August 12, 2026: The Universe Is Showing Off
If you have plans for Wednesday, August 12, 2026, please consider canceling them.
Unless your plans involve sitting in a lawn chair, looking up, and pretending you understand astrophysics.
The universe has decided to put on a double feature.
During the afternoon, much of the East Coast of the United States will be treated to a partial solar eclipse. For most of the East Coast, the eclipse will begin around 1:00–1:40 p.m. EDT, reach its maximum around 1:50–2:00 p.m., and wrap up between 2:15 and 2:50 p.m., depending on exactly where you live. Here in the Charleston, South Carolina area, the action is expected to run from about 1:38 p.m. to 2:18 p.m., with the maximum eclipse at approximately 1:58 p.m. EDT.
No, don't stare directly at the Sun. This isn't one of those "life hack" videos where the ending involves a trip to the emergency room. Grab a pair of certified eclipse glasses and enjoy nature's version of someone taking a tiny bite out of the Sun.
Then, after the Sun clocks out for the day, look up again because the Perseid Meteor Shower (not the Leonids—they don't show up until November) reaches its peak under wonderfully dark skies thanks to the new moon.
This year's show could produce 50 to 100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. The best viewing time is after midnight, with the peak between about 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, August 13. The darker your location, the more you'll see. If you're in the middle of a city, you'll probably spend more time counting streetlights than shooting stars.
Think about it.
The Moon spends the afternoon photobombing the Sun...
...then spends the evening getting out of the way so meteors can steal the spotlight.
That's teamwork.
Of course, if you're like me, you'll probably spend the day checking the weather every 15 minutes, only for one lonely cloud to park itself directly over your house at the exact wrong moment.
It's astronomy's version of buffering.
So here's the game plan:
* Eclipse glasses? ✔️
* Lawn chair? ✔️
* Bug spray? ✔️
* Snacks? Preferably enough to survive until the meteor shower starts. ✔️
* Coffee? You'll probably need it if you're staying up until 5:00 a.m.
* Ability to control the weather? Still unavailable.
Whether you're an astronomy enthusiast or someone who likes free entertainment, August 12 is shaping up to be one of the coolest days of the year.
The best part?
Unlike concert tickets, the sky doesn't charge admission.
Just don't forget the eclipse glasses. The Sun doesn't accept "I was curious" as an excuse.
Join the sky watching on NielFlamm.com/blog.
#Astronomy #SolarEclipse #PartialSolarEclipse #PerseidMeteorShower #MeteorShower #ShootingStars #NightSky #Space #Skywatching #Science #EastCoast #LookUp #NielFlamm
From Learning & Development to Live Radio: ¡Buena Suerte, Sam!
There was a time when my social media presence was pretty much limited to LinkedIn. Life was simple. No Facebook Stories. No Bluesky. No endless scrolling. No random videos of people making tiny pancakes for squirrels.
Fast forward to today, and I'm apparently on just about every platform.
While watching Facebook Stories, I came across one from a familiar face — Sam Taylor. Years ago, Sam was on a Learning & Development team that I had the privilege of leading. She was smart, energetic, and definitely not afraid to speak up. In fact, now and then I'd have to gently remind her that meetings worked best when everyone else got a chance to talk too!
So when I saw she's now hosting a radio show, I laughed and thought, that makes perfect sense.
Sam now calls Spokane, Washington home, where she's not only an independent nail business owner but also hosts El Puente on KYRS 88.1 FM/92.3 FM every Monday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Pacific Time.
The show is entirely in Spanish and focuses on the local community. If you're in the Spokane area, speak Spanish, or enjoy community radio, give it a listen. If you're outside the area, you can stream the station live or download previous episodes here:
https://archive.kyrs.org/
Now, as for my Spanish...
Let's say it's... specialized.
I know enough Spanish to order food at a restaurant, survive a trip to a bodega in Harlem, and probably accidentally ask someone where the bathroom is when I meant to ask for ketchup.
So while I won't be critiquing Sam's grammar or vocabulary anytime soon, I can absolutely say congratulations. It's always fun seeing people you worked with find something that fits their personality so well.
Congratulations, Sam! I hope El Puente continues to connect the Spokane community for years to come.
And if you ever decide to do an English-language guest segment... call me. I'll bring my restaurant Spanish.
Listen online:
https://archive.kyrs.org/
$856 Million, Lucky 8s, and My Fraternity Lottery Dictatorship
The Powerball jackpot has climbed to $856 million, with the next drawing on Saturday, August 8, 2026 (8/8/26).
Now, I think the number 8 is considered lucky in Mandarin. I'm not entirely sure. I speak approximately three words of Mandarin, and two of them are probably pronounced wrong.
Still... 8/8? I'll take all the luck I can get.
I've also made an executive decision for the fraternity lottery pool. We've doubled the buy-in from $10 to $20 per person, which means twice the tickets and slightly better odds of one of us becoming completely unemployable.
To keep everyone informed, I've been posting the ever-changing odds in our Discord channel based on how many brothers are playing. It's educational. It's transparent. It's probably the most math some of us have done since college.
There has been one other policy change.
After weeks of organizing the pool, collecting money, driving to Harris Teeter, buying tickets, photographing them, and sending updates, one particularly ungrateful fraternity brother has been permanently promoted to... former participant.
Congratulations!
Your lottery odds with my pool are now exactly 0.000000%.
It's amazing how quickly the Fraternity Lottery Commissioner can become the Fraternity Lottery Dictator.
Long live the Commissioner.
Good luck to everyone else. If we win $856 million, drinks are on me.
Well... probably not. That's how people stay rich.
Join the fun on NielFlamm.com/blog.
Day 53: Is the Market Celebrating Improvement or Ignoring the Questions?
As I write this, NXDR is up.
The market is clearly reacting positively to Nextdoor's latest earnings report.
I understand why.
The company reported a smaller loss than in previous quarters, along with revenue growth and improved operating metrics.
As a shareholder, I'm glad to see progress.
But I also see it differently.
To me, it's a bit like a marathon where you've consistently finished last and this year you finish second-to-last.
That's an improvement.
It deserves acknowledgment.
But you still didn't win the race.
Nextdoor is still reporting a GAAP net loss.
The company has now been operating for approximately 15 years, and while CEO Nirav Tolia described this as the company's best quarter, I believe it's also fair for shareholders to ask what "best" should ultimately look like.
For me, financial performance is only part of the equation.
Today also marks Day 53 since I requested a study from Jacob Chavis.
Fifty-three days later:
No study.
No acknowledgment.
No explanation.
No response.
I've also noticed that the last Nextdoor Insights article appears to have been published on July 6, 2026.
As a shareholder, I naturally wonder:
Are new studies still being produced?
Has the research strategy changed?
Is the Insights program on pause?
I don't know.
That's exactly why I've continued asking.
This isn't about criticizing improvement.
It's about asking whether improving financial results should also be accompanied by improvements in communication, transparency, and accountability.
Potential alone doesn't create long-term shareholder value.
Execution does.
Communication does.
Culture does.
One quarter doesn't define a company, just as one stock move doesn't define its future.
I'll continue recognizing progress when I see it, and I'll continue asking questions when I believe they're warranted.
That's what engaged shareholders should do.
Join the discussion at NielFlamm.com/blog. Leave some feedback—I'd love to hear from you.
Is It Really a Recruiter... or a Sales Pitch?
Have you ever been contacted by a recruiter with an "exclusive opportunity" that wasn't posted anywhere?
I was.
What happened next raised more red flags with every message.
The conversation moved from LinkedIn to Microsoft Teams, questions went unanswered, and what appeared to be a recruiting opportunity took a very different turn.
If you're actively looking for your next role, you need to know what to watch for before you invest your time—or your money.
I break down the entire interaction, the warning signs, and what happened next in this video.
🎥 Watch here: https://nielflamm.com/videos/scams