So a phone call with my mother this evening, wherein she asked me what I was doing in LA because she hadn't been able to tell from my blog... reminded me that I hadn't blogged about what I'm doing in LA.

I'm actually here for yet another conference, though this one is quite different from the others. I'm here for the DeSmogBlog, covering The Environmental Wars, a conference about climate change put on by Skeptics Magazine. I'll be live-blogging (assuming I can get wifi... gulp) and trying to grab podcast interviews with speakers and other attendees.

So I write this from the Westin Pasadena, where I have a grand room all to myself, complete with wifi, Heavenly Bath and Heavenly Shower. (The Heavenly Shower has two heads, though they both point in the same direction. Weird. I can't say it was any better than a normal shower.)

I have little idea what to expect tomorrow. The speaker list looks interesting, with an interesting diversity of positions. Michael Crichton (who, in case you weren't aware, has in the past couple of years taken to trying to discredit climate change, presumably because it offers him perks like audiences with George W) is the evening speaker, but he follows on the tails of rather more reputable scientists and academics. I'm looking forward to it, though it will be a very full day (like 12 hours long).

And I think it's pretty cool that I am in Smog City for the first time ever, and I'm here because of the DeSmogBlog. LA is a seriously nutty place, if you've never been here. I can't say that I love it, so far. I had a quick taste of Venice Beach this afternoon (thanks Sid!) and then took a shuttle to Pasedena. The weather's nice, I'll give you that. The fragrant blossoms everywhere are good too. But all the tales about LA and it's traffic and smog seem to be true. Ah, well. That's okay. I'm a San Francisco girl at heart. ;)