Month: January 2013

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Donations needed for February 2013

Being in problems because of bills is no fun. This is making me depressed because it has now reached the point that there is no way out for me (at least for the month of February 2013). I can’t get a loan to cover this month anywhere. Not in my Icelandic bank (I got loan there up to the top since this is a long running problem I am having) and not in my danish bank (they say my income is too low). This problem that I am now having has it’s history and now I am going to tell it. The time period from December 2012 to February 2013 has so far been the worst. But I was able to keep December 2012 in order with help from the bank in Iceland (the last of it). I did cover in my last blog post also why my current problem is in place.

In July and August (2012) I got hit by a tax bill from Iceland. Due the fact that I had some extra income during the year of 2011. This tax bill was about 245.000 ISK (about 10.429,53 DKK, 1.398,00€ current exchange rate). Tax payments in Iceland are repaid from the period August to December. I did spread this out over 12 month period to ease my payments. That has worked to limited extend. But payments and keeping up with bills have become increasingly more difficult for one reason and only one reason. This reason is Icelandic Króna and it’s ever less exchange value in Danish krone. Today (30.01.2013) the exchange rate is for example 23,345 ISK = 1 DKK. This for instance just leaves me with 6.790,94 DKK in total income here in Denmark. Accounting for bills that I need to pay in Iceland. I just got 4.256,95 DKK to pay my bills in Denmark. Not accounting for money that I need to have so that I can buy food. I need to pay bills for 9021,45 DKK (1,209.22€) in February. It is clear that my current income does not cover this. Not even close.

The reason why my bills are so high this month is because that my electricity bill and cable bill (yousee.dk) did come this same month. But they are paid every 3 months. I had asked Sydenergi to put my electricity bill on monthly basis. But for some reason that did not happen at all. I am now checking why that is. But asking for monthly bills instead of every 3 months makes the amount lower and easier to pay it. While I am on this low income at least.

It seems that February is going to be the worst month out of several bad months (until July from best of what I can tell). But this is far worse then I did expect. Mostly due to bad status of the Icelandic króna exchange rate. For the next few months my debt is going to drop. Here is what I finish paying up this year. I am cancelling service I do not need. Like my tv cable service (yousee.dk), as it turns out that I do not use it and I can get many tv stations free over my satellite dish anyway and with normal antenna also.

Here are the payments that are going to end in the year 2013.

New glasses; In May 2013.
Washing machine; In August 2013
Tax bill; In July 2013.

This only leaves my overdraft in Iceland and Boliglån from the Danish kommune that I got in September 2012. It is going to take me the longest time to pay down my overdraft in Iceland. As it is now 635000 ISK (27.031,63 DKK, 3.623,40€). I now estimate it is going to take me around 2 years to pay it down. The boliglån I got from the kommune is just 9000 DKK. I am going to pay that down in about 9 month period when everything else has been paid up that I owe in the Icelandic bank.

I am going for debt free again. Since I find that the best way to live. Loans are just for emergency in my view and nothing else. Since they are expensive and nothing good comes out of them at all in my view (debt running is not smart in my view).

Any donations can help me now. But I am not sure if that donations are going to reach the 9000 DKK (1,209.22€) that I need for this month. But my Icelandic bank suggested that I would just skip paying few bills. But that is not something I want to do. As that just leads to more problems, more issues and I am not interested in going that route. What happens in February 2013 I am not sure of. But this is going to be a really bad month for me from the looks of it. I am going to continue to hate my life because of this. Since I hate issues like this and I have always hated them. But sadly. There is little that I can do to change them at the moment. I did buy Onsdags Lotto. But given my luck. I am not going to win anything at all for now.

Thanks for the support.

Update 1: In order to fix my money issue permanently. I am going to go and get a job in Iceland during the period June to November (or around that time). I do this in order to pay up my debt in Iceland. I am however not going to move back to Iceland. I am not expecting that I should need to work any more then this. As after this time period. I should be free of all debt and my issues should be solved (at least that is the plan). Update 1b: Well. Maybe. I might not have to go trough with this plan. It remains to be seen what happens.

Update 2: Unless something changes I have to follow that plan in update 1 trough. But I am bit doubtful that the change needed for this is going to take place. As what needs to change is that my income needs to increase from what it is now. But I can always hope.

Update 3: Currently my account at Sydbank stands in -3.512,25 DKK. I still have two bills to pay. The cable service (that I am going to cancel in March, 30 day cancel period) and the hot water service.

Update 4: If I can get to 0 DKK on my Sydbank account then March is going to be a lot easier and from the looks of it. Not a problem. But if that is not successful. March is going to be be a problem and perhaps also April (too early to tell at this point). All I can ask for is donations at this point.

As for the end of this finical crises of mine. It is close. I am planning my way out of this. Slowly. But all donations help me dealing with this issue that is annoying the hell out of me. I do not want this. Far from it. In fact I hate this and I never want to experience this again. But I need to solve the issue at hand, it does not solve it self. There are two bills left to pay, the yousee.dk cable bill (going to cancel it in March) and the hot water. The tv cable bill is 2225 DKK and the hot water is 450 DKK.

Update 5: I am thinking about making this blog and all of my other blogs donation only. That would also include my webicorder web sites. But I would like to hear from my readers about this. The reason I want to do this is simple. If people want to donate they can do so. I continue to maintain this blog and my webicorders without any issue. I also have issue with the fact that I do not get that a lot from advertisements. It took me about 6 months to get enough income from Infolinks to reach minimal payment threshold. Same goes for Google Adsense. That takes me up to 2 to 3 months until I can get any payments from them. This is due to low traffic on this blog (and all my blogs at the moment).

I am going to make my desisons on Monday 4. February 2013. I am going to post the result in a special blog post. I rather want to go free of advertisement rather then not. This would mean that I remove all advertisement on this blog and my webicorder web pages.

Update 6: This blog is now advertisement free. I now trust on donations to keep this blog and my geophone network in Iceland up and running. See more details in this blog post here.

Update 7: Nothing is going as planned for me and I cannot continue to run my self in this loan and minus setting in terms of my financial health. So I am going to use my emergency plan. This means I am going to move back to Iceland in May (there is a 3 month cancel period on my apartment). I hate to do this. But I can’t run my self financially like this forever, in fact. I can’t run my self financially like this at all. I am however not going to give up on living in Denmark. I do need different approach to do this however. That approach being that I need to get off social benefits soon as I can and stay off them forever. Since living off them in Denmark is clearly impossible and is going to remain impossible for nearby future.

I am going to cancel this plan. If I can get a job in Padborg. That might well happen. If that happen. That makes me happy for sure.

Update 8: Getting a job is the only way for me to stay in Denmark. That is how it has to be then so be it. My writing may be a less instead here on this blog. But my current status does not work and is never going to work. So this is what I have to do. I am going to do it.

Update 9: I am searching for a job now. Since I want to stay in Bov, Padborg. I am also searching for a job in Germany both Flensburg and Harrislee. If I can’t find a job in my area of Denmark.

Blog post updated at 31.01.2013 at 01:23 UTC. Minor text fixes.
Blog post updated at 31.01.2013 at 02:12 UTC. Minor text fixes.
Blog post updated at 31.01.2013 at 17:42 UTC. Update 1 added.
Blog post updated at 01.02.2013 at 00:05 UTC. Update 2 added.
Blog post updated at 01.02.2013 at 00:17 UTC. Update 2 fixed.
Blog post updated at 01.02.2013 at 16:27 UTC. Update 3 added.
Blog post updated at 02.02.2013 at 13:32 UTC. Update 4 added.
Blog post updated at 02.02.2013 at 15:56 UTC. Update 1b added and update 1 deleted.
Blog post updated at 03.02.2013 at 01:54 UTC. Update 5 added.
Blog post updated at 03.02.2013 at 15:22 UTC. Update 6 added.
Blog post updated at 04.02.2013 at 21:30 UTC. Update 7 added.
Blog post updated at 04.02.2013 at 21:39 UTC. Update 8 added.
Blog post updated at 05.02.2013 at 22:00 UTC. Update 9 added. Update 7 in part removed.
Blog post updated at 05.02.2013 at 23:09 UTC. Update 4 deleted in part.

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Magnitude 3.2 earthquake in TFZ

At 04:03 UTC on 29.01.2013 an magnitude 3.2 earthquake did happen at TFZ. This earthquake was not felt according to news on this earthquake. Several aftershocks where detected following this magnitude 3.2 earthquake.


The magnitude 3.2 earthquake in TFZ. Along with aftershocks in the same area. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

There is a lot of tension in TFZ. But this earthquake swarm does not mean it is ready to break yet. When that happens is impossible to know at this time. Earthquake detection is difficult in Iceland at the moment due to bad weather and strong winds.

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Magnitude 3.1 earthquake on the Reykjanes peninsula

At 00:41 UTC on 25.01.2013 an magnitude 3.1 earthquake did take place on Reykjanes peninsula. This earthquake was felt in Reykjavík, Hafnarfjörður and few other nearby populated areas. Two aftershocks did follow this earthquake. Both had the magnitude 1.5. It is impossible to know if this earthquake activity is going to start an earthquake swarm in this area. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t.


The green star marks the location of the magnitude 3.1 earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

No further earthquake activity has so far taken place in this area during the past two to three hours. This earthquake activity does not appear to be volcano related. But this is normal tectonic movements of the rift zone that makes up Reykjanes peninsula.

Icelandic news about this earthquake. Please use Google translate and hope for the best.

All snarpur skjálfti á Reykjanesskaga (Rúv.is)
Jarðskjálfti fannst á höfuðborgarsvæði (mbl.is)
Jarðskjálfti við Keili (Vísir.is)

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Magnitude 3.8 earthquake in Bárðarbunga volcano

During the night at 04:50 UTC there was an earthquake with the magnitude 3.8 in Bárðarbunga volcano. This appears to be a minor dike intrusions into Bárðarbunga volcano. This happens regularly in Bárðarbunga volcano. Often resulting in a lot larger earthquakes then current earthquake swarm that is taking place in Bárðarbunga volcano.


Earthquake activity in Bárðarbunga volcano. The star is the magnitude 3.8 earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

It is impossible to know what is going on in Bárðarbunga volcano. But there is no risk for volcano eruption for now. Even if there is possibility of minor dike intrusion taking place in Bárðarbunga volcano at the moment. I am not expecting anything more at the moment. But more earthquakes can not be ruled out, as Bárðarbunga volcano is a earthquake active volcano.

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Earthquakes deep on the Reykjanes Ridge

Yesterday (20.01.2013) there where few medium sized earthquakes deep on the Reykjanes Ridge. This earthquakes where far off the coast of Iceland (around 1340 km from Reykjavík). So this earthquake swarm is just being noticed on instruments. What is going on there is impossible to know. The largest earthquake in this swarm is a magnitude Mb5.2 earthquake that did happen at 21:40 UTC. Earlier and earthquakes that did follow this earthquake had the magnitude from Mb4.7 to Mb5.0. But any smaller earthquakes are unlikely to be detected at this distance from any seismometer network in Europe or America.


Location of the largest earthquake in this swarm. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake. Copyright of this image belongs to EMSC.

More earthquake activity might take place on this location. But it is hard to know due to lack of data. But it is worth keeping an eye on it. As things remain quiet in Iceland at the moment.

Blog post updated at 00:37 UTC on 21.01.2013.

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Picture and video of Eyjafjallajökull volcano

Here is a picture of Eyjafjallajökull volcano that I took in December 2012. This is not a good picture. But that is mostly down to bad weather and strong wind at the time.


Click on the image for full size. This image is released under Creative Commons licence. Please see the CC Licence page for more details on this licence.

Here is a video that I took from this same area. It shows how bad the weather was.

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Comparison of volcano eruptions

When there is nothing going on in Iceland. It is good to prepare for the future by checking out what has happened in the past. Here is a comparison of harmonic tremor data from few past eruptions. I only have limited set of data to work with here.

Grímsfjall volcano eruptions 2004 and 2011

Harmonic tremor indicates how strong the eruption is when it is happening. This is clearly visible on the harmonic tremor plots from the Grímsfjall volcano eruptions in the year 2004 and compared to the eruption in Grímsfjall volcano eruption in the year 2011.


Harmonic tremor in Grímsfjall volcano eruption in the year 2004. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

This harmonic tremor plot is from the early start of the eruption. It clearly shows when the eruption starts and how it progressed during it’s first few hours.


Here is the volcano eruption start in Grímsfjall volcano on 23. May 2011. This is the start of the eruption. It clearly shows the difference from the eruption that took place in the year 2004. Both is that starts sharper. But is also a lot more powerful then the eruption in the year 2004. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Eyjafjallajökull volcano and Katla volcano

Sometimes it is useful to compare two eruptions of two different volcanoes. This is useful when you really don’t have anything else to compare with.


Harmonic tremor in Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption back in the year 2010. This is from the second phase of the eruption. But I seems to have misplaced or not saved harmonic tremor data from the first phase of the eruption (at least I cannot find them for the moment). Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.


Harmonic tremor connected to a minor eruption in Katla volcano in July 2011. This eruption was minor. But created a flood that took out a bridge. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.


Diffrent SIL stations from the same minor eruption in Katla volcano in July 2011. This clearly shows that this minor eruption in Katla volcano was possibly larger then eruption in Eyjafjallajökull volcano year earlier (2010). But it did not manage to break the ice of Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Copyright of this image belongs to Icelandic Meteorological Office.

Past data show and are useful to learn what happens in a volcano. For this reason I now save important information on what is happening in a volcano. So I can compare it with future activity when it takes place.

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Typical geophone station that I run

Here is a picture of a typical geophone station that I run in Iceland. This is the computer and other needed hardware on the Böðvarshólar geophone station that I am running. This hardware used to be the Hvammstangi geophone station until December 2012 when I had to move it.


Click on the image for full size. This image is released under Creative Commons licence. Please see the CC licence page for more details.

What is not shown in this picture is the geophone it self. But it is in the white box on the table. The readings from all my geophone stations can be found here.