Iceland Iceland and IcelandAir bad Photographer Contest

The daily trees photo

Iceland Iceland

Land of volcanoes that can eat small villages and occasionally disrupt global air travel. Sobering to think of that in this the year of our Lord 2026 when all global energy prices are through the roof. 

Thanks to RantWoman's volcano video habit, YouTube has previously sent RantWoman assorted tourism themed videos. Based on these videos, RantWoman has formed the impression that Iceland is very interesting geologically and if one wants to chase the aurora borealis. Also, nature is gorgeous but experiencing it can be challenging.  The weather is to put it diplomatically unpredictable. And travel is EXPENSIVE. 

Part of RantWoman's fun has been elaborating and adjusting that impression as well, repeatedly, as asking Google / Gemini questions and coming back with answers that keep RantWoman coming back for more and even thinking about how travel to Iceland can be affordable for many categories of travelers. More in a moment, in a few cases just RantWoman's queries replicated for readers to do their own next steps.

Land of many summits of world leaders. RantWoman is the kind of nerd tourist who might go to and even enthusiastically participate in a half day or even a full day opportunity to replay one of the summits held in Rekjavik. RantWoman has not gone looking to see for sure whether such a tourist attraction might exist but would seriously consider participating in it if it existed.

Land of many churches interesting to photograph, not just the famous tall one in Rekjavik.

what churches can one visit in iceland - Google Search

 Land of lots of hot springs and geothermal energy. Lots of the videos talk about people renting cars to travel independently. If RantWoman is travelling alone, renting a car or even a camper is not really an option. Global fuel prices are forecast to stay high for quite a while so RantWoman has wondered about but not researched, what is the electric vehicle scene like in Iceland. Is there geothermal electricity generation? Is that ubiquitous enough that people could simply plug cars in at every stop and charge without needing special charging stations? Is this whole paragraph just a dream that might need to be more fully realized

Land where one can't name their child Harriet? The short answer: a concept near to RantWoman's language nerd hear, to wit noun declension.

why can t you name your child harriet in iceland - Google Search

Icelandic girls can't be called Harriet, government tells family | Iceland | The Guardian

Iceland parents told children cannot be called Harriet or Duncan because they are not government approved names | The Independent | The Independent

Icelandic Naming Committee - Wikipedia

RantWoman did it. RantWoman submitted a VERY barebones video entry saying basically, RantWoman has a lot to say and cramming it all into a one-minute video is not happening so please check out this blog. RantWoman is having fun thinking about this contest. That is the main thing.

PS. There is a question in the application form about how comfortable one is being on camera. RantWoman can manage. RantWoman has other thoughts about whether one is supposed to be good or bad at social media in general, but the application does not ask that.

Stay tuned for some of RantWoman's favorite YouTube channels.

Pickled Greenland shark for breakfast?

Window trees building clouds

Contest Reminder:  

Really bad photographer | Icelandair US

When RantWoman travels, RantWoman likes to immerse herself in local cuisine, culture, and history as well as geography. Consider the question, delivered to Gemini "what do people in Iceland eat for breakfast?" 

At home RantWoman cycles among homemade porridge of the week, cold pizza, and sometimes other leftovers, often with a banana or hard-boiled egg.

Thank you Gemini, sort of. Submitting the question in natural language is cool. Here are a couple snippets from the first screen of results.

Why you should be eating an Icelandic breakfast

(summary: the basic low-fat, high-fiber, high protein regimen recommended in many places.

I tried a traditional Icelandic breakfast, and it was nothing short of intense — especially when the fermented shark hit the table. From creamy skyr, fresh rye bread, and liver pâté, to the infamous hákarl (a national dish made from fermented Greenland shark), this meal is unlike any breakfast I’ve had before. It’s all part of the unique and bold food culture of Iceland. #IcelandFood #IcelandBreakfast #TraditionalIcelandicFood #Hákarl #Skyr | Strictly Dumpling | Facebook

Thank you Gemini? 

Porridge or muesli? Checks out.

Good yogurt? checks out.

Rye bread or rye crisp: RantWoman likes both fine.

Pickled Greenland shark? RantWoman likes pickled herring on flatbread but does not eat it very often. As for Greenland shark...? 

How I Learned to Eat Fermented Shark with Iceland ProCruises - Food, Wine & Travel

So definitely a bit more of a big deal than mere pickled herring. RantWoman is fascinated to learn more about Greenland sharks. RantWoman also hopes that pickled Greenland shark is not an every day menu item.

As for Gemini

1. RantWoman is still not sold on Gemini offering to "help" abut email.

2. RantWoman appreciates getting info from multiple platforms but is lazy about wanting to sign in or even to read user agreements for these same platforms, especially since one BIG driver of whether RantWoman is going to come back to a site or portal is how easy it is for RantWoman to use. This is probably a trial and error iterative process. Most of the time RantWoman can live with that except RantWoman tends to want info NOW and in easily digestible form.

But speaking of easily digestible, RantWoman will check out other meal customs another time.

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

Trevor Noah speaks "American"

 RantWoman is out of town for a few days and leaving clips to make people smile.

Trae Crowder distills the state of the war

 #Iran #Ceasefire

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....

Video meanderings for Holy Thursday.

 Does RantWoman have other things she is SUPPOSED to be doing, up to and including some formal way of observing Holy Thursday / Maundy Thursday / the version of Passover sometimes observed by Christians contemplating events leading up to Easter.

RantWoman went looking for info about Easter witches, a custom in Finland and Sweden.

Please enjoy the fruits of RantWoman's internet peregrinations.

RantWoman apologizes: she has not been keeping up with the ins and outs of sharing content across different platforms. Blogger may ask readers to click on a link and go directly to YouTube. The link works great.

Easter traditions in Finland and how you can take part of them - Nallikari

How to Celebrate SWEDISH EASTER | Traditions and Folklore

Swedish Easter tradition - Weird things Swedish people do - Learn Swedish in a Fun way!

10 Well-Known Passover Rituals That Are Surprisingly Profound

The Loo Review and a mumble test announcement

 which sound transit stations have public restrooms - Google Search

RantWoman is feeling lazy about boring more deeply into the question of which SoundTransit stations have public restrooms. RantWoman does think that if hundreds of thousands of visitors are going to pour into town for the world cup or even for the upcoming opening of cross-lake service THIS SATURDAY, maybe a concise list somewhere with tips would be desirable.

RantWoman is also perplexed because the search results claim there is a restroom at Tukwila International Boulevard station and RantWoman has never found it. A fast skim also yielded no info about restrooms on the 2 line. Assuming people will come to opening day for cross lake service, and / or will ride transit to No Kings Day events RantWoman would be THRILLED to get info systemwide in one easy query, not just relying on Gemini, especially when Gemini might not have complete information to work with.

RantWoman digresses. RantWoman's THRILL of the day was to find not just one public restroom at the North end of the mezzanine as previously but TWO. RantWoman managed to locate the directions for how to gain entry. 

The directions lacked one piece of info: both restrooms were occupied. RantWoman would not have minded some kind of more explicit audio cue about this. However, just as RantWoman was about to press a button to have security try again about unlocking, someone emerged and RantWoman was able just to walk in. One judge of the need and public appreciation for this amenity: someone was waiting when RantWoman emerged.

What does one walk into? An almost palatial space with room for a whole family and whatever mobility device or baggage one is traveling with.

Truly, RantWoman was so excited to be able to enjoy this amenity, she ALMOST forgot to find anything to complain about. Two small grumbles.

The toilet is COLD. The design is the same one used in many Seattle Parks, so one can live with it, but it is noticeable.

--There are no hooks or places to put one's bags anywhere but on the floor. This is less than ideal. Transit riders nearly always carry some kind of bag. And floor storage is not preferable on rainy days. RantWoman is determined just to COPE.

But while RantWoman is going on about "Rider experience," at one point recently, RantWoman was listening to announcements about the 2 line. There was the usual English voice. There was a female voice that was pure mumble test, and there was a male voice definitely in a language RantWoman does not understand.  By mumble test, RantWoman means the kind of real-life situations where travelers or aspiring interpreters need to make sense of something like train announcements in a foreign language through bad audio in a noisy space. RantWoman could not tell whether the female voice was speaking English or something else. RantWoman will simply leave that here as a concern.

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

Order This month's Pagliacci seasonals!

The short version of this screed:

Feast on the March seasonals from Pagliacci--or if spicy is not for you, there are other options. 

The longer version: there are genetic reasons that people have wildly divergent views of both broccoli and cilantro. RantWoman knows of no such genetic explanation for the magnificent way mention of pineapple on pizza, say during an icebreaker, will turn a room instantly into vehement factions. RantWoman is definitely in the pro-pineapple camp with one asterisk: RantWoman would definitely add another vegetable to hawaiian pizza but RantWoman has not found a way to do that on the Pagliacci options.

RantWoman also tends to order from the website because RantWoman would have to turn Talkback off on her Android phone to order any size but large.

With that, to quote from the Pagliacci blog.

(Use the scroll bars for best viewing. The text sounds great for screen readers.)

Calypso

One of the most reliable pleasures in eating is the way sweet and savory and spicy come together to taste like so much more than the sum of their parts. Trigger warning: the new pie contains fresh pineapple. No, we’re not looking to revive that old debate, but rather to stimulate your taste buds.

Pineapple caramelizes in the oven, and picks up a deeper, almost tangy sweetness. Paired with soppressata — salty, garlicky, a little funky — it becomes a bright counterpunch. Add the heat of sliced jalapeños, mozzarella for that creamy savoriness, and a drizzle of hot honey, and you’ve got a pizza with an irresistible balance of sweet-salty-spicy. 

If you’re firmly in the no-fruit camp, we respect your boundaries. But if you’ve ever loved a sweet-savory-spicy combo give yourself permission to try the Calypso.

Our Sicilian Cauliflower, the second seasonal pie, riffs on a classic Sicilian flavor combo, leaning into Sicily’s Arab-influenced sweet-and-savory tradition. We pile tender roasted cauliflower, golden raisins, mozzarella, fontina and Parmesan on our chewy crust with a Calabrian chile olive oil base, then finish it with parsley after the bake. One taste will explain why this recipe has stood the test of time.

Last May, we added a few Molly Moon’s flavors to our dessert menu. The response was overwhelming: customers asked for more. So we kept going. Now we’re going all the way and making Molly Moon’s our house ice cream. You’ll find the new flavors on our dessert page.

“I can’t think of a more fun, classic Seattle combo of comfort food than ordering a Pagliacci pizza and salad with a pint of Molly Moon’s for dessert,” says Molly Moon Neitzel, founder and CEO of her eponymous company. “I told my daughters we’re doing it tonight and they squealed with delight!”

Our rotating seasonal flavor is Molly Moon's Cookies & Cream. They bake the cookies themselves, then fold them into the ice cream for chunks and speckles in every spoonful. Order a pint while you still can.

Measles: Herd Immunity MATTERS

 

Michael Fanone on people pretending to be ICE

 

Rose Monday in Germany ahead of Mardi Gras

 Humor. Some will consider it tasteless humor. It's German. RantWoman laughed VERY hard.

Laissez les bonnes temps roulez

Queen Elizabeth meets First Ladies

 

A bit of human interest in the midst of ...

And don't forget the Presidents

What Queen Elizabeth Really Thought Of Every US President

Citizenship and the SEVENTEENTH Amendment

 A bunch of stuff about the SAVE act...AND the 16th Amendment. MUST learn more.

Pagliacci's new Verde Vito pizza

UPDATE. THis one did really well cold for breakfast.

Spices easier to feel

different expectations about cheese texture.

So...

 RantWoman is a GIANT fan of Pagliacci pizza. RantWoman is going to keep being a fan of Pagliacci pizza.

RantWoman is also the kind of adventurous diner who sometimes will try something once just to say she has tried it. Tonight's gustatory adventure: the new Verde Vita all plant-based pizza.

The verdict: meh while hot and we will see how it does cold for breakfast.

RantWoman has never felt an obligation to make plant-based products that simulate meat. Just do the plant-based protein like, say, walnuts, with pride and don't try to pretend it's meat. Plant based sausage on pizza, meh

The plant-based cheese had an interesting taste but felt gooey. RantWoman admits to the possibly unrealistic wish that cheese on pizza be stringy when the pieces are pulled apart.

RantWoman thinks the Verde Vita needs a little more spice. Which kind? RantWoman is unclear.

The plant-based cheese RantWoman likes best is an orange-y cashew-based cheeseball served at some friend's annual New Year's open house. Problem is, what would it take to make this cheese work on a pizza?

RantWoman now thanks her readers for indulging this digression from all the news and LIFE items making RantWoman's head explode.

Muppets FOREVER and premiering TONIGHT on ABC and Disney Plus

RantWoman seldom flaks this blatantly for an entertainment venture, but the world needs MUPPETS right now.

Kermit the Frog on Return of The Muppet Show, Working with Seth Rogen & ...

AHEM. Blowing whistles is protected first amendment activity...and...

The whistle code:

three short blasts: ICE has been sighted.

(Oh, Good! Just what RantWoman wants in the pedestrian environment allegedly increasing public safety: violent, poorly trained, unidentified, unaccountable goons. SURE. Sure, as in MANY local police officers and reportedly, even some people within ICE will attest)

One long continuous blast: ABDUCTION

(phrasing on the instruction sheet)

Regardless of where one comes down on federal officials grabbing people off the street, pepper spraying citizens trying to record what they are doing, and spewing lies, Lies, LIES (Can anyone tell RantWoman is a little biased?) RantWoman needs to go off about one aspect of the literal whistleblowing campaign: a bunch of whistles going off all around one is likeluy to be DARNED confusing to blind pedestrians. RantWoman also notes that there may be other people with mobility issues or personal reasons to need to find paths to safety, paths AWAY from places crowds may be running toward.

RantWoman bases the observation about difficulty identifying the sources of whistles on what she has heard in a number of videos about ICE / Border Patrol actions in Minneapolis and other cities. RantWoman has NO desire to use her limited eyeball time on videos getting analyzed in minute detail. RantWoman does, though, want to encourage people responding to whistle alerts to look around and #ASKDontGrab if someone nearby might need help finding paths to safety. 

One more comment for #PWD who DO want to go to protests: there are any number of options for training and opportunities to game out different issues. RantWoman highly recommend both finding a compatible training / collaboration opportunity and just planning to go with a buddy.

 

Reference about the first amendment issue.

Blowing whistles is protected first amendment activity

Minneapolis Star Tribune cited here:

REVEALED: DHS Broke Pretti's Rib One Week Ago!!!

NOT ONE MORE: Song for Minneapolis

Not One More - A Song for Alex Pretti | The Midnight Republic