300

Please read this very interesting and well-written post by Anastasia, my Hellenitha sister-blogger from Australia on 300 the Frank Miller adaptation film. My comments follow her post.

Personally, I loved this movie. Here are my comments that I posted on her blog Chaos Noir.

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Anastasia καλημέρα,

I feel absolutely complete on this subject after reading your post. You said everything that I have been feeling about negative reviews of '300' yet you said it better than I would have.

I feel as you do about the cinematography, the historical context, the artistic interpretation, and I share with you my own utter dismay with the reviewer "Cervo."

I enjoyed the film. I found it to be emotionally charged, visually beautiful (even as their blood splattered and heads rolled), sensual and riveting.

I grew up being told stories about the history of each of the Greek city/states and also of the Spartans by my father (from Corfu) who spoke both about their fierceness and as he stressed, the equality of their women. I have read histories about Thermopylae and have always viewed the Spartans with some romantic idealism -- not as a society where I would want to grow up (I am certain I am too soft for that) but dreaming that I may carry some of that hot blood. My husband believes that I do!

Thank you for your insightful and very well written post.

Corinna Makris
www.acelebrationofcurves.com

The Shrinking Size of Airline Seats

I respond to a comment to yesterday's post:

jumpinglegacy said...

I just HAD to comment on this. I'm registered for a retreat in california this August, and haven't made flight arrangements because I'm in a huge predicament- I'm on a limited budget, and have hips that will not, no matter how hard we all try, fit into one of those frickin' tiny seats that are child-sized. Not even average-person sized. The last thing I want to do is be shoved in to one of those damned seats for that period of time, imposing upon my neighbour's space because I don't have enough of my own. Sitting in my office chair and looking down, I need at least 20 inches for my hips to be comfortable.
I am angry with rage at airlines who's main goal is to shove as many people in as small a cabin as possible. How am I going to get my plus sized hips to the retreat without going broke?

Dear jumpinlegacy:

I can totally relate to your concern. I do have some tips for you.

1) American Airlines seems to have the widest seats on their domestic economy flights with the deepest pitch. Pitch is the distance between the rows. Check Seat Guru for specifics.

2) Ask for the exit row. You will find the most room between the rows in the exit row, which means more leg room, which means more comfort.

3) The last time I flew I had a window seat and faked a cold. It's true, I did. I coughed and sputtered and blew my nose when someone sat in the middle seat. I apologized and then muttered something about infectious bronchitis. The woman stood up and asked the flight attendant for another seat. I lifted the armrest between our two seats and had a very comfortable flight.

4) Of course, the trick to having an empty seat next to you depends on the flight not being sold out. Before you book your flight call the airline and ask customer service for a recommendation on what flight may have a few empty seats.

5) Visit This Lush Life my size positive online mall. Click on the category called "Tickle" and use the up/down arrow to scroll through many discount travel sites. These sites all over similar itineraries for different prices. Comparison shop for your flights.

6) Be happy! Think about how much fun you will have on your trip. Stress an rage will make you miserable. Be happy just because it feels good. Have fun just to have fun. It's reason enough.

Let us know if any of this helped you have a more comfortable trip and thank you again for your thought provoking post.

Squeeze Me

Dear Reader,

Just as I was getting ready to write a rant about the shrinking size of airline seats, Glen Johnson over at Full Figure Plus posted his own just yesterday. Rather than re-invent the wheel I strongly recommend you read his thought-provoking post.

However, since I am trying to have more opinions (eh-hem) I do have a few things I want to add.

Glen mentions the shrinking size of airline seats on discount carriers. I agree whole-heartedly with him that the discount carriers have smaller seats and I want to add that they are not the only ones squeezing their passengers. I have not written any airline companies to ask them their standard seat pitch, width and depth nor asked them to comment on this issue (I'm a blogger not an investigative reporter) but I have made extensive use of Seat Guru and also, using my own patented method, which I call "TushyMetrics" I can tell you that it isn't only discount carriers that ask me to squeeze my derriere into an unreasonably narrow seat.

Years ago Virgin Airlines was the cool airline. They were known for having a fun flight crew, fun freebies and comfortable seats. The last time I flew Virgin the airline staff was far from fun (they were absolutely snotty and I felt as though my being on the plane was an imposition to their having a quiet flight) and since comfort is now a thing of the past with international economy seats at 17.5", it was no fun for me as a passenger. The computer keyboard I am using to write this is about 18" wide and my legs feel numb just thinking about those narrow seats.

If Richard Branson called me and asked me to please reconsider flying his airline I would first send him a detailed account of how unpleasant my last flight was (two flight attendants actually stood at the front of the cabin loudly complaining that there were too many people on the flight and discussed a detailed plan to ignore us...which they did!) and then I would tell him to widen those seats baby because these hips of mine aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe he's lost a few brain cells spending too much time up in the thin atmosphere riding around in his hot air balloon? Who knows what will happen to the width of the seats when he goes into orbit?

Mr. Branson, I offer Virgin Airlines full and complete use of "TushyMetrics." Just drop me a line and I will gladly provide you with full measurements or even a plaster cast if you prefer, for your use in designing more comfortable, passenger friendly seats. Until then, American Airlines with a seat width of 18.5" is looking really good.

Celebrating a Life of Curves

When I celebrate curves it means more to me than being a plus size woman. I also celebrate the curves that life throws in my direction. I've been thinking about my life in terms of plans made and actual accomplishments. While I haven't always done the things that I set out to do I am often surprised and amazed by what has actually happened.

I am happy with my life and the things that I have done. I'm proud that I set-out to see the world and I have done quite a lot of traveling. I am proud of this website and the community that we are building. Often I think that where I am now is so much better than anything I imagined even though it’s very different than where I thought I was going.

You may have noticed that in the right-hand column I have a link to the website for the movie The Secret. As I was watching it for the first time about a year ago I thought to myself several times how much I agreed with what the teachers were saying and that their viewpoints were very much my own but that I had never bothered to articulate my personal life philosophy, mostly because it seems such a horrific, self-aggrandizing, snooty thing to do….god forbid I should be caught articulating my “personal life philosophy.” And yet….the more my husband and I watch the movie The Secret the more we are changing the ways that we think about what we want and how to go about getting there.

Last night we were talking about money, or more accurately Jim starting talking about our monthly expenses, our credit card debt, our mortgages and variable interest rates and….this is about the time when I fade out and stop hearing anything that Jim is saying. I just wander out of the room muttering something about “needing a snack” leaving him in mid-sentence feeling abandoned and left to handle our money on his own. This can often turn into an ugly fight.

But last night I hung in there. I didn’t bail. I didn’t fade out (well not for more than a minute or two). I praised Jim for taking great care of us and keeping track of our finances. And you know what? He smiled, said thanks, and then changed the subject. All this time and he just wanted to know that I appreciated him. I was amazed. I thought that he really needed me to understand variable interest rates and all he wanted was to let me know that he understood variable interest rates.

You just never know where you’ll end up.

Four years ago I believed that I would never be married because I was firmly opposed to having a license for your relationship. Honestly, it still seems a barbaric practice to me but here I am a married woman and I can’t imagine not being married to this wonderful man.

Four years ago I thought that I would never speak to my father again, the rift between us too wide to overcome and yet, not long after I met Jim (three years nine months one week and three days but who’s counting?) my father had a stroke and we moved him into our little house.

I never thought I would stop working and stay at home, but I spent a year being my father’s caretaker and it was the sweetest time of my life.

When I was a teenager I was determined to be a full-time actress, but over time I realized that my true passion is writing fiction and so my mind’s stage is where I now spend my most creative time.

Ten years ago I thought I would never move out of New York City and now I love our little lake house so much that I would never give up growing tomatoes for any excitement that can be found in the City.

I celebrate every curve that life has to offer and I am really enjoying the ride!

Corinna Makris
“Live the Life you Love and Love the Life you Live.”