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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