This is not good:

The blistering summer and ongoing drought conditions have the prompted the U.S. Agriculture Department to declare a federal disaster area in more than 1,000 counties covering 26 states. That’s almost one-third of all the counties in the United States, making it the largest distaster declaration ever made by the USDA.

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It sounds like a story lifted from the pages of everyone’s favorite defunct tabloid. But it isn’t. Instead it’s the New York Times today reporting that authorities in Paupa, New Guinea have arrested 29 members of a cannibal cult, who they say murdered seven supected witch doctors, then ate their brains and penises in the belief that doing so would, literally, make them bullet proof:

“It’s prevalent cult activity,” [Police Chief Anthony] Wagambie said. He said he believes there could be between 700 and 1,000 cult members in several villages in Papua New Guinea’s remote northeast interior. All of them might have eaten human flesh, he said…

He expected police would make around 100 arrests over the weekend for cult-related crimes.

Four of the seven victims were murdered last week, Wagambie said, adding that no remains had been recovered.

“They’re probably all eaten up,” he said.

That sound you are now hearing is me, scratching Papua New Guinea off my vacation bucket list…

The governor of Maine is a sociopath:

Paul LePage. Bobby Jindal, Rick Scott, Scott Walker, Rick Perry, Jan Brewer – when will people learn that electing batshit GOP governors is always a losing proposition.

Very VERY Loud – turn down your speakers before you play it.

Why does he bother?

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The Gray Lady has come up with a summer reading list for Mittens. It contains the to-be-expected history/poli sci books, plus Bill Clinton’s autobiography. Good luck with that Mittens, I never got past page 60.

We won’t talk about my abortive attempt to establish a monthly book salon/Stinque Book Club/Amazon kick-back scheme. But it’s time for some Audience Participation, girlz and boyz – what books would you put on Mittens’ summer reading list?

My nomination: How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend, by the Monks of New Skete.

Submit your nominations in the comments. Best suggestion gets a hamster toy. Or an alcoholic beverage of your choice purchased by moi the next time I’m in your town or you’re in Ess Eff.

[NYT: Mitt’s Summer Reading Assignment]

“Conservative website WorldNetDaily has seized on news that Jane Pitt, mother of actor Brad, penned an op-ed praising Mitt Romney and blasting President Obama for being a ‘liberal who supports the killing of unborn babies and same-sex marriage.’ … They also claim ‘Pitt has every reason to be frightened,” because some random wackos wrote violent tweets and the “mainstream media have painted her in a vilifying light.'” [Towleroad]