Tag Archives: Mehitabel

Pandas in Science

If pandas know anything, they know about science, so today Fabulous Furry Friday is very pleased to present Pandas in Science or, everything you wanted to know, but want to know the wrong information!

We start our encore presentation with a cartoon that was inspired by a real story about pandas, and also contributed to this past Wednesday’s cartoon!

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is that handsome panda I see before me?

And one of my all time favorites, a news story about how an animal’s abstract patterning can increase the likelihood of becoming a successful predator.

No nonsense to be found here!

And if we take the way-back machine to a couple of our early explorations of the conjunction of pandas and science, we have this in depth interpretation of our carbon foot print:

are you SURE it’s not “carbonated”?

well, what if I….

but…WeREndangered!

Hmmm…I hope these cartoons don’t get out. Pinky may have some additional ammunition in the next debate. Don’t tell, ‘kay?

Be the Bear and have a Fabulous Furry Friday!
Bob T Panda

Fun with Science

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Oh, how Mehitabel tries to run a tight ship over at Zoonooz, but somehow someone (usually a panda, go figure!) manages to disrupt her carefully laid out plans. Can you blame Bob for wanting to have a little fun with science?

Meanwhile, I am trying to get over some really nasty crud that I picked up coming home from Panda Fest in Pandiego, and am trying not to spray anything disgusting into my keyboard. Was that TMI? Sorry, but today’s cartoon just has me thinking gross thoughts!

Well, it is kind of funny, isn’t it?

And speaking of inappropriate behavior, (Who was? Was that you?) Princess Pinky has been up to her old tricks, with more to come. We’ll have a new ‘toon starring Bubba (And Pinky!!!!!!!) coming your way on Wednesday, and I will be sending out my first newsletter in a very long time this week. It will reveal the secret page and password thereto, that tells the story of my rise (or descent, depending on your point of view) into the world of panda satire. This is the transcript- with many, many pictures- for the talk I gave to the 2016 Pandamonium Convention which was held last weekend at the San Diego Zoo. Yes, Virginia, there IS a panda convention.

So, if you would like to join my mailing list for my relatively infrequent newsletters, you can sign up with the second sign-up form at the top of the right-hand column. (The first one is to get new posts automatically emailed to you as they come out 3 times a week). I actually have come up with a bit of a plan for future newsletters that you might find interesting. Or maybe not. Anyway, it is very easy to unsubscribe as well as subscribe, and we pinky-promise not to post your email address in any public bathrooms, or share it with any other entity.

And because it is Easter….

What’s Black and White and carries cuppycakes in a basket?

A tiskitt a taskitt , a great big wheelie basket!

Be the bear,
Bob T. panda

Pinky and Bob

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Okay, politico fans! Today Pinky and Bob go panda-a-pando on the debate stage. I can hardly wait!

But first, I must report on last weekend’s Pandamonium 2016 Panda Convention which took place at the San Diego Zoo. Panda fans from around the world (literally) gathered in San Diego (or as we like to call it: Pandiego) to greet old friends, meet new friends, and most of all, visit the pandas at the SDZ. Mr. Wu was in rare form, eating, sleeping, rushing around wildly (Note to Wu: watch your panda nip intake!) and some of us who indulged in the Early Morning with Pandas tour even got to see Gao Gao, who although getting up in years, still let it be known that he is the bear.

Panda fans came to Pandiego from Singapore, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland. They came from New York, Maine, Pennsylvania, Washington state, Florida, and Arizona, in addition to those from California. In case you are counting along on your fingers, that’s FIVE countries and FOUR continents. And…ahem…they also came to hear yours truly speak about the history (well, my history, anyway) of panda satire and how The Panda Chronicles came to be.

If you had to miss the fun in Pandiego, you can still read the tale of panda satire (with pictures, no less!) by signing up for my mailing list! I will send out the link and secret password to the page: From Pandapiphany to Princess Pinky: Finding my Inner Panda. If you are already on the mailing list, I will be sending out a newsletter next week, and if you aren’t, you’ll have time to sign up for it. This is separate from the regular blog posts, and is the second sign-up box on the upper right column headed: Get Even More Pandas and never fear, you won’t be inundated with daily or even weekly emails. Honest.

Okay…with no further folderol….

Hey! That’s not fair!!!!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

On the Campaign Trail

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Editors note: Pinky has been sneaking around (unknown to her sainted mother) out on the campaign trail, and if The Very Bob T. Panda doesn’t get out there, even his three loyal supporters might go looking elsewhere with their votes.

I have not said much about the actual campaign atrocities that have been going on out there. It makes me too worried for our future so instead, I am concentrating on Bob and Pinky’s shenanigans. Much better for my blood pressure, and besides, Andy Borowitz does a much better job than I ever could (and he even snuck in a picture of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau with a couple of pandas!)

But now, it’s time for things to get going panda-a-pando over at the Panda Chronicles debate headquarters.

“I thought I had until November.” -Bob T Panda

Pinky is ready to get down and get dirty.
Are you?

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

Celebrate Wu

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I love Mr. Wu, San Diego’s junior panda in residence. Because Mr. Wu turns four years old this summer, he will most likely be moving to China sometime this fall or winter, I thought we should celebrate Wu and all things relating to the Wu self today.

I know, I know! I hate the idea of his leaving us too, but it is part of the deal we make with China in order to have pandas come and live here. And because Mr. Wu’s dad, Gao Gao, was born in the wild, Wu is of particular value as the future father of more little pandas. So we must shower him with love and affection while he is here, and try not to cry too much until then.

So let’s have a Fabulous Furry Friday salute to Mr. Wu!!!!

Mr. Wu’s first appearance on The Panda Chronicles

Thank you all for coming! Buy my book here!

Yo ho ho and a bottle of BooBeer!

While Mr. Wu was the only cub in the U.S. we had Mr. Wu Wednesday!

“You are right and Wu is wrong…I’ll never do it again, mommy.”

where happy pandas eat bamboo, oh why, oh why, can’t…Wu?

And who could forget the exciting story of The Wizard of Wu? And remember, you can read all of the Mr. Wu stories in Book 4 of the Panda Chronicles: The Book of Wu! Get it here!

Have a great weekend, everyone! More pandas coming your way on Sunday!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

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With news of a state dinner for the folks from Canada at the White House, following quickly on the heels of the photograph of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with two adorable panda cubs on his lap, It’s anyone’s guess who’s coming for dinner!

Are Pinky and Bubba invited as well? I mean, now that the PM and the Toronto Twinkies are such good buds, I can’t believe he’d leave them at home! and will Mei Xiang and Tian Tian be invited as well? Seems like the PM might be the sort who has permissive attitudes towards pandas and would let them get up to any number of hijinks, and where Pinky is concerned, well, you just can’t be too careful!

The long, dark tea time of the soul….

You can lead a bear to culture, but….

And this would not be the first time that pandas attended state dinners at the White House…

I am only making some of this up. copyright 2012 -A. Belov

And if you are not aware, this weekend we leave Daylight losing time behind, and get up one or earlier…or is it we go to bed later…Fall forward…spring back…heck…I don’t know. Let’s just have a pajama day and sleep in!

Bob explains daylight savings time to the panda kindergarten

spring back, fall forward?

And if you haven’t bought any stuff with pandas on it lately, now is a good as time as any!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Hey Why Not Vote 4 Bob Panda

Pandas are not Solitary

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Contrary to the conventional wisdom, pandas are not solitary animals, as scientists would have us believe. In fact many of them are on social media, with a veritable flood of them on Twitter! Princess Pinky has her own page, and Bubba has several. Recently Pinky and Bubba’s parents have gotten into the act, probably to make sure Pinky was not up to anything she shouldn’t be. I…ahem…heard that Inspector Panda has an account, but he forgot his password and hasn’t been able to find it.

Just a couple of days ago, a photograph of Canada’s new Prime Minister has hit the inter webs, …wait for it…with the extremely adorable Toronto panda twins on his lap. New Yorker writer Andy Borowitz has pointed out the dangers of allowing this photo to be publicized. Will Americans who chose to flee a potentially repressive regime come the November elections, be given a false sense of what Canada has to offer? (Free pandas for everyone!!!!!) And will we all have to take up the sport of curling?

Could all these Twitter accounts be real, with pandas pounding the keys of their laptops as they while away the hours behind the scenes? Or is something more sinister going on?

But they’re so cute!

To tell the truth, I did not know what a “sock puppet” account was, until recently. But wouldn’t it be fun, if they really did have to make puppets to use them?

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

The Toronto Panda Twins Endorse…

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Rumors are flying around the headquarters of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire! Will Bob T concede the election? Does Princess Pinky have something up her sleeve? Will Bubba ever get Pinky to quit calling him “Boo Boo”? But the big news is that the Toronto Panda Twins are making their public debut on March 12! And they have made their decision as to whom to support in their neighbor nation to the south’s race to the top…

Be the bear, eh?

I don’t know why they don’t want to support a mature panda with lots of experience…um…doing stuff, but there you have it. If you planning on visiting the Toronto Twinkies, please send pictures to us here. and maybe you could give them a Why Not Vote 4 Bob flag. Just saying.

Be the Bear

Fabulous Furry Friday

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This week, Fabulous Furry Friday looks at…(you know we had to do this, didn’t you?) The 2016 Election Season. Well, actually, it’s more like the 2012 election season that we are looking back on, since a certain candidate, who we will refer to as He Who Must Not Be Named, (or HWMNBN) was throwing verbal rocks at the previous failed Republican presidential candidate, calling him a loser and disgrace.

Now, I am no fan of the former Republican candidate, but he deserves respect, particularly from someone who wants to hold the office under consideration. (So does our current President, if you want my opinion.) Can’t we play nice, please? Pretty panda please?

Is it really all black and white?

Cats….you just can’t trust em. Remember Mittens?

Keep cool, cat, and don’t go blaming women for stuff. That is SO not the way to get votes…

And if debating with Mittens wasn’t bad enough, now Bob is facing Pinky in the primary fight of his life. The soul of the Panda Party is at stake!

What could Pinky be up to…?

Don’t mess with Pinky.

…and I real have to talk with my media team, because I don’t have a video yet, and Pinky’s has been shown all over the world!

Be the Bear and have a fabulous weekend!
Bob T Panda

Kung Fu Panda revisited

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Oh me, oh my, Friday night I went to see Kung Fu Panda 3 and the bears did not disappoint! If you haven’t seen the movie yet, (and I strongly urge you to go right this minute) and you don’t want to read any spoilers, I suggest you skip this section and head on down to today’s ‘toon, so I don’t ruin the experience for you.

I have to admit, I was a fledgling Pandaholic when the first Kung Fu Panda movie came out, and to put it mildly, I was skeptical, if not downright dismissive of the idea. Then I went to see it and all I can say is WOW! Goofy, but lovable Panda Po aside, the movie is a visual treat and movie 3 was no exception.

The film team even visited the panda kindergarten and went to the Chimelong Panda reserve to meet the worlds first surviving panda triplets, Mengmeng, Shuaishuai and Kuku (also known as Pinky’s minions) and gave them a cameo role in the movie.

Po travels to his long lost, unremembered home with his real panda dad to gain the vital panda knowledge needed to fight this movies’ supremely evil villain, and in the process discovers his roots and a whole lot of (wait for it) adorable baby pandas, not to mention a female panda that appears to have studied at Babette de Panda’s charm academy for young pandas ladies.

I laughed, I cried, I gasped with amazement. I can’t end this review without mentioning the incredible lushness and visual excitement of this movie. As a fine artist (besides being a panda satirist) I love movies that capitalize on relevant art styles and references. Nods to traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, not to mention amazing color combinations and dynamic compositions make this movie an aesthetic, as well as a pandarific experience. If you can see it on a big screen, do it. Do it now.

And now, on with our Sunday feature ‘toon…

Huzzah! Pandas save the day!

Hope you enjoyed today’s cartoon, and do go see Kung Fu Panda 3. Heck. see all of them again! I know that I will! and I bet Po will get an Oscar tonight for best panda in a dramatic role, don’t you think?

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda