Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦

@jemburch

PhD candidate (Political Science) | Sessional Instructor (Quantitative Methods) | Recovering public servant | Huge nerd (SCA, LARP, TTRPGs) Expect posts about Canadian news (often political) and nerdy pursuits. Opinions my own and likely to be unhinged.

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Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Jun 3

Two panel screenshot of the titular character of the Loki TV show sitting at a table. The text reads "Yes, very sad. Anyway"

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Jun 2

I found this chart interesting, too. It suggests (to me, at least) the TBA folks might have a tougher time forcing her out than I would have expected. Of course, this isn't quite the same question as to whether she should continue to lead the UCP, but...

Stacked bar chart showing results for the question 'Agree or disagree: Premier Danielle Smith should resign.' ('Not sure' represented a third option). The results are divided into 'Total' (49% Agree, 43% Disagree), 'UCP' (19% Agree, 75% Disagree), and 'NDP' (85% Agree, 12% Disagree). The source is listed as Angus Reid.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· May 31

Reply with 🤓 and I'll give you a letter to list your 4 favourite characters! I got K ~ Kai’oh Michiru (Sailor Neptune) - Sailor Moon Katara - Avatar the Last Airbender Kamurai Jin - Tokyo Debunkers Kermit the Frog - The Muppets

Image of Sailor Neptune from the end of her transformation sequence from the 90s-era anime.

Jin Kamurai (yes, I mildly cheated by following the Japanese practice of listing the last name first - don't at me). Specifically, this is his 'Icebound Tyrant' card from the Tokyo Debunkers mobile game.

Kermit the frog. It's not easy being green!

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· May 1

Don't talk to me and my assorted hobby doom piles ever again!

Image of a goblin in patchwork robes examining a colourful objust through a small magnifying glass. They are standing in front of a large chest of drawers, one of which is labelled 'sparkly trash'. The text reads 'I don't 'waste' money on crafts. I invest in the dopamine of potential and the security of the hoard.' Image credit to StuartShawCreations.com

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Apr 17

I would indeed much rather make my own terrible decisions. (Also, that metaphor goes so hard.)

Screenshot of a social media thread.

First post: "We know that Facebook is brainscorching your parents and tiktok is brainscorching your cousins, but some of you refuse to admit that you got your brain scorched here. However unlike those sites there isn't an algorithm here you just make bad choices."

Second post: "That's all we ever wanted. To arrive at Hell as a result of our own dubious navigation skills instead of as a result of Satan owning all the road companies."

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Mar 27

Okay, first of all... poomang.com/en/t/smooth_...

'Smooth Mole' test results from 'Smooth Animal Test X Poomang'. Drawing of a cartoon mole surrounded by various personality traits listed in bubbles.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Mar 10

Not me calling my partner at work to suggest he do the rest of his shift from home.

Screenshot of a post from 604 NOW (604 being Vancouver's area code). Image of a snow-dusted Vancouver street scene. The text reads 'DEAR VANCOUVER It's only a few cm of snow Please don't embarass yourself.'

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Mar 3

The phrase 'sumptuous bedrot' will now live rent-free in my head. Thank you, @theoatmeal.bsky.social.

Screenshot of an exchange on Threads. User 'thebloggess' writes 'I'm having a very bad mental health day and I need someone to tell me to get out of bed. The Oatmeal replies with a comic showing a woman in bed holding a hair dryer while a small horned character says 'ARISE, Jenny! WAKE from your sumptuous bedrot. Do it or I, the BedRot goblin Shally make unpleasant sounds with my Mouth! LALALALA THIP THIP THOP THIPT THOP SLOP.'

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Feb 27

'Pull a Carney', ha! Love that for our fellow 'red and white' NATO allies.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Feb 27

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some zen to the feed.

Looking out at the Pacific ocean framed by trees. A hilly coastline is visible in the distance. The sun os visible through cloud cover.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Feb 6

Balance is important.

"me when i serve pop culture brain rot while still making use of critical thinking skills and keep a balance rot-to-wisdom ratio"

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Feb 4

No one: ... Metro Vancouver real estate listings: Bring your renovation ideas to this cozy heritage home in a wilderness setting. Full of natural light. Perfect for first-time home buyers or those seeking redevelopment opportunities.

A dilapidated shack with a strip of fabric hanging part way down the empty door frame. It appears to be fenced in and there are some bushes in the background. The text reads 'at this rate, this might be the house I live in after graduating:'

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Feb 1

The dumpster fire in me recognizes the dumpster fire in you.

Cartoon image of a red dumpster spouting flames. Black text on a pink background reads: May the dumpster fire within you burn brighter than the dumpster fire around you. Image credit to Theinkroad.com

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Jan 12

Reskeet this with your home river. Mine is the mighty Fraser

White water rapids between tree-libed rocky shores with mountains in the background. Photo credit to Brock Endean.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Jan 2

Um... k.

Screenshot titled 'Merriam-Webster Your 2026 Word'. The word 'yeasty' in black text on a blue and yellow ombre background.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Jan 1

Here are the figures in question, in the event anyone is interested. Being from a 2023 presentation, they're missing the most recent election. The 'NDP' trend-line includes previous left-wing parties (hence the asterisk). Trying to fit this much history on one slide was an interesting challenge!

Two line graphs on a blue background showing popular vote share by party in British Columbia. The first is labelled '1903-1950', showing the Conservatives (blue), Liberals (red), Lib-Con Coalition (purple), and NDP (orange). The second figure is labelled '1950 - Present' (though 'present' here means c. 2023) with added lines for the SoCreds (light blue) and the Greens (guess).

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Dec 22

I've been thinking something similar, though less articulately. Less charitably, also - because for 'people', I would have written 'privileged twits'.

User 'thecoreyrichardson' writes "The fact that Jake Paul thought he could go toe to toe with Anthony Joshua and got his ass whooped so thoroughly is an apt encapsulation of how a lot of people think DEI works vs. how it actually works. A white guy who has created a career out of exploiting his clear advantage over his opponents assumes that, based on his manufactured record, his accomplishments are 'merit based' and feels like he's entitled to challenge an overqualified Black person for his status that he actually earned."

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Oct 21

Actual footage of me trying to run a midterm review session today while attempting to stave off an allergic reaction.

A tabby cat stands at the lecturn in a classroom as students look on. A green chalkboard can be seen in the background.

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Oct 19

“Burnaby just basically handed the keys to the city over to developers and said, 'You go to it, you build anything you want.'… The results are these ugly monstrosities.” - Kathy Corrigan, self-proclaimed NIMBY Pictured below: one of the 'ugly monstrosities' in question. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

A black and white multiplex home in the 4200-block of Graveley St in Burnaby, B.C., on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Oct 5

"Unfortunately, I'm not pretty enough to be considered a hot mess, but I do identify as a room temperature inconvenience. 09/29/2025."

The background image is a smirking brunette woman labelled Prilidiano Puereyydo's (1865) 'Portrait of a Lady' with a watermark reading 'MEME ME rdgs <3'

Mad (Social) Scientist 🇨🇦@jemburch· Sep 25

Given the linear progression of time, I'd be fascinated to discover what the WSJ thinks the alternative is. (Not being a subscriber means I will be left forever to wonder, however).