It's up to you, Dubai, Dubai

Start spreading the news: Emirates Airlines has chosen Houston Intercontinental as its second North American destination for direct flights to and from Dubai. Starting in early December, the flight will be Emirate's longest at a comfy 17 solid hours from the UAE to Houston. If you're looking for extremely luxurious living that's only a slightly longer commute than The Woodlands, this could be the beginnings of your next exurb. This news should also come to the great satisfaction of James Baker and his Botts downtown, whose business with the energy industry in the Middle East has been extensive and extensive for a while now.

Amusingly, one of the few websites reporting this new connection was Travel & Tourism News Middle East, who for some reason chose an accompanying photo of a Houston area religious temple for the article. It's not a mosque, though, nor is it Lakewood--it's the Houston Mormon Temple in Spring. Alright.

Anyways, on another topic related to Houston airports, the folks at the Harris County Toll Road Authority are opening up beyond their usual business to allow payment at Intercontinental and Hobby parking garages via the EZ Tag you might already have on your car. According to the EZ Tag people, the ticketless and tollboothless option will come into effect next month, though the HCTRA had been planning to have it installed since last summer. If you're like Houstonist and concerned about the rampant spread of soulless machines in society, you can opt out of the service entirely, but you'll have to call EZ Tag customer service to disable it for your account.