Brent vs The March

1) Pick 12 things of social importance that I've had limited exposure to, but decided I didn't like and immerse myself in each of them for 1 month.


Harry Potter - This Harry Potter thing is out of control.  I know several people that are way into it, including my wife.  Before jumping into it, I just thought it was kind of stupid.  I don't believe in teaching children they have power.  It makes them insolent.

Maybe it was the timing of the initial Harry Potter movie with "Spy Kids" and a few other movies at the time, where children were the heroes and the villians were usually adults that made me dismiss it entirely in the first place.  I just don't like that setup.  There's enough disrespect in the world, and children should be taught that they can't win against us (no matter how evil we are) until they've grown up and moved out.  I say this even before I have children of my own, so just imagine the iron fist I'll be laying down when I do.

Anyway, I didn't really devote as much time to the immersion as I should have this month, so I guess I have some remainder homework to attend to.  I've only read and watched the first book and movie, and read half of the second book.  It's not that I was fighting it or anything, it just didn't happen (partially because of how much of a slow, deliberate reader I am).  So I'm going to withhold any solid verdict until I've progressed further. 

One thing I can say at this point is I wonder how this became such a big thing.  I'm kind of indifferent to this whole business at this point.  Then again, I'm not really a "Fantasy" guy (shocked?), nor am I even really a fiction reader.  The natural thing to compare it to is the Lord of the Rings, and so far, while it hasn't had the distinctly great moments of LOTR, it hasn't had the tediousness of it either.  Even Tolkien fans have to admit you get sick of the breaks in action and reading mulitiple inane Hobbit songs along the way.  It makes the LOTR series almost an endurance trial at times.  However, even that comparison is suspect, given the true differences in the two series.

That being said, I still wonder how Harry Potter's become the institution that it is, but perhaps I'll find out if I just stick to it.  To my knowledge reading hasn't hurt anyone yet, so I'll stick to it until I fall on one side of the fence, or the other.  The only thing this means is that I probably shouldn't take on any more reading challenges for a while that may interfere with the process, or wander into any place where there are history, economic, or political books staring back at me. 


2) Learn 12 new recipes (1/month).

Does learning how to bread and deep fry bell peppers count? 

Seriously good

I also made this salsa chicken thing that was incredibly simple and delicious

Sure, my presentation leaves much to be desired, but it's delicious

3) Do 12 home improvements (1/month).

I didn't get anything done with this last month.  I finished fixing up the dishwasher, and ended up trading out a pump seal on it when all was said and done, but as far as new projects for March, I did not find the time or the money.  It's not like I sat idly by doing nothing rotting in a chair somewhere, but working on the house just did not come to be.  So I will have to push the remainder onto another month.  I'm looking at you, current month...

4) Try 12 new restaurants (1/month).

This one was actually met and exceeded with me trying out Loco and Red Smoke down in Detroit, and two (sort of) mexican places up here (Fajitas, Señor Lucky's).  Fitting I only overachieve at food....

and...


Martian Half Marathon is looming.  I've put a lot more miles and work into this one than the last one.  I expect the results to match, even if I haven't exactly been tearing it up out there.  But...you know..."we talkin' 'bout practice..."