alexist

At the station this morning, I overheard someone telling a woman to go to Oxford Circus by changing at TCR. Naturally, I said "Why do that, take a Bank train to Euston; the Victoria line is across the platform." Then I realized it was a TfL employee. ;-) She gave me a bit of a Look and said "well the next Bank train isn't for 10 minutes." Me (Mouthy): "Yes, but the next Charing Cross train isn't for 9!" Second dirty look. I shrugged and put on my headphones. Postscript: The board then changed to say "Morden via Bank 4", then the Charing Cross train changed to "Morden via Bank". I hope the woman heard my route. ;-)

(I'm not a complete tube know it all, but this one I do know, and the route I gave is easier and faster. It's a quicker change, and instead of going 3 stops from Euston and then 1 from TCR, it's 2 stops from Euston. Plus, from Woodside Park about 2/3 of the trains are Bank.)

Did various errands, got lamb from a real butcher for dinner. Asked about skirt steak as I've never seen it here and was told that almost all of it gets sent to the processor. Meh! Same with short rib. (Skirt - cut near the diaphragm, makes a good steak if you cook it rare--it's inedibly tough if overcooked. If you're in France you might see it; it's called hampe I think. Onglet or hanger steak is good too. Short ribs are the ends of the ribs, either from the chuck or the plate, cut in chunks for stewing. They're fatty, but full of collagen so when they're braised, the sauce is deliciously rich and sticky. And you get the bones. Mmm.)

Just hoovered the flat, will now go have a short nap before Neil gets home.

Braving Oxford Street tomorrow... worse, H&M!!!! And it's not even for me, it's for my sister. (No, she didn't ask but I think it would be a good present in return for the boots.)

Hmm! According to today's Standard, they've cut it for the BBC (it doesn't say why) and the director, Michael Apted, says it's been "dumbed down".

Neil says "first time ever that the dumbing-down is this way around!"

Dennis Dillon has lost re-election for District Attorney! (Pro-life Republican who's been Nassau County DA for over 30 years. We're in the most liberal state in the country, and we had a DA who wouldn't prosecute people who hassle women going into abortion clinics.) And Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, has been re-elected as county executive. I bet Nassau County GOP leaders are sitting around the K of C and wishing for the good old days when they had the best machine in the country. Oh, the leader of the PBA (Patrolman's Benevolent Association) will be there too: Suozzi insists on actual contract negotiations, instead of the PBA simply making up figures (probably at the K of C, the night before). Highest paid cops in the country, baby!

Of course, it's not totally dead yet--Kate Murray has been re-elected as Hempstead town supervisor. The day Hempstead elects a Democrat, now THEN the machine will be dead. Mind you, I suppose a non-Italian and a woman is progress by Nassau GOP standards.

Growing up, I never entirely understood Long Island politics. The corruption was so blatant, you always knew it was there. People took a perverse pride in it (witness Senator Alfonse D'Amato, aka "Senator Pothole".) Nowadays there seems to be an actual sense of embarrassment. Maybe someone realized how much of our ridiculous taxes were getting creamed off by the Mafia...

(And no, the Italian/Catholic/Mob jokes are not offensive stereotypes, they are reality. Sadly.)