3. Dean Phifer: Please forget everything I said about history being about white people.

I was out of office but called to President Brown's office after this came out. He was offended. I said, "Is it not factually true?" 

"Yes," he replied, "but you shouldn't have put it in." I rolled my eyes.

Bottom line: Rahul was right; calling out Coe's curriculum in 1991 was the right thing to do. I stand by my friend now and always will.