Written by Paul Siluch
August 21^st, 2025

President Trump is determined to end the war in Ukraine. He may be premature in his enthusiasm, but the fact remains that both sides are exhausted. Russia has suffered over one million casualties and Ukraine perhaps a third of that. Russia’s budget deficit is 30% higher than expected and the government has hiked income taxes sharply in response (data from Kyiv Independent).

Both would benefit from a ceasefire, even if they are too proud to admit it. And while we may not be able to plan on a peace settlement, we can at least start planning on a plan for a peace settlement.

Written by Paul Siluch
August 8^th, 2025

In the heart of Switzerland lies a valley between giant mountains called the Bernese Oberland. The mountains have names and personalities. The Monch (the monk) stands between the Jungfrau (the young maiden), protecting her from the Eiger (the ogre). The peaks are majestic, imposing, and magnetic to the eye.

Until 1968, the mountain village of Mürren was a sleepy skiing and hiking town, home to about 500 people and a favourite holiday destination for the British. Its slopes stretched in all directions with one mountain, Schilthorn, hosting a half-built resort at its summit, stuck in financial limbo.

The James Bond franchise, led by Albert Broccoli, was looking for a location for its next movie, as well as a new star. Sean Connery was past his best days and so the producers were on the hunt for a younger, and more muscular, secret agent to replace him.

They settled on an Australian named George Lazenby, an ex-car salesman and model who had never acted. He cut his hair like Sean Connery, had a suit tailored to match 007, and punched a stuntman and broke his nose in an early audition. He bluffed his way past 400 other applicants and got the job.

Written by Paul Siluch
July 18^th, 2025

A recent trip to northern Italy got me thinking about sin.

Not sinning – sin. And its current financial parallel.

The grand Milan Cathedral – the Duomo di Milano – is the third largest cathedral in Europe. It took almost 579 years to complete at a cost of approximately US $600 million in today’s dollars (AI estimate). Expensive today, it would have been cosmically expensive for medieval European worshippers,

To finance such grand edifices, the Catholic church became very creative in its fundraising.