Paper Self-Assessment Tax forms.

I'll admit it, I'm a tax procrastinator: I love the adrenalin rush of the deadline approaching and suddenly realising that I've not put all the relevant documents in the same safe place and the panic of trying to find the one last sheet (and this year finding that my bank had never actually sent it out in the first place).  A couple of years back I'd filed before even the September deadline, and we came to this time of year and felt really cheated that I hadn't left myself the excitement.

The filling of the forms is the other reason I procrastinate. Those huge bundles of pages, most of which I'd not be using, made the whole process seem much more complicated than it actually was, but there were little pitfalls which could catch you unawares. The online forms are, if not a joy, a doddle by comparison, and there's the belt-and-braces safety net of knowing that things are checked as you go, making major mistakes unlikely: so easy that it's a veritable anticlimax after all the panic. It's all done for this year now, over a week ahead of time.

Things are going to seem empty for the next few days.... 

I've still got one.

I am not giving up my Olympus OM1 for anything just yet!  I have bought a Pentax digital, but it's not as good, and worst of all..  while the Olympus would have the shot "in the bag", the digital is still "thinking about it".

This is all very well if you can ergonomically relate to a phone as a camera-I tried to operate one of these things before alcohol the other day and the image reeled around in an highly intoxicated manner.
The problem is that everything is getting smaller-some things profitably could, but a camera is a stromentum it seems to me, something to palpably grapple with to get a sense of productivity.

Luckily (or unluckily, depending on your point of view) people here can't afford the mad rush to digital, so odd and unusual photo-batteries can still be hunted-down in specialist camera stores.  Russia's an example of how goods can be put-out at prices people can afford if the manufacturer sees that he can't get a higher price....  genuine Kodak 35mm film 200 ASA/36-exps goes for 64 roubles a roll here... which is, errr, about £1.40? Fuji and Agfa about the same.  My local fotolab will do a contact-sheet for £1.20, but just £3 for a cd-rom of a 36-roll scanned to 600dpi.  I agree that it's not so convenient as the preview screen of a digital camera, but if you're not a complete klutz with taking the pics in the first place, it's not too disastrous    And I still use my "Lubitel" 120-format camera for fun sometimes too...  you can still get the film for it here, 75p per roll

I got mine in a junk-shop in Vladivostok - it has the original packaging and case with it, and a leaflet in which Yuri Gagarin tells you how to get the best out of your new camera   Takes super pics, if you can be arsed with all the setting up... and it really needs to go on a tripod unless your hands are as ultra-steady as Yuri Gagarin's

Does the leaflet say:

Lubitel 166-Universal is an up-to-date and simple in operation camera intended for the widest range of photo amateurs. The camera incorporates a coated lens, two viewfinders, diaphragm shutter with wide range of speeds, self timer and flash synchronizer. It assures precise focusing, operation with two picture sizes - 6 * 6 and 4.5 * 6cm, daylight reloading and exterior shooting on tripod and hand-held shooting.

It is enough to raise a little the reflex viewfinder cover to see deep between the light protective hoods a large and for any illumination distinct clear image according to which it is easy to fit frame limits when the object is already found or to find a new scene.

Image focusing is performed by slight rotation of a lens knurled mount.

Scales of distances, diaphragms and exposures and all the control units are located to assure speed and convenient operation.

Frame counting is performed through the window according to values on light protective paper of the film.

Due to reflex viewfinder it is possible to take pictures at high level holding the camera over the head as well as turning it horizontally at the right angle.

Viewfinder lens has f/2.8, i.e. considerably higher than the photographic lens and thus the higher sensitivity to focusing.

For taking pictures at eye level the frame viewfinder is used that is more convenient when there is experience in estimating distances by eye and in correct focusing according to distance scale.

It is daylight loaded camera. For convenience the back is hinged.

The camera is rated for work in the temperature range from minus 15 to +45° C without direct effect of solar radiation and atmospheric precipitation.