A brief history of Iceland - Vanity

8.12.2006 | Leifur

[Indy Pendance]

They ended up in Canada, north-west of Winnepeg, a Ukraine settlement. Where did you're go?

[patton]

Well, why should I, as a resident of VA, pay for the defense of iceland? Nothing against you guys, but sheez. Can I keep even a fraction of my own money? Is iceland going to pay for my healthcare?

[dfwgator]

I thought this was Iceland's most culturally significant export.

[Leifur]

Thanks allways, I hope you are right. You were right about, as in the post, that this sentence did not come out right, here it is as it is supposed to be:

summer of 1809: Winds of change reach Iceland, a young Danish adventurer establishes a short lived republic here based on the ideals of the American and French revelutions. Was possible because of the countries isolation due to the Napolonic wars, but Denmark had become an ally of France. The british sent a warship here, and arrested this man and sent him eventually to Australia and established danish control here again. But this brought new thinking to the country, that resulted in what is purported in next section.

[patton]

Shoot, I can violate their airspace in my cessna - what are they going to do about it?

(I have nothing against Iceland, but a country without defence - is, well, defenseless).

[patton]

Who is the hot chick?

[Leifur]

Thank you both Doc and Rocky. You are absolutely correct Doc.

One of the sadest thing I saw was when the long time editor of the conservative newspaper Morgunblaðið (www.mbl.is or Morning Paper in english) was talking in television recently. His position as the editor of this videly distributed paper has often been likened to a capinet ministry in itself, his powers are that strong.

The paper has stauncly supported the US during the whole Cold War and longer, but here in the television, I saw a broken man. His words, and specially how he said it, showed such a severe disapointment I could not do anything else than pity this strong man.

The fact was that he did not beliewe any longer in what he had his whole life work championed for and support, the US and defending their presence here. He, like many, truly beliewed in the US, but he seemed to have lost his belief.

[1rudeboy]

You planning on flying that Cessna off a carrier?

[patton]

Nah, I can launch it off a barge.

[1rudeboy]

:)

[LongElegantLegs]

Bjork is many things...Cultured and signifigant have nothing to do with them. ;-P

[TomSmedley]

Well, as Haldor Laxness asserts, you guys are Independent People. An armed population can protect itself. (BTW -- did you ever read that Tom Clancy novel set in Iceland?)

[Ready4Freddy]

That would be Björk, of the Icelandic Björk, of course... ;>)

[ryan71]

"...but they eventuelly migrated to the left and became the basis of the communist movement here."

What a coincidence! They became communist here, too!

[philled]

Thank you for the brief history lesson. I have only been to Iceland once (a several day layover en route to London) but absolutely loved it. I plan on doing it again- Iceland Air allows you to do up to a two week layover with no additional charge. I believe that more people would quickly warm to Iceland if they were only to visit it...

In honor of a great place to visit, here's one of my favorite songs from 2005,
Tropical Ice-Land by the Fiery Furnaces:

Goat's head in the deli case
Oh, sweet angel, angel, bearded face
Papier maché parade on at night
That's what you're doing with no sunlight

In the tropical tropical
Tropical Ice-land
Tropical tropical
Tropical Icy Icy

Bleak church on a cold tundra
Mountain-glacier-glacier-glacier-stream
Black stone beach and a Black Death bottle
Is all me and my baby'll need

In the tropical tropical
Tropical Ice-land
Tropical tropical
Tropical Icy Icy

Take intermission at the movies
Freeze outside for one quick smoke
Take a klondike bar from the pop machine
Hey, it's ice cream, no not Coke

In the tropical tropical
Tropical Ice-land
Tropical tropical
Tropical Icy Icy

Let's meet in Kristiana next summer
Let's get out before we melt away
I've seen enough stray ponies and puffins
To get me through till the end of May

In the tropical tropical
Tropical Ice-land
Tropical tropical
Tropical Icy Icy

(backwards)And if you ever need some hash or weed (backwards)
You won't be gettin' it here
Just take a boat across the bumpy sea
(backwards)Go to Denmark, man, oh it's so near (backwards)

In the tropical tropical Tropical ice-land
Tropical tropical
Tropical Icy Icy

[Dead Dog]

The Crap Parade is just begining.

[Dead Dog]

Do as we are doing here. Buy a rifle, learn to use it (if you haven't already) and keep at least 1000 rnds on hand.

[ryan71]

(...a urethral syringe used to treat syphilis with mercury.)

Ha! I remember that. A night with Venus and a month with Mercury.

Ouch!

[dfwgator]

The little girl in Lazy Town is an angel, but she's from New York, not Iceland.

[Lee'sGhost]

Hey, you left out the part where the Vikings go on raids and steal the most beautiful women in England and other places. Which is why Iceland is full of the most beautiful blond haired blue eye women in the world.

Thank you for that, by the way.