Miscellaneous
Yongjie Xue @yongjiexue88
Essays, notes and personal writing — the things that are not about technology, or not only about it.
Hampton Law: Legal Stories And Strategies
Educational study notes from Hampton Law-style legal scenarios, cleaned into readable stories with Texas-focused issue spotting, strategy concepts, cautions, and verified reference links.
English Study Notes: Review Book
A structured English review book covering pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, grammar, business English, speaking practice, mini quizzes, and answer keys.
Debt-Free Decisions
A study-book index for 289 Ramsey Show transcripts on budgeting, debt elimination, behavioral discipline, and wealth building.
Chaiknows Explains Modern Life
A study-book index for 123 Chaiknows explainers on hardware engineering, AI economics, EV technology, health, and consumer systems.
Newspaper Notes: Edible Sensors And Antarctic Team Life
Study notes about edible medical sensors and social interaction in isolated Antarctic teams, with useful vocabulary, natural examples, sentence patterns, and practice prompts.
Newspaper Notes: China Hukou Reform
Study notes for an article about China's hukou reform, migrant saving, trade tensions, and useful business/economics vocabulary.
Newspaper Notes: BP Governance And Giga-IPOs
Study notes for two business articles about BP governance and the shrinking public stockmarket, with analysis, useful vocabulary, sentence patterns, and practice prompts.
Newspaper
Organized English study notes for newspaper articles, with article summaries, grouped vocabulary, sentence patterns, phrasal verbs, review prompts, and a mini quiz.
Advanced Vocabulary 17: Business, Economy, And Workplace News
Class vocabulary about business news, workplace changes, economic pressure, layoffs, gas prices, and problem-solving.
Professional English
Professional English notes for reducing filler words, choosing precise vocabulary, and speaking more clearly.
Advanced Vocabulary for Simple English Phrases
Advanced vocabulary that can replace simple phrases such as very good, very bad, not clear, or required.
Pigsty Goes Global: 1.44M Visitors, Zero Ad Revenue
Over the last 30 days, pigsty.io served 1.44 million unique visitors, 18.11 million page views, and 1.1 TB of traffic. For a one-person open source project, the real asset here is not ad inventory. It …
Genesis 2.0
I asked Claude to write a short semi-realistic, semi-mythic story about mind uploading, orbital ascension, and the rebirth of gods. I suspect the premise is less absurd than it sounds.
Fully Loaded M5 Max: What Does a RMB 58,200 Laptop Look Like?
Apple opened preorders for the M5 Max and I immediately maxed one out at RMB 58,200. This is less a consumer electronics post than a look at what an AI-era personal workstation is becoming.
ISD Dataset: Analyzing 120 Years of Global Climate Change
ISD stands for Integrated Surface Dataset, a dataset published by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). I recently reorganized this dataset and provided related analysis tools.
The WeChat Photo Album Access Issue
I saw news about WeChat accessing user photo albums in the background. While such shady behavior from Chinese apps doesn't surprise me, in the spirit of seeking truth, I got up this morning to …
Practical Cryptography Made Simple
A classic problem in cryptography is how to transmit data securely and reliably through insecure channels. Protecting your chats and communications from surveillance and monitoring - easily achievable …
The Sorrow of the Internet
The future may not necessarily be bright, but the path will certainly be tortuous.
New Year Reflections
The future is not necessarily bright, but the path is definitely winding. During this rare leisure time alone in the New Year, I write these random thoughts, writing wherever my mind wanders.
The Internet Winter
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. We were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.
Knowledge of China's Administrative Divisions
Information about administrative division levels, numbers, the meaning of administrative division codes, urban-rural classification, etc.
Understanding the Internet
The world trends flow mightily. Those who follow prosper; those who resist perish. This article discusses the essence of the internet, the world under internet rule, the transfer of power, and future …
Several Levels of Learning Knowledge
Through observation and contemplation, we can divide the process of deepening understanding in the mind from accepting knowledge to the highest level of "intuition" into four stages: knowledge, …
Understanding Character Encoding
Code is literally “encoding,” and everything collapses if you mishandle text. Here’s a practical tour of characters, glyphs, Unicode, and UTF encodings.
Hampton Law: Legal Stories And Strategies
Hampton Law: Legal Stories And Strategies Date: 2026-06-05 Category: law-notes Overview & Disclaimer Educational study collection analyzing 317 criminal defense and constitutional law scenarios (Texas-focused). Designed for issue spotting, procedural …
Hampton Law: Legal Stories And Strategies Date: 2026-06-05 Category: law-notes Overview & Disclaimer Educational study collection analyzing 317 criminal defense and constitutional law scenarios (Texas-focused). Designed for issue spotting, procedural …
English Study Notes: Review Book
English Study Notes: Review Book Date: 2026-06-05 Category: english-writing Overview A structured English review guide compiled from 219 lessons covering American pronunciation, advanced vocabulary, idioms, grammar accuracy, and executive …
English Study Notes: Review Book Date: 2026-06-05 Category: english-writing Overview A structured English review guide compiled from 219 lessons covering American pronunciation, advanced vocabulary, idioms, grammar accuracy, and executive …
Debt-Free Decisions
Debt-Free Decisions Date: 2026-06-05 Category: finance-notes Source Book Channel: @ramsey_show (289 episodes) Source File: ramsey_show_master.md Full Text: Part 1 (Episodes 1–144) / Part 2 (Episodes 145–289) Overview A personal finance casebook …
Debt-Free Decisions Date: 2026-06-05 Category: finance-notes Source Book Channel: @ramsey_show (289 episodes) Source File: ramsey_show_master.md Full Text: Part 1 (Episodes 1–144) / Part 2 (Episodes 145–289) Overview A personal finance casebook …
Chaiknows Explains Modern Life
Chaiknows Explains Modern Life Date: 2026-06-05 Category: science-notes Source Book Channel: @chaiknows (123 explainers) Source File: chaiknows_master.md Full Text: Read the complete Chaiknows book Overview A science and systems-literacy guide built …
Chaiknows Explains Modern Life Date: 2026-06-05 Category: science-notes Source Book Channel: @chaiknows (123 explainers) Source File: chaiknows_master.md Full Text: Read the complete Chaiknows book Overview A science and systems-literacy guide built …
Newspaper Notes: Edible Sensors And Antarctic Team Life
Newspaper Notes: Edible Sensors And Antarctic Team Life Date: 2026-06-04 Category: english-writing Source Topics Edible medical sensors that travel through the human gut. Social interaction, tension, and camaraderie among people living in isolated …
Newspaper Notes: Edible Sensors And Antarctic Team Life Date: 2026-06-04 Category: english-writing Source Topics Edible medical sensors that travel through the human gut. Social interaction, tension, and camaraderie among people living in isolated …
Newspaper Notes: China Hukou Reform
Newspaper Notes: China Hukou Reform Date: 2026-06-02 Category: english-writing Source Article “Without fanfare, China is making rural migrants’ lives easier” - May 28, 2026. Summary The article argues that China’s gradual relaxation of the hukou …
Newspaper Notes: China Hukou Reform Date: 2026-06-02 Category: english-writing Source Article “Without fanfare, China is making rural migrants’ lives easier” - May 28, 2026. Summary The article argues that China’s gradual relaxation of the hukou …
Newspaper Notes: BP Governance And Giga-IPOs
Newspaper Notes: BP Governance And Giga-IPOs Date: 2026-06-02 Category: english-writing Source Articles “BP cares too much about feelings and not enough about performance” - May 28, 2026. “Giga-IPOs are a symptom of public markets’ giga-problem” - …
Newspaper Notes: BP Governance And Giga-IPOs Date: 2026-06-02 Category: english-writing Source Articles “BP cares too much about feelings and not enough about performance” - May 28, 2026. “Giga-IPOs are a symptom of public markets’ giga-problem” - …
Newspaper
Newspaper Date: 2026-05-31 Category: english-writing Summary This study note organizes newspaper English from class into article summaries, vocabulary groups, sentence patterns, phrasal verbs, review lists, practice prompts, and a mini quiz. The goal …
Newspaper Date: 2026-05-31 Category: english-writing Summary This study note organizes newspaper English from class into article summaries, vocabulary groups, sentence patterns, phrasal verbs, review lists, practice prompts, and a mini quiz. The goal …
Advanced Vocabulary 17: Business, Economy, And Workplace News
Advanced Vocabulary 17: Business, Economy, And Workplace News Date: 2026-05-27 Category: english-writing Summary This note collects advanced vocabulary from class about business news, workplace changes, economic pressure, layoffs, gas prices, and …
Advanced Vocabulary 17: Business, Economy, And Workplace News Date: 2026-05-27 Category: english-writing Summary This note collects advanced vocabulary from class about business news, workplace changes, economic pressure, layoffs, gas prices, and …
Professional English
Professional English Summary This note organizes professional English reminders for speaking and writing more clearly. The main goals are to reduce filler words, choose more precise vocabulary, avoid common word-confusion mistakes, and practice …
Professional English Summary This note organizes professional English reminders for speaking and writing more clearly. The main goals are to reduce filler words, choose more precise vocabulary, avoid common word-confusion mistakes, and practice …
Advanced Vocabulary for Simple English Phrases
Advanced Vocabulary for Simple English Phrases Date: 2026-05-13 Category: english-writing Summary This note collects advanced vocabulary that can replace simple phrases such as “very good,” “very bad,” “not clear,” or “required.” The goal is to make …
Advanced Vocabulary for Simple English Phrases Date: 2026-05-13 Category: english-writing Summary This note collects advanced vocabulary that can replace simple phrases such as “very good,” “very bad,” “not clear,” or “required.” The goal is to make …
Pigsty Goes Global: 1.44M Visitors, Zero Ad Revenue
Traffic on pigsty.io jumped by roughly an order of magnitude over the last month. I opened the Cloudflare dashboard today and had to stare at it for a second. 1.44 million unique visitors, 18.11 million page views, 1.1 TB of traffic. That is over 30 …
Traffic on pigsty.io jumped by roughly an order of magnitude over the last month. I opened the Cloudflare dashboard today and had to stare at it for a second. 1.44 million unique visitors, 18.11 million page views, 1.1 TB of traffic. That is over 30 …
Genesis 2.0
Author: Claude Prompt: write a short, sharp, half-realistic and half-magical story. AI advances rapidly, brain-computer interfaces and mind uploading break through, elite humans launch a satellite in Earth orbit and upload themselves into it. To …
Author: Claude Prompt: write a short, sharp, half-realistic and half-magical story. AI advances rapidly, brain-computer interfaces and mind uploading break through, elite humans launch a satellite in Earth orbit and upload themselves into it. To …
Fully Loaded M5 Max: What Does a RMB 58,200 Laptop Look Like?
Apple unveiled the M5 Max MacBook Pro, and I ordered a fully loaded configuration almost immediately: RMB 58,200. 1. A ten-year spending pattern Since graduating, my primary machine has always been the same category: a top-tier MacBook Pro, usually …
Apple unveiled the M5 Max MacBook Pro, and I ordered a fully loaded configuration almost immediately: RMB 58,200. 1. A ten-year spending pattern Since graduating, my primary machine has always been the same category: a top-tier MacBook Pro, usually …
ISD Dataset: Analyzing 120 Years of Global Climate Change
Original WeChat Article ISD stands for Integrated Surface Dataset, a dataset published by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). It contains observational records from nearly 30,000 global surface meteorological stations from 1900 …
Original WeChat Article ISD stands for Integrated Surface Dataset, a dataset published by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). It contains observational records from nearly 30,000 global surface meteorological stations from 1900 …
The WeChat Photo Album Access Issue
Original WeChat Official Account Article Last night, I saw news about WeChat accessing user photo albums in the background, and WeChat responded: While such shady behavior from Chinese apps doesn’t surprise me, in the spirit of seeking truth, I got …
Original WeChat Official Account Article Last night, I saw news about WeChat accessing user photo albums in the background, and WeChat responded: While such shady behavior from Chinese apps doesn’t surprise me, in the spirit of seeking truth, I got …
Practical Cryptography Made Simple
Original WeChat Article A classic problem in cryptography is how to transmit data securely and reliably through insecure channels. Protecting your chats and communications from eavesdropping, surveillance, and censorship. With just a computer at …
Original WeChat Article A classic problem in cryptography is how to transmit data securely and reliably through insecure channels. Protecting your chats and communications from eavesdropping, surveillance, and censorship. With just a computer at …
The Sorrow of the Internet
In Understanding the Internet, I discussed my views on the internet. Today, let’s talk about the part I deliberately omitted: the setbacks the internet will face. Destiny It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; It was the age of wisdom, …
In Understanding the Internet, I discussed my views on the internet. Today, let’s talk about the part I deliberately omitted: the setbacks the internet will face. Destiny It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; It was the age of wisdom, …
New Year Reflections
This article may cause discomfort. Please read with caution. During this rare leisure time alone in the New Year, I write these random thoughts, writing wherever my mind wanders. I’ve always believed that choice is more important than effort: a …
This article may cause discomfort. Please read with caution. During this rare leisure time alone in the New Year, I write these random thoughts, writing wherever my mind wanders. I’ve always believed that choice is more important than effort: a …
The Internet Winter
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; It was the spring …
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; It was the spring …
Knowledge of China's Administrative Divisions
China’s administrative divisions are divided into several levels. The constitution stipulates three levels, but there are actually five levels: the four-tier system of “province—region—county (district)—township,” which becomes five tiers when …
China’s administrative divisions are divided into several levels. The constitution stipulates three levels, but there are actually five levels: the four-tier system of “province—region—county (district)—township,” which becomes five tiers when …
Understanding the Internet
I used to think that the essence of the internet, the development of the internet industry, and the strategies of internet companies—these “lofty” matters should be pondered by government officials and corporate executives. As an internet …
I used to think that the essence of the internet, the development of the internet industry, and the strategies of internet companies—these “lofty” matters should be pondered by government officials and corporate executives. As an internet …
Several Levels of Learning Knowledge
Original WeChat Article Levels of Knowledge When we say “learning knowledge,” what exactly are we talking about? When we say someone is “smart,” what exactly do we mean? Through observation and contemplation, we can divide the process of deepening …
Original WeChat Article Levels of Knowledge When we say “learning knowledge,” what exactly are we talking about? When we say someone is “smart,” what exactly do we mean? Through observation and contemplation, we can divide the process of deepening …
Understanding Character Encoding
WeChat original Programmers spend their lives with code—both source code and encodings. Representing text with bits is harder than it looks: character sets, comparators, normalization, locale rules, variable-length encodings, BOMs, surrogate pairs, …
WeChat original Programmers spend their lives with code—both source code and encodings. Representing text with bits is harder than it looks: character sets, comparators, normalization, locale rules, variable-length encodings, BOMs, surrogate pairs, …