Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em

Better go find Grandpa’s old floor ashtray — it might help cover the bills next month. Smoking paraphernalia of yesteryear can fetch big money in today’s collectible market.

With that in mind, area law enforcement officers might want to hang on to the 23,000 glass bongs they seized at the Port of Tacoma. Those (cough) “flower vases” (cough) might be hot items on the Sotheby’s auction block in 2109.

—-

Fly the sheep’s head express: Starting this summer, travelers will be able to fly direct to Iceland from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

So mark your calendars for next January, when Icelanders will celebrate the annual Porramatur feast. And man, are we talking “feast.” The traditional delicacies include putrefied Greenland shark, rams’ testicles cured in lactic acid, and singed and boiled sheep heads. Maybe Bjork will sing.

—-

Desk jockeys: Health experts say those of us who sit at a desk all day should be exercising at it, too.

The Buzz says thanks but no thanks; we’ll stick to eating at our desk. Besides, we’d feel pretty dumb sitting on one of those big inflatable balls.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

A parent walks their children to class at Whittier Elementary on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Everett schools warrant yes votes on bond, levy

The bond will add and renovate schools; the levy supports 15% of the district’s budget.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Jan. 26

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ may not be so great

Details are scarce, but reliance on health savings accounts could leave many without access to care.

Comment: Income tax on ‘wealthy’ could eventually hit all in state

The ‘millionaire’s tax’ in Washington would create the highest marginial income tax rate in the U.S.

Comment: On once-winning issues, Trump losing popular support

Trump’s emphasis on foreign policy has cost him in polls regarding the economy and immigration enforcement.

Kristof: World leaders realizing they must not appease Trump

Leaders will need to answer further threats of tariffs and worse with their own harsh measures.

A red baseball cap reading “Make America Go Away” is displayed at McKorman, Jesper Tonnesen’s vintage clothing store in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. The Danish writing on the hats, “Nu det Nuuk,” uses “Nuuk,” Greenland’s capital, to play on an expression that roughly means “enough is enough.”  (Hilary Swift/The New York Times)
Comment: When talk of peace is brandished as a tool of war

From ancient Rome to icy expanses of Greenland,the tactics of war have used words of peace.

People sit on benches in the main hallway of Explorer Middle School’s new athletics building on Oct. 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Voters should approve Mukilteo schools levy, bond

The levy provides about 14% of the district’s budget. The bond funds improvements districtwide.

Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank testifies before the Washington state Senate Law and Justice Committee in Olympia on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (Screenshot courtesy of TVW)
Editorial: Find path to assure fitness of sheriff candidates

An outburst at a hearing against a bill distracted from issues of accountability and voters’ rights.

FILE - In this Aug. 28, 1963 file photo, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, speaks to thousands during his "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in Washington. A new documentary “MLK/FBI,” shows how FBI director J. Edgar Hoover used the full force of his federal law enforcement agency to attack King and his progressive, nonviolent cause. That included wiretaps, blackmail and informers, trying to find dirt on King. (AP Photo/File)
Editorial: King would want our pledge to nonviolent action

His ‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ outlines his oath to nonviolence and disruptive resistance.

The Buzz: Cpl. Veronika, you’re being sent to defend Greenland

Cows have been hiding their ability to use tools. Is the bovine revolution at hand?

Vote yes for Everett schools bond, levy for strong schools, strong community

I have been a resident in the Everett School District for most… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.