Thoughts and prayers will not solve the violence epidemic, cure Covid, or make the climate better.
Mother Earth is not f**king around, y’all. Get it together or this is it.
Our time is up.
Bob T Panda
Enough is Enough!
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Tag Archives: zoonooz
Pinky Triumphs Again!
Never doubt the Power of the Poof!
Rumor has it that there was a large flash of light over the continent of Australia yesterday, as people headed to the polls to vote in their elections. We can neither conform, nor deny that Pinky and PPJ had anything to do with the outcome. After all, magical wands are prohibited within 50 feet of a polling station.
What have we got to lose? Everything. That’s what. It’s not too early to check your voter registration (primaries are happening, y’all!) and make a plan to vote. Remind your friends to vote too.
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Bears will be Bears!
A big thanks and a couple of cuppycakes to my faithful friends and readers, who send me nooz stories of bears behaving badly! Apparently a bear had to be rescued from a California amusement park. Thanks for the valuable* tip! (*No actual monetary value)
Has anyone seen Frank and Mikey around?
And who among us can resist that pink cotton candy that proliferated at amusement parks and county fairs?
Be the bear everyone!
Bob T Panda
One More 50th Pandaversary Post!
The Month of Pandas is coming to an end…
Who am I trying to kid? It will ALWAYS be the month of Pandas!!!
And who better to celebrate this 50th pandaversary at the national Zoo than the ENTIRE panda family in residence!?
Well, who didn’t think that Pinky’s family would track her down?
#ClapLouder
Be the Bear
Bob T Panda
And don’t forget, there are now products at Rebubble with The Moods of Pinky!
It’s all fun & games until there is a javalina in your car.
But really…who can blame the little piggy! Chips are really hard to resist!
I really don’t want to think about the clean up. I suspect the owner would be better off just torching the car.
Be the Bear (or piggy!)
Bob T Panda
It’s Pandaversary Celebration Weekend!!!!
50 years ago, the Nixon Pandas arrived in Washington DC to great fanfare!
Since that momentous occasion, pandas have participated in many events in our Nation’s Capitol!
Yes, pandas have become a part of every day life in Washington DC!
What do you say to another 50 years of panda diplomacy?
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Pay no attention to those reports of Ling Ling biting one of her keepers! I’m sure it was just a little panda nip!
This is one of those weeks…
I’m afraid this is one of those weeks when time got away from me, so there is no new ‘toon today.
But just so you don’t feel left out of panda fun, here are a couple of my favorite ‘toons!
Hopefully next week will be better and the ‘toons will flow!
Be the Bear
Bob T Panda
Sometimes the Nooz Sends you a Present!
But first, Nooz of a different sort!
It’s now official. A book written by Beth Bacon and illustrated by yours truly will be released on September 6, but you can pre-order it now via Amazon. It’s called The Panda Cub Swap and it’s all about the birth of the first twin pandas born in the US who lived to young adulthood, Mei Lun and Mei Huan of Zoo Atlanta.
This book took almost 8 years to come into being. I met Beth through working on Pandamorphosis, and while the publisher she was working on at the time kind of crashed and burned, and did not ultimately participate in publishing Pandamorphosis, she helped to shape the book and we connected through our interest in writing for kids.
Fast forward a few years from working on Pandamorphosis. Beth was completing an MFA in writing for children at Vermont College of Fine Art. She needed a project, and she suggested we collaborate on a picture book, which hopefully we would be able to interest an agent or publisher. I suggested the story of Mei Lun and Mei Huan (aka the Meihems) since they were the first surviving twins born in the US and we were off to the races.
Well, if you think things are going to happen quickly and easily in publishing, you are going to be disappointed. The project had various moments of interest, then rejections, and we each got busy with other projects and put it aside. Sad, because we thought it could be a beautiful book, but there is a lot of “oh well, what might have been,” in publishing.
About 2 years ago, Beth called me and said she wanted to self publish the book and could she hire me to do the illustrations. I had some sketches from the early drafts, but really had to start from scratch other than the source photos that I had already saved. In the end, she decided to try once more to find a publisher who would be interested in the project and she finally did.
This was such a fun book to work on. She had lots of communication with the panda keepers at Zoo Atlanta, so that the story she told was accurate. I got to draw pandas! I know September seems like a long time to wait, but it will go faster than you think. Meanwhile, pre-orders really help to get the book more notice in a crowded field of children’s book, and help the publisher make a larger first printing. Over the months while we wait, I will occasionally tease you with an image for the book!
So let’s start with the cover:
But what about today’s ‘toon?!?!?!?!
Remember I said something about presents from the universe? There was this story on the mid week edition of Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me about a job posting for a Grizzly Bear Conflict Manager in Montana. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect job for Frank and Mikey? (MX: yes! It sounds perfect! Can I help you pack?)
Well, that’s all we have time for today! Alas, I think this job listing has already closed, but if Frank and Mikey are on the job, I’m sure there will be another opening *soon*!
Be the Bear!
Buy my book!*
Bob T Panda
- okay, technically, it is Beth’s book, but I made the pictures!
BTW there are only 5 felty kitties remaining! See the Felties revisited page for all the details on ordering. If I’ve already made contact with you, your kitty is already reserved!
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…
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…
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
Nixon’s Ghost Has a Few Thoughts
As I mentioned on Sunday, (did you read Sunday’s post? No? I’ll wait…) this April is the 50th anniversary of the arrival of pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Long time panda fans remember the excitement of their arrival. And with the birth of Tai Shan to the second pair of pandas (also our current panda family) at the zoo, it seemed that the pinnacle of happiness had been reached!
And then in 2013 there was another arrival…
#ClapLouder for Pinky!
In 2015 bouncing big boy Bubba came along, and in 2020, one of the darkest years of the last several decades, our little miracle Bikkie arrived to cheer us all up!
Technical Trevails
I’m happy to report I finally got more ink cartridges for my printer. I never did figure out how to print with just the black and white ink when a color cartridge was empty. There are days when I really hate technology!
This means that little felted kitties will be headed out into the world this week! There are still 12 kitties remaining! Check out the Felties Revisited page for ordering information!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda