Category Archives: whining and pleading

It’s a Whole New Year

What a way to start the year! The firehose of NooZ, real and fake has already started. If we are going to survive this year, we need to do a little editing about how much of the firehose we allow to blast us in the ears.

First of all, obviously ZooNooZ needs to stay on your radar of what you should listen to. Then, you should subscribe To Joyce Vance‘s Substack Newsletter, along with Heather Cox Richardson. Add Jay Kuo for a little more in depth analysis. For a sweary look at the Nooz, you can’t do better than Jeff Tiedrich. You can find all of them on the Substack website or app, if you are someone who likes apps. You can find me there too! I’ve been doing a Year in Review there, and will be doing that for a few more weeks!

You can listen and watch a little bit of main stream news, but take it all with a grain of salt and don’t over do it. A little bit goes a long way!

Here are the things I won’t be paying (much) attention to: The GOP primary, for starters. I mean, that’s not something I’ll be voting in. I guess if you’re a Republican that’s something you probably should pay attention to (although what are you doing HERE if you’re a Republican?) But since I won’t be voting for any of those people, my attention can be minimal.

There are a few other things that I need to draw back from, both because I can’t do anything about them, or they are conditions that are so complex and so long running, I don’t have the knowledge or understanding to make any meaningful contribution.

In other NooZ, my birthday Season is now officially over.

Hang on tight and buckle up, folks! It’s gonna be a hell of a year!

Be the Bear!
Bob T I’m not sure I’m ready for this Panda

What’s a Seven Hour Phone Log Gap Amongst Friends?

How can we miss you if you won’t go away?

There is a side by side video that is making the rounds on Twitter. In one video, Ted Cruz is asking a condescending question of our newest (and most qualified) SCOTUS Justice. In the accompanying video, he is asking the previous nominee the most soft ball question anyone has probably ever asked a SCOTUS nominee: “Do you play a musical instrument?” Yes, that’s what he asked.

At first I was enraged by the insulting question asked by Cruz of Judge Brown Jackson. It was asked specifically to demean and degrade someone who was a classmate at Harvard Law School, as well as a nominee for the highest court in the country. The disrespect was palpable. But as I thought more about the juxtaposition of the two videos, I also realize that Cruz disrespected Amy Coney Barrett as well. By asking such a stupid, trivial question of her, he was showing his contempt for her as well. I certainly don’t agree with Coney Barrett’s philosophy or her religious views, but as a SCOTUS nominee she is owed the respect of being asked difficult and relevant questions.

The republican senators took it on themselves to try to put Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson “in her place” by treating her with disrespect. But all they did was prove to the world how out of place and ill-qualified they are to govern, themselves. They proved to the world their bigotry and small mindedness.

Congratulations to Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. May you serve justice for many years.

Be the Bear
Bob T Panda

The Impeachment Chronicles!

Today is the day! At approximately 10 AM today I’ll be launching the felty panda (Hold me closer tiny Panda) over on Kickstarter today! While you’re waiting, should I remind you why we all need emotional support pandas?

Help me Wanda!!!!!

I can totally see you know who doing this.

See ya soon!
Or should I say” wake me when all this is over?”

Be da Bear!
Bob T Panda

It’s all over but the shouting …

…and the panda dancing and hey! Pass that plate of cuppycakes over here!!!! I’ll be shouting from the rooftops…um…well, not actually the rooftops, because I’m afraid of heights, but there has been dancing and singing since yesterday at 5 PM when my Kickstarter campaign closed.

Shouting and dancing, dancing and shouting !!!!

shouting

You’ll forgive the shouting, but we are having a celebration!

Well, Mehitabel is just shouting.

Now, I will admit that I did this cartoon before the end of my project, and even before I had reached my funding goal. I thought about doing a sad, “we didn’t make our funding goal” cartoon, kind of like how politicians write both a victory and a concession speech so they are ready either way. But I decided I would have enough time to do that on the day after the campaign ended.

And thanks to you all, I didn’t need to do that sad cartoon!

So now, (after we finish this last plate of cuppycakes…urp! ‘scuse me!) the real work begins. Very shortly I’ll be organizing my lists, ordering the embroidered patches and logo bags, planning what art materials I’ll take to China and how to organize and pack them. Oh..and scheduling my hepatitis A shot as well as the suggested typhoid shot.

And once those things are done, I’ll be setting up my trip blog for those who contributed to my campaign. It will eventually be available for all to view, I think, but until sometime after the trip, it will only be available to my Kickstarter supporters.

Thank you all again! I’m so excited to share the art (and panda satire) that emerges from this trip. It’s a tough job,but somebody’s got to cuddle those baby pandas!

Panda ON!
Bob T Panda

Today is the Day

Yes, today is the day you’ve been waiting for, the day my Kickstarter campaign ends. Huzzah!  If you’re reading this with your morning coffee, you still have a few more hours to make a pledge if you haven’t done so already, and then I can quit all this whinging and pleading and just get back to…whinging and crying about the state of our government. Today is the day that we get back to business!

Today is the day …

Today, you are a bear.

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

Poor Mehitabel…she gets no respect from the panda kindergarten, even now.

But maybe pandas have a better idea about how to run the government.

Maybe Pandas DO have a better idea…..

Don’t Touch My Stuff!

So now we leave you to finish your morning coffee, maybe do the dishes (maybe) and then get on with your day! And don’t forget, you still have a few hours to pledge  to my Kickstarter Panda-Tastic Journey and get this or some of our other fabulous rewards!

Yoga for Pandas, now available as a mini poster!

keep being the bear!
Bob T Panda!

Jump up and down and clap your paws!

Oh, yeah!
Wave your paws in the air
like there’s something stuck in there,
clap your paws,
clap your paws
and don’t stick them in your jaws
It’s a panda dance woohoo
woohoo
woohoo.

Ahem… put your paws together because we are almost at the end of our Kickstarter campaign!

paws

Put your paws together for the panda kindergarten!

What Bob said! Check out our Kickstarter before it goes away!

Panda on!
Bob T Panda

Are we not pandas ?

Yes we are…I mean we’re not NOT pandas, so that…um…means we ARE pandas.  Right? Okay…well….

So here is the Kickstarter report for today: I have reached my initial goal, so I am sitting back a little bit and not jumping up and down and screaming, BUT, there is still a chance for anyone who would like to support this project through this Friday at 5 PM PDT, because there are some fun rewards available, such as a mini poster of Yoga for Pandas!

I mean, who can resist that?

Yoga for Pandas, now available as a mini poster!

But now, let’s see what’s going on over at the Zoonooz Kickstarter campaign headquarters…

pandas

Oh, Mr. Kitty….

What could possibly go wrong?
Check out the campaign here! One last group of new rewards are coming on Monday!

Panda On
Bob T Panda

9 More Days on the Kickstarter Trail…

Well, y’all are doing just great getting my Kickstarter project funded, but don’t stop yet! I put a few new rewards on the project page yesterday and added my stretch goals. For those of you new to crowd funding, and Kickstarter in particular, the idea is that you only get your funding if you reach your goal in the time frame you’ve specified.

In my case, I set the funding period at 16 days and a couple hours. Why so short? (most projects fund for 30 -60 days) Because youse* guys are so freaking awesome, that’s why! (*Pittsburgh plural for “you”) I let people know in advance when the project would run, and you all stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park. Thank you all! You can check out the project here, if you haven’t already. (There is a very cute picture of Cami with the Emperor Pew Panda standing on the Great Wall)

In fact, I’ve already reached my first stretch goal! Huzzah! Which unfortunately means I’ve committed to getting a Hepatitis A shot, as it was recommended by our friends at PDX Wildlife. Oh well…I guess it is a good idea.

But let’s see who is the next guest at Kickstarter central!!!

Kickstarter

Did Bubba eat the cookie? Better be careful, Boo Boo!

We still have a week and a half still to go, but don’t delay! Cool rewards are yours for the pledging! Check it out!

Panda on!
Bob T Panda

Pandas are (still) Standing By!

I’m writing this Friday afternoon, as my Kickstarter project is a mere $600 away from funding. There are still more than 10 days to go till the pledge drive is over, but don’t stop pledging now. Tomorrow I will be posting some additional goals for this project to go see pandas and make art inspired by my trip.

Update!!! We have reached our goal, but don’t stop now!

Tomorrow I will be posting my stretch goals in an update. These are things that would be helpful on my trip, but not essential to actually being able to go on this trip. I would point out, this is one of those rare opportunities to get some of my original art at a greatly reduced price. You can see my paintings (and what they sell for on the website of my Whidbey Island Gallery representative. Why am I offering these paintings for so much less? Well, primarily because you are paying for them without having seen them yet. I’m hoping you’ll like them when I’m done, but it’s not quite the same experience as seeing a painting you love and choosing to buy it. so there you have it!

And of course, we will be getting to see some of our favorite american pandas. Pinky and Tai shan, for sure, and hopefully Yun Zi, Zhen Zhen, (my adopted panda) and the Meihems.

But now, on with our show!

pandas

Pinky: what’s wrong wif dis cookie?

Don’t take Pinky’s word for it! There are still some things that Pinky didn’t get her paws on! Check them out here!

Panda on!
Bob T Panda

Friday was never so Fabulous …

…as this Friday, when my Kickstarter project to visit the panda ranches of China, is now about 60% funded, in less than 3 days. OMG!!!!!! If you haven’t visited yet, get on down to Kickstarter headquarters here! I am so thankful for all your support, and for the photos shared by some of my fellow Panda-trekkers that decorate my project page.

Update!!! Now 85% Funded!

Who could resist having lunch with a panda? (Actually, their table manners are terrible, but so are mine!)

But meanwhile, it is Fabulous Furry Friday and you know what that means…

Panda, panda, panda…bring on the pandas!!!!!

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

Part 1 of Bob and Mehitabel’s explanation…

What makes a panda run? Cuppycakes, of course!!!!

Babette and Bee, the Bear have a “discussion”

And while we are all…ahem…thinking about persons in power who may have been “misspeaking”….

Oh, Bob, you didn’t really say that, did you?

Early fake news?

Mehitabel did NOT approve this cartoon.

Archie, is that you?

We KNEW that was you!

I was really afraid this was going to happen.

You can’t fire a icon.

And don’t forget to check out my Kickstarter campaign! Pinky misses me!

Panda On!
Bob T Panda