Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.04.2007, Qupperneq 2

P_REYKJAVÍK_GRAPEVINE_ISSUE 04_YEAR 05_APRIL 13_MAY 03
The Reykjavík Grapevine crew
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
www.myspace.com/reykjavikgrapevine
Published by Fröken ehf.
Editorial Office
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
for inquiries regarding editorial content.
Marketing Office
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
for inquiries regarding advertising, marketing, distribution
and subscriptions.
Publisher’s Office
+354 540 3601 / froken@grapevine.is
for inquiries regarding this publication.
The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff
Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / publisher@grapevine.is
Editor: Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / birkir@grapevine.is
Assistant Editor: Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / steinunn@grapevine.is
Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / ads@grapevine.is
Support Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / oddur@grapevine.is
Art Director: Gunnar Þorvaldsson / gunni@grapevine.is
Photographer: Óskar Hallgrímsson / skari@grapevine.is
Contributing writers: Haukur Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Ian Watson
Sales staff: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / jontrausti@grapevine.is
Distribution: Sæmundur Þ. Helgason / saemi@grapevine.is
Proofreader: Jane Victoria Appleton
On cover: The new Icelandic Coat of Arms
Illustration: Búri / www.icelandtattoo.com
Printed by: Prentsmiðja Morgunblaðsins printing press
# of copies: 30.101.
The Reykjavík Grapevine can be found in:
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locations around road #1 and at all major tourist attractions and tourist information
centres.
Are you planning an event? Do you want to tell us something?
Send a press release to: listings@grapevine.is
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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’).
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 mag-
azine 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.
Subscribe to the Reykjavík Grapevine by visiting www.grapevine.is. Subscription
inquiries: subscribe@grapevine.is and +354 540 3605.
Apparently, the world at large has little or
no idea that Iceland even exists, or at least
it would have a hard time finding it on the
map. This has been scientifically proven (as
close to being science as anything else in
marketing anyway) by the arbiter on nation
branding, Simon Anholt. To you, the unlucky
tourist who accidentally stumbled upon this
island, I have this advice: The natives are
friendly and well spoken and will happily
direct you back to the airport.
To you, the cheating Icelander who
probably ripped this copy out of the hands
of a departing foreigner, I assure you that the
cavalry is here. The Grapevine is launching
an extensive campaign to rebrand Iceland.
Taking our cue from various marketing wiz-
kids, we have designed a new Coat of Arms
for Iceland, selecting the most popular icons
used to market our glorious nation: the
world’s strongest men, the slutty blonde,
Keiko the Killer Whale, and last but not
least, the Puffin. Every one of these national
emblems has at one point or another been
used in marketing campaigns to attract
attention to Iceland, Icelandic companies,
and/or institution. If you cannot trust the
wisdom of the market, who can you trust?
Look for this new and improved Coat of
Arms to appear on T-shirts, coffee-mugs,
frisbees and key-chains in tourist stores
around the country. There is no stopping
us now, so look out world; here come the
Vikings! (Not the Minnesota ones).
While on the subject of Minnesota, or
the US in general (New Jersey to be exact),
allow me this opportunity to extend an
apology on behalf of my country to Uwe
Reinhardt, Professor of Political Economy
at Princeton University. I understand that
his mailbox is overflowing with letters from
angry Icelanders who failed to mark the
satire when he recently suggested that
Iceland might be a more fitting target than
Iran for a US-led invasion in a recent article
on dailyprincetonian.com.
For those Icelanders who fear the
oncoming US-invasion (perhaps there was
an underlying reason for closing down the
US military base in Keflavík), fear not. The
Grapevine staff has doctored a detailed plan
for a backdoor invasion into the US. (The
road leads through Mexico, that is all I can
reveal) using Minister for Justice, Björn “Iron
Lung” Bjarnason’s soon to be established
semi-military police force. After all, why go
through the trouble of creating a Coat of
Arms, if there is no army to coat?
From the Editor’s Chair
Articles
06 Pure Body – Pure Nation
An interview with Eiríkur Bergmann
08 Heavy-Industry in Iceland?
Candidates define their Party’s Policy
10 Of Elections and Identity-crises
An opinion by Magnús Björn Ólafsson

12 The Fisherman’s Burden – too many fish in the sea?
An opinion by Marvin Lee Dupree
19 Crying Out Loud
An opinion by Gabriele R. Gudbjartsson
24 Fight for Your Right to Stay on the Air
An interview with Capone
Features
14 Iceland™: Now 10% off!

16 The Struggle for Autonomy
A Grapevine correspondent joins the Ungdomshuset demonstration
Music, Nightlife & Culture
18 CD Reviews
20 Can I Get a Witness?
Björk in Laugardalshöll
20 An Exceptional Anomaly
Ólöf Arnalds release concert at NASA
22 The Grapevine Goes Shopping
Outside Reykjavík
26 A Day Trip to Borgarfjörður
26 The Arty East
Grapevine goes to East Iceland
info.
B1 Listings
B6 The Brotherhood of the Negative
Mínus Interview
B10 Æla’s Anarchy in the UK
B12 Food Reviews
B13 Bezt í heimi: Reykjavík Pizza Company
B15 Aldrei fór ég suður: A Celebration of all Things Good