Once you get your work permit through H4 EAD, you must apply for Social Security Number and driving licence. These are some of the documents required to get you an identity and a job in the USA.
Applying for SSN
Social Security Number is acquired for US citizens at birth. For all other immigrants and non immigrants, SSN can be acquired at the local social security office. There are some special cases where you can get a SSN even though you do not have a work permit or work visa. Here are the documents needed for applying SSN once you get your H4 EAD:
EAD card
Passport
Valid I94 either in passport or extended version
Check the work hours of your local SSN office. You are required to take a token at the entrance. At the window, the officer will verify your documents. They will take a copy of your documents and issue an acknowledgement which shows your address, name, date of birth, and so on. The SSN card will be mailed to your address within two weeks.
Applying for Driving License
If you do not have a TVDL, you have to apply for fresh driving license after you get your EAD and SSN. If you already have a TVDL, you can get your driving license without a computer test and road test. The documents required at the DMV include:
TVDL
EAD card
SSN Card
SSN Acknowledgement Letter
Spouse’s Driving License and Spouse signature (Spouse is required to present at the DMV)
You have to take a token at the DMV. They will verify your documents and issue a token. Once your number is called, the officer will verify your documents. You will be required to take only vision test. Your driving license will be issued for five years from the current date. This is regardless of your date of validity of the H4 EAD card or I94. Again, check the timings and take all the originals. The fee is $30 plus one dollar for service fee if you pay through credit card.
It’s been quite a while since the last Battlefront installment, Elite Squadron, 4 years, to be exact. That’s why gamers were relieved to find out that DICE, the developers of the Battlefield games and Lucasarts were teaming to make a reboot of the original Battlefront. Here are some features that Lucasarts has revealed.
Characters
Lucasarts promises players they will be able to play as some of the most iconic characters, with more to come.
Luke Skywalker- The Force is strong with this one. Players will be able to wield the enormous power of the good side of the Force.
Darth Vader- Portrayed as the most memorable symbol of fear in the Star Wars universe, wield the power of the dark side, crushing your enemies in endless defeat. What I thought the cover would look like.
Boba Fett- Unleash death from the air. Play as Boba Fett, the ruthless bounty hunter. Last I heard, he had a bounty on every Rebel scum in the galaxy.
Princess Leia Organa- Be a devoted leader of the Rebellion and use both defensive maneuvers and powerful attacks on the battlefront. Avoid enemy fire behind the Enhanced Squad Shield or one-shot most enemies with the mighty Trooper Bane ability.
Emperor Palpatine- End the insignificant rebellion as the galaxy’s prime symbol of evil, Emperor Palpatine. Shock enemies with the iconic Force Lightning or use Force Dash to traverse the battlefront.
Han Solo- The legendary smuggler who’s seen his share of blaster fights. Playing as Han Solo, you can adapt to any situation fighting off Imperial troops. The Six Shooter and Lucky Shot abilities will fit both long and short ranged combat.
Want to play with a buddy, but your ISP’s giving you a headache? Don’t worry, Battlefront Missions is a great way to pass time while your ISP passes WiFi to your neighbors!
Survival- Simple: Live as long as you can without dying with a buddy.
…..And that’s it! Lucasarts plans to release “more in the months ahead”
Multiplayer
Lucasarts promises multiplayer to be even more promising, with the assurance of a mode that promises 40 player battles. Game On!
Walker Assault- The Empire calls on their onslaught of AT-AT walkers in this mode, giving you only Y-Wings to fight them. For those who’ve seen the movies, there’s only one way to topple one of these giants.
Again, that’s it. Look for more to be announced soon.
Cover ArtLike always, all features are subject to change.
Release date: November 17, 2015
All features owned by DICE, Lucasfilm,TM , and EA.
Summer events are plenty in Quad Cities which let us enjoy the best outdoors. With the mighty Mississippi by our side, we get to explore the nature and create beautiful memories. With thousands of people attending, these events make living in the Quad Cities interesting.
Summer Events in Quad Cities
Here are some quad cities events which are my favorites:
Rock Island County Fair: The 146th annual Rock Island County Fair is from July 11th to July 19th at 4200, Archer Drive
in East Moline. Most of the grandstand acts are from July 15th to July 18th that is, Thursday through Saturday. Admission fee is $2 for adults, unlimited wristband for $20 which covers all the rides. If you want to get tipsy you can either get on the rides or the beer tent nearby. The fair food is mouth watering such as the curly fries, funnel cakes, french fries, hot dogs, nachos cheese, cotton candy, and of course the Lemonades!!
The grandstand acts include popular artists such as Charlie Worsham on Saturday and Clayton Anderson and Keith Anderson on Friday. This year the Demolition Derby is on Thursday 7pm unlike last year when they had it scheduled for Saturday evening. Get your spirits high for the racing and dashing. Further, check their schedule for more information and do not forget there is free pizza by Dominoes on Wednesday and Thursday from 10.30 am to 1pm.
Mississippi Valley Fair: The 96th annual Mississippi Valley Fair is from August 4th to August 9th at 2815, West Locust St in Davenport. The fair is one of the largest fair in Iowa which costs $10 for the general admission and $45 for fun cards. The fun card lets you in for all the five days including the grand stand acts. Kids 12 and under have free admission on Wednesday Aug 5th. This year the grand stand line up includes Kip Moore, Reba, The Marshall Tucker Band, Styx, The Band Perry, and Big & Rich.
You can visit the Mississippi Valley Fair for the fair food especially the corn and baked potatoes. The rides are $20 from 11 am to 5pm and they have a zip line too. There is also the beer tent and free music. There are some free acts throughout the day which include the alligator show, Dallas the Fire Guy, and Team Rock Karate Show among others.
Tug Fest: The 29th annual Tug Fest is from August 13th to August 15th in Port Byron, Illinois or Le Claire, Iowa. Illinois has the most wins 17 over Iowa. You can choose the side depending on which side of the river you are. Thursday night is the family night and is free admission to all. Friday and Saturday admission is $3 per person. Don’t miss Friday night Rumble on the River fireworks over the river at 9pm. The kids tug is at 11 am on Saturday. The actual tug is from 12 to 3pm at the tug site.
Tug fest is a tug of war competition over the Mississippi river between two states Iowa and Illinois. The 2400 feet rope is pulled by tug teams across the river and the state with most points win. Local businesses form teams to compete in the tug. Tug fest is possible with the help of local sponsors and hard working volunteers. Also, the bands are amazing at the Gazebo. I like the music, fireworks,the river, and of course the actual tug. Combine your tug fest visit with the annual Floatzilla on August 15th to make it even more fun.
River Roots Live: The 11th annual River Roots Live is on August 28th and August 29th at 400 W Biederbecke Dr, Davenport in the LeClaire Park. I like their new website though developed by Nerdwerx! The admission is free before 3pm on both days. Gate admission is $15. River Roots Liveis clubbed with the rib fest. The ribs are open at 11 am on both days. Music starts at 5pm on Friday and runs all day on Saturday.
This year’s line up includes artists such as Kacey Musgraves at Saturday 8.45 pm and Hello Goodbye at Friday 10.15 pm. Visit the River Roots Live for lots of ear popping and heart throbbing music. The Junior Jam for children is sponsored by West Music and RME. There are bouncy house for kids and also a video game tent sponsored by Video Game Etc. Check out all the free stuff given away by local businesses apart from the fair food.
You can also hop on the channel cat taxi and Celebration Belle cruises or checkout the Backwater Gamblers in Rock Island. Attend these events and let me know which one you like the most and share if you find any more interesting.:)
The newest gaming console in the legendary Xbox lineup, the Xbox One has come and I have bought it. (Yes, I know it came out last year, but I got it just this month.) Here are a few things that Microsoft promises in the Xbox One.
Games
The Xbox One comes with an extensive collection of games. Here they are:
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt- You play Geralt,a hunter. No, he doesn’t hunt deer, he hunts monsters.
Forza Horizon 2: Fast and Furious*-In inspiration of the newest Fast and Furious movie, Playground Games employees created a standalone expansion based off of Furious 7.
Battlefield Hardline- You play as a cop in a drug bust gone wrong. You end up in jail. What will you do?
Ori and the Blind Forest*-You play Ori, a guardian spirit. Your goal is to fill the forest up with light once more.
Halo: Master Chief Collection*- All of the Halo games from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 4 are included in this bundle of fun.
Evolve- You choose. Play as a heartless monster or a brave monster-hunter.
Halo 5: Guardians*- Something is wrong. Master Chief has done unspeakable things, and as Spartan Locke, it’s your duty to find out why. No one understands you. You’ve become horribly violent, you don’t care anymore. As Master Chief, it’s your job to be the hunted; and, in the end, become the hunter. Play both roles in Halo 5: Guardians
Forza Motorsport 6*- The successor to Forza Motorsport 5, a racing game based on realistic physics.
Rise of the Tomb Raider*- Lara Croft’s destiny was to become the Tomb Raider. Fulfill that destiny in the Rise of the Tomb Raider.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain- A third-person game series about a soldier called “Solid Snake” who does various things, whatever he is assigned. This is the second part of the Metal Gear Solid V mini-series, the first one being Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege- The successor to Rainbow Six: Rouge Spear, an FPS game that involves a terrorist and counter-terrorist team facing off in a hostage-style situation.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III- The successor to the Black Ops series, set in the far future.
Star Wars: Battlefront- An FPS based on the original Star Wars trilogy. (squeee!!!!!)
Fable Legends*- The successor to Fable III, a Smite-style third person MMO.
Tom Clancy’s The Division- A futuristic Third Person Shooter that explores the dangers of technology. You play as The Division, a group of people brought out as a last resort.
Quantum Break*-unknown
Crackdown*-unknown
Scalebound*-unknown
(Crackdown and Scalebound’s release dates are yet to be announced, but are confirmed games, according to Microsoft)
*Xbox One exclusives
Xbox Live
Here is the list of things that Microsoft has said that they have improved in Xbox Live on Xbox One.
No waiting in lobbies- Apparently you can watch TV while Xbox One does your matchmaking. Convenient!
No jerks- A jerk spamming chat? A cheat shooting missiles out of his rifle? Report such activity and Xbox One apparently makes sure they never play with you again(unless they make another account.)
Capture your Greatness-Capture that mlg360no-scope420 and let it get noticed, with Game DVR, Upload, Upload Studio, and Twitch.
Twitch-Xbox One has twitch, so you can broadcast live directly from your Xbox One.
Home Gold-Let’s say your younger brother is broke, but he wants to play online with his friends. If you have Gold, with Xbox One, your whole family can access it, at no extra cost.
Miscellaneous
Playing Games while Skyping-Heck Yes!
Windows 10 on Xbox One- As soon as Windows 10 comes out, your Xbox One will run on it, as your computer or tablet does.
The rarest gem in the heart of Chicago is the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI). Located at 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, the MSI stands as a bridge between the science of the past and future. I like it the way they focused more on future rather than just a display of past scientific artifacts.
Admission
The Museum of Science and Industry is a must visit attraction in Chicago. It pretty much takes up the whole day to explore all the shows and exhibits or it may take couple of visits to explore thoroughly. 🙂 Museum of Science and Industry is open 9.30 am to 5.30 pm most of the days with some exceptions. Basic admission to the MSI is $18, but they have other membership options and different packages such as the Explorer and Citypass. Parking is $22 at the museum or you can explore off the street parking in the Lake Shore Drive. Museum of Science and Industry offers free days for Illinois visitors on certain days year round.
Exhibits
Courtesy: The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago
The Museum of Science and Industry began operating in 1933 and is house of more than 35,000 artifacts in its 400,000 square feet facility. MSI has many youth camps and field trips for children of all ages.
Here are some of the captivating exhibits of the MSI:
Science Storms: Features the science behind seven natural phenomena such as tornadoes, tsunami, lightning, avalanches, fire, sunlight, and atoms in motion. For example, at the tornado exhibit, you can control the speed and direction of the tornado with the controls at the site. At the tsunami exhibit, you can control the type of the waves and speed of the waves and see how it affects the shore. They have an original NOAA tsunami DART II buoy that washed to the shores in 2006. You can experience the winds at high speeds and reaction to your body in the wind tunnel booth.Science storms exhibit is free with museum entry and is a must see.
You! The Experience: This interactive exhibit highlights the human body and the choices and we make everyday. You can see a huge display of human bones. You can see is if your body parts are really at your age. Explore the possibilities of personalized medicine based on your DNA. You! The Experience is a permanent exhibit and is free with museum admission. Do visit this exhibit to know a different side of you.
U-505 Submarine: The German submarine captured by the US soldiers during World War II and is now a national memorial landed in the Museum of Science and Industry. The Submarine features a variety if artifacts such as the original uniforms, photographs, letters, can of food from the war. There are a variety of interactive games such as the bunkers and operations of a submarine. The optional on-board tour will take you through a narrated tour of the U-505 submarine. This is a permanent exhibit that needs an extra ticket apart from the general admission.
Transportation Gallery: The Transportation Gallery features all kinds of vehicles humans have used to move from one place to another. It includes original steam engine,United 727 airplane, race cars, and so on. Do not miss the flight simulators for an extra $6 for shared ride and $8 for fly. The simulators put you through the flight situations that is a fun way to learn! You can buy the tickets for the simulators at the exhibit itself. The gallery is free with museum admission.
Art of Bicycle: The Art of Bicycle exhibit features bicycles from 1800s and also cutting edge bicycles. You can see the bicycles evolution through ages and how humans designed bicycles through the past years. My favorite one is the elliptical bicycle. See the bikes that are made up of the same material of defense grade and see how science is incorporated in to the design of the bicycles. This exhibit is free with museum admission.
Future Energy Chicago: The 90 minute interactive show explains the importance of energy conservation in Chicago. The audience is divided in to groups. Each group is assigned a challenge activity to design energy-efficient cars, neighborhood, house, power supply grid, and transportation system to make Chicago energy-efficient. You will be engaged throughout the guided activity. Each team is graded on points for each activity and team with most points win. We scored second which was not bad after all! The exhibit has an extra admission fee and I think is a modern way of incorporating energy conservation in to our minds.
Robot Revolution: My favorite of all the exhibits is the Robot Revolution. It features modern robots and how they are doing day-to-day activities such as surgeries, vacuuming, drones, information collection, and handling tasks. The robots are interactive and there is even a pet robot for hospital patients which moves when you pat it! There are soccer games and mimicking robots which you can enjoy. The drone show at the end of the hall demonstrates how technology is useful in times of emergencies and natural disasters. You can play tic-tac-toe with a robot and play a game of blackjack with another! Build your own robot at the end with the robot cubes and see robot engineers in work. The Robot Revolution is sponsored by Google and costs extra apart from the MSI admission.
Omnimax Theater
The omnimax theater is the largest theater in theater that is five-stories, wraparound and dome-shaped in the Museum of Science and Industry. The shows cost extra apart from the museum admission. The shows last about two hours and it is better to plan your museum trip based on the time of the show. Currently, the omnimax is featuring Journey to Space and Humpback Whales. It is a must visit if you are a first time visitor. In addition, the theater offers a cool place to rest when you are tired from all the walking, driving, and excitement. 🙂
The Cafe
The Museum of Science and Industry has a cafe which has burgers, french fries, salads, smoothies, juices, cool drinks, noodles, and hot dogs. The cafe is pretty much crowded. They let you pick the food you want and pay at the end so you can enjoy your food in one of their dining areas. Water is free and remember that no food is allowed back into the museum. The restrooms are nearby the cafe and there is also a Starbucks inside the MSI!!!
I pretty much enjoyed the visit but wish I had more time to see exhibits such as Numbers in Nature – A Mirror Maze, Coal Mine, and Materials Science. Let me know how you liked the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It is a must visit for all ages and is certainly geared towards the future science revolutions. The museum will certainly light up the creative minds and leaves us wondering whats next? Do visit the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and let me know your favorite exhibits. 🙂
Apple recently launched their newest addition to the extensive lineup of iOS software, iOS 9. iOS 9 promises to offer new built-in apps such as the new news app, which shows up to date news coverage from major news providers such as the New York City and ESPN. Another major addition are the new multitasking features on the iPad. Unfortunately, these following features are only available to iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 2.
Split View: A feature very similar to Windows 8 and 8.1’s multitasking feature, you can now look for a hotel destination in North Korea and work on your project that’s due on Wednesday at the same time.
Slide Over: Let’s say your friend texts you, but you’re working on that project. Just slide from the right, pausing your current app, and respond with a very angry “I’m working goddammit!”
Picture in Picture: Why not respond to an email and watch a Steelers vs. Cowboys game. I mean, why not? With Picture in Picture, you could do just that.
Apple has introduced some new features into their fairly new typing aid, Quicktype. Here are some of them:
Shortcut Bar: The shortcut bar on Macs and Macbooks now comes to iPad. (as long as you have a wireless keyboard)
Easy Text Selection: Just use two fingers on the iPad’s screen keyboard to easily select any piece of text.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!1!!1 Keyboard shortcuts come to the iPad. Command+C all the way, baby!!!!1!!!111!
Siri
In iOS 9, it seems Apple finally sent Siri to school. Siri can do a lot more, now:
Search: The famous Search page is back again, being powered by Siri.
Phone: Siri now provides names for unknown numbers by taking them out of Mail. Convenient!
Miscellaneous:
Longer Battery Life: The new power saving mode promises up to 1 hour of extra power.
Updates take less space: Exactly what it sounds like. For example: iOS 8=4.56 GB, iOS 9= 1.3 GB
Six-digit Passcodes
Android migration: Hate your Galaxy? Setting your sights on an iPhone 6, but want to keep your data? Never fear! Apple has released a new feature that allows you to transfer your pictures, data and apps from an Android device to an Apple device.
Those features were all collected from the Apple website. For those who look closely, at the bottom of the page, it says “Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all countries.” What does this mean? There may be more features out there, or some of these features may not be available where you live. Always check what are available or not available.
If you are new to the USA or to the Quad cities, one thing you certainly need is the Illinois driving license. Due to the limited public transportation and the extreme weathers, the driving license has become indispensable. It also serves as a state ID apart from letting you go places. However, there are certain requirements with respect to documents, vehicle, tests, and of course certain fees for a test. Here is an overview of the requirements for obtaining a driving license.
Documents
The DMV certainly needs to verify your documents in order to take up the written test or road test. They need to see a valid unexpired original document from four groups. They must be most recent or within 90 days from the date applying. For example:
Group A: Written Signature – Cancelled check, Major credit cards, Passport, EAD Card, I-94, Green card, Social Security Card, Current Driver’s License, State ID, and so on.
Group B: Date of Birth – Passport, US Visa, Green card, EAD Card, Birth Certificate (US), Social Security Award Letter, Military ID, Naturalization Certificate, and so on.
Group C: Social Security Number – Social Security Award Letter, Social Security Card, Driver’s License Record, Military ID, and so on. TVDL applicants no more required to submit a No SSN Letter. They will sign a declaration at the DMV.
Group D: Residency – Bank Statement, Cancelled Check (within 90 days), Utility bill, Official mail from US Federal agency, Rental or lease agreement, Credit report, Pay stub, Electronic deposit, and so on.
One document may satisfy more than one group. Illinois DMV does not accept photocopies. They need originals. New drivers must submit one document from Groups A, B, C, and two documents for Group D.
Vehicle
Your vehicle must be running with a valid insurance card. The vehicle must be running with all indicators working and with no problems. The vehicle:
Must comply according to the Illinois Secretary of State standards
Must have a valid insurance which is required before the road test
Must display front and rear licence plates with unexpired license sticker
Must be driven to the DMV by a driver with valid license and insurance
Tests
You are required to take a written test and a road test. At the DMV, first you have to take a token for a written test. The written test is a computer based test and covers the road signs, basic rules, seat belt requirements, and so on. You can skip a question if you think it is confusing. As soon as you answer thirty-five questions the computer will inform you that you have passed the test.
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Then, you can take a token for road test. A tester from the DMV will accompany you on a short road course with real traffic. The tester will test if you are able to follow directions and instructions properly. They will grade you on certain key aspects such as uphill, downhill, backing from a driveway on to a road, yielding, lane changes, parking, and so on.
Fees
You are required to pay a fee for the computer test, written permit, and road test. The fee varies from $25 to $40 depending upon your age and type of test.
Make sure you have all original documents and take extra photocopies. Check the weather and road conditions before you go. Also, check the national holidays and working hours of the local DMV. It is better to go in the early hours so you can finish off early. You can expect two to three hours before the entire process is completed.
Training
If you are new to the USA or to the Quad cities, it is suggested to go through a trainer who will guide you through the entire process. The trainer with a valid vehicle and insurance card can guide you through the rules and regulations of the road. It is better to take four to five classes before you go for the road test.
All the best for your tests and experience at the Illinois DMV. They are here to help us if we have everything what they need. Let me know your experience through the comments section. Have fun driving and enjoy the new-found freedom. 🙂
