The Blogfather has a great excerpt from Samuel Eliot Morison’s Admiral of the Ocean Sea : A Life of Christopher Columbus:

At the end of 1492 most men in Western Europe felt exceedingly gloomy about the future. Christian civilization appeared to be shrinking in area and dividing into hostil units as its sphere contracted. For over a century there had been no important advance in natural science and registration in the universities dwindled as the instruction they offered became increasingly jejune and lifeless. Institutions were decaying, well-meaning people were growing cynical or desperate, and many intelligent men, for want of something better to do, were endeavoring to escape the present through studying the pagan past. . . .

Yet, even as the chroniclers of Nuremberg were correcting their proofs from Koberger’s press, a Spanish caravel named Nina scudded before a winter gale into Lisbon with news of a discovery that was to give old Europe another chance. (more…)

Oh, this is rich:

Patty Hearst has a message for folks who are worried about terrorist attacks: Stop wringing your hands, people!

"I was kidnapped by terrorists. It’s not like I’m numb to this and think it can’t happen. But get real!" Hearst admonished. "There’s so much weeping and wailing and memorializing, my feeling is it’d be a lot healthier if people didn’t externalize so much and kind of bucked up a little bit."

"What good is our government if they can’t keep our level of fear at a point where we can think about what’s really going on?" she told Lowdown. "We are a nation with the most frightened people on the planet. People who come over here just laugh at us."

Forgive me if I can’t stomach being lectured about fear by a convicted bank robber and former member of a murderous terrorist organization.

Benzion needs to spring for an LST membership to this place:

There’s a new 380 acre piece of land near Angleton that’s a haven for people who want to see just what their cars can do. The black top is 2.4 miles long and has 16 turns.

A Lamborghini owner we spoke with says Motorsport Ranch Houston is just what he’s been looking for.

"There’s no better rush than being out here and actually being able to test these kinds of vehicles the way God intended them to be driven," said auto enthusiast Lee Tillman.

If you want to drive on the ranch, it will cost you. Membership dues are $7,000 plus $150 in monthly fees. The track should be completed next month.

Hell yeah. I want to take this bad boy for a spin.

Whoops:

One gas station manager’s mistake paid off for Lincoln drivers who were in the right place at the right time Friday.

For 30 to 45 minutes, three of the Kabredlo’s Convenience Store’s four pumps sold premium unleaded gas for 29 cents a gallon.

Gas hasn’t been that cheap since 1955, according to AAA Nebraska.

What would The Donald do?

LST reader and commenter "Maltboy!" (gotta love the name) brought this one to our attention. The Citizen, a small local newspaper, reports Kemah’s enormous tax hikes:

Kemah City Council passed a $3.573 million budget during its Sept. 29 meeting, while also slightly raising property tax rates from $.172 to $.208545 per $100 valuation.

Slightly? That’s more than 21%. Try calling a 21% hike in anything else "slight." That’s like a gallon of gas going from $2.89 to $3.50, or an August day going from 96 to 116 degrees, or the federal speed limit going from 70 to 85.

21 percent is not slight. Of course, if we’re talking about less government, the situation is dire:

The city slashed the municipal court budget by $30,172, bringing that department’s total budget to $211,661.

That’s a 12.5% "slash," while a 21 percent tax hike (that’s before appraisal creep) is "slight."

Hey, remember when Chron reader representative James T. (the T is for Timely) Campbell asked Chron readers to submit questions for editor Jeff Cohen?

Here’s a timeline:

• August 28: Campbell asks for questions. Pledges response "during the week of September 5."
• Week of September 5: Nothing happens.
• Week of September 12: Nothing happens.
• September 15: I email Campbell asking about the questions. His response:

I’m going to post on your question tomorrow.

• September 16: Nothing happens.
• Week of September 19: Nothing happens.
• September 30: Campbell discloses he’s waiting on Cohen’s answers. Apparently the boss man is etching them in marble, by hand.
• Week of October 3: Nothing happens. 

Time to get on the stick, Jeff. Pretend like you’re selling a high-quality product to customers with high expectations in a competitive market.

In case you missed it, your Houston Astros had quite a time Sunday. The best news: They win the division series and advance to the National League Championship Series, only one step from the Big One. After being left for dead in the division earlier in the year, the Astros picked themselves up and headed for the wildcard spot and a face-off with the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series.

That meeting culminated in an epic six hour, record-setting eighteen inning, two grand slam battle royal at Minute Maid Park on Sunday. If you witnessed, either in person, or as I did, on television/radio the entire spectacle, you could not help but be amazed. The Astros looked lifeless through seven innings of play, appearing destined for a game five in Atlanta to decide the series winner.

After giving up a grand slam early, the Astros needed a lift late in the game, which Lance Berkman provided when he swung for his own slam in the eighth. Suddenly the crowd came back to raucous life as the hometown boys were down by just a run. The drama continued in the ninth with two outs and Ausmus at the plate.

Incredibly, Ausmus smacked a high fly ball to left center that hit just barely above the yellow line on the wall denoting a home run, tying the game in dramatic fashion. That 6-6 score would last for quite some time to come as the pitching duel began anew in the tenth inning, with both teams gearing up for the long haul. That haul would be much longer than anyone thought, however, with the game setting a new record for post-season play with eighteen total innings entering the books. Roger Clemens would even be called on to make only his second career relief appearance before the final swing sent Houston fans and players home tired and happy.

And what a swing it was. Rookie Chris Burke came up to the plate in the eighteenth and got a pitch to hit. It was hit well enough, in fact, to reach the Crawford Boxes and send the Astros to a stunning 7-6 victory and a series win (3-1) over the Atlanta Braves. Few, if any, fans appeared to have left the packed ballpark during the six hour marathon, and they were richly rewarded with one of the most dramatic games in recent memory. Certainly one for Houston sports lore.

Now it’s on to the Championship Series. Bring on the Cardinals!

(Check out the full story at the official Astros site)

Banjo Jones over at the Brazosport News has some interesting quotes from Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg:

“The entire reason that I play baseball is so that I get a chance to speak about Christ. Because my job is high-profile doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s greater than any other job, but it puts me out in front of some people. I realize that I do all of this so that I can show more people what Christ has done.”

Like that game earlier this season when Morgan hit three out of the park.

“It was probably that day where I really took a step in my faith — not because I had found success in hitting three home runs and getting four hits, but more so in the fact that I knew that it wasn’t me. I knew that it was the Holy Spirit working.”

“No. 1 is I make sure that I’m always obedient to Him. I’m constantly praying. I just want Him to know that whatever His will is, is what I’m all about. We play 162 games. You’re bound to have some terrible games, and whenever there’s a time like that where you’re really struggling, I picture Christ’s face. I just picture myself looking right at Him and saying ‘Whatever you want.’”

Good for Morgan. He’s on the right side in this thing.

UPDATED: Due to copyright restrictions, I couldn’t sell shirts with these designs on them. I did, however, create a new one which should pass the test. To see it, just click here.

I’m sure you’ve seen middle-class American teenagers drinking frappuccinos at the local bookstore and wearing t-shirts with mug of Che Guevara on them.

I’ve created some to counter the communist anti-capitalist left in a humorous way. You can get Cha Ching gear on CafePress, with another design also available (as seen below)

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You can talk Astros here as well, although there is a special thread only for that over here.