Dec 09
21
Happy (real) New Year
The winter solstice is upon us once again, or if you prefer to call it the shortest day of the year. Others might even call it the first day of winter although technically it is half way through winter already. We now begin to tilt back toward the sun and the sunlight gets longer each day. I prefer to mark this day as the new year. I never liked the arbitrary 1 January at exactly 00:00 as the marker. The solstice is real and of great importance to our ancient relatives.
Sunrise today in Reykjavík is at 11:23 and sunset at 15:30 (3:30 pm). In the northern West Fjords the sunrise is at 12:09 with sunset at 14:53 (2:53 pm). You can bet that they will be happy to finally see more sunlight in the coming days.
So, at 17:47 coordinated universal time give a thought to the thousands of generations that came before and marked this moment as the rebirth of mankind; the new year. To the folks in Iceland that is at 17:47/5:47PM and to those on the east coast of N.A. that moment is at 12:47.
farsælt komandi ár
Table of contents for Icelandic Yule Lads
- The Yule Lads are coming.
- Stekkjastaur – Gimpy – 12 December
- Giljagaur – Gilly Oaf – 13 December
- Stúfur – Itty Bitty – 14 December
- Þvörusleikir – Pot Scraper Licker – 15 December
- Pottasleikir – Pot Licker – 16 December
- Askasleikir – Bowl Licker – 17 December
- Hurðaskellir – Door Slammer, 18 December
- Skyrgámur – Skyr Glutton – 19 December
- Bjúgnakrækir – 20 December
- Gluggagægir – Peeper – 21 December
- Gáttaþefur – Sniffer – 22 December
- Ketkrókur – Meat Hook – 23 December
- Kertasníkir – Candle Beggar – 24 December
- Merry Christmas – Gleðileg jól
- Happy (real) New Year
Posted in Seasons by .
Nov 11
11
Another 11
A +2C/+35F partly to mostly cloudy late morning.
It is a perfect cold day, the wind and temperature stings just enough to make you aware of the space beyond yourself. I am not cold but I know how close I could be. I am aware that I might not be here at all except by dumb luck. And the sacrifice of people I’ll never know. And most sadly, some of the faces I see before me now won’t be here next year. They will have sacrificed and I will be here again to remember them and to thank them, wherever they are. And they will never grow old.
Taps began to play at 10:58. Everything else goes silent. Only the breeze and a single trumpet can be heard. And then at the eleventh hour, not even the wind makes a sound.
At that moment a freight train rolled through the village. For the full two minutes of silence the only sound was the undeniable melody of train moving at a constant rhythm. Finally the sound fades off in distance and time. And then, the single trumpet sings again.
Suddenly the sun came out from its heavy cloud cover.
Thank you soldier. Lest We Forget.
Oct 11
21
Midnight Sun in Iceland
A Vimeo video too good not to share.
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BEST VIEWED IN HD AND FULLSCREEN (with scaling off)
Midnight Sun: A natural phenomenon occurring in the summer months north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun never fully sets and remains visible 24 hours a day.
This short time lapse film was shot during the Icelandic Midnight Sun in June of 2011.
………..
Posted in Iceland Phenomenon Seasons by .
I’m no defender of Obama but I’m not a hater either. At least not with any distinction between him and every other candidate and recent president since at least LBJ. The rhetoric is deafening and boring. Exactly how will another change in leadership save your sinking ship? The O haters in power and not in power won’t give him a chance no matter what he did or said. You really don’t want anything to improve between now and November 2012 do you? You need it as bad as possible and that’s one wish you’ll probably get. On the other hand since I don’t believe it will make any difference who is on the throne then I’m actually hoping for the most insane and seemingly radical right wing jackass to win. You deserve to see how nothing much will change except for the continued slide into the abyss. I’m saddened to know that Obama is just another cog in that gear. Now it’s time for y’all to once again see it. Eight years of one jackass wasn’t good enough so let’s all hope that Obama doesn’t have the endure the same. Time for a real Bozo to take control.
suckas.
Posted in Why by .
