This ain't no disco...

This ain't no country club either.

This is L.A.

Expect this kind of inanity all week, as I blog from the APS March Meeting is Los Angeles, California. Hey, it's called for. I stumbled across "California Dreamin" by the Mamas and the Papas twice last week, and Adam saw a documentary on PBS by the same name. I'm not sure we're safe and warm.

The flight out was OK, except the in-flight movie was The Incredibles, which I'd ran out and bought last Tuesday so I could have it on the flight.

We'll definitely be blowing our per diem, as everything we've seen in downtown LA is hideously expensive. Although we haven't tried the fast food or chain restaurants, which weren't open Sunday night. I wouldn't be surprised to drop $20 at Denny's though, just on location.

We had to walk past the Staples Center, where the Lakers were playing last night, to get to the convention center and register. There were numerous ticket scalpers, several street vendors appearing to fry hot dogs wrapped in bacon on heated cookie sheets, a one woman handing out cards good for a free topless lap dance. (Not from her, or at least not right there.) And bunches of dorks already wearing their badges. Stop it, people! This is how we get a bad name. Do not wear your badges outside. I decree it.

We did find an über-trendy bar. We had to go up an escalator, wait for an elevator where a video was projected on the wall, making me think of the Museum of Contemporary Art, and then ride an elevator to the roof. The bar on the roof featured movies projected on another building (including The Incredibles again), odd decor such as red hippopotamus trash cans, 3 covered waterbeds in one section, and lots of people trying to be cooler than they probably are. And eight dorky physicists, who really didn't even try to be cooler than we were. Oh, and a $12 (!) Glenlivet. I enjoy Scotch enough to forget that I spent an insane amount of money on one drink, but only after I actually drank it. I remember now, though. (!)

My talk is later this morning, so hopefully tonight's update will contain a positive status report.