Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.09.2008, Blaðsíða 2

2 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 14—2008
The Reykjavík Grapevine
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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
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Grapevine is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri,
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pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the
writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 30.000 copies.
(Not) dealing with the aftermath of Chicken Street
Issue No 14 – 2008 www.grapevine.is
SHIT HAPPENS!
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL
AND ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELAND
COMPLETE CITY LISTINGS – INSIDE!
FREE
+
The Golden Greek Arrives
Introducing: The Beer Patrol
Björk sets things straight
Staðarskáli: Kiss it Goodbye
Chris Paine And The Revenge Of The Electric Car
PHOTOGRAPHY
GAS
MODEl
Nami
THANKS
Hotel Saga
Iceland is a peace-loving country. Perhaps that
is why it was so easy to sell the nation the idea
of a peacekeeping force, which in reality turned
out to be a paramilitary organisation that was al-
most strictly deployed on military-related mission
in hostile environments. Humanitarian missions?
Not so much.
The ICRU has been a matter of much de-
bate since it was first conceived in 2001. When
members of the Unit were attacked and wounded
when guarding their misguided commander on a
personal errand to shop for carpets in a hostile en-
vironment, it fuelled much speculation as to what
our role was in peacekeeping missions around the
world. Was it really our place, as an unarmed na-
tion, to supply NATO with paramilitary units?
When a new Minister took over the Ministry
for Foreign Affairs, she made it one of her first tasks
on the job to announce that Icelandic peacekeep-
ing forces would from now one be strictly civilian.
This issue we taka look at the brief and somewhat
violent history of the Icelandic paramilitary.
We also check in with Björk and poke her
a bit on her reasons for her recent statements re-
garding sexism in the music industry. We preview
the upcoming conference on sustainable driving,
talk to Academy Awards winner Costa-Gavras
who will visit the Reykjavík International Film Fes-
tival and examine the increasing homogenisation
of the Icelandic road shop. So, lots of cool stuff to
keep you entertained.
Articles
06 CHICKENSHIT HAPPENS!Looking back at the attack in Chicken Street
08 START YOuR ENGINESIceland is going green and there’s no looking back.
08 IT’S ElECTRIC Interview with Chris Paine, director of the film Who Killed the Electric Car
10 WORlD ClASS IS TRuE TO THEIR NAME Discovering the biggest luxury gym in Iceland
10 MORE MONSTERS AND MYTHICAl BEINGS Confront the Útburður
12 PREDATOR fOR PRESIDENT Which action stars should run for office?
12 uS CITIzENS: HERE’S HOW YOu VOTE All you need to know about overseas voting
14 THE GOlDEN GREEK Costa-Gavras elaborates on the staggering power of film
34 ICElANDIC TATTOO DIVATattoo artist Jón Páll shares a few thoughts.
35 DISCOVER lANGSPIl Traditional Icelandic instrument
36 fRENCH SEx SYMBOl STuNS REYKjAVIKSebastian Tellier reviewed.

37 BROADS AND BAllOONS Mammút awakes of its exhaustive coma with dignity
38 THE BIRTH Of THE NEW ICElANDIC PRODuCT Designers make their mark on food
39 SExISM AND SlOPPY jOuRNAlISM Björk shares a few well chosen words with the music press
40 WAKING uP IN WONDERlAND The Grapevine visits the Electric Picnic Music Festival
41 THE TRADITIONAl fORM DOES NOT APPEAl TO ME An interview with novelist Jón Kalman Stefánsson

Features
16 THE INEVITABIlITY Of HOMOGENISATION Staðarskáli makes way for yet another shrimp-dog stand
Destinations
42 ON THE PuffIN TRAIl IN VESTMANNAEYjAR Watch your step
44 NATIONAl MuSEuM Of ICElAND Viking swords and more
44 WITCH MuSEuM IN STRANDIR Wicked witchcraft
EDITORIAlTABlE Of CONTENTS MASTHEAD
THE COVER
COMIC STRIP BY LÓA HJÁLMTÝSDÓTTIR