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Rachel Franklin 🦚

@rsfrankl.bsky.social

4K followers 1.1K following 520 posts

Population Geographer | Spatial Demographer. Partial to words like orthogonal + heterodox. Also very partial to shoes. rachelfranklin.org + rachelfranklin.substack.com

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · Nov 11

Day 10 #30DayMapChallenge (pen and paper) is my feeble back-of-the-envelope attempt to understand the route Billy Joel’s Downeaster Alexa is taking—especially how she can be en route to the Vineyard from Block Island Sound but tonight be Nantucket bound. Makes no sense. #geosky

A bad map of New England geography showing the stops Billy’s Joel’s Downeaster Alexa makes.

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Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Topi Tjukanov @tjukanov.bsky.social · 7d

It’s happening again in November. 30 days and 30 themes for maps. Take part, learn something new and have fun. That’s what #30DayMapChallenge is about 🌎

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 8d

We live in remarkable and momentous times: just paid $7.02 for a 12 ounce latte.

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Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Kieran Healy @kjhealy.co · 8d

The President of the United States tells assembled US top brass that he wants to use the US military to kill US citizens on US soil.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Trump to top military officials: "I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military. National Guard, but our military. Because we're going into Chicago very soon. That's a big city with an incompetent governor. Stupid governor."

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 8d

Super relieved that if my sons are drafted to fight in a stupid and unjust war they will at least die in the trenches clean shaven like real men

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 8d

Hegseth: "Today, at my direction, the era of unprofessional appearance is over. No more beardos ... if you don't meet the male-level physical standards for combat positions, cannot pass a PT test or don't want to shave and look professional, it's time for a new position."

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 8d

I’m still at the “take a photo of one each time I see it” stage.

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 8d

That’s my niece lol

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 9d

This year nearly 8,000 students from the US applied to British universities, according to official Ucas figures — a record high and up by 14% on the previous year

More Americans than ever are going to college in the UK — because of Trump

www.thetimes.com

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 10d

Me zooming in really really close to see what’s up with geography’s trends

Oh…right…

Ben Schmidt @bschmidt.bsky.social · 11d

@pengzell.bsky.social asks about the social sciences, which I haven't looked at in a while. Indexing these against 2008 rather than peak, and struck that economics has been on a downslope for 6 years now, while psychology, the worst discipline, continues to rise rapidly.
bsky.app/profile/peng...

Chart titled 'Quality of Social Science Disciplines inversely correlated with change since 2008', showing that Criminology and Psychology have increased , economics is steady, and Polisci, anthro, IR, and Sociology are all down 30-40%

Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Hadas Weiss @hadas.bsky.social · 10d

creating a demand for my writing through artificial scarcity

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 10d

Gen X American here, utterly unprepared for Sean Penn as a voice of measured reason

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/m...

Sean Penn Let Himself Get Away With Things for 15 Years. Not Anymore.

www.nytimes.com

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 11d

Marking the occasion in the usual way

Screenshot of LNER app telling me there are major disruptions

Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 13d

Here’s how I sometimes start a new project.

First I buy a fancy new notebook.

Second I write some very well-ordered notes in my best handwriting on the first page.

Third I never look at it again.

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 15d

And so it begins

Photo of layers of road, sidewalk, and fallen leaves

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Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 16d

IT IS TIME.

It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers

First published on October 9, 2009, this classic by Colin Nissan is our most-read article of all time. We’re celebrating the 16th anniversary of th...

buff.ly

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 16d

Niche post, I grant you

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 16d

Mad Libs are now available to all staff and students, as part of the University's expanding Mad Libs offer

Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · 16d

Ouija boards are now available to all staff and students, as part of the University's expanding ouija offer

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 16d

Please say:

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 17d

Approx 30 Homans to get into the Cambridge real estate game

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 18d

In 2025 anyone who meets me will already have access to my contact details so the continued existence of business cards is simultaneously archaic and adorable.

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 19d

Pro or con?

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 19d

Who am I kidding. About add these to an extensive collection from all previous employers.

Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 19d

Hot off the presses. I’ve got 250 of them so be sure to hit me up when you see me.

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 19d

Bonus: in February the grizzly bears are all asleep 🤞🏼

Grant McKenzie @grantdmckenzie.bsky.social · 19d

The call for participation is out for the 9th Spatial Knowledge and Information Conference #SKI2026 Canada. The conference will take place February 19-22, 2026 in Banff, Alberta. Ski all morning, conference all evening.
skiconference.ca

Spatial Knowledge and Information Conference (SKI) Canada 2026

February 19-22, 2026 in Banff, AB | Spatial Knowledge and Information Canada brings together researchers GIScience, spatial data science, and related disciplines who live or work in Canada.

skiconference.ca

Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Grant McKenzie @grantdmckenzie.bsky.social · 19d

Spatial Knowledge and Information Conference (SKI) Canada 2026

February 19-22, 2026 in Banff, AB | Spatial Knowledge and Information Canada brings together researchers GIScience, spatial data science, and related disciplines who live or work in Canada.

skiconference.ca

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Rachel Franklin 🦚 @rsfrankl.bsky.social · 19d

Some of us have lived confused lives in cities that do stuff like this on purpose

Map of an intersection in Providence, Rhode Island, where a street name changes from Pidge to Ridge

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Reposted by Rachel Franklin 🦚

Dani Arribas-Bel @darribas.bsky.social · 21d

🎧New #GLaDpodcast 🎧 Everything you ever wanted to know about mobile phone data in social science and never dared to ask, all in an entertaining™️ conversation btw @levijohnwolf.bsky.social, @rsfrankl.bsky.social, yours truly and the one and only @wenfeixu.bsky.social.

www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ufnqe-...

Episode 25: What we talk about when we talk about mobile phone data

Here's an episode all about data—mobile phone data, to be exact. What are we talking about when we talk about using “mobile phone data” in our research? How are these data generated? Who produces them...

www.podbean.com

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