The Five O'Clock . . . Several

Some of this was supposed to post earlier, but Typepad was having issues. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the linkage.

Here's a mildly interesting blog by a guy who claims to have cheated casinos for a quarter century. And, apparently because cheating casinos isn't ballsy enough, he was doing while employed as a dealer. And, as if that wasn't enough, he's written a book about it called American Roulette. I hope he keeps the blog up, because the reader testimonials are great, but the cynic in me suspects the blog is just a tool to drive up book sales.

ABC News reports that Mark Rich, lucky recipient of a pardon as Bill Clinton departed office, was one of Saddam's bagmen in the oil-for-food scandal.  In case any of you are surprised, here is a transcript of the Clintons' conversation with Rich before issuing the pardon:

Bill: They've got a name for people like you, Mark. That name is called "recidivism."
Hillary: Repeat offender!
Bill: Not a pretty name, is it Mark?
Mark: No sir. That's one bonehead name, but that ain't me no more.
Bill: You're not just telling us what we want to hear?
Mark: No sir, no way.
Hillary: 'Cause we just want to hear the truth.
Mark: Well, then I guess I am telling you what you want to hear.
Bill: Boy, didn't we just tell you not to do that?
Mark: Yes, sir.
Bill: Okay, then.

Instapundit thinks that the Clintons will be embarrassed by this.  I don't think it's possible to embarrass the shameless.

Two items from the "Never Take a Knife to a Gun Fight" Dept.:

1. Brian Williams, an apparent two-faced liar, snidely dismisses the contribution of bloggers to the news.  Jim Geraghty tells him to, basically, go get his fuckin' shinebox:

Look, Human Chin, you work in a medium where you would still be doing the traffic report back in Elmira, N.Y. if you looked like Dennis Kucinich. In other words, you've got your job because you're pretty. I'm not sure you should be shooting your mouth off about other people's qualifications to do the news.

2. Al Franken calls author David Horowitz a racist.  David Horowitz tells Franken to, likewise, go get his fuckin' shinebox:

As it happens I marched in my first civil rights protest in 1948 before Al Franken was born. For more than fifty years I have supported minorities and defended their civil rights in public word and deed, and raised millions of dollars to help inner city minorities whom racism has scarred. In fact there is no single cause – except

America’s wars against totalitarian foes – to which I have devoted myself more consistently that than that of racial equality. Not a shred of evidence exists to the contrary. I have written more than a million words on racial and political matters -- all of them public record. There is not a single sentence, or phrase, or comment of mine that could be cited to justify Franken’s attack.

Children like Franken and Williams need to respect not only their elders, but also their betters.  (Link to the Horowitz piece via Power Line.)

Two awesome Christmas gifts: The Gallery of Regrettable Food (also linked at left; I defy you to get through "Meat! Meat! Meat!" without tears in your eyes) and the Gnome Home.

Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers. Seriously, that's the site. Galleries of pictures of men who look like Kenny Rogers. Don't miss the Hall of Fame or the how-to tips.