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Exciting factlets o' the day

Monday, January 25, 2010
I saw this on Wikipedia the other day:

"During the Cold War, the United States developed a geopolitical interest in Greenland, and in 1946 the United States offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100,000,000, but Denmark refused to sell".
Via the miracle of the Measuringworth calculator, that equates to anything from  $874,862,903.23 (GDP deflator) to $6,499,279,927.99 (relative gdp).

By contrast, Alaska went for $7.2m back in 1867, or a price ranging from $95,627,209.94 to  $12,462,059,710.40.  Going further back, the bargain that was the Louisiana Purchase was $15m in 1803, or anything from  $274,488,136.46 to $448,977,772,987.67.

Comparing areas we have 828,000 sq miles for Louisiana, 663,268 sq miles for Alaska and 836,109 sq miles for Greenland, so based on the low-balled current value, Louisiana went for $331.5 per square mile, Alaska for $144.2 per square mile and Greenland would have gone for a rather impressive $1046.35.  Running with the high-end values, Louisiana comes out on top at $542,243.70 per sq mile, followed by Alaska at $18,788.88 and Greenland at the bottom of the heap at $7,773.24.

Should Uncle Sam fancy putting in another bid, the Danish national debt is in the regiuon of $24 billion at the moment.

I would have a look at the Gadsen Purchase too, but life is too short.    


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posted by Croydonian

Politicians saying 'no' to drugs

Friday, November 13, 2009
In a development likely to terrify elected representatives everywhere,Greenlandic MPs have been debating mandatory drugs testing for MPs.

"Opposition MP Doris Jakobsen introduced the bill to parliament this week and is due to be debated in parliament today. The administration, however, has announced that it would not support testing that singled out an individual group."We're against the idea of forced or voluntary testing, unless it would help the police solve a case," the administration wrote in its reply to the proposal". 
Must say I would not expect there to be much of a narcotic scene in Godthåb and beyond, given the lack of opportunities for growing the key plants and the cost of getting good to market as it were.  However, this suggests that GL has a higher level of cocaine use than France.  Unexpected.

Anyway, I am inclined to agree with the Greenlandic government on this one, although heaven knows how many foolish laws would not have been passed if our parliamentarians were only allowed to vote after passing a breathalyser test.  Ms Jakobsen has a web presence here, although given that my Greenlandic is a bit rusty, the only word I understood was Tae Kwon Do.  Presumably she can handle herself.   

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posted by Croydonian

A gem from a reader

Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Tiresias, one of my fellow DPRK enthusiasts has sent in this gem from The Times, which I agree deserves an additional audience:

From the Times obituary of Canon David Isitt

When he joined the staff of Bristol Cathedral in 1977 his first sermon concerned the lack of a word for joy in the Eskimo language and the challenge this posed the Bible Society in translating the biblical words "there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth".

However, Isitt informed his listeners: "Eskimos do have an expression for that moment when the dogs come home for the day and are released from their sledges with much tail wagging." So in the Eskimo New Testament the phrase became "there is more tail wagging in heaven". "If our Christian living of the Gospel isn’t setting tails wagging," he said, "why then it’s hardly begun."

Highly commendable of the late Canon, I would think. A propos of the Inuit / Yupik languages, the word for daughter is 'panik', which I think is mildly amusing.


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posted by Croydonian

Good news, map fans

Friday, July 24, 2009
"A Danish expert said on Friday that a 15th century Vinland Map, the first known map depicting part of America prior to Christopher Columbus’ arrival on the continent, is almost certainly authentic... The map shows both Greenland and a western Atlantic island "Vinilanda Insula," the Vinland of the Icelandic sagas, now linked by scholars to Newfoundland, Canada, where Norsemen under Leif Eriksson settled around AD 1000.

Larsen said his team studied the ink, writing, wormholes and parchment of the map, which is kept at Yale University. They found that wormholes caused by wood beetles were consistent with those in the books in which the map was bound, he said". Source

Not the last word in accuracy, even for the 'known world', and probably not much use for route planning. Better than the Mappa Mundi though.

As some may have noticed, I have an unhealthy interest in maps, and may well do some more map posts further down the line. The major problem is scanning A3/A2 ish sized maps, even in parts without damaging the spines of the atlases concerned. Anyway if anyone fancies seeing a hilariously inaccurate French county map of the UK from about 1860 I'll give it a go, techical problems notwithstanding.

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posted by Croydonian

A really long wait for opening time - two months - and a pretty lousy substitute in the meantime

Sunday, June 28, 2009
From Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq:

"Beer replaced with bear"

"Alcohol ran out in the town of Illoqqortoormiut in eastern Greenland over two weeks ago....The only incident for police to respond to has been an inquisitive polar bear on the lookout for an easy lunch...As the annual quota of polar bears had already been reached it was necessary for a police official to carry out the task, which Nielsen, a constable, was on hand to do....The meat has been divided out between the community’s public institutions...The town’s residents will have access to alcohol again on arrival of the next service ship at the beginning of August".

More on the town with no beer here, and a google earth satellite shot here.

Where I an Illoqqortoormiuter, I'd pace myself the next time I got my mitts on whatever they drink in those parts. Meanwhile, I would not trade two months of sauce for a couple of wagyu steaks, let alone polar bear.

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posted by Croydonian

Headline o' the day

Thursday, April 02, 2009
From the Copenhagen Post, via Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq:



Absolutely, you would not want to find yourself face to face with the business end of a narwhal's tusk.

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posted by Croydonian

Barroso and Pöttering are 'Conquistadors'

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Semi-retired Greenlandic politician Jonathan Motzfeldt is not at all happy with the EU, and has expressed it in fairly strong terms:

"Jonathan Motzfeldt...has written a letter both to commission president José Manuel Barroso and parliamentary chairman Hans-Gert Pöttering criticising the handling of debates regarding the future of whaling and sale of sealskin. ‘The way the European parliament and commission handle these cases is a direct attempt to put an end to an Arctic culture that is over a thousand years old,’ wrote Motzfeldt. ‘It is reminiscent of the policies used by the conquistadors in South America over 400 years ago. Shame on you Europe.’...‘The politics of the commission and the parliament are morally reprehensible and based on a lack of knowledge and respect for other peoples.’

I have some sympathy with Motzfeldt's championing of the traditional hunting etc practices of his fellow countrymen, but I think he has got his dates a litttle askew, as by my reckoning the conquista was a done deal by around 1540.

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posted by Croydonian

EU to grow by 50%?

Saturday, February 07, 2009
We have all heard about Icelandic interest in joining, but we may well be in for a veritable drang nach nord westen:

"[Greenlandic] Juliane Henningsen, MP for IA, has requested a lawyer to look into the possibility of EU membership for Greenland.

Henningsen commented that the investigation into possible EU membership is being carried out together with the Faroe Islands". Source

The addition of the other Atlantic islands would increase the size of the EU by more than 50%. Population would be up by about a third of a million, roughly the population of the borough of Croydon.

Thrilling, huh?

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posted by Croydonian

Good news for would be emigrants from the UK

Monday, January 05, 2009
There cannot be many of us who have not dreamed dreams of getting out of Dodge and heading to North America, the Antipodes or wherever as tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to be free. The rather fierce door policies said places have tends to be a bit of a problem though.

However, an opportunity has arisen, as somewhere in North America might have us:

"We will work to assume responsibility for immigration in the near future,' [...] said. 'We need to to this so we can deal with a predicted lack of people to fill jobs in the coming years. We should welcome people who want to work in [....]".

Quoth the PM, "'I am often described as someone who will make [....] for [....] only – that I don't want people who can't speak [....]– but that's not true. We need everyone who wants to work here".

Excited yet?

Just to pour cold water on the matters, the PM in question is Hans Enoksen of Greenland.


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posted by Croydonian

And the results are in...

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Unnoticed by much of the world, Greenland has been voting on home rule, and those fine people at Sermitsiaq have published the results and I have taken the opportunity to map them....

White represents unincorporated areas, and shades of grey ascending gradations of 60%+, peaking at 92% (black) for Kangaatsiaq. The heaving metropolis of Nuuk, or Godthåb, (pop. 15,047) is one of the least enthusiastic at 63%.

But what of the red blob? That is the municipality of Ivittuut, where just 23% want self-rule. And for why? Perchance because it is home to 'the Danish naval headquarters of Greenland'. Nothing like knowing which side your bread is buttered, is there? Mind you, just 65 of the electorate of 119 could be bothered to make it the polling station.

Thule Air base is in the extreme North East (Qaanaaq) and is entirely self-contained without offering employment to the locals, by the look of things, so no red blob there. Note that the settlement of Moriusaq, all of 19 miles from Thule, saw 100% voting for home rule, although that was three people out of seven voting.

Other notable findings include the outbreak of spoilt ballots in Kujalleq, at 11 out of 94 and the three blanks (out of 56) in Narsaq. There was a 13% blank 'vote' in Nalunaq, but that looks to be the work of just one voter. One in the five voters in Upernaviarsuk spoilt his or her ballot.

While I derive an unnatural degree of entertainment from the availability of data at this degree of detail, I do wonder whether there might be scope for post-electoral recriminations if a vote is very tightly contested or a controversial party is voted for.

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posted by Croydonian

The council 76 times larger than North Yorkshire

Thursday, September 25, 2008
North Yorkshire is England's largest county, at a pretty hefty 3,340 square miles. However, that is just an administrative dot compared to what might be coming to the upper reaches of Greenland if some administrative reforms go through, as North-Greenland Council would be 76 times larger at 254,827 square miles.

Put another way, NGC would be almost three times the size of the UK. Turning up in person to complain about bin collection or collecting a clamped car could be a bit of a pain.

Sticking with local government, I have just received a letter about the council tax, addressed - as God is my witness - to a town called 'Croyon'.

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posted by Croydonian

Watching paint dry - the big budget sequel

Friday, September 12, 2008
Live and direct from Greenland, the Ilulissat ice cap webcam. I wish I could embed it, but alas I do not believe it can be done, so click here to see the ice cap melting, or maybe even growing...

Or so they claim: "A new webcam set up in Ilulissat will allow the world to watch as global warming eats away at Greenland's ice cap.

The webcam is set up near the Ice Fjord, a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Ilulissat Glacier, which empties into the fjord, is the world's most active glacier. The glacier moves along at a pace of 22 metres per day and dumps a constant flow of ice into the fjord".

Way back lost in the mists of time, I studied A level geography, and what a fine subject it is too, especially when it involves glaciation. And when glaciers are happily glaciating away and exit to the sea, chunks fall off - these are called icebergs - with this having zip to do with global warming, and an awful lot to do with gravity.

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posted by Croydonian

Not even trying...

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
B-67 and K-1933. What might they be? Aeroplanes? Statutory orders? Top hit for B67 is a Brum post code, and K-1933 also shows up as an IC made by Weihao Electronics. However, in this context they are the finalists in this year's Greenlandic football league, closely followed by N-48.

I think that Greenlandic teams ought to take inspiration from the teams in Glasgow's Five-A-Side league. This list has appeared all over the place, so quite who first posted it is a mystery. I discovered it on a West Ham United forum the other day, not that it is showing up now.

Here goes:

  • Albion Hungovers
  • Athletico Madras
  • Barearselona
  • Bayer Leverarchfile
  • Bayer Neverlusen
  • Bayern Bru
  • Big Bertha Berlin
  • Borussia Nosobad
  • Deportivo Lack a Talent
  • Dinamo Mince
  • Dyslexia Untied
  • Fake Madrid
  • Fatzio
  • FC Copenbadly
  • Fred West Ham
  • Graham Rix U16's
  • Grass Smokers Zurich
  • Hajduk Spliff
  • Hardly Athletic
  • Inter Masister
  • LSD Eindhoven
  • Outer Milan
  • Rapid Viagra
  • Real Ale Madrid
  • Real Sosobad
  • Red Star Bellend
  • Red Stripe Belgrade
  • Shackthar Senseless
  • Sparka Fag
  • Sporting Abeergut
  • Sporting Lesbian
  • St. Mirnoff
  • Steaua Needarest
  • Substandard Liege
  • Torpedo Belgrano
  • Unathletic Madrid
  • Unreal Madrid

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posted by Croydonian

News that matters....

Monday, August 04, 2008
In the '20s and '30s it was common for BBC radio announcers to declare 'there is no news tonight. We will have some piano music instead'. (BBC Review of the Year 1930).

Such, however, is not the approach of Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq, and here is today's lead story: 'Church gets new digital clock'.

I am *not* making this up.

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posted by Croydonian

The West Godthåb question....

Monday, June 16, 2008
Or West Nuuk, if you prefer, but I think Godthåb echoes Lothian better.

"Greenland's two parliamentary representatives in the Danish parliament...are among the MPs who have participated least in the governmental body's votes...'I'm only present at voting when it the subject is relevant to Greenland,' said Hemminsen. 'that's our agreement. But I've been at parliamentary debates quite a lot.' Johansen told KNR that the agreement with the government parties on voting means that some members of the coalition do not vote when Greenlandic interests are not present, and the Greenlandic MPs do not vote when a purely Danish issue is on the agenda". Source

Perhaps members from north of Hadrian's Wall could take note.....

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posted by Croydonian

Asking the firing squad to reload when the first volley missed

Tuesday, May 27, 2008
What else might one use as a metaphor for this?:

Greenlandic politician Palle Christiansen - "Greenland already has close relations to the EU through the OLT system, but these should be even closer. A self-ruling Greenland or an independent Greenland in the future will not survive in political isolation but through political co-operation. That could very well be through the EU....I don't see any problems with becoming a member of the EU. The advantages Greenland has economically, in educational matters, on health issues and so forth could be strengthened with membership in EU".

Any problems? Blimey. Even the EU's Amen Corner would struggle to describe it as a perfect union.

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posted by Croydonian

One thousand very confused Greenlanders

Monday, March 17, 2008
In order to register a political party in Greenland, one need the signatures of 1,000 voters. Quite a hurdle, given that the entire population of the island is 60,000 (My home borough musters a little less than six times that). Note that UKIP was fourth in 2005, with 600,000 votes, and would have had problems getting registered on a Greenlandic 1/60th of the population basis, as would the various nationalists and the parties of the extreme left.

Anyway, Nikoline Ziemer has succeeded in that endeavour and has set up the Sorlaat Partiiat in order to contest local elections next month. She says her party is 'libertarian-socialist'....

Yeah. Right.

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posted by Croydonian

Putting one's head back in the noose

Thursday, January 31, 2008
Our Greenlandic friends had the foresight to leave the EC (as was) in 1985, but some folk just cannot see a motorway without wanting to play chicken:

"Kristian Jeremiassen, minister for Atassut, posed a §36 paragraph about what its stance on a possible application for membership in the EU is".

(I have not a clue what a §36 paragraph is).

Atassut is another contender for the oddest name for a political party, as it means 'Feeling of Community'. It is allied with the Danish liberals, who do not seem to be a bad lot.

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posted by Croydonian

Stand by for a new ice age

Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Yup, it is the 1970s redux:

"Temperatures on Earth have stabilized in the past decade, and the planet should brace itself for a new Ice Age rather than global warming, a Russian scientist said in an interview with RIA Novosti Tuesday. "Russian and foreign research data confirm that global temperatures in 2007 were practically similar to those in 2006, and, in general, identical to 1998-2006 temperatures, which, basically, means that the Earth passed the peak of global warming in 1998-2005," said Khabibullo Abdusamatov, head of a space research lab at the Pulkovo observatory in St. Petersburg".

Good job a certain lobby started referring to climate change rather than global warming a while back, eh?

And there's more:

"By 2041, solar activity will reach its minimum according to a 200-year cycle, and a deep cooling period will hit the Earth approximately in 2055-2060. It will last for about 45-65 years, the scientist added. "By the mid-21st century the planet will face another Little Ice Age, similar to the Maunder Minimum, because the amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth has been constantly decreasing since the 1990s and will reach its minimum approximately in 2041," he said".


Should I still be around by 2041, when I would be a sprightly (?) 75, much will be the pleasure from moaning about the cold to anyone in earshot.

Meanwhile, here is a picture of a mammoth, that readers might prepare themselves:

And as Joy Division put it, " We'll live in holes and disused shafts, Hopes for little more".

Postscript time - The World Winter Cities Association for Mayors is sticking to the global warming hypothesis and in the Nuuk Declaration 2008, "acknowledge their responsibility to lead the world and co-operate by sharing knowledge and establishing initiatives in the struggle to limit global warming".

An odd group, the WWCAM. I do not think anyone would dispute that Nuuk, Anchorage and Magadan are quite remarkably cold, but what in tarnation is Kaunas doing being a member?

This is what it is like in Nuuk: "Nuuk has a moderate polar climate with a yearly average temperature of −1 °C (30 °F). 18 °C (64 °F) is exceeded on average only once per year, with 24.2 °C (76 °F) being the highest recorded temperature and −29.5 °C (−21 °F) being the lowest". Whereas it is a positively balmy 1°C/ 34 °F in Kaunas today. Given how he loves a junket, and how it snows here from time to time, why is Livingstone not at the bunfight, eh?

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posted by Croydonian