The Matrix

In The Matrix humans are inside a simulated reality, trapped by intelligent machines using their bodies as an energy source. Agent Smith, a bad character, says, “Have you ever stood and stared at it, marveled at it's beauty, it's genius? Billions of people just living out their lives, oblivious. Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world. Where none suffered. Where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that as a species, human beings define their reality through misery and suffering. The perfect world would dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from.” 


I’m very thankful that the machines allowed me to enjoy this simulated reality, because there is no way this is real. It is too beautiful. 


Today is projected to be the most beautiful weather of the days remaining, so we went to the Golden Circle, going immediately to the geysers, hoping we’d be there before hordes of tourists. We made it!! Crazy thing, the main geyser is named Geysir. Yep. That is where the word came from. It no longer erupts but it is near Strokkur, a different geyser that erupts very frequently, much more frequently than Old Faithful in Yellowstone. 


The Gulfoss waterfall is just stunning. Again, I don’t know what picture to use!


In the extra I have the sunrise this morning and vegetation from Thingvellir National Park. The vegetation is almost the same as on planet Earth but, as you can see, there are differences. I can’t believe we lucked out to be here and I can’t believe we lucked out to be here during the Autumn color season. 


Let us correct some misimpressions. 
It is not true that there are no trees in Iceland. There is a joke that if you get lost in the forest in Iceland, stand up. 
There has been some reforestation over the past couple of decades.


It is not true that no one wears a mask in Iceland. Today I saw the fifth person besides myself. Of course, if you divide five by the population of Iceland, 346,183 as of Tuesday, September 27, 2022 plus tourists, you get 0.000000% so you see why people would think that zero people in Iceland wear masks.


It is not true that everyone eats sheep head. I’ve only seen a few in the grocery store. 


Teslas are very popular in Iceland. 
Hybrid EVs are also very popular. 


Black Death is not as bad tasting as you might think. 


Chocolate covered licorice is really good. 


From the Reykjavik Grapevine, “High winds pummeled northeast Iceland over the weekend, especially on Sunday, with extensive damage done to buildings and cars…. MBL reports that high winds did ripped through roofs and smashed car windows in the East Iceland town of Reyðarfjörður. 
“You could say that it’s an utter disaster area here at the moment,” Reyðarfjörður mayor Ragn­ar Sig­urðsson told reporters. “I have never experienced anything like this before,” adding that he had seen shrubs and bushes uprooted by the wind.
Vísir reports that about 70 tourists were stranded in Möðrudalsöræfi, northeast Iceland, due to the winds. Fortunately, the rescue squad was able to get all of these people to safety. Vilhjálmur Vernharðsson, who was on the scene, said that the weather ended up being worse than was originally forecast, which took these tourists by surprise.
The storm system extended as far north as Akureyri, which although buffeted by mountains, was subjected to extensive flooding. 
All told, half the country was without power for nearly two hours.”


So. Extra time in the southwest it is. 


Yesterday I replaced my blip with the aurora borealis. Attached is another picture from yesterday’s that I really like, this morning’s sunrise, and some of the vegetation in Thingvellir. 


Oh, have you wondered, like I’ve wondered, how Iceland switched from worshipping Norse gods to Christianity? We went into a little museum and now I know. In the year 1000 the two factions were barely avoiding killing each other. The Law Speaker was Thorgeir, a practicer of the Norse religion. He was asked whether Icelanders should become Christian or not. He laid down and thought about it and proposed that, “Icelanders accept Christianity, with certain provisos:  they could continue to worship the Norse gods, dispose of unwanted children and eat horse meat - but only in secret.”