On Violence, with reference to the invasion of Ukraine
the photograph shows the Czech activist Jan Palach burning himself to death in the aftermath of the Warsaw Pact invasion. Note that I am not certain whether this is an image of Palach himself, or of an actor playing him in a film of the event made in 2018.
Czechoslovakia
Plan for Smallholders UK week
I'm in charge of the @SmallholdersUK account next week. This is my overall plan for the week.
Monday: Standingstone
Introduction: programme for the week
The Union: Sketch outine for a Cyberpunk mod
Preconditions
This mod becomes available after you have completed at least the Pisces side quest.
On Suicide
This is an essay about suicide. If that triggers you, don't read it. Similarly, if you're tempted to respond with a sentimental knee jerk response — especially a religious or mystical one — please don't, it really isn't helpful. I'm not seeking help, or sympathy. I neither want, nor need, either.
I am a person who suffers from depression, and who has done so over most of my life. But I do not believe I am depressed now. On the contrary, I believe that I am rational and clear eyed. Please do me the courtesy of reading this essay (if you choose to read it at all) with that understanding.
Life is harsh. I'm not speaking about my life, particularly; I'm speaking generally. Most people get by from day to day without any rational basis for hope. Across the world, most people are poor, many are hungry. Very few have significant agency in their lives.
T-Bug, memory management, and Cyberpunk
I have no inside information about the development of Cyberpunk 2077, but I am a software engineer with 35 years of experience, and I have written mods for both CD Projekt and Bioware games.
Cyberpunk is essentially two products: RED Engine, and Cyberpunk itself, which runs on top of Red Engine. The engine is very much analogous to a JVM: it abstracts the platform for the game code that runs on top of it.