Motives

This morning, as on many other mornings, Gracie lay down beside my bed and started barking.

I got up, as I usually do, because it was possible that she needed to be let out.

Gracie walked out the bedroom door, looked over her shoulder to make sure I was following, and headed, not for the porch door, but for the computer room. She lay down in the cubby under the desk.

I sat down at the computer. What else was I to do? (If I went back to bed, she would return and repeat the process.)

Is the cubby so much more comfortable, or comforting, than the floor beside my bed?

Article III, Section 3

"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."

"Enemies", here, means states with whom the U.S. is at war.

The Founding Fathers included this very narrow definition of treason because English monarchs had used the accusation of treason as a catchall by which they could eliminate their enemies.

Verb. sap.

Never Say Die

I swear, the Padres are going to give me a heart attack this year.

They just completed a four-game set with Colorado, which they split, two games each. The two Padres victories involved 1) a six-run, game-tying rally in the 9th, followed by a five-run explosion in the 12th, and 2) a two-run seventh inning and a four-run ninth inning, coming back from a five-run deficit when a pitcher, pinch-hitting with the bases loaded, walked to drive in the lead run.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has played a major role since returning from his injury. If that kid isn't this year's NL ROY, I will be very surprised. Not forgetting Hunter Renfroe, who has 23 home runs already this season.