Alex Hiniker
@hiniker.bsky.social
Disarmament fan after working with landmine and cluster bomb clearance programs in Cambodia, Laos, and Lebanon.
Syria also has a place in my heart.
I dig public transit and local government, too.
Proudly from PG County. Now in Pittsburgh.
Syria also has a place in my heart.
I dig public transit and local government, too.
Proudly from PG County. Now in Pittsburgh.
Why did you leave the face on the ground?
October 30, 2025 at 1:44 AM
Why did you leave the face on the ground?
I made a raccoon pumpkin in honor of the new Rainbow Raccoon Park in my town, but the raccoons ate its face overnight.
October 30, 2025 at 1:25 AM
I made a raccoon pumpkin in honor of the new Rainbow Raccoon Park in my town, but the raccoons ate its face overnight.
Hooray for local government! What a delight to see NYC's Local Law 97 (2019) getting a shoutout during this New York Botanical Gardens presentation at the Phipps Climate Toolkit conference here in Pittsburgh.
October 27, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Hooray for local government! What a delight to see NYC's Local Law 97 (2019) getting a shoutout during this New York Botanical Gardens presentation at the Phipps Climate Toolkit conference here in Pittsburgh.
'When you say your only going to represent the marginalized, you only end up marginalizing the people who you consider not to be marginalized.
All our students have needs and their needs shall not be ignored."
This is from a school board election mailer just outside of Pittsburgh.
All our students have needs and their needs shall not be ignored."
This is from a school board election mailer just outside of Pittsburgh.
October 19, 2025 at 7:48 PM
'When you say your only going to represent the marginalized, you only end up marginalizing the people who you consider not to be marginalized.
All our students have needs and their needs shall not be ignored."
This is from a school board election mailer just outside of Pittsburgh.
All our students have needs and their needs shall not be ignored."
This is from a school board election mailer just outside of Pittsburgh.
When I worked in/around the UN, I'd often see the Syrian ambassador who backed the deadly regime that killed countless people and destroyed the lives of many more.
I'd say "kuss ummak" loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for him to know it was me.
But sometimes he did. Like here.
I'd say "kuss ummak" loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for him to know it was me.
But sometimes he did. Like here.
October 5, 2025 at 2:52 AM
When I worked in/around the UN, I'd often see the Syrian ambassador who backed the deadly regime that killed countless people and destroyed the lives of many more.
I'd say "kuss ummak" loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for him to know it was me.
But sometimes he did. Like here.
I'd say "kuss ummak" loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for him to know it was me.
But sometimes he did. Like here.
Yes, okra and also cotton, another plant I grew but did not harvest. I do enjoy the flowers, which change from yellow to purple and open and close before forming cotton bolls.
September 25, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Yes, okra and also cotton, another plant I grew but did not harvest. I do enjoy the flowers, which change from yellow to purple and open and close before forming cotton bolls.
Hello, okra-loving friend! I tried growing okra once. The flowers are breathtaking! But I only got like one okra a week so it wasn't very efficient.
September 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Hello, okra-loving friend! I tried growing okra once. The flowers are breathtaking! But I only got like one okra a week so it wasn't very efficient.
Too often, only the terrible things in DC make it to the public eye, but there is a beautiful, longstanding punk history that warrants recognition.
Proud to be born in DC to a dad who ran the Rainbow Press on 18th Street, which supported such movements in the 70s.
Proud to be born in DC to a dad who ran the Rainbow Press on 18th Street, which supported such movements in the 70s.
September 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Too often, only the terrible things in DC make it to the public eye, but there is a beautiful, longstanding punk history that warrants recognition.
Proud to be born in DC to a dad who ran the Rainbow Press on 18th Street, which supported such movements in the 70s.
Proud to be born in DC to a dad who ran the Rainbow Press on 18th Street, which supported such movements in the 70s.
It's been 17 years since I boarded a plane to Cambodia to work for the United Nations landmine clearance program.
Considering what we know about its horrific impact, never would I have imagined that a US President (Biden!) would recommence using this banned weapon.
medium.com/@alexhiniker...
Considering what we know about its horrific impact, never would I have imagined that a US President (Biden!) would recommence using this banned weapon.
medium.com/@alexhiniker...
September 16, 2025 at 8:32 PM
It's been 17 years since I boarded a plane to Cambodia to work for the United Nations landmine clearance program.
Considering what we know about its horrific impact, never would I have imagined that a US President (Biden!) would recommence using this banned weapon.
medium.com/@alexhiniker...
Considering what we know about its horrific impact, never would I have imagined that a US President (Biden!) would recommence using this banned weapon.
medium.com/@alexhiniker...
Ranking Pennsylvania Senators by their support for humanitarian demining funding:
1.) Senator McCormick is a yes!
2.) Fetterman sent a rambling response that didn't even mention the issue, let alone confirm support.
Thanks @deluzio.house.gov and @summerlee.bsky.social for also supporting.
1.) Senator McCormick is a yes!
2.) Fetterman sent a rambling response that didn't even mention the issue, let alone confirm support.
Thanks @deluzio.house.gov and @summerlee.bsky.social for also supporting.
August 22, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Ranking Pennsylvania Senators by their support for humanitarian demining funding:
1.) Senator McCormick is a yes!
2.) Fetterman sent a rambling response that didn't even mention the issue, let alone confirm support.
Thanks @deluzio.house.gov and @summerlee.bsky.social for also supporting.
1.) Senator McCormick is a yes!
2.) Fetterman sent a rambling response that didn't even mention the issue, let alone confirm support.
Thanks @deluzio.house.gov and @summerlee.bsky.social for also supporting.
On August 1, I celebrate the day that the cluster bomb ban became law in 2010. I was in Laos, the most heavily bombed country per capita due to the US Secret War, with survivors, government and UN reps, and deminers. All Americans should know this history.
myemail.constantcontact.com/Where-were-y...
myemail.constantcontact.com/Where-were-y...
August 1, 2025 at 4:03 PM
On August 1, I celebrate the day that the cluster bomb ban became law in 2010. I was in Laos, the most heavily bombed country per capita due to the US Secret War, with survivors, government and UN reps, and deminers. All Americans should know this history.
myemail.constantcontact.com/Where-were-y...
myemail.constantcontact.com/Where-were-y...
Learn how Helsinki includes traffic planning in their broader sustainability agenda by reading their Voluntary Local Review of the Sustainable Development Goals (a UN reporting process I created for NYC that has been adopted by hundreds of cities; Helsinki was the 2nd).
www.hel.fi/static/kansl...
www.hel.fi/static/kansl...
July 29, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Learn how Helsinki includes traffic planning in their broader sustainability agenda by reading their Voluntary Local Review of the Sustainable Development Goals (a UN reporting process I created for NYC that has been adopted by hundreds of cities; Helsinki was the 2nd).
www.hel.fi/static/kansl...
www.hel.fi/static/kansl...
Baby's first Pittsburgh Regional Transit meeting to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit in calling for delaying service cuts and ensuring that transit fares are affordable to all
Details here:
www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/tell-pittsbu...
Details here:
www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/tell-pittsbu...
July 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Baby's first Pittsburgh Regional Transit meeting to join Pittsburghers for Public Transit in calling for delaying service cuts and ensuring that transit fares are affordable to all
Details here:
www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/tell-pittsbu...
Details here:
www.pittsburghforpublictransit.org/tell-pittsbu...
Here's the cotton boll since I could only add four photos to the last post.
July 19, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Here's the cotton boll since I could only add four photos to the last post.
I also love cotton flowers. Here is a plant I grew last summer, from the pale yellow flower to the pink flower (that opens and closes) to the dying flower to the green ball to the cotton boll.
July 19, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I also love cotton flowers. Here is a plant I grew last summer, from the pale yellow flower to the pink flower (that opens and closes) to the dying flower to the green ball to the cotton boll.
Got out and touched grass at a new park created by the community. It felt good.
And I finally got to see what Squonk is all about. Wonderful.
And I finally got to see what Squonk is all about. Wonderful.
June 7, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Got out and touched grass at a new park created by the community. It felt good.
And I finally got to see what Squonk is all about. Wonderful.
And I finally got to see what Squonk is all about. Wonderful.
All of us living in Crowley's district knew @aoc.bsky.social would win the 2018 primary.
Ask Braddock residents, and you'll learn that Fetterman has always been how he is now.
Whether it's Pittsburgh or NYC (or anywhere in the world), we should above all listen to the people who live in the place.
Ask Braddock residents, and you'll learn that Fetterman has always been how he is now.
Whether it's Pittsburgh or NYC (or anywhere in the world), we should above all listen to the people who live in the place.
May 31, 2025 at 8:45 PM
All of us living in Crowley's district knew @aoc.bsky.social would win the 2018 primary.
Ask Braddock residents, and you'll learn that Fetterman has always been how he is now.
Whether it's Pittsburgh or NYC (or anywhere in the world), we should above all listen to the people who live in the place.
Ask Braddock residents, and you'll learn that Fetterman has always been how he is now.
Whether it's Pittsburgh or NYC (or anywhere in the world), we should above all listen to the people who live in the place.
Yes, how I loved hearing so many beautiful languages that I didn't even recognize! The 7 train brought me from my home in Jackson Heights to my job at the United Nations, and to Mets games and Flushing and too many other places to list. And the magnificent views! I miss it terribly, delays and all.
May 14, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Yes, how I loved hearing so many beautiful languages that I didn't even recognize! The 7 train brought me from my home in Jackson Heights to my job at the United Nations, and to Mets games and Flushing and too many other places to list. And the magnificent views! I miss it terribly, delays and all.
In addition to producing landmines, will Poland also start forging swords and casting plated body armor?
April 8, 2025 at 6:15 PM
In addition to producing landmines, will Poland also start forging swords and casting plated body armor?
The way my heart goes pitter patter when I see those cute little bridges and rivers and trains before landing in Pittsburgh.
March 29, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The way my heart goes pitter patter when I see those cute little bridges and rivers and trains before landing in Pittsburgh.
A graffiti museum isn't worth its weight in salt unless there's a nod to Cool "Disco" Dan.
Miami's Museum of Graffiti passes the test.
Miami's Museum of Graffiti passes the test.
March 27, 2025 at 11:14 PM
A graffiti museum isn't worth its weight in salt unless there's a nod to Cool "Disco" Dan.
Miami's Museum of Graffiti passes the test.
Miami's Museum of Graffiti passes the test.
Full house for @cnn.com anchor @abbyphillip.bsky.social at Chatham University. I will always show up for my fellow Prince George's County natives when they visit Pittsburgh, and it makes me so happy to see that other people came out, too.
March 18, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Full house for @cnn.com anchor @abbyphillip.bsky.social at Chatham University. I will always show up for my fellow Prince George's County natives when they visit Pittsburgh, and it makes me so happy to see that other people came out, too.
I know we should be focusing on the words in Lech Wałęsa's letter to Trump, but I'm more impressed by the picture he chose to accompany it in his Facebook post.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1C92...
www.facebook.com/share/p/1C92...
March 10, 2025 at 2:45 AM
I know we should be focusing on the words in Lech Wałęsa's letter to Trump, but I'm more impressed by the picture he chose to accompany it in his Facebook post.
www.facebook.com/share/p/1C92...
www.facebook.com/share/p/1C92...
While visiting Houston, I enjoyed pastries from a Cambodian-owned bakery, noodles from a Laotian restaurant, and mezze from a Lebanese supermarket.
These are all places I've lived and loved.
Everything about my trip to Houston was great, actually.
These are all places I've lived and loved.
Everything about my trip to Houston was great, actually.
March 8, 2025 at 7:56 PM
While visiting Houston, I enjoyed pastries from a Cambodian-owned bakery, noodles from a Laotian restaurant, and mezze from a Lebanese supermarket.
These are all places I've lived and loved.
Everything about my trip to Houston was great, actually.
These are all places I've lived and loved.
Everything about my trip to Houston was great, actually.
Building contractors are now getting letters from vendors about price increases due to tariffs. Dal-Tile is increasing prices by 8%. Expecting more to come.
February 9, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Building contractors are now getting letters from vendors about price increases due to tariffs. Dal-Tile is increasing prices by 8%. Expecting more to come.