The Iceland Weather Report

Kaupthing bank dishes up yet another scandal

2009-07-02T01:07:30Z

Much as I would love to focus solely on these gorgeous summer days and forget all the dreariness that weighs upon this nation like a thick blanket of tar, no self-respecting chronicler of the meltdown can avoid mentioning the latest corruption scandal at old Kaupthing bank. We already know that Kaupthing “loaned” some ISK 500 billion [...]

A small glimmer of sunshine amongst the Icesave gloom and doom

2009-06-30T23:58:10Z

Amidst the general furor over Icesave in the last few weeks and months, there is a related matter that has gone almost unnoticed: that of Kaupthing Edge. Buoyed by the runaway success of Landsbanki’s Icesave accounts, which collected a whopping 4.4 billion pounds in its first 12 months of operations in the UK [and a further [...]

More on the delicate subject of Iceslave

2009-06-28T23:52:05Z

This week, Iceland’s parliament will vote on whether or not to accept the Icesave agreement with British and Dutch authorities, negotiated several days ago. Some are calling this the most important casting of ballots the Icelandic parliament has ever had to undertake. If the agreement is rejected, it could well mean the kiss of death [...]

A foray into earthquake country

2009-06-28T00:11:50Z

Today EPI and I decided to live dangerously and head out for a hike on Reykjanes peninsula, right smack in the middle of earthquake country. Most of the quakes of the last few weeks have had their epicentre just a few kilometres from where we were today and, yes, I would by lying if I [...]

And now Michael Jackson …

2009-06-25T23:19:47Z

Such a tragic life he had. Never given the skills to become a whole and healthy human being. A continuous downward spiral. I suspect he just couldn’t take any more. May he rest in peace.

JAYSUS!!! Earthquake!

2009-06-25T20:57:48Z

Just had a major quake! I’d put it at over 5 on Richter. Still shaking [YT, that is.] Shouting from nearby apartment. More anon. UPDATE: mbl.is reporting two quakes, 2.6 and 3.9 on Richter, unconfirmed. Has to be more. Epicenter near Kleifarvatn lake, on Reykjanes peninsula. UPDATE 8.30 pm - well, it turned out to be a quake measuring 4 [...]

Because honesty is its own reward

2009-06-25T10:21:18Z

Today AAH, who got her drivers’ licence last September [holy cow it's been almost a year!] bumped into a car in the Kringlan mall parking lot and left a scratch on the bumper of a Citroen Picasso. She came home looking decidedly deflated and admitted the mishap to her mama. I went out and checked the [...]

Snap!

2009-06-23T23:27:54Z

Last week, on June 17 [Iceland's National Day] a man here in Reykjavík [well, nearby municipality of Álftanes to be precise] took an excavator to his house and demolished it. He also dug a hole in his yard into which he dumped his car and shoveled some earth on top. He’d lost the house in the [...]

On becoming an Iceslave

2009-06-21T17:06:22Z

We’re flying out of Berlin in a couple of hours after a fabulous week-long break from everthing back home. It’s been fantastic. Seriously. Icelandic current affairs, which I’ve loosely kept up with via mbl.is and Facebook, have seemed a whole lot more dreary from over here than back home. It’s like the old adage about [...]

One Friday night in Berlin

2009-06-19T23:25:50Z

Just had an incident. Noticed a neon green bug with long feelers sitting on a tube of cream next to my bed. Picked up tube and rushed to window with the aim of shaking off bug. [Was pretty grossed out.] Shook tube out window, pulled it back and noticed to my dismay that neon green [...]