Dear Ivan:

With all the trouble brewing around the Trump Administration right now, and all the difficulty that some people seem to have gotten themselves into, I thought it might be worth offering you some thoughts about how you might avoid such entanglements in your own life:

1. First, it’s a good idea to not get involved in shady business deals and investments with adversaries of the United States.

2. Second, remember that honesty is the best policy, especially when speaking with anyone involved in law enforcement.

3. Third, when emailing or tweeting in the heat of passion, best idea is to to sleep on it overnight and then look it over again in the morning.

4. Fourth, as they say in Washington, the cover-up is often worse than the crime.  See #2 above.

5. Fifth, no matter how fast you are, you will never be able to travel faster than rumors and bad news.  So, keep your name out of both, and you won’t have to worry.

6. Sixth, there’s an expression that says: “victory has 1000 fathers, and defeat is an orphan.”  Thing is, you don’t learn much when you’re busy winning.  At some point, you’re gonna have to be the parent of one of those orphans.  Don’t run away from it.  Being a parent is a major learning experience.

7.  Seventh, don’t believe everything you hear . . . unless what you’re hearing is me telling you to do something or else.

8.  Eighth, there can be too much of a good thing.  There can also be too much of a bad thing.  Regrettably, what is a “good” thing and what is a “bad” thing is not always readily apparent, so keep your eyes open.

9. Ninth, Casablanca is not a perfect movie.  On the other hand, you need to see it.  And, just once, you should wear a White dinner jacket.

10. Tenth, whatever is your greatest weakness, work on it till it becomes your strength.  This is not my own idea.  Many have said it before me.  But, I’ve never quite mastered it, so I’m passing it on to you to see if you can show me how to do this.

I hope this advice helps.

Love always,

Dad