Some Useful Iceland-themed YouTube channels

Iceland Iceland

Whether one is abstractly planning a trip to Iceland or just massaging the idea for the IcelandAir Bad Photographer contest, here are some YouTube channel suggestions, sometimes based on one example from the channel.

RantWoman is amused by a few points:

--All the videos with the word "Mistakes" in the title.

--Advice from everyone not to buy expensive bottled water and shopping at the regular grocery chains, not the big tourist-oriented store in Reykjavik. Also comments about using the city bus from the airport and saving money over lagoon prices by going to the many public pools.

--Very adamant safety culture: no speeding. No drunk driving. No stopping except in designated lookout points to take photos. Park only where authorized. No walkiing on hot lava. Avoid sneaker waves. Do not get too near all kinds of edges of things. TAKE WEATHER WARNINGS SERIOUSLY.  Only 4x4 vehicles are allowed on the F roads, roads not on the ring road.

--Equally consistent culture about cleanliness: NO pooping out of doors. Shower completely nude before entering the various pools. Take shoes off when asked

--Contradictory advice about the Blue Lagoon, staying in Reykjavik...

Rick Steves Iceland

Learn Icelandic in 10 minutes 🇮🇸 Essential Phrases for Tourists Visiting Iceland

or at least an introduction before checking out the next video

Stop Using Google Maps in Iceland. Use This Instead

Info about weather and alerts specific to Iceland.

Note: other videos say use Google Maps to check location of Air BnB

How to Explore Iceland Like a Local (Avoid These 5 Mistakes!)

Skip the Blue lagoon because there are other cool hot springs near by

Visiting Iceland Summer 2026: Travel Guide & Best Local Tips! 🇮🇸

Base in Reykjavik and do day trips

What NOT to Do When Traveling To Iceland | 15 Mistakes To Avoid!

Don't base in Reykjavik.

Waterproof gear

5 Proven Ways to Avoid Crowds in Iceland (Like a Local)

travel in winter

Hidden Gems of Iceland: Avoid the Crowds & See the REAL Iceland!

Iceland Travel Tips: 10 Things You Need to Know (From a Local) 🇮🇸 

5 Mistakes You Make When You Arrive in Iceland    

Car rental, the "Flybus, and PUBLIC TRANSIT. RantWoman loves public transit and does not care that it will take longer. Maybe the Flybus for the first day, but public transit at some point.

The Blue lagoon is on the way from Keplavik airport to downtown Reykjavik but ...

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

Weather can be even more fearsome than RantWoman previously imagined.

20 Things Tourists in Iceland Learn Too Late

VERY limited public transportation outside Reykjavik. No trains. Only intercity buses. RantWoman is a bus / slow travel nerd and might really enjoy some travel by bus

3 Iceland Itinerary Mistakes That Will Cost You Days

Don't spend too much of your trip at Reykjavik at the beginning.

Don't rush the South Coast islands

The Westman(?) Islands and The PUFFINS.

What will make Ideland unique to Me?

Iceland Itinerary Mistakes 90% of People Don’t Know About

10 Things You Should Never Do in Iceland (Locals Hate It!)

15 Ways to Insult Icelanders (A Guide for Travelers)

Again with the IcelandAir really bad photographer contest: some requirements!

A very sunny day

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US 

The basic gig: 10 days of travel all travel expenses paid with $50,000 to cover, as RantWoman understands it, gear and whatever one needs for a trip.

For more detail about the gig: 

This is who we're seeking:

• You must be able to take part in physical outdoor activities and adventures
• You must be comfortable hiking and navigating uneven terrain in spectacular landscapes

M'kayyy RantWoman has the impression there is plenty to do in Iceland for people with different levels of tolerance for physical activity, but um...

RantWoman has never had the body to, say, work as an underwear model. RantWoman has grey hair and arthritis that comes and goes. In other words, RantWoman is in a NOT QUITE senior citizen demographic that may or may not be the best fit for what is needed. But every time RantWoman hits something that might talk herself out of even applying, amother voice comes up and says just apply and see...

So to make this trip work, RantWoman might need to think about how to have a trainer or a massage practitioner on speed dial. RantWoman also imagines that well broken-in shoes will be a must.

The initial application does not mention anything like overnight camping. If that is on the agenda RantWoman is going to need some kind of solar powered battery to support a number of devices.

Spectacular landscapes sound glorious. RantWoman also has enough vision and has lived around enough mountains to be really interested in the task of writing good alt text or creating meaningful tactile representations of gorgeous views.

Another fun thing: RantWoman is poking around for some background. Simple well-behaved websites are making RantWoman SO happy.

Will RantWoman actually apply...or will RantWoman just go for more vicarious online experience...?

Stay tuned and in the meantime, check out the video and channel linked below.

ICELAND TRAVEL TIPS FOR 1ST TIMERS | 40+ Must-Knows Before Visiting + What NOT to Do!

But, but, do blind people really do photography? Sure. Now take me to the volcanoes

Which details
are not in the Alt text and / or
should just be cropped

 

Still a few days left to enter the IcelandAir "Really bad photographer" contest, and RantWoman is trying to demonstrate unique skills.

RantWoman again encourages everyone who might be intrigued or even just slightly interested to read the contest guidelines.

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

But, but RantWoman keeps talking about vision loss and accessibility mixed in with bad photography commentary.

Yep. Plenty of visually impaired and blind people are very interested in photography, both as a craft and as something essential for documenting  realities of daily life that Need To Be Dealt with. Lots of people in the blindness community get very good at describing our wildly varying visual experiences. Readers who need some RantWoman perspective, please consider checking out the Death By Powerpoint topics.

But, But this adventure sounds like it might involve a lot of outdoor activity and Ambassador Thwack the Badly Behaved White Cane and Anger management consultant has a thing or two to say.

Thwack may have a thing or two to say but RantWoman is in charge. Would RantWoman pursue some sighted guide options? Will RantWoman rely on AI or call-in services? RantWoman will be interested to know what is available in Iceland. Plus, RantWoman wonders how much choice a person will have about where to visit....

RantWoman, do you actually know anyone in Iceland?

RantWoman does not know anyone in Iceland but does know a very wise accessibility hero originally from Iceland. RantWoman met this person a long time ago at the sort of mentoring event where people with different life timeliness and blindness experiences get together to network, share perspectives.

These days, RantWoman encounters this person from Iceland on the internet. He turns up in online demos of people using screen readers, text to speech tools that enable blind users to navigate around the Internet, or at least to do so better than without screen readers. One reality of screen reader use is the playback speed of the speech. RantWoman tends to fall asleep when listening too long to normal speed screen reader speech and runs her own screen reader quiite a bit faster. However, many blind people working in tech or finance can be found on the internet demonstrating screen reader speeds a lot faster than RantWoman.

Please note: a screen reader is not the only thing necessary for online accessibility: websites, apps, portals all need to be developed with some standard features to ensure that screen reader users can find and operate the same functions as other users, some of whom might have other accessibility concerns. The people and organizations who do this right are truly accessibility heroes.

The real reason RantWoman considers this acquaintance a hero: RantWoman's most recent Google search turned up a LinkedIn profile showing a job at a large financial services organization and lots of  connections to other names widely recognized in the online accessibility world. These are the people who not only persist in their work in their own organizations but also insure that organizational websites work for the likes of RantWoman who just wants things to work so she can do other things sighted people take for granted, in this case including managing whatever earnings there will be for 10 days of work after one figures out what all expenses to take on to make the trip a success.

And for fun some erupting volcano videos for different perspective than the pacific coast subduction zone

25 million M3 of Magma on Hold by Grindavik - Earthquakes in South Iceland

Iceland Magma Is Primed, But When Will It Erupt? Geologist Analysis

Iceland Is On Fire

Iceland: Fourth and strongest volcanic eruption in three months | DW News

Romano and Asha comment on the SPLC indictment.

 RantWoman seems not just to bounce over news stories but to need to go down to rabbit holes.

Plus RantWoman wants to ampligy useful content.

Vocabulary in case one winds up in a Russian prison

RantWoman posts this purely for lexicographic interest. If Russian prison jargon has no appeal, please feel free to skip the video below.. 

Trigger warning: reference to multiple traumatizing topics

Trae Crowder distills the state of the war

 #Iran #Ceasefire

Lose weight with CHAIR EXERCISES

 

Useful #exercise jargon

reps = repetitions

sets = groups of repetitions.

Tip: get more fit while watching YouTube.

Also, this YouTube channel has some other items possibly of interest.

RantWoman attempts to replicate some information provided visually but not obvious from the verbal explanation.

The video does not have any terrifying suggestions such as "do three sets of 1- repetitions and do that more than once a day." Instead, RantWoman recommends working up from 5 or 10 reps at a time.

1. Extended a rm raises from touching the knee to shoulder height. The text does not mention overhand / palm down or underhand / palm up. RantWoman can tell the positions work different muscles and would say both versions are probably beneficial.

2, 3. March in place. From seated position, knees bent, thighs parallel to the chair: raise and lower first one knee then the other. Raise arm opposite of the knee being raised. The video shows two versions, one where fists get raised to shoulder level and the second where arms get raised straight overhead.

4. Raise leg, clap under. Alternate with the other leg.

5. Raise leg and reach to touch toe with opposite arm. RantWoman likes the demo because one doesn't have to do it perfectly and the exercise still counts even if one misses their toe.

These 3 Exercises Burn More Belly Fat Than Walking 10,000 steps Ever Will-doctor approved

1.Touch opposite foot from a standing position

2. Elbow to opposite knee, sone sitting down

3. Touch opposite toe from hands clasped behind the head. Also done while seated, legs bent.

Get into Good Trouble. Get into FUN trouble.

 Another RantWoman YouTube channel rec.

Content warning: clips of President #StableGenius talking. Enough said?

RantWoman does not have time to wade through / curate all the internet content out there. The Dangerous ones apparently do. They present new collections every few days.

Here is their take on the Monday presser by President #StableGenius. 

They also have a vid about best signs of #NoKingsDay, complete with decent description of what the signs say, as well as a weekly compilation of videos that have gone viral. RantWoman finds some of the compiled videos more digestible than others. Oh Well

The Week's news distilled by Belle

One of RantWoman's favorite YouTube channels: concise, on point, frank. 

And plenty to seed those break time conversations....

Every White-haired protestor and lots of others: protesting one person

 If you watch one #NoKIngsDay video, go for Lawrence O'donell.

From Glenn Kirschner

No Kings, No Trump!

Bernie Sanders and others in Minneapolis

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at No Kings rally in St. Paul at the Minnesota State Capitol

bernie sanders is going mega viral..

Bruce Springsteen performs “Streets of Minneapolis” at No Kings rally in St. Paul; LIVE VIDEO

Live at the Minnesota Capitol: Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers perform at No Kings rally

No Kings: Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders, Bruce Springsteen, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez at St. Paul Rally

And from random red state media

No Kings rally protest coverage in Kansas City

12 news in Phoenix

No Kings Day protests across the Valley

ARKANSAS

Latest News | 'No Kings' protests held in Arkansas and around the nation

with a segment on soccer / futbol and Latinos

Another round of 'No Kings' protests ignite throughout the US in key cities

Great clips!

Omaha

Thousands turn out for 'No Kings' Rally in Benson

Iowa City

DITV: 'No Kings' Protest Returns to Iowa City for a 3rd Time

Rockford IL

Thousands gather in Rockford for “No Kings” rally, part of nationwide protests

Boise / Twin Falls (oops: No Kings 2.0, a few months ago.)

No Kings Protest in Boise & Twin Falls

Thousands rally in Seattle during nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown speaks at No Kings Rally | Seattle No Kings Rally

The dangerous ones

The FUNNIEST Signs From No Kings Day

Stephen Colbert

Millions March Against Trump’s War & Deportations | Trump's Improv War | Global Helium Crisis

Jon Stewart

No Kings Rallies Can’t Stop CPAC's Trump Glazing & Iran War Hits One Month | The Daily Show

News rundown. More concise. Less ranty than some other youtubes. MOB BOSS

A new channel, all President #StableGenius all the time, but clear, sincere, not ranty. 

There's something seriously wrong with this guy

A ray of Electoral Light in Europe

 RantWoman would SO prefer that the US have a president who is not a global laughingstock.

That said, if the President shooting himself in the foot all over the world inspires people vigorously to vote down the proliferation of voices like him on the world stage, perhaps he has earned some kind of PRIZE. 

Perhaps.

RantWoman never advises taking anything for granted, but RantWoman also appreciates literate, concise political commentary.

Binge watching Salmi

 RantWoman's binge watch of the week, in this time of global discombobulation and offerings struggling to emerge from the keyboard in memory of RantMom is a tuxedo cat named Salmi.

Behold. Check out her entire channel.

The opinions are definitely Salmi's but RantWoman is wondering whether perhaps she has persuaded her human to take dictation.

And should Salmi be able to bear sharing the spotlight with the tuxedo cat of RantWoman's childhood, please enjoy 

RantWoman and the RSOF: Mr. Tuxedo: reprint from the WA Council of the Blind Summer 2022 newsline

Adventures of RantWoman: Severe Weather Recommendations

PS RantWoman has never been to Finland in winter, but Salmi should be glad she has a radiator to sit on. And yes, winter air in CO mountain towns is probably at least as dry as in Finland. It's physics.

For anyone who hasn't noticed: linguistic circumlocutions US style

One of RantWoman's go-to voices about #Russia, Russian culture the #SpecialMilitaryOperation and related topics

Roman is a Russian expat currently living in Portugal. If you like his content, please like, subscribe, pick a financial support option.

And a side of Desi Lydic

Desi Lydic Foxsplains Trump's Iran Not-War | The Daily Show

Former President Obama ahead of Presidents Day

 

Posted without further comment.

Red State governors tell President to go pound sand about federalizing elections.

 

Posted without further comment

The above comes after this

Let's talk about Trump's executive order on the SAVE Act....

Talking with Docs on the New American Food Guide

Full disclosure 1: RantWoman has become quite a fan of Talking With Docs. These two canadian doctors clearly believe in science, have a great presentation style and leave RantWoman feeling both better informed and relaxed about many medical questions. Who could ask for more?

Full disclosure 2: Between the dangers of previously well controlled diseases roaring back because of vaccine hesitancy and other wacky recommendations from US supposed "health" authorities, RantWoman is predisposed to treat the new food guidelines with maybe instead ofa grain of salt, a whole tablespoon of salt. So RantWoman was interested to hear the Docs not pan the guidelines as severely as their source might indicate.

Anyway, enjoy.

The New American Food Guide: Docs Break It Down

The New American Food Guide: Doc Give It A Grade

HerTake: WILL this be a regular listen?

Trump’s Ex-Terrorist Guest, Republican Chaos for 2028, and AI Afterlife ...

Since the 2028 races came up,

FWIW. DNC probably wouldn't listen to me but the ship has sailed about sending the #StableGenius in the White House to prison. That should have happened a month after #J6 and no one should have waited around for him to decide to run again before deciding to file charges. On the other hand. if #GrandpaSleepyhead where anyone else, he would already be a dementia patient with a court appointed guardian managing his affairs. If he doesn't leave office feet first before the end of this term, the goal needs to be secure, genteel, well-supervised retirement. And EVERYONE of both parties is going to need to focus on undoing all the damage his reign of error is doing to US democracy, US national security, and realities for ordinary hard-working people in the US.

Ice Cream Putinism Trumpism, Fascism, Monarchism

True Confession: RantWoman was seduced into these essays by mention of ice cream. Long ago when RantWoman was a graduate student studying in Leningrad / St Petersburg, ice cream bought from street vendors on Nevsky Prospekt in downtown Leningrad / St. Petersburg was basically a major food group. And in some kind of dietary magic, RantWoman lost about 30 pounds on her study abroad trip.

Ice cream nostalgia should not be mistaken for strategy in the modern era of billionaires and onrushing AI.

The Lesson I Learnt in the USSR That Still Fools Millions

Trump Isn’t a Russian Agent. It’s Worse.

Klingon culture, right on YouTube?

For the truest of the true dyed in the wool trekkies among us. RantWoman's official shiny object for the day though RantWoman is nowhere near enough of a Trekkie to consume with full insight.

batlh vIteqta’ | Klingon Doomgrass | A Star Trek Folk Metal Anthem 

Hoch maH! (We Are All!) | Hegh je'batlh | Klingon Foundry Metal

Qo'noS Hed | Klingon Jazz | Can Honor Swing? - YouTube

Hoch maH! (We Are All!) | Hegh je'batlh | Klingon Foundry Metal - YouTube

Epic Klingon War Song (Remastered/Extended)

Klingon Opera: The Divine Battle of Kahless

Klingon Music Theory is Weird

I Was Wrong About Klingon Music