MSGID: 2:292/854 07184753
REPLY: 1:18/200@fidonet.org 61ddd62e
TZUTC: 0100
Sean,
 
SD> But something you won't hear Ward admit is that he has travlled to the US
SD> several times over the years to attend Boy Scout Jamborees from the
SD> Netherlands and that he has begrudingly admitted to liking the US.  Ask
SD> him in netmail. See what his response is.
 
Again ... please get your facts straight ...
 
1/ I'm from Belgium, not the Netherlands.
 
   Belgium is a country in Europe, not a town in Nebraska.
 
   Belgium is about Belgian waffles (which absolutely is 'not' a breakfast
   food here), good chocolate, Brussels sprout, the Biskoff cookies they're
   offering on Delta and United Airlines (here they're called Lotus, an
   original Belgian product) and an incredible beer-culture. I have 2 cases
   of 24 bottles 33cl 12 degrees tripel Trappist ale sitting here from the
   WestVleteren Abbey which was named best beer in the world by the NY Times
   several times
 
          https://www.trappistwestvleteren.be/en/age-gate?_target_path=/en
 
   The treaty of Ghent was also negotiated in Belgium and it ended the
   war of 1812 between the UK and the USA. The site of the negotiations has
   been preserved and can be visited.
 
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent
 
   Free lesson about the history of the USA. No need to thank me.
 
   The Netherlands is a country north of us. They occupied us from 1815
   onwards after the Battle of Waterloo (which is also in Belgium) but driven
   north after the Belgian revolution of 1830. Some bloody fighting took
   place, it continues in the rivalry when both our national football teams
   clash ... 'football' as in a round spherical object which a ball usually
   is, not a leather clad egg which is thrown around by hand, a kind of
   rugby. The purpose of football is to beat the other team, while the
   purpose of American football is to kill the adversary, be very brutal
   about it.
 
   Belgium gained its independance in 1830 and fashioned a constitution
   originally based on the values of the US constitution. The USA were also
   the first big nation to recognize us which probably prompted the British,
   the French and the Prussians to not re-capture us.
 
   The Netherlands are very famous for tulips, you should see the fields in
   full bloom, it's an orgasm of colour. Cheeses ... Gouda cheese, delicious,
   Jenever, KLM Royal Dutch ... probably the best airline in the world,
   speed-skating, fermented herring ...  They also have the hottest looking
   queen in Europe. Anne Frank, Van Gogh, Rembrandt ... the Netherlands.
 
2/ I have never been to a Boy Scout Jamboree, I have no clue where ever you
   got that misguided idea. Not in Europe, not in the USA ... in fact I only
   joined a scouting organisation in 2009 ... I think. Aged 58 at the time.
 
3/ "Several times over the years" ... how about 120 times give or take a few,
   I lost count. As a matter of fact, I just returned a few days ago Jan 8th
   after celebrating NY eve with friends and my granddaughter in Montana.
 
   I did serve on 17 BSA summer camps as an international staffer specialized
   in aquatics. I'm certified by the US Coast Guard, the State of Montana and
   triple certified by the American Red Cross in aquatics. I'm also CPR
   certified though I need to renew this. I teach waterskiing, rowing, kayak,
   canoe, sailing (I have my own 31 footer) and being "international" I deal
   with several requirements of the "Citizenship in the world" merit badge
   which is required for Eagle scout. I'm not being paid for that and the
   trips required for winterizing as well as preparing in spring I also pay
   out of pocket ... including food and other stuff for the crew.
 
   Other than for scouting events I also traveled to the USA several times
   on company business, I lectured at Research Triangle Park in North
   Carolina on invitation by the EPA and was involved in several projects by
   the UN and UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), among others the
   organisation of the 2002 Summit of Heads of State in South Africa on
   request by the Secretary-General of the UN (+ Kofi Annan) and which was
   henceforth known as the 'World Summit on Sustainable Development' under
   the inspiring guidance of Sir Crispin Tickell ...
 
          https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/johannesburg2002
 
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin_Tickell
 
4/ I have liked the USA from day-1, actually, even before that and given the
   opportunity I would move there ... at least to Montana that is. Not to one
   of those states where they only have 4 family names and everybody is a
   cousin or a niece from everybody else.
 
   So why am I not living there? I have a granddaughter aged-12 and a
   grandson soon aged-3 ... I can't be separated from them ... so the next
   best thing is to take that granddaughter with me on trips, and later the
   grandson when he's old enough.
 
   In 2017 we were in Wyoming to view the great north american solar eclipse
   and in 2024 we'll be in Texas to view it.
 
   Just for fun at some time the University of Washington in Pullman WA 
   invited me to take the citizenship test....just for fun. Nailed it all the
   way, several US associates didn't manage.
 
I like my steak medium-rare, drive a 6-cylinger 3 liter Mercedes Viano
(diesel/ automatic), have known my wife for 43 years, married 27, 4 kids, 2
grandkids. Also I sold my US-based Ford F150 pick-up.
 
So, having said all that to correct you, I suggest when you're done scratching
your testicles and smelling your fingers, you make a hard-copy of this message
and/or store it somewhere where you can retrieve it for proper reference.
 
I can also tell you about my work for the Greenpeace organisation,
participation in TV programmes about environment, speeching at the
interministerial conferences on the Northsea, the Oslo convention, The Paris
Convention (now called OSPARCOM), London Dumping convention plus some more
stuff.
 
You'll need to ask and I need the time.
 
Are we good?
 
Take care,
 
 \%/@rd

--- DB4 - Jan 09 2022
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