I was listening to NPR last night (that’s National Panda Radio, you know) and heard a story about researchers giving orangutans iPads in order to teach them to communicate with people. I would respectfully (of course) point out that pandas have been using mePhones for several years in order to track each other (and occasionally order pizza) with great success.
Remember, you heard it here first!
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda
The 2012 summer Olympic games to be held in London England are just around the corner. has anyone seen the Torch Bears?
Pandanastics star, PO of Atlanta Zoo, practices for the Olympics, while the Torch Bears continue their around the world journey. Where will they turn up next?
Be the bear!
Huzzah!
Bob T. panda
Once again I am going to step outside my role of cartoon panda to share a little piece of the view into the world I live in.
Warning: Heartwarming story coming…people who are looking for action, adventure, and panda kindergarten misdeeds should just skip on down to the cartoon!
When I lived in Seattle, one of my musician friends had a little joke he liked to tell about supporting yourself as a musician. “We make our living taking in each others’ laundry.” He was referring to the practice of one person paying another, to give their child music lessons, and then that person would pay the first to teach his child. It seems like no net gain for anyone, but really, it was a real builder of community and connectedness.
Today is the first Saturday in May, which on Whidbey Island is Hearts and Hammers day. It’s modeled on Habitat for Hummanity’s home building program, and is a one day all volunteer work blitz. They have done projects as simple as gardening for a home owner who is no longer able to keep up with the raging flora that we are gifted with here in the northwest, and as extensive as new roofs, railing and ramps and even a whole new bathroom in some houses. I’ve worked on projects for a number of years, and been the recipient of a “hearts and hammers-like” day, when my house caught fire 17 years ago.
We also have a very active food bank that several years ago started an organic garden that provides fresh vegetables for our food bank clients. Is this an amazing community or what? Not only do I love living here, but I am proud to live here as well.
So, when my good friend (and panda supporter) Vicky Brown, of the Little Brown Farm told me she was going to do a Kickstarter project to add to their facilities at the dairy, I offered to help her with my vast (ha ha) wisdom gleaned from doing my (successful) Kickstarter project. Besides being a very modest (very) contributor, I’ve been helping her with editing her posts and updates, and just being a general cheerleader. I know I have a community of readers out there, who love humor and pandas as much as I do. So I am going to use my panda pulpit once again to request your consideration, and hopefully, your help for the Little Brown Farm. Do check out their Kickstarter project and video (with adorable little goats!) and remember it’s really not the size of the donation that matters. even a small $10-$25 donation shows them you care about small scale farming and good food made by people who care deeply about their animals. They work harder than just about anyone I know (except for maybe other farmers).
http://kck.st/GW4Yal
And now for a word from the panda kindergarten:
join the pandas at http://kck.st/GW4Yal
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
Alert Panda Chronicles reader Andrew S. mentioned that he got a very swell new car… a Fiat Panda! Huzzah! Panda Cars! So the pandas here at The Panda Chronicles thought this was to be celebrated.
Note to Andrew: Do NOT let the panda kindergarten have the keys to your car!
this one’s for you, Andrew!
Perhaps a THIRD chance is in order?
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
As many of my faithful readers may remember, a few months ago, I came to you for assistance with my Kickstarter project (which was successfully funded, in no small part thanks to fans of the pandas.) I just wanted to tell you about another Kickstarter project that is worthy of your attention.
My friends, Vicky and Tom Brown had a dream. Well, it was mostly Vicky’s dream, but Tom, being the exceptional guy that he is, has gone way beyond the beyond in helping to make Vicky’s dream come true. Fortunately for those of us lucky enough to live on Whidbey Island, Vicky’s dream to have a working goat farm and dairy has come to pass. Full disclosure, I am not a disinterested party here. I love the cheese that Vicky and her girls (the goats) make at the Little Brown Farm. My favorites are her Caprine Creme and Caprizella and consume vast quantities whenever possible.
While I am usually making fun of many things here at The Panda Chronicles, the panda kindergarten has thrown their support behind The Little Brown Farm in a serious way. Check out their project here:
http://kck.st/GW4Yal
and then join the panda kindergarten in supporting Vicky and the girls.
Mehitabel is counting on it.
Note: No cats were actually harmed during the making of this cartoon, although they definitely were offended.
They have 23 more days to get all their funding, so there is no time to lose!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
PS, this is my 300th post! Huzzah!
It’s true. Sometimes I just can’t help being just the tiniest bit silly (As if you hadn’t noticed) but I crack myself up whenever I call Ling Ling and Tsing Tsing “the Nixon Pandas.” It’s really not my fault. In The Way of the Panda, that’s how writer Henry Nicholls refers to them in the chapter about panda diplomacy. Sometimes I really am NOT making things up. (but only rarely) Anyway, there have been several stories and articles floating around the internet about the 40th anniversary of Ling Ling and Tsing Tsing arriving in Washington D.C.
I hereby give you my version of the panda historical events 40 years ago this week.
I am only making some of this up. copyright 2012 -A. Belov
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
BTW: less than 200 visits are needed to bring my total views to 25,000! Invite your friends to play with the pandas!
It was 40 years ago today,
Richard Nixon brought the bears to stay,
So let me introduce to you,
the one and only Bobby T….
Sargent Panda’s Happy Panda Band!
What would I do, if I ran out of boo’,
Would I have to have a cuppycake?
Sorry, I didn't have a photo of Abbey Road.....
OK, I got it out of my system now….
And a quick note of complete self involvement here, I’m about to reach 25,000 visits to The Panda Chronicles, and I couldn’t have done it without YOU, the panda satire fans around the world! So huzzah! (well, maybe I could have done it, but my guess is that I would have to spend all my time visiting this blog from a lot of different computers.) Thanks for stopping by to play with the pandas!
And on to further panda business (that’s sort of like monkey business, except for it’s pandas instead of monkeys) I’ve finished my revisions for Pandamorphosis and am ready to start sending it out again to publishers. Here’s one of the new drawings:
from Pandamorphosis//copyright 2012// A. Belov
Till next time,
Be the Bear!
Did you know that it was 40 years ago today that the Nixon Pandas arrived at the National Zoo? I thought not. Recently, as a result of the Freedom of Information Act, transcripts of communications between pandas have come to light. Of course, this was in the days before email existed, so the discovery of these documents is quite exciting as well as unexpected. We now bring you the transcripts, known as The Panda Chronicles. (Now you know where we got our name.)
April 16, 1972: from the diary of Hua Mu, secretary of the Council of Pandas:
Well I am just fit to be tied. We had a big meeting last night to vote on which pandas were going to travel to Washington DC, but when the meeting started, it turned out that it had already been decided. I was so disappointed! I thought for sure I was going to get to go. After all, my great-great-great auntie on my mother’s father’s second cousin’s side of the family was none other than Su-Lin, the first panda to travel to America (and ride in a taxi!).
It turns out that Tsing Tsing was a political crony of none other than Richard M. Nixon, and they had worked out the deal while Nixon was in China, behind all the other pandas’ backs. Well, of course if Tsing got to go, Ling-Ling would be selected as his traveling companion. I have it on GOOD authority that Tsing Tsing had a couple other girlfriends that really wanted to go, but Ling Ling stamped her little paws and whispered something in Tsing’s ear that he didn’t repeat, but he just said his mind was made up and that Ling Ling would accompany him to DC. I’m not sure that anyone else knew that this was a permanent relocation, except for Tsing, who always had his paw in the cookie jar.
I hope he knows what he’s doing. Those personal appearances can be very tiring.
Well, time for bed, more tomorrow!
Be the bear!
Bob T. Panda!
Well, with Mini-Bob off gallivanting around London, the panda kindergarten is up to their old tricks. People always want to know (OK, I IMAGINE that people want to know this) just what goes on in the typical panda kindergarten classroom. Who teaches the panda kindergarten? Are there naps and snacks? Are there cuppycakes? There really should be cuppycakes.
"Class....Claaaas....CLASS!!!!!!!!!
HAVE A BEAR-Y GOOD WEEKEND!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
More than 24,000 visits! Huzzah
Well, with Mini-Bob off gallivanting around London, the panda kindergarten is up to their old tricks. People always want to know (OK, I IMAGINE that people want to know this) just what goes on in the typical panda kindergarten classroom. Who teaches the panda kindergarten? Are there naps and snacks? Are there cuppycakes? There really should be cuppycakes.
"Class....Claaaas....CLASS!!!!!!!!!
HAVE A BEAR-Y GOOD WEEKEND!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
More than 24,000 visits! Huzzah