Short Haul Flights (08/08/2012)

Whether or not these are interesting is up to you.....

Chesapeake shuns gas, shrinks rig count. Zain Shauk, Chron.com  - The issue is price and profitability.  On the latter, there is none.

Texas fracking disclosure law leaves questions. Dan X. McGraw, Chron.com - It wasn't too long ago that this same publication was holding up Texas laws as a "model".  Amazing how quick the ecomental lobby can change their minds.

Report: American/U.S. Airways merger raises anti-trust, consumer concerns. Sheryl Jean, DMN - The same is "reported" on almost every merger. It rarely means much.  Probably the biggest argument against this is that American doesn't seem to want to.

American Express Gold Card 75,000 point bonus. Gary Leff, View from the Wing - There's been a LOT of talk on travel message boards about posts like this (for an extreme example, search 30,000 Starwood points and see how many hits you get) and questions of rather or not they "ruin" travel blogging.  To my mind these posts aren't the biggest problem with travel blogging today, which I've outlined here and here.

Belafonte: Mitt's not my cup of tea. Caitlen McDevit, Politico - A lefty, has been celebrity doesn't like Mitt Romney, in related news it's hot in Houston during August.  (The media has NOT distinguished themselves in election coverage this year, on either candidate.)

Dome vote is far away. Chris Moran, Chron.com - Not as far away as anything resembling leadership on this issue.  That's strike two for Emmett FWIW.

Texas executes man despite concerns over IQ. Allan Turner, Chron.com From the story:

Marvin Wilson, the two-time armed robber who fatally beat and shot a Beaumont police informer

I, for one, am glad that stupidity cannot be used as a defense for a heinous crime in Texas.

Bicyclist killed in NE Houston traffic accident. Carol Christian, Chron.com - Remember stories like these the next time you hear the idiots at Houston Tomorrow longing for more people commuting to work on their bikes.  Bike paths?  Yes. Bikes w/cars during rush hour?  Obviously not.

And finally....

Train Spotter. The Apple Dumpling Gang, Chron.com - You have to give the gang this, no matter how wrong-headed they are, no matter how large the price-overruns become, no matter how impractical or useless the toy train is turning out to be, they're willing to be wrong until the bitter end.  Much to be admired.