Is Digger Tom Cruise’s Biggest Flop?
I saw Digger in the theater—with popcorn, a Pepsi Zero, and a little help from my Regal membership. Now I’m still trying to answer one question:
What the hell did I watch?
The reported budget was enormous. The opening weekend? A lot smaller. But the box-office numbers aren’t the only thing that surprised me. Digger has oil, environmental satire, family drama, theater, and comedy all competing for screen time.
The critics seem to love it. I didn’t have the same experience.
Could Digger become a cult favorite like Edge of Tomorrow? Or does it have too many stories going on at once? I share my full take in the video—and you can decide whether I’m completely wrong.
Watch my Digger review: NielFlamm.com/videos/moviereviews
Premiere: The Phensic feat. Kay McCaney — “Babylon’s Gonna Fall”
I’m proud to premiere “Babylon’s Gonna Fall,” a new track by The Phensic featuring Kay McCaney.
The title carries a sense of upheaval, while The Phensic’s mix of ska, reggae, punk, and soul brings a naturally danceable edge. That combination gives the track room to feel both spirited and purposeful. Kay McCaney’s featured appearance adds another voice to the song’s energy, making this a premiere worth turning up and sharing.
The Phensic bring together veterans of the American ska scene, with roots in bands including Bigger Thomas, Rude Boy George, and Hub City Stompers. Their sound draws on ska, reggae, punk, and soul. I’m also happy to
share this one for a personal reason: guitarist Robert Julian is my fraternity brother. (The Phensic on Bandcamp)
Give “Babylon’s Gonna Fall” a listen, and show The Phensic and Kay McCaney some love.
Roasting Each Other, Showing Up for Each Other
I saw this video about friends who roast each other, and it reminded me of my fraternity brothers in Tau Epsilon Phi, Phi Chi Chapter, formerly Epsilon Lambda, at City College of New York. I pledged in Fall 1990. That means I’ve known some of these guys for more than 35 years.
We still get together on Zoom when we can, usually Tuesdays and Fridays. The calls often run about two hours, and they’re so much fun that even a 14-year-old wants to join the insanity.
And there is plenty of insanity. We roast each other about my eyebrows, our dating and marriage decisions, the questionable things we did at the fraternity house in historic Harlem, pranks, a WWE DDT episode, hairlines that have seen better days, and how fat we’ve gotten. If you can imagine it, we’ve probably said it.
But the jokes are only part of the story. When life gets tough, and someone needs help, the same guys who can roast you without mercy will make time to show up for you. That kind of friendship is built over decades—and proven when it matters.
Our creed says it best: “To Live in the Light of Friendship, to Walk in the Path of Chivalry, to Serve for the Love of Service.”
Some of us may be more dependable than others, but the brothers who stay in touch—and stay in touch with me—are the ones I know I can count on. Even if the emergency involves a goat, a bottle of baby oil, and a cord of wood.
The Hinge Experiment: Harry Potter, Market Research and a Very Profitable Weekend
Apparently, the universe has decided that The Hinge Experiment™ needs a travel budget.
I found out yesterday that I might be able to go to Columbia, South Carolina, this weekend for a two-day market research interview/discussion.
That sounds pretty good on its own.
Then I found out there was a small problem.
Airica was hoping we could go see the Harry Potter experience at COSM in Atlanta.
Well, that ain't happening.
Atlanta will have to wait.
But then I realized something.
Airica is in Columbia.
And suddenly, this market research weekend got a whole lot more interesting.
Wait... This Actually Works
The original plan was Harry Potter in Atlanta.
Instead, we're going to have:
Friday night: Dinner with Airica.
Saturday: I do my market research session, then we hang out afterward.
Sunday afternoon: More time together.
So instead of one Harry Potter adventure in Atlanta, I potentially get three opportunities to hang out with Airica in Columbia.
I'm calling that a win.
And there's another little detail that makes this weekend even better.
Somebody Is Paying Me to Go on This Trip
Let's review the economics here.
I'm getting:
A hotel for the weekend.
Food during the market research sessions.
Payment for participating.
And 72 cents per mile for the drive.
Seventy-two cents.
Per.
Mile.
When can I do another one of these?
Seriously.
Where do I sign up?
If somebody wants to pay me to drive to Columbia, put me in a hotel, feed me, pay me for my time, and give me an opportunity to see Airica...
I suddenly have a very strong interest in market research.
I may become the world's foremost expert on answering questions in exchange for hotel rooms.
"Would you recommend this product?"
Absolutely.
"Why?"
Because you're paying me to be here.
Next question.
The Harry Potter Detour
I do feel bad that the Harry Potter plans aren't going to happen.
Airica wanted to see the Harry Potter movie at COSM in Atlanta.
Unfortunately, the timing of this market research opportunity makes that a no-go.
But here's the thing I've learned about dating:
Plans change.
Things come up.
We adjust.
And instead of spending the weekend apart because the original plan didn't work, we're finding a way to spend time together anyway.
Friday night.
Saturday after my session.
Sunday afternoon.
I'm pretty sure that's significantly better than sitting in my hotel room eating whatever they give me and watching television.
Although I reserve the right to do that for at least part of Saturday night.
I'm 54.
I'm allowed to get tired.
Then Came This Morning
This morning, I beat Airica to the "Good morning" text.
This is apparently becoming a competition.
And I have to admit, I hesitated.
It was my usual dialysis morning.
The time when most normal human beings are asleep.
The time when I'm awake because I have an appointment with the vampire machine to clean my blood.
The dialysis facility was also short-staffed, so I ended up sitting in the waiting area.
And while I was sitting there, I thought:
Should I text her?
It's early.
Really early.
Most of the world isn't awake at the hour I willingly allow a machine to remove approximately every useful thing from my blood while someone sticks two needles into my arm.
Would "Good morning" at this hour be considered sweet?
Or would it be considered:
"Why the hell is this guy texting me at 5-something in the morning?"
There's a fine line between romantic and requiring a restraining order.
I decided to risk it.
I sent the message.
Apparently, I'm Learning
One thing I've noticed about this whole experience is how different it feels.
I'm not trying to manufacture conversation.
I'm not sitting there wondering if I'm going to get a response.
I'm not staring at a Hinge screen wondering why someone disappeared.
We're actually talking.
We're making plans.
And now we're figuring out how to make a weekend work when the original plan doesn't.
That's dating.
At least, I think that's dating.
Remember, I'm the guy whose recent dating résumé includes being asked for rent money and a phone bill.
My qualifications are limited.
Columbia, Here I Come
So now I get to drive to Columbia, get paid to participate in market research, get reimbursed for the mileage, stay in a hotel, eat someone else's food...
and see Airica three times.
Harry Potter may have lost.
But I think I came out pretty well in the rewrite.
And somewhere, Steve the Iguana is probably sitting on a beach wondering how the hell this happened.
A few weeks ago, I was seriously considering deleting Hinge.
Now I'm planning a weekend around a woman I met on it.
Maybe The Hinge Experiment isn't quite ready to end.
Maybe it's just getting interesting.
And if anyone knows where I can sign up for another two-day market research study in a city where Airica happens to live...
I'm available. 😂
Day 114: Nextdoor Finally Found a Way to Sell What It Knows
Nextdoor just launched Neighborhood Intelligence, and I think it could be one of the most important developments I've seen in this 114-day case study.
The basic idea is pretty simple: Nextdoor has spent 15 years building a massive collection of neighborhood-level information. Now it's turning that information into an advertiser product.
Nextdoor says its Neighborhood Intelligence platform maps roughly 350,000 neighborhoods and analyzes signals including neighbor activity, household information, and neighborhood-level activity. It gives advertisers a much more granular view than traditional ZIP-code targeting. Nextdoor Business
That's potentially valuable.
And it brings me back to something I've been saying for a while:
The Data Has Value
For years, neighbors have supplied the conversations, recommendations, reviews, opinions, and local knowledge that make Nextdoor useful.
Now Nextdoor is packaging neighborhood intelligence into something advertisers can use.
That's business.
But here's my question:
Why did it take 15 years?
Nextdoor has been around since 2011. It went public in 2021. Yet it has never achieved GAAP profitability. Even after the recent improvement, Q2 2026 produced a $2 million net loss, although revenue reached a record $75 million and adjusted EBITDA was $10 million. Securities and Exchange Commission
That's a long time to possess a potentially unique asset without figuring out how to turn it into sustainable profits.
Don't Blame Just the Current CEO
It's tempting to point the finger at Nirav Tolia.
He returned as CEO in 2024 and has been tasked with turning the company around.
But that's too easy.
Nirav founded Nextdoor and ran it for years before leaving the CEO role. He then returned.
So this isn't simply:
“The new CEO hasn't figured it out.”
The company has had 15 years to find its niche, monetize its advantages and create sustainable shareholder value.
Now, perhaps, we're seeing a clearer path.
The Neighborhood May Be the Niche
That's what interests me about Neighborhood Intelligence.
Nextdoor doesn't have to beat Google at everything.
It doesn't have to beat Meta at everything.
It doesn't have to become another generic social-media platform.
Maybe the opportunity is much narrower:
Own neighborhood-level intelligence.
Nextdoor says its neighborhood graph provides roughly 12 times the geographic granularity of ZIP-code targeting in covered areas, and its pilot campaigns showed lifts in brand awareness, ad recall and favorability compared with ZIP-code targeting. Investing.com
If advertisers will pay for that advantage, now we're talking.
That's the kind of niche I want Nextdoor to own.
And Then There's the Dividend
I'm not saying Nextdoor should pay a dividend tomorrow.
The company needs to continue investing, improve profitability, and determine the best use of its capital.
But eventually, that's the shareholder question:
Can this company consistently generate enough cash to reward the people who invested in it?
A $100 million share-repurchase authorization already shows that returning capital to shareholders is part of the conversation. Simply Wall St
I'd like to see the next step be sustainable profitability.
Then, someday, perhaps a dividend.
Because revenue isn't the finish line.
Profitability is.
Day 114
Here's the irony.
I've spent 114 days asking Nextdoor for detailed information about its Insights research.
Now Nextdoor is announcing a product that essentially says:
Our neighborhood data is valuable.
I agree.
I've been saying that.
The difference is that Nextdoor is now trying to prove it in the marketplace.
Good.
Now show me that this isn't just another interesting product.
Show me that Nextdoor can turn 15 years of neighborhood intelligence into a sustainable, profitable business.
Because that's what shareholders ultimately need.
Not just data.
Results.
And maybe—finally—Nextdoor has found the niche.
👉 NielFlamm.com/blog