Open the Moon Door!
One thing Sam Houston Race Park Needs? Slots. Ken Hoffman, HoustonChronicle.com ($$$) - I am in 100% agreement with this opinion. As a matter of fact, I think that slots are the ONLY thing that will save racing in Texas long-term.
Things Mayor Parker deems worthy of retweeting. - Apparently all free speech isn't equal to what passes for leadership in Houston.
How to tell when a miles and points blogger doesn't get referral payments from a certain card? - They give it a bad review.
The Changing Face of Gambling in Vegas. Mark Meltzer, Travel Vegas - Hint: On the strip it's getting a lot, lot worse for the player.
After bashing all of the good guys, L'il Red walks back. ($$$) - I guess being given a Pulitzer by an editor at your paper doesn't mean you can just say whatever. Better watch those P's and Q's.
Reports warn of finance trouble. Mike Morris, HoustonChronicle.com ($$$) - I'm OK hiding L'il Red behind the paywall. But this type of story should be widely broadcast. This also lays bare the lie that "newspapers and other media outlets are public trusts". No they're not. They're for-profit companies who would hide the cure for cancer behind their paywall if they thought they could make a buck.
Racing Commission Fight driven by powerful lobbies. Brian M. Rosenthal. HoustonChronicle.com ($$$) - Nelson and Patrick SHOULD, given all of their rhetoric about honesty and forthrightness, recuse themselves from the discussion. But given KDAN's history they won't. And given Texas' non-existent conflict of interest laws they don't have to.
The Chron doesn't like so-called "breastaraunts" so they stealth editorialize against them.
The Chron has never supported UH (or Rice) athletics, so they stealth-editorialize against them.
The Chron WANTS zoning, so they stealth editorialize for it.
The Chron WANTS KTRU back, and they want more taxpayer funds to go toward classical music, so they stealth-editorialize for it.
Grey Matters is a de-facto extension of the Bag o' Idiots that make up the Chron Editorial Board. The pieces seem selected to opine on issues that the Bag o' Idiots like but don't want to sign-off on. Much like the Ed Board, it should be shuttered. (Oh, and the arguments presented in all of these four stories are borderline idiotic)
This is starting to feel like yet another expensive boondoggle. - A very expensive one at that.
58% of Britons think it's A-OK for airlines to weigh passengers. Imagine their surprise when many of them are among the 30% that are denied flying because they're too fat. What could possibly go wrong?
Presented with no further comment.
Candidates tout endorsements, but do voters even care? Rebecca Elliot, HoustonChronicle.com ($$$) - Yet another good election piece placed where only a sliver of voters can read it. Ah well.
Your daily lesson in twisted logic. - I'm on board with calling out Abbott here. He was (and is) clearly in the wrong. But I can't take that disapproval and conjoin it with support for expanded Medicare. The only way you can is if you were for Medicare Expansion prior to this and are using this as an excuse to make it public. That's OK, but at least be honest about it.
Stuff like this does not bother me. - If they want to come and try and put me in a "camp", they had better be sure that they have sufficient strength to get past my wife. Whose response to this story was "Oh HELL NO!". Looking at the picture of the "activist" my wife would Ronda Rousey her ass.
The roads are swallowing cars in Houston. - I know, let's focus on the fight over where to pee!!!!! (Said by what passes for leadership in Houston)
And finally........
Odd things behind the Chron's pay wall. (Part I)
Odd things behind the Chron's pay wall (Part II)
So that's an AP story (that you can read online for free) and a NY Times story (that you can also find online for free) that the Chron is requiring you pay them for. It really is Comical.
Enjoy the kickoff of the NFL season tonight.
