Lots of Stuff

1. Today, 12/3/2014, is Ozzy Osbourne's birthday. The man is known for "Crazy Train" and "Paranoid" and several more, but, to me, this is the song I hum today:
   
2. Christmas time is fast approaching so the atheists of the world have paid to have this billboard put up: "Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is to skip church. I'm too old for fairy tales." Yes, really. Read about it here.
3. The Iowa Hawkeyes play at North Carolina tonight as part of the Big 10 / ACC challenge. This article points out these two teams last met in North Carolina way back in 1989. I was a freshman in college at Mount Mercy.
4. I occasionally get "matches" for my skills as a technical writer with open positions. In fact, one came today, which I have pasted below. No, I'm not even remotely qualified to write a user guide for a pilot to use, but it came as a position matching my qualifications.
   
   • Sr Technical Writer 1
     Superior Group Cedar Rapids, IA
     Job Description
     Superior Group is looking for a Sr Technical Writer 1 for our Client located in Cedar Rapids, IA
   • Research and develop understanding of system, sub-system operation.
   • Work pro-actively with engineering and customer to procure and understand source data.
   • Develop and implement creative work processes and innovative work methods to maximize electronic technical data reuse and authoring efficiency.
   • Understand and perform to project-specific writing specifications.
   • Revise/provide mark-up system-related level technical data such as sub-system.
   • Revise/provide mark-up illustrations such as block diagrams, avionics displays, and equipment location to accompany technical data.
   • Be accountable for timely, accurate, and thorough project communication.
   • Discern emergent work and cost modifications occurring which are outside the negotiated project scope.
   • Must be able to represent the project team at conferences, in-process reviews, training, and pubs validations/verifications, as required.
   • Be accountable for the cost, quality, and timely delivery of all work assignments.
   • Must be able to provide work leadership for lower level employees with minimal supervision.
   • Must be able to negotiate change management associated with fluid concurrent development.
   • Must be able to interact directly with customers in a representative manner providing an overall understanding in a user/operator perspective.
   • Working knowledge of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) systems and integration on a Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI).
   • Experience using or designing aircraft avionics equipment and systems.
   • Must be able to extract and comprehend system operation from typical engineering documentation (software specifications, bus data dictionaries, hardware interface specifications, and equipment specifications).
   • Strong attention to detail and personal organization.
   • High literacy in structured authoring (SGML, XML) environment (bookplan structure; ATA task numbering; typical DTDs/schema, elements and attributes).
   • High interpersonal communication skills.
   • Must be able to present material effectively to customers.
   • Subject Matter Expert knowledge of some avionics product(s) or product line(s).
   • Proven professional attitude toward work assignments, toward customer relationships, and toward company/department Lean goals and vision.
   • Must be able and willing to accept responsibility and perform with minimal supervision.
   • Be a pro-active team player who thinks ahead, plans, and suggests solutions.
   • Have positive attitude toward change and inevitable mid-project course corrections.
   • Job Requirements - Required Skills / Qualifications:
   • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in production and using Pilot’s guides and manuals in the instruction and use of CNS and PVI architecture in both paper and electronic format.
   • Preferred Skills / Qualifications:
   • Experience producing electronic technical data in Word, Arbortext Editor, or Framemaker.
     
   • Proficient in Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
     
   • Knowledge of Industry Writing Specification -ATA (Air Transport Association) and S1000D
     
   • Subject Matter Expert knowledge of some client product(s) or product line(s).
     
   • Simplified Technical English (ASD/AECMA version) writing experience
   • Go Beyond. www.superiorjobs.com.
     EEO Employer – Minorities / Females / Disabled / Veterans.
     Required Education: High School or GED
     Date Needed: Immediately
     Date Posted on Web: 10/29/2014
     Work Shift: N/A
     Positions Requested: 2
     Contact Name: Cameron Beer
     Contact Phone: 9999999999
     Contact Email: beerc (at) superiorgroup dot com
5. There will be no link to an article on Loudwire.com with this headline:
   "Metal Bassist Suffers Ruptured Testicle Onstage"
   Reading the headline makes me cringe.
6. This was passed along on Facebook and it's too good to not include here. It's a job ad for a Senior Editor, Reading-language Arts at Curriculum Associates Incorporated. It's in North Billerica, MA, so of course, I'm not interested. In the Skills and Qualifications section, it asks for "46 years of experience writing and editing Reading materials at K8." Got tpyo?