Heeeeee! At Spamalot. Love free wifi. I just saw Eric Idle outside. Second celeb sighting of the day. Woot!

ooh I'm envious, Kat.

Yay! We just saw the International Space Station fly over again! Plus, The Boy saw something trailing after it, which is ALSO space stuff: Progress 33, a Russian supply ship, that's going to test an automated docking system with the space station on July 12.

(I did not see Progress 33, but it could be because I was busy meeting our new neighbors.)

Back from Emmett's first all-star game this summer, as they attempt to defend their titles. They beat South Oakland 12-3. A good start.

Back from dinner with kat perez. Very fun to think we both were NYistas not too long ago and now we're both here.

Watching some of the MJ stuff. When Al Sharpton calls him normal, I kinda get twitchy. But what is the stuff that MJ had to endure (I do mean that nonsnarkily)? I mean, other than the scalp catching on fire.

I'm also baffled by the people who suddenly decide to play when it's reached a huge payoff amount. People! Many more people are playing. Your odds have gotten even worse.

I don't think that's true. Their chance of winning something is pretty much the same, as that's determined by the distribution of possible draws, not by the number of people playing. The average payoff equals the total amount paid out divided by the number of people playing, so for instance, if they've tripled the jackpot, you'd need more than three times as many people playing to give worse odds. I don't see that happening - the marginal number of people you attract should decline with every million.

It is true that lotteries (and scratchies) have very poor payout ratios for games of chance (pokies and casinos offer better). The reason they can do that, of course, is people like the heavy positive skew - the small chance of the huge payoff, instead of a bigger chance of a modest payoff.

But what is the stuff that MJ had to endure (I do mean that nonsnarkily)? I mean, other than the scalp catching on fire.

His dad beating him straight up and sideways for all of his childhood and most of his adolescence, for one. And secondly, being a child star has its own challenges.

But I could never see Al Sharpton (he is no "Reverend") for the rest of my life and it would be too soon. Pretty much the same for Jesse Jackson and Don King.

People I can't get enough of? Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson. I adore those women beyond all reason. And Jennifer Hudson knows from tragedy.

But what is the stuff that MJ had to endure (I do mean that nonsnarkily)?

Abusive father? Growing up in the spotlight? Being the family's meal ticket?

Relatedly, four of the five popular music channels I get (V, V2, Max, MTV and VH1) are doing Michael Jackson.