Ideas/Weymouth: "Print is still very, very strong. We have a million readers a day."

Ideas/Sullivan: blogs can have more impact than books. More repetition, more conversation, more readers.

Andrew Sullivan on blogging: "This kind of a new medium comes along once in a lifetime."

Tryangiel of Time.com: "Internet advertising sucks." "It just looks cheesey."

Calacanis of Mahalo: "We as the audience are becoming part of the journalistic process. And it is a better process."

Online opportunities: Manager of Time.com says more people reading Time than ever before.

Goolsbee: we were very close to a depression.

Ideas day 2: Wessel of WSJ on economy "things are beginning to heal."

John Holdren taking questions: said good to have Prez "who gets it and who can explain it," meaning urgency of "global climate disruption."

Holdren: China now sez on climate: when US leads, we will follow.

Climate Czar Holdren: Senate must pass cap/trade 4 C'hagen to mean anything.

Ideas Fest staff says turn off phones during talk, due to audio interference. No Tweets!

Mercedes is a sponsor of the Ideas Fest this year.

Pleasant eve in the land of ideas.

Ideas Fest registration underway. Idea: let's go hiking, it is beautiful out

The sidewalk in front of Paepcke Auditorium It is not likely to look so empty the rest of the week, that's for sure. The event starts tonight at 5 p.m. with a session called "What's the Big Idea" and goes through next Sunday. There are still tickets available for some public events. The first "bold face names" will be out on Tuesday morning, when Sandra Day O'Conner speaks at 9 a.m. about the criminal justice system and Maria Bartiromo of CNBC moderates a panel discussion at 9 a.m. about the financial system. And on it goes from there. Aspen's in fine form for the festival. Hot sun much mo bettah than steady drizzle, yes?

Summer weather arrives

It looks like it will be a beautiful week leading into the Fourth of July this Saturday. Temps in the 80s with few clouds and just a light chance of showers. The last two days have been silky feeling with sunshine and warmth and near-perfect days. The Ideas Festival starts Monday and should pump up the volume in town along with the second week of the Music Festival. There is a sense of optimism in the air. But then, when the air is just perfect, it is hard to be a pessimist.

Sun returns for Aspen FAC.

Excuse me sir, but could you please stop choking your monkey?

Okay, this is isn't really fair. He's a nice guy. I asked if I could take his picture. He said, "Sure, but give me a minute" and he finished building his balloon monkey by putting its head on. Guy is an artist. It would take me a week to build a balloon monkey. He has a nice shady spot across from the playground on the mall. The kids like him. And since he made the monkey, he can do whatever he wants with it.

Jazz Aspen Snowmass JAS Academy band playing a tune Friday called "Antics." Perfect kind of jazz for a mellow and wet early afternoon. Not your average downtown scenario.

Rainy Friday on the Hyman Ave mall with its happy flowers.