Did Iceland receive an ice cold shoulder?

It is chilly in Reykjavik, only 6 degrees right now. And as all of us know, the Icelandic economy has frozen up, badly. It is so bad that even the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso sent out a statement regarding Iceland tonight (I can’t find it online yet, I got it through … Continue reading →

Banking 2.0

As the financial crisis has hit harder and harder, and the possibilities to get loans have evaporated, some people have found possibilities in people-to-people or peer-to-peer banking. For us social network freaks, this is a interesting concept. This is literary social capital, where banks and other middlemen are cut out. The concept is not brand … Continue reading →

Economics 1.0 for journalists

This fall, economics stopped being dry and boring (at least for me), and everyone started paying intense attention. Some even too much.  But what the heck is going on and is still shaking our ground? Why has the financial crisis (which has been called earth quake, monster, train) hit so hard, now? And how come … Continue reading →

Money, money, money

The financial crisis hit Belgium hard this week, and our local bank Fortis had to go down on it’s knees and beg for money from the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The bank is now partially nationalised. My father took this excellent picture at the National Gallery in Brussels this week. Help your … Continue reading →

The Icelandic love for the Euro

When everyone is turning their eyes toward the global economic crisis unfolding with epicentre in the US, a little earthquake is shaking things up on Iceland. A warned earthquake, though. I’ve been interested in the euro/EU discussion on Iceland for quite some time, and now, new Euro events are getting attention on the saga island. … Continue reading →