BlackHat 2008, Day 1

So, I arrived in Vegas last night, albeit too late to get to conference registration.  However, it was early enough to get some chicken taquitos.  Mmm, taco.  Since missing registration meant needing to be at the conference at 8am the next day, I wanted to get to sleep early, so after dinner I went back to the room to read (The Trouble with Physics by Lee Smolin) and chat with sheeplass via videophone.  I went to sleep around midnight, and woke up about 5 times -- only sleeping alone about one week a year will do that, I suppose.

( Course details... )

After the class, I went for a walk outside.  Yes, it's 105 outside, but I like the heat. Specifically, I like the way it's not cold.  I spent about 3 hours out, walking down to Planet Hollywood, up to Fashion Show Mall (past Treasure Island), and back to Caesar's.  I ate at a cantina in Planet Hollywood, where there were Baja-style mahi-mahi tacos that were quite excellent, and a margarita that was quite average.  And now, I am back to my room, writing LJ posts and video-phoning my wife again.

I have found that I don't really know what to do in Vegas by myself.  No one I know gets here until Tuesday night, so I'm pretty much entirely on my own.  I'm enjoying myself a lot, but I may run out of activities.  I do still plan to see Penn & Teller sometime, though (one of the few shows I want to see that sheeplass does not, so a good prospect.)