The Feeding (2020): A Family Secret That Needs to Be Fed
There’s something I love about a good short horror story. The buildup starts right away, every minute counts, and the ending lands exactly where it should. The Feeding doesn’t disappoint.
Set during a pandemic, this roughly 15-minute short introduces a disturbing problem: raw meat is becoming difficult to come by, and a woman has a family secret that needs to be fed. That premise alone is enough to pull you in. What is she hiding—and what happens when feeding it becomes impossible?
I don’t want to give too much away. Part of the pleasure of a short like this is letting the story unfold without knowing where it’s headed. But if you enjoy horror that builds quickly and delivers a satisfying ending, this is well worth your time.
One recommendation: if you can watch YouTube on a big screen with big sound, do it. Turn down the lights and give this little nightmare your full attention.
Sam’s Club: Buy in Bulk, Invent Your Own Parking Spot
Today, October 1, around 10:45 a.m., I stopped at Sam’s Club in North Charleston before heading over to visit The Bridge assisted living. Along with the usual bulk bargains, I spotted something apparently available at no extra charge: creative parking.
Two drivers had apparently decided the marked spaces weren’t meeting their needs and set up their own accommodations in the blue-striped areas.
Apparently, those stripes looked like a welcome mat. “Reserved for people with exceptional confidence.”
Now, those areas serve a purpose. People using wheelchairs, walkers, or vehicle ramps need room to get in and out safely. That thought felt especially relevant as I headed to an assisted living community. A little convenience for one person can become a major obstacle for someone else.
But here’s the part that made me do a double take: a North Charleston police officer was at the Sam’s Club entrance, maybe 20 feet away.
Twenty feet. We’re talking sample-table distance.
I don’t know what the officer saw or whether anything happened afterward, but the scene certainly had the ingredients for an awkward parking lesson.
Sam’s Club sells plenty of things in bulk. Apparently, on this particular morning, confidence was one of them.
Please use an actual parking space and leave the striped access areas clear. Your jumbo pack of paper towels can handle a slightly longer ride in the cart.
Nextdoor Published a Study About Trust. This Is More Like It.
I have spent a lot of time providing feedback about Nextdoor's Insights reports, so when the company does something substantially better, I think it's important to say so.
Nextdoor's new “The State of Neighborhood Trust” report, produced with The Harris Poll, is much closer to what I've been asking to see.
This looks and reads like an actual research report.
Not simply a blog post with percentages and a statement that more information exists somewhere else.
The report is 24 pages long. It identifies the research partner, describes the sample, discusses methodology, presents findings in context, includes statistical analysis, identifies outside sources, and provides a research contact. Nextdoor Blog
Read Nextdoor and The Harris Poll's full Neighborhood Trust study
Bravo, Nextdoor.
Yes, I actually said that.
Screenshot it before somebody blocks me. 😂
This Is What I've Been Asking For
Nextdoor commissioned the research, and The Harris Poll fielded it in April 2026 among about 1,000 U.S. adults age 18 and older. Respondents came through The Harris Poll's online panel and were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population. Nextdoor says it then analyzed the findings and conducted statistical modeling examining factors associated with trust and outcomes including safety, belonging, civic participation and reliance on neighbor recommendations. Nextdoor Blog
The accompanying Nextdoor article provides even more methodological detail: the survey was conducted April 16–20 among 1,003 adults, weighting included age within gender, region, race/ethnicity, marital status, household size, income, education and political affiliation where necessary, and the reported Bayesian credible interval is ±3.8 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Nextdoor also acknowledges other potential sources of survey error. Nextdoor Blog
That's transparency.
Could there be more?
Sure.
I'd love to see an appendix containing the questionnaire, complete crosstabs and additional demographic breakouts. Since The Harris Poll fielded the survey, it would also be useful to provide a Harris Poll contact or link explaining whether additional demographic information, questionnaires or crosstabs can be obtained.
But that's me asking for the cherry on top rather than wondering where the sundae went.
This report gives readers enough information to begin understanding where the numbers came from and how the research was conducted.
And the Subject Is…Trust
This is where things become particularly interesting given my recent experience with Nextdoor.
The entire report revolves around trust.
One finding says 66% identify friendly day-to-day interactions as something that builds neighborhood trust. Meanwhile, the leading factor respondents identified as weakening neighborhood trust was lack of communication, at 46%. Nextdoor Blog
Read that again.
Lack of communication: 46%.
I've been writing about communication for more than 100 days.
You couldn't script this better.
The study says trust grows through regular opportunities to communicate, interact, and rely on one another. It also says the strongest predictors include how easy people feel reaching their neighbors and how often they actually interact. Nextdoor Blog
That's not my interpretation of what Nextdoor should believe.
That's in Nextdoor's own report.
Then Nirav Tolia Says This
The report includes a statement from CEO Nirav Tolia:
“The difference between a neighborhood and a community is trust.”
That's a powerful statement. Nextdoor Blog
And that's precisely why I can't ignore the contrast with my experience.
Yesterday I discovered that Nirav had blocked me on X.
Again.
For the second time in roughly six months.
I don't know why Nirav blocked me. Only he knows his reason, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.
He also doesn't have an obligation to personally engage with every person who comments on his social media account.
But I'm allowed to ask what message the action sends to me.
Because I'm not some anonymous account that appeared yesterday screaming at the CEO.
I'm a shareholder.
I've spent months publicly documenting questions about Nextdoor.
I've repeatedly offered to have an actual conversation.
I've said I'd rather talk than type.
And for more than 100 days I've been pursuing detailed research that Nextdoor itself told readers was available by contacting its Insights representative.
Now I'm reading a Nextdoor report telling me:
Trust depends on communication.
You can't make this stuff up.
Trust Has to Work in Both Directions
Another line in the report fascinates me.
Nextdoor writes that trust is built through repeated interactions, communication, and confidence that others will respond when it matters. Nextdoor Blog
Exactly.
That shouldn't only apply neighbor to neighbor.
I think it's a valuable principle for company-to-customer, leadership-to-shareholder, platform-to-user, and executive-to-stakeholder relationships too.
Trust isn't created by saying the word trust repeatedly.
It isn't created by putting trust in the title of a 24-page PDF.
And it isn't automatically created because a company commissions a reputable polling organization.
Trust grows when words and experiences begin matching.
That's what makes this new report simultaneously encouraging and fascinating to me.
The Research Is Actually Helping Build Trust
Here's where I give Nextdoor genuine credit.
This report increases my confidence in these findings because Nextdoor told me how the research was conducted.
That's exactly how transparency builds trust.
Compare:
“67% of Americans say, X.”
Okay. Where did that number come from?
Versus:
Here's who conducted the survey. Here's when it was conducted. Here's the population. Here's the sample. Here's how respondents were recruited. Here's how weighting worked. Here's the statistical approach. Here are limitations. Here are outside sources. Here's a research contact.
Now we're talking.
Interestingly, the PDF once again lists Jacob Chavis, Senior Manager, Customer Insights, along with his Nextdoor email address as the research contact. Nextdoor Blog
Jacob and I already have some history.
😂
Maybe This Is Progress
I've said throughout this case study that if Nextdoor does something I think is good, I'll say it's good.
This report is progress.
I don't know whether my months of posts had anything whatsoever to do with the format. I have no evidence that they did, so I'm not taking credit.
Maybe Nextdoor was already moving toward more comprehensive research reports.
Maybe working with The Harris Poll resulted in a more rigorous presentation.
Maybe somebody inside Nextdoor independently said, We should probably show people how we got these numbers.
Whatever the reason:
Keep doing this.
And take it one step further.
Provide a Harris Poll link or research contact.
Make additional demographic tables available.
Publish questionnaires where appropriate.
Provide downloadable crosstabs.
Let researchers, journalists, advertisers, shareholders, and curious bald bloggers dig deeper.
That's how confidence in research grows.
Now Apply the Research to Leadership
That's my bigger challenge to Nextdoor.
The report says communication matters.
It says repeated interaction matters.
It says accessibility matters.
It says trust helps communities function.
And its CEO says the difference between a neighborhood and a community is trust. Nextdoor Blog
Great.
Apply those principles internally and externally.
When somebody asks a difficult question, communicate.
When somebody provides feedback, listen.
When somebody requests information that you've advertised as available, answer.
When a shareholder repeatedly offers to have a conversation, perhaps conversation is more consistent with the company's message than another block button.
Nirav doesn't have to agree with me.
Nextdoor doesn't have to agree with me.
Jacob doesn't have to agree with me.
Nobody has to like my posts.
But if we're going to talk about rebuilding trust through communication and interaction, then I think it's fair to ask Nextdoor's leadership to demonstrate the same behavior it celebrates in its research.
Trust is a great research topic.
It's an even better leadership practice.
And this time, Nextdoor, on the research itself:
Bravo. Keep going.
👉 Read my continuing Nextdoor case study at NielFlamm.com/blog
After Dialysis, Assisted Living Tours and Complaints: I Need the Ocean and Bacon
Today was one of those days when my internal battery was already flashing red before I walked through the door.
After dialysis, I toured The Palms, an assisted living facility I'm considering for Mom.
Today's dialysis was a little more difficult than Monday's. By the time everything was finished, I didn't even make it to my recovery meeting.
Instead, I had another mission:
Deliver Mom's dinner.
Ham, grits, and peas.
Gross.
I'm sure someone loves that combination. That someone is not me.
So, after dialysis and touring The Palms, I headed over to the skilled nursing facility with Mom's meal.
And then the complaining began.
Apparently, Everything Is Terrible
It was nonstop.
The food.
Physical therapy.
Nursing.
This.
That.
Something else.
At times, Mom was saying things that, from my perspective, didn't line up with what had actually happened. I've experienced that before with both of my parents, and today I didn't have much energy left to sort through what was accurate, what was frustration, and what might have been something else entirely.
I could feel myself reaching my limit.
That's when H.A.L.T. popped into my head.
Hungry.
Angry.
Lonely.
Tired.
I was feeling three out of the four.
I'll let everyone guess which three.
Actually, don't think about it too hard.
The important part was recognizing what was happening before I allowed myself to get dragged into an argument that wasn't going to accomplish anything.
See You Tomorrow
I finally told Mom I was going to leave and that I'd see her tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I'm touring another assisted living facility.
Her response?
“Don't come.”
My response?
“See you tomorrow.”
At this point, it felt less like a discussion and more like defiance.
Ugh.
Yesterday, I wrote about needing to establish boundaries. Today was another opportunity, actually, to practice one.
I didn't argue.
I didn't address every complaint.
I didn't stay there until I was completely exhausted and angry.
I left.
Sometimes that's the healthiest option available.
I'm Still Doing the Work
The frustrating part is that behind all these conversations, I'm still trying to do what Mom has said she wants.
She wants assisted living.
So I'm touring assisted living facilities.
I'm looking at rooms.
I'm learning about services.
I'm figuring out costs.
I'm asking questions.
I'm trying to imagine what her life might look like in each place.
Then I walk into the skilled nursing facility and hear complaint after complaint about the place she's currently living.
I understand that she's frustrated. She's been through a lot.
But I've been through a few things myself.
Today alone started with dialysis, moved into an assisted living tour, and ended with me delivering ham, grits, and peas while listening to a review of practically every department in the building.
Eventually, the tank is empty.
Mine was empty.
So I went home.
Tomorrow, I'll get up and do it again.
Another facility.
Another tour.
Another visit with Mom, regardless of today's “don't come.”
And hopefully another reminder to myself that I don't have to solve everything in one day.
I Need the Ocean and Bacon
Fortunately, I have something waiting for me at the end of October.
I'm going on a cruise.
And after the last few weeks, I think I've identified exactly what I need:
The ocean and bacon.
Lots of ocean.
An unreasonable amount of bacon.
Maybe I'll sit somewhere, looking out over the water, holding a plate stacked with bacon and doing absolutely nothing for anyone.
No assisted living tours.
No skilled nursing complaints.
No ham, grits, and peas.
No problem-solving.
Just me, the ocean, and enough breakfast meat to concern a cardiologist.
But first, tomorrow.
Another assisted living facility.
Another visit with Mom.
Because even when she says, “Don't come,” sometimes I know what she really needs is for me to keep showing up.
So...
See you tomorrow, Mom.
Day 107: Nirav Tolia Blocked Me Again. Apparently, We’re Doing This Twice.
Nirav, you got me. 😂
I've been posting about my request for the detailed Nextdoor Insights research that the company said readers could get by contacting Jacob Chavis.
While making my rounds across the various platforms and Nextdoor accounts, I came across CEO Nirav Tolia's X profile.
And there it was:
“@niravtolia has blocked you.”
Again.
Yes, again.
This is the second time in roughly six months that I've found myself blocked by Nextdoor's CEO.
I have to admit, that's almost impressive.
A Speed Bump, Not a Roadblock
The screenshot says I can still view Nirav's public posts, but I can't engage with them, follow him, or message him from that account.
Okay.
I'm resourceful.
This is a speed bump. It won’t end the conversation.
More importantly, blocking me doesn't answer the question I've been asking.
And this story didn't actually begin 107 days ago.
How Did I Even Get Here?
Long before the Insights report became part of this case study, I was a Nextdoor user in my local neighborhood.
I was eventually banned.
One issue involved my posting multiple personal items for sale. I questioned where the applicable restrictions appeared in Nextdoor's terms and policies and sought clarification.
From my perspective, meaningful communication eventually stopped.
So I started writing about my dissatisfaction on LinkedIn.
Then the discussion expanded.
I started looking more closely at Nextdoor's moderation model, communications, small-business experience, research, leadership, shareholder value, and other aspects of the company.
Eventually I came across Nextdoor's Home Insurance Insights research.
That’s where things got almost comical.
Nextdoor Told Readers to Contact Jacob
The June 15 Home Insurance Insights article says the research came from a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults.
Other Nextdoor Insights articles have been even more explicit about how to get additional research. For example, its summer-travel report tells readers who want the complete findings and detailed data to contact Jacob Chavis, Customer Analytics & Insights Manager.
So I did what Nextdoor told readers to do.
I contacted Jacob.
And then I followed up.
And followed up.
And followed up.
We're now at Day 107 of this particular chapter.
Communications eventually responded, and I've publicly acknowledged that. I didn't receive the complete, detailed material I requested.
Last week, I expanded my email to Nextdoor's Executive Team.
Now, as I continue to post about the experience, I discovered that Nirav has blocked me on X again.
Blocking Is Certainly an Option
Let's be fair about something.
Nirav has every right to decide whom he wants to interact with on his social media accounts.
Being CEO of a public company doesn't mean he owes me a personal conversation every time I have a question.
And I can't tell you why he blocked me.
Maybe he's tired of seeing my posts.
Maybe he thinks they're repetitive.
He may not like my approach.
Maybe he doesn't want to engage.
Only Nirav knows.
But here's where I think this becomes interesting from a leadership perspective.
Nextdoor's own leadership page identifies Nirav as its CEO, President, Chairperson of the Board, and co-founder.
That's a lot of leadership hats.
So when the person wearing all those hats blocks a shareholder who has been publicly questioning the company's communication, I think it's fair for me to write about the experience.
I'd Rather Have a Conversation
I've said this repeatedly:
I would rather talk than type.
Phone.
Video.
Virtual coffee.
An actual conversation.
I'm not asking Nirav to agree with me.
I'm not expecting Nextdoor to implement every idea I throw at it.
I'm not even expecting Nextdoor to enjoy my posts.
Some of them probably aren't particularly enjoyable from their side of the screen.
But if you're going to lead a company built around neighbors communicating with neighbors, criticism and uncomfortable questions come with the territory.
That's leadership.
I've Got Time
I've also joked before that Nextdoor may have picked the wrong person for a waiting contest.
My medical circumstances mean I have more downtime than I once did.
I can write.
I can research.
I can ask questions.
I can follow up.
And apparently I can periodically discover that I've been blocked again. 😂
I prefer Nextdoor to focus on building the business, improving the product, and creating long-term shareholder value.
Yesterday I wrote about NXDR closing at $2.43.
As a shareholder, I'd love to see the company deliver the kind of sustained performance that sends that number substantially higher.
I'd like to see a business return capital to shareholders through a dividend, if and when its financial position and board determine that makes sense.
That's a much more interesting use of corporate energy than this 107-day saga.
Leadership Includes Taking Some Heat
I don't think a CEO needs to respond personally to every critic on social media.
That's unrealistic.
I also don't think blocking someone proves their criticism is correct.
It doesn't.
Leaders of public-facing companies should expect scrutiny.
Especially when they're highly visible themselves.
Especially when they're talking publicly about community, connection, listening, and the “power of we.”
Sometimes leadership means standing behind the product and the rhetoric when somebody says:
“Okay. I have some questions.”
And sometimes those questions aren't flattering.
I don't prefer Nirav to have “thicker skin” because I have no insight into how he personally feels. I don't.
My point is about the leadership behavior I'd prefer to see:
Engage with difficult questions.
Delegate them to someone who will.
Answer them.
Disagree with them.
Explain why they're wrong.
Or say, “We're not providing that information.”
Any of those outcomes would be more interesting than another block button.
So, Nirav, You Got Me
Blocked for the second time.
I laughed when I saw it.
Then I took a screenshot.
And now, naturally, I'm writing about it.
Because after everything I've documented, this has become part of the case study too.
Day 107.
The detailed research question remains.
The Executive Team has my latest email.
And Nirav Tolia has blocked me on X.
Again.
I'm still here.
👉 NielFlamm.com/blog