James Alone

James Alone

@alonemusic.bsky.social

Designer of things Maker of sounds Painter of toys Head of User Experience @ Smartbox <3 accessibility Alone-music.co.uk

257 followers232 following408 posts

Pinned

James Alone
@alonemusic.bsky.social

Hey Bluesky 👋! I should pin something about me I guess? I'm James! I contain 📦: - Making books and tabletop games sometimes! 📚 - I make music and illustrations as Alone (alone-music.co.uk) 🖌️🎶 - I love to paint Warhammer and other things! 🎨 - I work in accessibility as a designer! 🧑‍🦼

James Alone reposted

Misha
@mkrl.xyz

while you port and emulate games, I ported Jira to my PSP

James Alone reposted

Bancho ZX
@banchozx.bsky.social

// Shin Megami Tensei | 真・女神転生 // Mega CD #SMT #megacd #segacd #crt

Bancho ZX@banchozx.bsky.social

// Shin Megami Tensei | 真・女神転生 // Mega CD // Intro youtu.be/pnH9A_tqoNY

James Alone reposted

Leicester Gazette
@leicestergazette.leicester.news

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *

James Alone reposted

Caroline Lucas
@carolinelucas.bsky.social

Government support for drilling at #Jackdaw takes a wrecking ball to any pretence of UK climate leadership & pours fuel on an overheating world - and for what? It’s equivalent to just 2 months of UK gas demand, creates just 27 direct jobs & has *no* impact on energy bills🧵1/4

James Alone
@alonemusic.bsky.social

So, I've never seen Shawshank Redemption. Last night I dreamt I watched it, and yes, it started in prison... But it was on Mars, and had Phil Colin's doing the soundtrack, and also a guest star. There was a psychedelic scene where Phil put his face into an amoeba and it melted in 70s technicolour.

James Alone
@alonemusic.bsky.social

It was pretty much that Flaming Lips movie Wayne made in his garden. I'm both upset I can't see this film, and now I can't watch Shawshank Redemption without thinking about Phil Collins.

James Alone reposted

Jim Rossignol
@rossignol.bsky.social

This gets said constantly, but it worth reiterating: Games Workshop being bigger than fishing is important to shout about because you wouldn't know it from government talking points, which are rarely about anything creative or artistic. Growth won't involve fish or steel, it will involve goblins.

James Alone
@alonemusic.bsky.social

Tomorrow's track is in the bag and that is 3/4 of 2026 done. I wish I was more able to articulate thoughts such as: "holy shit I've written a lot of music" and "I also think its the best I've ever done." into effective statements. But that's about all you get.

James Alone reposted

Peter
@notalawyer.bsky.social

Literacy crisis: everyone is mad at Ed Sheeran, but if you actually read his statement he specifically said he’s not complicit

James Alone reposted

Robert Saunders
@robertsaunders.bsky.social

A serious democratic society simply cannot allow this. That's £72 million from just two men. (Both, until lately, based overseas). The average UK earner (full-time) would have to work for over 1,800 years to raise that much. It's a nuclear strike on any pretence at the equality of political power

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social

Harborne has given Reform £36 million to match Delo's £36 million. The Telegraph describes it as a "show of force" from Reform's donors. The two men's £72 million is greater than all of the spending by all political parties on the 2024 GE www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

telegraph.co.uktelegraph.co.uk

James Alone reposted

Double Fine
@doublefine.com

🚨AMNESIA FORTNIGHT 2026 KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN IS LIVE 🚨  Help us keep making weird and wondrous games; 26 amazing game pitches await your votes, and in the end, one prototype will emerge victorious! The fate of THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE is in your hands! 🌌 http://www.dfaf2026.com

James Alone
@alonemusic.bsky.social

Final Fantasy XV is a weird ass game. It's so lavish in places, animations for days, it had a movie! THE FOOD. Was weirdly drawn to start it again and there is so much to enjoy coming back to it.

James Alone reposted

Chris Bratt
@chrisbratt.bsky.social

That GTA VI reveal is the end result of just so much hard work and graft from so many, many people. Worth remembering that graft and those people as we enter September and see the union recognition discussions come to a head in the UK and of course, the employment tribunal finally gets underway 🌱

James Alone reposted

Anon Opin
@anonopin.bsky.social

There is no greater driver of economic growth than good public transport links. Look at the boom of the Elizabeth Line. People who whinge about the costs of it are just short-sighted morons. Ignore them and build everything. HS2. HS3. Crossrail 2. Trams in every city. Just do it.