Pandas are on the Move

I'm not really sure why I am doing this, other than a perverse desire to stir up things. I have moved "The Panda Chronicles" to Wordpress, to see how I like it. I will leave some pandas here to stand guard, but I think all new posts will be at:
http://yourbrainonpandas.wordpress.com Let me know if you can find it.
Bob the Panda.

WOOZPPAH!

That's the name of my new organization. It stands for the "Woodland Park Zoo: Project Panda." (Every organization, first and foremost, needs an acronym that can be pronounced in a snappy and memorable way. This did not work out quite so well for the Washington Public Power Supply, but hey, we can't all be pandas, ya know.) I will stop at nothing in my quest to bring pandas to the NorthWest, except of course at emptying my own bank account, which quite frankly, wouldn't be enough to feed a couple of pandas for a month. So, if there are any millionaires out there reading this, or if YOU know a millionaire, alert them to the mission of WOOZPPAH! and ask them to get in touch with the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo and say, " We want Pandas here in Seattle, and here is a great big bag of money to help make it happen."
We pandas have a saying: Someone's always got more bamboo than you. I'm not quite sure what that means, but I'm passing it along all the same.
Panda On!
Bob T. Panda

Have a Pandy little Christmas..or all I want...

Those of you who are following my comings and goings on InYourFaceBook, may have heard of my recent announcement. I have a cunning plan. I think that there should be pandas in the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle WA. Those who follow the zoonooz, of pandas in particular, know that all the pandas in US zoos are in hot, humid climates. I mean what were they thinking? Would you want to live in Atlanta GA in a fur coat? I think not. I would like to start a grassroots campaign to bring pandas to Seattle. We would love it here! Misty gray skies, cool summers and the occaissional snowfall to play in. Write to your favorite billionaire and ask him or her to start oiling the wheels of progress and bring pandas to Seattle. It can't hurt to ask, right?
Panda On, and have a pandy little Christmas!
Bob T. Panda

"Tis the Season

When I say it's the season, I am actually referring to my birthday season, not the impending Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christamas shopping debacle.

I invented the birthday season when I was in college, to accommodate get-togethers with friends at different schools, and it just grew from there. Eventually, it evolved to a one day per year ratio, so that when I turned 25, my birthday season was 25 days long. Now the season is, well, let's just say that it is longer than one month, but not yet two months. It doesn't mean that there is a party everyday or that I get presents every day (though THAT is not a bad idea), it's more of a festive feel to the days. Oh, and I never have to say "no" to cake.

Season's greeting to all!

Panda on!

Miz "B"

If Pandas Went to the Movies...

If pandas got to go to the movies, they would want to sit through endless repetitions of Kung Fu Panda or maybe The Incredible Journey, the new version staring pandas, of course. They would rush up and down the aisles, throwing popcorn at each other and leave chewed up bamboo ends under their seats. They greatly appreciate the air-conditioned theater but they will spill their bamboo colas on the floor.

Cats, on the other hand, are models of propriety and almost never bring bunny parts in with them. We also have much more in the way of cinematic cats to choose from. I can't say I think much of the portrayals of cats in Babe, Stuart Little, or Harry Potter, but as they say, there is no such thing as bad publicity. If you need to get in touch with me, I'll be watching The Aristocats.

Ta-ta for now,

Mehitabel

News Flash! Pandas Invade Coupeville!

OK, there are not pandas ACTUALLY stampeding down the streets of Coupeville, WA, but they have made their first appearance in the Whidbey Examiner. They will be appearing every other week as of August 1st. While large daily newspapers are biting the dust left and right, smaller weekly papers are still alive and well. They are worth supporting. (especially ones that publish "Way Better Than Working's Panda Chronicles") After all, we're ALL endangered, more or less, ya know. If you want to support the "Panda Chronicles", you can subscribe at http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/ Just tell em, Bob the Panda sent you! thanks.

Panda On!
Bob the panda

Open Season on Bunnies

Mehitabel here with the latest field and stream report.... well, I wasn't really in a stream, but we've been having a bit of rain recently and I got all WET while I was out... um... shopping. So there I was, bringing my faithful servant a really nice present, and she rushes out and makes me DROP it, and drags me in the house, rubs me with a towel, and then SHE LETS THE BUNNY GET AWAY!!!!!!! I ask you, is this how a grateful person reacts to a charming little present? I mean I didn't even get to bite its' little head off. I may have to go back out on strike again if she keeps this up. And don't even talk to me about birds. (The brightly colored ones taste the best, you know.)

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully she'll let me out of the house soon, and then......

Panda On!

Mehitabel

My true relationship with computers, OR Technology When It Suits Me

I don't know about you, but I came late to this whole computing thing. For years I resisted, making snotty comments when my more computer savvy friends extolled the virtues of doing this or that on the computer. Finally the day came when I could no longer buy 35 mm slide film for my camera locally, not to mention get it processed. I had to break down and get a digital camera which of course meant I had to get computer. Oh woe is me. My first computer was ( and in fact still is) a small brained behemoth running windows 98 (first edition). It served me pretty well for the first year or so, until it crashed because I was trying to keep too many large file images on it. (Aren't you impressed that I know the term "large file"?) Anyway, I now have a sleek and stylish iMac, which has many mega googles or whatever they're called and I can have lots and lots of junk on it that sometimes I can even find.

By the way, Mehitabel has gone on strike and refuses to write anything until I run some more cat cartoons. "Pandas....phuufffff!" she says.

Until next time,

Panda On!

Miz B

You're not really trying unless....

It has always seemed to me that unless you are willing to fail at something, you're not really ready to succeed. Yesterday I finally felt I was ready to start sending out query letters for my book legnth collection of panda cartoons, so I picked a prestigious agency with a very wonderful and quirky website, emailed my query and was promptly rejected. Having been in the art business for over 35 years, I've had the full range of rejections. My favorite for the ultimate in impersonal dismissiveness was on a post-it note that said, "doesn't interest us." This one was kind, firm, and showed that he'd actually read my letter. I knew it was a long shot, but as the Filson Co. says, "Might as well have the best."

I will continue to send out queries and proposals and we'll see what happens. After all, being endangered is no laughing matter.

Panda On,

Miz B

Goodbye, Gretchen

A little over a week ago, the pandas lost one of their fans. We all have these ever widening circles of friends and acquaintences ( like Rabbit's friends and relations). Gretchen was not in my closest circle of friends, but we had lots of overlapping circles of friends and interests. We are both artists, we both adore cats, and now I find we are both pandaphiles. (And yes, I would fondle a panda if given the opportunity.) Life is too busy and too short to know well all those we meet in our travels. I always enjoyed running into Gretchen at the grocery store where we would talk about art or our cats or what was blooming in the garden.

Some religions believe that your journey to what ever afterlife there might be takes 7 days. I'd like to think that there was a panda guide to lead her on her passage, and a great host of pandas waiting to welcome her and offer her a "little something" to snack on till lunch time.

Panda on, Gretchen. We'll miss you.

Miz B

Voices in My Head

Generally speaking it's not a good idea to admit that you hear voices in your head, but I'm going to go public with this dirty little secret. The voices are usually attached to animals, like my cat Mehitabel, or the pandas. Mehitabel's voice is very sultry and rather cynical. Think Lauen Bacall in "The Big Sleep". The pandas have two different voices. The small pandas are kind of high pitched and exuberant and the big pandas sound a lot like Tony Soprano. It's not that I sit around ALL the time, listening to these voices, but it does make life more interesting.

Panda On!

Miz 'B'

Unfairness to Cats

In my quest to become a widely successful cartoonist, I have been doing alot of "research". As a painter, my early studies included studying the great masters of painting throughout the ages. So, I reasoned, If I want to expand my understanding of cartooning I must study from the masters. Now, you've most likely already gathered that I have a very healthy sense of the absurd. After all, I'm making cartoons about cats and pandas. Therefore, it would not be a suprise that my studies have focused on other masters of the quirky and absurd. My all time favorites are Gary Larson, Nicole Hollander, Bill Watterson, and my current favorite, Scott Adams of Dilbert fame. In a recent book he revealed the 2 of 6 rule, which states that in order for something to be funny, is must include at least 2 of the following 6 concepts:

1. cuteness

2. meaness

3. naughtiness

4. bizarreness

5. recognizability

6. cleverness

Is this guy a genius or what?

So, thanks, Scott, and all the other cartoonists out there who are making me laugh and helping us all to get through the days ahead as the new powers that be try to get us out of the mess we're all in.

Panda On!

Miz B

Panda Kindergarten

March is coming in like a ....panda? Well, I don't know what this March is coming in like, but the weather sure is wierd. One day it's 65 degrees and the next day its in the low 20's. I don't know whether to shed or go blind. (I hope that got past the censors.) I'm glad cats don't have to go to school like pandas do. Of course if there was some possibility that I would get a tuna fish sandwich in my lunch, I might just reconsider. On the other hand, it might interfere with my busy schedule of napping and scratching the couch.

Panda on!

Mehitabel

True Crime or the Case of the Missing Tortoiseshell

Last summer my companion cat, also know as the "back up kitty" disapeared one afternoon. If Pandas were in charge, something like this may just possibly have happened, don't ya think? Personally I can't watch one of those PBS mystery shows without thinking of this any time some one refers to "Panda Cars".

Panda On!

Mehitabel

The Right to Arm Bears

Stay tuned for more about bears with guns.

cheerio,

Mehitabel

Any time I have to get on an airplane, I'm always amused and annoyed by all the new fees and restrictions on what you can bring on the plane. What will they think of next?

Cheers, Miz B

Dear readers. I don't know WHAT my mom was thinking when she drew this cartoon. I find it highly offensive, if I do say so myself. I don't know any self respecting cats that would allow themselves to be used this way. Of course, if it did get me closer to bird level, it MIGHT be OK. .... Nah, I don't think so.

Panda On!

Mehitabel

Your brain on what??????

Mehitabel writes: Chances are, that if you are reading this blog, you might be too young to remember that commercial about drugs. It showed a very serious man who held an egg, and says,"this is your brain" Then he cracks the egg into a sizzling hot pan and says,"this is your brain on drugs. Any Questions?" It seems that my mom had that experience when she read that darn article about pandas. Her brain just fried to cinders and now all she can think about are pandas! Life was much better (my life, anyway) when she was obsessed by cats. I could do no wrong. On the Table? no problem! Want to go in and out 40 times a day? Here, let me get that door for you! Life was sweet! Now I have to grovel, for cryin' out loud, just to get a couple of dried up cat treats. I ask you, is this any way to treat a creature that the ancient Egyptians worshipped as gods?

Panda On!

Mehitabel

Funny how when you are out and about, you have all these great ideas about what you want to write about, and then, when you fire up the computer, your brain magically empties. Then you think: I might as well have a nap.

Sometimes I wonder if I might ever have an original thought, or if indeed, anyone ever has one? Why just last week, I was minding my own business, and the panda comes along, and claims that he's written a book! As if! Everone knows that while there are many cats that have authored books, to my knowledge, (and let's remember, cats know everything) there have been NO books written by pandas. Although we cats usually have to share the credit with our humans,(afterall, SOMEONE has to do the typing) we are the true brains behind the operation. Ask Stinky Pie Brown if you don't believe me. Her mom was writing all theis feminist intellectual LITERATURE, but the real money started pouring in when her cat got involved. I'm not making a value judgement, I'm just sayin'.

till next time,

Panda ON!

Miz B (for mehitabel)

Welcome to the Panda Chronicles

Hi, and welcome to the panda chronicles! Mehitabel is allowing me to to make a few comments for her blog. I first became obsessed by pandas when I read a James Fallows article in the Atlantic Monthly about the panda ranches in China. OK they don't actually call them "ranches" but that's what I call them. I'll be posting cartoons about cats, pandas, and cats AND pandas. hope you like them.

Miz "b"