Enough about the folks in “flyover island.” Let’s talk about us!
By Thoreau
I see a lot of news stories about flights being grounded in response to the volcano in Iceland, and a bit about air quality concerns in European cities. Indeed, when I search for news stories about the volcano in Iceland there’s so much about flights between Europe and North America that it’s hard to find anything about, say, Iceland. Will they all be burned to a crisp by liquid hot magma?* Will the clouds and ash kill all their crops, leading to starvation for anybody who doesn’t die from choking on ash? Will the grounds open up beneath their feet as they plunge into the abyss?
Well, as long as we can get flights to Heathrow at some point, I guess it doesn’t matter.
UPDATE: A pedant has informed me that the correct term is lava, not magma. I say that if “liquid hot magma” is good enough for Dr. Evil (who spent all those years in fricking Evil Medical School and doesn’t need some insolent punk correcting his phrasing) it’s good enough for this blog.
Comment by de stijl —
April 15, 2010 @ 8:25 pm
I spent a week in Reykjavik a few years back and loved, loved, loved it. Ever since I’ve had the odd daydream of chucking it all and giving the ex-pat lifestyle a go for bit.
But since the Landsbanki et al. financial meltdown and now the land itself is being torn asunder by piping hot magma, I’m having second thoughts.
Maybe I’ll daydream of New Zealand instead. The upside is that I won’t have to learn a variant of Old Norse.
Comment by jamie —
April 15, 2010 @ 10:10 pm
financial meltdown and now the land itself is being torn asunder by piping hot magma
I *told* them to have the plumbing at the mint fixed.
Comment by Neil W —
April 16, 2010 @ 4:10 am
The excellently named Vulcanologist Professor Stephen Sparks called it lava on the radio this evening. He seemed pretty upbeat about health risks both here in the UK and in Iceland, although as he’s in Bristol rather than Reykjavik he can probably afford to be. He reckoned the ash cloud should diminish when the new vent has burnt away the glacier and rock above it.
Comment by mds —
April 16, 2010 @ 7:34 am
Wait, since when do real scientists take their cue from MDs?
Comment by Thoreau —
April 16, 2010 @ 10:32 am
An evil MD. Totally different.
Comment by Jordan Cartilla —
April 16, 2010 @ 10:33 am
Lava … I am reminded of this…
Comment by marcel —
April 16, 2010 @ 1:05 pm
About this time, a year ago, making the rounds was the question, “What’s the difference between Ireland and Iceland?” It’s time to update the answer to, “1 consonant, 8 months and 1 BIG MOTHER OF A VOLCANO!”
Amazing how Iceland has inadvertently managed to disrupt Europe’s economy twice in as many years. They couldn’t have been more effective if they were terrorists!
Comment by VM —
April 16, 2010 @ 2:05 pm
Reykjavik is upwind from the volcano…
Greece is a bigger distraction, but since they’ve been bribed have joined the evil social-experiment club and Iceland hasn’t, be sure to look for more indignation towards them.
And norway.
Comment by Anonny —
April 16, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
Icelanders are a very resiliant people and have been surviving volcanos and other calamities essentially since they arrived on the island 1000 years ago (and they really did “discover” Iceland — there were no “natives” to displace).
The island of Heimay on the south side had to evacuate one night in 1973 and the new volcano erupted over the next many months. When it all settled down about 2/3rds of the island residents returned, which is historically pretty normal for towns that have had to evacuate for many months. Today you can walk all around the cone and crater and no one will care. Houses have been built around the base, often on top of the old ones. Life goes on.
There are crops in Iceland, but a surprising number of them are grown in green houses and thus are not affected. Iceland imports a lot of food in exchange for its one major export – codfish.
Comment by The Sanity Inspector —
April 17, 2010 @ 12:07 pm
Your failure to attempt to pronounce the name of the volcano is noted. Icelandicphobe…
Comment by claudia —
April 17, 2010 @ 1:53 pm
Well, German news are reporting about Iceland. The quote that stuck in my mind was, “like standing in a shower that spouts concrete dust”. The seagull wading in deep ash was also memorable.
Oh, and the newscaster who said, “I can’t pronounce that name and I’m not going to try either.”
Comment by Barry —
April 19, 2010 @ 8:37 am
I came across some nice Iceland jokes:
“Europe asked for cash, and got ash”
“The last request of the Icelandic economy was that its ashes be scattered over Europe”
Comment by twif —
April 20, 2010 @ 11:03 am
given that iceland is the high point of the mid-atlantic ridge, i think they are used to volcanic activity.
Comment by help a single mom —
April 21, 2010 @ 7:14 pm
I for something completely different, but found your ! And have to say thank you. Nice read. .