After 11 days of falling, today the Australian share market dropped almost 8%. The biggest continuous drop since the big 1980's crash (when the share market dropped 25% in one day, to put things in perspective).

I've never been into shares... I looked into it once a while back but decided it was much too hard. I'm particularly allergic to dealing with the complication of capital gains tax.

I do however have superannuation, as do most working Australians. A percentage of that super is in Australian shares (I presume), and as a result I suspect the value of my super has dropped significantly in the past few days. But, as I have no indention of cashing in that super for at least another 20 or so years, even that doesn't bother me all that much.

I couldn't even tell you how much super I have.

It makes you think though... like how it would have been nice to have been putting 9% of my salary into my mortgage instead of into a managed trust I barely understand.

Sure, the property market could just have easily crashed (and may still do that), but at least you end up with a roof over your head at the end of it, even if that roof isn't worth anything.

I also have some money in a managed trust. It's my new car money, or my emergency money. It's hard to get to, and I've always been of the opinion that it isn't worth anything until I sell it, and I have no idea how much money that would be anyway as I don't know how much would be taken in tax. I guess that fund is worth a lot less now. I tend to ignore it...

I've never subscribed to the idea of permanent growth. Inflation isn't a concept I've ever fully agreed with. I do subscribe to the idea that the market is a beast that should be looked at over years, not days. Perhaps even decades. This is bad year. A year of zero growth.

To me... zero growth isn't terrible. It just is. Try again next year.

Zero growth isn't carnage.

However, you can't help but feel for those that were banking on the value of their shares or superannuation to retire soon. Or someone who may have just yesterday decided to get into the share market.

If the "crash" is anything like the last one, the market should go up tomorrow.

We'll see.

Hey, maybe this will mean the interest rate won't go up?

Ha!

Further on my reviews, saved from emails...

My smiley ratings in my art listings are... interesting. I often change my mind later but I keep it anyway. For instance, I no longer think much of the Machine Head album but loved it on the first listen. Today I find it a bit long and meandering.

I'll do a "2007 in music" post soon... I hope.

This year, I think I've managed to prove to myself:

• I'm easily impressed by animated TV aimed at adults
• Difficult to impress when it comes to music but reasonably happy with anything heavy guitar based
• Randomly impressed by movies, but usually not
• I really like Greg Egan, and I don't read enough books

Just as interesting is what I hated. I lean more toward than . I usually find something to like, particularly in music, but sometimes it just pissed me off and I go for . Especially if it's supposed to be great but I found it really dull (like the White Stripes or The Who's "Tommy" or Rocky Horror Picture Show).

The vagueness described above has a lot to do with why I chose smileys for my reviews. They're an emotional response, not necessarily a qualified indication of how good or bad something is.