As many of you will already know, there was a demonstration at Arnarhóll yesterday to mark the 90th anniversary of Iceland’s independence from Denmark. It featured the usual suspects, writers and activists and thinkers who are opposed to the current regime and irate over what’s gone down here in recent weeks.

YT was in attendance.

It was devastatingly cold, subzero temps and windy, plus the fact that Arnarhóll hill doesn’t offer much in the way of shelter [there is the Central Bank bordering one side, but obviously that was cold comfort]. Consequently there wasn’t a huge turnout, probably also due to the fact that it started at 3 and not everyone was in a position to stand up from their desks and leave their places of employ as the organizers had urged [if there was ever a time when people were worried about keeping their jobs, it is now] - but still, around 2,000 people isn’t bad, considering.

Right near the end of the last speech someone climbed up the statue of [first settler] Ingólfur Arnarson and hung a picture of Davíð Oddsson over his head. That was the point where I decided to make myself scarce and the last thing I heard before heading down the hill was “shall we go in and get him?”

And they did.

Apparently a couple hundred people stormed into the lobby of the Central Bank, shouting that they wanted Davíð out. They got past the first set of doors but beyond that was the Viking Squad in full regalia [I can never think about the Viking Squad without laughing inwardly - the whole idea of a Viking Squad in this country has always seemed just so absurd], who kept their cool and calmly warned THE MOB that they’d use tear gas if they didn’t behave [they refrained from shouting GAS GAS GAS this time, though, having learned it is the way to lifelong ridicule]. So THE MOB just basically sat down and started singing protest songs.

That was the full extent of the RIOT that the foreign press keeps banging on about.

After a couple of hours of singing and shouting one of the protesters had the brilliant idea of making a deal with the cops, that if they hauled ass out of there with all their shields and other paraphernalia then THE MOB would go too [NB the cops were allowed to leave three observers behind]. The Viking Squaders, no doubt hugely relieved that they’d make it home for dinner, wasted no time and left the premises immediately. As did THE MOB, all the while shouting WE WON! WE WON!!

While all this was going on, YT was missing all the fun, sitting in a smelly garage waiting to get my car in for an oil change. This was in anticipation of a long drive I had to take last night, up to Borgarnes in the west [75 km from here] for an interpreting gig. And let me tell you, it was a hairy ride. Just past the Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel the road turned icy, it was pitch dark, and every so often I’d have a monster truck on my ass or - worse - barreling towards me on the single-lane highway. My life in my hands, people; my life in my hands. If there’s one thing worse than driving on Iceand’s single-lane highways at 100 km per hour in the summer, it’s doing so in absolutely darkness when you’re slip-sliding all over the road. Phwoar.

AND IT’S STILL BLOODY COLD
Right now -2°C [28F], but with less wind than yesterday, happily. Weatherman sez it’s set to warm up tomorrow, and we’re gonna believe him. Sunrise this morning came at 10.49 and sunset due for 3.45 pm.

PS - I’m thrilled to see how many people have joined the Facebook group. Keep ‘em coming!

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My youngest stepdaughter was graduating from the Icelandic National School of Dance today [wOOt!] and they had their final performance this afternoon at the National Theatre.

It was such a great show and as I sat there in the audience I was, as so often before, transfixed by the scope of talent we have in this tiny country and the sheer confidence and joyful abandon with which people express their creativity here; like it matters, you know, like it’s important.

I sat there in the audience and thought about what a miracle it is … there’s just over 300,000 of us, like in a suburb in some big metropolis, living on the very edge of the inhabitable world, in the freezing cold and dark, not to mention in the midst of a deep recession, and instead of sitting around drowning our sorrows and generally feeling sorry for ourselves there are people dancing and making music and opening art exhibitions and writing books and publishing them and focusing on being alive.

In another couple of weeks, Ragnheiður will also graduate from upper secondary school [here in Iceland that's like the last two years of high school and first two years of college combined], and in January she’s moving to Berlin with a couple of her girlfriends, where they’re hoping to find work and take dance classes and audition for schools. It’s a terrible time to be going, what with the krona so low, but they’re determined: they’ve already found an apartment to rent and have bought their airline tickets.

It’s so exciting!

Being thusly engaged, we were unable to attend the demonstration today, but heard that there were fewer people there than last time - probably on account of the cruel temperatures and awful windchill. It does NOT mean we’re giving up; no it does NOT. It’s currently -3°C [27F] but I’m betting it feels like -10 or more because of the wind. Sunrise this morning was at 10:41and sunset due for 3:51.

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Everyone: I’ve set up a Facebook group for The Iceland Weather Report - and you are cordially invited to join!

I’ve been thinking of doing this for a while, partly because we’ve been getting so many links to things in the comments section, and this way people can post links on the group’s message board, or photos, or videos, or discussion topics, or … whatever they feel like [pretty much].

Of course you can also continue leaving them in the comments; that’s perfectly fine. This is just another option, that may give your links, photos, etc. a bit more exposure.

So if you have something you want to ask, or a topic you want to address, or an announcement you want to make, add it to the message board.

The group is open to anyone, but the hitch is of course that you have to be on Facebook to join. However, anyone can view the group and read what’s on the boards.

OK - let’s get to it! I look pretty lonely sitting there all by myself.

IT’S BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY COLD
With subzero temps and killer wind. Pretty nasty. And most awfully, the recession is digging its claws in deeper by the day. We’re really starting to feel it now … but more on that later. Sunrise this morning will be at 10:38 am and sunset at 3.53.

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Oh, man. Someone has put a video up on YouTube in which they take a section of the movie Der Untergang and have superimposed Icelandic subtitles on it, all to do with the Icesave debacle. In the video Hitler has a conniption when he finds out that the money he deposited in an Icesave account has been lost.

It’s the most hilarious thing I’ve seen in months.

If I had the foggiest idea how to put subtitles onto YouTube videos I’d translate this just so all my lovely readers could laugh along with me, but alas, I’m completely challenged in that regard. However, the first few are as follows:

SS man: Fuehrer, we need to manufacture more airplanes and tanks

We need more funds to complete production of the exciting Derrick television series

And we need to increase our production of Haribo gummy bears by 50%.

Hitler: No problem, just take it out of Icesave

SS man: Fuehrer … Icesave

Fuhrer, Landsbanki has gone bankrupt and Icesave too

[Hitler removes glasses with trembling fingers, etc...]

I’m still wiping the tears from my eyes.

STORM!
Awful weather up here on the cube, schools closed in parts of the country, major blizzard in the north etc. although here in Reykjavík it’s basically just windy and cold. It’s currently 0°C here in the capital [32F], sunrise was at 10.35 and sunset due for 3.55 this afternoon.

PS. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers!

PPS. Thanks also for the feedback on the headlines. Note that I’ve added a new feature in the same sidebar: Quote of the Day. We aim to please.

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One of the many and ongoing f*ckups by the Icelandic government in the wake of the economic implosion is the fact that, as yet, no investigation has been launched into the actual reasons behind the collapse of the banks - or whether any dubious transactions were made right around that time.

The seriousness of this is obvious: the more time passes, the more likely it is that evidence will be tampered with or made to disappear.

Meanwhile, the resolution committees that were appointed when the banks were taken over - the committees responsible for settling accounts, selling assets and so on - have been working behind closed doors and have provided no information to the public about the progression of the work which, note bene, is being conducted inside companies that now officially belong to us, this country’s taxpayers.

No doubt they’re busy wading through a muck of lies, deceit, immorality and criminal misconduct. A couple of days ago, for instance, it came to light that the banks had lent money to holding companies to buy shares in those same banks, with no required collateral except in the shares themselves - all in order to drive up share prices. Normal people who then bought the shares at those unreal prices were obviously caught in a web of deceit and many lost their entire life’s savings, including pensioners who now have no way to earn it back. It’s tragic beyond belief.

Then today it surfaced that the owners of the three commercial banks used funds in their banks’ money market accounts to purchase shares in their own companies just prior to the banks’ collapse, and sold shares in other, more solid, companies - all in an attempt to secure some liquid funds. Those money market funds include Glitnir’s infamous Fund 9, in which YT had some cash - especially infamous because Glitnir employees actually phoned the bank’s customers to encourage them to deposit money into the fund by telling them it was a bulletproof investment, the only risk was in the devaluation of the accrued interest. The reason it was to have been so safe is because the fund’s portfolio was supposedly in large part made up of government bonds - which, when the collapse came, turned out to be nonexistent.

In the end, I managed to get out with a seven percent devaluation - I sold my shares the day before the fund was frozen - whereas others received only around 85 percent of their money. However, the bulk of my savings was in a separate fund with Glitnir, which has been frozen since the beginning of October. Yesterday I called the bank to inquire if that fund was actually still frozen [because there has been no discussion, no notification, about the status and I found it unbelievable that they could hold it for so long without any news] and got put through to a girl in Customer Service that sounded about 17. She seemed exceedingly bored, like she was desperate to get back to checking her friends’ status on Facebook:

YT: Is Fund 1 still frozen?
BORED CHICK: Yeah.
YT: So, what’s happening with that?
BC: They’re working on it. They’re working really hard. They’re working to minimize the loss for the client.*
YT: So when do they expect to be finished?
BC: Oh, we don’t know. It’s hard to say.
YT: So it could be a week or a month or a year.
BC: Yeah.
YT: And where is the bottleneck, exactly … is the problem within the bank, or with the government, or …
BC: They’re working on it within the bank.They’re working really hard.**
YT: So there’s no way of knowing when the funds will be released?
BC: No. We just get, like, a newsletter every Monday about what’s been happening and yesterday it just said they’re working on it. Really hard.

I had to restrain myself from screaming into the blower at her, but only because I feel sorry for bank employees right now, although with this chick’s disinterested attitude my sympathy was waning fast.

Or maybe it was just because a bored chick on the other end of a customer service line is so incredibly insignificant when put up against the criminals who have so massively screwed over the people of this nation that most of us can’t even get our heads around it right now.

Or because my prevailing feeling these days is one of utter helplessness and powerlessness when faced with the total, extreme incompetence of our leaders in so many hugely significant matters. Like the one that relates to apprehending the criminals that were making those sorts of decisions in the banks and bringing them to justice. Because that’s what we need to see more of around here. Some justice.

IT TURNED REALLY COLD AS THE DAY PROGRESSED
It was a dry, windy day, and as temps plummeted the windchill became particularly nasty. Right now -3°C [27F]. The sun came up at 10.32 this morning, and went down at 3.57 pm. Short days, these days.

* Canned response
** Icelandic: á fullu

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A few weeks ago when I was thinking of ways in which to monetize this blog, a reader emailed me with an idea. He said he’d be willing to become a sponsor of this blog in return for a small image in the sidebar, linking back to his site.

Personally I thought this was a great idea and have now officially implemented it. So if anyone out there would like to become a sponsor of The Iceland Weather Report for the nominal fee of USD 50 per quarter [that's three months] for a private blog, or USD 100 per quarter for a small business,* in return for a 100×75 px image in my sidebar linking back to your site, please contact me and let me know.

Also, I want to take this opportunity to once again thank all of you wonderful readers who have sent in donations: you totally rock! And if you’ve already donated, but would like to avail yourself of this opportunity to become a sponsor, please get in touch and we’ll figure it out.

Carry on!

THE WEATHER ON THIS DARK NOVEMBER DAY
Has been quite windy and completely overcast. The sea was a muted turquoise this afternoon, with white-capped waves and fog merging into the gray sky. Very dramatic. Currently 5C [41F], sunrise at 10:29 am, sunset at 4:00 pm.

* No need to post corporate rates as large businesses or corporations [or institutions] have shown zero interest in supporting the Weather Report, including the Iceland Tourist Board, Visit Reykjavík and Icelandair.

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Whell, what a cracking good meeting that was!

Since the economic implosion a few weeks ago, a group of ordinary citizens have been organizing citizens’ meetings where they invite members of the government and others to come and respond to questions from the general public. Like the demonstrations that have been organized on the last seven Saturdays they provide an opportunity for people to come together and express their views, although obviously in a slightly different manner from the demos.

The first two citizens meetings were held in the Iðnó theatre, which is a fairly small venue. They were packed. The next one was moved to NASA, which was slightly bigger - it, too, was packed. This one tonight was held in Háskólabíó - the University Cinema - which seats around 700 people. Every seat was taken, people jammed the isles AND the sizable lobby in front was also packed with people, watching on screens. This meeting was broadcast live on national TV - for the first time.

Prior to the event, the organizers announced that they would reserve a labelled seat for every member of the cabinet. If they didn’t show up, the seat - with that person’s name in big white letters - would remain glaringly empty. Only one member of the cabinet - Minister for the Environment Þórunn Sveinbjörnsdóttir - confirmed that she would be there. In the end, the PM, the Minister for Foreign Affairs [who is also the leader of the coalition party], the Minister of Education, Science and Culture [who is deputy leader of the Independence Party], the Ministers of Finance, Industry, Communications, Fisheries and Environment were all there, as were several other MPs.

And what a sizzling event it was. Particularly for the PM and rest of the cabinet, who were reminded every few minutes with shouting and applause that the people want elections - they want cleansing! The speeches were impassioned and blazing, each one inspired and brilliant. [To me, the first one by economics professor Þorvaldur Gylfason - who I would like to see at the helm of the Central Bank immediately - and the last by writer Einar Már Guðmundsson were absolutely outstanding.] I found myself wondering repeatedly how the PM and the MFA and rest of the cabinet managed to sit there and take it … there was some seriously harsh criticism levied at them. And each time it was, and each time mention was made of the necessity of throwing out the cronies in the Central Bank, there was a torrent of applause, with people rising from their seats for added emphasis. It was amazing.

EPI and I had every intention of going tonight - it had been on the agenda for the last two days - but about an hour before it was about to start and right in the middle of fixing dinner, our main electrical fuse blew. It wouldn’t reset and we spent about half an hour searching for the problem, which turned out to be moisture in the kettle, right where the plug went in [the kettle wasn't even on]. Anyway, that set us back time-wise and by the time we got it fixed and got the TV back on we saw from the live broadcast on Kastljós that, even at 7.30 pm, the auditorium was practically full - so we resigned ourselves to staying at home and watching it from the comfort of our sofa. I frequently found myself wishing I was there - but even at home, watching on TV, the fire and enthusiasm of those in attendance was infectuous.

I have to say, I was immensely proud of my nation tonight. There is so much fire in people, so much brilliance, skill, knowledge, articulation, clarity, sense of fairness and justice, desire for something new and wholesome and better … it has to come to pass. It just has to.

NOTHING QUITE SO DRAMATIC ABOUT THE WEATHER
Sure, it’s been blowing a bit today, but on the whole it’s been fairly tame. Cloudy skies, gray and fairly nondescript. Occasional drizzle. Temps right now 3°C [37F]. The midwinter sun came up at 10:26 am and set at 4:02 pm.

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At this very moment there is an open citizen’s meeting held in a packed Háskólabíó where the PM, leader of the coalition party, MPs and others are facing the public. It’s heated - it’s zealous; there are excellent speeches!

You can watch it live here for the next hour and a half. [It's currently 20.30 GMT.]

More later.

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Like many others here in Iceland, I’m absolutely appalled that there has been no sign of repentance from our leaders after all that has happened. Most of the people who are in power have been so for years and years, they designed and engineered the system that has prevailed and were absolutely blind to the signs that it was imploding. Despite this, nobody has resigned [except one MP who stepped down for a completely different reason and has become an unlikely sort of hero - simply by virtue of the fact that he's the only one showing any semblance of humility] — and nobody has even said they’re sorry. Instead they scramble all over each other trying to whitewash themselves of any wrongdoing and pointing fingers in every which direction but back at themselves. It’s totally obscene.

The concerns I and many others currently have is that now that this IMF loan and a bunch of others have been secured and we as a nation have been plunged into debt more massive than most of us can fathom, the money will be handed over to the same people who caused this colossal f*ck up. And I’m afraid it’s just going to slip through their fingers. Witness the fact that our fearless Central Bank governor used a full hour last week to make a speech in which he talked only about the past, only about how blameless he was in all that has transpired, and said NOTHING about how he was going to take this nation’s monetary policy forward. Obscene indeed.

Until very recently, I was not in favour of the government resigning at this point in time. But I’m changing my mind. As long as the same people remain in power, I fear nothing will change. They ran this ship into the ground and now they want to rescue us? I don’t think so. It’s a question of trust - and trust is something they don’t have from the Icelandic nation now.

So I’m leaning more and more towards the idea of “utanþingsstjórn” - for once I don’t know the term in English [and can't find it in any dictionaries] so please help me out … it’s a government that is appointed by the President and that does not sit in parliament. [In Icelandic it's literally called an "outside-parliament government".] Having the Prez [who I'm not terribly keen on either, but whatareyougonnado] hand-pick qualified individuals for each post seems like the most eminently sensible solution right now. We need new people with fresh ideas - not the same dusty old parties with the same dusty old candidates. And after such a government has run the country for a few months, and we’ve had a taste of something better [because surely they cannot make a worse mess than has already been made] and new ideas have surfaced and - most importantly - been listened to [which is SO not happening right now] … then with any luck we’d have some new directions and fresh candidates and could hold elections.

Even though the Prime Minister and leader of the coalition party have blatantly announced to the nation that there will be no elections next year and, in fact, no elections at all before the end of the term, three years from now.

Is it any wonder we’re spitting venom around here?

On a completely different note: I’m totally loving the little stickers they’re putting on all Icelandic products in the shops now, to remind people to buy Icelandic:

“Áfram Ísland” means Go Iceland! and is what people yell at sports matches when the national team is playing. Guess it’s to remind us that we’re all playing as a team now, gotta stick together, all that good stuff. [Now if only our politicians would get the idea.]

MEANWHILE, A WINDY DAY
With occasional bright skies, but mostly overcast. Chilly, right now 2°C [36F], sunrise was at 10.23 am, sunset at 4.05 pm.

*As many of you will undoubtedly know, Finland went through a similar economic crash back in the 1990s [although ours is much worse - because we do everything best here in Iceland, even economic crashes] at which time they focused on finding new solutions. A quintessential example of that is the company Nokia that before that time manufactured rubber boots, but with the new renaissance there got with the times and began manufacturing cellular phones. The rest, as they say, is history.

PS. I’ve decided that calling it ‘depression’ - even if slightly tongue-in-cheek - is just too much of a downer these days. So I’m gonna banish that word from this blog and replace it with euphemisms - like “our Nokia time”. Good, huh?

UPDATE: A reader emailed this morning to point out that one woman, Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir, actually did resign from the Central Bank’s board - and urged her colleagues to follow suit. None did. So - major props to Sigríður for this truly exemplary act! [I'm totally embarrassed to have forgotten this.]

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