Sorry for the rather anticlimatic recount.  I'm not much for stories.

A small (think ERJ) Continental aircraft blew out it's left tires upon take-off from KIAH (Bush Intercontinental/Houston) and ATC  set aside an emergency runway for it.  Apparently this type of aircraft is designed with failsafes for this exact sort of failure, and it was just a matter of burning off fuel.  The pilot landed an otherwise perfect landing, save for the fact that the right gear came down first.  All 45 passengers and three crew members are unharmed.  The aircraft is okay except for its left undercarriage and 48 seat cushions.  All this as of a few minutes ago.

From the sound of things, there wasn't too much to get excited about.  The reporter actually said, "This wasn't the hail of sparks we were expecting." Sanitized explosions and death, anyone?