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Abu Dhabi: Sunday Quotes
Heikki Kovalainen (11th): "I got a really good start and managed to overtake some cars. Unfortunately, the performance of my car was not as I'd have liked, and the heavy fuel load made it harder to make greater progress - but I was fighting right until the last corner. After my pitstop, my KERS stopped working, which meant I had to adapt the car to perform well without it. Still, after this race we can reflect on our overall season and look at what a great job we did to secure third position in the constructors' championship. That was thanks to an incredible team effort. We never gave up, and really turned the tables around. And I'm extremely proud to be a part of the team that beat Ferrari in the constructors' championship for the first time since 2005."
Lewis Hamilton (DNF, Brakes): "I had a good start, but I realized early on that something wasn't right with the brakes. After three or four laps, it became clear that there was a problem with my right-rear brake pad, so I couldn't open up the gap back to Sebastian and Mark [Webber]. When the problem got worse, the team radioed me and told me to stop at the end of the lap. Of course, it's a shame that we couldn't show the performance we'd had throughout the weekend - but sometimes that's racing. However, I think we can be really proud of our efforts: who'd have thought we'd finish third in the constructors' championship at the start of this season? It's been an incredible year, and now I can't wait for next season to start so I can fight for the world championship again."
Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal: "Lewis drove absolutely superbly all weekend - in fact he drove absolutely superbly all year. Today, though, after just five laps, his right rear brake pad began to show signs of an unusual level of wear - a rogue pad, we think - and as a result we had to stop him for safety reasons. That was an enormous pity, because up to that point he'd shown blistering pace every day here in Abu Dhabi. In many ways, therefore, for us, today's race was a disappointing end to a challenging season - but, overall, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about it. The team has worked tremendously hard all year to improve MP4-24, which started the year as one of the slower cars but ended it with two fine wins and a string of impressive points-scoring finishes, culminating in a dominant pole position here yesterday. And Mercedes-Benz's engines have been excellent all year. But perhaps more important still is that work on MP4-25 is already going very encouragingly - it's already quicker than MP4-24 - and there's every reason for us to be confident that we'll be able to continue to develop and improve it significantly between now and the beginning of the 2010 season. Returning to this weekend, though, yet again Heikki was the undeserved victim of bad luck. His qualifying was spoiled through no fault of his own and as a result he lined up 18th for today's race. He made a fantastic start - displaying a perfect combination of aggression and discipline - and passed Kimi at the first pitstops as a result, just as we'd hoped he would. Thereafter he stayed ahead of Kimi - which wasn't strictly necessary from a points-scoring point of view but gave us the comfort we needed in terms of the constructors' championship - and then adapted extremely well to the performance and balance compromises forced upon him by a mid-race KERS failure. Talking of the constructors' championship, the fact that we beat Ferrari to third place is of course a matter of pride to us, and I want to pay tribute to all at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for the superhuman efforts they all made in achieving that milestone. Ferrari are always formidable opponents for us, and next year we hope to beat them again - this time for first place rather than third. Last of all, I want to say what a wonderful event the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was. Equally, we're all very much looking forward to returning to this part of the world in March next year, to kick off the 2010 season in equally fine style in Bahrain."
Norbert Haug, Mercedes Motorsport Director: "This inaugural Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi was a great venue to finish this remarkable 2009 season. A shame for Lewis, who drove fantastically the whole weekend and then had to stop due to a brake pad problem - he was the class of the field on Friday and Saturday, as his remarkable qualifying lap proved yesterday. Heikki suffered from starting 18th after a gearbox change, and, during the race, his KERS Hybrid system caused a problem, so Heikki had to switch it off after half-distance, and his speed was obviously compromised by that. Looking back at this season, the team recovered brilliantly from our uncompetitiveness in the first half of the season, and Lewis posted four pole positions in the last seven races. On the engine side, we did not have one failure. Mercedes-Benz this year supplied a total of six cars, Brawn GP and Jenson Button clinched both world championships - congratulations again - so that was very positive. I'd like to thank everybody in the team at Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart for all their relentless hard work. It paid off - and it will pay off even more in the future. Finally, congratulations to our German friend Sebastian Vettel and his Red Bull team for a great victory at this inaugural very special grand prix of Abu Dhabi."
Kimi Raikkonen (12th): "We knew we did not have a car that was competitive here. It was definitely not a good weekend, but I don't think any of us have anything to reproach ourselves for. We did the most we could with the package we hard. At the start, the track was a bit slippery and that cost me a place to Kobayashi, who was very quick today. Then, when the two Brawns were back ahead of me, after their first pit stop, our race was definitely compromised and a points finish became impossible. It's a shame to end my time with Ferrari with this result, but this year we have never been in a position to fight for the win at every race, as I would have wished."
Giancarlo Fisichella (16th): "I am disappointed that third place got away from us like this, but today our pace was what it was, as can be seen from my team-mate's twelfth place. I tried all I could, as usual and I feel I drove a good race. It was a shame about the drive-through which compromised my second stint. I got a good start and got past Grosjean, who then got ahead of me again, cutting the chicane, but then in his turn, he got by, taking back what I had gained. I am sorry that I wasn't able to contribute to the team in terms of points and to have not really shown my worth. Unfortunately, the F60 is very difficult to drive, especially in qualifying and starting from the back is always a big penalty. Now the time has come to think of the future: I do not yet know if I will get a race drive with a team, but what is certain is that I will be a Ferrari driver and I am happy about that."
Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal: "It's disappointing to see third place in the Constructors' Championship elude us by a single point, but we have to accept the verdict dished out on track. We took a strategic decision regarding the development of the F60 a few months ago and we knew that, as time went by, the road ahead would get ever steeper. All the same, I wish to congratulate the entire team who, despite the difficult situation, continued to keep their concentration up, getting on with their work with determination and tenacity. Now we must continue to work on the design of the new car, because we have a very simple aim: that of getting back to being in the fight for race wins. This was Kimi's last race with us and again today he gave it his all. We are very disappointed that this year, we did not give him a competitive car and I thank him for never having thrown in the towel, in fact, fighting even harder when the situation was at its trickiest. That thanks extends to all our drivers: to Felipe who went through a dramatic moment in Budapest and is recovering quickly to be 100% for the start of next season; to Luca, who accepted the challenge to put himself in the game in a very difficult moment; to Giancarlo who in order to realize his dream of racing for Ferrari, left a team just as it was going through its best part of the season. Again today, he did his utmost right to the final kilometer. I am proud of our drivers, as I am of everyone who works in our team and I am sure that every one of them will know how to learn the right lessons from this season and will be even more motivated to try and redeem themselves immediately."
Chris Dyer: "It was a very disappointing day for us. We knew after the qualifying result that it would be very tough and so it turned out. This weekend we definitely did not have a good enough level of performance and so we were unable to exploit the help inadvertently given us by our adversaries in the fight for third place. It's an unpleasant way to end our relationship with Kimi and we are very disappointed about it. It would have been nice to have given him a good result as a send off to thank him for everything we have done together over the past three years. We wish him all the best for the future, whatever he decides to do. He is an extraordinary driver and we will always have fond memories of him."
BMW Sauber
Nick Heidfeld (5th): "I am very happy with my fifth place. It was a good race in which I was able to get the maximum out of the car and score four points, which was enough to reach our target for the end of the season to overtake Williams in the constructors' championship. After I have been a little unlucky in recent races, this time I was really able to exploit the car's potential. For quite a long period I was able to go at the same speed as the world champion's car, the Brawn. The strategy to go for a rather long stint paid off and the track was even more fun when it had more rubber on it. It is a pleasing end to our last season together. It now becomes very emotional. During the last laps I had to pull myself together in order to keep my concentration."
Robert Kubica (10th): "I lost the race in the second stint when I was very slow, while in the first stint I was able to go at quite a good pace, similar to Rubens. The car was working very well. After changing tires I had no grip at all. The track was getting quicker and I just could not go at the pace of the other drivers. This was very strange. My fight with Sebastien Buemi was quite tough and a bit dangerous. We nearly touched when braking into the chicane. He first moved to the left and blocked the inside of the left hander. When I moved to the right he pushed me over the high inside curb of the right hander section of the chicane and I spun. He did not leave any space at all. Thanks a lot to the team for the last four years. I hope to meet them back on the grid next year."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director: "That was once again a strong weekend for our team in the season's finale. Starting from eighth Nick consistently moved up to fifth thanks to a very good performance. Robert was unlucky three times during the race: After each pit stop he came back on the track behind a slower car, and due to the collision with Buemi he lost one position. But the most important point is that with today's result we gained another place in the constructors' championship. So we ended a very tough season with some strong results. A big thank you goes to the whole team - both here at the track as well as in Munich and Hinwil."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director: "Our goal today was to score three points more than Williams and overtake them in the constructors' championship. This goal was achieved thanks to Nick's great drive and his fifth place. The race was very interesting from a strategic point of view because a one stopper was exactly as quick as two. Therefore the decisive part was at the second pit stop where it was decided who was in front of who. The race was so close today, so it was an absolute must not to make any mistake at all. I want to express my respect for the team in Munich and Hinwil who never lost motivation and continued to push very hard. They all did a fantastic job and deserve this result."
Fernando Alonso (14th): "The result today is disappointing as we were not able to produce the performance we wanted. I would have liked to finish the season on a high, especially as this was my last race with Renault. I would like to thank the entire team for everything that we have achieved together over the years. We had some great victories and won championships together. It has been the most amazing seven years of my career and something I will never forget."
Romain Grosjean (18th): "The race today was disappointing. I made a good start but I was blocked several times. I also suffered with some brake problems during the race. Towards the end I unfortunately lost a place to Fisichella, which was a shame, but the performance of the car didn't really allow me to show what I was capable of today. It's now the end of the season and I can say that I have learnt an enormous amount this year, especially being teammate to Fernando."
Jean-Francois Caubet, Managing Director: "We have to recognize that this has been a difficult year for Renault. From a technical standpoint the year started with confusion, and on the human side we will miss Fernando who is leaving the team. From the political perspective, all the problems that we have encountered this year have been negative for us and for Formula One. But next season is full of hope; we have turned the page and the future is ahead of us. The strategy is well underway, the choice of drivers is close and the technical changes being overseen by Bob [Bell] for the chassis and Rob [White] for the engine are promising. The sponsors are coming back and even though we are disappointed with our performance in the final race of the season, we know that changes are underway and we are confident for the future. The team is united and full of optimism."
Bob Bell, Team Principal: "In terms of performance it was a disappointing race for us. Going into the weekend, we had slightly higher expectations, but in the end we just didn't have the pace. In terms of the event itself, it has been fantastic and Abu Dhabi deserves real credit for providing the facilities and for staging a great event, which has been great for Formula One. As a team we are obviously disappointed as we had hoped to end the season on a high, but we are upbeat for next year. We will move on from here and will be back fighting next year."
Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations: "The story of the year overall is that we have not been competitive enough. Today's race was difficult again and unfortunately we couldn't fight for points. In terms of the engines, we have not had any issues this year but we are missing overall performance with the car. We will work hard over the winter to come back stronger in 2010."
Kamui Kobayashi (6th): "It was a really good race for me. At the start I overtook (Kimi) Raikkonen and that was important in the end because it would have been difficult to finish in the top six if I had been behind him during the first stint. When I got past I was confident I had the race pace to fight for the points and my target was to be consistently fast. The team did a great job with the strategy and the pit stop which played a big part in helping me finish in the points. I certainly wasn't expecting to be racing in Formula 1 this season and I want to say thank you to Toyota for this opportunity. My target was to finish in the points today but I am a bit surprised to be in the top six. This is a fantastic result and I am extremely happy."
Jarno Trulli (7th): "It was not an easy race for me. I made a good start and was fighting with the BMWs on the first laps, which was good fun, but I was struggling a little with traction. During the stint the rear tires were degrading and then later braking consistency became an issue. I was pushing as hard as possible and putting in some good laps to fight for the top six. In the end I was seventh, which is not bad, and for the team the result is pretty good. Obviously Kamui drove really well and I am very pleased for him; he deserved this result."
Tadashi Yamashina, Team Principal: "It was a great result for us to have both drivers in the points in the last race of 2009. Kamui did a fantastic job and we are very proud of him but Jarno also fought hard to get a strong result. This year the team, including everyone back in the factory in Cologne, has done a brilliant job. It's been a tough season but we have ended it in a positive way, so thanks to everyone in the team, as well as our sponsors and fans. I would like to offer my congratulations to the race organizers, who have done a fantastic job to create this incredible venue and also to the new World Champions, Brawn GP and Jenson Button, who achieved so much this season."
Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Sebastien Buemi (8th): "Getting another point today, after also scoring in Brazil, is a nice way to end the season. The entire team has done a great job over the past four races and so I am looking forward to next year. At first, I was having trouble matching Rosberg's pace, but I picked up more and more speed as the race progressed. I lost a bit of time behind Nakajima, but overall I think I did the best I could and it was a great race. My fight with Robert was quite fair, as I think I left him enough space."
Jaime Alguersuari (DNF): "My start was not too bad, but I got a bit boxed in and on the first lap, I made a mistake at Turn 19, losing the rear of the car and going onto the grass, which is when I lost a few places. Then later, I had to stop with a gearbox problem as a couple of gears were disabled, so I decided to pit. But there was a misunderstanding because I came into the Red Bull Racing pit next door as my team was not expecting me. I therefore drove back onto the track and had to retire there when the gearbox broke."
Franz Tost, Team Principal: "Another point. Buemi drove his best race of the season, getting a good start and after that the strategy chosen by the team also worked well to get him ahead of Rosberg. His fight with Kubica was an important and exciting moment as he managed to stay ahead. His lap times were very quick and Sebastien produced a very good performance. Unfortunately, we had a gearbox problem on Alguersuari's car when two gears engaged at the same time, breaking the gearbox. It's a shame the season is over, as in recent races the performance of the team, the car and the drivers increased. Now, I hope we can build a good car for next year and pick up in Bahrain where we left off here."
Red Bull-Renault
Sebastian Vettel (1st): "That was a fantastic race. We had a very good start, it wasn't good enough to overtake Lewis, but I was surprised I was so close to him. Then, when Lewis was on the long straight, he pushed a button and disappeared ahead, but I was able to stay close. We knew we were a little bit heavier and we were always able to catch him up, especially in the last sector. The car was a dream today. There was a lot of pressure, I nearly went a bit wide in the pit lane entrance during my first stop and then there was the scary exit through the tunnel, but I was on the limit and it was enough to get past Lewis. Unfortunately he then had to retire, but up to that point it was a fantastic race with him. After that I had a little bit of a cushion to Mark and Jenson behind and I was able to pace myself, but the car was fantastic until the end. It worked brilliantly on both tire compounds and it was a pleasure to sit in the car this evening. To sum up the season, what can I say? I would say up and down, we are currently very strong and have just gained our fourth one-two finish, so congratulations to the team. They have been pushing a lot, working very hard back in the factory. It's a shame now that the season ends, as we are on a roll! It's just perfect to finish the season in this way on such a high."
Mark Webber (2nd): "I made a pretty good start and had a bit of a look on the outside of Sebastian, but I knew I had to get back on the inside and get a good exit, as it was a long run down to Turn five. My car got hit quite hard on the left rear after the first corner and I was worried about a puncture. My race engineer, Ciaron, told me the tire had enough pressure and I was relieved. It looked like Lewis was struggling a little bit in the first few laps and Sebastian and I were able to get a bit closer to him than we expected. Things then started to stabilize and I was pretty happy on the prime tires. Sebastian was a bit quicker today in the second two race stints, especially the last one. I didn't have much of a feeling on the option tire and it was the same for me on Friday. I was quite slow on that and preferred the stability of the prime. Towards the end of the race, Jenson was able to close the gap to me and I thought 'this is going to be tight'! We knew we had a slight top-speed advantage, but not much and I had to make sure I was accurate with my braking points. We had a good clean fight on the limit and the battle was a credit to how Jenson's driven all year. I want to congratulate the team on what they have achieved and thank them for their patience with me at the start of the year when I was coming back from my accident. It's been very enjoyable driving alongside Sebastian this year, Renault has given us a fantastic engine and overall Red Bull can be incredibly proud of what they have done. It's been my best season to date; we've had 16 podiums together; it's very good."
Christian Horner, Sporting Director: "That was the most brilliant way to finish the season, by gaining our fourth one-two finish and our sixth win. Both our drivers were supreme today. Sebastian drove an immaculate race and we managed to jump Lewis through good strategy, good pace and good work with the pit crew. Mark also had enough fuel to get Lewis at the next pit-stop - however, that came sooner than expected when Lewis retired. Thereafter both guys were really strong on the prime tire. Mark lost quite a bit of time with some difficult traffic just before his final stop and then he was struggling a little bit for traction on the option tire, so Jenson was able to close in. It was a really exciting last lap of the year and Mark did a brilliant job to hang on to second place, so congratulations to the whole team - it's been an excellent year. Thank you to Red Bull, to Mr. Mateschitz for all his support, to our engine partner Renault and all the people who have worked so hard in Milton Keynes this year for this fantastic result. We've learned a great deal this year and we'll come back stronger in 2010."
Nico Rosberg (9th): "It wasn't a terribly exciting race for me today as I just didn't have the pace to do any better. I would have liked to help the team hold on to 6th place in the constructors' championship. From a personal perspective, my 7th place in the driver's table wasn't challenged and I think this was a good result this year in the circumstances. It's been a long season and I would really like to thank all the team for their effort during the last four years. We have had a great time together."
Kazuki Nakajima (13th): "It wasn't easy running on a one-stop today and I didn't feel that the first stint went well. The middle of the race was more affected by traffic, but there was nothing to do except keep plugging away for 55 laps, but it was a good battle and I enjoyed myself."
Rod Nelson, Chief Operations Engineer: "It was naturally disappointing not to be able to retain our championship position today, but well done to BMW and we will miss them next year. Both drivers competed well today, but the car wasn't quick enough and a few incidents in the race compounded the situation. Losing time behind Trulli meant the one-stopping Kobayashi could get ahead of Nico, which made it very difficult to maintain our points margin."
Force India-Mercedes
Vitantonio Liuzzi (15th): "Overall I thought we got the maximum from the car today but unfortunately we had a problem with the brakes more or less from the beginning of the race so we couldn't really fight for positions. I was behind the Williams at the start and one of the Toyotas in the middle of the race so we were pretty much mixing it in the midfield. We had a problem with the soft tires in the first 15 laps that caused a lot of oversteer so I think it is the maximum we could have achieved. We knew it would be difficult to score points and although I would have liked to get some on the board at the end of the season I am happy we have showed some good form in these five races."
Adrian Sutil (17th): "We had some problems at the start of the race with the tires and had to stop earlier than expected to change to a new set. The two stop strategy was the right one and the race went OK although we obviously didn't get any points, which was the aim. All the same it has been a very good season, naturally with a lot of ups and downs, but we've gone massively forward from the beginning of the season to the end. I think we can be very proud of this progress."
Dr. Vijay Mallya, Team Principal: "Of course points would have been a fitting end to the season, but sadly we could not achieve them today. All the same both drivers gave it absolutely everything until the final lap and I couldn't have asked for more. It's been an excellent season for Force India this year and I would like to thank the entire team, both at the track and at our bases in Silverstone and Brackley, for their outstanding commitment and skills that have led to this success. We have achieved our objectives and then some more and can only build on this over the winter into 2010."
Jenson Button (3rd): "It was a fun race today and to be on the podium for the last race of the year is fantastic. I've really enjoyed driving here at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend and Abu Dhabi has done a fantastic job for its first Grand Prix. We expected the prime tire to be the better tire in the race but I was struggling for balance especially as the track temperatures started to fall and it became more difficult to get heat into the front tires. The car felt great when we switched to the soft tire for the final stint. It really felt transformed and suddenly I had a great front end and could carry more speed into the corners. The last few laps were really exciting and I was giving everything to take second place from Mark. I couldn't quite make the moves stick and he's a very difficult guy to overtake but it was a good clean fight and we were really on the edge. I'm a little bit disappointed not to get second but it's still great to finish on the podium. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at the team in Brackley and at Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines. It really has been a fantastic year and they should all be very proud of what we have achieved together. It's nice to end the year on a high after what has been a very competitive and challenging season."
Rubens Barrichello (4th): "We had a pretty competitive race today. The start was quite exciting and I went to the inside at turn one but unfortunately I collided slightly with Mark and he took a chunk of my front wing with him. It lost me a lot of downforce initially which let Jenson past but I was able to live with the understeer so we decided not to change the nose and I just pushed as hard as possible. I was quicker than Jenson in the middle stint but it's very difficult to overtake, even more so when it's your team-mate in the same car, so there was nothing I could do to get past him. Still it was a competitive race throughout and a lot of fun so I have to be pleased with fourth position today. It's truly been a great season and I have to thank the team for giving me a car that has been so competitive this year and the opportunity to return to winning ways again. We've had a great year together."
Ross Brawn, Team Principal: "A strong race from both drivers today and another podium finish is a great way to round off what has been a very successful season for the team. Jenson and Rubens both drove extremely well with Jenson providing a fantastic last lap of racing to bring the 2009 Formula One season to its conclusion. Abu Dhabi has provided a fantastic venue for the final race of the season and the sport can be very proud to have such a stunning facility on the calendar. 2009 really has been an incredible year for Brawn GP. To go through the trauma of the winter months and make it to the first race and then achieve eight Grand Prix victories and the Constructors' and Drivers' Championships in our first year is an outstanding achievement. I would like to thank all our staff here and at the factory in Brackley for their hard work and dedication this year and Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart and Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines in Brixworth for the support that they have given us since the start of the year and the powerful and reliable engine that they have provided us with."
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Two years ago I made a trip out to Mount Graham in eastern Arizona to see the Perseid meteor shower. On that trip, we arrived late as a storm had rolled in and set up camp in the rain. It rained all night and was a soggy mess in the morning, but we hiked, bagged some peaks, got in trouble with the feds, took a few pictures, slept through a second night of rain and clouds and came home. I never got a chance to see the meteor shower, or much of the night sky at all. Bummer.
Since that trip, I've become much more serious about photography and really, really wanted to do a night sky shoot. With the meteor shower reaching a peak this weekend I wanted to get back out to Mount Graham and try to not just see the celestial event but capture images of it. So I packed up some basics and headed out Sunday morning to make the 4 hour drive to Mount Graham.
Mount Graham and the Pinaleno Mountains are one of the Southeastern Arizona "Sky Islands", a collection of isolated, high elevation peaks that are throwbacks to Arizona's ancient past. As the climate has changed and the Ponderosa Pine forests have been pushed higher in elevation these mountains have become the island homes for many species that can't survive the desert. The Sky Island Alliance has boasted, "the region harbors a diversity exceeding anywhere else in the U.S., supporting well over half the bird species of North America, 29 bat species, over 3,000 species of plants, and 104 species of mammals."
These mountains also have pretty crazy weather. At nearly 11,000 ft they tower over the desert floor and clouds tend to pile up against them and then let loose. This is what caught me two years ago. And this is what was in store for me this weekend. A perfectly clear pleasant afternoon soon hinted at a cranky, grumbly storm as I drove up the twisting mountain road to camp. I stopped to take some pictures as the storm approached and built up steam.
Just as I reached camp and started to set up, the storm bullied it's way over the mountain and let loose with a massive downpour. The camp host said it hadn't rained for a week or so but the last time a storm came over lightning struck a tree at one of the campsites convincing the temporary residents to pack up and go home. This storm rolled right over the top of camp with thick walls of rain and hail, lightning striking so close I could smell it and thunder that seemed to crashing right between my ears.
Luckily I had the light rain jacket from Columbia to keep me dry as I scrambled to set up camp. I got the tent up in a hurry then decided I didn't want to be stuck in the tent and set up the tarp I normally reserve for hammock camping. This allowed me to set up a nice little dry area where I could cook, hang out and watch the storm. The storm blasted camp for a good two hours, causing torrents of runoff to carve a path through camp. I took a stick and dug in a channel next to the tent to divert the drainage around the tent instead of under it…it helped.
Once the rain had stopped, I pulled out the camera to see if I could get a few post rain shots during the sunset. I didn't get much and what I got seemed off but I didn't know why. I waited out the sun busying myself with other camp duties. The moon would set around 9PM offering a nice dark sky for night shooting. I got the camera out and set up to do some long exposures and catch the Milky Way while I waiting for the meteor shower.
This was my first attempt at night shooting, my first attempt to do open shutter captures…and I couldn't figure it out. It took me close to an hour to figure out how to lock the shutter open on the damn camera (I know, I felt like an idiot). Once I finally got it to work, I was having a really hard time capturing anything. Even keeping the shutter open for 3 or 4 minutes and with the ISO pushed up I was having no real success. Then I noticed that when I did get something in the viewfinder it looked weird.
Everything, and I mean everything, was wet from the storm. The storm had dropped so much water that as it got cold there was not a single dry surface anywhere…that included the lens! Dammit! I have been struggling to get these long exposure shots and all I was doing was shooting through a foggy, wet lens. After some necessary swearing, I finally found a cloth I could try to clean the lens with. I hoped I could get it clean and then get some shots. The problem was, the shots would take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes to shoot and the mist would collect on the lens in less than 2 minutes. Ugh!
But I tried. I would set up the shot, clean the lens, open the shutter…wait. I would also have to hold my breath when setting up the camera because the steam from my breathing would fog the lens immediately. So I would hold my breath, set up the shot, clean the lens, open the shutter, then scurry far enough away to exhale and take a breath. Seriously….?
It was about the time I got this system down that I realized my battery was dying and eventually wouldn't let me take a shot. How the hell did I take off for two days of shooting without charging the battery?? Good thing I had a backup. I swapped the batteries and, nope, that one was dead too. GOD DAMMIT!! What the hell? I could have sworn I had charged the batteries after my last trip…but I guess I hadn't.
So, dead batteries, wet lens, battery going dead on my headlamp and the cold starting to get to me…I put the camera away just as the meteor shower was supposed to get going. At least I will get to watch it, even if I can't try to shoot it. I waited. 1AM…not much to see, a couple of streaks but not much of a show. 1:30AM…still nothin. Peak show is supposed to be from 1AM to 3AM…where is it? 2AM…Do I have to buy a ticket? Is that why I'm not seeing much of anything?
At about 2:30AM I got frustrated that I wasn't seeing much. I was cold, tired, wet and my foot was killing me from stumbling around camp all night. I called it and went to bed.
With the good camera useless, I decided to pack up and head home instead of doing a second night. If my busted foot wasn't feeling so sore I might have stayed just to hike around the mountain a little bit. It's a beautiful place. But I had come out for the photography and my equipment was shot. The upside was that I did get to use my new Induro tripod and I really liked it. So much lighter and easier than my older tripod. Very impressed with it.
The next morning I walked around a little with my smaller camera and tried to shoot some of the scenery in the morning light. There really is an abundance of stuff to shoot in the mountains. Especially for late Summer, this is the place to find some amazing plants and animals to capture. I really wish I been better prepared and in better shape to hike around the mountain this weekend, but I will go back.
That's two failed trips to Mount Graham…one of these days I'll do it right. I promise!

subset: commoncrawl


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Sandra Koblmüller is the star of our recent Suunto Ambit3 Sport Sapphire shoot and you'll see her in the current campaign. But the 24-year-old is also an athlete in her own right and recently competed in the XTERRA world championships in Maui, the premier off-road triathlon, where she came 14th. Amazingly she only started swimming a few years ago. So how did she do it?
How did you get to become a pro triathlete?
In secondary school our class took part in a cross-country running competition. Without any serious training I came second and my passion for running was born. I started to regularly take part in running competitions. When I went to university a colleague asked me to do the running part in a triathlon relay. I was so impressed from the combination of the three disciplines that I wanted to try a whole triathlon on my own and started to train for swimming.
And then?
One year later I won the Austrian Championship for Crosstriathlon and the Austrian federation sent me to the European Championships. Because of this, I was allowed to become a professional athlete this year. In my first year as a "pro" I came second at the XTERRA Portugal, which qualifies you for the World Championship in Maui (Hawaii).
Tell us about your training routine?
Normally I wake up at 6 o'clock in the morning. After a short breakfast I usually start my day in the swimming pool with a 3-5 km swim. I am not always motivated to jump into the cold water in the morning, but after some lanes I get my motivation and enjoy it.
After the swim I take a second breakfast and do something for university then at noon or in the evening I usually do my second workout – either I go for a run or I ride my bike. At the weekend I normally do some longer bike workouts (about 4 hours). Then Monday is my rest day, where I do relaxing things like sauna, massages, stretching…
How do you monitor your progress?
I have my own trainer and I usually get a training plan for a week. With the help of the Suunto Ambit3 Sport Sapphire we are able to control my training. My trainer has access to my Movescount account and through the uploaded moves he is able to see how I'm doing.
Are there any areas of your training that you are struggling with?
As I started stroke swimming very late at the age of 20, my swimming technique is not the best. If you want to be a good swimmer/triathlete you have to start swimming in your childhood to get the water feeling. However I'm working hard to improve this.
What are your dreams and goals?
One of my biggest goals is to become one of the best XTERRA athletes in the world. A goal in the near future is a victory in one of the XTERRA World Tour races.
What inspires and motivates you?
One thing that inspires me is the improvement you make if you train hard for your goals. For example, when I started to swim, it took me about 1:45 for the 100 meters intervals (10 x 100m intervals of swimming). Now I am able to swim the 100m in 1:25 and I am sure that one day I will swim my 100m intervals under 1:20.
What are your fears?
I have a fear of failure, especially just before a competition. So the most important thing I have to learn is to believe in my strengths and myself.


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NUdans 2013. GöteborgsOperans Danskompani's seasonal student dance company NUdans is back on the Small Stage.
25 - 26 May 2013
Take a look at some photos from the show
NUdans 2013
Seven of Sweden's most promising young dancers are taking over The Göteborg Opera. Three choreographers from GöteborgsOperans Danskompani have each created a work for them, on the theme of Homeland & Risk Zones.
Choreographers spring 2013: Rebecca Hytting, Moritz Ostruschnjak, Chiaki Horita.
Chiaki Horita bases her creation Territory on her personal experiences of migration: of leaving her homeland of Japan to move to another continent.
Swedish Rebecca Hytting let the emotions within the body decide the movement and creates Peter together with DJ Ori Lichtik, who was responsible for the music in the Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar work Untitled Black in Homeland? in 2012.
In Super Animal, German-born Moritz Ostruschnjak starts out from the dance student's life and dreams about dance.
Artistic coordinator and mentor: Liselott Berg.
NUdans 2013 is a season-based dance company consists of seven selected dance graduate students from Sweden's professional dance training programmes. For four weeks, they accompany GöteborgsOperans Danskompani and work on a production created exclusively for them by our dancers. The students come from the Royal Swedish Ballet School, the University of Dance and Circus and the Gothenburg Ballet Academy.
Choreography, set design and costume design: Chiaki Horita
Dancers: Gustaf Jönsson from the Göteborg Ballet Academy, Lisa Schåman and Elise Sjöberg from the Univerity of Dance and Circus.
Music: Yuusaku Ichio
Light Design: Joakim Brink
Choreography, set design and costume design: Rebecca Hytting
Dancers: Matilda Bilberg and Frida Dam Seidel from the Royal Swedish Ballet School.
Music: Ori Lichtik
Light Design: Joakim Brink
Super Animal
Choreography, set design and costume design: Moritz Ostruschnjak and Daniela Bendini
Dancers: Sindri Runudde and Hanna Röckner from the Univerity of Dance and Circus.
Music: Jack McDuff, Cat Power, Reel 2 Real, Machinefabriek, Beach House
Light Design: Joakim Brink


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Caty Borum is a former Springfield resident and co-producer of the new documentary "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." She has undertaken a number of social-issue media projects in the past, including co-directing "Declare Yourself," a project encouraging young people to vote, and co-directing television public service campaigns to raise HIV awareness in young people. Although the West Springfield High School graduate says "Springfield was a great place to grow up," she now lives in Los Angeles.
When and why did you get involved in filmmaking?
As someone who studied media and journalism in both undergraduate and graduate school, documentary film has always been one of my top professional goals. To me, documentary filmmaking represents the best of the research and investigative work of journalism, together with the creative process of visual storytelling through film, so it was always a perfect fit for me. At the very beginning of my career, I decided that I wanted to devote my professional life to work on social issue films and other media projects, so documentary film really is the best version of this to me. I am able to be a writer, a reporter, a producer, an investigator, and a storyteller.
How did you come to be involved in this project?
In March 2004, I produced and directed a short documentary about the manufacturing jobs crisis in the American Midwest, and as part of it, I traveled on a bus trip throughout Ohio, West Virginia, Minnesota, Iowa, and other states. In addition to hearing tragic stories about job loss as a consequence of outsourcing to overseas countries, I heard story after story about the devastating effects of Wal-Mart in these small towns. I came home from that project and started working on plans to produce a documentary about this issue, but I heard that Robert Greenwald was planning to make a film of his own about it, so I quickly met with him, offered my best producer skills, and was part of his small production team by November 2004.
What's the essential thesis of the film?
The general premise is that Wal-Mart is not a good corporate citizen, as evidenced through treatment of employees, the fact that taxpayers pick up the bill for employees to use government assistance through health care, the closing of family-owned businesses in small towns across the country, and the dominant use of overseas labor at the expense of American jobs. There is a ripple effect at the hands of the world's largest company, and the American people will all pay the price in the long-term. There is, indeed, a high price of "low cost" — and the costs to American citizens are hidden but could become crippling if this company continues to expand without scrutiny.
The documentary should make us all be concerned about the global and economic pace being set for all of us by one single company. Our own history with the Standard Oil and Rockefeller monopolies should serve as an example to make us wary about the long-term effects of a giant that remains unchallenged and unstopped.
What was your role as co-producer?
I was one of three producers who traveled around the country and around the world to research, interview subjects, and basically produce all the stories that make up the film. In this capacity, I traveled around the country for six months, for two and three weeks at a time. I would typically research and develop the stories we wanted to include from my office, and then fly to each area with a small crew, spending two weeks at a time to film peoples' lives, interview them, and basically become a temporary part of each community.
What's Wal-Mart's reaction been so far?
Wal-Mart has responded to the film with a very well-funded public relations campaign. Despite the company's attempts to attack the film, they have been caught in an unfortunate media situation, given that an internal memo leaked from the company a few weeks ago confirms many of the main points of the film — including that their employees are largely on government assistance for health care. Despite the attacks from the company's PR machine, literally thousands and thousands of people around the country, both Republicans and Democrats, are starting to catch on to the problems.
Explain the distribution of the film.
In addition to playing in theaters in major cities, including Washington, D.C., the film is being shown and distributed by individuals and concerned groups, including churches, small business associations, college student associations, "citizen action" neighborhood groups, and others. Because this is a film made for the people, we felt it was very important to give it to them directly to use for their own campaigns and efforts, knowing that they know their neighbors and constituents best.
Future plans?
My future plans include a few documentary films, including one about lower-income children in an amazing arts and writing program in a few big cities ... hopefully it will be a fun movie, kind of like "Spellbound" from a few years ago. I'm currently serving as a producer on a documentary TV series dealing with the convergence of environmental policy, local economies, and activists.
"Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low-Price" is available for purchase now, and is being screened nationwide. For more, or to find a screening, visit www.walmartmovie.com.


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More than a quarter million American small businesses export from across all fifty states. They sell U.S. products and services around the world - thereby increasing their revenues, broadening and diversifying their customer base, and supporting good jobs in their communities. A particular priority of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI) is to expand exports by small businesses. This will contribute to his goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014 in order to support two million additional jobs for American workers. We invite more small and medium-sized businesses to join us in this national effort to grow our economy through exports. To help do that, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration have unveiled a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Tariff Tool. This is a free online tool available to businesses and the public for the first time.
The new FTA Tariff Tool empowers the user to perform, instantly and at a glance, searches for tariff treatment for specific industrial products under each U.S. FTA. This will help small manufacturers with planning to enter into new export markets. The tool also enables the user to access market and sector reports and other FTA-related information useful for small businesses seeking new opportunities to sell goods and services abroad.
As a small business owner, manager, or employee seeking to begin or expand your exports, which foreign markets should you consider? Some markets are easier to do business in than others. U.S. FTA partner markets are a very good place to start looking. Most U.S. small firms begin by selling to our North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico. However, the United States is a party to 17 FTAs with partners around the world, like the five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Australia, and Morocco. Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama are pending. Small and medium-sized businesses represent the vast majority of U.S. exporting companies to these countries.
Trade agreements have helped to open the door to American small business exports with key partners around the world. This new FTA Tariff Tool will empower many more small and medium-sized firms to take advantage of these trade opportunities. Go to http://www.export.gov/FTA/FTATariffTool/ to discover cost-saving tariff reductions for your product, and consider an FTA market for your next foreign sale.
Posted at 5:16 AM


text:
I am often asked what is the right process for creating and distributing Infographs in an Multilingual Environment, the following process has in most cases worked liked wonders for us at Nordic eMarketing (NeM).
After being briefed by the client, the NeM project team sits down and reviews the assignment. We might start with a set of ideas given to us by the client as the main guideline; however, we evaluate numerous possibilities in order to give the project that unique spark.
We're looking for ideas that are: interesting; appealing to the linkerati / socialrati; has real data; and preferably a unique hook. An idea might come directly from a specific niche we're targeting. We will try to look for angles that people don't normally take, to present "boring" information conversely, or in a stimulating method.
The main thing to have in mind is to never dismiss the first idea, it could be the spark that ignites the fire.
We might walk away from a brainstorming meeting with a vague concept and idea of the target audience, but that is enough for the project's inception. From this point we start researching data that can be used to form the basis of the infographics.
There are several goals that we want to meet before we can continue: Concept Development; Localization; Design; Revision; and Distribution.
Concept Development
We have completed the brainstorming and research process, collected the data, and now it is time to develop the concept. The client is briefed in the results found, and if we agree on the approach, we put our creative hats on.
If the information graph is adapted from English to another language, we need to make sure that we localize it, not only the text but also the image and colors.
Now everything is ready to be passed on to the design team to have a go at the data and ideas collected. The client is handed the first rough draft quite quickly to make sure that we are still on the right track.
To make sure that the image has the impact expected, the design is revisited couple of times. Things like typos, content error, and further design consideration need to be taken in to account. This step needs to be taken seriously.
The final stage is the distribution, making the image do its job, and getting the impact needed. Here, the ROI of all previous works happens ;-)
This can be done through emails, blogs, articles, social networks, social bookmarking and other type of social media sharing and submitting to infographic sites.
Here are infographics for this post in three languages.
EN: Infographics: Multilingual Development Process
DE: Infografiken: Multilingualer Entwicklungsprozess
FR: Infographie: Processus de développement multilingue


text:
Dale Singer
Dale Singer began his career in professional journalism in 1969 by talking his way into a summer vacation replacement job at the now-defunct United Press International bureau in St. Louis; he later joined UPI full-time in 1972. Eight years later, he moved to the Post-Dispatch, where for the next 28-plus years he was a business reporter and editor, a Metro reporter specializing in education, assistant editor of the Editorial Page for 10 years and finally news editor of the newspaper's website. In September of 2008, he joined the staff of the Beacon, where he reported primarily on education. In addition to practicing journalism, Dale has been an adjunct professor at University College at Washington U. He and his wife live in west St. Louis County with their spoiled Bichon, Teddy. They have two adult daughters, who have followed them into the word business as a communications manager and a website editor, and three grandchildren.


text:
Husqvarna Forest & Garden company guarantees the function of all Husqvarna branded Products and will repair or replace any part that has factory defects which appear due to faulty installation or defective parts free of charge when performed by authorised Husqvarna workshops during the warranty period.
The product is accepted for warranty repair to the original purchaser under normal use and maintenance during the warranty period when accompanied with a proof of purchase. In case you discover a fault in the product, stop using the product at once and contact an authorised Husqvarna dealer immediately. Deliver it in the condition in which the product was at the moment of occurrence of the fault.
Only qualified Servicing Dealers with unrivalled expertise sell and service our products. All products are sold assembled, pre-delivered and ready to use with a full warranty. Your local authorised Husqvarna Servicing Dealer will help you get the most out of your Husqvarna. Protect your investment and only ask for Husqvarna Genuine Parts and Accessories.
*A qualifying purchase of Genuine Husqvarna oil and registration on the Husqvarna Product Registration system applies. Standard warranty Period of 2 Years applies if no supporting purchase or registration is made.
**P525 D 5 Years or 1500 Hours/PZ, PZT, V500, Z500 5 years or 2000 Hours.
***Lifetime warranty on solid drive shafts to Original Purchaser.
Husqvarna aims to provide you with total satisfaction with product performance, reliability and safety. With this in mind, Husqvarna offers a 5 year Domestic Warranty* period when you buy genuine Husqvarna oil with your new Husqvarna products.
How the program works?
Consumers who purchase Husqvarna branded finished products, including: lawn tractors, zero turn mowers, riders, walk behind mowers, chainsaws, blowers, hedge trimmers, pole pruners/saws, trimmers, brushcutters, and selected turf care products. Provided these products are used for non-income producing personal use or household purposes, excluding commercial, agricultural, retail, industrial and rental usage types, can extend the manufacturer's warranty period from the standard 2 Year Domestic Warranty to a 5 Year Domestic Warranty.
To extend the standard 2 Year Domestic Warranty to a total of 5 Years:
Who's eligible
Consumers who are using the products for non-income producing personal use or household purposes only. Extended warranty exclusions include, but are not limited to, commercial, agricultural, rental, industrial and rental usage types.
* Important information


text:
HUNTSVILLE, Tex.
AMONG the traditional brick and clapboard structures that line the streets of this sleepy East Texas town, 70 miles north of Houston, a few houses stand out: their roofs are made of license plates, and their windows of crystal platters.
They are the creations of Dan Phillips, 64, who has had an astonishingly varied life, working as an intelligence officer in the Army, a college dance instructor, an antiques dealer and a syndicated cryptogram puzzle maker. About 12 years ago, Mr. Phillips began his latest career: building low-income housing out of trash.
In 1997 Mr. Phillips mortgaged his house to start his construction company, Phoenix Commotion. "Look at kids playing with blocks," he said. "I think it's in everyone's DNA to want to be a builder." Moreover, he said, he was disturbed by the irony of landfills choked with building materials and yet a lack of affordable housing.
To him, almost anything discarded and durable is potential building material. Standing in one of his houses and pointing to a colorful, zigzag-patterned ceiling he made out of thousands of picture frame corners, Mr. Phillips said, "A frame shop was getting rid of old samples, and I was there waiting."
So far, he has built 14 homes in Huntsville, which is his hometown, on lots either purchased or received as a donation. A self-taught carpenter, electrician and plumber, Mr. Phillips said 80 percent of the materials are salvaged from other construction projects, hauled out of trash heaps or just picked up from the side of the road. "You can't defy the laws of physics or building codes," he said, "but beyond that, the possibilities are endless."
While the homes are intended for low-income individuals, some of the original buyers could not hold on to them. To Mr. Phillips's disappointment, half of the homes he has built have been lost to foreclosure the payments ranged from $99 to $300 a month.
Some of those people simply disappeared, leaving the properties distressingly dirty and in disrepair. "You can put someone in a new home but you can't give them a new mindset," Mr. Phillips said.
Although the homes have resold quickly to more-affluent buyers, Mr. Phillips remains fervently committed to his vision of building for low-income people. "I think mobile homes are a blight on the planet," he said. "Attractive, affordable housing is possible and I'm out to prove it."
Freed by necessity from what he calls the "tyranny of the two-by-four and four-by-eight," common sizes for studs and sheets of plywood, respectively, Mr. Phillips makes use of end cuts discarded by other builders he nails them together into sturdy and visually interesting grids. He also makes use of mismatched bricks, shards of ceramic tiles, shattered mirrors, bottle butts, wine corks, old DVDs and even bones from nearby cattle yards.
"It doesn't matter if you don't have a complete set of anything because repetition creates pattern, repetition creates pattern, repetition creates pattern," said Mr. Phillips, who is slight and sinewy with a long gray ponytail and bushy mustache. He grips the armrests of his chair when he talks as if his latent energy might otherwise catapult him out of his seat.
Phoenix Commotion homes meet local building codes and Mr. Phillips frequently consults with professional engineers, electricians and plumbers to make sure his designs, layouts and workmanship are sound. Marsha Phillips, his wife of 40 years and a former high school art teacher, vets his plans for aesthetics.
"He doesn't have to redo things often," said Robert McCaffety, a local master electrician who occasionally inspects Mr. Phillips's wiring. "He does everything in a very neat and well thought-out manner." Describing Huntsville as a "fairly conservative town," Mr. McCaffety said, "There are people who think his houses are pretty whacked out but, by and large, people support what he does and think it's beneficial to the community."
Indeed, city officials worked closely with Mr. Phillips in 2004 to set up a recycled building materials warehouse where builders, demolition crews and building product manufacturers can drop off items rather than throwing them in a landfill. There's no dumping fee and donations are tax deductible because the materials are used exclusively by charitable groups or for low-income housing.
"I've been recycling all my life, and it never occurred to me to recycle a door," said Esther Herklotz, Huntsville's superintendent of solid waste. "Dan has changed the way we do things around here."
Officials in Houston also consulted with Mr. Phillips before opening a similar warehouse this summer, and other cities, including Bryan, Tex.; Denham Springs, La.; and Indianapolis have contacted him to inquire how to do the same.
Phoenix Commotion employs five minimum-wage construction workers but Mr. Phillips also requires the labor of the home's eventual resident he tends to favor a poor, single mother because his own father walked out on him and his mother when he was 17, which left them in a tough financial situation. "My only requirement is that they have good credit or no credit but not bad credit," he said.
One of his houses belongs to Gloria Rivera, a cashier at a doughnut shop, who built the home with Mr. Phillips and her teenage son in 2004. Before then, she lived in a rented mobile home. Constructed almost entirely out of salvaged and donated materials, the 600-square-foot wooden house is painted royal blue with various squares of red, maroon and fuchsia tile glued to the mismatched gingerbread trim.
Inside, there is imported Tuscan marble on the floor, though the tiles are not of uniform size, and bright yellow stucco walls that Ms. Rivera said she textured using her thumb. "It's not perfect but it's mine," Ms. Rivera said, touching the stucco, which looks like very thick and very messy butter cream frosting. "I call it my doll house."
Phoenix Commotion homes lost to foreclosure have resold to middle-class buyers who appreciate not only their individuality but also their energy efficiency, which is also part of Mr. Phillips's construction philosophy.
Susan Lowery and Alfredo Cerda, who both work for the United States Department of Homeland Security, bought a Phoenix Commotion house after the intended low-income owner couldn't manage the mortgage. It has mosaics on the walls and counters made of shards of broken tile and cushy flooring made out of wine corks. "My wife likes the house because it doesn't look like everyone else's, but, being a guy, what I like is that it has a galvanized metal roof that I'll never have to replace," Mr. Cerda said.
Mr. Phillips said it bothered him when his low-income housing became "gentrified." But if it leads to an acceptance of recycled building materials and a shift away from cookie-cutter standardized construction, he said, "I'm O.K. with it."
Although it has a social agenda, Phoenix Commotion is not a nonprofit. "I want to show that you can make money doing this," Mr. Phillips said.
He said he earned enough to live on but he was not getting rich. While he declined to be more specific, he allowed that the business has become more profitable as he has gained construction experience. It now takes six months to build a home rather than the 18 months it took when he started.
But Mr. Phillips said his biggest reward was giving less-fortunate people the opportunity to own a home and watching them develop a sense of satisfaction and self-determination in the course of building it.
An example is Kristie Stevens, a single mother of two school-age sons who earned a college degree last spring while working part time as a restaurant and catering manager. She has spent the months since graduation hammering away on what will be her home.
"If something goes wrong with this house, I won't have to call someone to fix it because I know where all the wires and pipes are I can do it myself," she said. "And if the walls are wonky, it will be my fault but also my pride."


text:
CK Distributors Australia Pty Ltd, is a family owned business with over 30 years of international experience in the international tyre business.
The business focuses on the waste collection of used tyres, and tyre dealers from the Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria states of Australia.
Once transported to our sorting facilities, the tyres are separated into Second Hand Tyres, Casings for Re-treading purposes, and waste scrap, which is baled for the re-cycling industry.
CK Distributors focuses on the quality requirements of its customers, particularly in the sorting of the tyre into product groups and specifications.
The needs and requirements of our customers are always met.


text:
Real time notifications (part II). Now with node.js and socket.io
In one of my previous posts I wrote about Real time notifications with PHP. I wanted to create a simple comet system fully written in PHP and JavaScript. It worked but as Scott Mattocks told me in a comment this implementation was still just doing short polling. The performance with this solution may be bad in a medium/hight traffic site. This days I'm playing with node.js and I want to create a simple test. I want to do exactly the same than the previous post but now with node.js instead of my PHP+js test. Let's start
Now I want to use socket.io instead of pure web-sockets like my previous posts about node.js. For those who don't know, socket.io is amazing library that allows us to use real-time technologies within every browsers (yes even with IE6). It uses one technology or another depending on the browser we are using, with the same interface for the developer. That's means if we're using Google Chrome we will use websockets, but if our browser does't support them, socket.io will choose another supported transports. Definitely socket.io is the jQuery of the websockets. The supporter transports are:
- WebSocket
- Adobe Flash Socket
- AJAX long polling
- AJAX multipart streaming
- Forever Iframe
- JSONP Polling
First we create our node.js server. A really simple one.
var http = require('http'); var io = require('socket.io'); server = http.createServer(function(req, res){ }); server.listen(8080); // socket.io var socket = io.listen(server); socket.on('connection', function(client){ client.on('message', function(msg){ socket.broadcast(msg); }) });
This server will broadcast the message received from the browser to all connected clients.
Our HTML page will look like that:
  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <title>Comet Test</title>
publish customAlert

publish customAlert2

As we can see we are including the js script called socket.io/socket.io.js. This script is served by our node server.
In fact we can use our node.js to serve everything (HTML, js, CSS) but in our example we will use only node.js for real-time stuff. Apache will serve the rest of the code (only a HTML file in this case).
And that's all. Those few lines perform the same thing than our PHP and js code in the other post's example. Our node.js implementation is definitely smarter than the PHP one. The socket.io library also allows us to use the example with all browser. Same code and without any browser nightmare (just like jQuery when we work with DOM).
Here I have a little screencast with the working example. As we will see there We will connect to the node server with firefox and chrome. Firefox will use xhr multipart and Chrome will use Websokets.
Another important issue of socket.io library is that we forget about the reconnection to the web-socket server, if something wrong happens (as we can see in Real time monitoring PHP applications with web-sockets and node.js). If we use raw WebSocket implementations and our connection with the web-socket server crashes or if we stop the server, our application will raise disconnect event and we need to create something to reconnect to the server. socket.io does it for us. With our small piece of JavaScript code we will get a high performance real-time applicatrion. Node is cool. Really cool. Kinda wierd at the beginning but the learning effort will be worthwhile. A few js lines and a real time applications.
I've got a problem within our node.js application. If we've got some kind of security within our application (imagine for example it's behind a session based auth form) we need to share this security layer with our node.js server to ensure that non authenticated users aren't allowed to use our websockets. I don't know how to do it just now, but I'm investigating. Do you have any idea?
Full code Code at github. Ensure you're using the stable version of node.js. With the last versión available on github of node.js there's a bug and server dies when we connect with Google Chrome.
Posted on May 23, 2011, in HTML5, node.js, socket.io, Technology, Websockets. Bookmark the permalink. 43 Comments.
Client side: (0.7)
// Start the socket
var socket = io.connect(null, {port: 8080});
socket.on('message', function(msg)
Very neat, my fourth time going through this and i get a bit of it, but the notifications work per click/ as you click on a link, am i right? kay before i climb this tree any further, is ti possible to implement email notificatiions with this and a change of events in the database? say i insert a comment….
I have to example setup but its not working as expected, how do you user xhr-multipart and websokets in the 2 browsers
Strangely this works in Chrome, but nothing displays on console if using Firefox. And Firefox reports errors : io is not defined, socket is undefined.
In order to keep the server as light as possible, I'm looking to send data to the client via node.js and then have the client do an sql lookup before updating the client view, but I'm unable to find any examples of that. Is there any reason this *wouldn't* work? Should I be researching some different avenue?
Basically, the server would get notified of a change through some other means (from another user or interface, for example), and would notify the client that it needed to update. Preferably, I would be specific about what needed to update instead of just doing an update for the whole page.
Hey Gonzalo,
Im so very happy I came across your blog!
Very high level and I could learn a lot. I'm also a php developer who recently started getting into the world of node.js. This notifications project is exactly what I want to implement BUT my stack is a bit different and my sessions solution ( as I see it in mind ) is also different from your php + node.js sessions post. But I kinda got lost in the architecture and implementation of it all, maybe you could improve this project and have a 3rd post with more robust and full solution? That would be great!
so think about Facebook's notifications feature at the top navigation bar. When a event occur you automatically get notified and also there are aggregated notifications. More over, the user can see " all of his notifications ".
My main system is php based so i thought of adding node.js for real time features and redis for sessions management between the two, and some queue (zeroMQ? RabbitMQ? else ?) for handling the notifications (per each user) eventually ( how will you aggregate the notifications in real time or near real time ).
About the sessions between node.js and php redis can deliver Consistency and Persistency (www.cs.brown.edu/courses/cs227/archives/2011/slides/mar07-redis.pdf) which can ensure using the right session while the user is connected. Availability is minor in exchange for both.
Will you store all processed ( aggregated or not ) on Db? ( I guess so) what db ?
Would love to hear back
Thanks !!!
Hi Gonzalo,
I took a look at your tutorial and it's super helpful. Right now I am trying to build a website that is mainly in php (served by apache), with a live-chat system served by socket.io. It works perfectly if you go to wundertutor.com:8000 (being served by express – I just followed a simple tutorial to make a node chat server). What I am trying to do is integrate it into my main site (wundertutor.com) but I am coming across some issues with CORS. Specifically, I am getting this error:
XMLHttpRequest cannot load http://wundertutor.com:8000/socket.io/1/?t=1356423985952. Cannot use wildcard in Access-Control-Allow-Origin when credentials flag is true.
This puzzles me for two reasons:
1.) When I specify the port directly and go to the page served by express, my node app successfully creates a websocket connection but when I go to the main site I encounter the error because it is trying to use XHR polling.
2.) I have tried to set Access-Control-Allow-Origin options is both apache and my node app, as well as on the client side code – none of the options seem to work and I am going crazy trying to figure out the problem. Any thoughts?
– Austin
I guess it didnt show the full code without the comments. Here is what I meant to put after "I have also tried this, but I still see the same error:"
# Header set Access-Control-Allow-Origin "*"
IfModule mod_headers.c
Header set Access-Control-Allow-Origin "*"
Still not showing up – here is the code without the carrots before and after the ifModule statements
nice entry.
i have a problem with IE browser : "script5 access denied" when i try to using socket.io object .Could you help me with this problem ?
I have a problem when follow you tutorial. The client never connects to the server. I'm using chrome Version 24.0.1312.57 m, socket.io 0.9.13 but it can't establish a connection using websocket, always have a request 101 switching protocol in pending forever. When I set transport to 'xhr-polling', it works fine. Can you tell me the reason? I have looked for the answer for two days but useless.
@Gonzalo Ayuso: with socket.io, I'm using your source for all server and client, I just change to ws library for server, raw websocket of browser for client when I can't find what happen with socket.io.
With my log and server debug screen, do you have any suggestion for me?
I have some tests today on other computers, it works like a charm. So I think it's about my computer. Thanks for your suggestion Gonzalo :). Now my work is finding what's stopping come to websocket? Firewall or Proxy 😀
Anw, great tutorial 😀
Something more change:
index.html –> from two lines to one:
var socket = io.connect('http://localhost:8000');
server.js –> no broadcast method:
Hi Gonazalo
I want to clear one my doubt.Currently I am working on one php-codeigniter project and there I need to display feeds/comments for authenticated users.So here is my architecture
front-end communicates with php/codeigniter application server to get more messages on autoload using ajax i.e when user scroll down the page then more messages are fetched from server .Finally to access newly added messages in real-time is done with node.js server
So I just want to clarify is it a good way to display feeds or any changes can be done to make it more better?
This is a good interaction. I'm interested in Shared Session between node.js, PHP and Redis. I need Authenticated facebook like notification on my site. Thankyou
Hi Ganzalo,
Really great post, Is it possible to build the Android Client and IOS client for Socket.io server ? or so Socket.io only meant for web based chat ?
How scalable it will be as there will be around 1 million active users in a day.How it differs from XMPP protocol.
Hi Ganzalo,
Thank you for your comments. Do you recommend Socket.io + Redis + Node.js is good alternative to Ejabbered with XMPP for high performance Chat application ? .
Hi Gonzalo, Im planning to build a webservice (accessible on Web,android and ios), i use mysql DB, Node.js and Socket. what i want to achieve with that webservice is that a push-notification (like twitter etc). what d u think about it ? is that possible ? Thanks
How does it work if the "onclick" dom event doesn't call a function??
Today January 14, 2015 I've just read, downloaded the script and unfortunately it does not work.Gonzalo did you mind if you check and re-up the full script to download?
Thanks in advance!!!
I recently worked with this script and modified to work with new version of node.js and io. The majority of the code still works just a little minor changes that will save you hours of debugging.
var socket = new io.Socket(null, {port: 8080});
var socket = io.connect("http://127.0.0.1:8082");
I forgot, I have my port at 8082, so change 8082 to 8080 if you are using port 8080.
your code is not working on windows


text:
Vice-President Joe Biden Calls for an End to the Assault on Educators
Kevin Lock/NEA
Vice President Joe Biden addressed thousands of educators at the National Education Association's 150th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, and said that the "full-blown assault" they are experiencing would get much worse under the leadership of Governor Mitt Romney.
"My Dad used to say 'Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget,'" Biden told delegates. Governor Mitt Romney and Republican Congressional leadership "have shown us their budget," Biden said, and it is about protecting the personal interests of the super rich rather than building an education system that helps all students succeed.
Biden said that when Romney and other Republicans accuse educators of being selfish, it reflects a fundamental lack of understanding of the teaching profession.
He pointed to York, Pennsylvania, where educators could have received a pay increase under their contract. Instead, they voted to use their money to pay for kindergarten programs.
His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is a longtime educator and teaches English at a community college. She also addressed the delegates today, receiving roaring applause when she said, "I know that you all understand. Being a teacher is not what I do, it's who I am."
Vice-President Biden said he had heard again and again stories from educators about paying for school supplies out of pocket, or leaving the dinner table for a home visit at night.
"You chose to be teachers because you want to make this country better," Biden said. "You chose to be teachers because you know every child, every child, to do as well as they can. That's why you did it. But I'm afraid the governor and his allies don't get it."
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text:
Suppose you're a game programmer tasked with coming up with a way of representing doors in the game. You reason that doors have doorknobs which can be turned to open the door, leading the following typical OO design, overly simplified:
trait Door {
def open: Unit
def close: Unit
trait Doorknob {
def turn: Unit
This sort of design embodies a certain way of thinking about software. A doorknob may be turned, which triggers some update to the state of the door, and we model these state changes in an entirely first order way, with no separation between the production of an effect (the state update) and its interpretation (the propagation of this state update). The view here is that actions must be produced and executed by the same piece of code.
The actor model works the same way. If we model doors and doorknobs with actors, we might have something like:
object messages {
case object Turn
trait DoorMsg
case object Open extends DoorMsg
case object Close extends DoorMsg
val door: Actor[DoorMsg] = ...
def knob(door: Actor[DoorMsg]): Actor[Turn] =
actor { case Turn => door ! Open }
Just what is the essence of "doorknob-hood"? This is a serious question. The OO/actor response is that a doorknob is something that can be turned. But that is unsatisfying, because what it means to turn something is left unspecified--the result of turning is
Unit! But what does that mean?
A more functional view of the essence of doorknob-hood is that a doorknob provides a pure function that transitions a door from the state of being closed to a state of being opened, a
Door => Door. This is just one choice, but you get the idea. With this model, we're separating the production of new state from the propagation of that state. Actually running the action of turning a doorknob and propagating new states is not the concern of the doorknob.
And here are some more examples:
- A key is not something you insert into a lock, it provides a function from
Door => Option[Door]that returns a
Doorin the unlocked state, or fails if it's the wrong key. (And we could now state more precisely that a doorknob takes a
Doorin its unlocked and closed state and returns an
Option[Door]in its unlocked and open state, failing if the door is locked.)
- A timer is not something you set, it is a function from a duration to a boolean time series that will spike true at some point in the future. Who consumes this time series is not the concern of the timer.
- A microwave is not something you turn on, it provides a function from a cold object to a warm object.
- And so on...
Once you start seeing objects in this way, the functional view makes a lot of sense--we are modeling objects by the collection of effects they produce. Objects are not responsible for interpreting and sequencing these effects; that can be an entirely separate concern.


text:
How did the Battle of Great Bridge, Jack Jouett's ride, and the Battle of Yorktown aid in turning the tables on the British during the War for Independence?
Lesson Images
Henry, John, (1704 or 1705–1773). A New and Accurate Map of Virginia Wherein Most of the Counties Are Laid Down from Actual Surveys: With a Concise Account of the Number of Inhabitants, the Trade, Soil, and Produce of that Province 1770. G3880 1770 .H4 Voorhees Collection. Library of Virginia. (High Res)
Fry, Joshua (ca. 1700–1754) and PeterJefferson (1708–1757). A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of Virginia Containing the Whole Province of Maryland: With Part of Pensilvania, New Jersey and North Carolina, 1755. G3880 1755 .F72. Archives Research Services, Map Collection, Library of Virginia. (High Res)
Standards Of Learning
Historical Information:
This Lesson Plan was created by Penny Anderson, a teacher at Riverbend High School in Fredericksburg and one of the Library of Virginia's 2010 Brown Research Teacher Fellows.
In the eighteenth century, Virginia's relative location on the mid-Atlantic seaboard was a key point along colonial trade routes, communication corridors, and (during war) military supply lines. As goods, services, and information traveled north and south along the coast, it became clear that Virginia must remain accessible to maintain an open transportation system in the colonies. Virginia also boasted natural harbors and successful ports in the areas of Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. By examining the physical geography of Virginia and comparing relative location, students will see the importance of economic and military control of the region. This lesson will analyze the Fry-Jefferson and the John Henry maps, allowing students to identify three important events during the Revolutionary War: The Battle of Great Bridge, Captain John "Jack" Jouett's Warning Ride, and the Battle of Yorktown.
Event 1: The Battle of Great Bridge
In 1773, the revolutionary movement in the American colonies was greatly focused in the north. Philadelphia, New York, and Boston were important cities for colonial control, and by 1774, the First Continental Congress formed in Philadelphia. In 1775, skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, Ticonderoga, and Bunker Hill united many Americans behind the colonial militia. At that time, the southern colonies remained suppliers of food and products throughout the colonies, with Virginia as the major destination for ships at the ports at Hampton Roads. The Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, did not support the rebellion against the Crown and issued governor's orders for Virginians to support Great Britain. Most colonists continued to supply the colonial militia and tried to avoid supplying the British.
In order to control the flow of food and supplies along key transportation routes, with Governor Dunmore's help, British troops landed late in 1775 to take command of the region, especially the main north-south supply route around Hampton Roads. The City of Norfolk and the mouths of the James and Elizabeth rivers were pivotal military and economic control points to increase or limit the amount of food, goods, and military supplies in and out of the region. On December 9, 1775, tensions came to a head when several hundred colonial troops and British soldiers clashed at the Village of Great Bridge on the Elizabeth River, some ten miles south of Norfolk. This was the southern choke point along the trade road into the southern colonies. Both sides knew that to control that choke point would control the supply line of the south. It was imperative that the colonists prevail. As the British troops marched at Great Bridge, the colonists fired over and over into the British ranks. The British troops, marching in parade formation, were cut down by Virginia Patriots, and the remaining British troops retreated back toward Norfolk. With the victory at Great Bridge, Virginia's first land battle of the war, the supply route had been secured for the colonies in the South, and most remaining support for the Crown waned. The battle also forced Governor Dunmore out of the region, and the road to Norfolk remained open.
Event 2: Jack Jouett's Warning Ride
Early military conflicts of the Revolutionary War occurred in the northern colonies, but that did not detract from Virginia's support of the war. Its assistance with finances, supplies, and open support of the Continental Congress, set the Virginia General Assembly and Governor Thomas Jefferson in the angry sights of the British. On June 3, 1781, with orders from General Charles Cornwallis, Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his British cavalry were sent west from Tidewater Virginia with the intent to capture Governor Jefferson at his home at Monticello and other leaders of the Virginia government staying in Charlottesville. The British troops took a road through Virginia's central Piedmont, including the lands of Louisa and Albemarle counties. Captain John "Jack" Jouett of the Virginia militia, who was in Louisa at the time, realized the intent of the march on Charlottesville and the importance of warning Governor Jefferson. That evening, Jouett took his horse over roughly forty miles of backwoods and trails to warn Jefferson that the British were coming to arrest him and members of the General Assembly. Captain Jouett reached Monticello in the morning and told Jefferson of the march on Charlottesville. Thanks to him, Jefferson was able to escape capture by the British. Jouett then rode to Charlottesville to warn the other politicians of the British offensive. With his quick thinking and stamina, Captain Jouett prevented the capture of Governor Jefferson and other key members of the Virginia General Assembly and kept Virginia's government intact.
Event 3: Victory at Yorktown
After 1778, fighting shifted from the northern to the southern colonies. By September 1781, French and American troops were successful in controlling most of the mid-Atlantic coast, especially the Chesapeake Bay. Ports and supply routes remained open for the Continental Armies, and the British tried to gain a foothold along the coast. In October, the last major battle between the British and the Patriots was fought at Yorktown, Virginia. French and American forces, led by Rochambeau and George Washington, surrounded a large portion of the British army under General Cornwallis's command. Artillery bombardments lasted several days and the Continental Armies remained in control of the lines. General Cornwallis's troops were surrounded and cut off from the remaining British troops in the North. The remnant of the British Navy was pushed out of the Chesapeake Bay and Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. The British surrender and American victory at Yorktown led to the end of the American Revolution.
Vocabulary Words:
• absolute location—the actual location of a point on the earth's surface, usually in terms of latitude and longitude coordinates or a physical address of a place
• broadside—a large sheet of paper printed on one side only and typically used as a poster to announce some event/proclamation, or a newspaper printed on one side to report news, print songs, or retell stories at a very low cost to the publisher
• cardinal directions—the directions of north, east, south, and west
• cartouche—the ornamental or decorative framing of inscriptions, titles, symbols, and other relevant information on a map
• choke point—a narrow route providing passage through or to another region
• compass rose—a symbol that shows direction (north, east, south, and west) on a map
• map—a drawing that shows what places look like from above and where they are located
• map legend—a list of shapes and symbols used on a map and an explanation of what each one represents
• map scale—map tool used to measure distance between locations
• region—a place that has common characteristics that are different from the characteristics of the surrounding areas
• relative location—a concept described by using terms that show connections between two places, such as next to, near, or bordering.
• Piedmont—in Virginia, the part of the central region stretching from the Eastern Fall Line of the James, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers to the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
• title—the name or kind of map
• topography—the shapes, contours, and elevations of landforms
• symbol—a picture or thing that represents something else
Lesson Activities
• On a projection screen, compare the Fry-Jefferson map with the Henry map.
♦ List and discuss any similarities and differences between the two maps.
♦ Locate these features on the maps: title, legend, map tools, cartouches, symbols, and lines of measurement. What are some common features of the two maps?
♦ Speculate on the location of major north-south transportation routes. Why would they be located along coastlines? Along fall lines? Along the Piedmont?
♦ Locate geographic crossroads where lines of transportation may intersect. Would these geographic points be easily controlled? Why or why not?
♦ How can topography be used to find a beneficial location for a port? For a town? For a trade route?
• Using a wall map of modern Virginia, locate Norfolk, Richmond, Louisa, Charlottesville, Yorktown, Blue Ridge Mountains, James River, York River, Elizabeth River, Chesapeake Bay, and Atlantic Ocean.
♦ Using the Fry-Jefferson Map of Virginia, approximate the locations of the listed geographic features
♦ Using the Henry map of Virginia, approximate the locations of the listed geographic features.
♦ Approximate the latitude/longitude of Great Bridge, Louisa County, Charlottesville, and Yorktown.
• Project the Henry map on a screen.
♦ Have students locate Louisa County. (A tavern in the town of Cuckoo in eastern Louisa County is the possible starting point of Jack Jouett's ride to Monticello.) Then have students locate the City of Charlottesville.
♦ Using the scale, approximate the distance between eastern Louisa County and Charlottesville. List any physical features between the two locations. Are any of these places familiar?
♦ Trace a possible route that Captain Jouett followed. What physical features might he have crossed? What features might he have followed? What features might he have gone around? How could Jack Jouett have stayed hidden from the British Army? Could he use the topography of the region to his benefit? If so, how?
• In small groups or centers, compare the Fry-Jefferson Map with the Henry map.
♦ Locate the mouths of the York and James rivers. Do these maps show accurate detail?
♦ Why would it be beneficial to control these two locations? Economically? Militarily?
♦ Locate the City of Norfolk and the Elizabeth River. Locate a point ten miles south of Norfolk along the Elizabeth River. This is the approximate location of a series of bridges crossing the Elizabeth and surrounding smaller tributaries. The largest bridge, called the Great Bridge, was near a village of the same name. Using a modern Virginia map, list three cities near this point. (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake)
♦ What other inland areas would be easily accessed if you controlled the port cities in this region?
• Pretend you are Captain Jack Jouett. Write a story/skit about your ride and describe the terrain you went through. Draw a map of your ride from Louisa County to Charlottesville.
• Using Cary Jacob's poem, "The Ride of Young Jack Jouett," create your own "broadside" poem for distribution among the colonies.
Lesson Handouts
Great Bridge Detail, Henry Map Handout (82 KB)
Fry Jefferson Map, Panels to print (3 MB)
Henry Map, Panels to print (2 MB)
Yorktown Detail, Henry Map Handout (110 KB)
The Ride of Young Jack Jouett, poem text (21 KB)
Charlottesville, Louisa County Detail, Henry Map Handout (139 KB)
Suggested Materials
Deringer, Lois and Sandra Sterne. The Forgotten Ride of Jack Jouett, Jr. Glen Allen, Va.: Foxhound Publishing, 2010.
Jacobs, Cary. The Ride of Young Jack Jouett. Charlottesville, Va.: Daughters of the American Revolution, Jack Jouett Chapter, 1961.
Related Links
Fry-Jefferson Maps, Surveys and Derivatives
Alan M. Voorhees Map Collection
Shaping the Constitution: William Woodford Letter about the Battle of Great Bridge
Shaping the Constitution: A French Map Depicting American, French, and British Forces In and Around Yorktown before the Battle of Yorktown


text:
The SUMMER Season to Save & Never Pay For Covered Home Repairs Again. Limited Time
email@example.com To view this email as a web page.. Go here.
p04 Music[edit] A p04 fter releasing a promotional version of "The Love Anthem" song in 2011, 9p04 Silambarasan announced that a final version would be released t p04 hereafter and announced his desire to bring in i 9p04 nternational artists Akon and Rihanna for the ven 9p04 ture.[20] He subsequently headed to L os p04 Angeles in January 2012 and recorded an original vers 9p04 ion of the song by h 9p04 imself at Studio Zappa with music producer Elan Morrison on the p04 keyboards.[21] The failure to sign in the international artists prompted the project's producer, Silambarasan 9p04 's father T. Rajendar t o p04 lodge a police complaint against two agents 9p04 who had misled his production 9p04 company into supposed connections with the international art ists p04 concerned. Rajendar noted that the sound editor Ramji Soma and a Canadian entrepreneur Talvinder Bathh 9p04 had charged Rs 1.2 crore ($2 00,000) p04 from his company and failed 9p04 to return it despite promises made to sign on Akon, David Guetta and either Rihanna or Nicole Scherzi nger for p04 the project.[22] In 9p04 May 2013, Silambarasan was finally successfully able to bring in Akon to collaborate for an alternate versio n of p04 the song, with the move being facilitated by Tr 9p04 acktical Enterta 9p04 inment.[23] The latest version of the so 9p04 ng is yet to be released, wit h p04 Silambarasan hinting in early 2014 that the song may be launched before the end of 2014.[24] In an interview in June 2015, he revealed th p04 at the venture would be resumed soon, though that he was busy with other commitments.[25] 9p04 9p04 In p04 December 2015, a song, referred to by the media as the "Beep Song" was leaked online and was widely 9p04 circula 9p04 ted. The song was initially p04 reported to be written and sung by S 9p04 ilambarasan and composed by music director Anirudh Ravichander, and featured an expletive degrading p04 women which had been beeped out. 9p04 Subsequently, Anirudh denied any involvement in the song and Silambarasan clarified that he had written, c p04 omposed and sung the song himself, stating he was unsure how the s 9p04 ong was lea 9p04 ked and uploa 9p04 ded onto t 9p04 he internet.[26] The song provoked p04 widespread criticism from pressure 9p04 groups and film personali 9p04 ties. Women activists organised protests in front 9p04 of Silambarasan house in T . p04 Nagar and other places.[27] 9p04 Meanwhile, the Left-wing of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) alleged that the song was sex p04 ist and 9p04 derogatory to women an 9p04 d filed a case against Silambarasan in Coimbatore.[28] Based on the complaint, The Racecourse Police Stati on p04 registered FIR against the actor and Anirudh. Li 9p04 kewise, the Cyber Crime Police in Egmore also registered 9p04 a similar case against them. S p04 ilambarasan stated on his Twitter page that he w 9p04 ill not hide anywhere and will face the course of l 9p04 aw. However, he failed to appear in the p04 Racecourse Police station on 19 December 2015 as per the summons 9p04 sent to him. Fearing 9p04 arrest, Silambarasan had moved the case to the.