Reykjavík Grapevine - 27.07.2007, Side 2

0_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 11_YEAR 05_JULY 7_AUGUST 09
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
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Published by Fröken ehf.
Editorial: +354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
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The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff
Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / publisher@grapevine.is
Editor: Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / birkir@grapevine.is
Assistant Editors: Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / steinunn@grapevine.is
Haukur Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Editorial Interns: Zoë Robert / zoe@grapevine.is
Chandler Fredrick / chandler@grapevine.is
Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir / vala@grapevine.is
Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / jontrausti@grapevine.is
Support Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / oddur@grapevine.is
Art Director: Gunnar Þorvaldsson / gunni@grapevine.is
Photographer: Gunnlaugur Arnar Sigurðsson / gulli@grapevine.is
Contributing writer: Ian Watson / www.ianwatson.org
Sales Director: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Distribution: Sæmundur Þ. Helgason / saemi@grapevine.is
Proofreader: Jim Rice
Press releases: listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries: editor@grapevine.is
Subscription inquiries: +354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is
General inquiries: grapevine@grapevine.is
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly
from November through April, and fortnightly from May til October. Nothing
in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written
permission of the publishers. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure
that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be
subject to change. The Reykjavík Grapevine can be found in Reykjavík, Akureyri,
Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður, Kárahnjúkar and at key locations around
road #1 and at all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored. (No articles in the Reykjavík
Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not
the advertisers’).
Printed by Prentsmiðja Morgunblaðsins printing press in 30.000 copies.
If you are a newly-arrived visitor to Reykjavík,
you might have noticed the happy-casual feel
that has taken over the city centre recently.
A bunch of people enjoying their drinks and
cigarettes at outdoor cafés till late in the eve-
ning is a pretty common sight, that is, until the
police come to pull the plug on the party. It’s
summer. The weather has been amazing. Let’s
enjoy life! is the phrase of the day.
But we here at the Grapevine won’t let the
sun distract us and are in a pretty serious mood.
And what’s more serious to Icelanders than fish.
In this issue, Haukur S. Magnússon, with help
from a carefully chosen panel of experts, goes
to great length to explain the quota system to
the majority of us who really understand only a
small fraction of how the system works. That’s
pretty serious and complicated stuff, especially
after a recent decision made by the govern-
ment to cut the cod quota by a whole 63,000
tons. This is a decision that will surely have a
significant impact in the forthcoming months
and mainly affect the number of people who
live in the small fishing villages around the
country and base their livelihood on the fishing
industry. They are worried, understandably, as
their future is at stake, and this is something
we all should think about. I therefore encour-
age all you readers, Icelanders, foreigners and
travellers alike, to grab a large cup of coffee,
read the article thoroughly and continue the
discussion.
And there is more cod to learn about. We
sent our ready-for-anything editorial intern
Chandler Fredrick to go fishing on an Icelandic
‘trylla’ out in Faxaflói bay where he experienced
first hand how bloody and messy life at sea
truly is. He even managed to gut his first cod,
ever, and lived to tell about it.
But it’s summer’s prime season, we know,
and there needs to be time for something
else other than digging into the heavy issues.
August, one of the year’s most happening
months, is around the corner and in the next
weeks we will see endless celebrations. The
annual traffic-jammed travel mania of the
year, also known as Verlsunarmannahelgin,
features numerous outdoor festivals across
the country. This annual long-weekend takes
place the first weekend of August, so if you
are planning to stay in the country for a couple
of days, I can honestly say that attending one
of these outdoor festivals will be something
to remember. Only one warning – during this
weekend, some locals tend to show their worst
sides and forget all about the good manners
their mothers had once taught them. Bring a
raincoat and loads of tolerance, and you might
have a blast. Info on all of these holiday activi-
ties you will find in the pages of this issue of
the Grapevine.
If you unfortunately miss out on the may-
hem, or after joining in the annual holiday spirit
with the locals and you haven’t gotten enough
of cheerful sing-alongs, crowded street-parties
and painted faces, there’s always Gay Pride the
weekend after.
Steinunn Jakobsdóttir, Assistant Editor
From the Editor’s Chair
Opinions
10 On Karl Marx –Until Eternity Proves Him Wrong
An opinion by Magnús Björn Ólafsson
1 A Peter Parker Conforms: “The Truth Is Out There?”
An opinion by Marvin Lee Dupree
16 MySpace vs. Facebook
An opinion by Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir
Articles
06 Controlling the Discourse by Changing the Subject
An Interview with Helgi Seljan
08 Gone Fishing
Exploring the flesh and guts of a day out on a cod fishing boat
16 Roots Tourism in Hofsós
The Iceland Emigration Center in Hofsós
18 G! Festival: Like Valhalla’s Own Music Fest
Features
0 Whose Fish is it Anyway?
Exploring the Quota System
Music & Nightlife
6 Passing the Test
Mínus at Grand Rokk
6 Hopeless Romantics
My Summer as a Salvation Soldier at 12 Tónar
7 Borderline OK
Wulfgang, Ten Steps Ahead, & Vafurlogi at Café Amsterdam
Outside Reykjavík
9 Sea Kayaking at Stokkseyri
30 LungA: A Huge Little Festival
3 The Westman Islands: Puffins Abound
34 A Guide to Verslunarmannahelgi
info.
B1 Listings
B6 Seabear: Fully-fledged Team
B7 Gallery Crush
B10 Food Reviews
B11 Toys for Tourists
B13 Not the Same Old Jens
An Interview with Jens Lekman
B14 Shopping
The Reykjavík Grapevine Explores the Quota System • A Guide to Verslunarmannahelgin
A Day in the Westman Islands • Innipúkinn Preview • Sea Kayaking in Stokkseyri
Issue 11 // Jul 27 - Aug 9 2007+ info. A Complete City Guide and Listings: Map, Dining, Music, Arts and Events
Whose Fish is it Anyway?
Cover photo by:
Gulli
Model:
Gunni from EMM
Thanks to:
Ellingsen and Sjófiskur