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Learned a new Form this week, and I'm happy to say that aside from a bit of trickiness with the pivoting after the high blocks, I've got it pretty much down.  Aurey told me that he was proud of my progress thus far, and for some reason that just makes taking lessons that much sweeter (and I already thought they were great before this).  I've never really cared whether anyone's been proud of me before, but it really means something to me that he is.  This way lies vulnerability, but I trust him not to do anything dastardly with that information. ;-P  He was also proud of me for having the stomach to give him the new piercings he wanted even though I'd never done anything like that before. (He has three new earrings, now, and looks very badass I might add.) 

I've also started writing a post-apocalyptic fantasy.  I'm typing it out in installments (after I get the jist of it down in longhand, being as notebooks are more portable than computers) in a journal entitled 

subtle_nation if anyone's interested in reading/beta-ing/bugging me so that I finish the damn thing. (*eeps, has second thoughts, changes mind several times, then leaves the incriminating link there... takes deep breath*  So yeah, readers, commentors, advisors (publishers) welcome... Yeah.... :-S *hides under rock*)

 

On the 300...

Just got back from it.  Dad was curious about it, and, being as I was also curious, enjoy spending time with my father, and didn't want him to go alone, I went.

It was better than I anticipated, actually.  Lovely visuals, well-acted, lots of epic battles and epic speeches.  It does it's job in tempting one to just turn off their mind and enjoy the movie.  Being as I wanted to see whether the rumours I have heard about the film's bad points were true, I resisted, of course. ;-P  

So, in answer to another review I have read (friendlocked, so I'll assume the poster would rather be unnamed) I did not find the Phoenecian king to quite be portrayed as a transvestite.  Decadent as hell and with a limp wrist that'd do the most ragingly flaming Queen proud, I'll give you without hesitation.  Transvestite, though, I'll just say it's not quite To Wong Foo. :-|  I do agree, however, that it has a decidedly homophobic feel in there, which anyone with half a brain knows is wrong both historically and morally.  (From what I've been told, the only historical reason the Spartans had to look down on the Atheneans for being "boy lovers" would be because the Spartans preferred full-grown men.  Another source says they were just as much boy lovers... either way rather inaccurate portrayal of them, in the movie, there...)

As for whether it is Right Wing propaganda or not, that depends on whether you assume the Spartans to be Arab or American.  From what I saw, it could also be interpreted as far Left where America = decadent invaders whose gold-dripping leader thinks he's God.  

Whichever side you choose to view it from, there are parts of the film where one wonders whether they're in fact watching a version of Lord of the Rings designed by Hellraiser and performed by Chip'n'Dale dancers.  Also either way, this film glorifies a totalitarian and militaristic culture that kills babies that don't meet standard (had a momentary struggle there.  I wondered whether it was hypocritical to condemn that if I'm pro-choice, but then it occurred to me that it was neither by the mother's choice nor was it for any  reason other than that they wanted fit soldiers to send off to war, .  So yes, condemning that.)  and looked down on philosophers and artisans.

From what I've read, the best thing about the Spartans was that women were given more rights than anywhere else in Greece, and sexual freedom was considered normal. (Which makes the politican trying to shame the queen in the movie over adultery quite inaccurate too, being as I've read their culture was perfectly fine with a woman having extramarital relations with either men or women.)  That's about it.