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Good morning, herren und damen. Welcome back, E - I wondered where you'd been. Great weather here. This afternoon I plan to don shorts and hit the golf course.

Well, Bill Clinton continues to hobnob with the Eurotrash leaders who think he's so wonderful, probably interfering with Bush Admin. policy at every turn:

Former US President Bill Clinton was due to arrive in Oslo Monday night, on a new mission to raise money for the fight against HIV/AIDS. He'll meet Norway's top politicians, give a lecture at the university and eat lunch with the royal family.

Clinton has a full agenda during his two-day visit that will officially start Tuesday morning at the prime minister's office. After a meeting with Kjell Magne Bondevik, the two will hold a press conference and then take off for lunch at Bjoernsgaard, a collection of old timber houses on the outskirts of town. Clinton also will meet with the Norwegian cabinet minister in charge of foreign aid, Hilde Frafjord Johnson, and is scheduled Wednesday to deliver a lecture at the University of Oslo on how the world should meet the challenge of HIV/AIDS. It's a subject that Clinton has been especially concerned with since he left the White House in 2000. The Clinton Foundation has taken its own initiative to battle the disease in underdeveloped countries.

Clinton hopes to win financial contributions from Norway's government for the HIV/AIDS fight, even though local politicians have put forward tight budgets and constantly complain they are short of funds. Clinton will wrap up his visit Wednesday with a meeting at Oslo's Royal Palace with King Harald. He's then been invited to lunch with the royal family.

This will be Clinton's third visit to Norway in recent years. He was the first US president to visit Norway while still in office, when he came to Oslo to attend a memorial for slain Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin in 1999 and turned it into a state visit. He later returned to deliver a paid lecture after he left office. Aftenposten

Hey, y'all. Sorry for posting and running. Halloween's a big event in our neighborhood where kids are literally bused in from the inner city. So we try to make it fun and festive for them including our own kids. Lots of work, though.

Speaking of unusual Scottish food, the piece de resistance was haggis served with mashed neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes):

I fail to see why it isn't more of an international hit. NOT!!!!

But who can resist shortbread?

and scones

I think I'll go and have a cuppa.