Lögberg-Heimskringla - 09.02.1990, Qupperneq 1

kalkófnsvegi 1
150 R YKJAVIK ICKLAMD
Inside this week:
Heitir Pottar - Hot Tubs...........................page 3
Going it Alone, by Tom Oleson.............................4
Interview with Dr. Björn Jónsson..........................7
Hátíðarfundur pjóðræknisfélagsins.........................8
Logberg
Heimskringla
The Icelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnað 14. janúar 1888 Heimskringla Stofnað 9. september 1886
lcelandic
News
Over 900 Unemployed in
Reykjavík:
ln January, nine hundred and eleven
people were unemployed in Reykjavík,
lceland's capital. Of these, 548 are
men and 363 are women; 236 labour-
ers and 227 belong to various trades
and professions. Around this time last
year, 627 were out of work.
Iceland’s pjóðræknisfélag
receives support:
The Committee for Promotion of
Relations between lceland and Per-
sons of lcelandic descent in North
America, voted unanimously at a
meeting lastNovembertodonatefunds
to the lcelandic pjóðrœknísfélag. One
hundrad thousand tee|andic krónas
were budgeted towards the organiza-
tion on the occasion of its 50th Anni-
versary, along with birthday greetings
and well wishes.
The Committee and the
pjóðræknisfélag will work closely in de-
ciding whatthe money will be used for.
Alcohol consumption
increases:
Alcohol consumption ín lceland in-
creased by 23% last year. Seven mil-
lion litres of beer were consumed, but
the consumption of wine decreased.
The lcelandic Liquor Commission sold
almost 6-1/2 million krónas worth of
alcoholic beverages and tobacco prod-
ucts. While the purchase of alcohol
increased, the sale of cigarettes de-
creased by 4%, pípe tobacco by 5.8%
and the sale of snuff by 5%.
Icemats sold to France:
Last year, ísvélar hf.. an lcelandic
firm, began producing lcemats, spe-
cially designed to keep fish fresh as it is
exported aboard planes to other coun-
tries. They are regularly 29cm wide,
but can be customized to any length.
The mats coverthefish betterthan ice
alone, and there is no dripping of wa-
ísvélar hf. had no intention of selling
ícemats abroad; but, last November, a
French businessman approched the
company and bought a 1/2 tonne as a
sample.
He will be purchasing 18 tonnes of
the water-filled mats in the next 6
months. These he then sells to a phar-
maceutical company, that uses them
to keep medicine and samples cold.
The lcelandic company receives 50
krónasfor each litre ofwater contained
inthemats.
V J
102. Árgangur
102nd Year
Föstudagur 9. febrúar 1990
Friday, 9 february 1990
Númer 4
Number 4
President
Havel to
lceland?
It has been confirmed that
playwright Vaclav Havel, Presi-
dent of Czechoslovakia, is inter-
ested in attending the premiere
of his play The Restoration (En-
durbyggingin) at the Icelandic
National Theatre early this
month. He may visit Iceland en
route from the Soviet Union to
the United States.
Brynja Benediktsdóttir, di-
rector of the play, and Haukur
J óhannsson, the Chairman of the
Czech-Icelandic Society, sent
Havel an mvitation to attend, with the permission of the Theatre and the
assistance of the Czech Embassy.
At the time of this invitation, there was still a great deal of tension and
conflict in Czechoslovakia. The day after the telegram from Iceland had
been sent, it was announced that Havel would become Czechoslovakia’s
President. Nevertheless, the playwright - cum - President is very interested
in attending a performance. This has indeed boosted the enthusiasm of all
those involved.
porri is here
Porri, one of the winter months, began on
Friday, January the 19th. This picture, which
appeared in the Morgunblað, shows Jón Kor-
nelíus Magnússon, chef at the Naust restaurant
on Vesturgata in Reykjavík. Jón has a tray of
traditional Icelandic food served at porrablóts
and some restaurants at this time of year.
This tray displays mouth-watering hardfish
(harðfiskur), shark (hákarl), sheep’s head (svið),
blood sausages (slátur), and other delicacies.
Special issue
of the
lcelandic
Canadian
The Icelandic Canadian’s Autumn edition has just
come out and is available to all interested buyers.
This special issue was published to commemorate
the visit of President Vigdis Finnbogadóttir to
Canada last summer.
The issue is longer than a regular one, but the
layout and cover page are quite consistent with
the magazine’s traditional look. It features ar-
ticles on the President’s visits to Newfoundland,
Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan,
Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. An interview
with Her Excellency, an editorial, introductory
article and a photographic collage are also
included. It does not quite live up to expecta-
tions, however, due mainly to the poor repro-
duction of the photographs. But it will, as the
advertisements preceeding it promised,
help the reader to preserve memories of this
important state visit - and for $6. an issue,
one can’t go wrong.