Here's an open thread to keep you going. Comments are open, if you don't see your's, it may be in the "junk" folder on MT, and I'll be clearing them a few times a day in batches over the weekend.

Also check out the great sites on the right on our blogroll. And check back in case TChris or LNILR or Big Tent Democrat has something to say...no promises, it being a holiday and all, but you never know.

It's 50 degrees in Denver and 41 in Aspen. It will be a chilly weekend. But the music will keep us warm. Besides, I never miss a chance to hear this guy. Here's the full roster.

Here's a montage of past years.

Have a great holiday, see you soon.

Matt Yglesias is leaving the TPM conglomerate and returning to solo blogging at his own site.

I've been a big fan of Matt's since he began blogging in 2002 while still an undergraduate. I followed him to American Prospect, where he wrote as a staff writer and for Tapped. For no reason in particular, I didn't follow him on to TPM, but now that he's going back to his own site, I'll be a daily reader again.

Update your bookmarks, and Welcome Back, Matt.

Bump and Update: I've found 200 or so of your unposted comments. They are in the "junk comment" folder inside Movable Type, along with a few hundred spam comments for drugs and ringtones. I have to go through them individually to get them posted, but you should start seeing them soon.

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I know many of you are having problems posting comments. Even though I've opened them up to everyone with no typekey required, many people are still getting an erroneous message stating that your comments are being held for moderation. That's not the case, but I don't know how to fix it. I think I messed up the comment listing template while trying to fix the problem.

The Wall St. Journal (free link) today examines whether bloggers should blog or not during holiday weekends like Labor Day.

In the height of summer-holiday season, bloggers face the inevitable question: to blog on break or put the blog on a break? Stepping away or bringing in a guest author often means accepting a decline in readership.

....Yet for the sliver of people whose livelihood depends on the blog -- whether they are conservative, liberal or don't care -- stepping away from the keyboard can be difficult. Unlike other jobs, where co-workers can fill in for an absent employee, blogs are usually a one-person show. A blogger's personality carries the site. When the host isn't there, readers tend to stray. August is a slow time for all blogs, but having an absent host makes the problem worse. Lose enough readers, and advertisers are sure to join the exodus.

John Amato of the incredibly popular Crooks and Liars tells the Journal:

I've gotten lots of emails today saying that comments are not going through. I've opened them up to everyone without registration. I'll delete the spam tonight, just ignore any that show up.

TalkLeft is going to a new comment system after Labor Day. I'm also planning on changing from Movable Type to Scoop, and putting TalkLeft on its own dedicated server. That should speed up the commenting process and allow greater flexibility.

For those of you who emailed me today angry that your comments didn't show up, please know I didn't stop any comments from being posted. There are no comments showing they are "awaiting moderation." It's a MT or Typekey glitch, and both will be gone the week after Labor Day.

This is one way to make sure the comments are fixed. I'll be working on the site today, so here's a place for you to write what's on your mind.

Update: Comments seem to be fixed.

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I know there's a problem with commenting on TalkLeft today. This time it's my fault. I thought I would try to set up a separate blog for the Jonbenet Ramsey case and in copying templates I screwed something up.

I'm trying to find Mike Ditto to help me recover them. When I realized it last night, I opened up comments, but by this morning there were so many spam comments for ringtones and drugs I had to close them again.

Please be patient. It's not Typekey's fault or the hosting company's. I'll let you know when it's fixed.

The news is still focused on Ramsey coverage, but you don't have to be. Here's a place to discuss whatever's on your mind.

Your turn. I'm sure there are other things beside John Mark Karr and the Jonbenet murder case you want to talk about. Here's a place.

Sorry everyone, I know there's a lot of news besides Jonbenet Ramsey, but I don't have time to cover it today or tonight. Here's a space for it.

The comments seem to be slower than ever today. It looks like I'm going to have to move TalkLeft to its own server. I'll do it over a weekend probably so there will be less downtime, but I'm as frustrated with the slowness as you are. I'm hesitant to double my hosting expenses but it seems there's no other solution. I was just told that one of the most popular blogs around with ten times TalkLeft's traffic but without comments has a database of 54 MG and TalkLeft's is 234MB -- and that's after I deleted the comments from 2002 through 2004. An alternative is to move to Drupal or something like that from Movable Type, but it would cost a fortune to have someone redesign and move the site and I don't have time to deal with that right now.

My schedule (all subject to change without notice, that's how it works and studio space is double-booked all over town today) : Tucker Carlson 4:30 ET, Catherine Crier (court tv) 5:30 pm, Paula Zahn, 8:00 ET, Hannity and Colmes.,9 pm. Then I'm done.

My Washington Post Chat transcript on the Ramseys (from the 9 News studio) is here.

Time for readers to take over. Here's a fresh thread for whatever's on your mind.