58 posts tagged “professor tashi”

Professor Tashi caught a mouse at dinnertime this evening.

A few of his brothers joined in the hunt, but they approached it more like a soccer match.  Prof T was, as usual, the serious one.  He placed the mouse in a cardboard box and let Papa Miao take it outside.  It is not known whether the mouse will recover, but it was ambulatory when Papa Miao released it.

Professor Tashi does some of his best thinking from this spot.

Professor Tashi is taking a day off from working on his next paper, "Remarks on the Portrayal of the Calico Cat in 20th Century Japanese Literature".  If you have the time, join him for a nap!

Guarding the shelves of the Miao Library

I am thankful for...

good food

soft blankies

clarity of thought

my imagination (which never lets me get bored)

good books

more toys than I know what to do with

all things cuddly

all things beautiful

someone to look out for me

a loving family

And then get back to studying!

Nothing is quite as distinguished as Professor Tashi's profile, even including his chubby little chin.

Professor Tashi always gravitates towards blue blankie when he wants to think deep philosophical thoughts.

(It looks like I'm trying to get one week worth of posts into a single evening!)

To tide you over during my self-inflicted absence, here's a Ping foot to *smooch*, a blue blankie to nap on,

a warm Kemi-bear to hug (don't worry, your hugs won't disturb him):
And a Fluffpuff to coax out for cuddles: (don't be afraid of the yeems - they're just for show, unlike stern Professor Tashi's).

This evening, Professor Tashi (who monitors my internet usage to make sure I don't procrastinate too much) noticed that I was looking at Knut's baby pictures.  Instead of chastising me for neglecting my studies, however, he asked,  "Have you heard of Little Bear Ernst?"

"No, Professor," I admitted meekly.

"Then I shall enlighten you.  You should not overemphasize a single individual in your appreciation of Teh Qte, or else it will turn into an obsession.  Expand your mind with knowledge of Ernst the Bear and you will be a healthier and more well-rounded person," the Professor sagely intoned, and proceeded with my enlightenment.

Born in the Berlin zoo just weeks before Knut, Ernst is an equally special little bear.  He's a Malaysian sun bear (Helarctos malayanus).  In the wild, sun bears are vulnerable to habitat loss and, as we shall see, poaching for use in traditional medicines.  Ernst was born into captivity, and luckily, his mama bear didn't reject him.  It is safe to assume that he had a happy baby-bear-hood.

Sun bears are threatened or endangered in various parts of Asia, mostly due to the demand for bear bile and bear gallbladders in traditional Chinese medicine.  Traditionally, bear bile was used for severe conditions such as seizures in epilepsy or febrile diseases.  It was also used topically for hot toxic sores and severe cases of childhood malnutrition.  Now it is largely considered an obsolete ingredient of the Chinese pharmacopoeia.  Synthetic forms of bile have been developed and many traditional medicine authorities in China assert that herbal substitutes work as well or better than bear bile.  Nonetheless, demand for bear bile persists.  Unfortunately, North American bears are being pulled into the illicit gallbladder trade as sun bear populations dwindle and traders look for ways to circumvent national and international protections for high-profile species.

"Now that your ignorance has been somewhat alleviated, little miao, you may do a Google search for Ernst the Bear.  After you've finished your homework, of course," Professor Tashi concluded.

"Thank you, Professor!"