I've been teaching the kids the basics of economics for the last couple of weeks. It'll have to be the basics as I don't understand economics beyond that anyway. One of the lessons was about tax. Whenever I get the kids a drink before I give it to them I take a little sip and tell them thats the tax on the service. When they ask for a cookie, I take a little bite and tell them it's tax. Which was going fine until Sarah went to get me a beer and then drank a little bit and said "Tax" to me, which means she's got it!

Tonight, while Gabba was cutting up Ali's lamb chops I took a bit. She asked me what that was all about, so I told her tax. Then she said "But you didn't do anything for the tax". Ha, only 6 years old and already learning the painful truth of the IRD!

Look at that huge smudgy thing on the left of that photo. It's a huge dust bunny on the sensor. I called the camera servicing geek (who sounded like he really couldn't be bothered talking to me on the phone). He said it'll cost me anywhere between $67.50 and $200 to be cleaned and it'll take him a week! "No eftpos and no checks. Cash or Credit Cards only". Why the hell will it take a week to do 10 minutes work. You'd think with the number of digital camera's being sold someone could set up a while you wait service? I wish I had the nads to do it myself. Clean the CCD I mean, not start a while-you-wait cleaning service.