Axe-man arrested

I told you about the man who chased the woman with an axe. Well, now he's arrested, and will be put in jail for 4 weeks, while the investigations continue. He claims he's innocent.

Republican leader, attacked!

Reblican leader, Høgni Hoydal, got punched in the face, when he was in an hotel in Bergen, Norway, tuesday night. Another person from the Faroe Islands hit him in the face. This person has later apologized, and claimed the incident had nothing to do with politics. Høgni Hoydal, wont press charges against this man, and ends by saying, "I was just standing in the wrong place".

Boys In A Band, named in Clash Magazine!

Clash Magazine, has this article on Boys In A Band:

http://www.clashmusic.com/node/3103

Bryan Adams coming to the Faroe Islands!

The international acclaimed artist, Bryan Adams, will be having a concert in the Faroe Islands, the 4'th of June, 2008. A press conference will be held tomorrow on this matter.

Bjørk - Declare Independence

The controversial political song, Declare Independence, has been made into a video now, aaaand, here it is:



Check out the flags, which the soldiers have on their arms.

Oh, and on a more personal notice, i must say, the song itself, i don't like, but, the message it sends, i really like.

related links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declare_Independence

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Gondry (the director)

http://www.spinner.com/2007/11/29/bjork-the-making-of-declare-independence-video-exclusive/ (behind the scenes of the video)

Hans F. Hansen

I'm not getting any percentages or anything for plugging this, but. Hans Fróði Hansen, goes under the artist name, Hans F. Hansen is launcing a skincare collection for men.

I remember a YouTube segment once, where he was mingling with Pamela Anderson, while she was shaking her groove.

Check out his page here: http://www.hansfhansen.com/index1.html

He's put alot of effort into his business, i hope it goes well for him.

BREAKING NEWS!!!

The winner of GBOB 2007 are, Boys in a Band, from the Faroe Islands. They win 100.000 USD, and a world tour, congratulations!!!

http://www.gbob.com/gb_readarticle.asp?artid=655

---

Last night, the Faroese prime minister announced that there will be an election for the parliament on the 19'th of January, 2008... this is announced 2 weeks earlier than they were hoping for.

... more news later.

Bits and pieces

Sorry for my awol's inbetween, but i am afraid they will occur from time to time.

Now for what's happening in my country.

The coalition has agreed to further their term with 2 weeks, shortening the election campaign from 6 weeks to 4 weeks. Republican leader Høgni Hoydal is furious at this decision, saying that only in countries we don't want to compare ourselves with, would such a thing like this happen.

--

This next piece shocked me.

In a store in Tórshavn, at night, some people were at work. A woman sees a man she doesn't know at the counter, she approaches him, all of a sudden, he lifts an object, which she thinks is an axe, she runs off, he starts chasing her with this axe... she manages to escape. The man is not caught yet, but there is video footage of the incident.

A user on Kjak.fo said that this has to be a sign of we're a part of the globalized world... he was joking ofcourse.

--

I see we're mentioned on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22010639/ - Make sure to check that out. He gives a near to perfect picture of the Faroe Islands.

--

Benjamin Jacobsen, Vatnsoyrar, is currently working with his PhD in Geology. The assignment is a collaboration between NASA, The Lunar and Planetary Institute and The University of California, Davis. You can read more about it here: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/2007/J07-019.html

Subsea-tunnel to Sandoy

The biggest ever Faroese financial initiative was put into effect today. Starting ultimo 2009, they will make a tunnel between Streymoy and Sandoy, and the cost will be approx. 690 mio. kr. (136363168.11 USD.). This is a part of a larger plan, which involves a subsea-tunnel to Suðuroy, somewhere in a fairly distant future.

Subs near our tub

First it was russian fighter-planes, and now it's russian submarines. They've been spotted near norwegian shores also.

They've also been close to Iceland. The american P-3 Orion left Iceland in 2004, so they are not up to par, when it comes to checking for subs.

World Cup draw.

The draw for the next World Cup in football (soccer) has taken place, and we've gotten a somewhat mediocre group.

We're in group 7, and it's: France, Romania, Serbia, Lithuania, Austria, Faroe Islands

The most interesting and noteable thing here is, that Austria is also in this group. In our first match in international competition, we played Austria, and made world headlines, by beating them 1-0. This was in 1990. Check this YouTube clip... we're the ones in white. And also check this one out, same guy who scored the goal, almost got a second one.

BP claiming a "tight hole" status

British Petroleum are drilling in Faroese waters, and now they're getting closer to the bottom, they are putting a lid on all information, and they're not letting any information going public. This is because they're entering the stages where things get exciting and revealing, and maybe they'll strike oil (or gas).

Bill Clinton, inspired by the Faroe Islands.

I've tried to find it on CNN, but portal.fo reports that Bill Clinton is having grass roofs applied to all his estate properities, and the inspiration comes from the Faroe Islands. The application of grass roof is more enviromentally friendly.

Tell me if you have heard this, or have a link.

New minister appointed

Heðin Zachariassen of the People's Party is appointed new minister. He has maximum 2 months in term. He says he will try his best to get the legislation for foreign workpower put into effect.

I wish gravely he will succeed with his mission.

Tense times

A minister from the People's Party was sent home today, by our prime minister. The reason: Because he stuck his nose into something where it didn't belong... that's the best way i could put it.

A director, from a company in a branch below this minister, sent home 2 captains of a ferry which sails here in the Faroes. This he did, because they had reached the age of 67, and were now seniors and couldn't work anymore, because they had reached the age limit for people working in public sector. Later the limit was set to 70, and these 2 couldn't get their jobs back, because of legal formalities. The minister pushed this director to re-hire these 2 guys, he said he didn't have the legal grounds to do so, and the director asked to be released from his job, and now... approx. a week later, the prime minister sacked this minister.

Italy vs. Faroe Islands, 3 - 1

It just ended. The match was played in Modena, Italy. The birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti, and the first national game ever played there by the italian team, so in a way it was a very special event.

The first half was not good, the italians got all their goals in the first half. Second half was much better, with our side getting alot of offense, and towards the end, Rógvi Jacobsen headed the ball into the net, and is now the leading scorer on the faroese national team.

I'm happy with the result, because the guys fought, which is more than i can say about previous matches they've had.

Huge gallery

These pictures are taken by my brother, not on just one hiking trip, but on many of his "trips" around in the Faroes... and why this is underlined.... i don't know... enjoy :)

































































































































And this is not underlined... weird...

Mixed bag

Atlantic Airways purchased today a new helicopter from Italy, the brand is called Augusta Vestland. It will seat 15 people. They've also gotten themselves a new aeroplane, which will go into use in December. Currently Atlantic Airways have 2 planes which are in constant use at SAS, this because of the problems the SAS has had with the DASH-planes they have.

1/3 of Atlantic Airways went public today, and the sale has been going well so far. Kaupthing is putting a Buy on the stock.

The first faroese doctor in economics is Juanna Schrøter Joensen - The PhD-assignment is called Determinants and Consequenses of Human Capital Investments. Her last year, she studied at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. She will now work at the University of Stockholm in Sweden.

--

The gallery i talked about yesterday, should be up by tomorrow.

Short news

I've been kind of busy these last days, but i'll be back more regularly, starting tomorrow. Tomorrow i'll post a gallery of a hiking trip my brother was walking today.

Nothing alarming happening here on the islands, although, for those who are interested. James Proctor, who worked at the BBC before, is writing a book about the Faroe Islands, a travel guide. He describes the Faroes as the new Iceland.

You can download this, http://media.internet.fo/ment071116.wmv - it starts at approx. 19 minutes into the program.

Quiet times...

It's been pretty "quiet" after the election. The talk and speculations are starting to brew for our own parliament election coming up in January '08.

Also in the news. Norrøna, which sails between between Tórshavn and many major ports in Scandinavia, lost power last sunday, this was somewhere close to Shetland, it was rough weather, and the ship tilted 40 degrees. Approx. 250 people were on board, only minor damage to a few passengers, but cars and other materials were badly damaged.

Election night gallery walkthrough

Alfred Olsen, the Unionist Party... he doesn't look all that happy.










Jenis av Rana, leader of the Centre Party. He's looking pretty... bloated.



















Høgni Hoydal, probably getting congratulated.








Edmund Joensen, about to get hugged by his party leader, Kaj Leo Johannessen. Edmund is a former party leader himself.








Høgni congratulating Edmund... man! do these guys look happy.








The party leaders.









Our prime minister, being gracious in defeat, and congratulating.









He might look "innocent", but this guy will soon be moving to the top in faroese politics.

-----

Photos taken by Jens Kr. Vang, photographer at Sosialurin.

Election results and thoughts:

23063 people voted, and 34531 had a right to vote. That means, that 66.8% percentage of the people voted.

A - People's Party 4726 votes

B - Union Party 5413 -

C - Social Democratic Party 4702 -

D - Self-Government Party 797 -

E - Republican Party 5848 -

H - Centre Party 1577 -


The top 10:

E	Høgni Hoydal	2557
C	Jóannes Eidesgaard	992
A	Jørgen Niclasen	955
B	Edmund Joensen	931
C	Helena Dam á Neystabø	784
A	Óli Breckmann	765
H	Karsten Hansen	717
B	Kaj Leo Johannesen	714
C	John Johannessen	662
E	Annita á Fríðríksmørk	625

This means that Høgni Hoydal and Edmund Joensen are the 2 elected candidates.

That means that Anfinn Kallsberg from the Peoples Party is out, and in comes former danish parliament member, Edmund Joensen.

Høgni Hoydal got my vote, and i'm happy it went so well for him. This doesn't change the "battle" for independence in my view. Høgni retained his seat, so there's not such a big change in any way. And i don't think that Edmund will make a huge impact "down there" ... in Denmark.

All in all, i go to sleep a happy guy right now.

Election day...

The voting has started. The latest poll shows that Tjóðveldi (Republican party) and Fólkaflokkurin (Peoples party) will get one mandate each. Tjóðveldi is looking at 25% of the votes, and Fólkaflokkurin, 21%. Nothing is even close to certain yet, and when the day is over, all things will be clear, both in Denmark and here in the Faroe Islands. Results will be up here later.

It's expected that approx. 65-70% of the people will vote for this election. No further information on what party stands to win. Exit polls are forbidden.

Republican part and Unionist party are winners.

Will post more later

Turn of the tide

I'm excited. On tuesday (btw. can some bright-head find out why most elections are on tuesday? I've known why before, but it has gotten out of my head), there will be an election, and this will be the jumpstart of the upcoming election in january '08.

The final tv and radio debate is over, and now time will tell what the outcome will be. We're taking major steps towards a total independent nation (this is my personal view), and we're getting more mature as a country. In a way, it's in interesting time to be a part of the Faroe Islands, and the progress which we will be undergoing over the next years.

A review: Eco-tourism in the Faroe Islands

- Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to the ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet; typically involving travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Sustainable development needs to social, economic and environmental needs all together to occur. - Wikipedia

I attended a conference today. This was coordinated by SamVit - And the main objective was to shed ligt on eco-tourism, and what this meant to the public and the country itself, and how to approach this matter.

In the aftermath of the very good review we got in the National Geographic Travler - I think we have an obligation to the world, to preserve our country in the most sustainable manner we can. This matter should be and is a matter of national interest.

It started in the morning at 10, but i got there in the afternoon, as i wanted to hear what my brother had to say. He's a biologist, and talked about effect on nature. What it does to bird-life, when you walk in the mountains, and what could be done to make this more... how shall i say it?... sustainable. He spoke for approx. 20 minutes.

Next up is Randi Meitil, a woman from a company called, Faroe Trekking. She had an interesting speech on what her job is, and what she offers her customers. I haven't found her website, and i don't know if she even has one, but she's been in this line of business for many years, and seems like she knows what she's talking about. In short, she offers a travel package, which mainly consists of trekking in the mountains, in areas away from daily life. She also has visitors in the winter, for a more rough program.

Next up is Magni Blástein, a guy, which has a boat, and offers a fairly simple program. Get on his boat, sail a distance from land, throw out your fising rod... well, not the rod itself, i mean, the line... and sit there and wait, and inhale the tranquility and experience the nearness of nature. Also a very popular tourist-attraction.

Last on the list was Carol Patterson - She had a very interesting speech and approach on this matter, and you instantly came to realize, that she is an expert on this field. She told us about her experiences around the globe, e.g. in Borneo and Iceland.

Then there was a short pause, where i took that rather poor picture you see there on the top.

Rounding the evening, was a Q&A session. During this segment, i noticed one member of parliament in attendance, and this very person asked the head of SamVit, on what she thought they needed in funding from the parliament. I must say, i'm rather disappointed with the poor attendance of parliament members, on such a vital subject. There were some other questions, and then the evening ended.

A very interesting evening for me.

Russians flapping their wings again

Again they've been in the neighbourhood. Experts think that russians are showing their feathers, to show the rest of the world, that they are still around, and that they are a force.

Snow and bad weather

It's very bad weather here today. Strong winds, and ferocious snow. I guess winter is upon us, and we just have to brace ourselves. It's not like it's abnormally bad weather, so it's not like there's an ongoing danger going on.

We're positive and healthy

A survey has been conducted here in the Faroe Islands. The main subject was, how people here in the Faroe Islands feel, if they think they're in good health.

8000 people were asked, 4000 people delivered an answer. This survey was conducted via paper.

80% of the people asked, think they're in good health, 18% think they're doing moderately good and 2% think that they have bad health.

Those with a low educational level, think they're in worse health than those with an higher education.

Those who have kids, that live at home, they they're in better health, than those where the kids don't live at home.

People living in smaller places, consider themselves having worse health, than those living in larger places.

Harry's here

Not really much to tell today. The faroese version of Harry Potter, is being released here in the Faroe Islands tomorrow. We're the first of the nordic countries to release it.

It's on!

The election-campaign has really begun now, and the political parties are storming all medias, telling us why we should vote for them. The election will be next tuesday, and i'll be posting info here that day about the outcome of the election, and maybe what the elected people have to say.

Church inauguration

A new church was officially taken into use today. It's placement is in Hoyvík, which is a part of Tórshavn. It's been several years in the making, and it seats 600 people.

Here's a gallery:

http://portal.fo/myndafrasogn.php?tn=950

http://portal.fo/myndafrasogn.php?tn=948

Operation Christmas Child

With christmas coming, we're all starting slowly to gather our thoughts, and getting ready.

Not everyone are so fortunate around the world, that they can have a peaceful christmas, and many celebrate no christmas at all.

There are many charity-organizations around the world, and one of them is @ http://www.samaritanspurse.org/ - They have the annual returning event, called Operation Christmas Child.

I actually don't know really much about this, other than shoe-boxes will be filled with things, and then shipped of to those in need. The Faroe Islands sent 3000 shoe-boxes this year, roughly the same amount as last year.

An Islander in America

I was kind of excited earlier, and told straight away that an article was about Ogie in a faroese newspaper (Sosialurin), but i must say, i may have jumped to conclusions.

A faroese reporter has been in Seattle, USA, to visit his cousin, called Vilmund Boggs.

Vilmund is a helicopter-mechanic. The reporter mentions in brief about the days "over there", about his employer. Vilmund mentions having just returned from a working-trip in South Africa.

I hope i've recited things correctly, and i expect Ogie to shed some more light on this. I am deeply curious.

The View

Again, headlines... not my forté.

The situation in the country is kind of, silent at the moment. No really big news. The political landscape will change soon (i'm talking about the election for the danish parliament), we're just starting to get a glimpse of the campaigns. The people offering themselves to be elected haven't really begun just yet, but they will soon. The political parties aren't quite finished yet, with whom to put on their lists.

My guess is that a republican (Høgni Hoydal) and a person from the unionists (don't know whom just yet...), will be elected, but i'm far from a political analyst, this is just my assumption.

Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland to cooperate

These 3 countries are urged to undergo a corperation when it comes to SAR (Search And Rescue) on sea and in mountains. It is thought that all the 3 countries will benefit from this future agreement.

I think personally that this is a great initiative, and hope this will come into effect.

You can read more about it here:

http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=7319&lang=6

Atlantic Petroleum still enjoying great times

The Faroe Islands oil company, Atlantic Petroleum, keeps going upwards on the stock-market. They are listed on the icelandic and danish stock-market. They've gone up by 229% altogether this year.

Here you can follow the "action", when it comes to faroese stocks:

http://english.m5.fo/?

Good times

The Economic Council launched their annual report today.

In short conclusion, they said: There are (too) good times, here on the Faroe Islands. We have a shortage on working power, meaning, people.

They advised for caution, when it came to foreign investment, here in the Faroe Islands. Instead of the lowering of the tax percentage, they told it would be more wise to raise the taxes, as we are having very good times here now.

I haven't had the time to read this very closely, but i will give a more thorough report in a few days.

BIAB on their way to GBOB

What's it you say? Has he gone mental now? BIAB on their way to GBOB?...that doesn't make sense - Well, i'm not crazy... yet... :)

There's an international competition, called Global Battle Of the Bands - And the faroese band, this year, which is going to the final in London, is called Boys In A Band. The prelim. was this weekend held in Mentanarhúsið, located in the town of Fuglafjørður.

I wish them the best of luck.

Last year the Faroe Islands ended at #6, in the finals, if i remember correct, the band was called Marius (the song called The Sky Is Our Home is great).

Boring day

In a way, it's a boring day. The Social Democrats are having their annual national gathering, and they're launching a teaser for their forthcoming campaigns, both for the danish and faroese parliament.

With one electoral area, the landscape has a totally different scale, for this coming election for the faroese parliament, now people can elect whom they choose on the list, and are not restricted to their given area.

I wish i could make a living of this, i mean... i like giving information on what's happening in my country, and wouldn't it be nice if that could be my income. I have come to the conclusion, that their isn't enough interest in the media here, to present faroese news in english. The danish news agency, Ritzau, has a person here in the faroes, who on occasion, presents them with news, and mostly that news is written in danish. I don't know if the global interest is big enough, to present them with daily updated english-written news.

For now, i will stick with this, and try to open the door into this country a little bit, and give them insight.

This wasn't one of my usual posts, maybe tomorrow will be more news-worthy.

Oh, and the faroese football/soccer-season is over today, and NSÍ were the winners.

Very positive news

I found this online, it's about a survey, made by National Geographic Traveler

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/10/26/41032/859/travel/Dreamin'+of+Unspoiled+Island+Vacations

i.e. it says:

a recent survey done by National Geographic Traveler and their island experts has attempted to rate 111 popular island destinations according to their sustainability and the impact that tourism has already had on them.

They decided that islands with not-so-fantastic beaches and cloudy weather are doing the best at the moment: places like Scotland's Shetland Islands and Denmark's Faroe Islands rate in the top five. Experts were asked to name islands that are "authentic, unspoiled, and likely to remain so." Only the Faroe Islands fit that bill. But in the next category of islands--those that are almost unspoiled but just have minor difficulties--some great destinations pop up: Australia's Kangaroo Island and Tasmania, Dominica, the Grenadines, Molokai in Hawaii, Santa Catalina in California and France's Corsica.

Here's the list itself:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/features/islandsrated0711/islands.html

It's official, G!-festival bankrupt.

It's announced now. They've got approx. 1 million danish crowns in debt, and are bankrupt.

The festival was the major attraction during the summerfestivals, and i don't see how this can be reinstated. It's a damn shame in my view.

Russian fighterplanes, near Faroe Islands

These last months, russian fighterplanes have been close to faroese air-territory. They haven't been this active since the cold war.

i.e. were these babies spotted:

#6 in the world.

Richmond, Virginia, hosted this event. The faroese participator was Joan Bláfoss, the discipline was Duathlon.

First they ran 15 kilometres, then they cycled 76 kilometres, and then they ran again, this time 7.5 kilometres. Joan ended up #6, and i think that's a wonderful result.

Congratulations

Election in Denmark

On 13'th of November, there will be an election for the danish goverment. What's this got to do with the Faroe Islands? Sadly... alot.

The Faroe Islands and Greenland have 2 posts there each, and when danes are voting, we'll be voting on which 2 persons to send to Denmark.

As a republican, i oppose of this.

You might have noticed i am somewhat biased, but when biased thoughts occur, you will notice.

Nordkapp has a Faroese mayor

The northern city of Nordkapp in Norway recently appointed a faroese-born woman, Kristina Hansen. She's lived some 20 years in Norway.

Energy from Iceland

The Faroe Islands will not be a part of the Kyoto treaty, because we cannot guarantee an 8% reduction in CO2 emission over the next years. There's an option of connecting a cable between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, in which we will receive sustainable electricity through this cable (I'm lost for words here, what i mean is... Iceland gets electric power from their underground heat sources, and the Faroe Islands could make use of this energy, via this cable) - This would reduce the emission 30% over the next years. But have in mind, this is a very costly option, and is still only a hypothetical solution.

Australian TV does bio on Faroe Islands

ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has done a 20 minute segment on the Faroe Islands. I've hunted high and low, to find this show online, and i've found it.

Here's the synopsis: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2007/s2050734.htm

And here's the segment itself, you need Realplayer or Windows Media Player to play this, it's streamed, and quality is quite bad:

Real broadband

Real dialup

Win broadband

Win dialup

"Krashed in Kiev"

Wednesday we were beaten again, 5-0. They guys showed a greater spirit, but, alas, they were trashed. This has led to the national speculation, whether the national manager, is fit for this job.

In my personal opinion, that guy should be sacked.

The coalition is in pieces

This tuesday will be crucial. Then we will know whether we got a working government or not. All is based in the political objective, to get one electoral area. I've talked about this elsewhere on my blog. There are so many people against this, the coalition is split in half.

Been busy

I've been awol for a week, but i'll be back doing more regular updates.

Good results in Special Olympics World Summer Games

The faroese athletes in the Special Olympics World Summer Games, in China, return him good results. They participated in 3 disciplines: Boccia, Swimming and Athletics.

5 gold medals.

3 silver

3 bronze.

Congratulations.

Full time

This was dreadful, just awful. They got six goals, we got zero. Totally an utter failure of a match.

On Wednesday it's Ukraine.

Half time

It's real messy, the french are ahead 2-0, the two goals came within a 1 minute interval. In this case, the numbers speak for themselves. We're at 193 on the ranking-list, and they're at number 2.

Second half is up... fingers crossed.

Let's get it on!

They've landed, they're ready to play. It'll be interesting if this will be a walkover for France, or it will be a task.

Fingers crossed, this will be interesting.... or maybe this will be a nightmare.

The tricky Faroese weather

They were supposed to be in the Faroe Islands on Friday noon, but as of 10:30'ish, Saturday morning, they had not landed. The fog is so thick in Sørvági, where the airport is, it's crazy. So now they are in Iceland, awaiting further info.

The icelandinc newspaper, Morgunblaðið, is having a fieldday with this, i.e. asking if the french team can't take on a couple of locals, when they are there anyway.

Faroe Islands vs. France.

This saturday, Faroe Islands will take on France, in the Euro2008 competition. This is in football/soccer.

Faroe Islands are among the lowest ranked teams on the FIFA ranking list, and France are at #2. This will really be a David vs. Goliath match.

The match takes place on Tórsvøllur, in Tórshavn.

The Clinton Coverage: Q&A

The Q&A was hosted by Tórun Ellingsgaard. Here's a picture of the hostess:


And here's the Q&A link:

Q & A

(May not be available until later)

The Clinton Coverage: The speech!

Here's the speech Clinton had in the Nordic House. Honestly, i haven't had a chance to look at it, so i don't know if the Q&A is included, i doubt it.

It has faroese subtitles, so it'll be pretty interesting for you people who don't know the faroese language. Maybe you'll learn a thing or two. :)

T H E S P E E C H

(Save target as (or) Save link as)

Red Cross collection

Red Cross (Faroe Islands division) had a money collection this last weekend. And the collection gave approx. 2.5 million. USD. to the company. Per capita. (capita = citizen), that's approx twice the amount that Sweden and Denmark gave.

Digital signature coming this way

The government is looking into the option of digital signature.

My personal opinion is that i hope it's coming. It will ease so very much communication. And it will smooth the relationship between each person and i.e. public offices.

Not much news today, been a busy guy. :)

"Channel 2" lifts off

We have a national radio here on the islands, but we also have two other stations. One is devoted to Christian material, and one is the more alternative one to the national.

That channel can be roughly translated as "Channel 2" ( Rás 2 ) - And their ownership has changed hands. A company called "Miðlavarpið" has bought it, Miðlavarpið is affiliated with Sosialurin (where i believe Ogie's relative works).

They will try to match with the national radio, but yet, be different.

A gallery from their opening afternoon can be seen here:

http://portal.fo/myndafrasogn.php?tn=906

G!-festival in jeopardy!

This is bad news. The very well liked G!-festival, is likely to be cancelled, because of financial troubles. It's not certain, but things are looking pretty grim at the moment.

I know that Workman has been playing with the idea, on experiencing the festival. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

A new airport proposal

Ogie will find this amusing.

Another plan has emerged. Now they want to build an international airport in Nólsoy - However, this will require a sub-sea tunnel between Tórshavn and Nólsoy, as the island only has connection by a small ferry.

All this talk about a second airport, leads me to the conclusion, that within a few years, we will have another one.

- - - - - - - -

I might just mention, that in a few days, BP will starting drilling, in faroese waters, and they are at the most positive level they've ever been. They will drill deeper than ever before. And the fact that gas has been found close by, ups their positivity.

Not all is well, in a state of Denmark

I've never been good with headlines.

Yesterday, 2 policemen were injured, when a mentally unstable man, sprayed ammonium hydroxide on their faces. It also touched their eyes. They managed to get backup, and they got to a hospital, where they had their eyes under running water for six straight hours. Today we're getting word, that their eyes will not be damaged by this.

The mentally unstable man, got teargassed, and then taken into custody, and will be observed at the hospital today.

All of this took place in Tórshavn.

The Clinton Coverage: The Aftermath!

For now, this will be the ending of covering his visit here.

It was a rather pecualiar day, unlike any other day, a former president of the USA, was coming to visit. This character hasn't exactly been laying low, after his run in the White House. He's gone from being president, to being a citizen of the world, and using his influence and fame, to improve certain issues in the world.

So what had this very charismatic man to say to us? We're not 50.000 people, so would it really matter what he said, would his words fly right past us? No, not at all.

I.e. he said that he was very fascinated by the faroese grass turf roofs, and said the we were ahead, when it came to preserving energy (in this case, heat).

He said he wasn't here to lecture us, on how to live, because we were already doing great he said.

We (the Faroe Islands) were stepping on the global platform, and we have to become a part of the world. As a (possible) future oil-producer, As a leading country in fishing. And as a travel destination, we are a part of the global world, and we have to act thereby.

This man, through his enigmatic presence, has sent a shudder through the leaders of this country, and i think, for the first time, we are starting to realize, we are a part of the world, and not just a country, drifting in the Atlantic Ocean.

A proposal for a new airport.

Tomorrow morning, at 8:30, the minister of trade and industry, will publish a proposal, for a new airport at Glyvursnes (which is right outside Tórshavn, i've tried locating a decent picture, but i can't find any) - The cost will be roughly 300 million USD.

My personal opinion is that i think it's bs (an election is in January, and Tórshavn is the ministers area, so i think he's fishing for votes here) - Plus, there hasn't been any real exploration, of whether somewhere else is better to put the airport, i.e. today the most experienced pilot here in the Faroes, talked of Søltuvík (again, can't find a decent picture), Søltuvík is on Sandoy. He thought that it would suit better, for a new airport.

Our economy is fuming at the moment, we shouldn't allow it to boil.

The Clinton Coverage: "A special relationship..."

The Guardian, in England, have an article in the papers, called: A special relationship, Clinton and the Faroes.

The Clinton Coverage: Speech excerpt

Here's a 10 minute clip, of Bill Clintons speech, at the Nordic House in Tórshavn.

http://www.portal.fo/?page=kykmyndir&km=128

The Clinton Coverage: Small news-segment

This is from when he landed, and the faroese radio got a small interview from him. It starts at 3:42

http://www.uf.fo/ra/0110071220.m3u

The Clinton Coverage: Taking a stroll

After a short visit in Tinganes, Mr. Clinton decided to take a small stroll through Tórshavn, first stopping at H.N.J., or as it's more commonly known, Gamli Bókhandil (Old Bookstore)
, maybe he flipped through some pages there. After that, he went to ALV-búðin - which is a shop, and the income goes to people with working disabilities, there he drank a cup of coffee.



portal.fo

P.S. The man you see standing in the doorway there, is Magni Arge, the director of Atlantic Airways

Here's a gallery:

http://portal.fo/myndafrasogn.php?tn=898

Hans Blix: Invasion Iraq was a mistake

"I think that the invasion of Iraq was a tragedy" - Those are the exact words Hans Blix, told the faroese national radio in a short interview today. He also noted that there's anarchy in Iraq.

He feels that the weapon inspectors should've gotten more time, before any invasion. Mr. Blix strongly opposes a possible invasion of Iran. (My personal stance on that, is that they'll wake up a sleeping giant).

Hans Blix thinks that the world would be a safer place, if Bill Clinton was in power on 9/11.

Updated:

I have erased what i said earlier on here, and i will post what was commented on this thread, otherwise my other references to Blix' interview are correct:

"Blix did not say, that Saddam has gotten the same status as Gadaffi and Castro, rather he postulated, that if the US had not invaded Iraq, Saddam would have gotten this status but would not have been a threat to human kind - only to his own people."

I thank for this correction, and it was a silly mistake from me, to make a wrong reference.

The Clinton Coverage: The Arrival!

Swept in mist, the plane arrived out of nowhere. Security was at a top-level. Secret Service (why are they called "Secret"?), kept a sharp eye on people. He made a galant stop at the airport, saying hello to people, and the press. He said that he heard of the Faroe Islands, first time when he went to university, and had a certain fascination towards the North Atlantic. In a escort, he was guided to Tórshavn, sitting in a jeep. Dressed in casual clothing, more casual than the people who were there to greet him, seemed very relaxed.

He is now in Tórshavn, making a short stop at Hotel Føroyar - Hans Blix has arrived, and the media isn't actually giving him any notice, which in a way is a shame.

As Cleo Paskal said in a review of the Faroes "A place like that doesn't need Clinton to feel important." - But, i must admit, it's nice, it's cool... it's good to host a distinguished person like Bill Clinton, and i hope that he will feel very welcomed.


portal.fo

The Clinton Coverage: Day 4

There´s really not much to say. Except that BBC World are throwing small news-bits out. Security has been at the hospital in Tórshavn. Maybe to see what the conditions are like, should something happen to the visitors.

The Clinton Coverage: Day 3

Very slow build, this is because all the tickets are sold out now, and everything is almost in place. Only new news, is that Hans Blix will be on national news, in some interview. Nothing new on Clinton, except that he'll be doing to talking.

The Clinton Coverage: Day 2

Nothing new on the front actually, only that i heard that a car had been here in my village, a police-car, maybe timeframing and stuff... and we're told to stay off the main-road (Clinton's crew is expected to drive through my village...), so that any possible danger can be avoided. And we're cleaning up the village and everything, even though he wont be stopping here. In a way, i think it's sad that the main focus is Clinton, and not Clinton and Blix... anyways, i'll keep you updated.

The Clinton Coverage!

Over the next few days, i will be talking about Bill Clinton (and Hans Blix's) visit here to the Faroe Islands.

On 1'st of October they will be coming here, but already now, a bunch of reporters have arrived, i.e. from Sky News, BBC World, AFP and AP.

Atlantic Petroleum shares said to go sky-high!

Gudme Raaschou Bank says that the shares in the Faroe Islands based oil-company, Atlantic Petroleum are maybe going to rise as high as 52% more, than their current value is. The company is in a joint-venture, which has just struck gas.

Bellamy Brothers!

The Bellamy Brothers are having 2 concerts here in the Islands during the course of this weekend. I don't know really how famous these guys are on a global basis, but they're pretty famous here... although, their music, is really not my kind of music.

Extreme sports!

These days, there is a gathering here in Tórshavn. People from countries around us, are here and showing what next summers plans are for them, when it comes to travel and tourists, you can read about the event here:

http://www.vestnorden.com/


One market-strategy, will be offering the Faroe Islands, as a place for extreme sports... we'll see how this all pans out...

30 years!

This day has been a strange day, it began weird, i've been angry today, at people for not doing as i asked them to do, then i've made friends again with those persons. Tonight, i was on a resturant with a part of my family. I had lobster soup, sirloin.. something.. and some kind of creme brulee (i don't know exactly right now how it's spelled...). Now i'm going to live my 30's... wish me luck...

Grand Princess... and me...

All this day, my little village has been swarming with tourists, all of them US citizens. The cruise ship, Grand Princess, has been anchored in Tórshavn all day, and the tourists have been visiting almost all of the islands, on their 1 day visit. Grand Princess is registered in Bermuda, and is the biggest cruise ship ever to have been here. I talked to one of the passengers, and i noticed a certain "r" in the way they were talking, i.e. "Are you", they were very heavy on the letter "r", so i don't know exactly what part of the US, they were from.

--

This Monday, i am turning 30...

Clinton tickets, not selling out!

Bill Clinton and Hans Blix are maybe not so hot names, as i though they'd be here in the Faroe Islands. It seems that the people who arrange this thing, are having a hard time selling the last tickets. Price is around 850 USD.

Faroese wool in the US

I didn't know this, but this morning i saw this online:

Yarn, anyone?

I actually thought it said: Yam, anyone?

But it looks like this is a Faroese lady, which has opened a shop in USA, selling Faroese yarns, made of Faroese wool.

http://www.chieftain.com/business/1188713400/1

News&Update

Gas/Oil-boom awaiting?

Somewhere, near Shetland and close to the Faroese border, the gas company Total, has found a large quantity of gas, and this makes it a little more positive for a possible Faroese gas/oil future.

As i've begun working after my summer vacation, i've left this place in a somewhat unhealthy state. I want to get back to updating more regularly.

Destination: Sandoy

This morning me and my brother went on another roadtrip, this time to the island of Sandoy.

The pictures are so many, so these are in random order, without any text to accompany them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.


At one time, this was the worlds biggest mailbox.








In the middle of this picture, you can see a seal poking his head out of the water.

These two pictures are taken on my way home. They are not from Sandoy.

That'll be all for now.