Reykjavík Grapevine - 31.07.2009, Blaðsíða 2

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11 — 2009
Cover Photo:
Stefán Karlsson
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Hafnarstræti 15, 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:
Haukur S Magnússon
haukur@grapevine.is
Journalist:
Catharine Fulton / catharine@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Sigurður K Kristinsson
sigurdur@grapevine.is
Florian Zühlke / f lorian@grapevine.is
Sindri Eldon
Marc Vincenz
Hildur Edda Einarsdóttir
John Boyce
Geirharður Þorsteinsson
Rebecca Louder
H. Hakan Durak
Ian Watson
Irina Domurath
Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl
Dr. Gunni
Hildur Knútsdóttir
Hugleikur Dagsson
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
Food Editor:
Sari Peltonen
Editorial Interns:
Jonathan Baker Esq
jonathan@grapevine.is
Joyce Guzowski
joyce@grapevine.is
Design Intern:
Hailey Loman
hailey@grapevine.is
On-line News Editor
Paul Nikolov
paulnikolov@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson
hoddi@grapevine.is
Design:
Björn Lárus Arnórsson
Photographer:
Hörður Sveinsson / hordursveinsson.com
Marketing Director:
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson
jontrausti@grapevine.is
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson
adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson
grs@grapevine.is
Distribution:
Sæmundur Þór Helgason
distribution@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Jim Rice
Press releases:
listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries:
editor@grapevine.is
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+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, Kef lavík, Ísafjörður and
at key locations along road #1, and all major
tourist attractions and tourist information
centres in the country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not
sponsored. (No articles in the Rey-
kjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles.
The opinions expressed are the writers’
own, not the advertisers’).
We haven’t really been covering
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE in Grapevine
as of late. Not since we did the whole
IceSave issue, the one with the soon-
to-be drowning girl on the cover. That
was the last time we paid full attention
to the whole ECONOMIC COLLAPSE,
FAILED SYSTEMS, PLUMMETING
CURRENCY, NATIONAL
BANKRUPTCY, BANK ROBBERY OF
THE CENTURY thing, really.
We grew bored of it.
Oh, of course it still permeates large
portions of our writing. As editor, it is
my job to read and mull over every single
word we publish, and it’s interesting to
note how every other one alludes in some
way to how Iceland and its people are in
fact bankrupt, and how that has affected
every aspect of our lives.
You will find it in our music, art
and literature reviews, in the opinion
columns, in articles about whale
watching and Superjeeping. It’s. There.
Now. We have it. It is a dominant aspect
of Icelanders’ lives and thoughts, and it
will remain so for a while to come. We
may act all jolly; we will play our music
and dance our dances, we will smile in
the face of despair and diminishing
options. It’s still there, at the back of our
minds, every minute of every day:
“Life will never be the same. All our
ancestors built is being dismantled.
Everything will suck for the next
couple of decades. Etc. Ad infinitum, ad
nauseam.”
Jeez, it sounds like an evil, buzzing
beehive when you start listening in.
Especially if you follow discussions on
the Internet, where the average person
has its say. Everyone is disconcerted,
discombobulated. Upset and/or
frightened.
With seemingly good reason, too.
Now, much like everyone else, I foster
some views on what happened and why.
I like to think that what we have is the
result of what the majority of us asked
for, what the majority of us voted for,
approved of, condoned and cheered on.
Not me, ever, but that’s how democracy
works.
This is not to say the good people
of Iceland weren’t royally and unfairly
fucked over by a bunch of psychopath
banksters, businessmen and politicians
– they were. Still, it’s not like they weren’t
being warned, again and again. It’s not
like our corrupt system wasn’t evidently
and obviously so – it was. Probably still is.
Still. We woke up. We reassessed
our values. We protested. We drove that
government away. We voted in a new one,
comprised of parties that were seemingly
all set to take on the corruption, the
nepotism, the recklessness and the
greed. And clean things up. In good faith,
I try and believe they are currently trying
to do so, that they are making their best
efforts to set things right. I am cynical
and untrustworthy of politicians in
general, especially those in government.
But for the sake of my sanity, I choose to
believe that they are trying.
I am sure lots of other folks are
choosing to believe this. For the sake of
their sanity.
Still. There is an anger. A growing
anger, a biting, searing, burning, painful
sort of anger. An anger that shows no
sign of letting up, an anger that is fast
reaching a boiling point of unheard
proportions. One that might burst out in
violence and despair, as anger is apt to.
This anger stems from confusion,
from having ones moral axioms and
belief systems demolished and turned
to dust. It stems from learning daily
about family and friends going bankrupt
or leaving the country, about massive
cutbacks in our education and healthcare
systems, about how things will be grim
(and must be grim); about how every last
króna of our mutual funds and taxes and
our children’s taxes will henceforth go
towards repairing the damage wreaked
upon the world by a bunch of psychopath
banksters, businessmen and politicians
in the span of a decade.
It stems from knowing that the
responsible parties – psychopath
banksters, businessmen and politicians
– are still running around carefree,
posing for snapshots on their luxury
yachts, headed for private parties on
their private jets. That they have still not
been prosecuted for anything, or even
accepted a smidgeon of responsibility for
THE SITUATION.
Anger is always ugly, but this anger,
this rage, it looks to get repulsive and
monstrous. Fast. It threatens to dismantle
and burn down the foundations of our
society, our compassion, our very core.
And that anger feels good.
Yes, there is an anger.
Editorial | Haukur Magnússon
Haukur’s 11th Editorial!
Yes, There Is Anger. Lots Of Anger
+ COMPLETE CITY LISTINGS - INSIDE!
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LIFE, TRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENT IN ICELANDYOUR FREE COPY
Issue No 11 – July 31 - August 13 – 2009
In just over thirty years, Iceland's lesbians and gay men have gone from being an invisible group, an oppressed minority, to achieving social
acceptance and legal rights that are by all accounts some of the best in the world. On Gay Pride weekend, we party down and celebrate
these victories, and show solidarity with oppressed and persecuted LGBT communities around the world.. PG. 19.
www.grapevine.is
Complete Reykjavík Listings Lots Of Cool Events
Opinions!
Reviews!
Comix!
+
The Icelandic Diaspora: Back To Norway
gogoyoko Get Up And Gogo
Eistnaflug vs. LungA: Which Festival Was More Debauched?
Cutie-pie Hairgel Hybrids: Reykjavík's Dresscode Dissected
The Hitchhiker's Guide To Iceland
+
Visit our stores:
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Geysir Hafnarstræti 5, 101 Reykjavík. Tel: 555 2808
The socks are knitted of
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rain to remain feeling dry.
NEVER COLD – AUTHENTIC
ICELANDIC ULLARSOKKAR
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Are You Always Boring Your Friends With Your Superior, Learned Tastes In Music?
If so, GRAPEVINE WANTS YOU!
So here’s the thing. We love music.
Freaking love it. We listen to it all the
time. In the kitchen, in the bedroom,
in the bathroom, on the balcony on
our way to work, at work. After work.
And at night. Then, of course, there
are the shows. So many great shows
going on all the time. In short: music
is awesome.
Say you share our love of music.
Say yours even by far surpasses
ours. You have a passion. This is
good, you passed your first test.
Next question: do you know your
English alright? Can you read, write
and speak it alright? If so, read on.
Are you reading on? OK. Next
question: are you an adequate-
to-awesome writer? Do you love
hard work? If so, are you ready to
spend long hours writing down your
opinions on and experiences with
music for a really shitty paycheck?
Are you ready to take lots of shit for
vocally not liking stuff (or liking it)?
Are you ready to lose friends
for your opinions on whether some
shitty band is decidedly shitty or
not?
Do you harbour an interest in,
and can write about, electro, techno,
rawk, hip hop, deathcöre, as well
as grungy soft-jazz and the latest
bööööring proggy nü-metal fusion
opus?
Drop us a line if you are. We are
looking to add music writers to our
stable, especially ones that are totally
over the top, ludicrously passionate
about and in love with music (to the
point of secretly wanting to have sex
with it, even though you know it’s a
concept, and you really can’t have
sex with concepts, but you’d like to
try it out anyway).
So mail your stuff and words and
thoughts to haukur@grapevine.is
And if you lie in your e-mail, we
will know. We will know and we will
hunt you down, and we will give you
a hurt look.