The mysterious case of the disappearing neoliberal
In the fall of 2008 there was no shortage of proclamations that the implosion of the global financial system meant that the laissez faire et laissez passer economic policies that [
Foreign Investment Racism
“An empty barrel makes the loudest sound” (Icelandic proverb) Since the discussion in your paper regarding the geothermal industry and Magma is on such a low level and
Muslims, Iceland, and the EU
With the news that a plot of land for a mosque in Reykjavík might possibly be approved—some 10 years after the Muslim Society of Iceland first applied for one—the comments [&h
More Bones of Contention
“Do you think that people in Europe would ever want to revolt again if they thought that their banking community was treating them like feudal lords catering to speculative, bucc
The Body Electorate
While waiting at a doctor‘s office a couple of weeks ago, I was paging through a recent copy of Séð og Heyrt, a weekly magazine that chronicles the lives and […]
Sour Grapes and stuff
Hey Guys, I’m new to the city and I’m searching for a bar with a good foosball table. My research gave me Bakkus, but the table is not so good. […]
Gender Rule Statistics
The chart above demonstrates changes between years for ministers in the Icelandic government by gender. As you can see, the late seventies was the age of man. But
Look Who’s Back!
Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, I have been called upon in this hour of need to briefly (and somewhat triumphantly) edit this issue of the Reykjavik Grapevine. It h
Enjoying Emptiness
Artist Sigurður Guðmundsson has been unusually prominent in the Icelandic art scene this year, publishing a new novel, exhibiting his early photographic work in Reykjavík and in
Sorry Breiðholt, but I´d Rather be a 101 Douchbag Whore
Right now I’m happy. I know it won’t last but right now I feel a good sense of calm surrounding me like a gooey comfort blanket. Why? Well, after months […]
“Travis Bickle” is Back
The rancid repertoire of the intravenous fiend strikes fear in the hearts of everyman Joe. Sprawled like a sack of waste across the backseat, seeking either another fix or extreme
All Kinds of Everything
Just take a peek in the windows of Fríða Frænka, the little grey corrugated metal house in downtown Reykjavík, and you’ll be hooked. This antique shop is enough to make [&hel
Entrepreneurial Thinkers Unite!
There’s a whole lotta creativity oozing out of this little island. You can see it in the way people dress, the art people create, the stories they write and the […]
Ward of the State
In this place time is an abstract. Though it inches it still leaps. The crazies don’t mind, they just sit and stare into empty space. Time, for them, is irrelevant. […]
The Power of Positive Thinking
Positive thinking is a skill that can be mastered just as Kung Fu or Tango. Some people have learned it from a very young age while other struggle to acquire […]
Sitting Here in Limbo
The political situation in Iceland, now that autumn will soon be upon us, can best be described as a sort of a limbo. We’ve had two very dramatic years, starting […]
Classifed Iceland
It occurred to me recently that I was in serious withdrawal from one of the most entertaining and insane places on the internet. For those of us unwilling to cross […]
What Are We Worth?
It is no secret that the role of newspapers today is in a state of flux. The widespread dissemination of free information on the internet, television, and radio has broadened [&hel
Witnessing a show trial or seeing justice being done?
At a hearing in the case of the state against the “Reykjavík nine” on August 17th, Ragnar Aðalsteinsson, counsel to four of the accused, quoted one of the greater legal [&hel
Perspectives of Cultural Night
Culture Night was full of cultural happenings. But it was also lacking in free waffles. If you missed out on the good times or just want to see how your […]