Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.10.2008, Síða 2

2 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 16—2008
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
Publisher:
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / hilmar@grapevine.is
Editor:
Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / birkir@grapevine.is
Assistant Editor:
Haukur S. Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Páll Hilmarsson / pallih@gmail.com
Valur Gunnarsson / www.myspace.com/valurgunnarsson
Ben H. Murray / ben@benhmurray.com
Editorial Interns:
Desiree Andrews / desiree@grapevine.is
Florian Zühlke / florian@grapevine.is
James Crugnale / james@grapevine.is
Marcus Walsh / marcus@grapevine.is
Sigurður Kjartan Kristinsson / sigurdur@grapevine.is
Stevie Ward / stevie@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson / hoddi@grapevine.is
Design:
Jóhannes Kjartansson / www.joi.is
Photographer:
Gunnlaugur A. Sigurðsson (GAS) / gulli@grapevine.is
Marketing Director:
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / jontrausti@grapevine.is
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Distribution:
Vigdís Jónsdóttir / vigdis@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
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
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. The
Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around Reykjavík,
Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at
key locations along road #1, and all major tourist attrac-
tions and tourist information centres in the country.
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 Landsprent ehf. in 30.000 copies.
CovER IlluSTRATIoN
Köddi Hristbjörns
ASSISTANCE
Jói Kjartans
Siggi Eggertsson
I think I speak for everyone here when I write this:
HOLY FUCK! The last few weeks have wrecked
more havoc on this country than anything that’s
not directly caused by a natural disaster. Our
economy has been reduced to the standards East-
ern Europe at end of the Cold War. As a nation, we
are more or less bankrupt.
Credit crunch. It almost has nice ring to it,
doesn’t it? Sounds like it could be a cereal brand
rather than the end of an era. Currency crisis. It’s
a little alarming, but still. Cancel Christmas. Now,
that is a serious statement, but right now, it seems
to be the only viable option we have.
Thousands of people will be affected by
this crisis, both in Iceland and abroad. Homes are
facing unemployment; unbearable mortgage pay-
ments, inflation and massive disruption to daily
life caused the uncertainty of the situation. I keep
hearing that this is not the time to assign blame or
look for culprits, but I don’t agree. I want to… nay
– I need to – see someone hang for this.
But there is not much we can do at this point.
Except try our best to forget about the whole thing
and party like there is no tomorrow, which at this
point seems like a possible outcome. Luckily, Ice-
land Airwaves is just around the corner.
I’ll see you there. I’ll be the guy at the end of
the bar, counting his last krona and crying into his
beer.
Articles
06 GETTING MoRE SERIouS Director Óskar Jónasson on his latest offspring Reykjavík-Rotterdam
06 CluTuRE oF WASTE A New Yorker Gives her point of view
08 BlADES oF GloRYIceland is fast becoming an international hockey powerhouse
08 BoMB IT!A Lesson in Graffiti Culture from Director Jon Reiss
10 MoRE MoNSTERS AND MYThICAl BEINGS Miklabæjar-Sólveig
10 ThE CouChSuRFING CulTuRE The ultimate social networking site owes its existence to Iceland
11 hoW To SuCCEED IN MoDERN BuSINESS Lesson from the Icelandic Voyage
12 A 13Th CENTuRY REBEl Examining the politics of Snorri Sturluson
16 DESERTIFICATIoN WAY uP NoRTh Brant Bjork and the Bros. concert review
17 lIFE WIll NEvER SuCk Skátar concert review
18 SPAM AlERT!Icelandic criminals may try to defraud you
19 ICElANDIC FISh IN All ITS FoRMS Say hello to your new diet

20 32C Airwaves artist to watch
23 DIRECT AND BRuTAl MACBETh Bring out your dead!
Features
14 ThE SkElEToN ECoNoMY During a two week period our ecconomy was reset to the Stone Age
.
15 ThE lAST GREAT DEPRESSIoN The Laissez-faire dream is over.
Destinations
42 AkuREYRI A day trip to Iceland´s second city
44 A TRIP To ThE SouTh CoAST Why it should be your next destination
45 BRITISh PRuDE To ICElANDIC NuDE A visit to Sundhöll
EDIToRIAlTABlE oF CoNTENTS MASThEAD
ThE CovER
CoMIC STRIP BY LÓA HJÁLMTÝSDÓTTIR