Ashton

@theashtonstarr
79 Followers
95 Following
399 Posts

(he/him) I write, talk and game on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin Territory. Forklift certified. Sometimes published in @leveller_ottawa

Interested in #gaming #film #television #Ottawa #Ontario & #labour but with politics. Here to discuss cultural criticism and how to build anarchism and mutual aid.

Published:https://leveller.ca/author/astarr
Game Reviews:https://backloggd.com/u/astarrgames/reviews/
Game Streaminghttps://twitch.tv/astarrgames

I've been using #Linux for about 15 years, sometimes dual-booting with #Windows XP/7/10 or as a primary operating system on a device. I'm not a coder or programmer.

I've restored offices/homes that had older, slower PCs that were considered junk or lost data due to Windows end-of-life, lack of support or viruses/randsomware.

I encourage switching from #Microsoft to Linux, so I made a presentation to freely edit/use (feedback welcome) from a very basic introduction:

https://cryptpad.fr/presentation/#/2/presentation/view/zzeIGMnZX62xuO1-qhM6zCxU5+OzYCVkxIzWXGXX3XM/

Encrypted Presentation

CryptPad: end-to-end encrypted collaboration suite

This is fun - Horizon Ottawa's new voting record tool.

This view shows % alignment with Mayor Suckclifft and % of developer-linked donations in the 2022 election.

I'd like to see my own councillor Lo down in that 35%-40% range with the other 0% from developers councillors.

https://www.horizonottawa.ca/votes_with_mayor

The greatest thing since ottwatch.ca

#ottawa

Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. โ€œIt is time to choose sides; fascism or morality? Big tech has made their choice.โ€

https://www.404media.co/google-has-chosen-a-side-in-trumps-mass-deportation-effort/

Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort

Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable group. โ€œIt is time to choose sides; fascism or morality? Big tech has made their choice.โ€

404 Media

The City of #Ottawa spent almost $500K pursuing a grassroots, volunteer-run organization's 2022 elections spending and reporting. A retired developer with a history of municipal candidate financing is to blame.

Read about it here: https://leveller.ca/2025/11/election-audits-should-serve-the-public-interest-not-punish-participation/

Election Audits Should Serve the Public Interest not Punish Participation - The Leveller

By Sam Hersh W hen Horizon Ottawa was put through a years-long election audit process sparked by former Taggart executive Ted Phillips, it was less an exercise in accountability and more a weaponization of bureaucracy. Although the case itself has now been dropped (as have the cases of Councillor Menard and former councillor Doug Thompson), โ€ฆ

The Leveller

Our rally against Bill 60 is coming up

๐Ÿšฒ Bring your bikes
๐Ÿชง Bring a protest sign
๐Ÿ“ฃ Spread the word

Details (slight change of location)
City Hall - side of the building
Thursday, November 13
8:30am

See you soon!

#ottawa #onpoli #biketooter

Come learn how researchers and others learned what cops were using Flock's nationwide network of cameras for, including searches for ICE.

https://www.404media.co/our-new-foia-forum-11-19-1pm-flock/

Our New FOIA Forum! 11/19, 1PM ET

Come learn how researchers and others learned what cops were using Flock's nationwide network of cameras for, including searches for ICE.

404 Media

In case you're keeping track:

There've been 159 arrests at Palestinian protests in Toronto in the past ~2 years.

As of now, there has been exactly 1 conviction.

Good use of tax dollars, motherfuckers.

#AbolishThePolice
#PoliceDontKeepUsSafe #PoliceDontPreventCrime #DefundDisarmDismantle #BurnItAllDown #FuckThePolice #Toronto #TorontoActivists #TorontoActions

Essentially every time we write about abuse of Meta's Ray-Ban AI glasses, Meta tries to convince us the glasses are no different from an iPhone. Here's a helpful guide for Meta PR about the difference between AI glasses and phones ๐Ÿ˜Š

https://www.404media.co/whats-the-difference-between-ai-glasses-and-an-iphone-a-helpful-guide-for-meta-pr/

Whatโ€™s the Difference Between AI Glasses and an iPhone? A Helpful Guide for Meta PR

Meta thinks its camera glasses, which are often used for harassment, are no different than any other camera.

404 Media
Get some seriously spooky stuff in the Indie Fears Humble Bundle

A very nice selection of games here ready for Halloween with the Indie Fears Humble Bundle that makes it a top deal!

GamingOnLinux