Rebecca Menes

PINION tracks the votes of government representatives in real time. Our 5-point scale captures both importance and support level. PINION is free to all those who want to turn public opinion into public policy. GET ENGAGED at pinionvote.com!

Join the Democracy Happy Hour by @fixdemocracy1st on Wednesday evening and you'll hear CEO @DScottPIerce talk with @CindyDemocracy about the launch of the new civic engagement start-up, PINION. Starting at 8:00 p.m. East Coast time. Get registered here: lnkd.in/ePXWdKnF

"Fabulous neon signs still glow on Nathan Road..." Here's a heady nod to the nostalgia of Hong Kong, with some travel tips for those interested in taking the not-so-obvious path – with photos, a story line, and a little soundscape from hotel TUVE. rebeccamenes.com/photos/hong-ko…

Statement from the Nobel Foundation One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind," and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize. A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed. For additional information, please refer to the Norwegian Nobel Committee: nobelpeaceprize.org/press/press-re…

A shop in Sham Shui Po next to the real Wah Ngai Canvas, where you can buy classic Hong Kong blue-red-white and black-red-white canvas bags for about $1.50 each.

The island of Peng Chau, Hong Kong.

Zohran Mamdani has won New York City’s mayoral race. He will be the first Muslim and first person of South Asian descent to serve as the city’s mayor. At 34 years old, he will also be the youngest person to run City Hall in modern history. nymag.visitlink.me/RhMpE4

From one small sweet potato slip from the generous McQuigg Farm and Community Garden in the Parramore neighborhood of Orlando, comes so much autumnal goodness...

The morning after three dragon fruit flowers bloomed. In a home garden in #SoDo Orlando.

Art works by paper artist Kelly Joy Ladd, now showing as part of the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art @omaorlando.

"From Dilapidation to Muted Elegance: a Bathroom Reborn." bit.ly/4mToU2Z

The Town House Restaurant in Oviedo that dates back to 1955. When you come, be sure to sit on a pair of original blue stools at the counter. Florida whimsy at its finest!

Charming "casita" in Ybor City in Tampa, originally valued at $700. They were financed by Ybor, a cigar factory entrepreneur, and sold to his employees. He deducted $1 from their paychecks each week.

My Barbados cherry tree in full bloom, producing delicious cherries each day. At #SoDo Orlando.

Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.

Calling All Orlando Poets! Ready to ignite a passion for poetry in the City Beautiful? We invite you to apply to become Orlando's next Poet Laureate. Learn more and apply at orlando.gov/poetlaureate.

On 4/23/25 we had a small but mighty crew💪from the Balmoral Group volunteer at Spring Hammock Preserve. Together, we removed a LOT of invasive Caesarweed plants (900 small + 6 contractor bags of large plants). Great job, everyone! @seminolecounty #invasiveplants

Pulling caesarweed, an invasive species, with Balmoral Group colleagues at Spring Hammock Preserve.

Passionfruit growing on the vine, Sodo neighborhood, Orlando.