Sunday, May. 28, 2017 - 21:00

You know how sometimes you're struggling to find the motivation to go out and do something, and you don't, and you regret it? You know how most of the time when you make the effort, you enjoy yourself? This morning wasn't that - I procrastinated a while before packing a sketchbook, novel and two cereal bars (but no drink - silly bastard) in a bag and going for a walk along the river a different direction to usual. Too many people walking dogs, too much dog poo and associated flies. Too little wind, too few places to sit and stop, too little to look at. It was a walk between river and fields on a dry tussocky grass or between three foot tall nettles and fences, no sun but no breeze so very muggy. Regretful, even though I got some exercise.

England's U20 football team are in Korea playing in the U20 World Cup - after group wins over Argentina and the hosts (and a draw against Guinea) they topped their pool and will play Costa Rica in midweek in the second phase. I watched a bit of tennis this afternoon, The French Open starting today - World #1 Angelique Kerber falling in the first round to Elena Makarova. No, hang on, Elena Makarova is five years older than I am, and retired from playing tennis (er.. like I am). Kerber fell to Ekaterina Makarova - Russian, 28, former WTA #8, twice a Grand Slam singles semi-finalist, three times a Grand Slam doubles winner and Olympic doubles gold medallist in Rio. Not an easy opponant in any sense.

This afternoon I watched the Monaco Grand Prix (not as uninteresting as some of the F1 I have seen, but nevertheless somewhat dull as a procession with no overtaking as it is). I read a while, I called my mother (ultimately mutually pretty unsatisfying, neither of us having much to say, her taking everything personally) and.. um.. not great. I'm perhaps a bit scratchy, but that doesn't mean other people aren't to blame for being dicks.

Finished 'The Bell Jar', and it's a bit of a complex sort of thing to try and put in one paragraph, my thoughts, but suffice to say I did quite enjoy it and found it pretty damned thought-provoking and witty, despite it also being confusing with respect to what's feminist comment and what's just a woman having a breakdown. I used the microwave to make my dinner, just in case.

Happy birthday to Carey Mulligan. I really should watch 'An Education', the DVD is sat by my telly. I didn't know she was married to Marcus Mumford, with whom she has a daughter, not a son. That said, Mulligan had to have an appendectomy in 2007, so.. I guess we're even.

Landed gentry is a largely historical British social class consisting of land owners who could live entirely from rental income. It was distinct from, and socially "below", the aristocracy or peerage, although in fact some of the landed gentry were as wealthy as some peers. They often worked as administrators of their own lands, while others became public, political and armed forces figures. The decline of this privileged class largely stemmed from the 1870s agricultural depression.

The League Two play-off ended Blackpool 2-1 Exeter City. I thought Blackpool were sinking fast like Pompey did a few years ago, but they sneaked into the play-offs. The odd goal in three enough to re-promote the lads in tangerine from whence they came this time last year. Not that the club is in healthy nick, as far as I know. Innit?

In 2012, ShiftyLook announced the release of an animated retelling of the series, which places Mappy as a security cop for Goro's company NYAMCO. The show premiered in the summer of 2013 and ran for 13 episodes.

No, I severely doubt anything of any consequence is going to happen in the next three hours, so I may as well post this and go and do something else.