Using Digital Twins to Boost Production, Cut Costs at Floating Offshore Wind Farms – Greentech Media News

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Withassets installed far from shore in harsh conditions, offshore wind turbine manufacturers and project operators areturning to new digital tools to optimize performance, boost power productionand minimize downtime. One such tool is the use of digital copies, or twins, of physical turbines to assist with real-time monitoring of offshore wind projects.

The California Energy Commissions Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC), a ratepayer-funded energy innovation research and development program, recently awarded a $2 million grant toNorwegian engineering company Aker Solutions and Cognite, an Oslo-based industrial software company, to develop a digital twin model of the physical floating offshore wind turbines that could be deployed along Californias coastline by the mid-2020s.

Aker Solutions hasworked on digital twinsfor many industries power, utilities, shipping, oil and gas, and manufacturing but the new research project is its first for floating offshore wind turbines, Hans Petter vrevik, head of offshore wind projects and business development for the U.S., said in an interview.

The $2 million grant was awarded under an EPIC program intended to advance next-generation wind energy technologies and accelerate the maturation of the Golden States promising but embryonicoffshore wind market.

Aker Solutions and Cognites NextWind Real Time Condition Monitoring platform will take representational data from typical equipment that would be used in a floating offshore wind farm to develop a blueprint for a real-world project. The aim is to generate data and insights that enableimprovements in power production, operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, and environmental performance throughout the operational life of a project.

The real-world project cited as a potential case study by vrevik is the 100- to 150-megawatt floating offshore wind farm proposed by the Redwood Coast Energy Authority and a consortium of private companies, including Aker Solutions, for waters located more than 20 miles off the coast of the city of Eureka in Northern California.

Shashi Barla, principal analyst for the global wind supply chain and technology at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, noted that one of the consortium partnersfor the Redwood Coast Offshore Wind project is EDP Renewables one of the world's largest wind asset owners/developers. That "implies some serious interest in the technology," Barla said.

GE Renewable Energy claims to have developed the first digital wind farm in 2015 and is adding digital twin functionality to the companys Predix software platform. GE is building an app using digital twin technology that will allow engineers to make better decisions about when to run its offshore turbines at full power out at sea.

Prior to construction, digital twins allowplanners to do modeling to analyze and predict O&M costs for a project. But, according to vrevik, the real value outtake of this, in terms of reduced O&M costs, will come when you actually put your projects in the water, and you basically start to collect the data and process it.

At that point, operators will be able to use the digital twin to compare the idealized, engineered condition of the equipment to the actual condition of the real-world project. Real-time monitoring through sensors embedded in the equipment should help wind farm owners avoid costlyunplanned maintenance or repairs.

"You can constantly adjust and optimize how you operate and how you maintain the asset,"vrevik told GTM.

Work on the EPIC-backed digital twin research project is expected to begin in May or June this year, with completion set for early 2023.

vrevik saidAker Solutions and its partners see the Redwood Coast Offshore Wind Project as an ideal first offshore wind project for California, both in terms of size and the fact that it's in an area where there [are few]conflicts and there's a strong wish to see it happen from the local community.

The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management may hold an auction for offshore wind lease areas in California by the end of 2020.

While not a new concept, digital twins are playing a growing role in the wind industry,WoodMac's Barla said.

Leading turbine [manufacturers]already have digital twins of their installed fleet that will help optimize the turbine performance and lower the O&M costs over the life of the asset, predominantly on the predictive maintenance of the components, he wrote in an email.

The digital models help in determining the impact on the physical turbines. The virtual sensors enable monitoring of the health of the turbines like temperature check, vibrationsand any aberration in parameters compared to normal performance."

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How offshore workflows have changed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 – Offshore Technology

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]]> Rigs are quieter than ever in an effort to prevent transmission. Credit: Equinor.

Across the world, offshore operators have cut workforces partly to reduce costs but also to limit the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

In the confined spaces of offshore operations, contagious diseases can spread quickly. Most, if not all, operators have reduced offshore occupancy, staggered shifts, and started screening workers for coronavirus before they fly out. Despite this, infections do happen, and in March, several rigs in the North Sea had to perform emergency medical evacuations of workers with coronavirus symptoms.

On Thursday, 11 workers were flown from the Rowan Gorilla VI mobile drilling unit after a suspected outbreak on board.

In the UK, the rollout of widespread testing is making slow progress. Initially, some operators including BP paid for coronavirus testing to be done privately before workers went offshore. However, workers criticised the company for sending them offshore before test results came back.

Testing is starting to become available through the government, and offshore workers are among those prioritised for being offered tests.

The UKs oil and gas trade body OGUK has seen a fall in the number of workers returning from offshore with symptoms. In the week beginning 3 March, the number of possible infected returning stood at 19. In the week starting 4 May, this was down to eight.

The Gulf of Mexico has also seen multiple infections. On 8 April, the US Coast Guard said more than 26 workers had tested positive for Covid-19 across seven platforms. However, the countrys National Ocean Industries Association has said being offshore could be safer than being among the public.

In the Middle East, Saudi Aramco has launched an awareness campaign for all staff. Through its healthcare joint venture, it has provided workers with access to information on how to prevent transmission and how to seek help in the relevant countries. It has also created a mental health toolkit for workers in isolation.

However, the company faced criticism during the early stages of the global spread for tasking an employee to dress up as a human hand-sanitiser dispenser. A photo of this was widely shared and condemned, and the company condemned the practice as abusive and immediately stopped it.

Aramco is screening all employees and contractors at every facility to detect the fever associated with Covid-19. At its plant in Riyadh, it has implemented safe distancing guidelines for all 4,000 truck drivers coming through the facility.

In South America, ExxonMobil recently confirmed it is making workers undergo a 14-day coronavirus observation period before travelling offshore. The company has set up a health facility in Stabroek, Guyana to monitor workers.

In Africa, some governments have tightly controlled offshore travel, requiring workers to obtain a permit before travelling.

Offshore New Zealand, OMV has asked workers to remain offshore for a month at a time. On the Maui A platform, 10 workers continue operations where 65 previously worked. The Maui B platform remains unmanned.

However, safety measures rely on enforcement and resources.

Online, rig workers share stories of the realities of working through the coronavirus pandemic. In posts to a Facebook group, rig workers have posted pictures of work flights with no distancing and shared stories of inadequate testing. One said their rotation was not fully tested, and they were sent offshore before results came back. When results showed one of the crew was infected, the infected individual was returned onshore. However, the rest of the crew were told to keep working.

Earlier, another said: Im grateful to be working in these mad times, but it is scary and astounding how these rigs in dock are still acting like nothing is happening. Feels inevitable that someone here will catch Covid-19.

Others have shared their distress with the new normal. One said they were not happy as they were no longer allowed to serve their own portions in the canteen: They dont give half of what I normally get. I hope I dont lose any weight on this trip.

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How offshore workflows have changed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 - Offshore Technology

Trust Survey – reputational risk for clients being associated with structures in offshore jurisdictions – Lexology

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Click here to listen to the audio.

As part of our recent trust companies survey, we asked the participating trust companies what risk and compliance issues pose the greatest challenges to their business.

Reputational risk as a business challenge

As we reported in our previous publication on the results of the survey, the respondents identified beneficiary disputes as the least pressing issue. Reputational risk for clients being associated with structures or offshore jurisdictions was identified as the second least challenging issue (out of a list of seven), behind other matters such as (listed in alphabetical order, so as to continue not to give anything away) Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Cybersecurity, Data protection, Regulatory compliance and Tax compliance.

Although it is impossible to identify a single explanation for this result, the following observations may go some way in explaining why trust companies identified the reputational risk for client being associated with offshore structures as a relatively low priority issue:

The English High Court commented in a decision in April 2020: The use of complex offshore corporate structures or trusts is not, without more, a ground for believing that they have been set up, or are being used, for wrongful purposes, such as money laundering. There are lawful reasons privacy, security, tax mitigation why very wealthy people invest their capital in complex offshore corporate structures or trusts.

Future changes

In recent years, the OECD and a number of jurisdictions have become particularly focused on increasing transparency of offshore investing, and are in the process of introducing more laws that may significantly increase regulatory scrutiny. These often include new reporting regimes and registers that record the names of ultimate beneficial owners, which may have a significant effect on potential reputational risks if anonymity is a major concern.

Enhanced transparency regimes and increasing disclosures of offshore holdings might have the effect of pushing reputational risk further up the risk scale for trust companies in future years, in jurisdictions where offshore investments are perceived negatively.

However, it is perhaps more likely that increasing transparency will demystify the offshore world, thereby having quite the opposite effect. Trustees report that the majority of their clients (and particularly the next generation) are accepting of transparency and information exchange as features of the modern world and, increasingly, clients wish to align themselves with jurisdictions that have internationally recognised regulatory frameworks, sophisticated court systems and advisory networks as well as reputable fiduciary and corporate service providers.

This is the flight to quality that Lydia Essa reports to be more noticeable now than ever. Clients are, in her experience, generally attracted to those offshore jurisdictions which have a global reputation for quality, security, and meet international standards on transparency, and information exchange, even if that comes at a slightly higher cost. Whether these enhanced regimes will assist in reshaping public opinion in time and reducing (or perhaps even eliminating) the reputational risk of an association with the offshore world is yet to be seen but early signs are that certain jurisdictions may be well placed to thrive in these conditions, whilst others may well find the going a lot tougher. Only time will tell.

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Trust Survey - reputational risk for clients being associated with structures in offshore jurisdictions - Lexology

‘It is heartening to see such progress in US offshore wind but we must maintain momentum’ | Recharge – Recharge

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The US is emerging from the immediate Covid-19 crisis of the past two months, yet it is still unclear what the new normal will be given the patchwork of local and state responses. One thing is clear, however: states will drive the reopening of the American economy just as they drive energy policy.

During the current stabilisation phase all businesses, not least the offshore wind sector, are figuring out how to operate. There are still a lot of unknowns. We must answer questions such as: H ow do you keep workers safe? Do you shift most of the workforce to telework? How do you work across multiple states with different requirements? States regional alliances are helpful, but it wont be seamless.

In the midst of so much uncertainty, it is especially heartening to see much of the offshore wind site assessment, planning and permitting work progressing via remote working.

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project monopiles, towers, nacelles and blades are on vessels and on-schedule for installation. Dominion Energy says survey work is underway on the 2.6GW megaproject ensuring their federal construction operations plan (COP) submission remains on track.

Connecticut reports New Londons offshore wind port construction is moving forward. States are reaffirming their clean energy policy goals, providing offshore wind with reassurance and stability. During the crisis, Virginia increased their commitment to offshore wind and New Yorks Public Utility Commission authorised the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to issue the states second solicitation, though this faces hurdles to proceed.

Yet the industry has not escaped Covid-19 unscathed. Orsted announced delays to project delivery times to almost 3GW of new developments off the Northeast US, and Equinor has said the virus has delayed key data collection activities using survey vessels working on its 816MW Empire State wind farm.

Despite these setbacks, the industry is still on track to deliver 4.5GW by 2025 and end to the decade with at least 10GW of offshore wind power installed. And we must maintain momentum.

As an industry, we must accept the new normal and adjust 2020-2021 expectations. We also need to recognise the opportunity emerging from the crisis. As EnBW North America CEO Bill White said in his presentation at the recent Virtual IPF 2020 recently, offshore wind is poised to be a big part of the economic recovery solution.

For this to happen, we need to ensure the Bureau Ocean Energy Management has resources to review and approve the seven COPs that have been submitted and several more that are anticipated.

We need to focus on port construction, which are the first sectors to re-open in the US, and a direct stimulus for Americans getting them back to work quickly.

We must recognise states and localities are under tremendous cost-cutting pressure. We need to make it easier for them to maintain their support of clean energy commitments by driving down costs. Delivering on commitments solidifies bipartisan support.

We should continue to connect with one another. There are ways to do this, we just must be open to embracing technologies. You know, learn what the young kids are doing. We need to embrace online learning to help companies figure out where they can enter the supply chain and help the oil & gas industry diversify.

Finally, industry must think big and use our voice to offer bold stimulus programs to policymakers: port construction programs, job training, US vessel and manufacturing initiatives, floating wind and hydrogen demonstrations, robust R&D initiatives, and upgrading and developing comprehensive solutions to grid infrastructure bottlenecks.

In a recent report, the International Energy Agency stated plainly : Governments should include clean energy at the heart of economic stimulus packages to ensure a green recovery. We could not agree more. Now is the not the time to turn our back to the wind but instead turn into the opportunity for lift-off.

Liz Burdock is the CEO of the US Business Network for Offshore Wind

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'It is heartening to see such progress in US offshore wind but we must maintain momentum' | Recharge - Recharge

Australia’s First Offshore Wind Project Expands Survey Team – Offshore WIND

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Star of the SouthWind Farm has partnered with Curtin University and Deakin University to assist with offshore site investigations for Australias first offshore wind project.

Curtin Universitys Centre for Marine Science and Technology is helping understand marine mammals in the project area, while Deakin University is supporting the seabird, seabed biodiversity and fish surveys.

Both universities are working with RPS Australia Asia Pacific to collect data to inform the environmental assessments and the projects design.

DHI has also joined the project by providing a 40-year hindcast of waves and currents that serves as input for moving further with the design phase.

Star of the South, a joint development by AustraliasOffshore Energy and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP),could comprise up to 250 turbines with a combined capacity of up to 2 GW.

Seabed investigations, marine wildlife and birdsurveysbegan in March at the project site off the south coast of Victoria.

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Australia's First Offshore Wind Project Expands Survey Team - Offshore WIND

Hong Kong: Costs and Technical Issues Weigh Against Offshore Wind – Offshore WIND

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Adding offshore wind to Hong Kongs energy mix is currently hindered by technical and financial issues, according to the latest information from official sources in Hong Kong.

Namely, a representative in the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Kenneth Leung, filed a question regarding the governments offshore wind plans on 6 May.

Leung asked whether the government would re-assess the feasibility and economic case for developing offshore wind projects, given the falling costs for this renewable energy technology. Some research findings indicate that the costs for electricity generated by offshore wind farms have fallen by 60 per cent over the last decade, Leung said.

The Secretary for the Environment, Wong Kam-sing, stated that technical and financial issues needed to be resolved, and the government needed to consider the tariff impact, before exploiting the potential of offshore wind power in Hong Kong.

According to Kam-sing, two power companies have carried out assessment and pinpointed two sites offshore Hong Kong that are suitable for developing wind farms on a commercial scale. The sites are located in the sea near Ninepin Group and the waters near Lamma Island.

In 2013, the Hong Kong government proposed to allow the Hongkong Electric Company to carry out offshore ground investigation works about 3.5 kilometres southwest of Lamma Island, as part of an offshore wind feasibility study at the site.

The power companies have also been conducting wind measurements at these locations, according to the the latest information.

The combined cost of the two projects would be over HK$ 10 billion and their total capacity is about 300 MW, Hong Kongs secretary for the environment said.

The amount of electricity provided is estimated to be less than 1.5 per cent of Hong Kongs total electricity consumption. The cost is relatively higher than using natural gas for electricity generation, Kim-sing stated.

The development of offshore wind farms within Hong Kong faces uncertainties in various aspects.Nonetheless, we will continue to keep in view the development in this area, and actively explore its feasibility and cost effectiveness, Wong Kim-sing said.

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Hong Kong: Costs and Technical Issues Weigh Against Offshore Wind - Offshore WIND

Eurogrid’s Debut Green Bond to Finance German Offshore Wind Connections – Offshore WIND

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Eurogrid GmbH, the parent company of 50Hertz, has issued its debut green bond in the amount of EUR 750 million, which will finance the Ostwind 1 and 2 grid connections in Germany.

The corporate bond with a term of 12 years and an interest rate of 1.113% was issued on the regulated market with the support of BNP Paribas, Rabobank and UniCredit Bank.

The subscribers come from European countries, including Germany, Great Britain, France, the Benelux countries and Scandinavia.

With the first Green Bond in our companys history, we are securing part of the necessary investments in the grid infrastructure over the next few years, said Marco Nix, Chief Financial Officer of 50Hertz.

In view of the difficult economic environment caused by the Corona pandemic, the financial markets with their great interest in our company show that they have a high level of confidence in our sustainability strategy and investment plans. The transaction is an important cornerstone in driving forward the expansion of our grid and thus the energy transition.

The operational Ostwind 1 connects the Wikinger and Arkona offshore wind farms via two offshore platforms with the Lubmin substation in the Bay of Greifswald.

Ostwind 2 is set to connect the Arcadis Ost 1 and Baltic Eagle offshore wind farms to the German high voltage grid.

50Hertz plans to jointly build two further offshore platforms together with the wind farm operators and three 220 kV AC submarine cable systems.

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Eurogrid's Debut Green Bond to Finance German Offshore Wind Connections - Offshore WIND

No visiting the offshore islands until mid August – Galway Daily

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The government has said that travel to the offshore islands for visitors wont resume until August 10, when the country enters the final phase of coming out of lockdown.

No tourist travel has been allowed to the Aran Islands since the end of March, when Island Ferries said they would only be taking essential and emergency services to the islands from the mainland.

Earlier that month residents of Inis Mr had appealed to tourists to stay away, with 94% voting in favour of limiting travel when asked by Comharchumann Forbartha rann Teo.

Ireland will enter the first phase of lifting lockdown restrictions imposed for the Covid-19 crisis on May 18.

But island travel is not expected to resume until Phase 5, which will get underway on August 10.

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht said today that, save for permanent residents and people carrying out essential services, there should be no travel to them from the mainland until that point.

The Department is keenly aware of the concerns among the island communities regarding visitors to islands, particularly in these summer months.

In accordance with phase 5 of the recently published roadmap issued by the Government for the reopening of Irelands economy and society, it is not envisaged that Irelands offshore islands will be opened for visitors until 10 August.

It is recognised that we are all in an unprecedented period, which creates challenges for us all.

That said, these challenges will be best overcome if we work in partnership for the benefit of the communities we serve.

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No visiting the offshore islands until mid August - Galway Daily

COVID-19 pandemic Offshore Containers Market to Witness Astonishing Growth by 2026 – Cole of Duty

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Research report on Offshore Containers Market size | Industry Segment by Applications, by Type, Regional Outlook, Market Demand, Latest Trends, Offshore Containers Industry Share & Revenue by Manufacturers, Company Profiles, Growth Forecasts 2025. Analyzes current market size and upcoming 5 years growth of this industry.

Report Covers Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, CAGR, Trends, Forecast And Business Opportunity.

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Global Offshore Containers Market to reach USD XX million by 2025.

Global Offshore Containers Market valued approximately USD 255 million in 2017 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 5.53% over the forecast period 2018-2025. The Offshore Containers Market is continuously growing across the world over the coming years. The major driving factor of global Offshore Containers market are growth in transportation of goods via seaways and rise in adoption by oil and gas industries. The major restraining factor of global offshore containers market are slower economic growth in countries such as china and other European countries and variations in prices of steel. Offshore containers are made for repeated use in the offshore industry to transport equipment and supplies and be handle in open seas to and from fixed and floating installation and ships. The major benefit of offshore container such as it is safe and secure to deliver goods, it must protect goods from disasters and it encourage services related to installation of ships & facilitate automated deployment and many more.The regional analysis of Global Offshore Containers Market is considered for the key regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific is the leading/significant region across the world in terms of market share owing to high demand for Offshore Containers. Europe also contributes a satisfactory growth in the global offshore container market. North America is also anticipated to exhibit higher growth rate / CAGR over the forecast period 2018-2025. The major market player included in this report are:TLS Offshore ContainerHoover FergusonSuretankOEG OffshoreCARU ContainersCIMCModexSINGAMASBSL Containers AlmarThe objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the industry within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:

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Market Overview:The report begins with this section where product overview and highlights of product and application segments of the Global Offshore Containers Market are provided. Highlights of the segmentation study include price, revenue, sales, sales growth rate, and market share by product.

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Company Profiles and Sales Data:As the name suggests, this section gives the sales data of key players of the Global Offshore Containers Market as well as some useful information on their business. It talks about the gross margin, price, revenue, products, and their specifications, type, applications, competitors, manufacturing base, and the main business of key players operating in the Global Offshore Containers Market.

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Market Forecast:Here, the report offers a complete forecast of the Global Offshore Containers Market by product, application, and region. It also offers global sales and revenue forecast for all years of the forecast period.

Research Findings and Conclusion:This is one of the last sections of the report where the findings of the analysts and the conclusion of the research study are provided.

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COVID-19 pandemic Offshore Containers Market to Witness Astonishing Growth by 2026 - Cole of Duty

The Great Offshore Oil and Gas Discovery in Guyana – OILMAN Magazine

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ExxonMobil won the prize. The greatest offshore oil discovery in recent decades was secured by the worlds largest exploration and production company in May 2015. The windfall for the oil giant is also a fortune for the people of Guyana, a former Dutch and British colony at the north-eastern tip of South America. The tiny countrys neighbor is Venezuela, itself rich in oil reserves, so there is no surprise Guyana shares the same luxury.

Disputed Waters

In December 2016, the Venezuelan Navy intercepted an exploration vessel conducting seismic survey work on behalf of ExxonMobil. The Venezuelan government insisted that the ship was within its territory and had every right to approach the vessel during a routine patrol. The Norwegian-owned vessel with 70 crew members from various nations stopped the exploration and headed back to safety. Guyana officials insisted that the vessel was operating in its economic zone and Venezuela was violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its country.

The offshore spat goes back to a longstanding land dispute. In 1899, Venezuela agreed to relinquish control of the Essequibo region, a dense jungle area that is sparsely populated. The dispute increased over the years when ExxonMobil announced the oil discovery, which was a windfall for Guyana with no significant history of oil production. Suriname also claimed a section of Guyanas territorial sea that was settled in 2007.

Significant Discovery

Guyana always had the potential to strike oil; however, for decades, explorers drilled dry holes. The financial risks involved in offshore exploration are tremendous. Royal Dutch Shell pulled out of the partnership during the 2014 oil price crash. It has been a long road for ExxonMobil, first signing a production sharing agreement with Guyana in 1999. With previous unsuccessful exploration attempts by competing oil producers, territorial disputes, and the oil price crash, ExxonMobil persevered, discovering an estimated four billion barrels of oil in the Stabroek block, 125 miles off the Guyana shore. Shell, Total, and other major oil producers have completed oil discoveries off the coast and drilled a number of wells, but nothing even close to this magnitude.

In a partnership with Hess, with 30 percent interest, CNOOC, also 30 percent interest, and ExxonMobil, with 45 percent interest, the oil giant drilled its first well, Liza, followed by several more wells. The subsequent well discoveries increased reserves to eight billion barrels of oil equivalent in the 6.6-million-acre block. The Liza 1 development is expected to start this year and produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day using a floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO). Liza Phase 2 has been approved for development by the Guyanese government and is expected to start in mid-2022, also using an FPSO to produce 220,000 barrels per day of oil. There are numerous drill ships in the block studying the basin with a possible third development, Payara, coming online in 2023.

Guyana exported its first crude cargo earlier this year headed for the U.S. Gulf Coast for refining in the ExxonMobil network. The Yannis P vessel loaded light sweet crude from the offshore FPSO, marking the countrys long-awaited debut as an oil exporter. Shell is also back in the partnership. Guyana awarded the company the right to cargo three vessels of crude and the government plans to open bidding for a marketing agent to trade and export its share of production.

Prosperity

Will Guyana be ready to manage the historic windfall it now has in its lap? Many still ponder at the thought. Some think they will end up mired in corruption like oil producing nations in Africa, such as Angola, and even Guyanas neighbor Venezuela. Guyana really is a country at risk, said David Goldwyn, president of Goldwyn Global Strategies.

Yet others think Guyana has the opportunity to prove that, as a developing nation, it will be able to manage and prosper with its newfound national treasure. Guyana is going to need a small, tight team of people making decisions in a timely way; theyre not there yet, Goldwyn said. The Guyanese government has slowly implemented measures, such as forming the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) to stamp out corruption and watch over the countrys prized offshore leases.

There are now several companies from around the world with wide-eyed interest in exploring for oil in offshore Guyana with hopes of the next big discovery. Guyana has approved several offshore leases and now that interest is high, officials in government have signaled Guyana did not get the best tax and royalty rates in the lease deal with ExxonMobil and subsequent oil companies.

Guyana will take 60 percent of the oil profit and is estimated to receive $5 billion in oil revenue per year by 2025. The government in the small developing nation of 778,000 citizens set up a sovereign wealth fund to manage the incoming revenue, but has not identified plans on how to spend it. Goldwyn mentioned, Today, they have the per capita income of Tonga, but by 2024, theyll have the per capita income of Brazil, a country whose population dwarfs Guyanas by over 200 million people. Goldwyn notes, if the right team is in place, Guyana will be successful and emphasized, If not, and I hope this is not the case, in ten years well be talking about how hard it is for countries with resource wealth to turn that into real prosperity.

Guyana potentially becoming the regions richest petrostate has a lot at stake. The countrys department of energy has an annual budget of $2 million, very modest compared to its neighbor. Goldwyn states that job number one is a fiscal rule that must be in play where a certain amount of money will go into the budget and the rest into a fund. Guyana will receive $300 million the first year and $100 million will go to the budget and $200 million into the sovereign wealth fund. Accountability is job two and anti-corruption is job three, Goldwyn says. If managed correctly, the oil bonanza could transform Guyana into a new global player in fossil fuel production for decades to come.

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The Great Offshore Oil and Gas Discovery in Guyana - OILMAN Magazine

Victoria calls on feds to put aside ideology and pave way for offshore wind – RenewEconomy

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Victorias energy minister has called on the federal Coalition government to put aside any ideological opposition to wind energy and get on with creating a legislative framework to support the development of offshore wind farms in Australia.

In comments during the online Situmulus Summit on Wednesday, co-hosted by the Smart Energy Council and RenewEconomy, Lily DAmbrosio said offshore wind had the potential to supply an almost constant source of renewable energy to Australias grids, and was a particularly promising resource for Victoria.

DAmbrosio said that the state currently had a number of proponents that were very keen on investing in offshore wind energy projects, but faced uncertainty in dealing with the federal government, which has regulatory control over any projects more than 3 kilometres from shore.

The minister pointed to the massive Star of the South project, which proposes to build a 4,000MW offshore wind farm Australias first off the Victorias Gippsland coast, and last month began the process of seeking environmental approvals from the federal government.

Thats had very big difficulties in getting the necessary exploration licences because its in Commonwealth waters, and big projects like this will probably typically be in Commonwealth waters, DAmbrosio told the Summit.

Australia lags well behind the rest of the world on offshore wind energy development, despite having an abundant resource. The federal government in January this year launched a consultation process on potential new regulatory powers for offshore wind farms in Australia.

Part of the proposed process would see the federal energy minister, currently Angus Taylor, granted decision making powers to approve, or place conditions on, a proposed offshore wind farm. It would effectively provide the federal energy minister a vocal oppoenent of onshore wind energy with veto powers over a proposed offshore wind farm in Commonwealth waters.

Victoria has probably the best offshore wind resource in the country. We need them to just put aside any ideological views about wind and just get on with actually providing a proper legislative framework for committing exploration and then actually building these types of facilities.

That will benefit many states, and certainly Victoria. Offshore wind presents particular advantages in terms of availability of wind as a resource. Its almost a constant source of resource, potentially, and wed be derelict not to allow for investors to come in and actually plan for those projects and get them built because we need them.

The Star of the South project, an investment of around $10 billion, promises to create around 2,000 jobs over the time of its development. It is being progressed in partnership with Denmarks Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, which is also looking to invest in offshore projects across Europe, Asia and North America.

Environmental group Friends of the Earth seconded the ministers call for the federal government to get a move on, by bringing national offshore wind laws to parliament.

The Star of the South is a game changing project that was first publicly proposed back in 2017, and now its time for Angus Taylor to get a move on and bring national offshore wind laws to parliament as a matter of urgency, said Pat Simons, Friends of the Earths renewable energy spokesperson.

Its baffling that Energy Minister Angus Taylor is trying to prop up the ailing gas industry under the cover of Covid, when the priority should be how to build the cleantech industries of the future like offshore wind.

RenewEconomy and its sister sites One Step Off The Grid and The Driven will continue to publish throughout the Covid-19 crisis, posting good news about technology and project development, and holding government, regulators and business to account. But as the conference market evaporates, and some advertisers pull in their budgets, readers can help by making a voluntary donation here to help ensure we can continue to offer the service free of charge and to as wide an audience as possible. Thank you for your support.

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Victoria calls on feds to put aside ideology and pave way for offshore wind - RenewEconomy

The Golden Rule applies now, during the pandemic, more than ever | McKibben – Tallahassee Democrat

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Rev. Candace McKibben, Guest Columnist Published 9:25 p.m. ET May 3, 2020

Candace McKibben(Photo: Candace McKibben)

I have thought about the difference between prescriptive and descriptive several times of late. It is a distinction I first remember considering in seminary regarding scripture. We learned the importance of distinguishing between passages that describe what was happening and those that prescribe what ought to happen. This distinction is functional in linguistics, business, ethics, psychologyand more.

It is where we sit in the midst of this pandemic as we are learning daily the description of how the virus operates and the prescription of how we can best respond. The challenge is the unknown and the humility required for us to follow those prescriptive precautions known to be effective, when we are longing to return to some semblance of normalcy sooner rather than later.

The discipline in following the prescribed wisdom regarding COVID-19 comes from a place deep in the human spirit. Most religions and cultures have some prescription for how we treat ourselves and others and the significant relationship between the two. It is so prevalent it is known as the Golden Rule. Not silver or bronze;this rule takes first place.

From the Buddhist, Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful, to Zoroastrianisms, That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another whatsoever is not good for itself, the wisest among us realize the mutual benefit in looking out for each other.

Dr. Karen Armstrong, who has conducted decades of research on the worlds religions, says Confucius was the first person known to offer the Golden Rule when he told his disciples, Never treat others as you would not like to be treated yourself. Jesus, some 500 years later told his disciples, quoting Leviticus 19:18, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Whether approached negatively or positively, the intent is the same. We are to take into account the well-being of others in how we act.

Last summer, my granddaughter Rylee and I were driving from Jacksonville to Cocoa Beach when I asked her about her collegeapplication process. She told me she had to write an essay about her core values. I was intrigued and asked her what values she identified, expecting to hear love, courage, honesty and the like. Instead she said, Knowledge, accountability and reciprocity.

Reciprocity is the moral principle at work in the golden rule. As humans, we have the capacity for empathy, for understanding and relating to the feelings of another, for putting ourselves in the shoes of another and acting accordingly. I agree with Rylee. It is an important value, perhaps now more than ever.

As we think of the pandemic and the suffering it is causing globally, both literally and figuratively, as it impacts the whole globe in holistic ways of health and well-being, it is tempting to retreat. It is also understandable to focus on me and mine. But it is not our better angels at work when we do so. When we insist on our way at the peril of others, we are forsaking our better nature.

As we move forward, we want to find ways to continue to protect ourselves and others by washing our hands well and frequently, by wearing masks and gloves when out for necessary business, by limiting physical proximity to others while retaining social contact in the ways that are not threatening to ourselves or to others, and by doing what we can safely do to support the needs of those who are hardest hit by this pandemic.

As community members and leaders, we can listen to the wisest counsel and use our best judgment regarding re-engagement in society, caring about our own well-being and that of others. We can remember the potential for harm in not being cautious, not just harm to ourselves, but harm to others which inevitably diminishes our own spirits.

If we can continue to practice the Golden Rule, which is the prescribed way forward through this pandemic, we will come out on the other side with a description of humanity at its best, touched by the divine spark, the greater good in us all. It is my prayer that we remain vigilant in caring for each other as we care for ourselves.

The Rev. Candace McKibben is an ordained minister who serves as the director of faith outreach at Big Bend Hospice and as pastor of Tallahassee Fellowship.

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The Golden Rule applies now, during the pandemic, more than ever | McKibben - Tallahassee Democrat

Commentary: On other side of this crisis, what will humanity be? – San Antonio Express-News

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Who are we in the midst of COVID-19?

Sometimes I find myself imagining the Gods eye view of our human movement during these surreal times. The image is daunting and more than the eye of my heart can take in during the most serious of moments.

Every once in a while, a wee bit of lightness of heart will pop in and the image becomes somewhat like ants at a picnic. Some scrambling. Some feasting on bits or biting. Some carrying 10 to 50 times their capacity. Some alone and lost while others run for their lives. Some huddle, focused on completing the task in front of them. Many walking and working together in a united and forward mission to a concerted drum of a destination only known to them.

The image makes me smile. It somehow lightens the load and gives me hope for us human creatures.

The pandemic has brought us all back down to earth and to our knees. The knee-state in a crisis is an observable state of being. Sometimes in the scramble it appears much like begging. The human brain in crisis is charged with chemicals that fog our reason. We may find ourselves regressing, or we may simply be grabbing for everything we can get our hands on. Solutions as well as stuff. For many, even if they rarely prayed, the knee-state looks much like prayer. The knee-state is a humbling and human movement.

Rapid research and first responders, mass consumption and economic impact, declarations and essays, poems and songs are all being created in this moment in time. We are creative creatures and social beings finding ourselves for the first moment in history contained in an incubator of the same global crisis. We find ourselves in a moment we did not plan for and certainly not a moment we would wish to be in.

Who do we want to be? This C-spin caused a global pause and is giving us opportunity to choose a clearer path. Hindsight is said to be 20/20, but we live in 2020 with the human capacity to actually see the larger-than-life view of our interdependent planet. We have the most research on best practices and the human condition than ever before, coupled with the highest levels of technology.

Wouldnt it be theoretically possible to come out on the other side of COVID-19 better, even perhaps at our best, than we were before? Is that such a far-reaching question to ask of ourselves? To expect of ourselves? We have the potential to blow ourselves up. We must certainly then have the potential to believe in the best of ourselves and each other as well.

Is there a missing element in this equation of potential? Is there a bit of lightness we can see in our current complexities that might shed a glimmer of hope on the globe?

The Rev. Ann Helmke discusses the pandemics impact on faith and worship, and the guidance found in the word of God.

There is a perennial and ancient element that spans across time, found in all the world religions. Some call it the golden rule or the ethic of reciprocity. Some call it love on behalf of all life.

We see it in San Antonio. People helping other people instead of grabbing things or giving up in despair. First responders. Health care and essential city workers.

We see it in San Antonians carrying many more times their weight in caring for others. Food banks and food pantries and senior centers providing tens of thousands of meals.

We see it in San Antonios civic leaders and faith leaders huddling together to address and complete the most complex of decisions in front of them. Meeting continually. Updating daily. Making decisions that no one wants to hear, but that everyone needs to hear, for the survival and thriving of our common humanity.

If a drone were flying above all of San Antonio, we might even see many of us working together in a united and forward mission while walking to a concerted drumbeat of a destination not yet clearly known.

Must it be this way? Not yet clearly known? Compassion is a choice and a systemic strategy of intentional actions based on millennia of human experience and research.

The best drumbeat is the one that resonates with the heartbeat.

The Rev. Ann Helmke is the faith-based initiative liaison for the city of San Antonio Department of Human Services.

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Commentary: On other side of this crisis, what will humanity be? - San Antonio Express-News

State reveals plan to test every resident and employee in all 286 nursing homes in next 2 months; posts more reopening guidance – Hoptown Chronicle

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Gov. Andy Beshear and Health Secretary Eric Friedlander announced a plan Friday to test every nursing-home resident and employee in the state for free.

We are now going to be very targeted in making sure that we know the situation in each of these facilities, especially for the most vulnerable, and are able to take some quick action, Beshear said at his daily briefing. Around 58 percent of the states COVID-19 deaths have been nursing-home residents.

Friedlander said, With the ability to now test every resident of our long-term care facilities, we can take an even more aggressive approach to our battle against the coronavirus. He said the state,Norton HealthCareand local health departments and emergency management leaders would be testing every resident and every staff member at all 286 skilled nursing homes in Kentucky.

He stressed that to get tests, a facility must have a plan for how to manage whatever the tests reveal. Asked how a facility would remain staffed if it finds many of its employees are infected, he said the state would help.

Friedlander noted the state has sent medical and nursing students to help, is using the National Guard a one facility in Northern Kentucky,and has received staff help from hospitals. He said Nortonhas sent nurses and certified nursing assistants to hold facilities together, and the states nursing home task force is working on way to match up recent graduates and facilities that need staff.

He said the state has provided additional reimbursements, support and guidance to the facilities,but worried a month ago about falling short of test kits and and personal protective equipment, and frankly, we had a long way to go.

At this point, the state has tested about 10 percent of all residents, and testing all of them would take a couple of months to get all of the testing done, Friedlander said.

He said the state is prioritizing facilities with eight factors, including their current rate of infection and if they are in a county with high rates of positive tests. He said they have tested about a third of the homes that have been placed in the highest category.

The state would also test in assisted-living facilities when they start to have trouble, Friedlander said, and that would bring them to the top of the list.

Friedlander said one of the best things Kentucky did was be one of the first states to stop visitation at the nursing homes, but he acknowledged that this has been hard of residents and families, and that Mothers Day is approaching. He encouraged facilities to find creative ways to allow visitation, through closed windows, Plexiglas visitation stations or technological assistance, which the state has provided in some cases.

We know that you miss meeting with your loved ones, he said. That is a very big sacrifice that you have made, but it is an important sacrifice and as the governor says, you have saved lives.

Beshear said nine more residents and three more employees have tested positive in Kentucky long-term care facilities, bringing the respective totals to 862 residents and 356 staff. In 81 facilities, 174 residents and two staffers have died.Click herefor more information.

Reopenings:Beshear said the state had posted the minimum requirements for all businesses and organizations that will open through May 20.

Guidance has been added for government offices and agencies, which can open May 18; funeral homes, which can open May 20; and places of worship and retail under Healthy At Workatkycovid19.ky.gov.

Beshear praised the efforts of the faith community in drafting these guidelines, specifically pointing to theKentucky Baptist Conventionand theKentucky Council of Churches.

Therequirementssay that houses of worship will need to limit attendance to one-third of occupancy, including clergy; maintain six feet of physical distance between attendees, even in rows; not provide communal food or beverages; avoid handshaking and hugs; wear masks or face coverings; increase sanitization; avoid live choir or singing; consider taking temperatures or asking about symptoms, and not admit those who have them; use greeters and markers to guide social distancing; and allow only one person in a restroom at a time, with adequate hand sanitizer and soap. It adds that youth services should not resume until June 15, the same date child-care facilities are tentatively set to reopen.

Beshear said, Remember, listen to your faith leader. If they tell you that theyre not ready and that they dont think that its safe, then you should wait. He added that this should be the case for all businesses.

Testing:Beshear stressed the importance of testing and contact tracing as the state reopens its economy, and said Kentucky now has the capacity to do about 50,000 tests a week, which would more than meet the federal guidelines for reopening.

He said the next step is to make sure people use that testing capacity, even if they dont have symptoms, since many with the virus are asymptomatic but can still infect others.

Making sure people get tested is our new challenge, Beshear said, adding that is preferable to the challenges of the last two months.

We dont have to make excuses anymore, he said. Were not facing the same type of shortages. So lets make sure as we go back to being healthy at work that were doing everything we can to take care of those around us.

Again, Beshear pleaded with Kentuckians to wear masks, especially as many places reopen Monday.

Holding up his mask, he said, Knowing that the decision to wear one of these may be the difference if you are asymptomatic between someone else living and someone else dying. It is just one small thing I can do to live out my faith, that Golden Rule: How I can be a good neighbor, how I can be ethical in this time of the coronavirus?

At the start of his briefing, Beshear made a different sort of argument: The healthiest economy coming out of 2019 is the one thats able to keep the virus contained as they successfully reopen. That is what our plan is designed to do.

(Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.)

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State reveals plan to test every resident and employee in all 286 nursing homes in next 2 months; posts more reopening guidance - Hoptown Chronicle

New Jersey Schools Work to Avoid Zoombombing Hacks – Government Technology

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(TNS) As video conferencing platforms like Zoom become the norm for hosting classes online,Burlington County. N.J., schoolsare becoming increasingly comfortable with them, especially as the rest of the school year is set to take placeremotely.

But the transition has also come with some unexpected challenges around the nation, classes have beeninterrupted by "zoom bombings,"in which hackers get into online classes, and often share inappropriate language or pornographic images with the virtual classroom.

Lumberton fell victim to one of those hacks recently. The township school district and police are investigating the April 28 incident, in which a hacker displayed racist words and pornographic images to a middle school class.

Superintendent Joe Langowski said that by Tuesday, the district transitioned to Google Hangouts for all video conferencing moving forward, but wished not to speak about Zoom further.

Sometimes, the issue of "zoom bombing" can be caused by Zoom meeting links being distributed publicly, whether on a website or social media, but the cause of the Lumberton incident is still being investigated.

The FBI is also investigating nationwide zoom bombings,USA Today reported earlier in April.

"As large numbers of people turn to video-teleconferencing (VTC) platforms to stay connected in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, reports of VTC hijacking (also called zoom-bombing) are emerging nationwide," the FBI Boston field office warned. "The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language."

While navigating remote learning technology is new for many educators, there are some key safety features available for those using the platform.

Tabernacle is among the school districts continuing to Zoom, and Superintendent and Principal Shaun Banin outlined some of the district's safety measures Friday.

"We have it set up so there's a waiting room. By default, all education accounts have a pre-selection, so when someone signs up, the teacher has to let them in," Banin explained.

There's also an option in which the video chat host usually the teacher, for class meetings can prohibit other members of the chat from sharing their computer screen with the rest of the group, he said.

The host of a video conference also has a variety of controls, such as turning off other participants' videos or microphones, removing participants, and locking a meeting so no new participants can join it, according toZoom's guide for school administrators.

Outside of the video, the host can also prohibit private chats between members of a Zoom group and limit who can and cannot use the direct messaging feature.

Westfield Friends' Head of School Margaret Haviland said the small Cinnaminson school plans to leave some room in its budget next school year to pay for future Zoom upgrades as it continues to update its security.

"We control at a high level what teachers can and can't do," she said. "Passwords are required to get in, and we don't publish our Zoom meetings publicly. All my teachers use the waiting room feature and only admit names of students they recognize."

Recently, Westfield held a town hall meeting for parents, for which the parents had to ask Haviland's assistant to send them the meeting link in an email.

"Right now everyone's trying to find the best way to interact with their students," Banin added. "You're going to have hiccups along the way, but if you're constantly doing what you think is best, that's the golden rule in education."

2020 Burlington County Times, Willingboro, N.J.Distributed byTribune Content Agency, LLC.

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New Jersey Schools Work to Avoid Zoombombing Hacks - Government Technology

The Grandmother I Always Wanted: Things I Learned From Mother – Coronado Eagle and Journal

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As a young mother, I heard a lot of yelling from neighborhood mothers reprimanding their children, and I quietly determined that I would never do that. I may not have been a yeller, but I certainly spoke harshly. My mother never yelled, never raised her voice. She would softly speak wisdom; tears might run when I was rude. Consequently, I wanted to be more like my mother.

Although she worked six days a week until I was thirteen and five days a week from 3 to 11 p.m. as an RN when I was a teenager, which permitted very little time together, her influence was indelible. When she started work as a nurse, she let it be known that when her girls called, she would talk with them. She may have been absent in body but not in attention.

Her philosophy and strong faith have carried me through my lifetime. I am grateful. She expected my sister Jean and me to do our best because our best would be sufficient. Having a strong work ethic, doing more than the minimum for an employer, earned me the Waitress of the Summer recognition when I worked at the Virginia Beach Rathskeller restaurant before my senior year in college. Since school was our job, we studied not only to get good grades but, also, to learn what we would need for the future. Preparing for life as an adult was important to her. She wanted us to be self-sufficient, to be able to take charge when circumstances demanded it. Knowing we could support ourselves would give us the confidence necessary for contentment.

Growing up, we were taught to be nice to everyone, no matter how they treated you, which was, of course, impossible for us children at times. Mother always excused bad behavior in everyone since her mantra was Be kind to everyone because you dont know what kind of day theyve had. She even excused my lippy backtalk with, Id rather you blow up at home because you have to get it out of your system some way, or youll get an ulcer. Besides, its better to behave when youre away from home.

Perhaps her best lesson for me was, Everything works out for the best in the long run, Linda, but it may be a very long run. If you have done your part and can do no more, let it rest. If the results are inevitable, you have no choice but to adjust to it. Sometimes the immediate result is only temporary. That attitude makes life much more pleasant.

Mother was adamant about following rules, whether it was game rules, underage drinking, paying the correct amount when you aged up to adult prices, reimbursing an overcharge, or being honest on your taxes. I used that concept with my children when I said, If you dont like a rule, do all you can to change it, but obey it while it remains a rule.

Obeying the rules undoubtedly came from her strong Christian beliefs, which meant more than weekly church attendance was required. Although she never preached, her life and her little sayings transferred her values and expectations to us. She lived the Golden Rule, Treat others as you want to be treated which was fully ingrained into her character. Her integrity surfaced in one saying which kept me out of a lot of trouble: It doesnt matter if Mother knows what youre doing; God sees everything you do, and thats more important.

Mother was, also, very pragmatic. She knew and accepted that sometimes you had to be at the right place at the right time and that sometimes Its not what you know but who you know. With so few jobs for a sixteen-year-old in my small hometown, I knew I got a job at the swimming pool as a cashier because my beloved Uncle Tom, an All-American for Duke University, was the manager. I, also, knew that I had to do my best to be rehired and not embarrass the family!

Mother took nutrition courses in college before entering nursing school, so we had balanced, healthy meals. Consequently, Jean and I rarely took medicine, even an aspirin. If you had a headache, obviously you had not gotten enough sleep and you went right to bed. If you had a stomachache, you must be constipated, so you immediately had to drink a large glass of water or eat a whole apple. A fever indicated you were ill, but usually that simply meant going to bed until it passed.

Eating breakfast every morning was expected: Always eat breakfast so you get those gastric juices out of your stomach, or you might get an ulcer. Since Jean and I are relatively healthy for our age, her rules have served us well. While I am a self-proclaimed junk food junky who enjoys fast food when traveling and ice cream, cookies, and desserts when my weight allows the extra calories, the three meals a day are usually supplied with lots of fruits and vegetables.

When I started journaling, I remembered her words, Never write down anything you dont want the world to read. Words are somewhat permanent. As I journal for my family to later read, I am conscious of things I want them to remember. Some things are better left unsaid, however, so I censor what I write. No one needs to relive pain that has passed.

One of my former parenting students once called after graduation and said, When I was sitting in your parenting classes, Id think, Yeah, yeah, but now I hear you talking to me when Jesse does something. I hear my mothers sayings talking to me, too. As an adult, I know her influence is still strong in my life.

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The Grandmother I Always Wanted: Things I Learned From Mother - Coronado Eagle and Journal

Ask the pros: best tips and tricks to land a job – KLKN

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Heartland Staffing Solutions on North 48th and R streets would like to welcome you to the world of employment.

When youre looking for a job, it can be a difficult time. Especially through COVID and the loss of jobs nationwide, there are a lot of pressures out there.

Heartland Staffing Solutions has the tips and tricks to stay on top of the game. They work with you to find long-term career paths that sticks to your liking.

So we looked at a number of different jobs and kind of met in the middle, found a great place and just took off from there. Its really easy, said Tristan Nava, a gentleman who just recently landed a job as a Warehouse Clerk at Rivers Metal and used the job finding process through Heartland Staffing Solutions.

What would you like to do first of all, just dream, what would you like to do, then research companies that do what youd like to do and be realistic in your skill, so do an inventory of that, and then reach out to the companies, if they dont have any postings, doesnt matter, you reach out, because I bet you that one of them will be looking, but they havent posted the job yet, said Cathy Black, co-owner at Heartland Staffing Solutions alongside her sister, Tina Robinson.

I mean period, just get yourself out there, said Nava.

They say to apply, apply, APPLY.

The hard work is the golden rule. said Black. You know when I was a performer I had to audition maybe 30 times to get one gig, well you need to interview many times, you need to submit your application maybe 50 times, 100 times to get one job. If thats what it takes, its your job from 8 in the morning until 5 at night or longer until you find a job.

Then, you keep your tabs on the companies you really want to be a part of.

And follow up with a phone call, how many follow-ups did you do to the companies that you applied. Theres nothing wrong with that, said Black.

Lastly, they say there is a 4 second attention span for each individual reading your resume, so make sure the first 4 seconds exemplify who you are so that you can grab the employers attention.

When youre in your interview, you should LISTEN, SMILE, BE HONEST, and to limit what you say, because LESS IS MORE.

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Ask the pros: best tips and tricks to land a job - KLKN

AMLO demands to know who pays social media that attacks his government. – The Yucatan Times

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The President urged social networking companies to explain to him how they sell advertising for bots that attck his government.

MEXICO (Times Media Mexico) Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador demanded to know the Twitter and Facebook statements for the alleged sale of advertising for bots to buy space and attack his government in social networks.

In a press conference, the head of the federal executive said that the golden rule of democracy is transparency, which his government lacks. So far, 80% of all government contracts have been directly assigned, and major constructions have been sealed as confidential.

It was explained to me a mechanism to neutralize the bots, he said It is important to ask Twitter and Facebook to explain how they sell advertising for bots and also, above all, to be accountable, thats the golden rule of democracy transparency. How much do companies in Mexico earn from these companies for buying advertising? It is not known. I think they should report,he said.

AMLOs fake followers.Twitter published an analysis confirming that 54% of Andrs Manuel Lpez Obradors followers are bots, fake hired profiles.

This percentage can be translated into 3 million four hundred and thirty-seven thousand fake users.

This was an apparent response to the Presidents statements yesterday, where he demanded that the company reveal which people were behind the attacks on its image with the use of bots.

Bots, as cybernauts call them, are automated fictitious users created to attack or defend subjects, characters, or causes, depending on who pays for the digital service of the one who manages them.

Twitters response was a very diplomatic slap in the wrist to the Mexican President. A clear example that both attacks and defenses of users in networks in favor of the image and interests of the President are a subject that lacks real followers since half are fake cybernauts paid by the federal government.

The other tool used to determine fake followers is Twitter Audit, which also gives Lopez Obrador a high amount of fake followers.

Populists around the world always do the same thing. Blame others for the very practices they conduct.

The Yucatan TimesNewsroom

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AMLO demands to know who pays social media that attacks his government. - The Yucatan Times

‘No one deserves to die that way’: Community mourns 3 young men killed in Tuesday shooting – Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register

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Family and friends released green star and red heart balloons into the sky over the parking lot of Golden West High School Wednesday evening.

As the balloons drifted away from the crowd of mourners, a mother wept for her son, who was killed Tuesday night, along with two other young men.

"Fly high, my baby, fly high,"Nikkole Rule-Balderama cried. "Take care of each other, watch over each other."

Her son,Isaiah Rule, was 18.

Rule,Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, and Blake Medeiros, 19, died Tuesday after they were shot during an incident that ended in the Golden West parking lot.

Family and friends of shooting victims gather Wednesday at Golden West High School. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

Police have released few details of the triple homicide investigation. No suspect or motive has been disclosed, and no arrests have been made.

The victims were not currently Visalia Unified School District students, according to police.

Wednesday afternoon,a small group set up amemorial in the high school parking lot with teddy bears, prayer candles and photos. They returned Wednesday evening when about 130friends and relativesgrieved together.

Destiny Martinez's friendship with Medeiros and Rule began more than 10 years ago, at Annie R. Mitchell Elementary School. The threestayed close during their time at Divisadero Middle School and into high school, she said.

She found out her friendshad died after seeing a social media post that said "RIP Blake." She tried to call both Medeiros and Rule. When they didn't answer, she called their mothers.

"It's just it's a sad day," Martinez said. "I never thought I would see RIP next to their names."

Previous: Police release names of men shot, killed in Golden West High School parking lot

Family and friends of shooting victims gather Wednesday at Golden West High School. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

Medeiros's friend Janelle Navarro alsoset up the memorial. The two had been friends since seventh grade. She found out he died when her sister told her after seeing posts on Snapchat.

"I cried. I freaked out. I didn't believe it," she said.

Medeiros was "a really good guy who got along with everybody; he wasn'ta gangster," Navarro said.

Monique Lopez also attended the gathering Wednesday. Her daughter had been dating Pena, a competitive skateboarder,for nearly a year, she said.

Nikkole Rule-Balderama, mother of Isaiah Rule, left, is surrounded by family and friends during a vigil Wednesday at Golden West High School for shooting victims killed the night before in the parking lot. A shootout the night before left Jose Carlos Hernandez Pena, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead at the scene.(Photo: Ron Holman)

"It's really hard to believe because he was just a really nice boy," Lopez said. "He was only 19, just barely starting his life."

Pena's death, she said, was "unreal."

"From what we know, they were being chased, or how, how did this happen?" Lopez said. "And then, to be shot to death. No one deserves to die that way."

Anyone with information regarding theinvestigation is asked to callVisalia police anonymously at 713-4738 or DetectiveSegura of the Violent Crimes Unit at 713-4739.

Reach reporter Kyra Haasby emailat khaas@visaliatimesdelta.com or find her onTwitter@kc_haas.

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Classical Liberals vs. National Conservatives in the Age of Coronavirus – National Review

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Detail of portrait of John Locke by Godfrey Kneller, 1697(Wikimedia)The governments response to the pandemic should give conservative advocates of a more powerful state pause.

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLEOver the past few years, a small but growing cadre of religious conservatives has decided that classical liberalism grounded in a belief in the natural rights and freedoms of the individual is a grotesque mistake. The coronavirus pandemic should prompt this crowd to do a little soul-searching.

Despite their differences, liberalisms right-wing critics are united in their fierce antagonism to John Locke, whose doctrine of government-by-consent inspired the American Revolution and informed the Founding. According to Yoram Hazony, the Jewish philosopher and author ofThe Virtue of Nationalism, Lockes account of human nature amounts to a far-reaching depreciation of the most basic bonds that hold society together. Similarly, Patrick Deneen, a Catholic political scientist and author ofWhy Liberalism Failed, denounces Lockes theory of consent as one of liberalisms most damaging fictions, a solvent of community, morality, and religious belief. Lockes vision of human flourishing, they say, was really no different than that of Thomas Hobbes.

All of this talk began before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, which has given most of us a more intimate taste of what it might be like to live under HobbessLeviathan: For by this authority . . . he hath the use of so much power and strength conferred on him that, by terror thereof, he is enabled to form the wills of them all, to peace at home, and mutual aid against their enemies abroad.

Most states have imposed severe lockdown measures, constraining and disrupting the lives of hundreds of millions of people. Public gatherings including peaceful protests have been outlawed. Schools and colleges have closed their doors. Religious services have been banned, and would-be worshippers harassed by local police. Thousands of businesses in every state have been indefinitely shut down. Earlier this week, a Dallas woman was arrested, fined, and sent to jail for trying to operate her hair salon in defiance of the Texas governors stay-at-home rules. Feeding my children isnt selfish, she said. I am not closing the salon.

In LockesSecond Treatise of Government(1689), he named life, liberty, and property as among the natural rights of man that governments were instituted to protect. By property, he meant much more than a persons wealth and belongings.Every man has apropertyin his ownperson.This nobody has any right to but himself, he wrote. Thelaborof his body, and theworkof his hands, we may say, are properly his.

Lockes critics, who often appear not to have read his actual works, see only mindless and clawing consumption at the root of his worldview. But theSecond Treatiseleaves no doubt about the divine prerogative and the moral obligations that flow from it: Our equality by Nature forms the foundation of that obligation to mutual love amongst men and the duties they owe one another, namely, the great maxims of justice and charity. Locke then cites the golden rule to insist upon a natural duty to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. In a slap at political absolutism, he invokes the authority of the God of the Bible: For men being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker . . . sent into the world by His order and about His business; they are His property, whose workmanship they are made to last during His, not anothers pleasure. Lockes conception of human flourishing ultimately depends upon his belief that every person is endowed by God with creative powers and is called in freedom to engage in meaningful, honorable, productive work.

The Leviathan now embodied in government at all levels inevitably has other ideas. About 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment since the onset of the coronavirus. The unemployment rate for April is expected to top 15 percent, the highest since the Great Depression. Tens of thousands of small business have been devastated, and many will never recover. The human suffering involved in this cataclysm drug abuse, depression, suicide, and the delaying of surgeries, cancer treatments, etc. cannot be calculated. The virus wouldve taken a severe toll on American society regardless of the public-policy response to it, but evidence is mounting that the governments Draconian pandemic-response measures have played a role in making things worse.

Said measures have been undertaken in an effort to flatten the curve and save lives. Its a rationale Hobbes would surely applaud:And though of so unlimited a power men may fancy many evil consequences, yet the consequences of the want of it, which is perpetual war of every man against his neighbor, are much worse. Having lived through the English Civil War, Hobbes did not believe that people could be trusted to govern themselves. Aided by a phalanx of medical authorities, neither do many of our political leaders, regardless of the facts on the ground.

Locke took a different view, devoting his political career to the defeat of the authoritarian forces that were trampling basic civil liberties, ruining economies, and destroying the social fabric of Europe. His remedy was a political society designed and limited to preserve our natural, inalienable rights to life, liberty, and property.

Government by consent involves risks, but the alternative is a life of dependency, passivity, and servitude. Progressives, ever restless for centralized authority, have tried to negate Lockean ideals for decades. In a recent editorial, The America We Need,the New York Timesderided classical liberals for taking an impoverished view of freedom, and called for a muscular conception of liberty that would make government the guarantor of universal health care, housing, and employment. What is new, and worrisome, is that some prominent religious conservatives are now singing a similar tune, while blaming Lockes principles for unleashing selfish individualism at the expense of the common good.

According to Patrick Deneen, classical liberalism has produced an acquired ability to maintain psychic distance from any other human. It apparently does not occur to him that Lockes conception of freedom rooted in reason and Revelation might be the best protection against a state, say, forcefully mandating our physical isolation from one another. Meanwhile, conservative Catholics such as Harvard law professor Adrian Vermeule want the Churchs theological tenets to guide the state, becausestrong rule in the interest of attaining the common good is entirely legitimate.

In short, these religious conservatives have sought an approach to political life that would treat Lockean freedoms with contempt. And the pandemic has given us a fearsome preview of what such an approach might look like.

No one should treat the lethality of this contagion lightly: We must do everything feasible to protect the most vulnerable among us. Seventy thousand deaths in a matter of months are a shocking tragedy. But only a rank materialist would disregard the social, moral, and spiritual consequences of the governments unprecedented efforts to fight the virus. Indeed, the greater tragedy may turn out to be the subjugation of a free, prosperous, and just society by the nightmarish political creature Hobbes imagined, that mortal god to which we owe, under the immortal God, our peace and defense.

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Classical Liberals vs. National Conservatives in the Age of Coronavirus - National Review