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Posts published in October 2015

Out of left field: Liberal Party defies predictions, joins Labor for new Longyearbyen Community Council majoritylaborrules

Out of left field: Liberal Party defies predictions, joins Labor for new Longyearbyen Community Council majority

By Mark Sabbatini on October 26, 2015
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Read Time:3 Minute, 9 Second

After all the shocks and twists, Longyearbyen’s new political leadership will be pretty much what everybody long expected before the votes were counted.

The Labor Party will retain its leadership of the Longyearbyen Community Council and top-ranked candidate Arild Olsen will be the city’s new mayor starting Tuesday after the newly elected Liberal Party members agreed to form a majority with the Labor members. The general assumption after the Oct. 5 election – by Olsen and other Labor Party members, along with the media and many residents – was the Liberals would shake up the city’s leadership by aligning with the Conservative Party.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Trashed! The ‘rubbish hut’ is no more – although its frame and cabin may be recycledrubbishhutnomore

Trashed! The ‘rubbish hut’ is no more – although its frame and cabin may be recycled

By Mark Sabbatini on October 25, 2015
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Read Time:3 Minute, 45 Second

The rubbish hut has gone to trash heaven – but its disciples may find comfort in knowing there is the possibility of an afterlife.

The small hut, made of trash collected from the north shores of Spitsbergen, was stripped down to its teepee-like wood pole frame and its elevator-size cabin on Friday, said Solveig Egeland, who designed and helped build the cabin in August of 2014. Removing the colorful – and climbable – assortment of debris such as fishing nets, plastic trawl balls and ropes ends the hut’s 14-month history controversy, quirks and ultimate triumph.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Police arrest 11 in drug raid after lengthy investigation; some suspects may face exile from Svalbardpolicecar

Police arrest 11 in drug raid after lengthy investigation; some suspects may face exile from Svalbard

By Mark Sabbatini on October 25, 2015
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Read Time:2 Minute, 12 Second

Eleven people were arrested during the weekend in one of Svalbard’s biggest drug-related busts in modern times, with more arrests and possible expulsion of some suspects possible, according to The Governor of Svalbard.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Penal pals: ‘Sval and Bard’ show visitors how to commit Svalbard’s ten deadly sins by acting like total wankerssvalandbardbeer

Penal pals: ‘Sval and Bard’ show visitors how to commit Svalbard’s ten deadly sins by acting like total wankers

By Mark Sabbatini on October 23, 2015
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Read Time:2 Minute, 35 Second

They arrive in Svalbard after one sticks his head out of a plane, causing the resulting suction to send them plummeting 10,000 meters into a glacier they demolish a hefty portion of. So, yeah, they merit a place somewhere in the ranks of Svalbard’s most clueless tourists in recent years.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Random weirdness for the week of Oct. 20, 2015drudgeputin

Random weirdness for the week of Oct. 20, 2015

By Mark Sabbatini on October 23, 2015
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Read Time:2 Minute, 2 Second

The Russians might be deploying troops, but it’s the United States that’s revolting. Construction is nearing completion on a major new Russian military base on Franz-Joseph Land, located just to the east of Svalbard at 80 degrees latitude north, which will allow up to 150 soldiers to live and training for 18 months at a time. Russia has been building up its military its Arctic territories for many years, but this particular base apparently is particularly ominous since that ultimate source of objective news known as the Drudge Report alerted the world to it with the banner headline “Putin Takes Arctic.”

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Oct. 20, 2015erosion

Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Oct. 20, 2015

By Mark Sabbatini on October 23, 2015
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Read Time:1 Minute, 38 Second

Expert: numerous buildings at risk of foundation damage  
The collapse of the ground under the historic Gruvebadet building in Ny-Ålesund is an indicator numerous other buildings in Svalbard are at risk due to changes in meltwater patterns and faulty foundations, according to Sverre Barlindhaug, a geologist who examined the damaged structure.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Blues-collared: Passes for biggest-ever Dark Season Blues sell out faster than ever to mostly non-local listenersbluescollective

Blues-collared: Passes for biggest-ever Dark Season Blues sell out faster than ever to mostly non-local listeners

By Mark Sabbatini on October 22, 2015
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Read Time:4 Minute, 3 Second

The kind of blues you’re feeling this week may have a lot to do with your inclination to plan ahead or be spontaneous. In this case, the former are least likely to be the glum type.

Festival passes for the biggest Dark Season Blues ever sold out earlier than ever because of a decision to offer them much sooner than usual, said Espen Helgesen, the festival’s director and chairman of the Longyearbyen Blues Club.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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October surprise: Svalbard’s new governor gets a whirlwind introduction to unfamiliar duties in a very familiar placegovernorshouse

October surprise: Svalbard’s new governor gets a whirlwind introduction to unfamiliar duties in a very familiar place

By Mark Sabbatini on October 21, 2015
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Read Time:7 Minute, 24 Second

At roughly the same time Kjerstin Askholt was delivering a fireside chat to visitors about the historic home she just moved into, police officers under her authority were rounding up suspects in what may be Longyearbyen’s biggest drug bust in modern times.

The police were still making arrests when the biggest October rain and snow storm in 40 years hit, and just as it was ending her search and rescue team was asked to retrieve a patient on a ship beyond the helicopter’s fuel range.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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Loaded (differently) for bear: Governor enacts new rules for guns as polar bear protectionpolarbearguns

Loaded (differently) for bear: Governor enacts new rules for guns as polar bear protection

By Mark Sabbatini on October 18, 2015
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Read Time:1 Minute, 21 Second

Count Dirty Harry among those likely to approve of new rules for weapons that can be used for polar bear protection enacted this week by The Governor of Svalbard.

“These guidelines generally continue current practices, but include new requirements for one-handed weapons that can be used for polar bear protection,” a statement by the governor’s office notes.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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They’re everywhere! First study of microplastics in Svalbard’s waters finds them in 95 percent of spots, especially deepmicroplastics

They’re everywhere! First study of microplastics in Svalbard’s waters finds them in 95 percent of spots, especially deep

By Mark Sabbatini on October 18, 2015
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Read Time:1 Minute, 2 Second

It’s an itty-bitty problem, except it so massively is not.

Microplastics, tiny particles accumulating at alarming rates in oceans and large lakes worldwide, were found in nearly every sample of water taken during the first study of them in waters south and southwest of Svalbard.

About Post Author

Mark Sabbatini

I'm a professional transient living on a tiny Norwegian island next door to the North Pole, where once a week (or thereabouts) I pollute our extreme and pristine environment with paper fishwrappers decorated with seemingly random letters that would cause a thousand monkeys with a thousand typewriters to die of humiliation. Such is the wisdom one acquires after more than 25 years in the world's second-least-respected occupation, much of it roaming the seven continents in search of jazz, unrecognizable street food and escorts I f****d with by insisting they give me the platonic tours of their cities promised in their ads. But it turns out this tiny group of islands known as Svalbard is my True Love and, generous contributions from you willing, I'll keep littering until they dig my body out when my climate-change-deformed apartment collapses or they exile my penniless ass because I'm not even worthy of washing your dirty dishes.
marksabbatini@yahoo.com
http://icepeople.net
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