Our morning thread is about to close (we close them automatically at 200 comments.) Here's another one until one of us gets done with work and has time to post. (BTD is in court and I'm dong jail visits. Maybe TChris will pop in, but he's a busy lawyer too.)

All topics welcome.

Busy day.

This is an Open Thread.

Update (TL): Same for me, I'll be at the jail visiting clients all day and then glued to the Bachelorette finale. Prediction: Jillian sends Kip home first, drama with Reid returning, Jillian gets engaged to Ed, and tomorrow night at the ATFR (After the Final Rose show they taped this past Friday) we will see they are still together, a whole two months later. Next bachelor: Get ready for Reid. Predictions only, no insider info. (And yes, I used to rush home from junior high to watch American Bandstand and see who was dancing with who. Paul and Michelle were my favorite. Old habits die hard.)

Again, open thread, all topics welcome.

I got caught up in other things tonight, and I promised those in the Palin thread I'd put up an open thread tonight, so here it is. Better late than never.

All topics (including sports for you sports fans) welcome.

The Tour de France rides into Paris today. Pretty pictures. Sunday Talk shows will be all Gates I imagine. Not tempting me to start watching them again.

This is an Open Thread.

Alberto Contador will win the Tour de France. Andy Schleck will be second. Lance Armstrong third. The peloton rides into Paris tomorrow with the final stage ending with 8 laps around the Champs-Elysees.

Rickey Henderson enters the Hall of Fame tomorrow. Here is a quote that gives you the flavor of Rickey:

Henderson says he has one regret -- that he didn't retire sooner. "You got to wait five years to go into the Hall of Fame,'' he said. "If I would have thought about it, and just went on and got them five years up early, then I'd been a little younger. Then I could have came back after I went into the Hall of Fame, but I waited too long."

He was my favorite ballplayer.

This is an Open Thread.

In the Tour de France, today is Mont Ventoux day. You can watch it online here.

This is an Open Thread.

The last thread is filling up and I am off for a while so here is an Open Thread and a Link to my friend Al Giordano's coverage of the "authentic mass movement" for Zelaya in Honduras. I am tweaking Al a little bit but it is an interesting perspective. I do recommend reading him on these (and other) things, though I often disagree with him. (We have disagreed about Chavez for years and years.)

By the way, the Venceremos! also applies to the Yankees, winners of 7 straight and 2.5 games clear of the Red Sox in the AL East. Go Yanks!

This is an Open Thread.

Anyone interested in talking health care anymore? Me, I am all about the Tour de France, which travels to the classic ride up Mont Ventoux tomorrow. Contador (as I predicted) is going to win the Tour easily. Contratemps with Armstrong have continued but he has let the cat out of the bag - he and Bruyneel will form their own team with Radio Shack as the sponsor. LA is fighting to hold 3rd. Should be an exciting race tomorrow. Definitely worth watching.

This is an Open Thread.

I'm still working and our morning thread is full.

The pundits are luke-warm on Obama's presser. Bloggers, too, are all over the map.

As to whether Congress should recess or not, here's what he said in Cleveland today.

"We just heard today that, well, we may not be able to get the bill out of the Senate by the end of August, or the beginning of August," Obama said. "That's OK. I just want people to keep on working. Just keep working."

While I finish my motions, here's another open thread for you, all topics welcome.

I'm busy at work today. For those of you interested in Obama's comments on the police action in arresting Professor Gates, here's the police report and some of the police officer's response to Obama's comments last night are here:

Crowley told WEEI sports radio network that it was "disappointing that (Obama) waded into what should be a local issue that plays out here."
Crowley told the radio station that he supports the president "to a point, I guess."

In other news, a U.S. citizen arrested in Pakistan for helping al Qaeda has pleaded guilty and is supplying information.

A new report is out on our overuse of life without parole. Sentencing Law and Policy has the details and links.

Here's an open thread to discuss whatever you would like.

Update: This thread is over 200 comments and now closed. A new one is up here.

Stage 17 of the Tour de France is being contested in the French Alps and features 6 mountain climbs. While most of the attention is on the battle for the yellow jersey, where Alberto Contador will be attacked by Andy Schleck's team Saxo Bank, a lot of attention will be focused on Lanterne Rouge "leader" Kenny Van Hummel. Can he survive 6 mountain climbs?

Here is more on the Lanterne Rouge Tradition.

This is an Open Thread.

Lawyers working. Your turn.

This is an Open Thread.