It only took 5 years. None of the commercial offerings were appealing.

It takes a minimum of desk space in front of the reading material.
A simple clamp makes up for the lack of a base.
The base has a hole for tripod mounting.
Different dowels can be attached to the base for stereo & portable applications.
A 10-24 bolt attaches it to a dowel.
A 10-24 wing nut allows adjustment.
To adjust the height, drill another hole or tilt it.
An air filter taped to the shock mount is an effective pop filter.
The shock mount has proven effective at removing typing noise, but noise still gets in from bumping the cable.

The nearest alternative was this $12 deal:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Musicians-Gear/Low-Profile-Die-Cast-Mic-Stand.gc

It would need more space & still not have a pop filter.