✈️ New York, Here I Come! According to FlightAware, this is the planned path from Charleston (CHS) to New York this morning. And naturally, I'm looking at the map thinking: Do you see all that gree
According to FlightAware, this is the planned path from Charleston (CHS) to New York this morning.
And naturally, I'm looking at the map thinking:
Do you see all that green?!? 😂🌧️
After days of watching the New York forecast go from a 55% chance of rain, to 77% with thunderstorms, to basically nothing this morning, apparently the next part of the adventure is getting there.
The good news: I'm on my way.
The plan is still to land at LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, get over to Astoria, hopefully check into the hotel early, and make it to the yearly gathering at 1:00 PM.
Then, if the Broadway gods cooperate, I'm going to try to snag one of those same-day tickets for the 8:00 PM performance of Paranormal Activity.
I'm still not paying $200. 👻😂
For now, though, there's only one mission:
CHS ➡️ LGA.
Let's see how closely the plane follows that little blue line.
New York bagels, pizza, friends and possibly some Broadway ghosts await.
Next stop: NYC! 🗽
#NewYork #NYC #TravelDay #CHS #LGA #LaGuardia #Astoria #Queens #FlightAware #Broadway #ParanormalActivity #Travel
✈️ Plot Twist: I’m Going to New York!
Well, Mother Nature apparently reads my blog.
A few days ago, I was questioning whether I was going to make my trip to New York at all. The forecast went from a 55% chance of rain to 77% with thunderstorms, and I wasn't particularly interested in flying to Queens just to sit in a hotel room and watch it rain.
Fast-forward to Saturday morning.
70 degrees. Fair. A 2% chance of rain this morning.
Okay, New York. You win. I’m coming. 😂
My flight is scheduled to get into LaGuardia around 9:00 AM, and from there I'll head to the hotel and hopefully be able to check in early. At the very least, I'm hoping they'll take my bags because I've got places to go and people to see.
The yearly gathering in Astoria, Queens starts at 1:00 PM, so I've got a few hours between landing and the party.
And because apparently I don't believe in relaxing on vacation, I've already started thinking about what I'm doing afterward.
👻 Paranormal Activity on Broadway?
I'd really like to see Paranormal Activity on Broadway.
There's just one tiny problem.
I'm not paying $200 for a ticket.
I enjoy Broadway.
I enjoy paranormal stuff.
I enjoy sitting in a dark theater wondering what's about to jump out at me.
But for $200, the ghost better leave the theater with me, carry my luggage back to Queens and tuck me into bed.
Fortunately, there's another possibility.
There are some same-day tickets scheduled to be released at 9:00 AM, and I'm hoping I can grab one for the 8:00 PM performance.
So somewhere around the time my plane is landing at LGA, I'll also be trying to score a reasonably priced Broadway ticket.
Because apparently landing an airplane isn't enough excitement for 9:00 in the morning.
If it works out, my Saturday could look something like this:
✈️ 9:00 AM: Arrive at LaGuardia
🏨 Morning: Head to the hotel and hopefully check in
🎉 1:00 PM: Party in Astoria
👻 8:00 PM:Paranormal Activity on Broadway — IF I can get the same-day ticket
And somewhere in between all of that, there had better be a New York bagel and some pizza.
Those aren't optional.
After several days of watching weather percentages climb and wondering whether this trip was going to happen at all, it's funny that I'm now looking at a forecast with almost no chance of rain this morning.
So...
New York City, here I come.
Now I just need the flight to cooperate, the hotel to let me check in early, and the Broadway ticket gods to smile upon me at 9:00 AM.
That's not asking too much, right?
Stay tuned.
Day 68: Nextdoor Finally Responded—Sort Of*
Yes, that's an asterisk next to Day 68.
After more than two months of emails, posts, questions, tags, and wondering whether anyone at Nextdoor would respond, Nextdoor Communications emailed me.
Progress?
Well...sort of.
Their email said:
“We did not find it necessary to respond to your request for the following studies because they are both publicly available.”
They then sent me links to the Home Insurance Insights and Financial Advising and Investing blog posts.
There's just one problem.
Those aren't what I've been requesting.
Nextdoor's own Financial Advising and Investing post says:
“Want to explore the complete findings? This summary highlights key insights from our research, but there's much more to discover.”
It then tells readers seeking detailed data, additional audience segments, and strategic recommendations to contact Jacob Chavis.
That's precisely what I've been doing.
I responded and thanked Communications for reaching out. I'm requesting the complete findings and detailed data—not the blog summaries.
Whether Jacob sends them or Communications sends them doesn't matter to me.
I want what Nextdoor's own blog says readers can request.
Then came another interesting part of their email.
Nextdoor Communications told me this would be the only message they would send from that address and directed future support inquiries elsewhere.
Well, at least after 68 days I've confirmed something:
The Communications inbox works.
And since my research request remains unanswered, I'm not backing away from the underlying question. I'm doubling down on asking for clarity.
Meanwhile, Nurav Tooleyah Has Left the Neighborhood
Remember my experiment testing Nextdoor's verification system?
I created a duplicate account using the intentionally fake name “Nurav Tooleyah.”
Nextdoor Communications specifically mentioned the duplicate account in its email, and the account has now been indefinitely suspended.
Reason:
Duplicate account.
So, credit where it's due: Nextdoor eventually caught it.
But there's another asterisk.
It took more than 68 days.
That's the part that should concern anyone interested in platform trust and safety.
My account was an experiment intended to test the verification process. But imagine someone creating a false identity with genuinely malicious intentions.
How much damage could a bad actor potentially cause in 68 days while appearing to be a verified neighbor?
Could they build trust?
Collect information?
Contact vulnerable neighbors?
Promote a scam?
That's why I've been questioning Nextdoor's verification model.
Eventually catching a fake account is better than never catching it.
But how quickly you detect it matters.
And there's an interesting irony here.
Nextdoor found my duplicate account.
Nextdoor Communications found my email.
Nextdoor Communications found the two blog posts.
After 68 days, I haven't received the detailed research those posts explicitly invite readers to request.
So yes:
Day 68.*
The asterisk matters.
Nextdoor finally communicated.
The fake account finally disappeared.
But the original question remains remarkably simple:
Jacob, could you please share the complete findings and detailed data that Nextdoor tells readers to contact you to obtain?
Full timeline at NielFlamm.com/blog.
The Scammers Have Apparently Moved On From Bitcoin — Now I’m Getting My Watch Repaired
Well, the scammers are branching out.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've apparently purchased Bitcoin, renewed Geek Squad protection multiple times, and been invited to Facebook events celebrating these financial accomplishments.
Today, we have something new.
Apparently, I'm getting a watch repaired.
I received an email from something calling itself Watch Repairs USA Customer Care with the subject:
“WATCH REPAIRS USA - Repair #”
Repair number what?
Excellent question.
There isn’t a repair number after the #.
We're off to a strong start.
Thank You for My Payment!
The email proudly announces:
“Your Payment Receipt.”
It then thanks me for my payment and says work on my watch will now begin.
Wonderful!
Except for one minor detail:
I DIDN'T SEND THEM A WATCH.
According to the email, I'm getting a battery replacement for $29.99, plus $30.00 for shipping.
That's some serious shipping for a watch battery.
The transaction information also has some interesting details.
Name: blank.
Address: United States.
That's it.
Apparently, somewhere among approximately 340 million people, there's a watch heading my way.
Good luck, FedEx.
My Favorite Part: “Total $.”
The email lists:
Subtotal $29.99
Shipping $30.00
Total $
That's right.
No number.
Just a dollar sign.
I appreciate a company that lets me use my imagination.
Maybe the total is $59.99.
Maybe it's $5,999.
Maybe they're waiting for me to choose.
This is less of a receipt and more of a financial Mad Lib.
But Don't Worry — There's a Refund Button!
Naturally, the email includes a section titled:
“Request Refund.”
How convenient.
If I didn't complete this transaction, all I have to do is click the nice “Claim a Refund” button.
And that's exactly where my scam radar starts screaming.
An unexpected purchase.
A transaction I don't recognize.
Incomplete information.
Then a convenient button offering to fix everything.
The objective is familiar even though the packaging has changed:
Make me worried about money and get me to react.
This One Is More Interesting
What makes this message different from the recent Facebook event scams is that it looks much more like an ordinary business transaction email.
There's a logo.
There's a payment section.
There's a repair breakdown.
There's shipping information.
There's contact information.
There are links at the bottom.
It has all the ingredients that can make someone think:
“Wait...did I actually order this?”
And that's why unexpected transactional emails deserve a few extra seconds of thought before clicking anything.
A professional-looking email isn't proof that the transaction is yours.
I'm Still Not Clicking
My approach hasn't changed.
If I receive an email saying I've been charged for something I don't remember buying, I won't click the refund button in the email right away.
First, I'll independently check my credit card or bank account.
If there's no charge, there's nothing to refund.
If there is an unauthorized charge, I'll contact the financial institution using contact information I obtain independently—not whatever is presented in the suspicious message.
The important thing is to avoid letting the email dictate what I do next.
That's exactly what these messages are designed to accomplish.
My Imaginary Spending Is Getting Out of Control
Let's review my recent financial activity according to my inbox:
Bitcoin.
More Bitcoin.
A mystery subscription.
Geek Squad.
More Geek Squad.
And now...
A watch battery.
My imaginary self is apparently terrible with money.
Imaginary Niel has excellent diversification.
Cryptocurrency.
Technology services.
Luxury accessories.
It's practically a portfolio.
I'm just waiting for tomorrow's email:
“Congratulations! Your $799 annual yacht maintenance plan has successfully renewed.”
That'll be disappointing.
Mostly because I don't have a yacht.
Although, based on my inbox, apparently I might.
Nextdoor Has an AI Day. Maybe It Needs a Communication Day.
I came across an interesting HR Brew article about Nextdoor's HR team dedicating one full day every month to AI experimentation.
Full article:
https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/nextdoors-hr-team-halts-people-work-once-a-month-and-dedicates-the-day-to-ai
First, credit where it's due.
As someone with a Learning & Development background, I like this idea.
Nextdoor Head of People Tony Castellanos told HR Brew that the HR team clears its calendars one day each month—no meetings, interviews, or reports—so employees can experiment with AI and build solutions.
That's experiential learning.
That's giving employees permission to experiment, iterate, and learn.
I can get behind that.
But given everything I've been documenting about Nextdoor, another thought immediately crossed my mind:
Could we dedicate one day to communication?
I've spent more than two months trying to obtain a Nextdoor Insights study from Jacob Chavis.
I've contacted Jacob, Nirav Tolia, Sarah Leary, Investor Relations, and Communications.
Then Nextdoor published another Insights report directing readers who want detailed information to—you guessed it—Jacob Chavis.
I followed those instructions again.
Short email. Kinder, gentler reset. Two studies requested.
I'm still waiting.
That's why this article fascinates me.
Nextdoor can pause routine HR work for an entire day each month so employees can explore AI.
Great.
But technology doesn't solve every organizational problem.
Sometimes the solution isn't another AI agent.
Sometimes it's:
"Hey, somebody answer that email."
HR Brew also reports that Nextdoor's "People Brain" reviews content published to public channels to help ensure messaging and policy align with the People team's core content.
Now that makes me curious.
If AI is helping evaluate Nextdoor's public messaging, I'd love to know what it thinks about:
Community without conversation.
Communication posts with comments disabled.
Research advertised as available while requests go unanswered.
A shareholder spending more than two months asking for an answer.
Maybe those aren't AI problems.
Maybe they're leadership and execution problems.
I've repeatedly said I want Nextdoor and NXDR to succeed. I'm a shareholder. Financially, that's in my interest.
AI Days could genuinely improve efficiency.
But innovation shouldn't distract from the basics.
Artificial intelligence is impressive.
Answering an email doesn't require it.
Perhaps alongside AI Day, Nextdoor should try a Communication Day.
I'll volunteer my inbox for the pilot.
Full timeline at NielFlamm.com/blog.