The cold hard truth of politics but with warm sunny days ahead!

I am not usually interested in politics, for many years I have become very disillusioned with the major parties in Aust and for years now have voted for the Greens as I hope them to be a little more altruistic in approach. But I do find the Iceland situation quite fascinating and I feel for the Icelandic public who have been treated very badly by those that they are suppose to be able to trust.

I read a few blogs that report on the politics of Iceland in english, mainly the Iceland Weather Report, Economic Disaster Area and I do stop by and have a quick look at Iceland Banking Crisis News and More, this blog is often short on words but does bring some interesting info and thoughts to my attention. On Tues Dori Sig from this blog asks the question "are bribes used in Iceland political parties" and notes that every Icelandic party is corrupt and the politicians are not made to be responsible for their behaviour but then states that in foreign countries if a politician steals or uses public money inappropriately they are made to resign. While yes I will agree with this to a certain extent this is often only the case because Governments have had their  hands forced via media reports. Dori Sig finishes on the note that these corrupt politicians in Iceland will continue to be voted in because of public party loyalty.

Here in West Aust we have just had such a case played out in the media. Troy Buswell the WA treasurer was ousted from the role by the Premier Colin Barnett for breach of use of ministerial services. The media announced that Buswell was having an affair with Greens' MP Adele Carles, he apologised for the affair and stated that he would pay back the funds for the misuse of accommodation and ministerial car but had no intention of resigning. However that decision was obviously not his to make and the premier has since forced Buswell to resign. But I do believe that if this affair and misuse of Govt services had not been played out in the media the premier would have very quietly overlooked Buswells behaviour.

Icelanders should not rely on their government to do what is right...very few governments follow that rule! But the Icelandic media needs to step up and make the politicians publicly more accountable...political reporters need to scrutinize, scrutinize and scrutinize some more and bring corruption out in the open. Then the public may be able to vote more effectively if they know the truth.

With the release of the Black report I hope there is a brighter, sunnier future coming and that the public of Iceland realise that they do have power with their votes and do not need to put up with that which is not good!

Ok enough of politics! 

This photo is for Kristin, who had this same cactus flowering at Christmas in Iceland and mine is just breaking into flower with the onset of the cooler season here in Perth.

 You have all seen plenty of my winter Iceland pics and as summer is now approaching Iceland here are some from my trip in July last year...plenty of lush green grass and blue skies with 22-24 hour sunshine and even sunburn as you can see in the pic below of my daughter Eva.

Monday Ice Video Connections!

Ok, so I have just now realised that you can schedule posts to be released in advanced, so I have decided to have a regular video post each Monday.

To get my fix I do trawl YouTube for footage on Iceland and have bookmarked quite a few, so not wanting to overload you all at once I will share one or two clips regularly on Mondays. I am not quite sure how this will pan out or how strictly about Iceland they will be...but the rule is that there will be some sort of connection to Iceland even if it is by 6 degrees of separation.

I thought I would start with a little history lesson. This is a quaint 1926 silent travel clip on the capital Reykjavik when the population was 21,000 plus a police force of 3.

I am also going to include weekly episodes of a documentary called Heima (meaning 'At Home') which is about the acclaimed Icelandic band Sigur Rós, (I love their music) who toured Iceland in the summer of 2006 providing free concerts around the country. I am including these because there are some absolutely stunning images of the landscape which is hauntingly enhanced by the music, plus it is a great documentary. My daughter in-law Olga introduced me to this band and subsequent documentary when it was shown briefly on Pitchfork.

I forgot my yoghurt!

A laugh for Icelanders and my son Ross who always thinks up similar type phrases to remind himself how to pronounce some Icelandic words.

No I haven't changed my mind!

With all the news about Iceland many have asked me if I have changed my mind in wanting to live there. Well the answer is no....it hasn't entered my mind to not go...I am captivated by the place and can't wait until I can return. I tend not to worry about those sorts of things...I could be killed in a car accident tomorrow...who knows what is in store and I don't think it matters where you live if something bad is going to happen to you, it will happen where ever you are! Iceland bewitches me, the landscape is incredible and reminds me exactly where we fit as humans in the scheme of things....I am drawn to the place and want to get to know it more intimately.

This picture is of a summer house in Reykir where my son and daughter-inlaw Ross and Olga held their wedding reception last year (remember it was about 22hrs daylight), most of the night we were outside

and this image on that night, with the summer house in the foreground, taken by my sister Kerry, probably best describes the feeling I get from the place.

The photographs that are around at the moment of the eruption still show that Iceland is stunning...there is something about that place and I urge you all wholeheartedly if you ever get the chance to visit...go, go, go!

Here are a few more breathtaking images of the eruption...can't have a blog post without lots of pictures.

Thick drifts of volcanic ash blanketed parts of rural Iceland on Friday as a vast, invisible plume of grit drifted over Europe, emptying the skies of planes and sending hundreds of thousands in search of hotel rooms, train tickets or rental cars. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti) #

Long lens view of farm near the Eyjafjallajokull volcano as it continues to billow smoke and ash during an eruption late on April 17, 2010. (HALLDOR KOLBEINS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Whilst most Icelanders go about their day to day activity as before and are relatively unscathed by the events of the last few days, spare a thought for the farmers in the vicinity of the volcano who have had to deal with the worst of the eruption. Fortunately Icelandic farmers have large barns where they keep their animals over the winter and have been able to round them up and get most out of immediate danger but the long term effect on agriculture is at this stage unknown.

Farmer Thorarinn Olafsson tries to lure his horse back to the stable as a cloud of black ash looms overhead in Drangshlid at Eyjafjoll on April 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Ingolfur Juliusson) #

Farmers team up to rescue cattle from exposure to the toxic volcanic ash at a farm in Nupur, Iceland, as the volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier sends ash into the air Saturday, April 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti) #

This aerial image shows the crater spewing ash and plumes of grit at the summit of the volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier Saturday April 17, 2010. (AP Photo/Arnar Thorisson/Helicopter.is) #

The first of 3 photos by Olivier Vandeginste, taken 10 km east of Hvolsvollur at a distance 25 km from the Eyjafjallajokull craters on April 18th, 2010. Lightning and motion-blurred ash appear in this 15-second exposure. (© Olivier Vandeginste) #

More of these spectacular images can be found at Boston.com

And if you want to know more about volcanoes and their eruptions listen to David Attenborough in Iceland talking about this very subject...some amazing footage on lava flow, Basaltic rock formations and underwater eruptions.

Mother Nature Fights Back!

Iceland is in the news again... as most of you will know there has been another volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajökull in the south of Iceland...this one is causing more havoc than the others have in the last few weeks.  Mother nature is letting us all know it doesn't matter how advanced we think we are she is still the boss and can stop nations in their tracks if she wants to. The volcanic ash and billowing smoke has caused havoc with air traffic, disrupting flights across Europe.

 There are many amazing images around at the moment, this one is a radar picture of the craters as seen by the coast guard plane on April 15 Image from Iceland Review

 Another remarkable image found at The Iceland Weather Report taken by Ólafur Eggertsson from the farm Þorvaldseyri 

  

 This one is Ash cloud at Grafarkirkja í skaftártungu from Iceland's Facebook page which was added by Ísak Davíð 

Photo by Steini3 and added to Facebook group Volcano Iceland by Carlo Ævi Del Sal

Photo by Kjartan Þorbjörnsson and added to the Facebook group Volcano Iceland by Carlo Ævi Del Sal

 Photo by Fredrik Holm and added to the Facebook group Volcano Iceland by Carlo Ævi Del Sal

Photo by Belga and added to the Facebook group Volcano Iceland by Carlo Ævi Del Sal

This is footage from 1973 and of an eruption in Heimaey, a small fishing village in Iceland. Hopefully no Icelanders or their furry friends in 2010 will have to deal with this type of destruction.

The eruption has temporarily overshadowed the political fallout that is also current in Iceland.  The Black Report was released last Saturday which is an investigation into the financial collapse of Iceland at the end of 2008.  Many bankers and politicians who were less than ethical to downright dishonest in their dealings, actions and decisions were named in the report.  Whilst this investigative team are not about pressing criminal charges they have laid down the framework for it to happen...hopefully justice will be served and those that should pay for their actions do.  However few are coming forward to take responsibility for their role in this financial disaster that is crippling the country...the list of those who have can be found on the Economic Disaster Area website.  

I have found another amazing project to back on the Kickstarter website and in light of everything happening to our planet I think this project highlights the wondrous and majestic nature of the world we live in.  

brain coral #0210-4501 (2,000 years old; speyside, tobago)

image via Rachel Sussman

la llareta #0308-23b26 (up to 3,000 years old, atacama desert, chile)

image via Rachel Sussman

Please take a moment to look at Rachel Sussman's project the Oldest Living Things In The World. Rachel is working with scientists and biologists, traveling the world to find, document and photograph living organisms that are 2,000 or more years old. More info on Rachel Sussman can be found at her website and blog.

 

This is for you Sigga!

Enjoy!

Nearly Done!

Nearly all the major work is done, I painted a bedroom earlier in the week...It needed it desperately, I had intended to do it after Jesse moved out, however the day after he left Dom moved back in for a couple of months before going to Melbourne...when Dom left, Eva moved into the room so I never got the chance.

The only major job left is to paint the front fence which I have started and managed to get one coat on yesterday but it needs another...but hey it rained early this morning so I think it best to leave for another day.

A very overcast looking sky today...not a good day to paint outside!

Before!

After one coat!

So will work on sorting and cleaning up inside, remove some of the unnecessary clutter and then the old place should be ready for sale. The Perth market is very buoyant at the moment and places seem to sell relatively quickly, I don't think this house will take too long.

Hopefully the roses will keep blooming as they make the house look good!

However I seem to be doing everything back to front, selling my home before I have got residency in Iceland but I am taking a leap of faith that it will all work out...fingers crossed!!! Hopefully Unnur, I will get back there in time for some Berry Picking with you!

Besides painting the bedroom I managed to catch up with a dear friend Judy and fit in a little retail therapy...my style...at the same time (no shoes, clothes or handbags for me) we visited Shedwallah in Freo.

Shedwallah is the place for those interested in all things exotic, oriental...furniture, carpets, rugs, textiles, garden pots etc it is a great place to while a way a few hours...6 Stack St Freo.

I bought floor rugs and cushions...which will make the house look good but the stuff can move with me to Iceland.

The purchases...Afghanistan Balouchi tribal wool rug and two saddlebag cushions.
Iranian Meshecl wool runner for the entry hall

I also bought a slightly damaged kilim in their hail sale...it had a slight run of colour that is hardly noticeable...a bargain for $100

And this lovely handmade chainstitch cushion for my bed...they even had large floor rugs in chainstitch they were absolutely magnificent and mind-boggling in the amount of work.

It was a week of catching up with friends and family, on Thurs night I enjoyed a meal with Mai-Yung a dear friend from uni days and on Fri had a lovely lunch with my two younger sisters Kerry and Donna.

Donna

Kerry

I must say I am enjoying not being tied down to a 9-5 job.
Aah...I did make the right decision not to paint today as it has just started to rain again.

Just one more thing...one of the kickstarter projects I have pledged to (1024 bits of you and me) time is just about up, so if you feel inclined to sponsor go to the link above.