Disclosure: Authored by Kurt

I understand that families go on vacation's and such throughout the year but I don't feel as a taxpayer that I should pay for all these trips. First it was the New York date night and now an un-official trip to Spain in a Hotel that may cost up to $25,000 a night...
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that the first lady will pay her personal expenses — as will the friends who are traveling with her. But that only covers a small part of the ultimate expense, given that she has full-time Secret Service protection and has to travel with an entourage of staff. That cost, as well as her travel on board an official Air Force charter plane, is covered by taxpayers

As the Chicago Sun-Times' Lynn Sweet reports, by the end of the summer, the first lady will have taken eight vacations. That includes a June trip to Los Angeles, where she and her daughters attended the NBA Finals, as well as an upcoming trip to the Florida Gulf Coast next weekend and a 10-day visit to Martha's Vineyard later this month with the president.

I hope Michelle Obama enjoys her trip to the Florida Gulf Coast next weekend and her 10 day trip to Martha Vineyard later in August.

Disclosure: Authored by Kurt

$2 Bills?  Don't think I've had one of those in my hand since high school.

From Washington Whispers:

A public relations stunt by one of the nation's largest fast-food chains could expand circulation of $2 bills, a favorite of collectors and older Americans. Taco Bell tells Whispers that they plan to go public with a campaign tomorrow when they will pay for a full-page ad in USA Today to urge the government to print and circulate the little-used $2 bill.

The effort is part of the restaurant's bid to promote its new $2 meals. To build the effort, the firm has started a Facebook page to collect signatures on a petition. The $2 bill hasn't been in demand and production for years and accounts for less than 1 percent of all bills in circulation, said the firm. The last one was printed in 2006.

The company thought it would be a quirky way to promote the $2 bill and its new $2 menu. In an excerpt provided to Whispers, Taco Bell's USA Today ad reads: "This summer, more than ever, Americans are searching for value. Here's our solution. Cooler than a $5. Twice as powerful as a $1. And thanks to our new $2 Meal Deal, only at Taco Bell can Americans get three items for two bucks. Which is why we're writing to you today: Taco Bell is asking the Federal Reserve to circulate more $2 bills. As we head into the summer season, please help us better serve the American consumer by circulating more $2 bills. We'll be happy to discuss this in-person. We'll bring the Chicken Burrito, Doritos and Pepsi. You bring the Jefferson."

Traditionally, the Bureau of Printing and Engraving only prints $2 bills about once a decade.  There's just never been too much call for the circulation of them out there.  Best of luck to Taco Bell on their publicity stunt.

Cleveland tries to rock...and fails.

Wow, this video alone wants me to urge LeBron James to go to Chicago (The best option out there for him to win a championship now in the NBA.) AND vote for John Kasich for Ohio Governor all in one.

Also, somewhere, a lot of dogs are howling.

This is just...odd.

Meet Ingrid, a pitbull perhaps taking more Viagra than any man could afford to take on Long Island.

"It saved Ingrid's life. Without Viagra we wouldn't have her with us today," said Jodi Record.

Ingrid has to pop the blue pills just to stay alive, according to her caregiver Record.

"She takes two pills twice a day," said Record.

Ingrid, who takes her time getting around, was rescued by workers here at Little Shelter in Huntington, NY some two years ago.

"She spent her life tied to a fence and when we found her she had 14 pounds of fluid on her abdomen," said Record.

The pup, whose cheery disposition defies her hard luck, was used as a "bait" dog to incite dog fights, according to her profile on Little Shelter's website. In addition, Ingrid was diagnosed with heartworm and a severe heart condition that needed immediate regulation to keep her alive.

A veterinarian would suggest Viagra as a solution to keep the small pooch up and running, saving her life. And it appears to be working.

"Viagra opens up the blocked vessels that go to the heart so it allows the blood to flow through the body," said Record.

Who keeps the supply of Viagra pouring in? A list of generous guys in the area.

"If every man in America that has Viagra sends one pill to Ingrid that will be keeping her alive for several years," said Record.

I've long thought that the move to expel Jeff Wood (I-Chippewa Falls) was useless, and that the guy should save us all from it by simply resigning.  Since Jeff Wood continues to prove he's a amoral jackass by not resigning from the State Assembly, this little move doesn't come off as a shock to me.

Rep. Jeff Wood early Friday morning failed in an effort to force a decision in his ethics case at a moment when the lawmaker leading it was preparing for his mother’s funeral.

The Assembly deadlocked 47-47 and did not take up the possible expulsion of the independent from Chippewa Falls, who racked up three intoxicated driving charges within a year. The vote required a two-thirds margin. If expelled, Wood would be the first lawmaker ousted from the Legislature by his colleagues in nearly a century.

Wood tried to compel a vote on his possible discipline at a moment when the lawmaker leading the effort against him, Rep. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), was absent getting ready for his mother’s funeral to be held later Friday.

Democrats who voted to take up the matter said they wanted to vote for a lesser discipline than expulsion such as censure. Republicans said they would take the matter up on Tuesday when Nass returns.

Nass aide Mike Mikalsen denounced the move as “despicable,” saying Democrats and Wood put Republicans at a disadvantage because Nass knows more about the issue than other GOP colleagues.

“There was a decision to play politics while he was mourning the loss of his mother,” Mikalsen said.

Wood said on the floor he wasn’t trying to shut out Nass and instead wanted to resolve the matter ahead of a scheduled no-contest plea in one of his intoxicated driving cases Monday. He said it was a bad precedent for the Assembly to expel a member for conduct unrelated to his official duties.

“I’m not making excuses for what I did. I’ll face the consequences in the judiciary. But that’s the appropriate place for it,” said Wood, who declined to answer questions afterward.

What's amazing in all this, is that in this entire time, neither Nass or Wood have squared off publicly about the expulsion measure.  You can see the 47-47 roll call here.

But to try to get to the floor on the eve of the night Nass is trying to bury his mother...classy move from an admitted drug addict.

(Come on, "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."  Great sight gag.)

A pornographic magazine for the blind has been launched - complete with explicit text and raised pictures of naked men and women.

The book, the brainchild of Lisa Murphy and called Tactile Minds, is designed to be 'enjoyed' by the blind and visually impaired - and is on sale for £150. [$231]

Among the 17 raised images include a naked woman in a 'disco pose', a woman with 'perfect breasts' and a 'male love robot'.

Canadian Lisa says that she made the book to fill a gap in the market, adding: "There are no books of tactile pictures of nudes for adults.

"We're breaking new ground. Playboy has an edition with Braille wording, but there are no pictures."

She said that she made the book after realising that the 'blind have been left out in a culture saturated with sexual images'.

Between 1970 and 1985 Playboy printed copies of its famous magazine in braille - but without raised pictures.

Richard "Dick" Leinenkugel, the middle brother of the famous trio of brewing brothers, and until recently, Commerce Secretary of Governor Jim Doyle -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of WEAC -- will be running for the U.S. Senate say sources...as a Republican.

Outgoing state Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel intends to announce a run for U.S. Senate as a Republican, a source familiar with his plans said Wednesday.

Leinenkugel, who has served for the last 18 months under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, said Tuesday he would step down from that post on Friday and then make an announcement in two to three weeks about his plans. He declined to say then whether he would run for public office and challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold.

Middleton businessman Terrence Wall and Watertown businessman David Westlake are already running against Feingold as Republicans and former Gov. and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is also mulling over a run.

"(Leinenkugel is) tying down a couple of loose ends and he's in," said a source who asked not to be named because Leinenkugel has not yet made his announcement. "Tommy knows that Dick will be in regardless of what Tommy does."

Leinenkugel previously was vice president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., which his family founded 140 years ago. News of his intended Senate run was first reported Thursday by the political news site Wispolitics.com.

Last August, when Doyle announced he wasn't seeking re-eleciton as Governor, Leinenkugel's name was floated as one of the possible candidates the Democrats could run.  In fact, when it was announced he was resigning, it seemed pretty natural to suspect that he was going to jump in the Democratic Primary for Governor against Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

This Senate run seems...beyond weird.  The State GOP won't embrace him because he worked for the Doyle Administration.  The State Democratic Party has issued a press release that makes you wonder where Mike Tate's going to leave the horse's head.  Simply put, he's now a man without a party, a man without a country, and all it appears he has on his side, is his family name.

On the plus side, it is hilarious to talk to some of my DC friends about this, and to see the DC press cling to it as well.  This post by Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic is priceless.

See the footage seen around the Internet here. (H/T Moe Lane)

For those who don't know Judas Iscariot is not a Saint, nor is the Roman Catholic Church likely to ever let the man who betrayed Christ for 30 pieces of silver become one.

Since we're in the final moments of Lent, you're bound to hear what happened to Judas Iscariot.  Here's the refresher course:

After handing Christ over, Judas is overcome with guilt -- some versions have it that he was told by the high priests were only going to arrest Christ, not crucify and kill him -- and tries to take back both the deed and the 30 pieces of silver to the Jewish High Priests.  They refuse; even to take the money back.

Depending on the version of your bible, Judas either buys the potter's field with the 30 pieces of silver and hangs himself, or hangs himself on a tree in the potter's field and the high priests buy the lot with the 30 pieces to bury him and other criminals.

He is later replaced by the remaining 11 Apostles by Matthias.

Traditionally, the Catholic Church doesn't grant sainthood to those who commit suicide.  Suicide is seen as a mortal sin, usually frowned upon, and rewarded by a one-way trip to Hell.  More saints are martyrs, not suicides.

Perhaps Congressman Rangel was implying on St. Jude the Apostle.  He is the saint of lost causes after all.

(H/T Big Hollywood)

Matt Modine, who probably hasn't been relevant as an actor since "Gross Anatomy," has one keen idea.  Let's find Osama Bin Laden, sit him down and pretty much hold the equivalent of a group therapy session with the world's most wanted terrorist.  In fact, Modine wants to know what it was that made OBL so mad with us in the first place, and apparently what "New Age" techniques would help him get over it.

Imagine if somebody were to really sit down with Osama Bin Ladin and say, ‘listen man,what is it that you’re so angry at me about that you’re willing to have people strap bombs to themselves, or get inside of airplanes and fly them into buildings.’ That would be the miracle if we can get, sit down and talk to our enemies and find a way for them to hear us.

You can see the video of it here.