Sunday Morning Coming Down

Between 1870 and 1900 about 15,000 Icelanders resettled in North America. It was a huge blow for a nation of only 70.000 people. Many of the emigrants were escaping the volcanic eruption of Askja in 1875. In 2011, more than 94,000 people of Icelandic descent lived in Canada. The map shows how people who have an Icelandic background are distributed in North America.

Minister of Finance Bjarni Benediktsson presented the government’s 2015 budget bill when parliament reconvened after the summer break on Tuesday. The lower VAT rate will increase from 7 to 12 percent while the higher VAT rate will decrease from 25.5 to 24 percent at the end of the year. At the same time, general excise tax will be suspended and child benefits will increase by 13 percent to offset the rise in food prices due to an increase in VAT. The suspension of general excise tax means that the price of sugary foods, beverages, building supplies, spare parts for cars, larger home appliances and other electronic devices will drop. This year’s budget is expected to have a surplus of ISK 4.1 billion (USD 34.5 million, EUR 26.6 million),  ruv.is  reports. The State Treasury’s total expected revenue is ISK 644.5 billion while expected expenditure is ISK 640.5 billion. Both the expected revenue and expenditure is ISK 30 billion higher than forecast in the last budget. ...

This piece isn't intended to be a hatchet job on the President. It's just that his visit this afternoon might make the traffic a whole lot crazier than usual.  The President is making a visit to the "Hurricane Center at FIU.  The visit is the official reason he is going to land at MIA. Hurricane season starts officially on June 1st.  Given the bad weather in Houston and vicinity I hope he makes a stop in that neighborhood asap. Maybe slightly unconsciously I am reading the book: "Five Days At Memorial" which is about a disaster within a disaster after Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans. The other driving force for the visit is to raise money for some democrats by attending a couple of events in Coconut Grove, a neighborhood in Miami, which has some very, very fancy houses and like just about every other place in Miami, some very poor folks that live on the edge of poverty while within a short walk of a beautiful bay front. I visit the poor side of town regul...

The Chicago Cubs beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 last night thanks to a walk off double courtesy of Addison Russell in the ninth. It was also a face off between Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant. Harper's home run was a wind aided fly ball that made it to left center. Initially he probably thought it was going to be just a long fly ball that was going to be caught on the warning track. The bat flip looked more angry than an in your face preliminary to a stroll around the bases. Bryant's blast was a monster, which according to reports was 477 feet long and rattled off the new left field score board. Not only was it the longest home run hit it Wrigley this year, it tied the score in the 8th and set up Addison Russell for his game winner in the 9th. I think even Sox fans would have called the game a good win for the North Siders.

Sometimes there is stuff on the net that is worth repeating: I am thankful for small mercies. I compared notes with one of my friends who expects everything of the universe and is disappointed when anything is less than the best, and I found that I begin at the other extreme, expecting nothing, and am always full of thanks for moderate goods.

David Beckham has been sniffing around Miami for a venue for an MLS soccer franchise. Beckham has an option for a new franchise that is deeply discounted as a sweetener for his time in service with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham for all his charisma has had some problems finding a site for a stadium for his team. Possible sites at Dodge Island, near the Miami International Airport, Downtown Miami, F.I.U., and Miami Marlins Park have been considered and found lacking because of opposition by the local residents, cost, and location. The stars seem to be aligning for a new shot at a combination soccer/college football stadium in the neighborhood where the old Orange Bowl was and very near the Miami Marlins Park. The outgoing UM President Donna Shalala wants to partner up with Beckham's football folks and even the Miami Dade County Mayor seems interested because the UM will contribute serious money to the project. (At least that is the current rumor.) The "Orange Bowl...

I've been through PT three times. After hip replacement, lower back issues, and now with shoulder issues.  One of the kind nurses at the rehab facility recovering after getting a new hip suggested I take the pain medication before the exercises.  Very good advice.  Rather than being miserable while doing what you need to do to get better, take advantage of whatever pain medication they might prescribe. Being a child of the late 60's and 70's addiction is one of the last things you should worry about. Range of motion, getting stronger and doing the exercises that the trainer suggests is more important than any other issues you might have. Eventually they will want to know how much progress you are making. This where Dr. House comes in. They probably already think you are lying anyway, but if it didn't hurt, you could walk up a few flights of stairs why would you spend time and money doing stuff you could do at home. Make the folks that have been working with you feel...