# Miss World 2005 (w/ gratuitous Icelandic Überpatriotism) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 12, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257 "2005-12-12T14:49:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/21 "2005-12-14T14:22:16Z")
I have always wanted to go to Iceland. Always. I have no idea why other than the fact I own enough winter apparel to survive there without any problems whatsoever. Seems like a pretty neat place. But I’m not snogging a beauty queen. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/22 "2005-12-14T14:57:51Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > I have always wanted to go to Iceland. Always. > I have no idea why other than the fact I own enough winter apparel to survive there without any problems whatsoever. You must be thinking of another century; there’s no snow in Iceland these days except for the glaciers, that are receding faster than Al Roker. Heck, New York and Washington are colder than Iceland and we have more daylight than California. This fits quite nicely with the world’s best golfer being black, the biggest guy in the NBA being chinese, the best rapper being white and all that jazz. I’m not entirely sure about the coffee stocks in Brazil but I’m guessing Hell must be getting pretty cold by now. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/23 "2005-12-14T18:26:20Z")
My mother is Icelandic. Both of her parents were Icelandic. All of their ancestors were Icelandic. I don’t count so much the other side of my family (a mix of English and Irish). Ergo, I am hot and can drink a lot. I made venar terta last week. It’s all gone now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/24 "2005-12-14T18:43:21Z")
Nice to see an Iceland thread - I’ve been fascinated by the country for a while now, and it’s on my short list of places to visit when I have the cash. I’ve heard that there are something like 250 community orchestras in Iceland - for a population of under 300,000. If true, that would be like having 250 orchestras in my one county alone. UselessG - is that true in your estimation? If so, this is definitely the country for me. Georgeous women, exotic language, and lots of people making music for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/25 "2005-12-14T20:29:25Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > Thanks… there are pictures of Unnur Jr. (does the “Jr.” thing work with girls?) [here](http://www.missworld.tv/bio/bio.sps?iBiographyID=51629); not quite as blonde as you may have thought, but there it is. Who rented the bathing suit to her? D&R… ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/26 "2005-12-14T23:11:45Z")
Been to Iceland; women indeed hot and can hold their liquor. Also not shy and very… um… _friendly_… Nice country, that Iceland. Even if they have our wingnut chess champion and they’re counting him as theirs… ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/27 "2005-12-14T23:18:08Z")
Saw an Icelandic movie in 1989 while going to school in Cincinnati. It was called [Shadow of the Raven](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095346/). Good flick. I once had a coworker who played in the symphony in Iceland. (I assume you have just one.) He was born and raised in the U.S., and only lived there for a few years to play in the symphony. Here’s what he told me about the country: 1. It’s a beautiful, rugged country. 2. After women reach the age of 30, they start looking a little, um, _rough_. (I find it odd he said this, but honest-to-God he did.) He said he believed it had something to do with the harsh weather conditions. 3. Icelanders love to drink and party into the wee-hours. It’s not uncommon for a party to go on until 4:00 AM. 4. Iceland has a lot of alcoholics. 5. Iceland has the highest literacy rate in the world. It’s almost 100%. So based on what he told me, I learned that your typical Icelander likes to read a lot and drink a lot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/28 "2005-12-14T23:22:01Z")
I watched the program. I was rooting for Costa Rica (I think) and Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/29 "2005-12-15T02:43:21Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > So based on what he told me, I learned that your typical Icelander likes to read a lot and drink a lot. 😉 I’d imagine you’d find that about most countries with such harsh weather conditions and long nights. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/30 "2005-12-15T02:48:04Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > You must be thinking of another century; there’s no snow in Iceland these days except for the glaciers, that are receding faster than Al Roker. Heck, New York and Washington are colder than Iceland and we have more daylight than California. I am quite certain that that last statement is baloney. Unless you live in the shadow of a mountain, every place on earth gets pretty much the same amount of daylight. Iceland might get longer days during the summer, but you also get longer nights during the winter. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/31 "2005-12-28T15:30:59Z")
I’m terribly sorry for reviving this, but I’ve been away on sea for quite a while and I seem to have missed …everything. I just have to answer a few posts; sorry. > [@Figaro](#): > > I’ve heard that there are something like 250 community orchestras in Iceland - for a population of under 300,000. If true, that would be like having 250 orchestras in my one county alone. UselessG - is that true in your estimation? I haven’t heard that figure myself but it sounds like it could be right. We have a lot of communities with less than 500 people, you see, and none of them wants to come across as barbaric non-orchestratic folk now do they? My village of less than 300 people doesn’t have an orchestra but we have pretty much everything else. > [@RickJay](#): > > Iceland might get longer days during the summer, but you also get longer nights during the winter. Good point… I’ll have to look that up since I say that a LOT. Haven’t found a reliable cite yet but a lot of sites mention facts like “Iceland averages more daylight per year than Florida”. It might be per capita. 😉 Crafter\_Man, you should see the “Flight of the Raven”, bizarrely dubbed “Revenge of the Barbarians” for the American market ([link](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087432/)). Definately the best of the “Raven” movies. The trilogy, incidentally, does not involve anyone called Raven (Hrafn). Avoid the last installment of the trilogy, “The White Viking” at any cost. If the party stops at 4:00, it’s not a very impressive party. And stop calling me an alcoholic; I’m fine without booze so long as I have some drugs. Also, the literacy rate here was 100% the last time I checked; who forgot how to read? > [@](#): > > Been to Iceland; women indeed hot and can hold their liquor. Also not shy and very… um… friendly… Crandolph, you can say slutty; I won’t mind–I’ve been around Icelandic women for 26 years now and I know what you mean. The Reykjavik Grapevine actually did a decent piece on this in issue 28 ([link](http://www.grapevine.is/?show=article&id=400&issue=28)). To sum up: we do indeed read and write a lot of books and music (check out [http://www.screamingmasterpiece.com/](http://www.screamingmasterpiece.com/)) when we’re not drunk off our collective asses having sex each with the other. What else is there to do, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/32 "2005-12-28T15:56:14Z")
I met the Icelandic ambassador and his wife some years ago; they were both tall, good looking, and charming. I don’t know if they like to drink a lot, though, I didn’t ask them. So you were away at sea, **UselessGit**? Are you a fisherman or something? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/33 "2005-12-28T17:32:23Z")
Okay, that’s _it_. Enough! I’m going to Iceland. I want to check out the, um, volcanos, and the, um, geothermal/hydrogen-powered economy. Yeah, that’s it. :: sweats :: ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/34 "2005-12-28T17:45:20Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > > [@Me](#): > > > > But you have a hell of a cool language. It saddens me to realize that, according to what you once said here, the electronic media in your country don’t even use the language, except for children’s programming. What language is used instead? English, or other Scandinavian languages? > > You may have misunderstood me slightly in the past, as Icelandic is actually very much alive and well. Our official language is the original Icelandic (accept no substitutes) but we do have to learn Danish and English too; a lot of people add German, French and/or Spanish to their repertoire later (I’m taking Spanish, as I detest the French). Children’s programs are, however, the only dubbed media in Iceland, for reasons I can’t explain, which is probably from where the misunderstanding comes. I think I need to clear this up…I was actually misremembering something I’d read or heard elsewhere, rather than something that **UselessGit** said. The article (or broadcast news feature) didn’t say that Icelandic was dying out in the country’s own electronic media. Rather, only that foreign-made children’s shows were the only ones _dubbed_ into Icelandic. Doesn’t mean that there still aren’t native Icelandic radio and TV stations producing Icelandic content for Icelanders. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/35 "2005-12-28T17:48:47Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > . > Good point… I’ll have to look that up since I say that a LOT. Haven’t found a reliable cite yet but a lot of sites mention facts like “Iceland averages more daylight per year than Florida”. It might be per capita. 😉 > > ? Maybe such statements are aimed at prospective tourists, who would most likely be visiting in the summer, when the statement is true. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/36 "2005-12-28T18:06:49Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > I met the Icelandic ambassador and his wife some years ago; they were both tall, good looking, and charming. I don’t know if they like to drink a lot, though, I didn’t ask them. > > So you were away at sea, **UselessGit**? Are you a fisherman or something? Assuming you’re from the U.S., that must have been Jon Baldvin and Bryndis? Good people. I’m actually a former fisherman but I still go out once in a while; partly to keep my God complex in check but also to stay fit. I’m actually planning on posting a MPSIMS thread (must get the pictures processed first) about my last fishing tour, to show y’all how real men make a living. ---
**Author:** ![UselessGit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/74df32/32.png) [@UselessGit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UselessGit)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/37 "2005-12-28T18:10:24Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Doesn’t mean that there still aren’t native Icelandic radio and TV stations producing Icelandic content for Icelanders. Heck no; we even produce some childrens stuff for you fine Americans… have you heard of [Lazy Town](http://www.lazytown.com/)? I think it’s on Nick Jr. or something. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/38 "2005-12-28T18:14:00Z")
C’n I come over? Please? Iceland sounds nice. Could you please petition Icelandic Air to fly out of O’hare or Midway so that I can fly there, please? ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/39 "2005-12-28T18:18:14Z")
> [@UselessGit](#): > > Assuming you’re from the U.S., that must have been Jon Baldvin and Bryndis? Good people. > > I’m actually a former fisherman but I still go out once in a while; partly to keep my God complex in check but also to stay fit. I’m actually planning on posting a MPSIMS thread (must get the pictures processed first) about my last fishing tour, to show y’all how real men make a living. I don’t remember their names, but they were quite delightful. Also very quick to urge people to visit Iceland. I didn’t need much encouragement; it’s been on my list of places I’d love to see for some time now. I just saw a show the other day on Icelandic fishermen. Definitely real men! ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257/40 "2005-12-28T18:21:43Z")
C’n I come over? Please? Iceland sounds nice. Could you please petition Icelandic Air to fly out of O’hare or Midway so that I can fly there, please? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/miss-world-2005-w-gratuitous-icelandic-uberpatriotism/335257.md?page=3)