Björn Heile
@bjornheile.bsky.social
Berlin-born and Glasgow-based academic, primarily interested in weird music. Oh, and I'm associate editor of Contemporary Music Review.
Professional profile: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/cca/staff/bjornheile
Professional profile: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/cca/staff/bjornheile
Pinned
Björn Heile
@bjornheile.bsky.social
· Nov 14
This is kind of my introductory post. It's great to meet so many people over here again. I'm not a direct refugee from Twitter/X: I have left that years ago but went to Mastodon. That's still great but rather quiet.
As you may know, I'm primarily interested in #music, particularly #modernist.
As you may know, I'm primarily interested in #music, particularly #modernist.
Reposted by Björn Heile
Part 218 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg dnd
Ceramic hedgehog dated to the Neolithic period found at the Hamin archaeological site near Shebotu Town in Inner Mongolia, China
Ceramic hedgehog dated to the Neolithic period found at the Hamin archaeological site near Shebotu Town in Inner Mongolia, China
November 22, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Part 218 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg dnd
Ceramic hedgehog dated to the Neolithic period found at the Hamin archaeological site near Shebotu Town in Inner Mongolia, China
Ceramic hedgehog dated to the Neolithic period found at the Hamin archaeological site near Shebotu Town in Inner Mongolia, China
Reposted by Björn Heile
'The University of Dundee has been told it cannot make any compulsory redundancies until it has a three-year recovery strategy in place as part of conditions placed on its bailout from the Scottish government.' 1/3
Bailout conditions restrict compulsory redundancies at Dundee
University told to come up with a plan for financial recovery before it enforces more job losses
www.timeshighereducation.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:00 AM
'The University of Dundee has been told it cannot make any compulsory redundancies until it has a three-year recovery strategy in place as part of conditions placed on its bailout from the Scottish government.' 1/3
Reposted by Björn Heile
Israeli conductor @ilanvolkov.bsky.social decided to use his “biggest concert of the season” in London to speak out about the Gaza war: “Closing our eyes is not an option”, he tells @aloner.bsky.social.
The viral Israeli conductor: ‘Closing our eyes is not an option’
Ilan Volkov on his political intervention at the Proms—and why Gaza is all that matters
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Israeli conductor @ilanvolkov.bsky.social decided to use his “biggest concert of the season” in London to speak out about the Gaza war: “Closing our eyes is not an option”, he tells @aloner.bsky.social.
Reposted by Björn Heile
On Bregman, I was there in the audience and I can’t see what the BBC have gained by removing this line except more bad publicity. I will say that no such edits or censorship occurred when I gave the Reith Lectures and free-speech defenders might want think about whether this is the world they want.
November 25, 2025 at 12:11 PM
On Bregman, I was there in the audience and I can’t see what the BBC have gained by removing this line except more bad publicity. I will say that no such edits or censorship occurred when I gave the Reith Lectures and free-speech defenders might want think about whether this is the world they want.
Reposted by Björn Heile
Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil.
Labour's anti-asylum policies are already fundamentally inhumane and discriminatory. Applying them retrospectively is pure cruelty though. It serves absolutely no purpose. Meanwhile it will increase the costs and bureaucracy of an already dysfunctional Home Office.
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
www.thetimes.com/article/6f83...
November 24, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil. Evil.
The richest man in the world has an emotional age of 8, no interests or imagination, and no sense of responsibility. There's stiff competition, but he may also be the most-spirited person on the planet.
Everything about this might be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen
November 24, 2025 at 2:39 PM
The richest man in the world has an emotional age of 8, no interests or imagination, and no sense of responsibility. There's stiff competition, but he may also be the most-spirited person on the planet.
Reposted by Björn Heile
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is Black Friday, when consumers are manipulated to experience the visceral thrill of a looting spree while causing no actual damage or disruption to the smooth operation of late stage capitalism and obligingly reinforcing it.
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 AM
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled is Black Friday, when consumers are manipulated to experience the visceral thrill of a looting spree while causing no actual damage or disruption to the smooth operation of late stage capitalism and obligingly reinforcing it.
Lovely light this morning.
November 22, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Lovely light this morning.
Reposted by Björn Heile
Before Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head was on par with other major countries.
Since Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head has flatlined, & is now substantially worse than those countries.
But blue passports, eh?
Since Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head has flatlined, & is now substantially worse than those countries.
But blue passports, eh?
November 19, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Before Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head was on par with other major countries.
Since Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head has flatlined, & is now substantially worse than those countries.
But blue passports, eh?
Since Brexit, the UK's GDP-per-head has flatlined, & is now substantially worse than those countries.
But blue passports, eh?
Reposted by Björn Heile
July 2024 - Labour are elected on the basis of Starmer being a dull but competent PM.
No drama just focused on fixing the basics.
November 2025 - Now the least popular PM ever Starmer announces plans for mass deportations, the seizure of immigrant wealth and the indentured labour of migrants.
No drama just focused on fixing the basics.
November 2025 - Now the least popular PM ever Starmer announces plans for mass deportations, the seizure of immigrant wealth and the indentured labour of migrants.
November 17, 2025 at 8:16 AM
July 2024 - Labour are elected on the basis of Starmer being a dull but competent PM.
No drama just focused on fixing the basics.
November 2025 - Now the least popular PM ever Starmer announces plans for mass deportations, the seizure of immigrant wealth and the indentured labour of migrants.
No drama just focused on fixing the basics.
November 2025 - Now the least popular PM ever Starmer announces plans for mass deportations, the seizure of immigrant wealth and the indentured labour of migrants.
Another fine day, I took the paddleboard out. #PaddleBoarding #LochLong
November 16, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Another fine day, I took the paddleboard out. #PaddleBoarding #LochLong
The first snow on the hills (that I have seen this year). Ben Lomond from Cruach Tairbeirt.
November 15, 2025 at 3:41 PM
The first snow on the hills (that I have seen this year). Ben Lomond from Cruach Tairbeirt.
November 15, 2025 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Björn Heile
Question for The Times.
Given undocumented immigrants are being given hysterectomies and then deported by ICE when they complain would you still call Donald Trump a "feminist hero"? www.npr.org/2020/12/22/9...
Given undocumented immigrants are being given hysterectomies and then deported by ICE when they complain would you still call Donald Trump a "feminist hero"? www.npr.org/2020/12/22/9...
Dozens Of Women Allege Unwanted Surgeries And Medical Abuse In ICE Custody
More women are coming forward to say they were pressured to have reproductive surgeries they did not want or understand, offering a glimpse into alleged medical abuses at an ICE detention center.
www.npr.org
November 15, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Question for The Times.
Given undocumented immigrants are being given hysterectomies and then deported by ICE when they complain would you still call Donald Trump a "feminist hero"? www.npr.org/2020/12/22/9...
Given undocumented immigrants are being given hysterectomies and then deported by ICE when they complain would you still call Donald Trump a "feminist hero"? www.npr.org/2020/12/22/9...
Reposted by Björn Heile
Read 'em and weep. (www.nber.org/system/files...)
November 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Read 'em and weep. (www.nber.org/system/files...)
November 14, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Björn Heile
Absolutely gone at this story from Harris on FB, the last sentence is pure Atlantic coast magic.
November 12, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Absolutely gone at this story from Harris on FB, the last sentence is pure Atlantic coast magic.
Reposted by Björn Heile
So little patience for the people perfectly content riding the tiger of white resentment and nativism while it was helping them push through tax cuts, who now stare at it running loose and feral in the streets and are like, "the left should reflect on how it let things get this far."
November 11, 2025 at 11:12 PM
So little patience for the people perfectly content riding the tiger of white resentment and nativism while it was helping them push through tax cuts, who now stare at it running loose and feral in the streets and are like, "the left should reflect on how it let things get this far."
Reposted by Björn Heile
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that one of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”.
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
The BBC’s Attempts to Appease the 'Right-Wing Coup' Against It Are Now Seeding Its Own Destruction
By attempting to appease those forces seeking to destroy them, the BBC has helped trigger a crisis that now threatens its very future, argues Adam Bienkov
bylinetimes.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:49 PM
When Boris Johnson was Prime Minister one of his senior advisers confided to me that one of the only things in politics his boss actually cared about was “killing off the BBC”.
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
Five years on, and it is a campaign that appears to be finally coming to fruition.
bylinetimes.com/2025/11/10/t...
I took this yesterday morning on the train journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh. I was too slow to catch the best moment, so this will have to do.
November 8, 2025 at 8:10 AM
I took this yesterday morning on the train journey from Glasgow to Edinburgh. I was too slow to catch the best moment, so this will have to do.
Reposted by Björn Heile
November 8, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Reposted by Björn Heile
I am hearing that on his deathbed Dick Cheney received the light of Islam and unhesitatingly recited the Shahada. Even now he looks down on the Ummah from the gardens of Jannah. Truly there is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet!
November 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
I am hearing that on his deathbed Dick Cheney received the light of Islam and unhesitatingly recited the Shahada. Even now he looks down on the Ummah from the gardens of Jannah. Truly there is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet!
Reposted by Björn Heile
Let's just take a moment to reflect on the self-sacrifice and hope this person embodies - not the evil, hateful monsters thirsting for violence.
November 2, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Let's just take a moment to reflect on the self-sacrifice and hope this person embodies - not the evil, hateful monsters thirsting for violence.