I have an ex-boyfriend whose dad lived in Bellingham. Mad as a hatter. Barkers. And a lot of fun to be around, I miss him terribly. A crazy Vietnam war veteran who was one of the most spiritual men I've ever met. All three of his sons are incredibly gifted musically, and it all came from him. He was as round as a cannonball, had a gravelly smokes too much voice, and could sing bluegrass and gospel music like nobody's business. If there was a musical instrument he couldn't play, it's because it hadn't been invented. He was the first person in my ex's family to learn of our relationship, and he supported it wholeheartedly. He, his sons and I all watched "Donnie Darko" one night and the conversation that sprang from it is one that I'll never forget for as long as I live.

He died three years ago of a massive coronary, while on a train from Bellingham down to Santa Barbara to visit his sons, who he loved so deeply it makes my eyes water just typing this. Apparently he closed his eyes and just didn't wake up. My last memory of him is him taking us to the Chumash Indian Casino north of Santa Barbara, handing us each fifty bucks, and proceeding to clean out every slot machine in the place, while me and my ex lost our original stakes in about 10 minutes. The man--and I don't believe in shit like this--could charm the money out of those machines.

He spoke fondly of Bellingham. I'll have to visit one day.

If you're visiting drop me a line. The bar is always open.

I adore Bellingham. Kookville that it is, it's absolutely beautiful and it smells so good.

Hah--we went through the same fluoridation debate this summer in Joplin. I thought at the time it was proof positive that we're a bunch of crazy hillbillies, who else would oppose something so sensible?

meh. When i lived in Sault Ste. Marie during their fluoride debates a councilor stood up and declared that fluoride was linked to aids! He was elected again. Very beautiful place but a lot of loons feathered and not.

Oh yeah, I grew up in a community that opposed fluoridation. Consequently, my teeth are crap.

I drank fluoridated water growing up, (and excellent preventive dentistry) and despite tooth-chipping blows to the face, a middle school career of bedtime toothbrush non-cooperation, and a lifelong cavalier attitude towards floss, I've never had a cavity.

My every thought and movement is controlled by the state, however.

There should be a "had" or "received" in there somewhere, but I just can't be bothered.

Honestly, would you?

Fris, shhhhhhh! You'll make more Californians move here. 'Cept you. You can move here anytime.

Many of my relatives live right up the road in Lynden, and I've spent a fair bit of time in the area. My impression that is was pretty much the same as any other small-to-mid-sized city in the US. Except that it smelled. Bad.

Worse'n'a dead cow?

After a while your smeller goes dead and you don't notice the cowshit. It's dairy county. Everson smells even more.

Lynden jokes:

Help prevent Dutch Door vandalism.

Why do the Dutch wear wooden shoes?
To keep the woodpeckers off their heads.

usw.

I like Lynden. Lotsa churches.

Worse'n'a dead cow?

Good point.

I dunno, maybe it's different today, but when I spent time there (this was about 25 years ago) Bellingham had a very pungent tang to its air, courtesy of a couple of paper mills right in town.

Of course, Lynden did have its own set of smells. I remember riding my bike out through the country right outside the town, and seeing a large farm with an industrial-strength water sprinkler out in the field spraying water in a 50 yard radius circle. But then I noticed that the water had a somewhat dirty, almost brownish color, and seemed curiously viscous as it flew through the air.

Richmond, Indiana frequently smells like hot pet food, courtesy of its Purina mill.

Hugh, I grew up about a half hour from Richmond. It had the closest movie theater. I never noticed a pet food smell, though.

Incidentally, my hometown of Connersville fought fluoridation for almost 50 years. Back in the day it was a communist plot to poison us. Within the last five years it was a government plot to dispose of toxic waste in our water supply. People were coming up with these huge horror stories. A city councilman even ate a tube of fluoride toothpaste to prove it wasn't poison.

They eventually fluoridated the water for the city's own good. I have good teeth though, because of genetics and because my mom got me a prescription for fluoride pills when I was growing up.

The GP pulp mill is deader than Elvis. Within a week of shutting the plant, the town smelled lovely.

A city councilman even ate a tube of fluoride toothpaste to prove it wasn't poison.

Now THAT is dedication!

We've got well water and I occasionally worry that the kid doesn't get enough flouride. Dentist seems to think she's alright, though.

Tea is a natural source of fluoride.

Bellingham seemed like such a nice little town, what I knew of it. Kept to itself, mostly. Did have some strange habits, but don't we all? I just can't believe...
*gasps, bites fist*

Yup, nice little town. Some strange habits (read up the page, it's in reverse order)...

Usually placid...

I've never had a cavity. Thank you, fluoride!

Got more rhymes than the Winans' got family?

Barbeques

Quite little town. Nothing ever happens.

i nearly moved to belligham as it was close to vancouver and seattle and i've never been to the great northwest. i wanted to go to portland as well but the prices went flooey. (i wonder who won that damn ticket in oregon)

while looking up bellingham, it just happened that i found a lot of incidences of extreme hate crimes and like behavior in washington.
in the end, i'm glad i didn't go, then, but i'd still like to go visit portland and see the great northwest, and go to vancouver.
and bellingham.

pardon me. i'm unintelligible.

My freshman year roommate grew up in the boonies, on well-water. She once told me about "swish and spit Tuesdays". They'd each get a small paper cup filled with flouride, and have to swish it around in their mouths, before spitting it out.

(She also explained to me what the FFA is. And I taught her how to jaywalk. It was a good trade ;) )

I worked in Bellingham for several months. I thought it was a cute little town with beautiful scenery (Mt. Baker is right there as is the ocean). But, then again, I went home (over the border) every night.

warbaby, i think the large stretches of less populated territories lead to that kind of thing (serial killers, unsolved murders/crimes, etc, unibombers, etc.)
but on flouride, i once had the liquid kind you swish around (gross and nasty) to help your teeth and supposedly, if one chose to chug a bunch of the stuff down in large doses, it could kill you.
but i that goes for a lot of stuff (haven't read all of articles)
one hand: a lot of flouride
other hand: a little drano

accidentally tasted bleach once--

Ethyl, dear. This is a heavily developed urban / suburban area on the I-5 corridor. Think of it as Tiajuana north. We also have a very high rate of unsolved bank robberies. And, of course, a lot of drug smuggling and money laundering. You can cash a hot stove at any bank in town.

war, i was speaking more of places i have lived with such instances as i can't speak of bellingham. it would seem that it would be set up for serial killers though, having access to large populations but being able to hide.
from what i know of what i hear of washington state, they're are a lot of problems afoot.

god speed, black emperor.