I just skipped a few sessions on pedagogical methods for quantitative literacy so that I could go in the whirlpool instead. I think I made the right choice -- my hips feel a lot better, and I think that I'll now be able to sit through some of the later afternoon sessions. Before, I was in too much pain to stay sitting down for more than ten minutes or so.

When I'm sitting on a dining-type chair that's too high for my feet to be flat on the floor, the most comfortable way for me to sit without putting pressure on my hips or back is half-lotus. Pretty much any other way of sitting on a chair like that will leave me in a lot of pain. However, whenever I do this in public, several people will smile at me and say, "I wish I could sit like that." I smile back and nod, but I don't get it. Why do people want to sit like that? What's so appealing about it?

(If I'm barefoot, then I sit crosslegged, but that doesn't work too well when I've got my ankle brace on, because the brace gets in the way, so it's easier to just put the brace foot on top of the other knee.)

I often sit with one foot on my chair. I'm not sure why, it just feels comfortable. If I've been sitting for a while I switch feet.

Buffista Professors: If you saw a full color large size (8.5 X 11) text that would make a good supplemental (not main) text for a class you taught, would a $22 retail price make you reluctant to assign it? In short is $22 high for a college or university student to pay for supplemental text?

$22? That seems supercheap for a textbook.

Again supplemental, not the main textbook.

Hmm, I would consider the price of the textbook and other required materials for the class. You can also make it optional and put a copy on reserve at the library.

What Vortex said.

Hil, it could be that people are envious of your being limber enough to get into (and, presumably, out of) that position. And you might carry a bag or something large enough to use as a footrest (I understand Senator Mikulski has someone on her staff carry a case that she stands on when she's speaking behind a podium; she's very short.)

Typo, since we just bought my daughter's books for next semester I can tell you what we just paid for supplemental texts: for her Physics class it was $21 (two small packets), Astronomy was $15 (one packet but written by the Prof)and Psych was $20 (one packet). EDTA: Oceanography was $12 for the Lab Manual written by the Prof.