Apparently the CEO of GoDaddy, Bob Parsons, thought it was a great idea to post a graphic video of his noble vacation of killing bull elephants in Zimbabwe on GoDaddy.com. The video is briefly graphic. The CEO, too put it lightly, is incredibly misguided opting for the thrill of the hunt versus supporting alternative conservation efforts. The height of stupidity is when villagers are butchering the elephant wearing orange GoDaddy hats.
I’ve transferred all of my domains from GoDaddy this evening after seeing this. I want nothing to do with supporting a person or company that condones such activities.
I ended up transfering my domains to namecheap.com
They posted the video on their site and offered a transfer discount along with a pledge to donate $1 to savetheelephants.org with each domain transfer. I’m not sure if they’re extending the discount or the charitable contribution, but it really doesn’t matter. If you feel the same way as I do on the subject it’s time to find an alternative business to register your domains with to avoid channeling any money to Bob Parsons.
Yet another urban wildlife encounter ends in death. Yesterday, Wednesday March 29, 2011, a mountain lion was spotted in Redwood City and killed versus tranquilized and relocated. This time I was able to be on site with in minutes of the sad conclusion to this urban wildlife encounter to capture a few photographs.
The last time I wrote on an urban wildlife killing, Two Coyotes Killed In Golden Gate Park, San Francisco – Why Care? there was a huge uproar. At the time residents of San Francisco took a heightened interest in Golden Gate Park’s new residents, but before anything could be done to help the animals a rash decision was made to have the coyotes killed. Since that time the San Francisco bay area has seen a baby deer shot by Oakland police (Outrage over deer shot by Oakland officer) among numerous other sightings of various predators that creep back into urban areas from time to time. (more below)
Invariably safety or liability are the justification for eradicating wildlife in urban settings that are ever encroaching on shrinking natural habitat. While I am fully understanding of safety concerns, consistently the equation in managing wildlife in with an eye on liability is short sighted. The lack of natural predators in urban environments has created a population explosion in fauna including including possum, skunks, rats, raccoons, etc. It is a natural response by larger predators to seek out food sources where they are plentiful and this is increasingly the case in neighborhoods with in short distance of open areas (such as this Redwood City neighborhood). It would seem the vast majority of people fail to remember that predators roam wide areas (urban and rural) and can cover long distances (5-40 miles) in short order.
Sadly the part of the equation seldom evaluated or taken serious by authorities is the benefit these animals provide as it relates to Ecosystem Services. Cost is seen in terms of man hours and liability, but authorities seem to be ever blind to economic benefit of natural ecosystems. Predators, given the chance, would fill a much needed role in “Regulating Services – pest and disease control”. With out factoring in the cost benefit of Ecosystem Services, cost is skewed and used as regular justification for the killing of wildlife. (more below)
Kill Shot Location - Redwood City Urban Mountain Lion Killing
As noted in my earlier writing those living in urban neighborhoods seldom are aware of natural fauna that make up the areas they live. Education is a huge problem, as our day to day routines drive us to focus on anything and everything but the natural resources right under our nose. Travel to a pristine location such as Yosemite or Yellowstone and cars will stop on the highway creating small traffic jams so people can catch a glimpse of wildlife, yet wildlife in our neighborhoods are seen as pests in need of eradication. As a naturalist its painful to see this dichotomy of public perception and no doubt how our news is reported (or unreported as such encounters become more common) is of great influence in how the public reacts to wildlife encounters. You can see the fear exploitation in yesterdays local news segment on the mountain lion killing below to see how the general population is primed to be fearful of natural fauna rather than become educated to their behavior, precautions to take and environmental pressures they’re under.
Revisiting my experience when I first arrived to the scene…
When I asked a neighbor if the mountain lion situation had been concluded with the animal being killed her quick response was, “I certainly hope so”. While I empathize with her safety concerns I can’t help but see a sad day when such attitudes drive remaining natural species to extinction.
Home Owner Wally Oliver Being Interviewed about Redwood City Urban Mountain Lion Killing
San Francisco is an easy town to fall in love with. The views never cease to amaze and the weather conditions give the city a new look each and every day. No look is more dramatic or romantic as a blanket of fog laying over the bay and around the iconic Golden Gate Bridge & skyline of San Francisco.
This photo was taken this past February when lighting and weather conditions were perfect, The two frequently are not in alignment frustrating photographers who visit for short periods of time on their travels. If you look closely you’ll see Coit Tower in the top opening of the Golden Gate Bridge Tower. There used to be a lookout with a bench that you could capture this view quite easily from the Marin Headlands. On this visit I found that that lookout/turnout has been completely removed. Now if you want to align the Golden Gate Bridge and Coit Tower in a photo you have to do some searching by foot.
This Weeks Friday Freebie iPad Wallpaper: Grindelwald Glacier, Switzerland Friday Freebie features an image to liven up your iPad display with images from my travels… all for free.
Switzerland is one amazingly beautiful location. The extreme mountain-scapes and diverse history of each region makes for a fascinating time of exploration. I particularly enjoyed exploring the high country around Grindelwald, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen during my last trip. Standing atop mountains in the alps is an incredible feeling especially when looking down at the ever impressive Grindelwald Glacier. Large blocks of ice cling and forge down the super steep mountain walls virtually defying gravity. While Grindelwald isn’t as massive as other glaciers its steepness and jaggedness never ceases to impress those that see it. If you’re curious to see more of my landscape and travel photos from Switzerland look no further than this link. Thanks for checking in and enjoy this Friday’s Freebie.
Note: This image is distributed for personal use only and all rights are reserved. If interested in using this photograph commercially please contact me.
Sunset at Horsetail Fall in the early part of the year is an amazing moment to witness. The seasonal waterfall on the shoulder of El Capitan is positioned perfectly to reflect the last rays of sun in its mist, providing an intense gold and even reddish hue likened to a firefall. I’ve sped up the playback in the following video, taken earlier this month, to highlight the movement of the water, mist and clouds as they form against the 3,000 foot face of El Capitan. Enjoy.
Sunset light illuminating Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park. This video was taken March 11, 2011.
Some time ago in a post titled Consuming Color I pondered the question, “What if color were your subject?” in contrast to black and white photography where the underlying thought is that color distracts from your subject. Over the past several years I’ve been exploring a new dimension of nature and landscape work where identifiable elements of the natural world are abstracted to bring color to the forefront. In essence making color my subject. The small collection of work I’ve compiled is titled “Color Fields” in an homage to the Color Field painting movement of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Below is a slide show of my “Color Field” portfolio.
This Weeks Friday Freebie iPad Wallpaper: Badlands National Park Detail Friday Freebie features an image to liven up your iPad display with images from my travels… all for free.
Badlands National Park in South Dakota is an abrupt transition between the prairies and the mountains. Erosion has created an amazing tapestry of color and texture that is as beautiful as it is rich in history. I was surprised at how photogenic this national park was when I visited. Truly an amazing landscape to behold. If you enjoy this photo be sure to check out my other badland landscape photos from across the United States.
Note: This image is distributed for personal use only and all rights are reserved. If interested in using this photograph commercially please contact me.
Ever see an odd pixelated square graphic like this one on a web page, print magazine or as someone’s social media site avatar? If you haven’t yet I guarantee you will now. This type of graphic is called a QR Code and something you’ll want to take note of and to creatively use in the future.
What is a QR Code & Why Use It?
QR stands for Quick Response and essentially are bar codes, a different variation to what you find on grocery labels in the store. In essence QR codes are a visual representation of a web URL. They’re used in print and on web pages to help people load a web page from their camera enabled mobile phone. This is particularly helpful to transition viewers quickly from the world of print to the web.
How Does One Use A QR Code?
The simplest use-case of utilizing a QR code is as follows:
Viewer sees a QR Code on a print ad or a web page
Viewer loads a QR Code scanning application on your mobile phone
Viewer photographs the QR Code with your mobile phone
The QR Code scanning application then provides the viewer with a URL and the option to load it on your phone’s web browser.
The aforementioned use case is the basic way to use a QR code, but there are many creative applications in using a QR Code. Case in point is the C.A.O.S Living book (see below) where QR Codes were used to create a book that never grows old. There are several interesting ways to use QR Codes as they can be included on business cards, online avatars, promotional mailers, guerrilla marketing, tattoos…. OK maybe you shouldn’t use it as a tattoo. Recently I made use of a Wordpress plug-in that auto generates QR codes for every blog post on my blog. If you look on the right side of my blog I now have a section titled “QR Code To Go”. The purpose of this is to allow people to transition reading my blog from their computer to their phone if they’re on the go and need to be mobile.
As for what QR Code app to use… there are numerous QR Code readers now available in the iTunes and Android marketplaces. Take a look to find one that will work on your phone. It’s a great app to have on hand.
How Do I Make A QR Code?
The simplest way to create a QR Code is to access one of the many online QR Code generator web sites now available. I personally use the Kaywa QR Code generator. From this site and equivalents you can enter a URL and download an image file of your QR Code in various sizes. You can then use the image as you see fit to direct people to the URL entered into the generator.
Final Thoughts
QR Codes are definitely growing in popularity and they’re worth exploring if you haven’t already begun to do so. They’re big in Japan and they’re growing in popularity across the globe. If you come up with a creative use of a QR Code or know of a great example be sure to let me know in the comments. It’d be great to share some inspirational uses with others. If QR Codes are new to you then definitely take a look at the videos and resource links below.
Demo Videos
How QR Codes Work – Scanning QR Codes Found on NY Streets
I would rather say: buy...
