Tuner — What Would You Do for the People You Love?
A gifted pianist loses the ability to perform.
A struggling piano tuner can't catch a break.
Then one decision changes everything.
Tuner blends crime, romance, and family drama into a story about temptation, loyalty, and the choices that define us.
Did it hit the right notes?
🎬 Watch my Junk Cast review and explore more movie reviews and videos at:
You may even discover some other internet garbage while you're there.
Guess Who Didn't Win Mega Millions? 😂💰
Me.
And... unless you're reading this from your private island, probably you too.
How do I know?
Because nobody won the Mega Millions jackpot, it has now climbed to $672 million.
That means tonight's Powerball jackpot of $498 million pushes the combined jackpots to shy of $1.2 BILLION.
I’m seeing a lot of commas.
And for just $2, you can buy a Powerball ticket and spend the next 24 hours mentally redesigning your life.
I've already got a rough plan.
I'd take care of my family.
I'd invest in the communities and causes that mean something to me.
I'd help out my friends. (If you aren't one now... applications after the drawing will not be accepted. 😄)
Then I'd pick up a sweet ride, buy a home on the beach, and maybe even find a future ex-wife to enjoy it all with.
Hey, at least I'm planning.
Will I win?
The odds say no.
Will I spend two bucks to dream for a day?
Absolutely.
Sometimes $2 isn't about buying a lottery ticket. It's about buying permission to imagine what's possible.
Good luck tonight—and if one of us wins, remember who reminded you.
Where Are Nextdoor's Moderators?
The Nextdoor experiment continues, and once again I find myself asking the same question:
Where are the moderators?
I came across a post from a neighbor that asked what I thought about whether golf carts should be driven across grassy common areas. The neighbor even compared it to commercial landscaping crews using zero-turn lawn mowers.
Whether you agree with the comparison or not, it was a discussion.
Then came the comments.
One neighbor called another "unintelligent."
According to the timestamp, the comment remained on the platform.
That leaves me asking the same questions I've been asking for weeks:
Where are the unpaid moderators?
Who reviews their decisions?
Is there any quality assurance process?
How is this type of personal attack allowed to remain while other users are suspended for much less?
For those who can't see the screenshot, I've included it in today's post on NielFlamm.com/blog.
As a shareholder, I'm also scratching my head.
The stock closed around $2.54 today.
What value is the market seeing if the platform continues to struggle with consistent moderation and identity verification? That's a question I'm trying to understand as I continue following the company.
On a different note, I've started using Citizen, and my initial experience has been positive.
Within minutes, I learned about a fatal crash approximately 3.9 miles from me, could see how many active users were nearby, and viewed other developing stories, including reports of a gastrointestinal outbreak affecting multiple states.
It's still early, but I'm looking forward to comparing the two platforms as I continue using Citizen.
Competition has a way of making every company better.
And that's good for users, advertisers, and shareholders alike.
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
Day 31: The Count Continues — Communication Is a Leadership Decision
Today marks Day 31 since I sent an email requesting the study and methodology referenced by the Nextdoor Communications team.
The email was sent to:
Jacob Chavis, Senior Manager of Customer Insights
Nirav Tolia, CEO
Investor Relations
Press Communications
I also requested a read receipt.
No read receipt.
No response.
No study.
No update.
There are several possible explanations:
Maybe the company doesn't use Microsoft Outlook.
Maybe everyone was out of the office.
Maybe the email was overlooked.
Or perhaps the organization uses a preview function and removes emails without triggering a read receipt.
I don't know.
What I do know is the outcome:
31 days without a response to a straightforward request for information.
And that leads to a bigger question:
If this is how communication is handled when a shareholder asks for a published research report, what happens when a user has a serious issue?
What happens when a paying advertiser needs support?
What happens when the company faces a real crisis?
Leadership is demonstrated during the easy moments and the difficult ones.
A simple response—yes, no, or an explanation—would have addressed this weeks ago.
Instead, the silence continues.
So the question becomes:
How high will this count go?
I will update immediately after receiving the study.
Until then, the clock continues.
Join the discussion on NielFlamm.com.
Citizen vs. Nextdoor: What Are People Really Looking For in a Local App?
During my semi-weekly Zoom call this evening with my Fraternity Brothers from Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity, Phi Chi Chapter, someone mentioned the Citizen app. I had heard the name before, but I had never really looked into it. After the conversation, I did some research — and tonight I’m starting to use it.
The more I looked, the more interesting the comparison became.
Nextdoor has always positioned itself as the digital neighborhood — a place to connect with neighbors, ask for recommendations, discuss local issues, and discover businesses.
Citizen takes a different approach: real-time awareness. It focuses on what many people immediately want to know when they open a local app:
What is happening around me right now?
Is there an accident nearby? Police activity? A fire? A safety concern? An emergency alert?
Sometimes people don't want another social network. They want useful information that affects their day, commute, family, and safety.
Nextdoor has a massive opportunity because community connections and local intent are incredibly valuable. But the challenge has always been balancing conversations, commerce, moderation, and trust.
Citizen appears to have a clearer "why open the app?" moment.
I’m beginning my own Citizen experiment tonight. I’ll see how the alerts, accuracy, usability, and overall experience compare.
Stay tuned — I’ll share what I learn.