Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.01.2008, Page 2

02 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 01 2008 | Year 6 | January 11 – Febuary 07
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík
www.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 Editor:
Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / steinunn@grapevine.is
Staff Writer:
Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir / vala@grapevine.is
Contributing Writer:
Haukur Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Ian Watson / www.ianwatson.org
Art Director:
Gunnar Þorvaldsson / gunni@grapevine.is
Photographer:
Gunnlaugur Arnar Sigurðsson
gulli@grapevine.is
Marketing Director:
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / jontrausti@grapevine.is
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Support Manager:
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / oddur@grapevine.is
Distribution:
Þórir Gunnar Jónsson / thorir@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Jane Victoria Appleton
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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 spon-
sored. (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine
are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are
the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 30.000 copies.
Average heat (in °C) in Reyk-
javík. Only .5 degrees colder
than the hottest year yet.
Issues of The Reyk-
javík Grapevine.
5.5
Number of text messages sent on the
Síminn network alone on New Year’s
Eve. A 30% increase from last year.
New cars reg-
istered. 517
less than the
year before.
830,000 22,603
Increase in the
market price
index for apart-
ment housing in
Reykjavík.
11%
Average number of pizza boxes
used by Icelanders every year. If
stacked, these boxes would reach
a height of apx. 240 km.
Increase in usage of the city public bus system.
The amount of real estate transactions (ISK).
The number
of fatalities
in accidents.
4,000,000
The number of registered
students at the University of
Iceland.
9786
The number of pas-
sengers travelling
through Leifur
Eiríksson Interna-
tional Airport.
2,200,000
13.65%
29
360,000,000,000
Population increase in Iceland.
1.8%
The population of Iceland. Twelve month infla-
tion in Iceland.
The number of new internet
domains registered, bringing
the total of Icelandic domains
to 20.000.
312,872 5.9%
4000
The number of ships in Iceland.
The number of
Ice-cream sellers
shut down in Reyk-
javík for not pass-
ing health-
inspections.2
1809
18
The Grapevine Selects the Album of the Year • Interview With Director Ragnar Bragason
The Last Day of Earth • Jesus Christ Enters the Stage • The Lonesome Traveller Gets Wet
Issue 01 // Jan 11 - Feb 07 2008+ info. A Complete City Guide and Listings: Map, Dining, Music, Arts and Events
Cover illustration:
Gunni Þorvalds
Facts gathered by:
Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir
Happy New Year kids. And welcome to the first is-
sue of 2008. What an exciting year we have ahead
of us. First, later this month, we have the Europe-
an Finals in team handball. That should turn this
country upside down. Later this year, we will be
treated to both the European Finals in football, as
well as the Olympic Games in Beijing. I am hon-
estly torn over when would be the ideal time to
take a summer vacation. It is entirely possible that
the Grapevine will stop publication during this
time. And, with any luck, we might have presiden-
tial elections this year as well, although it seems
unlikely, since our current president will probably
be appointed by default, since he is the only can-
didate to have declared interest in the job.
The public discussion over the presidential
elections has bothered me though. It is as if the
majority of the public would rather skip the whole
process, since our current president would likely
win anyway, than have anyone run against him,
citing the financial costs of staging the elections.
This is the message in its simplified form: if the
outcome of the election were likely to be one way,
we would rather forgo our democratic process
and save some money doing so.
Democracy demands financial costs. This
is inevitable. It is the constitutional right of every
man to run for office in this country, as long as
he meets certain requirements of age and citizen-
ship, and we should under no conditions try to
curfew that right. This sort of talk invites the dan-
ger of slippery slope, and that is a slope we don’t
want our democracy to be in. We should rather
embrace the idea of partaking in the democratic
process.
This issue of the Grapevine celebrates the
year that has passed. We look at interesting events
from 2007, select the album of the year, and round
up some numbers that put the year in perspective.
I hope you all had a good year. I did.
From the Editor’s Chair
Opinion
Freedom in Pyrotechnics 08
An opinion by Alexandra Hertell
Four random conclusions for 2007 08
An opinion by Haukur Magnússon
Articles
No Sleep, No Pay 06
Interview with filmmaker Ragnar Bragason
Life in Numbers 09
Reviewing a year in the life of Páll Hilmarsson in numbers
Recent Books About Iceland 21
Reading suggestions for the Icelandophile
Features
Scenes from Suburbia 12
Photojournal from Seltjarnarnes
Looking Back 14
The Year’s Most Interesting Headlines
Top 10 Albums of 2007 15
The Grapevine awards its respected album of the year title
Top of the Charts 16
Interview with Markús Bjarnason & Birkir Fjalar Viðarsson
Music & Nightlife
Psychedelic Normalcy 18
Benny Crespo’s Gang in Concert
Jesus Christ Rockstar 18
Jesus Christ Superstar steps on stage
CD Reviews 19
Outside Reykjavík
A Different Kind of Country Music 22
Yet another American music journalist drives the Ring Road
Across the Country in 40 Days 28
Adventures of the Lonesome Traveller, Leg V
info.
Listings B2
Food Reviews B10
Shopping B12
30 Years of Contemporary Art B14
Earth Waves Goodbye to GusGus B15