Cobalt Credit Union is headquartered in Council Bluffs and is the 5th largest credit union in the state of Iowa. It is also the 316th largest credit union in the nation. It was established in 1946 and as of September of 2018, it had grown to 238 employees and 109,700 members at 31 locations. Cobalt Credit Union has a B+ health rating.
Membership in Cobalt Credit Union is open to the following: 1) those who live, work, attend school, or worship in Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, or Washington Counties in Nebraska OR Carroll, Crawford, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, Sac, or Shelby Counties in Iowa; 2) employees or retirees of SpartanNash and their immediate family; 3) immediate family of current members.
Every time I stop by this credit union to deposit money, open a new account, or ask questions that I may have, I have noticed one thing. Every staff member at this credit union that I have ever interacted with is very friendly, caring, and considerate. They are never too busy to help me and are willing to answer all questions I have in a way the helps me to understand what I did not understand. Recently, I went in to open a checking account. The employee who helped me explained every type of checking account that I could open, the advantages of each, and what she recommended. I decided on the one that she recommended but not because of any pressure of any sort from this employee. The smiling faces and friendliness of the staff at this credit union are what keeps me coming back and what caused me to open a CD here when I could have opened one at many other banks or credit unions. I highly recommend this credit union to anyone.
SAC FCU's High Yield Checking rate of 3.01% Annual Percentage Yield will be paid on balances up to $15,000 (Currently up to $25,000). Rate is 0.15% APY on balances over $15,000. 0.10% APY applies to all balances if qualifications are not met.
- High Yield Checking Accounts opened on or after April 1st, 2012 will require a direct deposit to the account to qualify for the 3.01% APY Interest Rate. Accounts opened prior to April 1, 2012 do not require direct deposit.
- Make 12 Debit Card Transactions with net debit card transactions totaling a minimum of $120 per month. Currently there is not a dollar limit requirement on total debit transactions. This will apply to both existing and new accounts.
- Enroll and Receive Electronic Statements (No Change).
I was in the military for over 20 years, and starting out (in Upper Michigan), it was the nearest bank to where I lived (on a military installation). As such, it was my bank of choice and we've been a member ever since. While the savings and checking accounts were nothing special, the customer service was outstanding. If ever there was a problem, it was immediately resolved with little more effort on my part other than to bring it to their attention. In fact, one situation that comes to mind is: we had gone in to the local branch to transfer some money from savings to checking, and the individual at the bank indicated that the money had been transferred and was available for use. From the bank, we immediately went to the commissary (grocery store on base) and shopped for groceries. Due to some oversight on the part of the bank, the money was not, in fact, available for immediate use, and it resulted in an overdrawn account. Now, this, in the eyes of the military, is "financial irresponsibility", and it is taken very seriously and can have repercussions for a military member. When I went back to the bank and inquired as to what had happened, the readily admitted their mistake and provided me with a letter from the bank manager indicating that it was not an error on my fault so that I would not get in trouble with my superiors.
SAC is a great credit union. I've been banking with them for over 20 years, and they are always coming out with something new or staying competitive. They have great rates on their accounts, and are very competitive. The only thing I don't like is their lack of mobile access, and their online services are pretty lacking overall. No way to open up new accounts or CDs through their website. It seems like you still need to do this in person for some reason. Also there is no way to do anything like online check scanning so you still need to go to a bank or an ATM to deposit a check, if you still get those things. I will stay with this credit union but I wish they would get some better tech.
Had a bill run through my account, plenty of money in my account to cover my bill. Cobalt sent my bill back and then charged me a insufficient funds fee. Wouldnt correct the situation. Also had fraudulent charges on my account and instead of freezing my account they just kept letting the charges come in and refused to put a hold on my card and account.
I've also had issues where they have frozen my card for places that I shop at on a nearly daily basis when they were getting a new system. I had to have a new card made 5 times in 3 months.
Also was told I didn't need to update my debit card or my atm card to my savings account. Went out of town and nearly all atms where I was staying were chip reading atms and wouldn't take my cards. They still said they don't need updated.
I wouldn't bank with them. I know a few others this has happened too as well. Once my auto loan is paid off, I'll be switching banks. Horrible customer service all around.
Home wreckers, spouse cheating on, and the management is worthless. Be cautious! Some of the FSO's there can't control their own financial situations...do you want them to "try" with yours???
Rates for Cobalt Credit Union are currently being reviewed.


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We provide all kind of hardware and software to manage your business like Tills Barcode scanners, Printers, Cash Drawer.
EPOS Till
Our Touch screen EPOS Tills integrated terminal with modern design, fast and fanless version. EPOS Till is the vertical "all-in-one" integrated system. It helps you to control your business stylish touchscreen designed especially for the world of retail fully in keeping with the spirit. EPOS Tills is the first point-of-sale touchscreen to feature interchangeable colour schemes. The unique modular system, with clips in different hues, enables the device to be matched to any sales environ...
Barcode scanners are a key component in making the check-out process quick and efficient. The most common use of barcode scanners is at the check-out, where the cashier scans UPC / EAN codes. We provide these scanner are attached to the Till with a cable or with a base station connected to the Till.The scanners have united form with function to become the industry benchmark for value and performance. The sleek scanner feature a patented automatic
infrared activation and decode all standard 1D barcodes. These scanners also easily completes data transmission with when the product come front of these scanner. It means it read automatically cods...
Epson's cost-effective TM-T20 Point-of-Sale (POS) thermal receipt printer is the latest addition to Epson's line of energy-efficient POS printers. Based on Epson's advanced printing technology, TM-T20 was designed specifically to meet the needs of low volume retailers with basic POS printing functionality, high reliability and ease-of-use features.
Chip & Pin / Credit Card
The Secura PIN pad is a highly secure, easy to use device that features both mag-stripe and EMV smart card readers. Molded rubber grips make it easy to handle, and its privacy shield adds security. Incorporating SecuraCell™ technology, the Secura is tamper-responsive and certified to the most stringent PIN security standards.
The new Secura™ integrated terminal is a PIN enabled, EMV level 1and 2 compliant transaction device. It comes pre-certifi ed to the most stringent PIN security standards and incorporates Dione's newly patented SecuraCell™ technology - a tamper responsive unit containing all the crucial electronics to prevent criminals from compromising transaction security. It is compact and ergonomically designed allowing card insertion and removal by either the cardholder or the merchant. Complete with an integrated thermal printer and modem, it provides an ideal and affordable solution for both the banks' acquiring services market and smaller retailers looking for full EMV migration and terminal ownership.
A cash drawer is generally a compartment underneath a cash register in which the cash from transactions is kept. The drawer typically contains a removable till. The till is usually divided into compartments used to store each denomination of bank notes and coins separately to make counting easier. The removable till allows moneys to be removed from the sales floor to a more secure location for counting and creating bank deposits.
A cash drawer is usually of strong construction and may be integral with the register or a separate piece that the register sits atop. It slides in and out of its lockable box and is secured by a spring-loaded catch. When a transaction that involves cash is completed, the register sends an electrical impulse to a solenoid to release the catch and open the drawer.
IPad-Device
IPad device that combines the best features of a notebook or netbook computer and an iPod touch, wrapped up in a gorgeous, ultrathin, light-as-a-feather package. Apple claims it's the best way to experience the Web, e-mail, photos, and video and with its 9.7-inch, LCD-backlit Multi-Touch screen; up to 10 hours of battery life; and the availability of Apple's iPad-optimized versions of Apple's iWork productivity suite of apps (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote), it looks like you'll be able to do real work without lugging around 10 pounds of laptop computer, charger, spare batteries. The iPad uses an on-screen soft-keyboard like the iPhone or iPod touch; but there's an optional, full-size keyboard available. And because the iPad has built-in Bluetooth 2.1,
it works with the Apple Wireless Keyboard, as well.Pictures of the iPad are deceptive for a couple of reasons. The most significant is that while most of the pictures make the iPad look like an oversized iPhone or iPod touch, they don't give you a sense of scale. So just for the record, the iPad measures 9.56 inches by 7.47 inches by 0.5 inches and weighs just 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds for models with 3G wireless networking).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Zappos.com is proud to offer the Badgley Mischka - Beth Lizard Shoulder Bag (Natural) - Bags and Luggage: Top off your elegant look with the exquisite Beth Lizard Shoulder Bag by Badgley Mischka. ; Made of leather with stud detail. ; Flap with magnetic snap closure. ; Detachable shoulder strap. ; Lined interior. ; Imported. Measurements: ; Bottom Width: 8 1 2 in ; Depth: 2 1 2 in ; Height: 5 1 2 in ; Strap Length: 48 1 2 in ; Strap Drop: 22 1 2 in ; Weight: 9.5 oz ; Please note, the hardware color and interior lining may differ from the color shown in the photo.


At last – a super fast and ultra cool racing game for the Nintendo DS! The action will be frantic, the competition mean and the hazards numerous. Sounds just perfect to me!
Tank Battles is a fresh and innovative game exclusive to the Nintendo DS. It challenges the gamers brain and their brawn and rewards them with a hugely enjoyable gaming experience.


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By this time, ANY visitor to the Concert Hall will have become familiar with Rowley's name! I've sort of made it my "project" to do many of his organ works, and this one is one of his best. This work was uploaded the other day by our talented member, Martin Kondizella. As much as it is not my intention to "step on anyone's toes," I was not going to leave Advent without uploading this one.
"Fantasia on 'Veni, Emmanuel'" was published by Novello in 1942, and it shows Rowley in a dramatic, improvisatory mood. The arresting harmonies, and rhapsodic passages keep the excitement going, but not without finding chance for a beautiful quiet middle section, which shimmers with almost magical harmonies.
The work is dedicated to Herbert Arthur Chambers (1880-1967), who was well-known as a skilled arranger and did much work for Novello.
This is Rowley at his best, and brings the Advent season to a resounding and uplifting conclusion.


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Vila Chã é uma freguesia portuguesa do município de Vila do Conde, com 4,81 km² de área (2013), 3 094 habitantes (2011) e densidade populacional de 643,2 hab/km².

População

Média do País no censo de 2001:  0/14 Anos-16,0%; 15/24 Anos-14,3%; 25/64 Anos-53,4%; 65 e mais Anos-16,4%

Média do País no censo de 2011:   0/14 Anos-14,9%; 15/24 Anos-10,9%; 25/64 Anos-55,2%; 65 e mais Anos-19,0%

História
O composto "Vila Chã" refere-se, no primeiro elemento, muito provavelmente a uma "villa" agrária de remota instituição; já o segundo elemento, "Chã", deriva do latim e reflete a topografia local, designando um local plano.

O documento mais antigo referente a esta povoação data de 1033 e revela uma doação que D. Vistrégia Galindes fez a Gutierre Troitosendes e sua mulher, das villas que possuía entre os rios Cávado e Ave, a villa Terroso e a villa "nominata Vila Plana". É notório que nessa época deveria já existir em Vila Chã a igreja de S. Mamede, igreja "própria" na origem (o que concorda com a situação posterior de padroado), estando de acordo com a elevada antiguidade do culto do respetivo titular, S. Mamede.

As Inquirições de 1258 em Vila Chã, da 'Terra da Maia", dividem a paróquia em duas secções ou "villas": a de Vila Chã e a de Mirance (Mirante).

A freguesia foi sempre do termo da Maia (até a formação do concelho de Vila do Conde) e como tal beneficiou do foral da Maia, dado por D. Manuel I de Portugal, a 15 de Dezembro de 1519.

Quanto à Igreja de S. Mamede, paroquial, ela já não era nova no século XIII, e o Mosteiro de Roriz, que possuía então vastas possessões na paróquia, talvez por doação de fidalgos antigos (século XI-XII) dele padroeiros, era o padroeiro da dita igreja, talvez pela mesma via e proveniência; pois lê-se nas Inquirições de Afonso III de Portugal, a propósito da pergunta feita ao próprio pároco de 1258, o padre Gonçalo Mouro, sobre quem o nomeou, que o apresentara o "prior de Rooriz" ao bispo do Porto para confirmação. Tendo o Mosteiro de Roriz, vindo a pertencer à Companhia de jesus, compreende-se que a Igreja de Vila Chã passasse aos jesuítas e, deles, pela extinção, à Universidade de Coimbra, e por fim, ao padroado real.

Consta das Inquisições de 1258 que Raimundo Martins doou uma herdade que aí possuía a D. Maria Paes Ribeiro, a "Ribeirinha", para aí edificar uma casa, a fim de que esta vila continuasse a ser uma honra.

Fez parte do concelho da Maia, e foi integrado no concelho de Vila do Conde desde a divisão administrativa de 1836.

Localização
Vila Chã é uma freguesia costeira do Concelho de Vila do Conde, inserida na Área Metropolitana do Porto, na zona costeira Noroeste de Portugal. Dista cerca de 6 km da sede do Concelho, 12 km do Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro, 12 km da Póvoa de Varzim e 17 km da cidade do Porto. A 2 km do Vila do Conde Porto Fashion Outlet

Tem como freguesias confrontantes: Mindelo pelo norte, Modivas pelo nascente, e Labruge pelo sul e o Oceano Atlântico pelo poente.

Acessos pela EN13 ou A28, ou pela linha B do Metro do Porto.

Heráldica

Interpretação e justificação dos símbolos
As espigas de milho representam a agricultura, pois Vila Chã centra a sua economia basicamente nesta atividade, assim como grande parte das Freguesias do Concelho.

O barco e as burelas onduladas representam a pesca e o turismo de veraneio, pois a Freguesia conta com boas e frequentadas praias, sendo estas o principal atrativo da Freguesia.

Os Símbolos Heráldicos da Freguesia de Vila Chã encontram-se registados na Direção Geral das Autarquias Locais com o nº 39/2.

Economia
A agro-pecuária, a indústria tradicional, os serviços e o turismo, constituem as principais atividades económicas da freguesia.

Vila Chã é a única freguesia de Vila do Conde que ainda tem atividade pescatoria no concelho.

Curiosidade
Em Vila Chã já rodaram a novela "O Olhar da Serpente" produzida pela SIC. Aqui foi rodado o filme "A Mãe e o Mar" de Gonçalo Tocha.

Distâncias de algumas Cidades
 Porto - 21  km
 Vila do Conde - 9  km
 Lisboa - 330  km
 Vigo - 140  km
 Coimbra - 150  km

Sociedade e Educação
A Freguesia tem movimentos associativos empenhados em contribuir para o desenvolvimento social da população. A Associação Juvenil de Vila Chã (AJVC).

A Educação é assegurada pelos Jardins de Infância e Escolas do 1º ciclo da Igreja e da Praia.

Instituições e Equipamentos Públicos ou de Serviço Público
 Desportivas-Recreativas:
 Grandioso Ringue Desportivo
 Campo Desportivo do Vila Chã
 Sociais:
 Associação Juvenil de Vila Chã
 Parque de Campismo de Vila Chã
 Grupos e Ranchos:
 Grupo Folclórico dos Pescadores de Vila Chã
 Rancho Danças e Cantares das Lavradeiras de Vila Chã

Principais Eventos
 Festa do Padroeiro, São Mamede, é realizado de 2 em dois anos Agosto
 Festival Folclórico Agosto
 Festas do Menino Jesus, cortejos de Natal em honra do Menino Jesus.

Ligações externas

Freguesias de Vila do Conde
Antigas freguesias da Maia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
About CIE
Mission of CIE
CIE Activities and Opportunities
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Early Grade Reading Certificate
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CIE Publications
Comparative Education Review
CIE Annual Newsletters
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CIE Celebrations
CIE Gatherings & Conferences
Midnight Traveler – A Film and a Dialogue
In March 2020, CIE sponsored a Movie Night in the College of Education featuring "Midnight Traveler," a documentary film of the journey of an Afghan family fleeing from the Taliban and seeking asylum in Europe. The film was followed by a panel discussion featuring three Afghan graduate students currently associated with CIE as well as the Graduate Program Director for the College of Education. All four of the panelists had experience working with CIE's higher education projects in Afghanistan during the past 14 years.
The Movie. Hassan Fazili, the father of the family in the film, said "We wanted the audience to be closer to our happiness, unhappiness, dreams and feelings," He told Filmmaker Magazine in January 2019. "We wanted the viewer to feel that they are by our side during the film, to laugh and cry with us, to feel homeless and confused with us so they would not just watch us from a distance." The movie, shot entirely by Hassan and his family on three Samsung phones, is less a migration story than the story of a family's formative years;
Panel Discussion. After viewing the movie panel members responded to some written questions and then engaged in a dialogue with the audience.
Javid Mussawy, a Ph.D. candidate in International Education, spoke about his experience with schooling in Afghanistan and the role of International Education.
When I was growing up, school reflected the four or five political regimes in Afghanistan. The political regimes, whether it was Taliban or Communist rule, to a large extent influenced the curriculum being taught in school. Also, there was internal displacement resulting from the political unrest such that, education was not always accessible to everyone. In addition, the school curriculum was often produced outside Afghanistan, which raised questions about curriculum regulation since it was not systematically regulated by the government.
International education used to be about increasing awareness of Western democracy or ideology in the developing world. Educating the developing world on what it is like to live liberal and be humane. Now, I think we need to rethink international education in a broader context. We need to educate the developed world. For instance, when a country is going through hardship, struggle or crisis, people do not have a choice. It is humane to welcome these people and protect them. People who flee a country to seek safety but unfortunately, not everywhere is safe.
Mujtaba Hedayet, a Ph.D. student in Higher Education, spoke about issues of gender and education in Afghanistan.
Gender inequality is a global challenge; however, Afghanistan is an extreme example. For instance, during the Taliban regime that lasted five years, girls were not allowed to go school, while boys had unrestricted access. Things have improved since then, but just because they are women, they do not have equal opportunities. For example, at the elementary school level, they have almost equal access to education as boys do. However, when they go to secondary school, half of them drop out because of various reasons including traditions where girls do not have access to education beyond six-grade.
Hassan Aslami: A Ph.D. Candidate in International Education commented on the challenges of those forced to leave Afghanistan.
During the four decades of war in Afghanistan, more than five million Afghan people migrated to two neighboring countries, Iran and Pakistan. In the movie, we saw how difficult it was to emigrate from Afghanistan to Europe. It was even more difficult to emigrate from Kabul to a neighboring country of Pakistan during the period, where we were not allowed to leave the country. It was life threatening so people were not able to go anywhere.
The movie should inspire us to think about the underlying issues that cause Afghans to leave the country. Education is key to understanding the challenges. For example, twenty years ago, 85% of the young people were illiterate. It is easy for illiterate people to join any cause because they are not aware of the consequences. If we are not educating them, then we cannot blame them for the results of their behavior.
Shane Hammond, the Graduate Program Director in the College of Education reflected on his experience working with universities in Afghanistan.
As, I worked with the Afghan students and faculty, I learned how important it is to adapt what I knew to the local context. It is not about bringing practice that we have here in the United States and imposing what we know on other people's culture. It is about creating a shared experience with the people we are working with directly and sharing the knowledge that we both bring to the table in a way that is productive in the educational context.
Reporting by O'Sheho Toweh. Pictures by Chenyang Xu
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text:
Q: Should I use "who" twice in this sentence? Is this sentence grammatically correct?

I'm a Turkish who is trying to learn Finnish, German and also wants to learn Russian.

Can I also say:

I'm a Turkish who is trying to learn Finnish, German and who also wants to learn Russian.

A: First, in English, the noun for Turkish nationality is Turk, not Turkish. Thus, I am a Turk who is trying to learn... See the M-W dictionary. You can also say Turkish person. This is similar to the adjective British, which is not used as a noun, except in rare occasions.
Since you list only Finnish and German, it is better to use and to connect them rather than connect them only with a comma (,).
You can use the who in the second half of the sentence, or not--it's your choice.
Thus

I am a Turk who is trying to learn Finnish and German and also wants to learn Russian.

and

I am a Turk who is trying to learn Finnish and German and who also wants to learn Russian.

are correct. I prefer the second one, because the second use of who lends some stability to the sentence.

A: It depends on your objective. If you are aiming for a uniform list, repeating the who helps. If you want to emphasise learning Finnish and German, retain just the first who. If you want to emphasise learning Russian, retain just the second.
The repeated form "who is ... who is" emphasises structure. Have a look at this link, which includes an example with a Turkish novelist.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Canaan Smith just released the video for his next single, "Hole In A Bottle." The track is one of our favorites form his debut album, "Bronco," and follows the success of his lead single, "Love You Like That," which went to #1. We can see "Hole In A Bottle" hitting the top spot as well! Canaan will often kick off his live set with the upbeat track, getting the crowd to dance along from the start! Watch the video below featuring footage from Canaan's tour.
Pickup a copy of "Bronco" on iTunes or Amazon now! Check out all of Canaan's upcoming tour dates HERE!
Be sure to follow Canaan Smith & Secret Fangirls for more updates!


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Apps for the win! /
Apps for the win!
Mike Kurov
By Kimberly Blaker, September 2020 Issue.
Whether you need a solution to help monitor your baby, track and reward your kiddos for chores, or keep your teen from texting while driving, there's a phone app that does it for you. The following useful apps are designed specifically for parents and families. Better yet, most of these parent-tested apps are free for both Android and iPhone.
Screen Time Parental Control. Android & iPhone. Free trial. This useful app gives parents a variety of controls to limit their kids› screen time. It also allows parents to block apps and games from their kids at bedtime or during school hours. Parents can even push a button on their own phone to time-out their kids phones when they ignore requests to get off their phones.
MMGuardian. Android & iPhone. Free. This pre-teen and teen monitoring app allows parents to monitor and block text messages, apps, calls, and URLs. It also has configurations to limit screen time.
Cozi Family Organizer. Android & iPhone. Free or paid upgrade. Manage and share your family calendar between all your devices with this app to keep everyone in the loop. In addition to keeping track of schedules, it manages reminders, to-do lists, shopping lists, and recipes.
Netspark Parental Control Light. Android. Paid subscription. Get powerful filtering with this app to protect your kids from harmful images, text, and video content. It also allows parents to set time limits for daily or weekly screen time.
ToddlyTic. Android & iPhone. Free 30-day trial. This app is an excellent way to communicate with your child›s daycare or teachers. It helps you stay on top of your childs attendance, grades,and more. You can also use the app to manage and make tuition payments to your child's school.
Life360 Family Locator – GPS Tracker. Android & iPhone. Free. With this app, you can create «circles» of family members and friends. Then you can view the location of anyone in your circle on a map. The tracker can also send you text alerts when your child or teen arrives at or leaves a destination.
KidsPlace Parental Control by Kiddoware. Android. Free or paid upgrade. Block kids from buying or downloading apps and incoming calls with this app. Premium features include a timer that locks apps after a specified period or based on a permanent schedule.
ChoreMonster. Android & iPhone. Free. This app is a great way to gain kids cooperation with chores. Kids can keep track of the points they earn for completing tasks. Then they can use the points to buy rewards such as extra time for video games, a special treat, or family outing.
DriveSafe.ly. Android. Free or paid upgrade. If you have teen drivers, this app is a must-have. It reads text messages and emails aloud and announces the name of incoming callers without having to touch the phone. The paid version allows for a hands-free response to messages as well.
Baby Monitor 3G. Android & iPhone. $3.99. Monitor your baby with both video and audio, and receive alerts when your baby awakens. Particularly helpful, you can see your baby in the dark with this app. It also tracks how often your baby wakes, and it replays audio. You can also press a button on your phone to talk to your baby.
Wheel of Chores. Android & iPhone. Free. This app adds fun and excitement to chores. Kids can spin the wheel for a task and earn points toward rewards. At the end of the week, parents can distribute the money or prizes, or kids can bank their points to save up.
Fun phone apps for kids to stimulate thinking and creativity
With a massive sea of kids' phone apps on the market, which ones best maximize kids' media time? The following is a selection of kid-tested and parent-approved apps to help boost kids' critical thinking skills and creativity.
Piano Kids – Music & Songs. Free for Android. Ages 3+. This top-rated app teaches kids and parents how to play musical instruments, including the piano, xylophone, and drums. It exercises children's memory, concentration, creativity, listening skills, and motor skills.
Flow Free. Free for all platforms. Ages 8+. This color-based game offers various levels of play to sustain the interest of grade-school kids on up to adults. It improves complex thinking skills as players try to connect the dots to create pipes without crossing over another color.
Super Family Hero. Free for all platforms. Ages 4+. Kids and parents can enjoy this family game with individual levels of difficulty that make the game challenging yet fair to all players. Create custom Avatars, then use Interactive Stories to play mini-games, and attempt to defeat Dr. Excuses.
Heads Up! Free for Android. $1 Apple. Ages 6+. Based on the Heads Up! game created by Ellen DeGeneres, this family game is a blast for all ages. A player holds the phone on their head with an image facing out for the other players to see. The player's teammate then acts out the image shown on the phone while the teammate holding it up has to guess what his teammate is acting out.
Kids Build & Crash Blocks Game. Free for all platforms. Ages 1 – 4. Toddlers and preschoolers can build tall towers with colorful blocks while learning their colors and numbers. When they're done building, children thrill at crashing the tower. Your child can never lose in this game. The app also features fun sound effects and animations.
Lego City My City 2. Free for Android. Ages 7 – 14. With 15 mini-games in all, players go on thrilling car chases to catch thieves, blast off into space, and do underwater exploration. As players movethrough the game, they earn blocks and components to build vehicles and complete their missions.
Doodle Magic Joy. Free for Android. Ages 3+. This drawing app, with colors ranging from soft pastels to bright neons, offers a variety of art tools including pen, calligraphy, airbrush, crayon, pastel, sponge, eraser, and more. When doodles are complete, the art can be saved and even played back as a cartoon. This is a fun app for kids to adults.
Unblock Me Free. Free for all platforms. Ages 7+. This mental workout boasts 16,000 puzzles in all. The object of the game is to unblock the red block in as few moves as possible. Kids and adults can compete with friends and players around the world.
3/2 Chess. Free for Android. Ages 5+. Played much like standard chess for two players, this game is designed for up to three players. 3/2 Chess is a strategy game that boosts creativity and critical thinking skills.
Hoopa City 2. $3.99 for all platforms. Ages 5 – 10. Kids can build the city of their dreams with skyscraper apartments, shopping malls, and beach resorts in this 3D game app. Then they can play inside the city they've built, dress up their citizens, and even switch to night mode to see their city lit up.
Magic Tiles 3. Free for all platforms. Ages 7+. This massively popular piano game requires players to tap the black tiles while avoiding the white ones to generate beautiful, high-quality music. The app features additional instruments such as guitar, as well as a battle mode where kids can compete with other players around the world.
ColorMinis Kids. Free for all platforms. Ages 3+. With this color and design app, kids experiment with a variety of colors and materials, including Real 3D gloss, clay, glass, metal, and more. They can color and design anime figures, animals, robots, castles, and much more. When their design is complete, they'll create animated gifs of their creations.
PBS Kids Video. Free all platforms. Ages 2+. Kids can watch their favorite PBS Kids shows wherever you go. This app is a fun form of educational entertainment for young children when riding in the car, waiting for appointments, and on shopping trips. In addition to thousands of videos of their favorite shows, they'll also be introduced to the "Weekly Pick" of educational videos.
Drawing for Kids! Learning Games for Toddlers. Free for Android. Ages 2 – 5. This app is an easy way for even the youngest toddlers to learn how to draw. It includes fun sounds and animations as each drawing comes to life.


Arlington Estates in south Overland Park is located in the award-winning Blue Valley School District. South of I-435, this quiet, suburban community is near Kensington Park and other greenspaces. HOA amenities include walking and biking trails as well as snow removal, trash pickup and curbside recycle.
The mid price of homes in Arlington Estates is $275,000, and the subdivision includes about 70 homes built around 1990. This subdivision is conveniently located for commuters working in Corporate Woods, Overland Park or Olathe. Nearby I-435 makes commuting into Kansas City simple as well.
Shopping and other amenities are located within easy driving distance of Arlington Estates. Town Center Plaza is located a few blocks northeast. Prairie fire, a new shopping and entertainment center, is located a 10-minute drive away. Fitness centers, gyms and the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center provide year-round exercise and fitness options for members of the community.


Regardless of how great your product is, consumers will never know if they don't try it. But instigating product trial can be tricky. Customers are busy people who don't like to interrupt their daily routines just to try out new products. If you want customers to pay attention, you need something truly outstanding to stop them in their tracks.
Augmented reality can create experiences that are worth your customers' time. For best success, I recommend to create AR content that fits both the product itself, and the place where you want to demo the product.
In 2013, Sony was struggling to motivate consumers to ditch their old standard headphones and upgrade to its high quality MDR-1 headphones, designed specifically for cellular use. The electronics company turned augmented reality (AR) to boost product trial: Using AR, Sony created the Headphone Music Festival (HMF). The company delivered an entertaining experience to the customer while generating hype around the product, creating benefits for both the brand and the user.
Sony enabled customers to watch four of Japan's best-selling rock bands perform live in the middle of busy streets. Users simply needed to download the HMF augmented reality app and point their phones at posters placed around Japan. This activated Sony's campaign and prompted a virtual stage to appear.
This type of content was ideal to tastefully interrupt consumers as they went along their buys lives. And once people stopped to watch the virtual concert, they were prime targets for trying out Sony's new MDR-1 headphones, which were handed out by Sony representatives.
Because of its unique appeal, the AR festival attracted more than 469,000 fans, according to Creativity Online. As a result of this AR powered product trial strategy, the Sony MDR-1R became the No. 1 selling headphone on Kakaku.com in January 2013.
Augmented reality can boost product trial, but only if you pick the right content at the right location.
Sony utilized AR with purpose, putting its product at the heart of an engaging experience. The crowded streets mirrored the feeling of being at a live concert performance. The AR content was relevant for the product, and allowed Sony to ideally emphasize the noise-cancelling feature of its headphones.
In addition, Sony supported its AR campaign with other aspects of the marketing mix. It utilized video, web pages, merchandise and print to help promote the phone app campaign.
As I point out in my research on augmented reality marketing, aligning your AR campaign with the overall marketing mix is essential for success. Simply promoting the augmented reality campaign through one medium would not have been enough to sustain this successful movement.
Recreating a music festival was a great idea for Sony to engage consumers and promote product trial. But why stop at the basics?
If the goal is to effectively interrupt a customer's day with a one-of-a-kind experience, why mimic a typical music festival? Surely customers have seen that before. Sony could have taken things a step further by incorporating near-impossible elements — crazy light shows, instant band wardrobe changes or even a whale floating across the audience — into the performances.
Why not involve your audience, creating more user-brand engagement? Listeners could throw confetti into the air or launch pyrotechnic fireworks to spice up the AR concert experience. These additional augmented reality features would allow Sony's music festival to differentiate itself from a regular physical concert.
This is augmented reality after all, so why stay within the capabilities of our regular world? That's the beauty of this technology.
As devices used for mixed reality become more powerful every year, you can dare to think big when designing your AR campaigns. Marketers should thus strive to really push the boundaries and create campaigns that truly blur the line between reality and limitless digital content.
Augmented reality gives marketers the power to create eye-catching, often seemingly-impossible, campaigns. It goes far beyond the limits of a traditional advertisement. And that's exactly what brands need to convince customers to try out new products.
Most marketers associate augmented reality with telling brand stories or creating clever experiential marketing campaigns. However, when paired with brand ambassadors on the ground, AR can also be a great strategy to induce product trial.
To learn more about the exciting opportunities and trends in augmented reality, subscribe to MarketingSquad.net for upcoming articles on the latest and greatest AR campaigns.


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Fatality review: Deaths Rise in Second Quarter
Aug 26, 2014 | Feature Articles
IN MANY WAYS, A REVIEW OF 2Q FATALITIES IN COAL LEAVES MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS
By Donna Schmidt, Field Editor
Safety-wise, the U.S. coal industry fell below expectations in the second quarter; five coal miners were killed on the job, and one incident was a double fatality — something U.S. coal hasn't seen in years. On the surface, it doesn't look like there is a link in trends between these incidents and others recorded this year. However, all have happened more than once before in one manner or another, with the scenarios eerie reminders of those past events, and there is, in fact, something to learn from each one.
Despite three fatals in metal/nonmetal mining in April alone, the month was the only one in coal in the second quarter that wasn't marred by a fatal accident. There was no favored location — two deaths were recorded in Appalachia, one in the Illinois Basin and two were in the western coalfields — and the four events that led to the fatalities were an even split between surface and underground operations.
There was little similarity in the victims' age range; two were in their 20s, two in their 40s and one worker was 58. Of the four events, three involved machinery or powered haulage.
Perhaps the most alarming dots that can be connected amongst those incidents that took five lives in three months is the fact that only one of the workers had more than five years of experience. In fact, the average experience of the group's four workers with the least time on the job was about 2.6 years, and one individual had been in mining just 24 weeks.
It is painfully obvious that, the events that led up to the deaths (though this is preliminary, as no final investigation reports have yet been released for any of the following) could all have gone in a different direction and the respective deaths could have been avoided.
Brody Mining, Coal Rib Burst — May 12
A CM operator and roof bolter/MRS operator were killed May 12 at Patriot Coal's Brody No. 1 mine in Boone County, West Virginia.
For the first time since 2011, there was a fatality in coal on May 12 that involved more than one person. That was the day that continuous miner operator Eric Legg and roof bolter/MRS operator Gary Hensley were killed while pulling pillars and extracting coal at Patriot Coal's Brody No. 1 mine in Boone County, West Virginia. They were the fourth and fifth coal deaths of the year.
In its preliminary report, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) indicated that there was a coal/rock outburst on the No. 5 entry of the 4 East Mains panel. The room-and-pillar operation was of an average size, employing 193 with 171 underground.
In its fatalgram alert on the incident, the agency went on to say that crews were mining the second lift of the left pillar block at the time of the rib burst, and stressed the frequent and thorough examinations of mine roofs, faces and ribs in the wake of the incident. MSHA inspectors also highlighted the importance of following roof control plans (RCPs)and training all miners on the specifics of proper compliance to RCPs.
While the retreat mining practice was not mentioned specifically in the agency's best practices, officials did allude to mines' need to ensure suitable pillar dimensions and mining method for a given area, and that roof and rib control is adequate for the depth of cover where work is being performed. MSHA also noted that a geological feature map should be developed, including unusual conditions, to determine the best mining plan to address potentially adverse roof and rib conditions.
M-Class MC No.1, Pinning — May 14
Roof bolter William-Daniel Payne received fatal injuries on May 14 in Illinois when he was pinned between a bolter and the rib while tramming.
Just two days after the deaths in southern West Virginia, the sixth coal fatality was reported at an Illinois underground operation owned by Foresight Energy. Roof bolter William-Daniel Payne, 25, received fatal injuries the afternoon of May 14 when he was pinned between a roof bolting machine and the rib as he was tramming the bolter. MSHA said in its preliminary findings that Payne was near the roadway to the longwall tailgate section of the mine's Viking Portal No. 1, where the section equipment was being removed from the longwall setup rooms.
The miner was found on the left side of the roof bolter, between the machine and the rib.
Awareness of pedestrians in a machine's turning radius was at the top of MSHA's best practices guide in the weeks following the fatality, as was a reminder for operations to install proximity protection systems to protect personnel.
Peabody Energy North Antelope Rochelle, Impact Crusher Death — June 4
A miner was crushed between the hood and frame of a horizontal impact crusher at the North Antelope Rochelle mine in Wyoming June 4.
June was less than a week old when equipment operator Joshua Wishard lost his life in a machinery accident while working at Peabody Powder River Mining's North Antelope Rochelle complex in Campbell County, Wyoming, a top producing mine with the nation's largest coal payroll at 1,517.
In its initial findings following the June 4 incident, MSHA did not elaborate on the scenario leading up to the 5:35 a.m. event, but did confirm that the victim was crushed between the hood and frame of a horizontal impact crusher at the mine's Rail Loop East Scoria crusher pit. It was not until the agency released a fatalgram safety alert for the fatality that it was revealed Wishard was clearing a rock from the crusher area when the incident occured.
The death was not only the second one in less than a month, but it also involved another 25-year-old miner. Wishard had only 24 weeks of mining experience.
In its best practices, federal investigators included several reminders for mining operations on safe working conditions and blocking material safety, but it also stressed the importance of monitoring all personnel — and especially miners new to a task — to ensure safe procedures are followed. It also highlighted the practice of de-energizing and locking/tagging out all power sources before working on equipment.
Cloud Peak Energy Spring Creek Coal, Haul Truck Crash — June 23
On June 23 at Cloud Peak's Spring Creek Coal, a miner died when his haul truck traveled through a berm and descended 75 ft into a spoil trench.
The second quarter was just days from ending when U.S. coal recorded one more fatality at a Montana surface complex. At press time, the powered haulage fatality — the eighth death in coal in 2014 — was also the most recent.
Officials identified the victim as haul truck driver Stewart Orcutt, 58; Orcutt had been driving a Komatsu 830E haul truck when it traveled through a berm at the Big Horn County operation and descended about 75 ft down a slope where it came to rest at the bottom of a V spoil trench. The incident occurred at about 7:35 a.m. June 23 at the mine's Ramp 65 Dump in Pit 4, an initial report listed his time of death at 8:23 a.m., a little less than an hour later.
Because the final investigation report on this incident was still not released as of press time, it is not yet known on an official basis the events that led up to the truck traveling over the berm. However, in its safety findings released some weeks later, MSHA seemed to focus on training, control and knowledge of the machine's capabilities.
In its best practices, inspectors highlighted miners' knowledge of a truck's operating ranges, load limits, and safety features as well as other capabilities, and to always ensure workers are properly trained on the equipment that they will operate.
Additionally, federal officials referenced conducting pre-operational checks to identify and repair defects on mobile equipment before it is put into service, as well as the maintenance of adequate berms.
Final Reports Released April-June
In its final report regarding a November 2013 Illinois fatality, MSHA cited the operator for not having effective policies and controls in place to protect workers at the longwall.
As for receiving final answers to the above surface death, or any of those fatalities that occurred in the second quarter, it may be months or even longer until some of these questions are answered.
However, MSHA did release several final investigation reports for coal fatalities during the quarter, nearly all of which were for incidents that occurred in 2013.
On April 7, the agency published the final findings of an underground fatality at Lone Mountain Processing's Huff Creek No. 1 operation in Kentucky. The initial incident occurred August 6, 2013, but the 56-year-old victim passed away on October 17 from his injuries received while retreat mining.
According to the report, the continuous miner operator was involved in a coal/rock burst at the mine that also left two other miners with varying degrees of injuries.
MSHA, which issued two citations and an order resulting from the incident, pointed to the operator's failure to ensure proper pillar recovery methods for the prevailing mining conditions to mitigate such bursts.
"The mine operator failed to follow approved methods in the existing roof control plan that would have decreased the chance of a coal/rock burst when removing coal pillars," investigators said.
"In addition, the mine operator failed to revise the RCP to address methods and steps in the recovery of coal pillars that would have mitigated the chance of coal and rock bursts in changing geological conditions."
On April 23, MSHA released its findings from another much-talked-about incident from 2013, the death of a 32-year-old shieldman at Murray Energy's Century mine in southeastern Ohio.
The victim, who had five years of mining experience, was struck by high-pressure hydraulic fluid from a pan-line valve bank. MSHA investigators found that the miner was advancing shields on the longwall when a hydraulic hose extending from the pan-line to a shield was pinched between a shield pontoon and the mine floor. When shield 144 of the longwall and the pan-line advanced, a fitting on the hose broke where it was attached to the pan-line valve bank. Officials confirmed that the fluid that struck the miner was under pressure of about 3,750 psi.
The agency said in the final report that the accident was caused by a failure to assure the ladder line at the 144 shield was installed and maintained in a manner to prevent contact by the longwall shield or its components.
It also issued a citation to American Coal Corp., the Murray subsidiary that operates Century, for its failure to maintain the longwall in what it classified as a safe working condition.
The obstructed view of a shuttle car operator was at the center of an October 2013 fatality in Indiana, MSHA confirmed on April 24. The incident, which took the life of a 59-year-old shuttle car operator with 22 years of mining experience, occurred at Five Star Mining's Prosperity operation in Pike County.
According to the final report, the victim was struck by a shuttle car when in the crosscut between the No. 6 and No. 7 entries, which was being used with neighboring entries to access rooms on the right side of the section.
Following a lengthy investigation and written discussion that involved the height of the victim, lighting, braking and other factors, MSHA concluded that the shuttle car operator's vision was limited because it was significantly blocked by alterations made to the conveyor sideboards.
Additionally, it said, the miscommunication of intended routes of travel for both machines and foot traffic also contributed to the cause of the fatality.
It issued a 104(a) citation to the operator for a strobe light that the victim had donned; it was not turned on to alert others to his location. Investigators also issued a Notice to Provide Safeguard under Title 30 CFR Section 75.1403.
"The metal sideboards installed on this car were being used to increase the load-carrying capacity of the shuttle cars," according to the report. "These sideboards created a hazard in that the shuttle car operator's visibility across the top of the car was obstructed, which prevented the car operator's view of the miner. For the safe operation of the shuttle car, it is vital that the shuttle car operator have adequate visibility on the offside of the shuttle car."
MSHA noted that the standard had been cited at the mine 21 times before in a two-year span.
One fatal incident with a rather puzzling outcome was an August 2013 fatality at the Arch Coal's Black Thunder surface complex in Wyoming, for which MSHA released its final findings on April 24.
In the incident, a 24-year-old utility person was killed when the Ford F350 utility truck he was operating was crushed by a P&H 2800 electric shovel.
Every facet of the scene was examined and discussed in the report, and a review of the 750-ton shovel uncovered what the agency concluded was at the heart of the incident; it also confirmed that the mine was already aware of the conditions.
"The accident occurred because the mine operator failed to correct known, unsafe shovel tram procedures and maintain the shovel in safe operating condition," MSHA said, noting that the victim was positioned behind the shovel when it was ascending a steep grade that averaged almost the maximum recommended grade for that model.
"The left side steering pin was twisted and the steering interlock pipe was missing 50% of its bolts. The right- and left-side shifter levers along with the right-side shifter yoke showed excessive wearing and the right-side spring cylinder rod was bent.
"The damaged/worn parts prevented the machine from functioning safely by allowing the steering/drive mechanism to disengage from both clutches. Once the clutches were disengaged, the machine freewheeled down the ramp, crushing the victim's truck, resulting in the victim's fatal injuries and trapping another miner in a second truck."
The mine received a total of five enforcement actions, including a 104(a) citation that was issued in conjunction with an imminent danger order that stemmed from a hazardous condition complaint investigation logged just days following the incident.
One of the most recent final investigation reports released by MSHA was regarding a November 2013 death at Foresight Energy's MC No. 1 operation, the same Illinois mine that recorded another death in the quarter that just ended.
This incident, which occurred last November 4, involved a 36-year-old longwall chief and 16-year mining veteran in a situation all too familiar.
On June 19, MSHA said in its released report that the victim, who was shoveling loose coal and rock between the coal face and pan-line on the longwall section, was killed when he was crushed against the face side of the pan-line by a solid piece of coal and cap rock, which fell from the coal face.
Investigators said the coal/rock combination measured approximately 4 ft and 10 in. long by 2 ft and 3 in. wide, and up to 24 in. thick.
MSHA concluded that the operator "did not have effective policies, programs, procedures, or controls in place to protect miners from a fall of roof or from the longwall face while miners are positioned on the pan-line or between the pan-line and the longwall face," and took it a step further with the issuance of a matching 104(d)(2) order.
"A review of the MSHA database shows that this accident is the second accident and first fatality at this mine where a miner was struck by coal or rock that had fallen or rolled from the longwall face since September 2013," investigators confirmed, noting that there were two other reportable accidents on March 31, 2011, and March 29, 2012, where the longwall face fell or rolled out onto the pan-line.
"In both of these accidents, the rock and/or coal were of such large size as to affect passage of the miners off the tailgate end of the longwall face," MSHA said.
"The mine operator failed to support or otherwise control the roof or face area of the longwall to protect persons from hazards related to falls of the roof or face while working between the longwall face and the pan-line."
It also said that the standard, known formally as 75.202(a), had been cited eight other times in two years at the mine.
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