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