Category Archives: inner panda

The Essential Pandaness of Being

I just came home from a small memorial gathering for a friend who died earlier this year. He was a sweet man who definitely should not have gotten cancer and died, because he was one of the nicest men I ever met, and his wife is a lovely person who did not deserve to lose her best friend.

As you might imagine, I have quite a list of people who definitely would not be missed should they vanish from the face of the earth. I suspect you could guess who at least some of those people are. I suppose it is not very charitable of me to have this list, but after the last 5 years, I am not concerned with the justice or fairness of my list.

I thought of this ‘toon, made for a dear departed friend 8 years ago…

This one’s for you, Jude.

It’s hard not to think about justice or fairness when you watch even a little bit of the hearings for the SCOTUS nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. I admit to wishing that a piano might fall on the head of some of her interrogators. Why is it that an eminently qualified and compassionate individual like Judge Brown Jackson should be rudely condescended to by people who have less integrity than something I scraped off my shoe? To quote (with a slight paraphrase) the SNL parody of the Justice Beer Keg hearing, “You give her a damn robe and let her do what ever she wants, and put her on the court NOW!!!”

I hope that when she returned home each day from this circus, that she was met at the door by her husband and daughters, with a pitcher of martinis, confetti and balloons, and a stack of plates to smash on the back patio. I will be so proud when she takes her place on the court.

And if we need a reminder of what we have endured these last 5 years…

day after
Remember the song “The Eve of Destruction”? That’s what today feels like.
March
Whats a protest without pandas?
inauguration
Hey, save some cuppycakes for me!
Clear as mud!

I’m about to send a nice big check to the Whatcom County Humane Society because you, the panda (and cat!) fans have supported my Felty Cats for Actual Cats project. Thank you for all who have chosen a little felty companion (and helped to make a little more space on the windmills in my felty studio). I still have 10 kitties left if you were waiting (for some reason). If you order before the end of March, you will get an extra surprise!

Be the Bear! (or cat)
Bob T Panda

Breathe Deeply! It’s Fabulous Furry Friday

I thought after Wednesday’s encounter with the panda kindergarten, Bob needed to chill to a bit and embrace his inner panda.

Nothing like a bit of the great outdoors to straighten up the panda kindergarten.

Nothing like a bit of the great outdoors to straighten up the panda kindergarten.

Just how hard would it be...

Just how hard would it be…

...to embrace your inner panda?

…to embrace your inner panda?

No cats were harmed in the drawing of this cartoon.

No cats were harmed in the drawing of this cartoon.

Be the Bear. Embrace your inner panda!
Bob T. Panda

“O” is for Optimism

Let’s face it, despite all the opposition that pandas face, they are pretty optimistic, or at least that’s what I observe. Some obdurate oafs opine that if pandas have such a hard time reproducing, they should just be allowed to go extinct. O-contraire, I object! I feel obligated to oppose such an obtuse viewpoint.

Consider: a grizzly bear will eat you as soon as look at you, and probably use your toothbrush to scratch places a toothbrush has no business being. Whereas upon meeting a panda on the trail, he will share his lunch, give you directions to the nearest coffee house and offer to carry your pack. OK I may be overstating the out of this world wonderfulness of pandas. But still, as the song says, We do not eat hikers in the woods, I don’t think a panda should!  Is it any wonder I am OBSESSED with pandas?

Occupy your inner panda!

Just how hard would it be...

Just how hard would it be…

...to embrace your inner panda?

…to embrace your inner panda?

And Bob, ever optimistic, tries to rehabilitate the panda kindergarten.

Nothing like a bit of the great outdoors to straighten up the panda kindergarten.

Nothing like a bit of the great outdoors to straighten up the panda kindergarten.

...if I were a panda, yadda dah dah da- da- da-  AAARGH!  I can't stop!!!!!

…if I were a panda, yadda dah dah da- da- da- AAARGH! I can’t stop!!!!!

Todays post was brought to you by the letter “O” courtesy of the A to Z Blog challenge! My pick of the day is Goldfish Stories. head on over and check it out.

How many pandas are there? Let me count the bears….

In a recent post by Henry Nicholls, author of The Way of the Panda, he talked about the upcoming panda census.  The various methods for counting wild pandas are fairly, well, quite frankly, some of them are just gross.  We at the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire feel we have a better idea.  Just mail out the forms to the pandas and let them fill them out.  Don’t have their addresses?  Just leave them where pandas are sure to find them.

Ok, well, maybe not.

We thought it would be a good idea to re-run a quiz we gave last year in honor of the panda census.  Find out right now how far your panda obsession has gone!

Please answer the questions as honestly as possible as this will go on your permanent record.

1. How many stuffed pandas do you now own?

a) Oh, just a couple.

b) You can still see parts of my bed

c) None of your business

2. What percentage of your friends are now sending you pictures of pandas, panda cards or emails with pictures of the earthquake pandas?

a) 10%

b) 25%

c)I have no friends anymore, except for pandas, which all love me.

3.  What portion of your time do you spend thinking about pandas?

a) Just when I have my coffee in the morning.

b) Only when I’m awake.

c) What else could I possibly want to think about?

3.  Do you feel that your obssession with pandas is interfering with your daily life and ability to earn a living?

a) No, no, it’s no problem. Just talk amongst yourselves, while I look at pictures of earthquake pandas.

b) None of your business.

c) No, the cardboard box that I now live in is quite comfortable and I’ve drawn pictures of pandas all over the inside.

Hope this little quiz has been instructive!

Be the Bear!

Bob T. Panda

If I Have But One Life to Live, Let Me Live it as a Panda!

All My Pandas......

When I was in panda kindergarten, sometimes we would get to watch the soap operas on our big screen TV back in the den.  I love how nothing ever really happened from day to day, but the “not happening” was filled with such drama!  We at the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire felt that the time was right for an all panda soap opera!  We have such depth of character don’t you think?  And getting international panda star, Babette de Panda to take a leading role…. well, you be the judge!

Be the Bear!

Bob T.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I Have But One Life to Live, Let Me Live it as a Panda!

All My Pandas......

When I was in panda kindergarten, sometimes we would get to watch the soap operas on our big screen TV back in the den.  I love how nothing ever really happened from day to day, but the “not happening” was filled with such drama!  We at the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire felt that the time was right for an all panda soap opera!  We have such depth of character don’t you think?  And getting international panda star, Babette de Panda to take a leading role…. well, you be the judge!

Be the Bear!

Bob T.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let Us Eat Cake!!!!! (or, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!!!)

I hope we are making up for our lack of cartoons today! Our local newspaper holds an annual gingerbread house competition, for which Mehitabel and the pandas all got quite excited about.

Of course, when pandas are involved, the results can be somewhat unexpected.

Be the Bear!

Bob T. Panda

What Pandas want for the Holidays

Ok, we admit that we haven’t done any new cartoons in WEEKS probably, but it gets so busy this time of year.  So, you’ll just have to put up with this look at postage. You remember postage, don’t you. You know, you write a letter…. a what did you say?  You know…well, anyway, you write a letter, put it in an envelope and then put a stamp on it and eventually it gets somewhere else. pretty nifty, huh?   I guess pandas are naturally luddites.  It’s part of what makes us so charming.

We want to send out a big pandy hug to our friend Henry, who doesn’t have anymore reason to think about pandas now that he’s done with his book.  You can still watch us on youtube. I’m sure it will cheer you up.

Be the Bear

Bob T.

Join the Cake Party Today!

Okay, let’s take a poll here. How many of you are tired of hearing the phone ring, and then  realizing it’s a “robo-call”, telling you what a lying, sack of $#!* their opponent is, and as soon as you hang up from that call, the phone rings again and it’s the first guy’s opponent, saying what a lying sack of $#!* the OTHER guy is.  It’s more than a Panda can bear. (Get it?)  Well, we of the Cake Party are calling for a more civilized discourse, and for getting the bad taste of over-brewed tea out of our mouth.  Are we getting into the line of fire? Hmmmm…. who knows?  Can’t everyone just behave and be nice? And maybe stick to actual facts?

Be the Bear!

Join the Cake Party!

Bob T.

Embracing your Inner Panda – an ongoing saga

I’m disapointed that I don’t get to hear F.O.P. Henry Nicholls wipe up the floor with BBC radio guy who thinks pandas are a waste of resources.  My feelings were extremely hurt.  I may have to have a little snack and take a nap to get over it.

Stay tuned for even more about inner panda events!

Be the Bear!

Bob T.