Those two measures seem at least like they are objective, and relate to the seat working as designed. Of course, Kevin Smith says neither is an issue for him.

Touching me

Lower body, or upper?

I'm not criticizing you, I'm just trying to figure out what the difference is that makes airlines able to deem lower-body spread bad but upper-body spread okay. Not to mention people reclining their seats back as far as possible as soon as they're allowed to do so -- that, too, is an enormous encroachment on someone else's space. Why is lower-body x-axis space singled out, over upper-body x-axis space or z-axis I-will-recline-my-seat-all-the-way-back-because-I-PAID-for-this-seat space?

I really wish people wouldn't actually use the armrests, because that does lead to touching, regardless of anyone's size. I would way rather just have a solid barrier between me and the other person.

Maybe because you CAN move your upper body away from a seatmate somewhat by leaning or twisting, but you can't move your lower body. I find both of them annoying as hell--I love my husband, but he has really broad shoulders and sitting next to him on flights is not the comfiest thing int he world.

Lower body, or upper?

I don't want to have to touch a stranger for extended periods of time, upper body or lower.

I can usually work out a way around that with the armrests, but I'm willing to cede those as shared space. But they gotta be down--if they're up, it's because the other person wanted the space, NSM that we're sharing anymore.

Hey, look, nobody could accuse me of being beefy, not even in a good in-shape way...and airline seats are too small for me, these days. I can't avoid touching the other person next to me and I'm neither overweight nor Schwarzeneggerian.

Fuck Southwest Airlines...hell, fuck any airline with that policy. It's horseshit on any level, no matter where you're "broader than the norm."

I've sat next to thin men , that sit with a 'wide stance'.

DH and I are the same height. Both of us have broad shoulders. In most air plane seats we are shoulder to shoulder. Jet Blue was the worst for that. with the arm rest up we have more 'wiggle room'.

-t, hopefully you'll see this. I'm evaluating an Android phone, and I was wondering what apps your husband would recommend. I've already grabbed the Pandora app, and the Astro File Manager. What else is good?

He recommends Places Directory, Tricorder (useless, but he likes it), imeem mobile, Moto Torch LED (flashlight app), Keeper (password safe), NetCounter (great if you have data restrictions), Scan2PDF Mobile, WiFi Analyzer, Movies (though that just crashed his phone, so maybe not), RingDroid and Checkbook.

V-Day hype is really bugging me this year. Maybe it's because I'm laid-up and watch too much TV, or maybe it's the economy. But we're celebrating today with Indian champagne buffet, woo-hoo!

I'm not making a big deal of Valentine's day, but I AM making brioche dough so I can bring a homemade King Cake into work on Tuesday.

The dough has to rise in the fridge overnight, with the actual baking taking place tomorrow.