A trip to the tip

After pruning our roses and transplanting 42 broadbean plants around the rose stumps, we decided to remove a huge 'hedge' of what is called Moses in the Cradle (Rhoeo). It looks very much like another troublesome plant we have in our rear garden named Wandering Jew (Tradescentia). Another bit of anti-semitism?

The trailer was pretty well loaded and I went to the tip (landfill site). As I was unloading the Moses in the Cradle a truck backed in beside me and a bloke who was a landscape gardener told me that I was throwing away thousands of dollars. 'Put each bit of root in a pot and when it shoots it will sell for $2 each at a swapmeet. People love it'. Bugger!
Maybe we will look out for remnant sprouting and our son can make a few bucks. It seem that it is of value. See here.

We have been having problems with Channel 9 reception on digital HD TV. All the other channels are fine, but even when I revert to factory settings, the set-top box won't find 9. At the place where I bought the TV and set top box, there is an ex student of mine and he told me to bring the box in to use their antenna to grab Channel 9. It couldn't find 9, so he talked to the TEAC agent and was told that Channel 9 have changed their settings and a software upgrade is necessary to once again get Channel 9. I have to take the box to the other side of the city in about a week. I would have thought that Channel 9 could have told viewers about the impending problem.

ABC Television has just started iView, which allows people with a good Broadband connection to download TV programs; even stuff you missed seeing a few weeks ago. Once again we are losers who are unable to get a fast BB connection because of a phone wire system called 'Twin Pair Gain' and also because we are beyond a RIM, which is a sort of sub-station for phone lines at a distance over about four kilometres from an exchange. Telstra who owns the lines is not about to change anything for me. Bugger again!