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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

Billy Summers is the most approachable entry into King's post-modernist meta-fiction that eventually took over the Dark Tower. The first half of the book is a masterpiece; the second half feels like a fever dream; and it coheres into a heartbreaking meditation on the act of writing itself.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

Under the Dome isn't King's best novel (11/22/63 in my view), but it's close, and it's the best example of the seeming impossibility of King writing 1,000 page doorstoppers that you never want to put down because it goes so hard, and juggles dozens of characters who all seem vibrant and real.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

Cujo manages to pack a ton of interrelated character studies and genuine terror into a short page count while while still lacking an emotional hammer and giving one of the best examples of King's bleakness that's so atypical of popular authors, just does a tremendous amount of work that all fits.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

For short story collections, Night Shift doesn't have any of my absolute favorite King short stories except Strawberry Spring (Survivor Type; The End of the Whole Mess; N; That Bus Is Another World; Herman Woulk Is Still Alive), but it has 0 misses and none of the stories drag, great starting point.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

This skips his other two main modes, Dark Tower novels (way too big an undertaking for a King newbie) and Holly Gibney / Mr. Mercedes novels (not really representative of his ouvre and, uh, more bad than good).

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 7h

What are the best books for a new reader of Stephen King? I'd recommend 4, one from each King mode: A) Short story collection; B) speedy novel; C) long novel; D) experimental novel. Using those categories, I think the best choices are:
A) Night Shift
B) Cujo
C) Under the Dome
D) Billy Summers

Zach Rabiroff @zachrabiroff.com · 8h

Should I read King? I have actually never read Stephen King.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 8h

Which two?
Night Shift
Skeleton Crew
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
Everything's Eventual
Just After Sunset
Bazaar of Bad Dreams
You Like It Darker

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 8h

Animal Collective Soul Asylum

Tippi Hedren Collider @linanneblack.bsky.social · 8h

Mash up bands:

Barry Whitesnake

batkaren @batkaren.bsky.social · 12h

Mash up bands:

Captain Beefheart & Tennille

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 9h

My most conservative- coded belief is that if your team has never won a World Series then it should never win a World Series, because the team will lose the only thing making it interesting (a legacy of failure). Red Sox were way more fun before 2004. Who cares about the Rangers or the Astros now?

Patrick Dubuque @euqubud.baseballprospectus.com · 10h

If the Brewers and Mariners make the World Series, I’m forcing so much Pilots analysis into BP that week

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 10h

Sorry; forgot Hawaii, which went D+ 0.120 Million.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 10h

Red would be Democratic and it's not even remotely close. Using the 2024 election numbers:
TX: R+ 1.558 Million
NM: D+ 0.055 Million
AZ: R+ 0.188 Million
CA: D+ 3.195 Million

So overall, in a year Trump won, Red would go Democratic by 1.504 Million.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 10h

I would have to sit down and go the math, but at first glance it looks like orange is hard GOP; yellow is solid GOP; and everything else goes Democratic?

Matthew Downhour @matthewdownhour.bsky.social · 11h

New electoral college just dropped - do we win this one?

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 11h

I've been doing a lot of Google searches about stock markets and particular stocks today, because of the coming AI implosion, and as a result I'm getting endless ads for a very particular type of slop: personal stories of people of retirement age with no retirement savings. Which just makes me sad.

I'm 82 and earn $16 an hour working at a boat store. I don't have much saved and can't retire, but everything will work out.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patricia Wheatley, 82, who earns $16 an hour working at her friend's boat store in Pennsylvania.

www.yahoo.com

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 11h

AI is basically tailor made for Nate Silver. He, specifically, is the target audience for this tech. If he's not finding it useful, I don't see how this industry sustains itself.

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 14h

AI has lost the dunce vote. It’s over

Nate Silver
@NateSilver538 • 5h
•.°
I'm just one person, and my programming needs are somewhat unusual (building various kinds of statistical forecasting models). But I'm just not seeing the consistent productivity gains from LLMs that I would have expected if you'd asked me 6 months ago.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 13h

Celebs on the severity of the protest. If you feel like you might get incidentally gassed, like have a cloud of tear gas blow over you, you should be fine with just water. I bring one of these just in case, but I'm normally in the thick of things.

Amazon.com: Full Face Respirator Gas Mask: 6800 Reusable Respirator Mask with Filters 60921 & 2097 - Dust Mask Anti Fog Against Organic Vapor Fumes Gases for Spray Paint Chemicals Epoxy Resin Welding ...

a.co

Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 13h

You want one of these. $17 for 2 of them and it will save you a lot of headaches.

Amazon.com: Simket Faraday Bags for Phones and Car Key 2 Pack, Signal Blocking Pouch, Cell Phone Signal Jammer, Car Key/WiFi/RFID/GPS Signal Blocker Black (m) : Cell Phones & Accessories

a.co

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 13h

Oh man, trinitarian flame wars sound exciting

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Reposted by Too Big to Fail

Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 13h

theonion.com/ice-raids-my...

MYTH: ICE agents lack proper training.

FACT: Most have been racists their entire lives.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 13h

Protesting 101: keep your cell phone in a Faraday case at protests, always.

Mikael Thalen @mikaelthalen.bsky.social · 19h

EXCLUSIVE: A cell-site simulator, commonly referred to as an IMSI-catcher or "Stingray," may have been used at the ICE facility in Portland.

Analysis of cellular signals in the area showed phones receiving abnormal spikes in requests for their unique identifiers. san.com/cc/exclusive...

Exclusive: Fake cellphone tower likely surveilled protesters at Portland ICE facility

Law enforcement officials may have deployed a secretive cellphone surveillance technology last weekend at Portland’s ICE facility.

san.com

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 13h

Genuinely, honestly curious what effect the Trump Administration's open war on Catholicism will have on SCOTUS' five Catholic conservatives (I'm guessing "none" but who knows)

Rich Raho @richraho.bsky.social · 16h

Chicago priest Fr. Larry Dowling describes procession to ICE facility: “No one had the courage to speak directly to us. No one from Homeland Security could stand in the presence of the Monstrance holding the Blessed Sacrament. No wonder. Evil is repelled, recoils in the presence of Christ.”

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 15h

Hmm. Interesting. I've never liked the psychic vampire stuff in the book, but everything about Can't has always really touched me, about overcoming generational trauma and addiction.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 15h

Not sure there's a better real world example of the economic concept of "eating the seed corn."

Sam Halpert @samhalpert.bsky.social · 16h

www.politico.com/live-updates...

The Office of Management and Budget sent a notification to Congress about their intent to use research and development funds to pay members of the military, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.
A spokesperson for the OMB confirmed to NBC
News that it plans to use the research and development funds and that there are two years' worth of funds available within the Department of Defense.

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 18h

You could say The Godfather trilogy. You could say Reds. Your could say some Woody Allen movie I refuse to watch because Woody Allen. Hell, you could say Young Pope, which she absolutely slayed in. But no, she was the star of Father of the Bride and The First Wives Club.

Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 18h

Terribly sad news about one of the greats. Diane Keaton has died at 79.
people.com/diane-keaton...

Diane Keaton, Famed for Roles in 'Father of the Bride,' 'First Wives Club' and More, Dies at 79 (Exclusive)

Diane Keaton has died at age 79. Keaton was best known for roles in movies like 'Annie Hall,' 'The First Wives Club,' 'Something's Gotta Give' and 'The Godfather.'

people.com

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 18h

Remember when Hunter Biden got a sinecure he wasn't qualified for, and Republicans were totally fine with it?

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 1d

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 20h

Famously, not paying the military has never caused negative consequences for regimes

CNN @cnn.com · 1d

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

GOP leaders steadfast in shutdown stance despite rising pressure inside party | CNN Politics

Top Republicans in Congress will take a massive gamble on shutdown politics in the coming days: GOP leaders will not step in to prevent missed paychecks to the military.

www.cnn.com

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