I always thought that "Pottersville" was what Bedford Falls would have been liked either if (a) George Bailey had never been born; or (b) if George Steinbrenner had put the old Building and Loan out of business.

Wasn't Old Man Potter based on Carl Pohlad?

Could've been the other way 'round.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Charlie is a kid from an extremely poor family, but he is not without hope. A local chocolatier has announced that he will be giving out candy bars with golden tickets, where the winner will win lifetime, free chocolate, an interest in the chocolate factory, and all the hope (and riches) that you could imagine.

Then the Yankees rolled in and bought all of the available chocolate bars on the market, netting the Yankees all five golden tickets and, thereafter, the entire Wonka franchise -- besting even Veruca Salt.

In desperation, Charlie's mama started whoring herself out to French tourists, Charlie's papa served as her pimp, and Charlie's grandparents died a bitter, painful death from bed sores. Charlie, himself, was sold for $59.45 by his parents to a Vietnamese grocer, who butchered little Charlie and sold him at the market as dog meat.

As one of my (Buddhist) Vietnamese friends in high school used to say, it's only the Catholic Vietnamese who eat dogs/cats. I hope this piece isn't intended seriously.

I thought it was Koreans that ate dog, not Vietnamese, and I say this as the son of a Korean woman, married to a Vietnamese woman.

I always thought that "Pottersville" seemed like a much more interesting place to live than Bedford Falls. There was a reason that George wanted out of that place.

Although being married to Donna Reed would definitely have its charms.

If you are the son of a Korean woman who married a Vietnamese woman, then who was the father?

And is that even legal?

I suppose we are doomed to 10 more months of articles in this vein. Because the Yankees signed three of the highest-priced free agents in one offseason (without increasing their payroll from 2008), it logically follows that such actions make the Yankees evil, vindictive, misery-spreading monsters. Monsters!

The new ranking of History's Greatest Monsters:

1. Stalin
2. Hitler
3. The New York Yankees
4. Mussolini
5. (tie) Steve Garvey & Pol Pot

If you are the son of a Korean woman who married a Vietnamese woman, then who was the father?

The doctor was a woman.

I wouldn't put Mussolini on such a list. He just had bad judgment when it came to making friends. He was no worse than Franco, really.

Now, Genghis Khan, now THERE was a monster.

If you are the son of a Korean woman who married a Vietnamese woman, then who was the father?

I wouldn't guess on that, but I bet AG#1F isn't named Rock 'n' Roll.

1. Stalin
2. Hitler
3. The New York Yankees
4. Mussolini
5. (tie) Steve Garvey & Pol Pot

I didn't know it was legal to place HITLER!!!! anywhere below #1. Obviously you are a Holocaust denier.

Chris J. will have some issues with Garvey's low ranking.

1. Stalin
2. Hitler
3. The New York Yankees
4. Mussolini
5. (tie) Steve Garvey & Walter O'Malley

fixed that for ya

"Because the Yankees signed three of the highest-priced free agents in one offseason (without increasing their payroll from 2008), it logically follows that such actions make the Yankees evil, vindictive, misery-spreading monsters. Monsters!"

Right now, the Yankees have the four largest contracts in baseball. It doesn't take a genius to see that the system's out of whack...

"Right now, the Yankees have the four largest contracts in baseball. It doesn't take a genius to see that the system's out of whack..."

Vlad, I never said the current system was perfect. Obviously, it gives the Yankees built-in advantages over most other franchises. But I'm not sure what the hierarchy of payrolls among billionaire baseball owners in a quasi-monopoly-cum-free market industry is supposed to look like. I'd like to see more parity, along with accountability for those who fail to invest in their franchises. Maybe more revenue sharing is the answer. If you'd asked me 15 years ago, I would have bet against there ever being any revenue sharing in MLB, so maybe more structural change is possible.

But it's also not a clean, inevitable leap of logic from "the Yankees have the four largest contracts in baseball" to "the system's out of whack." This knee-jerk reaction is what annoys me. The fact is that the Yankees have had a big edge in revenues and payroll for years, but suddenly everyone in America turns into a socialist because the NYY payroll in 2009 will be even more concentrated in a few players, balanced by the low salaries of guys like Melky, Joba and Hughes.

And as a result, people act like the Yankees are now a combination of John D. Rockefeller, Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Dahmer. That's what I was reacting to. The Yankees benefit from the inequities in MLB, but all/most of the owners are to blame for perpetuating this unequal system.

I thought it was Koreans that ate dog, not Vietnamese, and I say this as the son of a Korean woman, married to a Vietnamese woman.

Having spent most of the last 20 years in Garden Grove (right next door to Little Saigon and an unnamed Korean district that's far better than LA's fairly skanky K-Town), and grown up there for the 20 years prior to that, the rumors flew far and wide about any non-Japanese, non-Chinese Asians and missing pets, at least for a few years after Vietnamese refugees drifted north from Camp Pendleton. I don't think there was much to them, from what I could tell.

1. Stalin
2. Hitler
3. The New York Yankees
4. Mussolini
5. (tie) Steve Garvey & Pol Pot

I didn't know it was legal to place HITLER!!!! anywhere below #1. Obviously you are a Holocaust denier.

Stalin had a much longer peak, and a career twice as long, as a mass murderer.

The real omission is Mao. 60M dead doesn't and he doesn't even sniff the top 6.

The real omission is Mao. 60M dead doesn't and he doesn't even sniff the top 6.

Mao is the Bert Blyleven of evil. The numbers are there, just the mainstream media haven't picked up on it yet.

Pol Pot had a really creditable showing despite being in a small market.

And as a result, people act like the Yankees are now a combination of John D. Rockefeller, Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Dahmer.

Now?

If you are the son of a Korean woman who married a Vietnamese woman, then who was the father?

And is that even legal?

Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.

Mmm... Rover

There is a Philipino dish called black dog but it seems China loves them the dog meat the mostest.

I had to suddenly distract my wife while walking through a Hanoi market last Spring. The popularity of cooked dog in Northern Vietnam was visible and my Animal Humane spouse would have had nightmares for weeks if my quick-thinking "Look, a Pho stand!" hadn't saved the day.

Mao is the Bert Blyleven of evil. The numbers are there, just the mainstream media haven't picked up on it yet.
awesome comment.


I agree with people saying that the system is out of whack, and that the Yankees aren't necessarily evil for taking advantage of a system that plays to their strength, it would be like asking a right handed fly ball power hitter in Fenway to not pull the ball.

I of course dislike the Yankees, as it is every Americans birthright to hate the Yankees, but it's an envy hate more than anything else. in comparison to hating the Red Sox which is like hating Paris Hilton---you haven't done anything to be that cocky, win 10 world Championships or something before getting that attitude.

The real omission is Mao. 60M dead doesn't and he doesn't even sniff the top 6.

Come on, is that even a lot of Chinese people, as a percentage of total population?

Right now, the Yankees have the four largest contracts in baseball. It doesn't take a genius to see that the system's out of whack...

What does it matter if the Yankees have these large contracts? I don't think any sensible person would argue that the Yankees have the four best players in baseball (or anything close). To the extent that competitive balance matter, it matters on the field of play, not between front offices or franchises. If I may quote another thread:

I am not rooting for Liberty Media to generate positive operating cash flow from owning Atlanta Base Ball Club Inc. I'm rooting for my team (more specifically, the players on that team) to win games.

I love this statement. There's too many here who seem to be rooting for front offices, for Epstein to "beat" Cashman or whatever. The system is "out of whack" if the Yankees, Red Sox, etc (undoubted) financial advantages give them too great of an advantage on the field of play. And it's pretty clear right now that it doesn't.

The Yankees' money buys them Mark Texeira while the Rays get Burrell, and sure Tex is better, but he's not 11 times better.

The real omission is Mao. 60M dead doesn't and he doesn't even sniff the top 6.

Come on, is that even a lot of Chinese people, as a percentage of total population?

you're right--park factors are a #####

Black dog roasting on an open fire . . .
bagaong boiling on the stove


Hear the dog in the valley . . .
and the chicken in kalihi ....

Little do they know they going to be adobo
dinner for the Filipino clan