Plato once observed, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Gene Sticco, an entrepreneur and U.S. Air Force special forces veteran, took the Greek philosopher’s words to heart when he launched his run for the 2024 presidency last month. Sticco’s campaign aligns with three of the core tenets that roving reporter Rotbart has emphasized in his courses at Wizard Academy:
1. Be audacious.
2. Act on your dreams and passions.
3. Let the naysayers laugh, then do it anyway.
Rotbart describes Gene as a serious candidate with no serious chance of winning. That said, for the inspiration Gene has to offer to business owners, entrepreneurs, and creatives, he is already a winner.

Sorry to hear about your friend John Davis. Please offer my regards to Joe. No matter the holes, piles, and scars our parents leave us with, their loss still leaves an irreplaceable void. My prayers are with his family as they lower his body and long for his soul. Might today offer some solace and refinement.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 7:
1. A good reputation is more valuable than costly perfume. And the day you die is better than the day you are born.
2. Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies — so the living should take this to heart.
3. Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.
4. A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool thinks only about having a good time.

– Manley Miller