What I’ve been reading this week ending 8 June 2025
Is modular building a fix for NY’s housing crisis? State officials hope so. — Gothamist
“A 2023 analysis by McKinsey and Co. found that modular construction cut waste and required less labor than traditional methods, reducing construction timelines by 20% to 50% and costs by 20%. Despite the savings, the report said less than 4% of existing U.S. housing stock relied on modular techniques, compared to 45% in Finland, Norway and Sweden and 15% in Japan.”
Quote Origin: May You Live In Interesting Times — Quote Investigator®
“In conclusion, there is no substantive evidence that the saying was an ancient or modern Chinese curse. The expression was traceable to the British diplomatic service in China circa 1936. Austen Chamberlain who was the earliest known person to label the saying a Chinese curse was pivotal to its initial dissemination. But he credited an unnamed member of the British Foreign Service who had served in China.”
Nick Cave — The Red Hand Files — Issue #190
“Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism.”
No Exit, No Entry — Marginal REVOLUTION
“Imagine how difficult it would be to get a date if every date required marriage? In the same way, it’s more difficult to find a job when every job requires a long-term commitment from the employer.”
Five C’s of Leadership with Indra Nooyi:
- Competency
- Courage and Confidence
- Communication
- Consistency
- Compass
Jade Rubick — Reflecting power — using power you don’t have
I typically call this “borrowed power” or “lending power” depending on what perspective you’re taking.
9 Lessons From Cursor’s System Prompt
- Give it a personality
- (Ab)use XML tags
- Autonomy is key
- Meta-communication
- Practical constraints
- Custom instructions
- Context, context, context
- Smart limits
- Stateful context
