Meastro444

Mandatory insurance is nothing new. For us in the Netherlands there are at least 2 mandatory insurance policies: 1. Health insurance, it covers every lifesaving treatment, and if you own a car you must have a liability insurance which basicly covers all the damage you do unto others, within limits. I don't get why some Americans are against it?

All hail our new King! Oranjebitter please.

    We use both systems here in the Netherlands. The chipknip is when you carry the money on the card and is used mostly for small, up to €10,-, purchases. I use it in the coffeemachine since you only have to press "ok". The replacement of cash in favour over card payments is progressing fast here. Virtually no transaction costs.

I should have said that I didn't know a better for it, not even in Dutch.

The notion that you need guns to prevent a nation of falling in the hands of tyranny is absurd. Where I live, without being able to carry guns wherever we please we seem to do pretty good on the democracy scale. Also, don't think I am actually trying to get the US to change it's constitution. Don't read that in my posts.

Depends, if bike thefts are included in that number we actually are a lot better off. I prefer bike thefts over murders and other crimes.

While it is a big thing here in Holland it's not controversial at all, at least for us. Most of us will miss her, but we celebrate her abdication and we will celebrate the crowning (for the lack of a better word, apparently our monarchs don't get crowned) of our new King. We don't want Beatrix to go, but it's a good decision and it was hers to make. We are satisfied.

What do you want me to call that then? Verbal abuse? And actually, that link actually said that us Dutch have lower crime rates and the answers stated in that article seem to be wrong.

Here in Holland we do just fine without all guns. You can get a gun, if you get a permit for it. Otherwise, to bad. And Dewm, a 'good' discussion doesn't involve name calling.

That'll either be Jonge Jevener or Oranjebitter. Hear hear, I will miss our Queen Beatrix and I will celebrate her abdication and a celebrate the rise to the throne of our new King. I think this change will do good for our little country.

Our Queen has announced her abdication. I did think I'd be moved, but I am. All hail the King!

Same here Ocram. Almost 23, and still haven't had a relationship yet. I keep hope I will find the right one for me.

Thank you, I could really use the coffee right about now. How's life been treating you?

It's a Dutch kind of joke. It's a litteral translation of Koffie Verkeerd, which basicly is strong coffee with loads of milk. I believe it's called a Café Latté in English? The Coffee Wrong joke comes from the English some Dutch people use. Most of us have a fairly decent knowledge of English. Those who don't, translate Dutch into English in the most litteral sense, or use words that look like it. Fun for us, shouldn't try it on non-Dutch speakers.

No winter at all. We had a teensy bit of snow a month ago, though it melted near instantly. Rainy Christmas, rainy New Years Eve and 10 degrees C. I much prefer minus 10C and clear skies. Makes for much better winter experience. Edit: Well, exactly the same like Wiecher sad.