Airline travel in China is painful, for several reasons. First, afternoon and evening flights are usually
always delayed. This is because the government owns about 80% of the air space in China, so the air routes to/from the big cities are very limited. It's like if there was 3 two-lane roads entering and exiting Cleveland. The morning flights are usually on time, but whenever there is a small blip - bam! things get backed up in a hurry.
Customer service is not seen as a quality that the airlines want to deliver. Whenever delays occur, those delays are announced late - maybe 10 minutes before the original ETA, when it's obvious that the flight will be delayed but no one wants to admit it. A new ETA is never given, so you are just stuck there at the gate with no idea when you will go. And once you are on the plane, there's no guarantee of taking off; my parents and Janice and the kids and I sat on the tarmac for 4 1/2 hours heading to Singapore. It was hell.
Finally, air travel is exploding in popularity, but the airports aren't being expanded fast enough, so planes are "parked" way out in the tarmac for boarding and disembarking. This means you have to file into busses that take you out to the plane, where you get off the bus and head right on the plane to find your seat. There's usually two buses that leave from every gate; the first bus is jam packed with 200 people squeezed up against the windows, where you then sit on the plane for 15 minutes as the next bus with 40 people comes along. It's insane.
The Chinese are fascinated with airplanes. So when we pack in the bus and head out to the plane, many people do not just head directly to the stairs. They loiter around the plane, taking pictures of the nose, tail and body, and even pose for pictures underneath the plane. I have seen Chinese be shooed away from going to the other side of the plane on an active runway.
This first picture is extremely typical of the boarding process and where the Chinese travelers flutter to when boarding. Sure, let's go under the nose and pose! You may even be able to make out the peace sign that the subject is making with her left hand for the pictures.
When landing and exiting the plane, the same behavior is seen; several people stop, turn around, and take a picture of the majestic plane they just flew on . This is a picture when returning on an evening flight (delayed, of course) from Shanghai; I think it was a Friday night when I was in a sour mood as I just checked my golfer's status for the 2nd round and he was well below the cut line. I just want to get to baggage claim to get my bag and go home; but no, I have to evade all these picture takers and then board the bus from hell to ride to the terminal.
My mood in this picture matches my current frame of mind with respect to fantasy football this year. I am in 3 leagues and struggling mightily in 2 of them. In the Guangzhou league, my team is a mess as I drafted Adrian Peterson with the first pick (and drafted Matt Prater, Mr. DUI). I'm 1-7 with no hope of the playoffs. In the league I have been in for 15 years (and am defending champion), I have the 3rd highest point total but am 2-6, always facing the top point-getter of the week. I am in one other league from my church back in Cinci; I am 5-3 but the scoring system for that league is so wacky that results are close to random.
So I just want fantasy to be over so I don't have to concentrate on it; I feel like the angry traveler leaving this plane in the night just wanting to get home and have the day be over, but I have to wade through the minefield of photographers all in my way. I have to keep pushing on in fantasy even though it's useless.
On to the games:
Cin 20, Jax 13: Hey, if the Bengals can give up 37 at home to an anemic Carolina offense, maybe the Jags have a shot here!
Dal 20, Az 17. Who knows if Romo is going to play? I'm not ready to wager on Romo not playing...just yet. I do see this being a low scoring game no matter who is the QB. (Of course, to spite me, Weeden will porbably put up 41 vs. the Cards).
By the way, I did no work last Tuesday morning for the hour of Monday Night Football where it was Weeded vs. McCoy. My God! What hath God wraught on the NFL this season when these two are in a prime time matchup?
Hou 27, Phi 17. What have the Eagles proven on the road? I still believe in the Texans' D; I think they will dominate the Eagles O line and give Foles & co trouble.
KC 23, NYJ 20. I know, I know. The Jets' can't be any lower, and I think Vick will be mediocre with a full week of practice. And it will help that they are out of New York.
SD 27, Mia 24. I've been burned by Miami before at home - there is no home field advantage, and San Diego has extra rest.
Min 24, Was 13. The Vikes are a sneaky good team with Teddy at the helm, and Washington is below average in both the passing and running game. I know RG3 is back, but ....Im expecting him to be a bit rusty. And this is a possible letdown game after the huge win on Monday night.
SF 27, StL 16. I've given up trying to figure the Rams out. I think they will show something in this 2nd game against the 49ers in 4 weeks....I hate those quick rematches; they never go the same way as the first.
Den 31, NE 24. I just think NE has no real answers on the defensive side to stop Manning. Denver's defense will get just enough stops to win by 7 or so.
Sea 27, Oak 10. The Browns do not have a good defense by any stretch of the imagination, and yet the Raiders went at least 1 1/2 quarters against us where they did nothing. Imagine what the Seahawks will do- in Seattle.
Bal 26, Pit 17. Bal will be revved up for this game; how many "big" games can Pittsburgh rise up for in a row? I just think the Ravens match up well vs. the Steelers.
Ind 24, NYG 20. Monday night, on the road, Coughlin will have something ready for Luck. But in the end, the Colts are just too talented.
Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 8-7 (woo hoo! finally, a winning week). Overall: 51-60-3
Jax +10 1/2
Jax/Cin under 43 1/2
Az/Dal under 44 1/2
Hou +2
NYJ +9
SD +2 1/2
SD/Mia over 45
Min -1
Was/Min under 43 1/2
Den -3
Sea -14
Oak/Sea under 43 1/2
Bal -2
Ind/NYG under 51
Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall: 23-17.
Jax +11
Hou +2
NYJ +9 1/2
Min -2 1/2
Bal -1
Customer service is not seen as a quality that the airlines want to deliver. Whenever delays occur, those delays are announced late - maybe 10 minutes before the original ETA, when it's obvious that the flight will be delayed but no one wants to admit it. A new ETA is never given, so you are just stuck there at the gate with no idea when you will go. And once you are on the plane, there's no guarantee of taking off; my parents and Janice and the kids and I sat on the tarmac for 4 1/2 hours heading to Singapore. It was hell.
Finally, air travel is exploding in popularity, but the airports aren't being expanded fast enough, so planes are "parked" way out in the tarmac for boarding and disembarking. This means you have to file into busses that take you out to the plane, where you get off the bus and head right on the plane to find your seat. There's usually two buses that leave from every gate; the first bus is jam packed with 200 people squeezed up against the windows, where you then sit on the plane for 15 minutes as the next bus with 40 people comes along. It's insane.
The Chinese are fascinated with airplanes. So when we pack in the bus and head out to the plane, many people do not just head directly to the stairs. They loiter around the plane, taking pictures of the nose, tail and body, and even pose for pictures underneath the plane. I have seen Chinese be shooed away from going to the other side of the plane on an active runway.
This first picture is extremely typical of the boarding process and where the Chinese travelers flutter to when boarding. Sure, let's go under the nose and pose! You may even be able to make out the peace sign that the subject is making with her left hand for the pictures.
When landing and exiting the plane, the same behavior is seen; several people stop, turn around, and take a picture of the majestic plane they just flew on . This is a picture when returning on an evening flight (delayed, of course) from Shanghai; I think it was a Friday night when I was in a sour mood as I just checked my golfer's status for the 2nd round and he was well below the cut line. I just want to get to baggage claim to get my bag and go home; but no, I have to evade all these picture takers and then board the bus from hell to ride to the terminal.
My mood in this picture matches my current frame of mind with respect to fantasy football this year. I am in 3 leagues and struggling mightily in 2 of them. In the Guangzhou league, my team is a mess as I drafted Adrian Peterson with the first pick (and drafted Matt Prater, Mr. DUI). I'm 1-7 with no hope of the playoffs. In the league I have been in for 15 years (and am defending champion), I have the 3rd highest point total but am 2-6, always facing the top point-getter of the week. I am in one other league from my church back in Cinci; I am 5-3 but the scoring system for that league is so wacky that results are close to random.
So I just want fantasy to be over so I don't have to concentrate on it; I feel like the angry traveler leaving this plane in the night just wanting to get home and have the day be over, but I have to wade through the minefield of photographers all in my way. I have to keep pushing on in fantasy even though it's useless.
On to the games:
Cin 20, Jax 13: Hey, if the Bengals can give up 37 at home to an anemic Carolina offense, maybe the Jags have a shot here!
Dal 20, Az 17. Who knows if Romo is going to play? I'm not ready to wager on Romo not playing...just yet. I do see this being a low scoring game no matter who is the QB. (Of course, to spite me, Weeden will porbably put up 41 vs. the Cards).
By the way, I did no work last Tuesday morning for the hour of Monday Night Football where it was Weeded vs. McCoy. My God! What hath God wraught on the NFL this season when these two are in a prime time matchup?
Hou 27, Phi 17. What have the Eagles proven on the road? I still believe in the Texans' D; I think they will dominate the Eagles O line and give Foles & co trouble.
KC 23, NYJ 20. I know, I know. The Jets' can't be any lower, and I think Vick will be mediocre with a full week of practice. And it will help that they are out of New York.
SD 27, Mia 24. I've been burned by Miami before at home - there is no home field advantage, and San Diego has extra rest.
Min 24, Was 13. The Vikes are a sneaky good team with Teddy at the helm, and Washington is below average in both the passing and running game. I know RG3 is back, but ....Im expecting him to be a bit rusty. And this is a possible letdown game after the huge win on Monday night.
SF 27, StL 16. I've given up trying to figure the Rams out. I think they will show something in this 2nd game against the 49ers in 4 weeks....I hate those quick rematches; they never go the same way as the first.
Den 31, NE 24. I just think NE has no real answers on the defensive side to stop Manning. Denver's defense will get just enough stops to win by 7 or so.
Sea 27, Oak 10. The Browns do not have a good defense by any stretch of the imagination, and yet the Raiders went at least 1 1/2 quarters against us where they did nothing. Imagine what the Seahawks will do- in Seattle.
Bal 26, Pit 17. Bal will be revved up for this game; how many "big" games can Pittsburgh rise up for in a row? I just think the Ravens match up well vs. the Steelers.
Ind 24, NYG 20. Monday night, on the road, Coughlin will have something ready for Luck. But in the end, the Colts are just too talented.
Best bets: 14 of them. Last week: 8-7 (woo hoo! finally, a winning week). Overall: 51-60-3
Jax +10 1/2
Jax/Cin under 43 1/2
Az/Dal under 44 1/2
Hou +2
NYJ +9
SD +2 1/2
SD/Mia over 45
Min -1
Was/Min under 43 1/2
Den -3
Sea -14
Oak/Sea under 43 1/2
Bal -2
Ind/NYG under 51
Supercontest: Last week: 2-3; overall: 23-17.
Jax +11
Hou +2
NYJ +9 1/2
Min -2 1/2
Bal -1
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