So, I unwrapped an enormous box at work today. Inside was this awesome flight simulation chassis from HotSeat. Looking forward to getting it set up and functional. In the mean time, the following terrible photo will have to suffice. Updates will follow as information is available.

Like most desk workers, I spend a lot of time in my chair. Now I love my standing desk; don't get the wrong idea. I'm just saying, every once and a while, you have to sit down. When I sit, I want to be comfortable. My new chair (throne) affords just such a luxury.

This sucker is ELC approved! Man it's nice.
Official name: Realspace Draycott. I call it butt heaven.

Picked it up by accident actually at Office Depot. It was on clearance, priced at $149 (normally $249), and I couldn't pass it up. I am now sitting in this plush paradise, digitizing a document for use on a webpage. I am so comfortable I thought, "you know, I should brag about this baby in the Work Blog." And wouldn't ya know it, that's just exactly what I did.

If you need a new office chair, proceed immediately to the nearest Office Depot or OfficeDepot.com and order this chair. It is well worth the $249 price tag, no doubt.

Now, about getting Office Depot to throw me some kick back money....

In May, I had the good pleasure of being a part of a great collaboration of the aviation community. It was the Pilot Training Reform Symposium, conducted by SAFE, the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators. Over the course of two days in Atlanta, we covered everything from growing the pilot population to improving the flight instructor corps to updating/overhauling FAA training/testing standards. 

The impact of the symposium was felt immediately as free pilot training syllabi (the lack of which was identified as a serious problem in our current training environment) started flooding to the Internet. HD videos of every panel presentation is now available on Vimeo, and a preliminary report of symposium outcomes and action items is also online. 

So I was there. I went; I saw; I ran my face. What was different than usual you ask? People listened! I went on behalf of Gleim Publications, and I spoke on the need to modernize the FAA knowledge test. You can watch my panel presentation here. Since you obviously care about watching me (laughs), you can fast-forward to about 6:19.

All in all, I think the event was a great success. We'll have to wait and see what renders long term. I think our personal company interests were furthered, and no one booed me offstage. We're gonna put that in the "win" column. In the iconic words of Hannibal from A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together." 

As one who considers himself a content aficionado, I love delving into what makes the content-centered mind tick. As part of my daily exploration of all that is Twitterdom, I stumbled across a great infographic on that very topic. Now, you must know, infographics make me happy. Being a predominately visual person, infographics convey a message in a way my brain likes. I love the open, user-guided access to information.  But I digress...

Richard Ingram (www.richardingram.co.uk) has a great blog on content strategy and the critical role it plays in, not just getting the message across, but getting the intended message across to your audience. He did a great infographic on the content strategists' skill set - what is it, who has what, and where are the havers. Kudos Richard on great work. Please keep it up!

Ok, so apparently it's a little cliche at the moment to be rocking the standing desk. People like to make fun. It's like grade school, and you're ugly, and you smell bad, and you are crap at sports. 

I had a standing desk put in at the office. It is awesome. "How awesome?" you ask. Well, if you were here I would show you.

I used a standard 2'x4' folding table with 42" PVC pipe leg extenders. A very simple application, but very effective. I use a standard desk also; research on the subject suggests that you shouldn't sit or stand solely. My approach is to spend two hours at each desk in turn.

So far, I have noticed a dramatic decrease in back/neck pain at the end of the day. I've also noticed increased focus and motivation. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I enjoy the change of pace throughout the day. It actually breaks up the work day and provides a chance to reset.

Standing desk = highly recommended. More info will follow as it becomes available.

Work smart, work safe, and have fun!
-ELC