From the monthly archives:

July 2009

Back from hiking

July 31, 2009

We returned from our hiking excursion two evenings ago and I’m only now just getting a chance to sift through the photos I took and upload them to Flickr. In contrast to many other trips the weather was less than stellar so I wasn’t particularly inspired to take photos this time around. Iceland in sunshine [...]

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We’re off to see the wizard

July 24, 2009

I’m getting positively giddy at the prospect of getting in the car and heading up north – EPI and I are leaving on our hiking excursion in a few minutes. The only thing detracting from the excitement is the weather forecast – it’s set to be cold and rainy [boo!] after all the wonderful weather [...]

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Sinister revelations concerning the Icesave agreement

July 22, 2009

Pretty significant piece of news today: a Memorandum of Understanding was made public which reveals that British, Dutch and Icelandic authorities met in 2006 to discuss what would happen if Landsbanki went into default and could not cover the deposits of British and Dutch savers in the Icesave accounts. The MoU makes clear that the [...]

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Those lazy days of summer and all that lies ahead

July 21, 2009

These are such lazy days here in Iceland – almost lazy enough to make us forget everything that happened last fall and winter and just believe that Iceland is still Niceland. The weather has been awesome – warm and sunny with a relative absence of wind. The pools are full of people [Iceland has an [...]

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Russia is our new best friend, redux

July 19, 2009

One piece of news that went largely unnoticed in all the hoopla surrounding the EU accession talks last week was the one about Russia having approved a USD 500 million loan to Iceland. As some of you may recall, talk of a Russian loan first surfaced last year, just as our financial system was beginning [...]

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The Civic Movement falls from grace

July 17, 2009

Predictably, the EU membership talks vote has been the issue of the day here in Niceland. Generally I have the sense that people are pleased, although of course there are specific interest groups that are vehemently opposed – most notably those in the fisheries industry, and in agriculture. I must say, though, that I am [...]

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BREAKING NEWS: Iceland to enter into talks with the EU

July 16, 2009

The Icelandic parliament, Althingi, has just passed a resolution to enter into membership talks with the European Union, with 33 votes in favour, 28 opposed, and two abstaining. The debate has been dragging on for days. [Or, depending on how you look at it, years.] There is massive controversy over the issue, even within the [...]

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YT strikes in the Huffington Post

July 15, 2009

My first post for the nice people at the Huffpo: Fury in Iceland as disgraced banking moguls request loan write-off [Er ... apologies if it sounds slightly familiar.] IN OTHER NEWS Tense times right now here in Niceland, as parliament is debating whether or not to enter into talks with the EU. It’s been going [...]

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To swallow or not to swallow

July 15, 2009

So, old Davíð Oddsson has resurfaced after his spectacular display of tenacity in hanging on to his Central Bank post last winter – to rant and rave about the proposed Icesave agreement. As usual he was granted what the Nicelanders call a “Queen Interview” [a.k.a. loads of space and no uncomfortable questions - the interviewer [...]

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Just when you think things can’t get any more corrupt … THEY DO!!

July 10, 2009

Apropos the last post, it now transpires that the mere dividends that the two Björgólfurs received from their ownership of Landsbanki were actually HIGHER than the loan they would now like to have written off. The loan they took to be able to buy the bank. In other words, they milked out of the bank [...]

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