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Formerly known as Regent Arcade House, 25 Argyll Street was purchased in an off-market transaction for £48m in August 2012. Its central location at the apex of Mayfair, Fitzrovia, Soho and Marylebone made it a highly desirable building, but it was in need of asset management; poor interiors had given the property a bad name in the agent market. To turn this around, Riverside Capital renamed it and performed a rolling refurbishment programme over 3 floors, the lifts and reception: fitting out the 4th and 5th floors with the only Shoreditch-style designs in the West End. The result was newly signed tenancies with the likes of Spotify and H&M and a profit of £20m after 36 months.


The store is located at 6th and H streets in Washington, D.C., and is near Galludet University, a private university for the deaf and hard of hearing.
It features a custom mug designed by a deaf artist, American Sign Language embroidered barista aprons and a mural designed by a deaf artist.
"This is a historic moment in Starbucks ongoing journey to connect with the Deaf and hard of hearing community, hire and engage Deaf and hard of hearing partners and continue to find ways to be more inclusive, accessible and welcoming to all," Starbucks executive vice president of U.S. retail said in a press release announcing the store in July, 2018.
The D.C. store is inspired by Starbucks' first Signing Store that opened in Malaysia in 2016.


No one can alter truth.
What we can and should do is to search for truth and then serve it when we have found it.
Kolbe refused to see an enemy in any man.
That- when we find it- we will know what to do with it.
...seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.


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NEW CITY INTERVIEW WITH AZADEH GHOLIZADEH ON "DAWN TO DUSK" AT GOLDFINCH
Pia Singh, NewCity Magazine, March 21, 2022
LINES OF CONTROL: AN INTERVIEW WITH AZADEH GHOLIZADEH ON "DAWN TO DUSK" AT GOLDFINCH
Works by Iranian-born, Chicago-based artist Azadeh Gholizadeh are on view in "Dawn to Dusk" at Goldfinch gallery. As the major exhibition opened of tapestry and embroidered works, on view until April 9, Newcity spoke with the artist to discuss the pieces and how her process of making has evolved over the past three years.
How much do Iranian tribal textiles and weaving traditions inform the language of these tapestries?
There's some influence of Persian miniature paintings and rug design that I grew up with, surely. I'm interested in the borders of these works, on the potential of what they can and cannot hold. Similar to Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints, the perspective is flattened in a way that captures the nuances of the landscape. These may be at the back of my mind, but the patterns don't come from Iranian textile design at all. There may be a partial translation of mosaic designs from mosques or Persian gardens of historic sites in Iran. But the forms truly emerge from the landscapes I experience here.
How do your drawings inform your fiber works, or is it vice-versa?
I like shifting between mediums, as it influences my perception of the medium and the way I can use it. This body of work developed from a small work I now keep in my home. I love keeping firsts of any new body of work, as I feel like it is an opening into a whole new world. It started with a wire mesh I used in my earlier sculptures. I wound thread around a square within the mesh to enclose its opening. I love the square and the infinite nature of the grid. It moves beyond mere surface level entanglement, and I feel like I am not limited by any proportions of form.
How much does scale matter in this body of work?
A lot. It's almost part of every concern, while "Blue" (2021), is a smaller-scale piece, the mathematical methodology of making it is identical to the making of, say, "By the Campfire" (2022). I break the grid at every two points on both, but because of scale, they read totally differently when standing before them… "Blue" reads as more pixelated, and "By the Campfire" appears more organic. This back-and-forth-between depth, scale and point of view-guides my hand. It comes down to perception… Changing our perception allows us to define our identity. If we can define our identity, we can heal from the things that distress us and move on. In this way we're no longer defined by the systems and paradigms we're placed in.
So self-determination is key?
Exactly. We are not defined by the way society ascribes meaning to us, or by the ways other systems try to define us. We are always dissatisfied because we can't find a place to fit.
Because there is no unit of measurement for an immigrant? Is this similar to how attempts at translating cultural notions often fall short?
Yes. But the thing that excites me about the act of translation is the double-sided nature of it. We live in a system of language, right? And our identity shapes within this language system. When you move from one to another linguistic system, it changes how our personhood manifests. For example, I have a difficult time explaining this body of work in Farsi because I've made the work thinking in English.
You mention in your introductory essay that you're "conjuring" memories of another place through a window overlooking a Midwestern landscape. I couldn't help but notice these "windows" are square.
The decision to create images in a square format is because it allows the eye to focus more on the subject of the composition, for it to not read as landscape necessarily. The views I wanted to realize were primarily of trees, mountains and changing light conditions. The square removes them from being viewed as a portrait or landscape, as one normally views an image along a long edge of a frame. Without the long edge, there isn't a directional read. I love the equality of looking at square compositions because the eye constantly moves to settle somewhere in the middle.
Do you work on these pieces in simultaneity or are they made individually?
For smaller pieces, I need to focus on them one at a time, but for larger works or sculptures, I tend to work in parallel. Since these can't be made sitting on a couch, I need to move around an embroiderer table at the studio. Passing yarn over and under a surface within four wooden bars, I have to sit under, then stand over the piece, repetitively passing lengths of yarn. "By the Campfire" was a test of how long I could stretch a single yarn without it becoming lax.
In the larger pieces one can see the function of the wooden elements, but in smaller works, my first impression was that you'd somehow debilitated these armatures.
Some of them, like "With Giants II," 2020, the wooden strips hold the tapestry in place. But in "Blue in Green," 2019, the wooden strips extend the boundary of the composition, out of the frame. If anything, the central image holds the wooden strips in place as a framing device. I then have to resolve what happens between these elements. When elements move outside the square, the composition has to be readdressed.
You speak about "memories of home derived from the present locale"-how memories are summoned by people transplanted from one place to another. Do you think we live in search of associative markers to perhaps comfort ourselves?
Did you know a majority of Iranian immigrants settle down in the West Coast because of the quality of light there? A lot of my work has been about light-the absence or existence of it. This specific body of work is about that moment at twilight. It changes so quickly but has so much meaning in it. It triggers my memories of Iran-the intensity of light and saturated colors, the brightness and contrast of light on an Iranian landscape.
Your work stems from photographs of landscapes, correct? So light is the beginning point.
Yes, in all of these pieces actually, it's about the quality of light at a moment in time, not the image itself. Fog, for example, is most comforting to me. It makes the world so small. When you're walking through fog, the distance the eye can see is the limit of your world. This is so relaxing, coupled with the mist on your skin. It reminds me of the moistness I'd feel by the Caspian Sea. I get comfort in making images where there is a partial absence of information. In "Twelve12 views 08" (2020), there is a mountain peak concealed by clouds and fog. It's a reflective moment where the patterns and composition imply something is in the background.
While all the pieces seem to feel like they're in a similar vein, "Behind" (2022), has a distinctly different feel. I don't know if it's the warmth of the color palette or composition.
You're touching on something. This was from a photo I took at sunset at the Morton Arboretum. The photograph originally captured trees in their entirety, but I worked with the photo to find the moment the light caught my eye. The contrast between silhouetted trees with the light shining behind the tree. Pure contrast! In "Twelve12 views 08," I was staying with a more muted color palette so natural elements wouldn't contrast each other very much. A hint of tonal variation was enough to distinguish between the elements.
Thinking about embroidery as a shared communal activity, but also as a skill passed down from one generation to another… Does this vertical and lateral sharing of knowledge come into your work?
To me, needlework is a space of complete freedom, reclaiming a small space of my own. In Iran, textile works involving silks and yarns are still largely made by women. For me, it's an act of comfort. I've seen it growing up, seated by my grandmother and mother while they made things.
How does "The Tree" (2022), live in relation to the tapestries?
I wanted to make a tree at sunset within the context of the tapestries. If one were to see the exhibition in its entirety, it may appear as multiple views of a garden. A long-distance view, a closer view, as though a person is walking past trees at night, or catching a reflection of a tree in a pool of water.
The body of the tree is made of purple heart. The treetops and bushes at the bottom are structured to serve as a loom of sorts. Yarn winds around each block and then connects one block to another. I am interested in creating shadows at the intersection of blocks, in creating depth. The sculpture works off the same schema of scale and symmetries as the two-dimensional works. I like to work with materials that have their own structure, allowing me to test how much I can push the material to get what I need, while being open to what it reveals. If the wood serves as the warp, the yarn serves as the weft by how I place them together. I chose colors that compositionally hold the characteristics of the tree together.
So much of your work is based on the rationale of the grid.
The square really is everything.
Is there some reason, other than sacred geometry, that led you to align so strongly with the grid?
I think it started at a young age when I wanted to redraw certain works. My mother taught me how to draw a grid over the original design, to scale the drawing up or down. This idea of scale became really important to me because it's truly the proportion that makes an image. If the proportion changes, the entire perception of the image changes.
How much of this is a negotiation of power-between materials, or status as an immigrant in the United States, or a woman working in the art world?
Power is a big part of my work, as I feel like I am in complete control in the making of these pieces. In the studio, decision-making is influenced by the structure of material I engage with, be it a canvas or a grid system. They allow for patterns to break or come into existence. I stick to a sequence of points to make a line or a shape and this specific system affects the way the adjacent pattern forms.
So there is contingency in between forms, a kind of comfort in control. As immigrants, we constantly struggle with control, especially when imposed on us.
Yes! There's often a feeling of no control in a period of boundless time. How long can one wait for governmental processes to provide clarity? Finding balance in not-knowing is very difficult.
So these two digits [the way the artist measures points on the grid she embroiders on] in a sense are an interruption of reality, through the grid?
The action of connecting adjacent forms through grid-based composition is very comforting to me. Equally spaced divisions and how they shape figures within a square format create compositional relationships that work in multiples and fractions. It's important to think of the translation of three-dimensional space in two dimensions.
Do you feel like there are some slippages living between cultures? As someone writing in English about Indian ways of knowing, I often feel like I'm grasping at threads to fill a chasm.
The thing about translation is that it has two sides. You bring one perspective, and you take on another's perspective, but this meaning-making is so subjective. Being able to bring another system of thinking to a more dominant system takes many people repetitively doing the same act of translation or image making for it to make sense in a new context. What I may know in Farsi and how I translate this to English, through image-making, allows me to connect to where I am now. A tree is a tree and a landscape is a landscape, no matter where you are. I'm interested in creating something which we can all understand. There is a sense of longing to be free, to not be determined by a specific identity.
There are so many limitations in your experience of living here and yet you place yourself on a grid.
These limitations led me to allow myself to feel more freedom within a chosen structure. Placing a grid on myself in a sense is to negotiate where I am, who I am, and to find my place.
I have been grieving for such a long time, not for the physicality of home… But I have not seen my motherland for so long, I do not see my parents any more. So grieving in this sense is strange, as it has no boundaries. It's impossible to talk about the boundless nature of grief because, if one cannot put boundaries around it, to designate it space, how do you begin to address it? There is no criteria to begin a healing process. I've found labor intensive, step-by-step techniques to relieve me from this. Order and pattern helps me make sense of an otherwise ambiguous situation.
A repetitive system helps me understand myself better and it changes the way I perceive my condition, thus helping me heal through making. To be brave enough to say, "This sucks. But this is how I can move forward."
As a navigational tool of sorts. So much of this has to do with the stories we tell ourselves and the narratives we internalize.
The more trauma you undergo, it either strengthens or it breaks you. It's a question of finding a framing device. This often goes under the guise of "resilience."
So thinking of these works really as spaces for psychological transformation.
That's certainly the basis of the work to some degree, allowing the grid to open up multiple divisional processes that can be seen as multiple ways of seeing and understanding.
Starting with a photo, I choose, say a light blue, for the sky. But I keep a very limited palette of colors at hand as I get overwhelmed with excess information. So I simplify the endless possibilities of decision making in color. I don't intentionally mix colors. Instead, I use yarn for its colors, placing them in context and adjacent to one another. With one decision-making step removed, they sit in direct relation to one another, making sense in context.
You use the word context very often to describe your work. This is so different from how I think of context, as something ample and crawling with detail.
I'm obsessed with context. We are constantly defining our context. Who I am in the context of Iran is different from this context. Like trees that can move and not stay rooted in the soil we were planted in, we change while changing the landscape we traverse. Change is a part of the body and the sooner we learn to embrace this, the better for us. Change and context work hand in hand.
So the empty grid is the big, blank context for you.
Yes! The context of each of these images is totally different, they cannot be perceived as the same. The way the lines are next to each other horizontally, vertically, diagonally and the way one forty-five or other degree angle meets another… Everything is dictated by the context, the structure it is built on.
A mathematical context. Even units of measurement come with their own implications.
Yes. I've finally embraced the Imperial system of measurement now! What I like about an inch as a unit of measurement is that you can show it on the body. So twelve inches makes sense as you can visually measure it, say against your arm. Everything is based on this, versus the metric system which is not really a visual system.
On the other hand, I have not yet adopted the Fahrenheit system. It makes absolutely no sense to me when someone says, "thirty-five degrees is very cold." Because where I'm from, I can tell you, thirty-five degrees is really quite hot!
Link: Link to NewCity Interview
Azadeh Gholizadeh

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We're in quite a cold spell here at the Jersey Shore, nobody needs to tell you that. But take the coldest day we've had this winter and subtract 30 degrees. Now you're getting some idea of what the coldest day in New Jersey history was like.
You have to go back to January 5th of 1904 to find the record, and you have to travel to River Vale, NJ. And no matter how cold you've been, or how hard you try, you won't even be able to imagine just how cold it got that day.
The temperature plummeted that day to an unimaginable 34 degrees below zero. That's not the wind chill from that day, that's the actual temperature. And if you're wondering, the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States was 80 below in Alaska in January of 1971, according to usatoday.com.
So, as the bitter cold attacks us again in the next few days, just remember, it could be worse, and it has been.


Corporate communication is making big steps forward leading the way towards new communication paths that merge innovative digital formats with extremely valuable content.
3. Direct and authentic: an appropriate tone of voice and terminology have been identified to stay closer to Unipol's stakeholder experience.
One of the strategic objectives of the project has been that of giving birth to a new digital ecosystem that will support the group reputation and accompany its 3-year industrial plan.
Proximity and empathy with all stakeholders are the core values that have permeated the whole project, from content to design and interaction. The human factor becomes then the guiding principle inspiring every format, initiative and communication style of the corporate website.
The tone of voice, the adaptive layouts that make it easy to access from both desktop and mobile devices, the integration of Unipol's social media feeds and a reach multimedia archive give evidence of a digital-first approach that strive to build a memorable user experience.
To discover our latest project, just click here.
Sopharma, a manufacturer and distributor of pharmaceutical and health-related products, is one of the most important organizations in Bulgaria and is listed both on Sofia and Warsaw stock exchanges.


Incus are a doomy and tribal-sounding darkwave band. The evocative singing of Jason Coehn assures that they are treat a to hear. "Even if it kills me I wish you well" is as sad as the title implies. It's also rhythmic and oddly persuasive. The cello and spooky sounding backing vocals are well used. "Dead Wood" echoes late period Dead Can Dance. Its driving beats and haunted moods sound great.
"In an Instant" is relatively laid-back and shows Cohen's gift for writing strong songs. His vocals sound a bit like Voltaire (the singer, not the philosopher) here. The paranoia of "Fear" has a suitably dark musical setting. Its rumbling beats and haunted singing sound great.
Incus will make fans of Dead Can Dance happy and this debut marks out a bright future for them.


These days, there are bunches of techniques through which individuals profit, being an independent author is one of them, this gets the chance to confirm that in the end, you can observe of all that would serve best, in any case, it will verify that there can be arrangement of significant material or articles to organizations which do require it, consequently, getting the chance to search for the best substance essayist is dependably a strategy to validating the on the off chance that you require an SEO agent, thus knowing of the characteristics to consider.
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Q: How to know if my Windows 7 installation has a separate boot partition? When i open disk management, i can only find C: partition. But, when i start Windows in repair mode, i can see a small size partition with letter X: named boot. So what's the right method to tell if all Windows 7 components reside on the same partition?

A: Disk Management is the correct method. If nothing is there, you do not have a separate boot partition. Hidden partitions are a thing of the past.
You can also check on the Windows partition, using Explorer (but the files/folders may be hidden). The Windows partition will contain a folder Boot which contains, among others, a file BCD (without extension). This is however not definite proof, because the files could be there but unused.
When booting in Startup Repair (or Recovery in general, also Windows Setup), what you have at X: is the recovery system itself. It's a virtual drive that is created from a WIM image file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


How to temporarily fasten pin headers before soldering?
Discussion in 'General Electronics Chat' started by JimG, Jun 6, 2010.
I use a lot of pin headers or Molex pin connectors on my PCB's and am constantly struggling to find a good way to temporarily hold them in place, upside down, while soldering.
I've used SuperGlue with varying amounts of success (mostly less success).
The problem, of course, is that the pin headers like to fall out when I flip the board over.
How have others overcome this problem?
I use a piece of component foam, stick it on the tops of the headers then secure the foam to the PCB with standard tape.
No problem with the foam overheating or melting?
Masking tape (actually drafting tape) but it doesn't work perfectly. I have thought about a drop of hot glue; it would work well but it's some trouble to use.
Yeah, I've been thinking about the hot glue approach, too. I've got to find something because burning my fingers on the tips of the pins is getting old.
I have a piece of board stock I lay over the MTA headers I use. I can hold the cover over the headers and invert everything so the headers stay in place. Things do wiggle, so I use the above method of tacking one pin. A metal handle of some loose pliers makes the ideal surface to apply pressure with to straighten the headers one at a time (with the PCB upside down, I can press one at a time onto the handle).
The first time, the headers will cook little cups into the foam. you gotta be quick.
I've got some boards on the way (soon, hopefully) from BatchPCB. I've got some good new options to try for soldering the pins.
i have always used foam at work...or a pair of tweezers...or cardboard... ...but seeing the bluestik seems like a great idea.
Custom Personal Vaporizer, Need to glue a PCB before soldering.


The CFM Mobile Market, designed and built by Rustic Nail & Co. in 2013, was the first satellite farmer's market in the great state of Kentucky specifically designed to increase fresh local food access to under-served areas of good ol' Bowling Green. The project was made possible through a Local Food Promotion Program Grant from the USDA in partnership with Western Kentucky University.
Join us at the following locations where you can get some of the best fresh local produce straight from several CFM farmers! We'll be taking our Double Dollar Program on the road, matching WIC farmers market vouchers, senior farmers market vouchers, and the first $20 in SNAP benefits.


This massage is an effect of years of my own practice and study in The Rasayana Tantra Academy.
It is a mixture of techniques, what I found that together they are very powerful.
This creation is based on Neo Tantric massage inspired in me mainly by Margot Anand and Marjanne Hurks.
It has elements of Kum Nye - tibetan tantric massage what have passed to me by Tara Long.
I use breath and energy of Tantra Kriya Yoga powerful what I learned mainly from Anand Rudra.
Then, when energy is fully awaken I use also energetic touch a la Andrew Barnes , what I learned a bit from Flaviu Pop.
These techniques, all together in dance with 5 elements and energies between the bodies of giver and receiver together they´re creating sacred space for healing, pleasure, bliss, de blocking, liberation, full body orgasms and everything what we allow it to happen.


There is a market side to art, there has always been one. Auction Houses these days seem to be doing pretty well even in these shaky times. I guess this means that art is still considered a safe investment. It is said that the world of Auctions is a business that may 'make' artists but it kills the artwork, because they generate superstars, while they deprive artworks from their 'reflective dimension'.
'On the Market' by Alice Gregory.


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Q: Retrieve a list of Accounts via REST I am using Postman to get all account records from salesforce.
The below code is working for only one record
@HttpGet global static Account doGet()
    {

        RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
        RestResponse res = RestContext.response;
        String AccNumber = req.requestURI.substring(req.requestURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
     Account result = [SELECT Id, Name, Phone, Website FROM Account Limit 1];
        return result;
    }

The problem is   when I  use  the  list  in order to get all accounts record  Please  check the code  below
@HttpGet global static Account doGet()
    {

        RestRequest req = RestContext.request;
        RestResponse res = RestContext.response;
        String AccNumber = req.requestURI.substring(req.requestURI.lastIndexOf('/')+1);
      list<Account> result = [SELECT Id, Name, Phone, Website FROM Account LIMIT 2];
        return result;
    }

its show error ...."Illegal conversion from List<Account> to Account "
I don't know how to solve this

A: You don't need to write a custom API class to query all Accounts. Use the out-of-the-box SOQL Query endpoint instead.
The specific problem in this code is that your method is declared to return one Account:
@HttpGet global static Account doGet()

but you are in fact returning a List<Account>, which is not the same type:
  list<Account> result = [SELECT Id, Name, Phone, Website FROM Account LIMIT 2];

While you could change the method signature to fix this by returning List<Account>, you should instead use the standard REST API endpoint.
Note that much of this code does nothing at all; the method reduces to
return [SELECT Id, Name, Phone, Website FROM Account LIMIT 2];


Design & build reliable terminal programs by VB6 programming language and Crystal Report.
Install wireless network and wired network professionally.
Deal professionally with any Windows version & Macintosh systems.
Troubleshoot problems of Hardware and Software.
Deal with PC material & Apple computers.
Perform all computers & accessories maintenance in a professional manner.


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Our Trip to Stockholm: Fika, Meatballs, Ships & Books
After the hoopla of fall travel and the winter holidays, Dave and I decided we would not travel at all until the summer. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans—last week, we visited Stockholm, and this is how it went down.
As all good adventures do, it started on the bus to the airport—followed by a 2-hour flight and a bus ride into Stockholm. I always make Dave take a bus selfie at the start of a trip.
Dinner our first night in town was at Meatballs for the People. I wish the service staff had been a bit more welcoming and friendly, but all was forgiven when the plates arrived. The meatballs were so tender and the perfect bite of meatball+potatoes+lingonberries+pickles was… well, perfect.
The sun the next day was brilliant, and the air was crisp and cold. It's difficult to see in this photo, but the harbor was filled with enormous chunks of floating ice. We stayed in Gamla Stan (the Old Town), and the part of the harbor connecting us to the next island over was under construction. I love the juxtaposition of nature and the cranes.
This is the Katarina Kyrka (church), originally constructed in the mid-1600s. We passed it many times on our walking excursions.
It's worth mentioning that Stockholm is a stunner at night, too.
Confession: When we travel, we often find a breakfast spot we love, then eat there every morning. Our preferred café to start each day in Stockholm was The Greasy Spoon. I do not have a photo of my English breakfast, but here's the sketch from my travel journal. We were thrilled that the English breakfast included a hefty pile of American-style bacon, a true rarity here in Europe.
I'm a sucker for an offbeat museum, and we spent an entire day at the wonderful Vasa Museum. It was custom-built around a 17th century warship that was salvaged from the bottom of the harbor in 1961, after spending 333 years under the Baltic Sea.
The doomed ship set out on its maiden voyage on August 10, 1628. It was tall and narrow and top-heavy, without enough ballast in the hull. About 1400 yards into its journey—approximately 45 minutes—with thousands of people standing on the shore, cheering, it was struck by a gust of wind and immediately sank to the bottom of the sea.
The restored ship is 98% original, and the seven-story museum is packed with stories about daily life aboard ship in the 1600s. There are computer re-creations of peoples' faces based salvaged skulls, tender displays of recovered skeletons, fascinating details about the raising and restoration of the ship, weapons and boardgames and kitchenware, and the gorgeous ship itself. It's impossible to understand from photos how enormous and beautiful this ship is in person; it was quite emotional.
Pro tip: The café at the museum has delicious, vibrant homemade food and breathtaking views of the harbor. I had a two salads: shrimp-and-hard-boiled-egg alongside a crisp green salad with smoked mackerel. Dave enjoyed another round of meatballs and lingonberries. Highly recommended.
We also visited two bookshops—the English Bookshop and the Sci-Fi Bookshops—that convinced me to buy books that I absolutely, 100% did not need, but also totally needed. Both shops offer vast collections of English-language books that are clearly curated by someone with excellent taste. I wanted everything I set my hands on!
Although I wouldn't describe myself as a sci-fi and fantasy fan, I found so many things to love at the Sci-Fi Bookshop. (I thoroughly enjoyed European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, and it's always fun to see a beloved book in the wild.)
Since we moved to Prague, I've been reading almost exclusively on my Kindle because it's so much easier to get English-language books that way. But whenever we visit physical bookshops, we indulge in some lovely print books. This is our haul from the English Bookshop: Popular Music from Vittula (literature), Fog Island (thriller), The Locked Room (police procedural), The Princess of Burundi (murder mystery), and Lost in a Pyramid (short stories from the golden age of mummy tales). All of these books are set in Sweden, except for the mummy stories.
The highlight of our trip for me was our visit to the National Library of Sweden. It has a beautiful reading room that anyone is welcome to use for reading, studying, computer work, or daydreaming. It was so quiet, I felt compelled to run up and down the aisles, yelling, "La la la!"—but I did not.
I found this encyclopedia of entertainment on the shelves of the reading room. It was packed with photos of Swedish and American movie stars from the early decades of the 20th century.
There's also an airy café that serves excellent rooibus tea and coffee—and somehow achieves the exact right level of people-murmur. We worked for a few hours before exploring the library, and it was a very pleasant environment for getting stuff done.
But the best part of the National Library is the one-of-a-kind Codex Gigas, a.k.a., the Devil's Bible. It was created in the early 13th century, and experts now believe it was written by one monk. It's about three feet tall and weighs a staggering 165 pounds. It's bound in white leather with fancy gewgaws on the outside. Inside, there's a complete text of the Bible in Latin, along with incantations, exorcism spells, a calendar, and Hebrew, Greek, and Slavic alphabets. In the middle of the illuminated text, there's a drawing of the kingdom of Heaven with a full-color illustration of the devil on the facing page.
To protect the book from the damages of air and light, it's kept in a case, which makes it very difficult to take good photos—but here's my terrible photo so you can see the magnificence of this monster book.
According to legend, a monk who broke his vows was sentenced to be walled up alive (!). He begged for clemency and promised to write—in one night—a book that included all human knowledge. At midnight, he realized he would never succeed in his task, so he prayed to the fallen angel Lucifer to help him. The devil delivered, and the monk drew the devil's picture in gratitude. According to this documentary from National Geographic, in reality, one monk wrote the book over the course of approximately 25 to 30 years. It was originally kept at a monastery in Bohemia (a.k.a., Prague), but was stolen by the Swedes during the 30 Years War and taken to Stockholm.
It is amazing to me that you can just walk into the National Library of Sweden, take the stairs to the second floor, and see this treasure with your own eyes. There's a delightful video presentation in the display room—in Swedish with English subtitles—and an excellent touch-screen display that allows you to page through the book.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention fika, the Swedish version of a coffee-and-chat break that usually includes coffee and a cinnamon or cardamom bun. We indulged at a wonderful bakery in Gamla Stan called Fabrique, where we tried hallongrotta (literally, raspberry cave), a sort of butter-cookie crust with raspberry jam; a cardamom bun (on the right); and a cinnamon bun (the one with the coarse sugar on top). The buns were crisp on the outside, chewy in the middle, and not too sweet. Now seems like a good time to mention that, although you don't see it in these photos, there is plenty of paleo-friendly food in Stockholm, including Thai curries, salmon, shrimp, and gorgeous salads.
On our last day, the weather was rainy and gray and pretty unpleasant, but we passed some cool scenery on our walk to the train station.
This sculpture is called "Vem är Mr Walker?" (Who is Mr. Walker?), and it was created by Swedish artist Jan Håfström. Inspired by The Phantom comic strip, it shows Mr. Walker, the Phantom's alter ego, running toward the city. It's in Järnvägsparken (Railroad Park), right next to the Central Station.
This is where our Swedish adventures came to an end… for now.
Stockholm was bracing and beautiful and very easy to get around, thanks to the ubiquitousness of English. It's cosmopolitan and quite sprawling, but each island feels like a small town, and the café scene is top notch.
TAGS: stockholmstory in photostravel
September 24 Posted byMelissa Joulwan
Leeds: Coffee, Books, Abbey Ruins, and a Steam Train
To celebrate my 50th birthday in May, my husband David and I joined up with our friend Tillie to visit London, Leeds, and Haworth, the...
Bohemian Switzerland: A Story in Photos
Once Upon a Time... Last Saturday, to be exact, we went on an excursion with Discovering Prague to Bohemian Switzerland National Park (in Czech, it's České...
Kathie Gray says:
What an awesome adventure. I have to admit I was really happy to read this as I have been worrying about you lately, it just felt like a little of your usual spark was missing and we weren't hearing about as many adventures , which made me wonder if you were having health struggles. I don't mean to be intrusive or stalker like but I am glad to see you looking well and happy and doing "awfully big adventures" .
Thanks for thinking of me. I'm great! We've been working a lot on our new project, so we haven't had many adventures to share. It's not so exciting to hear about me sitting at my desk writing 🙂 But I'm super healthy and happy.


text:
Tag Archives: clark
Manifest Destiny: Fortis and Invisibilia by Dingess and Roberts – A Book Review
The Manifest Destiny series continues to be perfect for those who love the comic book genre but are not fans of super heroes. Now on its sixth volume, Manifest Destiny details a fictionalized account of Lewis and Clark as they explore America's new west. Thomas Jefferson tasked them with this exploration, but the premise is that history has it wrong. It wasn't just to map the area and find a waterway to the Pacific, but also to record and eliminate any super natural creatures posing a threat to future American pioneers.
In this latest volume, Lewis and Clark, as well as their party, have built a fort in order to hunker down during the winter. However, the men grow weary of the leadership, they grow lustful for the few women in the group, and they grow mutinous against the chain of command. To make matters worse, the entity for whom we thought spoke only to Lewis? It's expanding its influence.
Manifest Destiny began as an adventure comic with touches of horror as it offered both accurate and fictionalized accounts of Lewis and Clark's travels. However, Chris Dingess has transitioned the book into a psychological thriller as the men are growing stir crazy in their fort, trapped by nature itself, as well as perhaps the supernatural.
Matthew Roberts continues to blend historically accurate scenery with terrifying creatures throughout. The clothing he depicts particularly astounds me. I'd love to know his research methods. It all seems quite meticulous. Furthermore, when violence occurs in this book, it is not for the squeamish. I also appreciate that the colorist, Owen Gieni, has opted to use fairly muted colors to match the eerie tone of isolation and winter. The book once sported vibrant greens and lush vegetation, but no longer. It's a subtle touch, but a deft one.
I have very much enjoyed this series so far. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, horror, thrillers, and fantasy. Not to worry if you've never read a comic book. No one is perfect, and you'll figure it out quickly. I know you will become hooked on this title.
(Did you enjoy this review? Check out Scott William Foley's short stories HERE!)
Tagged arts, chris dingess, clark, comic books, entertainment, fortis & invisibilia, image comics, lewis, manifest destiny, matthew roberts, owen gieni
March 28, 2017 by Scott William Foley
Manifest Destiny: Sasquatch by Dingess and Roberts
This is one of my favorite ongoing series, and Volume 4 entitled Sasquatch is no exception to the previously established excellence!
We finally discover exactly how President Jefferson procured the skull of the Sasquatch which served as the impetus for Lewis and Clark's true mission westward. That epiphany alone makes this book completely worth the cover price!
This collection is divided into two story lines. The first follows Captain Helm and his expedition as they traveled west before Lewis and Clark. They soon encounter the brutal winter as well as the enigmatic Sasquatch. Helm is bedeviled by an otherworldly entity, and it's not Bigfoot. If you've been reading the series, you know the mysterious arches often serve as a signpost to the supernatural. Helm is drawn to the source of those arches, and it's not for the faint of heart.
The other story line picks up with Lewis and Clark. They are literally following in Helm's footsteps and reaping what he has sown. That's not a good thing. Death awaits them at every turn, and it's not always from the things that go bump in the night.
As always, Matthew Roberts' art is magnificent. This title always flirts a bit with the horror genre, and Roberts' definitely got to display his special talent for all things gory. Seriously, this collection is particularly gross. I mean that as a total compliment.
Chris Dingess continues to deliver a really tight plot that is beginning to align in ways I never expected. His dialogue and characterization is consistent, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call this title "historical fiction," he certainly did his research regarding Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea and their seminal journey.
Manifest Destiny is exciting, well-written, and expertly drawn with phenomenal color. I absolutely recommend this title. You'll never look at Lewis and Clark the same!
Tagged arts, books, clark, comic books, entertainment, graphic novels, image comics, lewis, manifest destiny, reviews, sacagawea, sasquatch
February 1, 2015 by Scott William Foley
Manifest Destiny: Amphibia and Insecta by Dingess, Roberts and Gieni – A Book Review
This first volume of Image Comics' Manifest Destiny absolutely blew me away and rocketed to the top of my favorite titles. If you're unfamiliar with the work, it follows Lewis and Clark's expedition into the unknown. They have been officially charged by President Jefferson to explore and map the region. Unofficially, however, they are to locate and exterminate any threats to American citizens, both natural and supernatural alike.
In this second volume, author Chris Dingess traps the crew in the middle of the Mississippi River. Their ship lodged against the top of a great underwater arch, much like the giant floral arch they encountered in the previous installment. Clark leads some men ashore to explore while Lewis stays behind to figure out how to dislodge the ship. Unfortunately they soon realize an enormous frog monstrosity hunts these waters, and it enjoys the taste of human flesh.
Furthermore, Clark and his men must battle gigantic mosquitoes that appreciate all the human body has to offer, and it's more than just blood.
Dingess provides an incredibly satisfying solution to both problems, though the crew suffers greatly before an escape is made. And though this plot may sound a bit silly, I assure you, it had me figuratively on the edge of my seat. It's been a while since a book had me in suspense as much as this title did, especially because Lewis and Clark's own crew members are far more malicious than the creatures they endure.
Matthew Roberts provides beautiful art. The entire story takes place in the wilds of America, and he draws Nature untamed perfectly. Furthermore, when it's time for over-sized frogs and huge mosquitoes to make their appearances, he draws them as absolute terrors. Honestly, this is not an overt "horror" title, but there are some horrifying moments, to be sure.
And, just as Roberts knows how to draw our natural world, Owen Gieni always chooses the best colors. I've said this about Gieni before, but how someone can make a title full of earth tones so vivid is beyond me. I feel colorists are always unappreciated, and so I hope you'll take a moment to recognize Gieni's immense talent.
Manifest Destiny has it all. It's packed with action, suspense, terrifying monsters, organic dialogue, riveting plots and, as the last issue of this volume proves, some potent moments of hilarity. By far, this is the most satisfying title I'm currently reading.
Tagged arts, Book Review, books, chris dingess, clark, comic books, entertainment, fiction, horror, humor, image comics, lewis, manifest destiny, matthew roberts, own gieni, read, review, suspense


Roach Gigz and Jr Hitz feel very much alive in "Zombie"
It's Thursday, and Roach Gigz has got a hyphy-influenced track to present to the world, and we for one, are definitely listening. There's not too much to say, except that the video cleverly follows a beautiful girl drinking some wine and lighting one up.
It's the sort of night everyone can relate to and the track comes from my home turf up in the bay area, so this is definitely one that I enjoy. The energy strikes hot and this video is worth bumping this weekend to kick the party alive. The revival of all the hyphy influences is one to watch for, and I'll be looking into Roach Gigz more throughout the day.


text:
Stories of Service: Amanda Sullivan '21 and Ken Marfilius '11
Wednesday, November 13, 2019, By Leah Lazarz
Falk College of Sport and Human DynamicsOffice of Veteran and Military AffairsWhitman School of Management
In celebration of Veterans Week 2019, the University is recognizing stories of student veterans and faculty/staff who are veterans or have especially strong connections to the military. These stories are just some of the many from the veteran and military-connected community on campus whom the University is dedicated to supporting. From welcoming veterans to campus as far back as World War I, and having the longest consecutively running ROTC program in the country, the University is committed to being the "best place for veterans."
Today, read the stories of Whitman School student Amanda Sullivan '21 and Ken Marfilius '11, visiting teaching professor in the Falk College's School of Social Work.
Amanda Sullivan on Finding Direction through Family Legacy and Army Service
Ask any student veteran at Syracuse University about why they joined the military, and you'll get a different answer each time. Military service is a personal choice, and most of the time it extends beyond a simple "I didn't know what else I wanted to do." For U.S. Army veteran Amanda Sullivan, it was a way to get out of a rut and achieve her goals in life.
"I grew up in the Chicago suburb of Aurora, Illinois, and was homeschooled," says Sullivan, a junior accounting major in the Whitman School. "My mother was a refugee from the Vietnam War, and my dad worked at Fermilab as an engineering physicist. So, education was pretty important to me growing up."
Sullivan played soccer and softball in her youth, but it was time spent with her grandfather who served for two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War that steered her course.
"I had gotten to a point where I was uncertain about which direction I should go," Sullivan says. "I remembered some of the stories my grandfather had told me about his time in the Army and things just clicked. I spoke to an Army recruiter and knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to finish my education and travel to have my own stories in the future."
Amanda enlisted in October 2014. After basic training, she became a supply specialist stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with the 541st Sapper Company. Throughout her four years in the Army, she would see rotations to the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California, the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and her second duty assignment to Fort Lee, Virginia, where she was assigned to Mortuary Affairs.
"I learned a lot throughout my service. It taught me how to be reserved and remain calm," Sullivan says. "But primarily, I was able to improve my education, which was my main goal all along and why I chose to get out after four years."
Sullivan was discharged from the Army in March 2018 and instantly began looking for the next step—obtaining her degree using her Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
"I had been accepted to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, but the Service 2 School program played a big part in landing me here at Syracuse," she says. "Syracuse University also had rolling early admission and had a great entrepreneurship program. I knew Syracuse participated in the Yellow Ribbon program, so I decided it would be better to come here."
Sullivan chose to study accounting because she ultimately wants to become a certified public accountant, where she feels her analytical talents will be best put to use.
"This has been a rewarding experience so far. I've enjoyed my involvement with the veteran community here at Syracuse," she says. "I enjoy the work I do with the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, especially being able to help coordinate the immersion trips. It means a lot to me that the University puts so much time and energy into ensuring that the student veterans walk away successful and ready to head back out into the world."
Professor Ken Marfilius and Enduring Service
Ken Marfilius
U.S. Air Force veteran Ken Marfilius '11, visiting teaching professor in the Falk College's School of Social Work, has always been clear on his mission to serve military and veteran populations.
"I grew up outside of Philadelphia with many friends, family and local community members who had served in the military. As a result of my childhood experiences, I had great respect for those who have served our nation honorably and was always interested in serving the veteran population in some capacity," Marfilius says.
He graduated from Syracuse University with his undergraduate degree in psychology. He went on to earn a master of social work degree and a doctorate in clinical social work at the University of Pennsylvania. While at Penn, he learned of a unique opportunity in which he could serve military service members and their families while in uniform.
"I researched all branches of the military and eventually applied to the United States Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP). After an intense and competitive process, I was selected to receive the graduate scholarship available to qualified health care applicants—receiving a direct commission in the Air Force while completing my graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania," says Marfilius.
His first year, Marfilius worked at a men's shelter in Philadelphia. His advanced year internship was spent at an in-patient psychiatric unit at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. In both settings, Marfilius concentrated on providing care for veteran populations.
Upon graduation, he attended commissioned officer training and started his active duty service.
"I completed commissioned officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and went on to my follow-on assignment at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. There I worked on the installation at a mental health clinic as a therapist for active duty service members," he says. "The majority of my clients experienced adjustment-related issues, anxiety, depression, transitions."
While active duty, Marfilius served in the U.S. Air Force Biomedical Science Corps in multiple roles: mental health therapist, family advocacy officer in charge and as manager of the alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program. He served in various roles related to sexual assault prevention and response, suicide prevention and post-traumatic stress, and provided daily consultation to medical staff and military commanders about the psychosocial needs of active duty service members and their families.
A year prior to transitioning out of the Air Force, Marfilius applied to Penn again, this time for his doctoral degree. He was accepted and completed a remote program where he worked 10-hour days on the installation before completing his online courses and dissertation at night.
He transitioned out of the Air Force in 2016. Two months later, he was in Syracuse working for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the Syracuse VA Medical Center in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans Program. He served as the Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program coordinator.
He also developed and subsequently instructed a first-time social work course, Introduction to Military Culture and Mental Health Practice, in the School of Social Work. In 2018, he was asked by the chair of the School of Social Work to become a visiting teaching professor, teach full time and further develop the school's military content.
"To come back and work at Syracuse University at the School of Social Work and provide leadership and teaching around the mental health needs of our nation's veterans is an honor and continues to fulfill my personal commitment to serving our nation's heroes," Marfilius says. "I honestly believe there is no place more committed to veterans. Everyone here wants to make sure veterans and their family members get what they need."
In addition to his curriculum, Marfilius has taken an active role in organizing the military-connected events on campus including the recent military culture competency training and "Theater of War" performance.
"In everything that we do at Syracuse, I am reminded of the core values of the Air Force—service before self, integrity first and excellence in all we do," he says. "It's an honor to be here."
Syracuse University has a number of notable veteran alumni, including Mary Spio '98, the founder and CEO of CEEK VR, an award-winning developer of premium social virtual and augmented reality experiences. See more notable veteran alumni at veterans.syr.edu/alumni.
Leah Lazarz


text:
\section{Introduction}

Some time ago G.Ponzano and T.Regge discovered a connection between
 the expansion of the $6j$-symbol and the partition function for $3D$
 euclidean quantum gravity \cite{PR}. These ideas were developed by
 M.Carfora, M.Martellini and A.Marzuoli for the $4D$ euclidean quantum gravity
 \cite{CMM}. In this paper the general correlation between $3nj$-symbols and
$D$
 euclidean quantum gravity is shown.

The main aspect here is the correlation between geometrical properties of the
 $D$-simplex and the corresponding $3nj$-symbol. The $D$-simplex in the
$D$-dimentional space has $D+1$ vertices and $C^{2}_{D+1}=\frac {1}{2}D(D+1)$
edges.
No less than
 $D-3$ edges belong to $D-3$-dimensional subspace and no more than
 $\frac {1}{2}D(D-1)+3$ edges belong to 3-dimensional subspace $R^3$. To every
edge
belonging to $R^3$ we relate some quantity of the angular momenta $j_i$ in the
 $3nj$-symbol. Therefore, $3nj$-symbol must contain no less than $\frac
{1}{2}D(D-1)+3$
 angular momenta.

There are $3nj$-symbols of the first and second kind, depending on the
possibility to
bound the first and the last momenta \cite{JB}(see fig.1). We shall consider
$3nj$-symbols
of only the first kind. The application of $3nj$-symbols of the second kind is
the same.

Any $3nj$-symbol can be represented as a sum of products of the corresponding
$6j$-symbols.
\begin {eqnarray}
\left\{ \begin{array}{cccc} j_1 & j_2 & ... & j_n \\ l_1 & l_2 & ... & l_n \\
k_1 & k_2 & ... &
k_n\end{array}\right\} =\sum _x(-1)^{R_n+(n-1)x}(2x+1)
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_1 & k_1 & x \\ k_2 & j_2 &
l_1\end{array}\right\}\times
\nonumber\\
\times
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_2 & k_2 & x \\ k_3 & j_3 &
l_2\end{array}\right\}\times...
\times
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_{n-1} & k_{n-1} & x \\ k_n & j_n &
l_{n-1}\end{array}\right\}
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_n & k_n & x \\ j_1 & k_1 & l_n\end{array}\right\},
\end{eqnarray}
where $R_n=\sum^n_{i=1}(j_i+l_i+k_i)$.

Inasmuch as the asymptotic form of the Racah-Wigner $6j$-symbol according to
Ponzano-Regge formula \cite{PR} can be expressed by the euclidean
Einstein-Regge
action $S_R[T]$ for the 3-simplex $T$ (tetrahedron)

\begin{equation}
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_1 & j_2 & j_3 \\ j_4 & j_5 & j_6\end{array}\right\}
\rightarrow \\ exp(i\sum_{m=1}^6j_m \theta _m)=exp(iS_R[T]),
\end{equation}
at $j_m \gg 1$, expanding the $3nj$-symbol into the sum of products of
6j-symbols we
would obtain a correlation between the euclidean action of gravity $S_R$ and
the
$3nj$-symbol.

There are, however, some difficulties in the implementation of this project. In
particular,
since expression (2) is valid only at $j_i
\gg 1$ expanding the $3nj$-symbol into 6j-simbols we are summing by the
variable
moment $x$, which obeys the condition of triangle $|j_i-j_j|
\leq x\leq j_i-j_j$, from which it follows that even at $j_i,j_j \gg 1$,
we may receive $|j_i-j_j|\simeq 1$, and expression (2) becomes invalid.
Consequently, for
any meaning of the space-time dimension $D$ we must choose a special type of
the $3nj$
symbol, at the condition
\begin{equation}
3n > \frac{1}{2}D(D-1)+3,\quad  n >2, \; D>3.
\end{equation}

To escape summing when expanding (1), let us e|ual one of the momenta to zero:
\begin {eqnarray}
\left\{ \begin{array}{cccc} j_1 & j_2 & ... & 0 \\ l_1 & l_2 & ... & l_n \\
k_1 & k_2 & ... &
k_n\end{array}\right\} =\delta (l_n,k_1)\delta (j_{n-1},l_{n-1}) \times
\nonumber\\
\times[(2k_1+1)(2j_{n-1}+1)]
^{-\frac{1}{2}}
 (-1)^{R_{n-1}+nk_n-j_1+k_{n-1}+j_{n-1}} \times \\
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_1 & k_1 & x \\ k_2 & j_2 & l_1\end{array}\right\}
\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_2 & k_2 & x\\ k_3 & j_3 & l_2\end{array}\right\}
...\left\{\begin{array}{ccc} j_{n-1} & k_{n-1} & x \\ k_n & j_n &
l_{n-1}\end{array}\right\}\nonumber
\end{eqnarray}

In this case the $3nj$-symbol depends on only $3(n-1)$ momenta.

When the number of edges of the $D$-simplex belonging to subspace $R^3$ is a
number
multiple to 3, the quantity $3n$ in the $3nj$-symbol is
just equal to the number of edges in $R^3$ plus 3, i.e. $3n=\frac
{1}{2}D(D-1)+6$. When
the number of edges in $R^3$ is the number not multiple to 3, then we put
$3n=\frac{1}{2}D(D-1)+8$ and impose additional conditions like $j_i=j_k$ or/and
$j_i=j_{n-1}$ to decrease the number of independent momenta. Some information
about
D-simplices and corresponding $3nj$-symbols for $D\leq 11$ is given in Table 1.

Now, for the reduced $3nj$-symbol we use equation (1) and the expression of
Ponzano-Regge (2):
\begin{eqnarray}
\left\{\begin{array}{c}reduced \\ 3nj \end{array}\right\} \mapsto
\frac{N}{(12\pi )^{\frac{n-2}{2}}\prod ^{\frac{n-2}{2}}_{k=1}V_k^{\frac{1}{2}}
} \times
\nonumber \\
\times exp(i\sum^{n-2}_{m=1}j_{m}\theta_m+
i\sum^{n}_{m'=1}j_{m'}\theta_m'+
i\sum^{n}_{m''=2}k_{m''}\theta_m''),
\end{eqnarray}
where $N\equiv N_1=(-1)^{R_{n-1}+nk_n-j_1+k_{n-1}+j_{n-1}}\delta
(l_n,k_1)\delta(j_{n-1},l_{n-1}) \times \\
\times[(2k_1+1)(2j_{n-1}+1)]^{-\frac{1}{2}}$, for
$D\neq 3n+2$ and $N\equiv N_1\delta(j_i,j_{n-1})\delta(j_{i-1},j_{n-2}),\\
i\neq n$ for
$D=3n+2$, $V_k$ - volume of the $k$-th tetrahedron.

Let us introduce new denotations
\begin{eqnarray}
(j_1,...,j_{n-1},l_1,...,l_n,k_2,...,k_n)\rightarrow (J_1,...,J_M), \\
(\theta _m,\theta_{m'},\theta_{m''}) \rightarrow (\psi _1,..., \psi_M),
\end{eqnarray}

Then the reduced $3nj$-symbol is
\begin{eqnarray}
\left\{\begin{array}{c}reduced \\ 3nj \end{array}\right\} \mapsto
\frac{N}{(12\pi )^{\frac{n-2}{2}}\prod ^{\frac{n-2}{2}}_{k=1}V_k^{\frac{1}{2}}
}\times
\nonumber \\
\times exp(i\sum^{M}_{m=1}J_{m}\psi_{m}).
\end{eqnarray}

Let us consider the gaussian integral over the real variables $\psi_i$ for the
real non
singular and symmetric $M\times M$ matrix $\Delta $:
\begin{eqnarray}
Z[J_i,\Delta _{ik}]=\int \left\{\begin{array}{c}reduced \\ 3nj
\end{array}\right\}
exp(-\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i,k}^M \psi_i\Delta_{ik}\psi_k)\prod ^M_{j=1}d\psi_j\quad
{}.
\end{eqnarray}

Using the formula for gaussian integration in the  semiclassical limit $J_i\gg
1$ we find the
following results:
\begin{eqnarray}
Z[J_i,\Delta _{ik}]\sim \frac{\hat{N}}{(det\Delta)^{\frac{1}{2}}}
exp(-\sum^M_{i,k=1}J_i(\Delta^{-1})_{ik}J_k),
\end{eqnarray}
where $\hat{N}=(2\pi)^{M-\frac{n-2}{2}}N(6^{-\frac{n-2}{2}}
\prod ^{\frac{n-2}{2}}_{k=1}V^{\frac{1}{2}}_k)^{-1}$.

For the correlation with euclidian quantum gravity we must find the geometrical
interpretation of this gaussian integral. The geometrical meaning of expression
(9) is more
clear if we note that the graphic representation of the $3nj$-symbol in Fig.1
is a
two-dimensional projection of
the $2n$-simplex. Besides, there is a correlation between $D$ and $D+1$
simplices. Every
$(D+1)$-simplex may be built joining two $D$-simplices, by indentification of
two
$(D-1)$-subsimplices and linking the two last free vertices by a new edge in
$(D+1)$
subspace. This means, in particular, that $(D+1)$-simplex at $D>2$ may be
represented
as a
unification of the tetrahedrons with rigid identification edges. This is a
geometrical
analogue
of expanded (7).

Consider
\begin{eqnarray}
\sum^M_{i,k=1}J_i(\Delta^{-1})_{ik}J_k\equiv \sum^M_{i,k=1}\Theta_{ik}A_{ki},
\end{eqnarray}
where $A_{ki}$ is the area of the 2-face of $D$-simplex containing $J_i$ and
$J_k$, and
$\Theta_{ik}$ is a defect angle if the 2-face containing $J_i$ and $J_k$
belongs to interior
of $D$-simplex, or it is an angle between the outer normals of the two
$(D_1)$-simplices
sharing the $(J_iJ_k)$-face, if this 2-face belongs to the boundary of the
$D$-simplex.

For a general $D$-simplicial manifold ${\it M{^{D}}}$ with up to an arbitrary
term depending
on the edge length the euclidean Einstein-Regge action
\begin{equation}
S_R[M^D]\sim \sum_{\sigma \in int M^D}A(\sigma)\epsilon(\sigma)+\sum_{\sigma
\in
\partial M^D}A(\sigma)\alpha (\sigma),
\end{equation}
where $\sigma$ stands for the 2-simplex where the curvature is concentrated and
$A(\sigma)$ is the area of $\sigma $; $\epsilon(\sigma)$ is the defect angle
associated
with the 2-simplex $\sigma $, and $\alpha (\sigma )$ must be interpreted as the
angle
between the outer normals of the two boundary 3-simplices intersecting at
$\sigma$.

Then, according to (10) and (11), we may write
\begin{equation}
Z[J_i,\Delta _{ik}]\sim
\frac{\hat{N}}{(det\Delta)^{\frac{1}{2}}}
exp(-S_R[\sigma ^D ]),
\end{equation}
where $S_r[\sigma^D]$ is the Einstein-Regge action for the $D$-simplex
$\sigma$. We
may consider this expression as a semiclassical limit of the partition function
for $D$
gravity and as a direct generalization of the Ponzano and Regge and
Carfora-Martellini-Marzuoli result.

In principle, there is another way to generalize the Ponzano-Regge ideas. We
may try to
build $3nj$-symbols for every unitary algebra $su(N)$ and, possible, for their
products and
use the correlation between the action of quantum gravity and a corresponding
$3nj$-symbol.

We could receive useful results only for some particular cases in $D=4$ and
$D=6$ by
using the isomorphisms $so(4)\simeq su(2)\oplus  su(2)$ and $so(6)\simeq
su(4)$. Then,
for $su(4)$ algebra, for instance, $21j$-symbol corresponds to $D=6$-simplex.
In general,
there are several variants for building the euclidean quantum action for higher
$D$ as a
unification of 3 or 4, or ... $D-1$ simplices and corresponding $3nj$- momenta.
For other
dimensions, we must again use $3nj$-symbols at $n>2$. On the other hand, on
this way
we have one interesting possibility to build a pseudoeuclidean quantum gravity
action in
$D=3$ by introducing $6j$-symbols for $su(1,1)$ group and use isomorphism
$su(1,1)\simeq so(2,1)$. In any case we may consider all these possibilities as
a kind of
selfconsistency: various ways of building the $D$-simplex must give us the same
result.

These ideas may be applied to superspace. By analogy with the rotation case,
the super
$6j$-symbol $(s6j)$ for the superalgebra $osp(1|2)$ is a symmetric
transformation
coefficient that relates two bases in an irreducible representation space. The
irreducible
representations of the superalgebra $osp(1|2)$ have been analysed in
\cite{S,B}. The
$s6j$-symbols for the superalgebra $osp(1|2)$ possess, in addition to the usual
tetrahedral
symmetry, the so-called Regge symmetry in some particular cases\cite{D}. Then
we may
introduce $s3nj$-supersymbols and consider the semiclassical limit of the
euclidean
action in the corresponding superspace for $D$ supergravity.

\vspace{5mm}
\newpage
{\Large \bf{Acknowledgements}}
\vspace{5mm}

Author wants to express his gratitude to the Swedish Institute for Grant
304/01 GH/MLH, which gave him the possibility to enjoy the kind
hospitality of Prof. Antti Niemi, Doc. Staffan Yngve and all members of
the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Uppsala University.

\newpage

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
Cartwright Named Nationalistisch Track & Field Athlete Of The Week – Minnesota State University
Story Sinister
New Orleans, Lanthan. — Minnesota State junior Denisha Cartwright welches named the USTFCCCA NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Week following her performance in the Larry Wieczorek Invitational hosted by the University of Iowa on January 20-21, 2023. This is the third time in her illustrious career that Cartwright has been so honored by the USTFCCCA, with the first coming on February 9, 2021, and the second coming earlier this season on December 6, 2022.
Cartwright earned this award after smashing her school record in the 200-meter dash by clocking in at 23.87, finishing second in the race. She folglich competed in the Hawkeye Pro Classic Division of the meet against competition that included international-level participants, and took fifth in the 60-meter dash (7.37), and sixth in the 60-meter hurdles (8.16). In the prelims of the 60-meter hurdles, Cartwright established another school record by clocking in at 8.07, which is the best time in NCAA Division II this year. For her efforts, she welches named the Larry Wieczorek Invitational Track Athlete of the Meet.
The Mavericks will return to the friendly confines of Myers Field House in their next action when they host the two-day Mark Schuck Open & Multi, presented by North Mankato Family Dentistry, on Friday and Saturday, January 27th and 28th on the campus of Minnesota State.
Categories Sports Tags Athlete, Cartwright, Field, Minnesota, Named, national, State, track, University, Week
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Horizon Multiplayer Concept Art und Alpha Footage geleakt


text:
/**
 * Resources:
 *
 * http://dmitrysoshnikov.com/ecmascript/es5-chapter-3-1-lexical-environments-common-theory
 *
 */
define(["chai"], function(Chai) {

    'use strict'

    var GLOBAL_OBJECT = window,
        should = Chai.should(),
        expect = Chai.expect,
        assert = Chai.assert,

        Suite = {
            name: "Data Update",
            tests: []
        };

    Suite.tests.push({
        name: "TODO",
        body: function() {
            //Re-binding and Mutation
            //By-reference, by-value, by-sharing from here http://dmitrysoshnikov.com/ecmascript/chapter-8-evaluation-strategy/
        }
    });

    return Suite;
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Study the complex issues that lead to gender inequity in South Africa's townships.
GVI Community operations in South Africa are based out of Gordons Bay, a picturesque coastal village nestled at the foot of the Hottentot Hollands Mountain Range, just outside Stellenbosch and 45 minutes from Cape Town. The area is home to beautiful swimming beaches, magnificent wine farms and popular restaurants and bars. Gordons Bay is also the beginning of the scenic and well-known Garden Route, making this the perfect base to explore the best sites and activities the Cape has to offer.
Translate theory into action by making a direct contribution to ongoing, sustainable efforts to promote gender equality while participating in a credit bearing academic program in Cape Town, South Africa. Assist in breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty by increasing the opportunity for women in townships and rural communities to access quality education, health care and income initiatives.
Your Study Abroad program begins 2 weeks prior to departure, when you'll participate in an online course, getting to know your instructor, GVI international field staff and your classmates, all of whom may come from many different institutions across the U.S. and around the world. A majority of your time abroad will be spent outside the classroom, as you work alongside our staff and community partners to address various challenges in the region that you have discussed during the pre-departure sessions.
Around the world, the majority of people living below the poverty line are women. Many girls are still denied basic education and women continue to dominate the world's illiterate population. By supporting women in culturally appropriate ways and listening to their own opinions about the types of opportunities that would benefit them most, GVI will ensure that your time in South Africa has meaningful impact on the future of women and girls with whom we work.
In addition to learning about the issues, you will contribute to impactful sustainable empowerment initiatives, explore Cape Town, immerse yourself in a fascinating culture and prepare yourself to work on similar challenges in your own community back home.
Follow GVI Cape-Town's Facebook page for live updates straight from the field. Get an idea of the types of projects you might be involved in, meet our staff and participants, experience life on this GVI base, hear about free time activities, and learn about the local culture and environment.
This is Sian, the Program Manager in Gordon's Bay. Before joining us in Gordon's Bay Sian previously worked as a Social Worker back in the UK and now has since traveled to 33 countries!
Meet Charlotte, who is the Assistant Program Manager at GVI's base in Gordons Bay, Cape Town. In 2012 she took part in a GVI Community Development and Conservation Project in Kenya. After this, she went on to study Cultural Studies and Social Anthropology at the University of Kent in the UK. Charlotte has lived most of her life in Africa and is also lucky enough to have visited an array of other countries.
We have partnered with a well-known various educare centres across Cape Town to implement and deliver educational programs to young children. We have been working with our current partners in the Nomzamo township for more than six years, and see the relationship as a long term partnership with core underlying sustainable principles. By participating on a GVI program in this region, you will also be bridging the gap between educational and developmental stimulation needed for the younger generation. We provide support where it is needed by our partners and local communities.
1. Improving the quality of education in Nomzamo and Zola.
3. Increasing the health, self-sufficiency and wellbeing of community members with less resources available to them.
4. Increasing in-country capacity by providing long term training to help the local community achieve their long term sustainability objectives.
Cape Town is a bustling melting pot of culture, considering it is a fairly complex, multicultural city with a fascinating history. There are many activities you could participate in while visiting the region, including township tours, taking language lessons, visiting the V&A Waterfront, going for a walk on the sea promenade, going whale watching in the bay, as well as exploring the various local cuisines on offer in the multitude of suburbs across the city.
The country has celebrated over twenty years of democracy, usher in by the inauguration of former president Nelson Mandela in a historical moment in 1994. South Africa is often referred to as the rainbow nation to describe the country's multicultural diversity, especially in the wake of apartheid and this is something participants are encouraged to learn more about both before and during their time visiting the country and engaging with the local population.
South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th largest country in the world by land area, with a diverse cultural population of over 56 million people.
The majority of the population of South Africa is divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status.


Valve's Steam platform has emerged as an unexpected beneficiary of China's sweeping video game approval freeze. While Steam was never officially approved in China, it hasn't been officially censored either. The gray space the platform occupies has made it an attractive refuge for both Chinese gamers and developers who have grown frustrated with the ongoing game approval freeze which domestic platforms like Tencent's WeGame must honor.
While a variant of Steam does have Chinese approval, it only supports Dota 2. The global version of Steam took off in China only recently, with the explosive growth of Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) in 2017. Since then, over 30 million Chinese users have registered and are active on the platform. That represents ~25% of Steam's total registered accounts and is a large enough pool to attract even Chinese indie devs frustrated with the local game freeze.
A recently released Chinese indie title, The Scroll of Taiwu, was recently listed on Steam and sold over 800,000 copies despite only being available in simplified Chinese. Another Chinese language only title, Chinese Parents has also proven to be popular, with even some Westerners purchasing the game and leaving positive reviews despite no localized language support.
Beyond local titles, Steam has served as a backdoor method of accessing thousands of games that never went through the official approval process in China. Hyper violent games like Grand Theft Auto 5 have been accessible to intrepid Chinese gamers only through Stream despite having little chance of ever receiving official approval.
While there's no word on how long the official game approval freeze will last, I suspect Steam's free ride won't last long. In a country of 1.4 billion, its easy to see state censors could have missed a tiny platform like Steam with only a few million users. As more and more Chinese gamers learn about the Steam-loophole and sign in, news of the American owned platform flaunting Chinese law will make its way to Beijing.
Perhaps Valve itself will reform its Chinese offering before then. The company is already working with Perfect World Entertainment to launch an official version of Steam in China. While we have no release date yet, there's no way an official version of Steam in partnership with an established Chinese firm will be able to skirt Chinese rules and regulations. For more details on Steam's growth in China, check out the South China Morning Post's article on the matter, link provided below.


text:
Zesco's inefficiency doesn't merit hike of tariffs – CUTS
ZESCO'S inefficiency does not merit a hike of its electricity tariffs, says the Consumer Unity Trust International.
And Economics Association of Zambia president Isaac Ngoma says people can accept to pay tariffs reflecting the true cost of electricity production if Zesco enhances its operational efficiency and reduce pilferage.
Commenting on the decision by Zesco to reapply for an upward adjustment of electricity tariffs, CUTS International Zambia chapter chairperson Ambassador Love Mtesa yesterday said the proposed tariff hike was misplaced.
"Consumers have received this message with great pain that Zesco has applied for an increase in tariffs for electricity," he said in an interview. "In the first place, consumers have been getting a raw deal from Zesco not worth the money they have been paying. We have been facing lots of blackouts and in most cases without warnings. This has result in a number of consumers losing property and equipment."
Ambassador Mtesa said Zesco had been having excuses of wanting to increase investments year after year but tangible results were not seen.
"The increase in tariffs is uncalled for at this time… We strongly oppose the intention to increase at the moment. It is going to impact adversely not only us… lower consumers but even big consumers in industry and manufacturing," said Ambassador Mtesa.
And Ngoma said there was need for a complete overhaul of the energy sector.
"Erratic supply of power from Zesco is constraining production thereby affecting economy to operate at optimal levels. This tariff hike will compromise the ability to meet economic targets and erratic supply has brought additional costs to people and the industry through purchase of generators whilst paying for Zesco power," said Ngoma. "As much as we want to see tariffs reflecting true cost of electricity production, Zesco should enhance its operational efficiency and reduce pilferage which is rampant in the company so that consumers can see the quality of supply and improved service delivery."
Zesco has proposed that by November, electricity consumers should pay bills based on higher tariffs to enable the company contribute toward the continued development of the country through appropriate pricing of power.
Early this year, Zesco withdrew its application for a 25 per cent tariff hike, a move that company managing director Cyprian Chitundu said was necessitated by the lack of a board at the Energy Regulation Board to approve the proposal.
http://www.pressdisplay.com/


Two-year-old Bintu Mustapha is the human face behind the hidden humanitarian catastrophe now unfolding in northeast Nigeria. Her body wasted and stomach distended by hunger, Bintu's life hangs by the nutritional drip inserted in her hand. Too weak to move, she is one of 30 children being treated at a Save the Children emergency nutrition clinic in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State – and the area worst affected by the Nigerian government's drive to end the Boko Haram insurgency.
As aid donors gather in Oslo for a conference aimed at mobilizing support for northeast Nigeria, the stakes could hardly be higher. For tens of thousands of children like Bintu, this is – literally – a life-or-death moment. Success in Oslo could bring hope and the prospect of recovery for millions of vulnerable people. Failure will cost lives.
The scale of the crisis has yet to register with the international community. The humanitarian emergency in northeast Nigeria is the country's most serious since the Biafra famine in the 1960s. As the Nigerian army has pushed into areas previously controlled by Boko Haram, more than two million people have been displaced. Huge pockets of previously hidden deprivation are coming into view as the military retakes territory.
Over 14 million people are in urgent need of assistance in the states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe alone. With livelihoods collapsing as farmers flee their lands and the economy declines, that number is set to rise sharply. High background poverty rates – already in excess of 50% in the northeast – exacerbate the effects of conflict and displacement.
As ever, children are bearing the brunt. Those like Bintu Mustapha are the lucky ones. She was carried for two weeks by her mother to the nutrition clinic in Maiduguri from an area recently liberated from Boko Haram.
Many others don't make it. Death rates from hunger, diarrhea, and pneumonia are soaring. Almost half a million children are facing the prospect of severe and acute malnutrition, 300,000 of them in Borno alone. Famine-like conditions are emerging in some areas. In the absence of an effective response, some 200 children, on average, could die each day this year.
It's not just nutrition indicators that are in free fall. Children born in northeast Nigeria, especially girls, face some of the world's most limited opportunities for education . Fewer than half of Borno's children make it through primary school. Rural girls in the state average less than two years of schooling.
The combination of conflict, destruction of education infrastructure (around 1,200 schools have been destroyed), and Boko Haram's attacks on schoolchildren – most notoriously with the 2014 abduction of 276 girls from Chibok – has forced half a million students to abandon their studies.
This matters for Nigeria's future. The country has ten million children out of school, more than any other country in the world – and 60% live in the northeast . Failure to equip these children with the opportunities that come with education will trap them in a cycle of poverty, undermining growth, weakening livelihoods, and creating fertile ground for recruitment by militant organizations.
The response to the crisis in northeast Nigeria has been desperately inadequate. Last year, aid donors and UN agencies failed spectacularly to act with the urgency the crisis demanded. Less than half of the UN's humanitarian appeal was funded. Meanwhile, the last Nigerian government, struggling with an economic downturn, failed to mobilize sufficient resources – and it was slow to call for international support.
The Oslo conference provides an opportunity to make a new start. Three urgent priorities stand out.
First, aid donors need to commit now to the $1 billion needed to reach around seven million of those in need. An effective humanitarian response requires predictable and assured funding to underpin the necessary investments in nutrition, livelihoods and food security. As one of the conveners of the conference, Germany should be working with other major donors – notably the United Kingdom and the United States – to broaden and deepen humanitarian support.
Second, the Nigerian government has to step up its efforts. There are encouraging signs. President Muhammadu Buhari's government has placed one of its most able ministers, Zainab Ahmed, at the head of the humanitarian response team. Despite the economic recession, the authorities have also pledged to allocate around $1 billion of humanitarian support for the northeast. It is critical that it acts on this commitment – and that it puts in place the programs needed to end the region's persistent marginalization.
Third, the neglect of education must end. Borno's governor, Kashim Shettima, an Islamic scholar and self-professed beneficiary of what he describes as "Western education," has made reconstruction of the sector the state's single largest budget priority this year. To its credit, the World Bank has also put in place a $100 million facility to support education recovery in Nigeria's northeast. Yet UN agencies and donors have effectively scripted education out of the humanitarian appeal.
It's tough to think of a more shortsighted approach. Given that the denial and destruction of economic opportunity has been at the heart of the insurgency, there is no better way to deliver a peace dividend than to invest in education. That is why the UN's special envoy for education, Gordon Brown , has rightly called for the creation of a new global facility to support education in conflict-affected countries.
Ensuring that children like Bintu Mustapha survive is the most immediate priority. Giving them a chance to thrive through education is the only sound foundation for a lasting peace.


text:
China Has Become a Testing Ground for Luxury Brands
Product launches are being moved to China and high sales targets are set, hoping to offset the losses from the rest of the world.
Original Article: https://wwd.com/business-news/markets/china-has-become-a-testing-ground-for-luxury-brands-1203558967/
With much of the world still in lockdown to slow the coronavirus outbreak, China has become the best hope for luxury and fashion brands eager to get tills ringing again, making it a key launchpad for products and a testing ground for innovative marketing approaches.
Dior, for example, introduced Gem Clutch, a bespoke hybrid between fine jewelry and fashion handbag in China on WeChat on Friday before the brand begins to roll it out in the West. A day before that, Dior released a video featuring its China ambassador Angelababy touring its Shanghai flagship at Plaza 66 as a virtual shopping trip to promote the new Book Tote and Lady Dior bags.
The video gained 297,000 likes, 97,000 reposts and 43,000 comments on Angelababy's Weibo post. It's also understood that Dior will follow the path of Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Longchamp and host livestreaming events. But instead of engaging with China's expansive online audience, Dior's session is expected to be invitation-only for its VIPs.
Louis Vuitton worked with Xiaohongshu, a popular social commerce platform to promote its summer 2020 collection using livestreaming. Some 15,000 users watched the streaming with 6.25 million comments and likes.
Burberry recorded 1.38 million in engagement with its livestreaming debut with Tmall. Six out of the 10 products introduced via the streaming, including handbags and earrings, promptly sold out.
Josie Zhang, president of Burberry China, said, "In the past two months, we have seen a visible change in the behavior of Chinese consumers. We are very happy to be able to connect with so many consumers with livestreaming on Tmall. Consumers are eager for new things, and for us, when some consumers are unable to experience off-line boutiques because of the epidemic, livestreaming happens to be a safe and exciting way to bring them fresh experiences."
Besides the trend toward livestreaming, WeChat Mini Programs, which were at the top of luxury brands' minds in 2019, continue. These — along with Tmall stores and an official presence on various social media channels including Weibo, TikTok, Xiaohongshu and Shipinhao, which is WeChat's answer to Instagram — are helping brands build a 360-degree digital ecosystem that brings them closer to customers, making direct-to-consumer sales easier than in most other regions of the world.
Screenshots of Burberry's Tmall store, product info with clips from livestreaming, and Burberry's first livestreaming on Tmall. Screenshot/WWD
Luxury brands are banking on China, which is quickly recovering from the outbreak, to get revenues flowing again. Brunello Cuccinelli said sales in China saw improvement in the first 10 days of March and over the past few days, after significant drops since the last week of January and throughout the month of February.
It's not yet clear whether signs of improvement will become major gains. Chinese luxury consumer confidence is down, according to consultancy firm China Luxury Advisors. Bubble tea and hot pot are two inexpensive treats experiencing an instant surge in demand after lockdown measures were removed, as reported by local news. But brands are working hard to create desirability to move items off the shelves as fast as they can.
Richard Lu, founder of communication firm Instar — which works with 30-plus luxury clients including Gucci, Loewe, Prada, Valentino, Moynat, Bottega Veneta, Dunhill, Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford and Fendi — said brands have been introducing items to stimulate the market.
"People haven't been shopping for three months. There is definitely a resurgence, but I am worried about what's to come in two to three months' time. We are supposed to receive samples for pre-fall and fall-winter collections now, but since factories stopped working from March in Europe, I hope we will be able to get them by May, or it will be difficult for us to help promote them," Lu said.
Meanwhile, an account director at a global fashion agency's Beijing office, who requested anonymity, said its sample room has been empty since late March. And two other agencies confirmed to WWD that sample requests are reaching a historic high.
"I can feel that China is the last straw for many of our clients. All the new product launches are being moved to China, as it's the only place where shops are open. But store openings, previews and fashion shows are still being canceled or postponed before Q3. It's very risky because the government hasn't signaled a clear attitude on hosting events. You still need to self-quarantine for 14 days if you are coming to Beijing and no one wants a COVID-19 carrier showing up at their events," the director added.
Vanessa Wu, director of Europe at Reuter Communications, a Shanghai-based agency representing Lanvin, Maison Margiela, Alaïa, Vivienne Westwood, Harrods, Farfetch and Mytheresa, believes brands should reexamine their go-to market strategies to rebuild the momentum with China leading the way of recovery post-COVID-19.
"Instead of being overly commercial to leverage the pandemic, it's important to offer products or services to help people ease into a new norm, whether through digital migration or domestic consumption," she said.
While online innovation is helping brands reach a wider audience, physical retail still brings in the majority of revenues.
Hermès is aiming to hit the 40 million renminbi, or $5.7 million, sales goal for its renovated store for the rest of April in Guangzhou's luxury landmark Taikoo Hui, which is set to open on Saturday, according to a source working in luxury retail.
The amount is a bold monthly target. Only the flagships in China of the top luxury brands, such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, are able to reach that number, the source said, adding that the rest of Hermès' stores in the country will be supporting the Guangzhou unit to hit the target within 20 days.
In Shanghai, 80 percent of the business had recovered by early April, said a sales associate at Louis Vuitton over WeChat. Loyal customers have returned, exotic leather bags sell just as well as iconic monograms, but walk-in sales haven't rebounded. The brand's spring runway collection is nearly sold out, and now customers are snatching up the summer collection.
A China sales manager at Porsche said its headquarter have asked the dealer to hit its 2020 target despite a visible drop in January and February.
"Our goal for this year is to sell 90,000 luxury cars, which is more than the entire Europe[an continent] or the U.S. We have had 10 percent annual growth for years. The performance of the second half will be crucial. But I am not too worried, our clients come from a wide range of backgrounds and if they don't buy it now, the car will no longer be produced as our factories in Germany are shut," the manager said.
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