San Diego in January Tom Smith

Because various sub-entities of the AALS and other legal organizations are considering boycotting the January 2009 AALS meeting in San Diego, I thought I would add some additional information to the debate, especially since debates like this rarely convince anyone to change their minds, but new facts sometimes do.

So, San Diego in January.  I live in San Diego all the time, of course, but I have to admit January is perhaps my favorite time of year here, January and February.  A typical day might be in the mid-60's and brightly sunny.  It sounds easy to describe, but isn't.  The quality of light is sparkling, and often the prevailing wind is from the east, yielding what we call a "Santa Ana condition".  It's perfect weather for just roaming around in short sleeves and slacks.  Some Arizonans ("Zonies") consider it cold, because survival does not require blasting air conditioners.  Even though I have lived here for more than 15 years, I still get a weird, kind of guilty feeling on these days, as if there is something illicit about such beautiful weather in January.  Perhaps problematically for academics, it induces in me a curious blankness of mind, where such thoughts as "look at that cloud," or "I wonder if he'll take the wave.  He is! Oh, nice ride" get more than their usual share of processing time.  Possibly this could be a problem for those who wish to concentrate on federal court jurisdiction over torts committed by U.S. citizens in territories abroad.

San Diego, which used to be a wasteland of fine dining, has gotten a lot better in the last ten years.  There are now more than enough Italian, nouvelle American and everything else, Japanese, BBQ and so on eateries to keep the avid eater busy for a week.

There is also a vibrant club scene and gay scene.  The place to hang for people who look like law professors seems to be the W hotel, as I recently discovered somewhat to my consternation.  Though I will say, somebody should write a book:  The Burly Bear:  What American women could learn from gay men. 

Which reminds me of a joke my 14 year old told me.  This cowboy is sitting in a bar when the waitress comes up to him and says "Are you a real cowboy?"  The cowboy says "Well, I get up in the morning and check the beef critters, I round 'em up in the spring and brand 'em, I track down strays in the high canyons, and at night I sleep under the stars and listen to the coyotes howl, so, yes,ma'am, I reckon I'm I real cowboy."  A woman suddenly sits down next to the cowboy and says "Well, I'm a lesbian.  I get up in the morning and think about women, then all day long I think about women, and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep is women.  And often as not I dream about women at night."
    The cowboy nodded.  Then another man came up to the cowboy and asked "Are you a real cowboy?"  The cowboy said "I would have said yes, but I recently learned that I'm a lesbian."

More could certainly be said about San Diego in January.  Here are some links.
Don't miss the Cow Parade!
Some things to do.
I hate golf.  But SD is full of golf in January.  Here's the highly regarded course I live near.
Beaches, if you like that sort of thing.

The Desert is a short drive away and nice in January.
I have found this restaurant website pretty reliable.