17 JULY 2009 TRAVEL ISSUE YOUR FREEFREE COPYCOPY TTHEHE EESSENTIALSSENTIAL GGUIDEUIDE TTOO LLIFE,IFE, TTRAVELRAVEL & EENTERTAINMENTNTERTAINMENT IINN ICELANDICELACE IssueIssue No 1010 – JuneJune 1199 - JJulyuly 2 – 20092009 www.grapevine.iswww.grapevine.is + COMPLETECOMPLETE CCITYITY LLISTINGSISTINGS - INSIDE!INSIDE! Sigtryggur Baldursson Goes Glastonbury - Read The Legendary Drummer's Tour Diary - Björk Guðmundsdóttir Interviewed - New Music, New Methods, New Ways Of Thinking - Swimming All Over The Place - Rural Pools Rule! The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 10 — 2009 2 Editorial | Haukur Magnússon Art Director: 009 LY 2 17 JU TRAVEL ISSUE YOUR FREEFREE COPYCOPY THETHE ESSENTIALESSENTIAL GUIDEGUIDE TTOO LIFE,LIFE, TRAVELTRAVEL & ENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT ININ ICELANDICELACE Hörður Kristbjörnsson IssueIssue No 1100 – JuneJune 1919 - JulyJuly 2 – 20092009 www.grapevine.iswww.grapevine.is + COMPLETECOMPLETE CITYCITY LISTINGSLISTINGS - INSIDE!INSIDE! [email protected] Haukur’s 10th Editorial! Design: Björn Lárus Arnórsson So we got this letter: on censoring our writers - neither their This is all beside the point, though. Photographer: opinions nor their vocabulary. Agree with her or not, why should Ms. Hörður Sveinsson / hordursveinsson.com Dear editor, Now that you mention it, there were Knútsdóttir not be entitled to her opinion, Marketing Director: a lot of 'Fucks' in issue eight of the and why should we refrain from printing Jón Trausti Sigurðarson Sigtryggur Baldursson Goes Glastonbury - Read The Legendary Drummer's Tour Diary - Björk Guðmundsdóttir Interviewed - New Music, New Methods, New Ways Of Thinking - Swimming All Over The Place - Rural Pools Rule! Like all ordinary, decent visitors (and Grapevine. A brief glance through the it? Why should she not be able to point [email protected] Sales Director: potential visitors) to your beautiful paper shows the word 'Fuck' is used at out that some of the nations and folks Cover illustrations: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson country, we are surprised and disgusted least three times, once in a headline and that criticize whaling continually support Köddi [email protected] to see the widespread and quite everything. other very comparable and “equally cruel” Guðmundur Rúnar Svansson Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies. unnecessary use of the 'F word' in your I can agree that this is maybe too practices? She makes an argument; she [email protected] Reykjavik Grapevine. many 'Fucks' for the average decent and signs her name to it. If you disagree, Distribution: The Reykjavík Grapevine Before you react with the 'F word' to older and wealthy reader. We are sorry write a real argument and send it in, I will Sæmundur Þór Helgason Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík [email protected] denigrate us, and the other vast majority for that, but do remind you that you are gladly print it. www.grapevine.is Proofreader: of foreign readers who agree with us free not to read our free paper. However, I do, however, agree that it's better [email protected] Jim Rice (particularly older readers - the ones with in light of your complaints, we have being labelled sentimental than sadist. Published by Fröken ehf. the time and money to visit Iceland), just decided to try our best to not use the word This is very true. Press releases: ponder how much you are going to need 'Fuck' at all in this issue. So I hope that Lastly, our "sissy American faux pas" Editorial: [email protected] +354 540 3600 / [email protected] us tourists to boost your failing economy. does you well. was written by our American intern. Submissions inquiries: Advertising: [email protected] Also, your attempts to divert attention Your next complaint seems to revolve Neither she nor us as a publication like +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Subscription inquiries: away from the continued disgraceful around the views of a fairly recent to make broad judgements on folks' Publisher: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] slaughter of whales ("Too cute to eat?" - addition to our writing staff (and one I character or intentions (unlike, say, your +354 540 3601 / [email protected] General inquiries: [email protected] issue no 8) by pointing to the slaughter am very excited to have on board, I might wealthy, normal self), but we will grant of "cute" lambs and "clever" pigs are add), Ms. Hildur Knútsdóttir, who wrote ourselves the rights to be amusingly and Publisher: Founders: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson flawed. Why? Because it is no defence of the article "Too cute to eat" regarding verbally annoyed at whomever we feel Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson, [email protected] Hörður Kristbjörnsson, anything to claim that there is something the recent news that puffins are down in like. Be they wealthy and respectable or Jón Trausti Sigurðarson, else bad or worse. numbers as of late. whatnot. Editor: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson, Is a murderer or abuser let off his To paraphrase you: Ms. Knútsdóttir Besides all of the above, your Haukur S Magnússon Valur Gunnarsson crime by pointing out that other people attempts to divert attention away from entire point kinda disgusts me. Are [email protected] are also murderers or abusers? Anyway the continued slaughter of whales by you implying that because Iceland is The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 Journalist: times a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from "ugly" (to use your epithet) farm animals pointing to the continued and large- currently undergoing economic hardship Catharine Fulton / [email protected] November through April, and fortnightly are at least reared for the purpose and scale slaughter of various other animals we be stripped of our freedom of speech, from May til October. Nothing in this do not require chasing with explosive that is continually condoned by the that we can no longer foster independent Contributing Writers: magazine may be reproduced in whole or harpoons to drag them to their deaths. Western nations that condemn whaling. opinions? That we should be careful not Sigurður K Kristinsson in part without the written permission of [email protected] the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine To attempt to justify whaling as Her argument is flawed because it's to offend the rich tourists that might out Florian Zühlke / [email protected] "traditional" is also irrelevant. It was no defence of anything bad to point to of the benevolence of their hearts see is distributed around Reykjavík, Akureyri, Sindri Eldon Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður and for long traditional to enjoy the beauty of something that's equally bad or worse. fit to visit us and sprinkle some of their Marc Vincenz at key locations along road #1, and all major wild birds and animals by stuffing them Furthermore, defending whaling by precious money around? Sigtryggur Baldursson tourist attractions and tourist information and displaying them in glass cabinets, pointing to the fact that it is traditional is Good sir, I hope you do not reflect the Valur Gunnarsson centres in the country. Irina Domurath and to publicly hang, draw and quarter a flawed argument, because other things majority of our "ordinary, decent visitors" Eiríkur Örn Norðdahl You may not like it, but at least it's not criminals. Times and customs change now deemed unacceptable are traditional, - 'cause if you do, and we offend them Dr. Gunni and move on. We know better now. We too. away: good riddance, I say. What sort of Hildur Knútsdóttir sponsored. (No articles in the Rey- are in the 21st century. Firstly, I would like to assert that Ms. colonialist douchebag are you, anyway? Hugleikur Dagsson kjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. You scoff at foreigners' sentimentality, Knútsdóttir is free to form and hold her We at the Grapevine do not represent Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’). confusing it with compassion, decency own opinion. While I haven't been able Iceland as a whole, nor do we claim to. Editorial Interns: and respect. Anyway, it is better to be to reach a solid stance on whaling (and In fact, I hope nobody does (least of all Jonathan Baker Esq labelled sentimental than sadist. in fact harbour some very strong doubts our president). However, we are naturally [email protected] As for your faux pas in referring to about the act), I happen to agree with the grateful to every single one of you Joyce Guzowski the "sissy American tourist", cannot journalist that a lot of people's view of "ordinary, decent, wealthy visitors" to our [email protected] you realise the effect such language the act (including yours) is simplistic and country, and wish you all the best. But Design Intern: Hailey Loman might have on the tourist trade you will hypocritical. Why the focus on whaling, we won't change for you, and we will not [email protected] increasingly need? if not for the reason that they're totally become timid. On-line News Editor If this is your gratitude to visitors cute and smart (and I remind you - the All my best, sincerely, Paul Nikolov and your wildlife heritage, we don't whales being harvested are no longer [email protected] know where we will be spending our considered endangered)? They probably Haukur S Magnússon money next year, but it certainly won't be mass farm pigs and chicken right near Editor // Reykjavík Grapevine Iceland. your house, and the mass farming of pigs Graham Bell and chicken is a truly deplorable practice. On behalf of the passengers of a cruise Mass-farmed chickens spend their whole ship which circumnavigated Iceland lives crammed in tiny cages. There are in June 2009. all sorts of verified horror stories. At least whales get to enjoy a life of freedom Dear Mr. Bell, before they're caught - I cannot say the same for the contents of your fridge Thank you for your interest, and your (unless you are vegan, in which case I letter.