Oh! If only I'd paid more attention to Sam Wollaston!

This article on pop culture resolutions came out months ago and I still think about it most weeks. Some of them are OK (a couple of guys talking about finishing their novels), one is superb (getting back into tabletop RPGs) but generally they're bonkers. Reading Salman Rushdie! Watching Deadwood! Seeing more new films! Seeing more old films!

Christ, as if there aren't enough things to worry about we're turning fun into to-dos. You see it all over - "Your Next Boxset". My next one? "Have you seen ___ yet?" Yet! 

Not saying these things aren't good, most of them are, but there's an insidious sense of cultural obligation here, fostered by the Media-DVD Boxset complex (who need to make profits); you will not be a proper person unless you watch True Detective (or whatever).

It's worth remembering that if you never watched anything else on TV, or ever read another book, you'd be just fine. There is not a gap which can be incrementally filled with culture units.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT TV IS RUBBISH. Just saying you can swap in having a chat, popping out or playing gin rummy. These are all perfectly acceptable substitutes for culture, they just have smaller marketing budgets than HBO.

It's a cliche that no one is ever on their deathbed wishing they'd spent more time in the office. I'm sure it's the same for consuming "stuff". 

I wish I'd spent more time watching television.
I wish I'd spent more time checking twitter. 

This video is good. Don't be put off by it being from Sam Harris, it's not too scolding. It doesn't suggest people shouldn't have any fun. 

It is always now. You won't live forever. Don't spend any more time reading this half-arsed blog - start your own half-arsed blog!