Category: Off-topic

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How donations help me

This is a off-topic post.

Here is a little background information on how donations help me in the long run and the short run.

First some background information

First when I did start the donation route. I was unsure about it. As it is not custom to ask for money in Iceland and in Icelandic culture it is short of shame. I do not know why that is. That is why it did feel uncomfortable doing this for the first time around. At current time my main stable income is social welfare that is around 150500 ISK, 910€, 1293$, 794 GBP, 6785 DKK at current exchange rate. It has moved up a little since I moved back to Iceland as it was due to some extra that I get on top of the basic social welfare when I am living in Iceland.

As can be seen this is not to live on. It is even less when I am paying down my debt as fast that I possible can. But I am going to try and pay down my debt in around 7 months. If I can do that, I can move back to Denmark in early in the year 2013. Then I can move without much problems.

Now the main story

But in order for all this to work up. I need slightly more income then I get from social welfare. As it turns out that I need to buy food (we human apparently need to eat to survive). But I also need to pay my bills. Both in Iceland and Denmark (mobile phone) but also what I need to buy to eat. Now, because I am going to school and I am going to be living in a dormitory (with a lot of 16 to 17 year old kids) I won’t have to buy food from Monday to Friday. Except snack and something of that nature. But I also plan to buy subscription to DR 1 to maintain my Danish while in Iceland.

Donations help me to pay the bills and buy food. But they also help me pay down my debt faster then I otherwise would have done.

What you get in return for donating

Endless supply for blog posts on what is going on in Iceland. I also give in details when I can what is going on in Iceland, and if I can why. People how donate also get a free e-book (only pdf format) if they want. But that is just e-books about past eruptions in Iceland. I also maintain this blog and do all the service parts that need to be done (that I can anyway) myself. I also answers all the emails that I get when I have the time to do so. I also provide live information from my geophone (started years earlier, but have now been integrated into this now).

The work behind each blog post

I do not know if people release this. But I put a great work into each and every blog post I make. I try to do my best when a eruption suddenly starts to get information on what is going on. This is also what people get when they donate. My work on each blog post about Icelandic volcano that is making it self heard in Iceland. But you also get blog post about earthquakes, harmonic tremors, glacier flood and everything else if it is related to Iceland geological activity. Sometimes if I have time I try to write about the history of Iceland past eruptions. But it takes me from 1 hour and up to 8 hours to write one blog post, depending on size and details of the blog post in question.

What about the advertisement ?

While advertisements is a attempt to increase my income with something else then donations. It is has not been going to so good, as the income is somewhat irregular and I might only get paid 1 to 4 month or not even that often. They do help, no doubt about that. But they depend on traffic and I only get high traffic when something interesting is happening.

What is planned for the future ?

This blog is going to be free as it has always been. I am considering opening up a forum with Invasion Power Board. But that also costs money, so I might not know when I get around to buy it. As it expensive and I am trying to save money to move back to Denmark. So it has made it into my todo list for now. When it might become a reality is a question. But no later then 2013 if everything goes according to plan.

I want to make a living of writing. This is just a step in that direction.

I also want to thank everything for the support so far. It helps more then you know! 🙂

P.S: I am going to publish my first short story soon as a e-book. When it might happen I am not sure yet. But it is just going to a really short story that I am about to publish.

Blog post updated at 18:13 UTC on 2.08.2011.

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1 million views on this blog

This blog has reached a important milestone. It has had this many views in less then 1 year since I did start it. But I did start this blog in September 2010. Few months after Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption.

Here is the latest number from my web counter: 1,001,099

I want to say thank you to all of you how read this blog. But this many readers make this blog worth it in so many ways.

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Book about Icelandic geology

It is always good to know more. This book here offers basics details into Icelandic geology and what is the driving force behind it. This book is on my “to buy when I have the money” list. So I am not going to claim that I have read it.

I think that this book is good for people how want to know little more about Iceland and it’s geology. The Amazon review on this book is good.

This is an lame sale pitch in an attempt to earn me some money with Amazon UK sale programs. I get 5% of what the book sells on.

This is an off-topic blog post.

Blog post updated at 09:22 UTC on 26. June 2011.

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Summer plan, Denmark, PayPal and other information

Summer: I am now going to start working in few days. I think that this work is from 08:00 to 17:00 every day. So updates might be an bit few while I am working. But I am going to do my best to cover what happens in earthquakes in volcanoes while I am working. But I am working so that I can pay down my debt faster then I normally would have done with just my welfare benefits that I get in Iceland. I need to pay down my debt, as it has gotten quite high since I was unable to make my living in Denmark at current time.

Denmark: I plan to moving back to Denmark in about 2 to 3 years time. But Iceland is not my place in terms of culture and people. That is just the way it is. While Iceland is my place in terms of geology that is just not enough for me. But before I move back to Denmark, I am going to have the income that supports my living in Denmark. My plan is that I am going to move to Copenhagen and live there for infinite amount of time. I might move to Portugal at later date (10 years later?), but at the moment that is just an idea that I am exploring for the moment. Nothing might happen with that idea when it comes down to it.

PayPal: I have given up on having credit card in Iceland. So I am closing it down from July. This means that I also am going to close down my PayPal account, as it is connected to my Icelandic credit card. But do not worry about this. I plan to open up an new PayPal account and connect it to my danish card. That is more easy, as it is technically not an credit card. But still can be used on the internet for paying for stuff like normal credit card. If people understand what I am meaning. This process is going to take few days until it is fully completed. When it is done, the PayPal donations buttons are going to appear again on this web site.

Other: I don’t think that there is other information. I forgot what I was going to write here, so it cannot have been important for me. But if it, then I am just going to post update here about it.

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Everything has gone quiet again in Iceland

After the eruption in Grímsfjall volcano last week everything has gone quiet again in Iceland. Earthquake activity is currently low and all earthquake activity in volcanoes remains low at current time.

Because of that I am going to take me an little break until I move to Iceland. Unless something of interest happens in Iceland. Part of this time I am going to in the sun here in Denmark and check out the beautiful ladies that populate Denmark (if you are offended by this, then I am sorry for you). 🙂

For those how want to know about my money status. June is going to be rather broke-ish. So all supported is welcomed. But I am not going to request it specially as I have done before. Thanks for the support all. 🙂

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Minor lack of updates when moving back to Iceland

While I am moving back to Iceland there is going to be a minor lack of updates. But while everything is quiet this should not really change a lot. But if anything happens it is not guaranteed that I can post information about it right away.

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eBook about Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption 2010 planned

Too say big thank you too all the people how have donated money too me in my money problems while trying to live in Denmark. I have dedicated to write a ebook about Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in the year 2010. It is not going to be a scientific book. But rather a book on how I did view the eruption, along with some scientific data if I can get them into the book. Among other stuff about Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

This is going to be a ebook. But I am also going to check and see if I can get a print edition for those how want that rather then a ebook. But sadly, the print edition would cost extra. For the people how have donated to me in my money problems, the ebook is going to be free of charge. For everyone else it is going to be cheap. What price is going to be, I am not sure yet at this moment.

I have all the emails from the people how have donated to me. So if you want the ebook when the time come. All that has too be done is to drop me a email too get the ebook.

I am not sure when the ebook comes out. As it takes a bit of a time for me to write it. But I am going to announce it when the ebook is ready and published. I plan to start writing it when I have finished writing a sci-fi ebook that I have already started on.

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A small call for a support

I hate to ask for this. But I am in need for donation from you good people. The reasons for this is because I am broke and my income does not cover my bills and cost of living in Denmark. I already knew that I was heading into problems when I did see the bills come in. Both in Iceland and Denmark. But the main problem was when I got the electric bill here in Denmark, it was for 952 DKK (128€) and that did break my budget completely. As I don’t even have enough money too pay for all my bills and too buy food for the rest of this month. I also had a high phone bill as I was paying for three months there. My budget this month for Denmark was 3470 DKK (468€) after I did pay what had to be paid in Iceland. The total bills payed in Denmark this month (what is left) is 4008 DKK (541€).

Based on this. I have made a final decision. I am going to move to Iceland on 5. June as planned. I have made the decision to stop my attempts to stay in Denmark. I might one day move back to Denmark. But not until I have the income to support it and that might take many years until that happens. If I move back to Denmark at all. But that is unclear at this point in time.

I don’t know how June is going to be. But I hope that it is going too be more simpler. But for June I have to pay the rent for the last time in Denmark. My moving costs are going to be covered by a bank loan as that is my only option. My problems are going to be over after that point. As the costs that I have to pay

Thanks for the support! I am going to do my best in covering Icelandic volcanoes as always.

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Asking for donations again because of income problem

As I can’t afford living in Denmark under the current circumstances due to low income, I am going to need your help (my readers) while I have to live here. But I am going to move back to Iceland in early June. Until that happens I have to make it trough April and May here in Denmark. But I do not know how May is going to turn out, because then the bill for the electric is going to come. I think that it is going to be high as electricity is expensive here in Denmark.

When all bills have been paid this month. I am going to have ~20.000 ISK left. But that is ~123€, ~174$ and ~917 DKK to live off the entire April here in Denmark. But I don’t think that can be done. The current status is a little bit better then what did happen in March. But the difference is not a big one.

Thanks for the support and the help.

Text updated at 15:41 CEST on 1. April 2011. Title updated and minor changes to the text.

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Big plan changes for me

While this is completely off-topic I still find it necessary to say this (I will go back to volcanoes and earthquakes in next blog post). There have been some big plan changes to my plans. The biggest change is that I am going to move back to Iceland in August. This is so not what I had planned. But there is nothing that I can do about it as my income does not support living in Denmark for the moment. If remains to be seen if I move too a different country in the future. As of this moment all such plans have been put on a hold for undefined period of time.

I am going to move back to Iceland in August and then go back to school to learn electronics and other fields so I can get a good job or something that gives me the income to support me in setting up geophones and watching volcanoes. It is going to be costly moving to back (~200.000 ISK, ~1.236€, ~1.712$) to Iceland so all support for this is welcomed when the time comes. Until I move back to Iceland I am going to be in Denmark and I hope that I am going to have enough money for food each month and for all that I need to pay for.

Thanks for reading this blog, and thanks for the support and the donations. 🙂