w88 hash club

Classic Xbox 360 Game Now 100% Free to Ownw88 hash club 。

Joel Klatt Outraged Over Travis Hunter’s Snub For The Thorpe AwardNone

Lindsey Vonn takes another step in comeback at age 40, competes in a pair of downhills

December 6, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Linköping University Researchers from Linköping University together with colleagues from Poland and Chile have confirmed a theory that proposes a connection between the complementarity principle and entropic uncertainty. Their study is published in the journal Science Advances . "Our results have no clear or direct application right now. It's basic research that lays the foundation for future technologies in quantum information and quantum computers. There's enormous potential for completely new discoveries in many different research fields," says Guilherme B Xavier, researcher in quantum communication at Linköping University, Sweden. But to understand what the researchers have shown, we need to start at the beginning. That light can be both particles and waves is one of the most illogical—but at the same time fundamental—characteristics of quantum mechanics. This is called wave-particle duality . The theory dates back to the 17th century when Isaac Newton suggested that light is composed of particles. Other contemporary scholars believed that light consists of waves. Newton finally suggested that it might be both, without being able to prove it. In the 19th century, several physicists in various experiments showed that light actually consists of waves. But around the early 1900s, both Max Planck and Albert Einstein challenged the theory that light is just waves. However, it was not until the 1920s that physicist Arthur Compton could show that light also had kinetic energy, a classical particle property. The particles were named photons. Thus, it was concluded that light can be both particles and waves, exactly as Newton suggested. Electrons and other elementary particles also exhibit this wave-particle duality. But it is not possible to measure the same photon in the form of a wave and a particle. Depending on how the measurement of the photon is carried out, either waves or particles are visible. This is known as the complementarity principle and was developed by Niels Bohr in the mid 1920s. It states that no matter what one decides to measure, the combination of wave and particle characteristics must be constant. In 2014, a research team from Singapore demonstrated mathematically a direct connection between the complementarity principle and the degree of unknown information in a quantum system, the so-called entropic uncertainty. This connection means that no matter what combination of wave or particle characteristic of a quantum system is looked at, the amount of unknown information is a least one bit of information, i.e. the unmeasurable wave or particle. In the new study, researchers have now succeeded in confirming the Singapore researchers' theory in reality with the help of a new type of experiment. "From our perspective, it's a very direct way to show basic quantum mechanical behavior. It's a typical example of quantum physics where we can see the results, but we cannot visualize what is going on inside the experiment. And yet it can be used for practical applications. It's very fascinating and almost borders on philosophy," says Guilherme B Xavier. In their new experiment set-up, the Linköping researchers used photons moving forward in a circular motion, called orbital angular momentum , unlike the more common oscillating motion, which is up and down. The choice of orbital angular momentum allows for future practical applications of the experiment, because it can contain more information. The measurements are made in an instrument commonly used in research, called an interferometer, where the photons are shot at a crystal ( beam splitter ) that splits the path of the photons into two new paths, which are then reflected so as to cross each other onto a second beam splitter and then measured as either particles or waves depending on the state of this second device. Discover the latest in science, tech, and space with over 100,000 subscribers who rely on Phys.org for daily insights. Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates on breakthroughs, innovations, and research that matter— daily or weekly . One of the things that makes this experiment set-up special is that the second beam splitter can be partially inserted by the researchers into the path of the light. This makes it possible to measure light as waves, or particles, or a combination of them in the same set-up. According to the researchers, the findings could have many future applications in quantum communication, metrology, and cryptography. But there is also much more to explore at a basic level. "In our next experiment, we want to observe the behavior of the photon if we change the setting of the second crystal right before the photon reaches it. It would show that we can use this experimental set-up in communication to securely distribute encryption keys , which is very exciting," says Daniel Spegel-Lexne, Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical Engineering. More information: Daniel Spegel-Lexne et al, Experimental demonstration of the equivalence of entropic uncertainty with wave-particle duality, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr2007 . www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr2007 Journal information: Science Advances Provided by Linköping UniversityBalancing the demands of working or running a business, all whilst raising a family is no easy task. Choosing the right city can make all the difference for working parents. This is particular so in the U.S. A recent CoworkingCafe study has ranked the top 20 U.S. cities that offer the best combination of career prospects, childcare availability, and quality of life. What an individual’s daily life looks like depends in large part on where they live. How far do we have to travel to get to work and to school? How close are the nearest parks and paediatricians? These are essential questions for many families. To gather the necessary data, the company focused on U.S. cities with at least 200,000 residents that had data for all metrics analysed. Data points were analysed comparatively with the extreme values within the data pool determining the highest and lowest possible scores for each metric. Taking these data sets, Coworking Cafe proceeded to examine and then to rank cities on the basis of 10 metrics that were divided into three categories: education, work and health, and environment. The top ten cities were: The data reveals that Washington, D.C. topped the ranking with high scores in both the work and health categories, with 25 percent of its workforce being remote and registering 350 paediatricians per 100,000 children. Seattle, WA, ranked second nationally due to its high share of remote workers at 27 percent of the total workforce, on top of 80 percent of the jobs here being office-related. Coming third on the list, Arlington, VA, features relatively high due to a strong work environment, also recording a 27% share of remote workers out of the total workforce, as well as an 85 percent share of office jobs. In terms of cities demonstrating key advantages in specific categories, the survey finds that Plano, TX, led in the affordable childcare category with only 10 percent of the median household income spent on childcare. On a different measure, Miami, FL, ranked first in terms of accessible educational facilities, logging more than 400 public schools per 100,000 children. Overall, the West stood out with eight locations in the top 20, while the South closely followed with seven. Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

Atalanta tops Serie A after late win over AC Milan while Inter goes 13 games unbeatenWhile the Carolina Hurricanes are putting themselves in strong position to eventually secure home-ice advantage in the postseason, the New York Rangers appear to be a shell of the squad that won the teams' second-round playoff series last season in six games. The Hurricanes will attempt to extend their winning home winning streak to nine games, while the Rangers hope to avoid a fourth straight loss when the Metropolitan Division foes convene for the first time this season on Wednesday in Raleigh, N.C. Carolina missed winning the division by three points last season, when it finished with 111. The title instead went to New York, which also won the Presidents' Trophy after racking up a league-best 114 points. Just more than a month into the new season, the Hurricanes own the third-most points in the league (31) and are outscoring foes 41-16 on home ice since taking a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their home opener on Oct. 11. Carolina has scored at least four goals in each game of its home winning streak and has hit that mark 16 times overall in 21 games this season. The Hurricanes kept the streak alive with Monday's 6-4 victory over the Dallas Stars. Carolina scored five goals in the third period, including a tiebreaking, power-play goal from Martin Necas with under three minutes left to overcome a 3-1 deficit. "I already know what we have," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "It's just, can they grasp how we have to play every shift? I think sometimes we get a little off and try to do things differently, then all of a sudden, we get to the way we have to play... We don't always get the result like that, but you're giving yourself a chance. Really, a game like that, that's what you're hoping you get out of it." Sebastian Aho scored the first goal of the third-period flurry and collected three assists. Seth Jarvis scored in his first game since Nov. 9 and collected two assists, including the secondary helper on the goal by Necas. The Hurricanes are continuing to win despite uncertainty in goal. Frederik Andersen is about a month into his recovery from knee surgery and Pyotr Kochetkov is in the concussion protocol after colliding with defenseman Sean Walker in Saturday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Spencer Martin started in goal Monday. The Rangers raced out to a 5-0-1 start but are just 7-7-0 since then and have lost three straight. New York ended its four-game road trip with a 6-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and produced another dud in a 5-2 home loss to the St. Louis Blues Monday. Will Cuylle scored twice, but big names Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad combined for six shots on goal and were a combined minus-7 as the Rangers were outshot 44-29. "We need to be better," New York coach Peter Laviolette said. "Everybody needs to be better. It's not good enough what we're doing." Monday's loss came after reports surfaced that general manager Chris Drury told other teams he may be willing to trade forward Chris Kreider and defenseman Jacob Trouba, who has a no-move clause to 15 teams. Kreider on Monday missed his first game since Jan. 16, 2023, due to an upper-body injury and is day-to-day. He has nine goals in 19 games this season. Trouba was on the ice for two goals Monday and has just two points since collecting four assists in the first three games this season. --Field Level MediaEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Malik Nabers said calling the New York Giants “soft” after Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a mistake, although the star rookie receiver still plans to speak out when he thinks it's necessary. After talking with coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen and watching video of the Giants' 30-7 defeat , Nabers said Tuesday that "soft” was a poor choice of words. “I don’t think it was really soft. I think it was just a lack of technique,” Nabers said. “We were playing our butts off, we just lacked technique.” The Giants (2-9) trailed 23-0 at halftime and had run only 19 plays on offense. Nabers was not targeted in first the half but still finished with a team-high six catches for 64 yards. The No. 6 overall pick in the draft, Nabers said his rant after the game — in which he said the Giants' quarterbacks weren't to blame for the team's poor performance — was just the competitor in him talking. “That’s just how I’m wired. That’s just who I am,” he said. “I just don’t like losing. If I feel like if I had an opportunity to help the team win, I’m going to express that.” Nabers said not being targeted in the opening half was tough because his body is prepared to play and not doing anything throws him off his game. “You’re not getting involved early, then you’re not getting the feel of the ball, you’re not getting hit,” Nabers said. “After football plays as an offense, after you get hit, you’re like, ‘All right, I’m ready to go.’” Nabers has a team-high 67 catches, the most by a player in his first nine NFL games. He said he sees himself as a resource, someone who can change the game for the Giants. “I’m not going to just sit back just because I’m a younger guy and not speak on how I feel,” Nabers said. “They want me to speak up. They feel like my energy helps the offense, in a way, to be explosive. So, of course, I’m going to speak up if something doesn’t go my way. That’s just how I am.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Democratic strategist James Carville claims he was right when earlier this year he warned about Democratic support among young men was falling because of the party's focus on effeminate and woke messaging. Democratic Party strategist James Carville lamented the political misfortune of President Biden in the weeks following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. In a video update published on YouTube, the 80-year-old pundit weighed in on the heat Biden is currently enduring from his own party for pardoning his son, Hunter Biden. Though Carville did not hold the pardon against the president, he lamented how Biden’s actions in the past year have made him such an unpopular figure. "The most tragic figure in American politics in my lifetime is President Biden," Carville proclaimed. HUNTER BIDEN PARDON: MEDIA TAKES LATEST BLOW TO CREDIBILITY WITH BOTCHED COVERAGE OF BROKEN PROMISE Democratic strategist James Carville recently claimed President Biden not withdrawing from the presidential race sooner has turned him into the most tragic figure in American politics he's ever seen. (Screenshot/HBO) The strategist waved off criticism from Biden’s own party that he pardoned his son on Sunday after saying throughout his presidency he never would. "Alright, so he said, ‘I’d never pardon the kid.’ Okay. I don’t believe any – When anybody says, ‘I never had sex with that person,’ or, ‘I’d never pardon my kid,’ I don’t pay any attention to it, ‘cause I think everybody lies about sex and everybody is going to do what they’re going to do with their own children," he said. Multiple Democratic lawmakers and liberal media outlets condemned the pardon , arguing the younger Biden got off too easy from multiple felony convictions and warning that Trump would use it as an excuse for more abuses of power. Instead, Carville hammered Biden over running for re-election in the first place, saying that if he had just passed the torch early enough, the Democratic Party would have won the election and none of this negative attention would be on him. He would have left the White House on a "high note," he said. Under intense pressure, Biden bowed out of the race in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose to Trump. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE Hunter Biden flashes a big smile as he leaves an Arby's in Santa Barbara on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital) "But the different scenario would be, if he would have – in September of 2023 or August – said that he wasn’t going to run ... we would have won this election. And it wouldn’t have been that close, because we’d have had so many freaking talented people that were running," he lamented. Carville continued describing Biden’s glorious alternative future, stating, "And he would be sitting here right now, getting ready to leave on a high note. There would be naming commissions to figure out what we're going to name after him. He would be the toast of Washington. It would be a Democratic inauguration coming up, and a new Democratic president could have sort of gotten away with commuting any sentence that Hunter Biden got." He added that there would have been "minimal" pushback if the pardon happened in this scenario because Biden would be seen in a better light. JAMES CARVILLE SAYS AMERICA’S WOKE ‘HANGOVER’ HAUNTED HARRIS CAMPAIGN, DAMAGED DEMOCRATIC BRAND "And all of this," he continued, "is f---ing self-inflicted. It’s tragic, it’s sad, and of course, everything about him is – it will be six years before somebody comes back and talks about all of the stunning things – the manufacturing that he’s brought back, the stunning stuff he’s done." Democratic strategist James Carville during an appearance on MSNBC. (Screenshot/MSNBC) "What’s so sad, it didn’t have to be this way. He brought it all on himself," he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.

Jaylen Blakes, Maxime Raynaud and Oziyah Sellers combined for 35 points in a 47-point, first half explosion Saturday afternoon and Stanford ran away from California for an 89-81 Atlantic Coast Conference road win in Berkeley, Calif. Raynaud and Blakes finished with 20 points apiece for the Cardinal (8-2, 1-0 ACC), who won their first ever game in ACC competition. Andrej Stojakovic had a game-high 25 points and Jovan Blacksher Jr. added 14 for the Golden Bears (6-3, 0-1), who dropped their second in a row after a 6-1 start. Playing just its second true road game of the season, Stanford scored 14 of the game's first 18 points and never looked back. Raynaud and Ryan Agarwal hit 3-pointers in the run. Blakes had 14 points, Raynaud 11 and Sellers 10 in the first half, which ended with Stanford in front 47-31. Cal was still down 81-65, after two free throws by Stanford's Chisom Okpara with 3:58 remaining before making a little run. Mady Sissoko converted a three-point play and Rytis Petraitis and Joshua Ola-Joseph connected on consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 flurry that made it a seven-point game with still 2:13 to go. It got as close as six when Stojakovic drilled a 3-pointer with 1:21 left, but Okpara and Blakes dropped in late layups to keep the hosts at arm's length. Seven of the nine Cardinal who saw action hit at least half his field goal attempts, led by Raynaud's 8-for-15 and Blakes' 7-for-13. Stanford finished 52.6 percent as a team. Both were deadly from the 3-point line as well, with Raynaud going 4-for-6 and Blakes 2-for-4. With Sellers adding 3-for-6, the Cardinal made 11 of their 23 attempts (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. Raynaud also found time for five blocks, while Agarwal and Aidan Cammann shared Stanford rebound honors with seven. Blakes complemented his 20 points with a team-high six assists and two blocks. The Cardinal registered 19 assists on 30 baskets, while Cal had just five on its 30 hoops. Agarwal and Okpara each also scored in double figures with 11 points. Facing his old team for the first time after transferring to Cal over the summer, Stojakovic shot 11-for-25. The Golden Bears finished at 42.3 percent overall and 38.1 percent (8 of 21) on 3-pointers. Ola-Joseph and Sissoko, who had 11 points, were the game's leading rebounders with eight apiece. -Field Level MediaFewer super funds means more business for this tech consultancy

GOP senator announces 'DOGE Acts' to back Musk, Ramaswamy government cost-cutting objectivesWASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump's picks. Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance's hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It's a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time "with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, In another sign of Vance's influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump's first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships," he said. "But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he's not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. ___ Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. Jill Colvin And Stephen Groves, The Associated PressAustralian retailers risk selling themselves short by opting out of Black Friday, industry experts say, with nearly one in three West Australians set to splash cash during the mega sales event. As the November shopping event grows rapidly in Australia, questions have emerged as to whether it devalues the goods sold and creates unsustainable expectations among increasingly frugal consumers. But Chris Jager, shopping expert at comparison site Finder, said there was no real downside for retailers wanting to take part in Black Friday. Unlike some sales events, merchants do not need to pay a fee or commission to use the Black Friday branding, he said. “This makes the barrier to entry particularly low for smaller retailers,” Mr Jager said. “The sale also happens to coincide with seasonal end-of-year discounts, making it easy for retailers to jump on the bandwagon without further eroding profits. “Any retailer that decides not to participate is definitely selling themselves short.” It comes as WA shoppers are expected to spend an eye-watering amount across the upcoming sales season, including Black Friday, Finder said. Its research revealed WA consumers have already spent an average of $778 each across Singles’ Day and Click Frenzy sales in November, as well as Amazon Prime Day and AfterPay Day promotions earlier this year. On average, WA shoppers are expected to spend another $1124 each on upcoming sales before the end of the year. Cheyanne Enciso Cheyanne Enciso Local fashion designers Nina Ergic and Daniel Romanin kicked off Black Friday promotions at their womenswear label One Fell Swoop last Friday, offering 30 per cent off full-priced items and further discounts on sale items. But the pair admitted they felt pressured to participate in the sales event. “You kind of don’t have a choice. You either opt out and you lose revenue or you participate and you discount your product at peak of season,” Ms Ergic said, adding they have decided not to participate in Boxing Day sales next month. “For us (the bigger question) is will it have to be bigger and bigger year-on-year.” With most retailers offering promotions, Ms Ercig could not say for certain how their customers will engage with the brand during Black Friday. “I think people are going to choose what they prioritise, whether it’s your homewares or whether it’s fashion,” she said. “We’re competing with every other Australian brands and international brands so we’re hoping that we do get a slice of the pie.” Black Friday traditionally falls on the last Friday in November and runs for four days until Cyber Monday. But the sales phenomenon over the years has got longer, with sales from major brands starting as early as November 6 this year. “Australian shoppers (are) very concerned about the cost of living and they’re planning Christmas gift-buying much earlier and they are taking advantage of those big sales events throughout November,” retail expert Gary Mortimer said. Professor Mortimer, from Queensland University of Technology, also agreed that retailers were not disadvantaged by participating in Black Friday. “I’m not entirely sure why a retail business, be it a small one or an independent, would be concerned about participating in what’s become a very important seasonal, promotional event that’s designed to drive sales,” he said. The Australian Retailers Association estimates shoppers to spend a record $6.7 billion over the traditional four days of the sales period. Meanwhile, Black Friday sales in its originating country, the US, are expected to top $US10 billion ($15.4b) this year — an increase of 7 per cent compared with last year — over the same period.