Category: English

Cheaper Airline Tickets Now!

By Elin Brimheim Heinesen As long as it is relatively expensive to transport people and goods between the Faroe Islands and the outside world, it will be very difficult to attract more people to the Faroe Islands and thus create a large enough basis for increased activity in the country. But if we increase transportation …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2015/10/29/cheaper-airline-tickets-now/

“I disagree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it, even if I have to sacrifice my life for it.”

People have asked me, “Why are you so against the Grind Law ” (pilot whale law)? Isn’t it more important to consider the Faroese themselves, instead of focusing so much on tourists and foreigners? Do you have a problem with the Faroese people killing pilot whales or what?” No, I have nothing against the Grind …

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Utopian Vegan Dreams Defy Laws of Nature, Causing More Damage Than Good

By Elin Brimheim Heinesen As far as science has established, humans are essentially predators among other predators and have always been so. However, today humanity has become so arrogant that we believe we have “evolved” away from our predatory nature, to the point where many now think it’s a good idea to deny our meat-eating …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2015/04/06/utopian-vegan-dreams-defy-laws-of-nature-causing-more-damage-than-good/

Language, Narrativity, and Art as Cognition

by Elin Brimheim Heinesen “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That is how it began according to John 1:1 in the Bible. And therein lies a deep truth. For without words, one cannot tell a story. Without words or signs, there would be no …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2015/01/17/language-narrativity-and-art-as-cognition/

You Provide Sustenance For Yourself With What Is Available To You

As simple as the sentence in this header may sound, the more difficult it seems to many to comprehend what it really means. I came to think about that, when I tried to answer some questions I got today in an E-mail from an Australian journalist, asking me: 1. Do Faroe islanders consider pilot whales …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2014/11/21/you-provide-sustenance-for-yourself-with-what-is-available-to-you/

How to Identify a Psychopathic Cult Leader

Leaders prone to psychopathy engage in promoting fanaticism and extremism. Psychopathic behaviour is characterised by the use of emotional manipulation, intimidation, bullying, terror and fear-mongeringm but also charm and flattery in order to gain power and control over others. This article deals with psychopathy, originally among religious leaders, who gather devoted followers to form religious …

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Nature – Not Just Something to be Visited, But a Home Where People Provide Sustenance for Themselves

OBS! The author of this article, Ford Elms, New Foundland, Canada, has allowed me to copy and publish it here: In a tradition going back more than a thousand years, the Faroese renew their connectedness to their history, their culture, their communities, and the natural world around them. The pilot whales return to the Faroe …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2014/08/10/nature-not-just-something-to-be-visited-but-a-home-where-people-provide-sustenance-for-themselves/

Cultural Clashes Make the SSCS’ Grindstop Campaign Counterproductive

by Elin Brimheim Heinesen  In the old days the Faroese killed pilot whales, because they needed the food. Nowadays the Faroese still kill pilot whales – not only because they need the food – but also to prove to them selves that they are Faroese. What people eat becomes intrinsic to their identity as people. …

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The Man in the Desert

Let me tell you the story of the man in the desert. This is a true story. No, not entirely, but almost. This is a tale I came up with many years ago, inspired by a dream I had, where I had thought to make a fun story out of it, because it was a …

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Why Does the Killing of the Giraffe Marius Provoke So Much Anger?

The giraffe Marius is killed – and the world is in uproar. But what is the world truly raging about? In the aftermath of all the outrage over the killing of giraffe Marius, one could ask: Was it a sick act to kill the giraffe – or is it the world that is sick? Is …

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What is the Disagreement Between the EU and the Faroe Islands (Really) About?

By Elin Brimheim Heinesen A quarter of the total Faroese exports may be affected by the restrictions if the European Union’s sanctions against the Faroe Islands are implemented. This seems like quite severe punishment for a very small and economically vulnerable nation in the North Atlantic, totally dependent on its fishery. But according to the …

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The Way, The Truth and The Life

Letter to my daughter about God. by Elin Brimheim Heinesen My beloved daughter, I remember you once asked me, “Mom? Are you religious? Do you believe in God?” I wondered why you doubted it. After all, I prayed the Lord’s Prayer with you throughout your childhood. I have sung hymns with you. We haven’t been …

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30 Rules of Thumb Ensuring Success With Your Project

Leadership is a difficult art. Here are some good advice for you, who have either taken on or been given the role as leader for a larger project, and maybe have never really tried it before. What should you consider? © Elin Brimheim Heinesen, 2003 THE PROJECT Understand that successful project completion requires good planning …

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Dear Anonymous Hacktivists (and everyone else)

Well, this really takes the biscuit! This morning a number of Faroese websites were hacked by some people who call themselves Anonymous Australia in an attempt to harm the Faroese because of their pilot whaling practice. Now these people are threatening to do the same to a number of other Faroese people and institutions – including me! …

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If We Lose Our Foods We Lose Who We Are

I was born in the late 50’ies in the Faroe Islands. At that time we pretty much had a subsistence way of life in this remote place on earth with a hostile climate and an environment that humans could never hope to survive in without eating animals. In winter, our region is stormy and dark …

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Why Most Arguments Against Grindadráp Fail

People who are against pilot whaling in the Faroe Islands often refer to the following 12 reasons for why pilot whaling should stop. Here is why 10 of them fail and why 2 are partially right / partially wrong. 1. The Faroese should stop killing pilot whales because the pilot whales are endangered. The pilot …

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Media Whale Warfare

A comment by Elin Brimheim Heinesen to the discussion triggered by the TV series on Animal Planet “Whale Wars – Viking Shores”. I wish this issue was simpler, but it’s not. I’m Faroese and I do not condone pilot whale killing in the Faroe Islands unconditionally. I’m absolutely opposed to unnecessary cruelty and the killing of animals …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2012/05/09/media-whale-warfare/

European Podcast of the Year!

The Faroe Islands Podcast has been named “European Podcast of the Year” in the non-profit category by the European Podcast Awards. We were also named the best non-profit podcast in Denmark (for reasons of judging, that was considered our country of origin… long story). More than 2,000 podcasts were nominated, so the team is very …

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The Sound of Hurricane Berit

Stormy night, 24. nov. 2011: This is the sound in my living room (down in the basement!) while the hurricane Berit roared outside. The rattling noise comes from the hood in my kitchen. Luckily there was no damage to my house (as far as I know… haven’t checked my roof properly yet). My thoughts are …

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Why I’m Not Condemning Pilot Whaling

I’m not insensitive to animal suffering. I do understand why outsiders are concerned about pilot whaling in the Faroes. But in spite of this, I do not condemn pilot whaling completely. This might seem contradictory to people, who think pilot whaling is absolutely appalling and should be banned right away. But I have some compelling …

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Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2011/03/22/why-im-not-condemning-pilot-whaling/