Darius Baktash
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sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Darius Baktash
@sol-cantus.blacksky.app
330 followers 270 following 4.1K posts
Formerly Clinical Research. Mod, Politics & Science, RA/QA Evangelist, MENA in B'more. Overthinking TTRPGs. A weird panoply 🏳️‍🌈, He/They.

No kings, no castes, no corruption.

If I'm wrong, call me out. Missed nuance? Hit me with it. Confused? Just ask.
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sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Kiddo finally got her COVID vax, and gets a day home to recover. Of course this means Ms Shirleys, medical mystery videos, and a cat nap cuddled with Dad and the actual cat.

Note: I adore my local cafe, but they're closed on Mondays. Plus, it's good to get into Baltimore proper more often.
A tabby cat, facing away from the camera, happily sitting on a quilt covered set of legs in a quietly sunlit room. In the background are various toys from a young child playing tea.
November 17, 2025 at 8:21 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Having a small house where this can happen is way better than a single gilding on a stark white wall.
Two cats both alike in chaos, sleep stretched out in parallel on an old dark wool blanket. Their paws nearly touch, as-if a cation and anion in a battery, ready to short and explode. A fuzzy teenage kitten with belly and legs up, sleeps very awkwardly in a raised white and grey pet bed. Her head is pressed up against a wood desk.
November 14, 2025 at 4:33 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
It's nothing extraordinarily politically relevant, but a sign of the times in creative and gaming spaces.

#TTRPG #Heroforge #NODLC

TTRPG folks deserve better than to be nickel and dimed at the same time they're struggling to survive.

(Reuploaded with Alt text)
A black (or more accurately dark purple-grey) and white image of Heroforge model with accompanying text. The text reads: "No DLC" and separately "Save SNAP" in reference to a protest against paid Downloadable Content that removes previously accessible and free digital materials and places them behind a paywall. Save SNAP is in reference to the current time (November 2025) where the American political administration of Donald Trump refused to release emergency funds to feed individuals who will likely otherwise starve. The model is a limbless skeleton seated on a cheap metal chair, its mouth and eyes covered by rags, and a chain around its neck. Adjacent to the skeleton is a trashcan filled with mushrooms (a reference to Darrington Press and the collaboration models placed into DLC). The "No DLC" text is directly above the trashcan. In front of the seated skeleton is a picnic basket of basic food staples, and with the adjacent "Save SNAP" text.
November 4, 2025 at 7:46 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
@heroforgeminis.bsky.social kudos to be the first group I've ever seen advertising a camel in a desert without making it racist. An appropriate fantasy species that fits in garb that isn't overtly targeting cultural tropes. Whoever you worked with on this announcement aced the cultural consult test.
An image of a news announcement from the digital character model service, Heroforge. A realistically modeled camel on a small desert platform is advertised as a new feature. Seated on top of the camel is a fantasy creature, a fox-humanoid, in light armor and bearing a crossbow. Attached advertising text reads: "Camel Mount 9/16/2025 - Treasure Tuesday" and "Don't let sand stand in the way of adventure! Pair up with a companion who can stand the heat--our brand new Camel Mount! With a fat-storing hump that helps them thermoregulate in toasty climates and wide, flat hooves that keep them from sinking into the sand, these dear dromedaries are the perfect pal for your sandy sagas. Mount up today in the Species and Base menus!"
October 29, 2025 at 7:56 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
And after bias posting, a bit of lighter fuzz. I mean fare. Please see the wooly bear.
A very fuzzy young cat looking at the camera while curled in a white pet bed set top a bar stool.
October 14, 2025 at 8:16 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Most of the world is burning, but sometimes little things kindle a little more hope.
A very fluffy kitten asleep cuddled into a blanket.
October 12, 2025 at 3:42 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Further wonderful examples of evolution in action around man made structures. My wife took a picture of this moth at her work. Instead of the mottled brown we'd expect in natural settings, it's almost rust colored.

Imagine, in a world of corroded metal, what camouflage will look like.
A picture of a moth in a parking lot, resting camouflaged on a concrete barrier. The camouflage is rust colored, almost like corroded rebar. A lovely blue sky with gentle clouds is out of focus in the background.
September 27, 2025 at 3:58 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
You can't make this up. Because the wiktionary article contains a picture that helps define the term used and is pulled automatically from a public website discussing the topic in entirely educational terms, the post is "sexually suggestive."

The post on censorship, my cat, and how context matters.
A picture pulled from wiktionary directly by autogenerated site previews that includes a woman in a low-cut shirt and bra to help depict the definition of pornography. A "content is labeled sexually suggestive" warning has been automatically applied to the post.
September 21, 2025 at 5:12 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Dear "Emoji Lily" (aka botfarm). MS Paint level "flip" and rotate pictures feels like your programmer missed the boat on how to fake accounts.

Similarly, maybe try changing up your handle and nickname?

I'm just saying, this level of phishing creativity is embarrassing.
Two bot bluesky accounts using suggestive pictures to badly disguise their nature.
June 24, 2025 at 10:50 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
"With the Shah's approval."

I think your own source begs to differ.
With the Shah’s approval, Nasiri broadened SAVAK’s authority and introduced a slew of more sophisticated torture techniques. With an expanding network of informants across Iran, accused dissidents often “disappeared” and returned bloodied and bruised.55 Many of the new torture methods were used by interrogators at Evin Prison in Tehran.56 To imbue torture sessions with some charade of scientific necessity, wardens called each other “doctor” and underwent training to maximize pain without killing detainees.57 One pamphlet published by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI) recounts the torture of 19 year old guerrilla fighter Mehdi Reza’i.58 Like hundreds of others, Reza’i underwent kable punishment at Evin, which involved whipping the feet with steel cables.59 When Reza’i refused to divulge the location of a PMOI safe house, his interrogators burned him with hot plates. Other Evin prisoners reported acid burns, nail extractions, mock executions, and electric shock by cattle prod.60
June 24, 2025 at 9:47 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
From your own source.

That's what one might call "fascistic control over society," no?
To foment an atmosphere characterized by the “politics of distrust,” SAVAK developed a reputation of exaggerated strength and size. The agency employed at least 20,000 part-time informants who helped cultivate its rumored ubiquity.33 Furthermore, SAVAK planted officers within labor unions and political organizations to implicate dissidents and provide the Iranian security forces with cheap justifications for arrest.34 SAVAK spread propaganda to discredit the Shah’s political opponents and purchased advanced surveillance equipment to monitor religious institutions. Across the Atlantic, SAVAK operatives spied on Iranian students in the US who mobilized against the Shah.
June 24, 2025 at 9:42 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Check again.
a) Arrest process.SAVAK is responsible for the internal security of the state. Its functions include repressing the activities of illegal organizations, preventing plotting against the national security and insuring against the formation of new groups which advocate policies contrary to the Constitution of 1906. To this end it is empowered to act as the sole investigator of all alleged political crimes and to initiate the bringing of charges against involved persons. SAVAK can directly order the arrest of any person suspected of political crime, and in practice no recourse to any court for approval is necessary. Prisoners who have recanted may eventually be judged to have expiated their crimes and be allowed to live a normal life, but most released prisoners are kept under surveillance and suffer constant harassment from SAVAK, which extends to the treatment of their families. They are unable to obtain employment without the permission of SAVAK and this permission is rarely granted. Prisoners tried by military tribunals automatically suffer the loss of their civil rights for 10 years, regardless of the length of their sentence. Executions of common criminals sentenced by civil courts also take place. AI has no figures for these executions but the Teheran newspaperKayhan reported on 24 November 1975 that: "According to statistics from the Criminal Court of Teheran, 20% of murderers are executed...." In addition to the execution of political prisoners who are tried and sentenced to death, many political activists are killed in the streets or during police raids, while "resisting arrest". In the period January to October 1976 69 such deaths were reported by the Iranian media, which quoted official statements.
June 24, 2025 at 7:54 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
I've been debating getting a new phone to avoid #AI being inserted into #Android. This latest update (chock full of useless GenAI updates) may be the best reason I've ever had to do that ASAP.

I feel sorry for anyone who needs to maintain #HIPAA compliance when Gemini is inescapable.
A list of AI updates being forced onto my Android phone.
June 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
My message to @vanhollen.senate.gov regarding the House passage of the recent budget bill.

Alt Text: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
May 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
It's little, if anything, but maybe this silly moment gives you (and others) a ray of hope.
May 22, 2025 at 2:34 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
My statement on restrictions to COVID boosters.
Preventing vaccination of those under 65 is the exact opposite of how herd immunity works and will only lead to more rapid evolution of the virus until it escapes our ability to research new vaccines fast enough. At that point, it entirely negates the point of vaccinating only the elderly, as they become as vulnerable as the rest of the population. The fact this needs to be stated at all is a terrifying indictment of how much institutional knowledge and capability has been lost by the FDA and HHS at large.
May 20, 2025 at 9:23 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
@vanhollen.senate.gov I sent this to your colleague @alsobrooks.senate.gov. As a nobody, I received [expected] silence , but I also know that we cannot stop trying to fight against corruption. Please do your utmost to convince her where I know I cannot.

Alt Text: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Senator, I strongly believe any attempt to regulate Stablecoin and give credence to its existence is a deep misunderstanding of this Senate, Presidency, and crypto currency at large. While I agree that we must regulate all "crypto" assets and systems, to put your name to a bill that we all know will not be faithfully executed by Trump is a trap. This is the same trap that sees so many other bills pass and be misused or abused by him, while far right judges give him cover to do so. There is no middle ground you can create with individuals who support Trump. Bipartisan legislation does not exist if the worst parts of the legislation will be rammed through regardless of your efforts. And, worst of all, you need to understand that Stablecoin will bankrupt Maryland citizens by virtue of Trump's efforts to devalue US currency and eventually replace it with a digital asset he has complete control over. This has been a dream of "tech bros" (Silicon Valley) for years. Assets not converted over from dollars to Stablecoin, and not directly invested in markets, will become worthless. You can argue "well then they should be invested instead of in a savings account," but we can readily point to multiple instances where the market has been manipulated while the SEC has been neutered to the point of uselessness. We need only look at investigations into Elon Musk and Tesla being ended by DOGE to see this in the last few months. Markets have become play things of the rich. And, given that crypto assets are [functionally] equally as unregulated and this corrupt administration is about to benefit from this market on top of multiple grift coins (e.g. Melaniacoin is a classic example of a "pump and dump" crypto coin), there's no question that furthering crypto asset use by the federal government in this administration will end in disaster. Further, these coins will not be securely or properly produced from a tech perspective. We have seen how utterly incapable this administrat…
May 20, 2025 at 2:23 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
My wife and I try to make kiddo toys at home wherever possible (cost, health, and safety reasons). We decided to look up new recipes for playdough and came across this.

What did the poor rats go through to consume 12,600 mg/kg of glycerol??

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol
Glycerol has very low toxicity when ingested; its LD50 oral dose for rats is 12600 mg/kg
May 17, 2025 at 6:13 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Duck breast over a fire pit for a belated Mother's Day gift dinner to my wife. Iron grill underneath to catch oil spatters. It came out perfectly seared and very tender in the center.

Served with duck fat roasted fennel and mushrooms. Fire roasted corn and peaches on the side.
May 17, 2025 at 6:48 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
Rain and a very hungry toddler made for a [fun] disaster of a first summer grilling, but she got to learn fire safety and see me badly attempt a John Plant.

I'll take it.
May 14, 2025 at 3:56 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
References:
From my misspeak and editing by my wife's wild mind.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artichoke
A flowering artichoke, with deep green leaves opening at the base, magenta leaves towards the top, and astonishingly bright lavender thread-like flowers blooming at the top. Some snails are nestled in-between the lower leaves.
April 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
A content tabby cat nested in a basket, on a chair, with its paws demurely crossed.
April 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
#Discord

Candy Crush and the rest of the King formula is dope selling by another name. The fact Discord is about to be run by a digital drug dealer should tell you everything about where it's about to go as a platform.
April 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
I don't normally try to comment on rap, because damn I'm out of date, but someone please tell Aubrey that Dark Ducklips gets you about as much "street cred" as me playing high tea with my daughter.

Actually, scratch that, being an attentive dad has a lot more street cred.
An image of Aubrey (the "rapper" Drake) dressed in excessive jewelry and a hoodie, while pursing his lips in a "maligned duck about to be served Peking style."
April 6, 2025 at 12:54 AM
sol-cantus.blacksky.app
#AI #Art

A much wiser friend than I am on the endpoint of GenAI as we currently [ab]use it.
In the year 2045, there will be two types of jobs available: people who type things into the genai computer, and people who shovel coal and endangered species into the furnace to power the genai computer
March 28, 2025 at 5:16 PM