the merry month of may

Currently, all major statistical indicators show a healthy U.S. economy. Modest growth is expected in consumer activity, unemployment is low, interest rates and inflation are low, energy costs are low, and everything is just find and dandy. Despite the occasional pessimism at towers of ilium, another 2 quarters of decent performance are reasonable to expect. American malaise is the substance of dreams and any policies from Washington will have a longer run impact. Unless, of course, something silly happens.

regulations and housing costs

Ed Glaeser has done a considerable amount of research on the impact of local rules on land use and real estate costs. His conclusion is simple: Zoning determines property values. A group of wealthy communities with restrictive building covenants acts as a planning body for a metropolitan region. Fewer regulations, like in the American South, result in lower housing costs.

This theme is an old one at towers of ilium, but it bears repeating.

Aside from current posturing by the Trump administration, the status quo retains an illusion of stability in North Korea. Towers of ilium does not maintain a field office there--one of those rare circumstances where our corporate policies are in line with other news organizations. It is hard to imagine that Kim sleeps easy, Trump or no Trump. The aura of the monarchy may have dimmed over the past few decades, and if China ever grows tired of the situation, then the endgame will play out with brutal speed.

In the meantime, our perverse--yea, even romantic fascination with the place will continue.

changes in perception over time

Was Jean Giraud a genius? As an artist, yes--as a storyteller, maybe not so much. Towers of ilium admires his singular visions of fantasy and science fiction, but does not hold out hope for continued influence.

modernity and its practical impact

It's still a struggle to explain the origin of the forms of modern architecture. We can select key individuals--Wright, Mies, Corbu, and Gropius--and trace their influence on design over the course of a century. Was their influence in shape-making or rule-breaking? If the latter, then we have a better grasp of the eclectic designs of our modern environment. "It feels right" or "I just felt like doing that" become legitimate explanations to a client.

worth a second look or two

Blueprint Robotics is a new company that is taking a big risk on pre-fabricated building components. They are opening a factory that can build walls, floors, and roofs for buildings using large scale robots.

Towers of ilium is skeptical of this method. Site building is very efficient if managed properly and doesn't have the capital investments of a large-scale manufacturing facility. The new angle on this is that the trades are losing workers and this offers an alternative to human labor inputs. 

Plumbers everywhere are probably not too worried.

walter arnold

The photography of Walter Arnold is both perverse and beautiful. He specializes in "The Art of Abandonment" and the American landscape gives him a lot of subjects to choose from. Abandoned buildings generate serious tourism dollars worldwide, so it is refreshing how Arnold seeks out more mundane subjects that he can frame in novel ways.

This scene could be titled: " 4 decades after Easy Rider"