We need to talk about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) – Voice scams on the rise…

I remember reading this quote not long ago from Vladimir Putin: the nation that leads in AI ‘will be the ruler of the world’. At first I was pretty skeptical, but my eyes started to open widely when I watched a recent story on CBS 60 minutes and then read a story this Monday morning …

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How can we be safe if law enforcement can’t always help us?

What happened in Uvalde, Texas where it was obvious that law enforcement was not capable or willing to stop someone killing school children, is a perfect example of a much bigger problem confronting our country in maintaining some kind of safe environment for our nation. Well armed law enforcement were on the scene within minutes …

Supreme Court Drives Red and Blue Americas In Opposite Directions

Today's New York Times points at the Supreme Court as being partly responsible for much of the current divide in this country. I think it is obvious to most people in this country that this small group of mortals has way too much power in telling the rest of us how we should live, yes, …

West El Paso’s biggest parade returning on July 4

For over two decades West El Paso’s biggest parade of the year has been the Independence Day Parade sponsored by the Rotary Club of West El Paso.  This year’s parade with the theme “We the People” on July 4 will be no different. With the financial support of community parade sponsors like the Rotary Club …

When God made the panda He was thinking of me.

The education team at the Kansas City Museum of History and Science wrote and sang this song for me at my going away party when I moved to Texas after graduating from William Jewell College. It was to the tune of the song the Candy Man sang by Sammy Davis Jr. This past summer my …

Imagine the moon

The moon I photographed tonight rising over the Franklin Mountains and the city of El Paso is amazingly the same moon that my father saw when he was growing up in Western New York.   It is the same moon that his father saw when he was growing up on the island of Sicily and the …

An easy way to lower your carbon footprint

Most people when they think of lowering their carbon footprint think about how they impact our environment when they drive their car or make purchases of products that require the use of fossil fuels. Others think about planting trees to help capture CO2 or buying carbon offsets where their money goes to pay for a …

How to avoid a climate disaster

3 words for you now - "Get the book" Bill Gates has written a powerful book on the most important question everyone needs to be asking - how can we avoid a climate disaster. No matter where you stand on what is happening to our climate and no matter if you call it global warming …

First Tee Desert Classic planned for October 22

Sign up today to sponsor or donate prizes The Rotary Club of West El Paso has joined forces with First Tee – Greater El Paso to host the First Tee Desert Classic, a premier golfing event for all levels of local golfers. Proceeds from this tournament will benefit First Tee – Greater El Paso along …

Water system expert needed at shelter in Juarez

Greetings from the Tree of Hopes shelter in Anapra. The shelter is located in far northwest Juárez, about 5 miles due west as a crow flies of our new meeting place at the Mesa Street Grill.  Thanks to Robert Holguin of K-Fox and his special report earlier this summer we have recently received over a dozen …

How you can help Afghanistan refugees in El Paso

Aerial image of the mountains of Afghanistan, Wikimedia Creative Commons Afghanistan refugees arriving at Fort Bliss are some of the lucky ones. Now they have a second chance at a better life. If you would like to help them here is some information on what you can do. Some donation items include: Clothing - NEW …

Sign up to be a conservation volunteer at the Zoo

The El Paso Zoo and Botanical Gardens Conservation Education Program is recruiting volunteers to work with our Education Team both virtually and at the Zoo.   This  program is designed to help the Zoo accomplish its mission in support of important zoo goals including (1) providing excellent, expert, and compassionate care for our animals, (2) actively …

White supremacy

These are portraits of the 23 victims killed in the Aug. 3, 2019, Walmart mass shooting in El Paso. They were painted by Appalachian artist Ellen Elmes. I grew up during the Civil Rights movement and remember turning on the TV and hearing the news about Martin Luther King being assassinated and not long after …

Scared to death

Many Americans have friends from Afghanistan. I am one of them. Countless others have friends from the time they served in the military, working in the country for NGOs or simply becoming friends with people from Afghanistan who have immigrated to the US or other parts of the West. As we watch the fall of …

Meet Judy Chidester

Judy Chidester worked for the State Department in Rwanda where she met Dian Fossey and was invited to her cabin at Karisoke to help rescue a baby mountain gorilla. I love telling the story of Judy Chidester. Years ago when I was working on my book on the mountain gorillas Judy and I met at …

What is a city to do?

Many of us know how much plastic bags are harming the environment and many cities trying to make a difference have been shut down by the Texas Supreme Court. On July 2, 2018 the Texas Supreme Court recognized that state law forbids cities from imposing their waste management duties and costs on citizens and retailers. …

They lived with mountain gorillas

FREE special Zoom presentations May 8 and June 5 - Register Soon Not everyone who writes a book about mountain gorillas makes it on the recommended reading list of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Writing Guide to Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, Home to Critically Endangered Mountain Gorillas was a labor of love and during the …

Following a dream to the land of the mountain gorilla

Silverback mountain gorilla at Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda by Rick LoBello by Rick LoBello All around the world people are working to save endangered species and our environment.  Many of them are inspired by their visits to zoos.  That is what happened to me when I was 4 years old and my mother joined me …

A story of hope: from Rwanda to the rest of the world

Everyone has stories. Some stories are happy, some are sad, others are funny, informative, motivating and still others give us something we all need every day, hope. This is a story of hope.  Frederick Ndabaramiye is from Rwanda and we know each other only from emails, but we have a mutual friend in Jeff Ramsey …

What are you doing about climate change?

Sunset on the Arctic. I welcome your feedback, questions and suggestions on this very important topic. Click here to contact me. If you are not actively involved in combatting climate change you are either not aware of how serious the threat is to our quality of life or don't know what do to. To be …