Captured by cameras for the first time
The last time Leah came to visit overnight we forced her to watch three-days worth of "The Dog Whisperer," and by the time she left she was poking us in the neck with her thumb and forefinger to get us to stop chewing on shoes. We have since seen every episode of "The Dog Whisperer," twice, and now our new obsession is "Planet Earth," an 11-part series about our planet, filmed over a 5-year period in 200 different locations. We watched at least 4 of the 11 episodes while she was here, including the one dedicated to life in caves, and let's just say that any misconceptions we may have had about bat poop HAVE BEEN CLEARED UP.
"Is that what I think it is?" she asked as the camera panned up a 300-ft tall mountain of bat droppings.
"That depends on what you think it is," I answered.
"I think we're looking at a heap of bat poo." And for the next seven hours I had to resist blurting out BAT POO whenever there was a lull in conversation.
Up until that point in my life I hadn't ever been confronted with the idea that bats excrete anything, let alone the fact that this excrement would perform such a vital function in their habitat. That mound of Very Important Bat Poo provides essential nutrients to millions of cockroaches who in turn serve as food for something else, and so on and so on, and years later you're sitting there eating a chicken burrito for dinner that was made possible because some bat flying around in a cave in New Mexico decided to use the potty. SCIENCE IS AWESOME.
So we get to the end of the episode where they take a couple of minutes to show how the camera crews infiltrate these areas to get such interesting shots, and there's this British camera man talking about the suits they all have to wear while filming so that the cockroaches don't crawl into their pants, and he keeps referring and gesturing to the mountain of poo behind him. Except his accent makes it so that when he says POO, it sounds like he's talking about some sort of rare, elegant cheese you might serve with expensive champagne, and suddenly Leah's looking at me, and I'm looking at her, like, I know we're supposed to be grossed out, but this man could be describing maggot larvae and I'd still want to throw my panties at the television.
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Heather talks about Valentine's Day on today's Momversation.
- I know zero about sports, but my entire heart is screaming, "Go Saints! Go Saints!" I am a stereotypical woman. TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE, JON!
- Marlo has a tooth! So says the blood that she drew when she grabbed my hand and tried to gnaw off my thumb!
- Leta won't eat her birthday cake. I guess we should have made it out of chicken nuggets and iced it with refried beans.
1. J. Bo said:
BAT POO!
2. Julia said:
I can't even look at the screen imagining all the cockaroaches.
3. Jenna said:
We have a ton of bats in our vacation house attic and sometimes we'll go there and there will be bat poop running down the wall in the shed. I'm convinced that one day we will light a match and the whole house will explode from all the gases.
We've tried getting rid of them but they keep coming back...
4. Barbara E. said:
Mound of Very Important Bat Poo is my boss's secret nickname.
5. Leyre said:
Not to be super gross, but I kind of wanted to know what the texture of it was. Like, was it a mushy mountain of bat poo? Or is bat poo more firm than that? I figured it must be more firm, because they were walking on it right? I was disturbed by the amount of curiosity I had about the poo of another animal.
6. Julie said:
You crack me up! Thanks for the laugh.
7. RH said:
hilarious...as always
8. Sarah said:
I concur on all fronts: british accents are dead sexy, planet earth (and all science shows) are kickass, and bat poo is fascinating.
9. hello insomnia said:
I'm always fascinated by the lengths they will take to film the episodes. I don't have the guts to tackle that much poop, bat or otherwise.
10. Lindsey said:
I went to an Arbonne makeup party awhile ago, and the consultant was preaching the evils of traditional makeup, going so far as to tell us that horse fat was in foundation and concealer and that mascara was made up entirely of bat poop. I just shrugged, because what, did I think eyeshadow was composed of rainbows and butterflies? I don't care what kind of animal poop is in mascara, as long as it keeps my eyelashes curled and defined.
11. Anonymous said:
The current Planet Earth is good, but I prefer the narration of the original BBC version better.
12. anita said:
That Leah is one lucky friend. Wild games of Candyland and harassment by a knee-high person seizuring to tiny tot Mormon music, a trifecta extravanganza of "The Dog Whisperer" and stimulating conversations revolving around bat excrement. Color me jealous.
13. Anonymous said:
How gorgeous was that mountain? Sparkly!
14. Lindsey said:
The Caves episode is what nightmares are made of: claustraphobia, bats, snakes, cockroaches, and suffocating in a pile of bat poo. I had trouble sleeping the night I watched that one. Planet Earth is awesome though--I think I've given it to just about everyone for Christmas this year.
15. Pete Dunn said:
Donna and I have spent way too many late nights watching these shows too. I'm particularly fascinated by the cinematography as well. Some really kick-ass technology plus sitting around for days makes for some very cool shots.
16. Diana the Scale Junkie said:
I just watched again in HD, simply amazing!
And you don't throw your panties at an Englishman you throw your knickers ;-)
17. Lauren said:
Planet earth is possibly the most amazing thing ever made.
Well, besides that TV show over here where they put 12 incredibly stupid individuals (they were tested on intelligence..and the least intelligent got put in) in a rocket to go into 'outer space' when in fact it was a simulator in a warehouse in London. Fantastic.
18. Sadie said:
What is really impressive to me is that bat poop has its own special name, 'guano.' I mean, what other animal really can boast that?
(For some reason I am frightened and also excited that I may find the answer, later on in your comments section)
19. kalisah said:
those planet earth shows are AWESOME. But I didn't watch the caves one. Ick.
20. Friday said:
If I saw an episode of Dog Whisperer staring Chuck, I think my head would explode.
21. Ely said:
This show is proof that TV can still be amazing with all the writers on strike.
It makes me appreciate science for making something like bat poo seem interesting
22. chilldogg said:
So sad that we don't have these series in Germany.
Watching the film of leta the entry before, I noticed that there were two hiccups- the first after 12 seconds and the second one on 23. Very cute..
23. anne nahm said:
.... Thus explaining the gigantic mount of panties in front of tvs for future generations. :^)
Also, Baby Jesus says to tell you Hi:
http://annenahm.com/?p=361
And Merry Christmas!
24. Jennine said:
Not even a champagne truffle from Godiva would make me enter a cave with a 300 ft tower of bat poo. I hope he bathed himself in Clorox.
25. kalisah said:
hey anita - I don't think "Be a Friend" is a Mormon song is it? I thought it came from a Disney movie...
26. Erik said:
For more information on the power of Guano, I suggest you rent Ace Venture: When Nature Calls.
27. littlefirecrack said:
I am sure that the episode with all the POOP was totally fascinating to Leta poop POOp pOOP, pooooop!
28. J. Bo said:
And now we all know why Batman and Robin wear tights tucked into their boots-- it's on accounta the poo in the Bat Cave...
29. Anonymous said:
Planet Earth is fascinating, but these shows aren't new. They were out last season.
Sigourney Weaver (the narrator) is good, but if the guy at the end makes you want to throw your panties and/or knickers, you should get the BBC version. David Attenborough is phenomenal.
Bat guano is awesome. Supposedly, it is a fantastic fertilizer.
30. m@ said:
The bad poo is the one memory I have of Carslbad Caverns. Ah, the smell.
And I'd like to go on record saying that "Planet Earth" is the most awe-inspiring nature special ever. And not just because of a 3-story tall mound of Bat Poo.
Although the DVD's are strangely lacking Sigourney Weaver's narration and it no longer says "... for the first time ever" every 5 minutes.
31. Meredith said:
I managed to spend the whole weekend staring in awe at the Discovery Channel. When I had watched them all through, some friends came over and I tried to coerce them into watching them again with me. They didn't stand for it for long, though, because I kept ruining all the surprises...
"Don't worry! No blood is shed! The deer on the right gives up and walks away!"
Your site is wonderful, by the way. It never fails to make me laugh. Keep up the good work/hilarity. Don't let the haters get you down.
32. chantel said:
I LOVE Planet Earth. When it was first announced I put it in my outlook calendar, then I added it to my google calendar just in case outlook failed that day. Then I made my kids come and watch all the episodes with me because I'm one of those parents who forces their children to watch documentaries on punk rock and bat poo. Pretty much the same thing isn't it?
33. Lori said:
I don't care about the poo but the roaches no way ,I skipped that episode and am really glad that I did
34. Noemi said:
Yup, British accents pretty much make anything ~*classy*~
... you know unless it's a cockney accent.
35. MamaBear1001 said:
LOL - i have nothing intelligent to say but feel compelled to post anyway b/c comments are open and there aren't 100 yet!
bat guano. used to be an imported luxury for fertilizer, yet. but in the end, it's all just poop.
36. She Likes Purple said:
I thought the same thing, every time I watched one of the crew members describe anything. Although I missed the bat poo episode. I was probably busy downing tequila, trying to calm myself down from the polar bear episode. I would have fed myself to one, if given the chance, after watching how they're collectively starving to death. I'm buying the coffee table book for my husband for Christmas.
37. Lizzie said:
All I want for christmas is a british announcer boyfriend to narrate for me on command.
38. Cate said:
Mmm...British accents...
Okay, so I'm really just commenting because you have comments open and I am compelled to tell you that I love the little descriptions you've added to the daily pics.
39. Z said:
I watched that mound of poop LIVE! as it aired for the first time and I remember someone saying something about hearing a collective "Ewwwww...." from off in the distance.
40. angela said:
LOVE Planet Earth. I prefer the version narrated by David Attenborough.
41. Connie said:
You should teach Leta how to say "poo" like the British man. Seriously. You really should.
42. Laur said:
I've never seen this show, but it certainly sounds interesting. I may just have to start watching it now. I've always wanted to learn more about bat poop, after all. What could be more fascinating? Besides maybe dolphin sex, but I already know about that. I have my 6th grade science teacher to thank for that - and I must admit, it's probably the only lesson I paid attention to in any science class I ever took. Had we learned about bat poop as well, that would've made two... but alas.
43. Annabelle said:
I could watch Die Hard 1 over and over again just to listen to Alan Rickman. "You ask for a miracle, I give you the F-B-I." Love.
44. Wieslaw Samek said:
Everything looks much better in HD. Some time in the future other sensory improvements in TV technology will make it even more realistic.
45. Jen said:
Planet Earth is awesome! The series is really gorgeous. The bat poo was astounding. After I got over the bat poo, and how much of it there was, they went on to glow-worms.
46. mcgee said:
You discovered it! It's a fantastic series, especially with the original narration that David Attenborough did. I remember exactly the scene you're talking about, and I believe I did indeed toss my panties at the television.
47. ollka said:
So. You just wrote a whole post about BAT POO. Just like that. Man, you're good!
Also: the "question for testing whether I'm a human visitor and to prevent spam comments" just asked me to type "plain Troy". Awesome.
48. Rebecca said:
So apparently I now belong to the 'Very Proudly British' camp :)
I love this series. It aired on the BBC in the UK a few years back and I subsequently brought the DVD set. Though I don't know why they've changed the narrator to Sigourney Weaver - much as I love her, I wouldn't choose her over The Legend That Is David Attenborough, who narrated the series over here...
Trust me when I say that, while bat poo is, most definately, an intriguing and as-yet undiscovered miracle worker, you ain't seen nothing til you've seen the episode about mountains and the footage of the snow leopards. It's breathtaking.
49. Natalie said:
I went to Rainforest Cafe one time and I heard the server behind me tell a couple that the particular chicken dish they wanted to order had a heaping serving of "guano sauce" on top of it. Do you know I have not eaten there since? I'm sure he really said guava, but my ears heard guano, and that's all she wrote. The reason I am telling you this is because everytime someone mentions bat poo I start twitching uncontrollably until I tell my story.
I'm currently obsessed with Planet Earth as well, but I have to steer clear of that episode for obvious reasons.
50. cauloccoli said:
The best thing about bat poo is that it has its own special name. Gotta love GUANO.
51. drawer queen said:
Bats are very good luck. My crazy neighbor had one that lived on the beam in his bedroom and he collected the poo to fertilize his plants and named it and watched for it to come back each night.
Okay, maybe only good luck if you are totally insane.
52. V said:
I just wanted to comment before it closed. I would read every day even if every post was about bat poo. Honest. Merry Christmas.
53. Tess said:
I saw only one episode - the starving polar bears in the artic. After 10 mins., I was ready to grab some seal meat from Costo, assemble an expedition and save these magnificent creatures. Husband no longer allows me to watch....
54. Rochelle said:
According to Dictionary.com Guano can come from bats or seabirds. Especially seabirds off the coast of Peru. So I guess it wasn't guano that nailed me while I was sunbathing in Huntington Beach.
55. Bryan Davis said:
Such is the power of an English accent. There's a reason we only play the bad guys in Hollywood movies you know!
56. Jess said:
I tried to watch that series because it looked so beautifully shot... Unfortunately I only made it in 3 episodes before the requisite "adorable-baby-animal-or-old-lonely-defenseless-outcast-animal-meets-its-maker-
in-an-incredibly-gruesome-and-tortured-way" scenes made me too depressed. They were literally spaced every fifteen minutes--have you noticed that?
But yeah, guano, pretty cool stuff.
Did you know the bat on the Bacardi symbol is there because the soil where the sugar cane grows is fertile from bat POO?
57. Catherine said:
I can't get the terrifying thought of cockroaches invading the pants of an entire film crew out of my head...
58. mjf said:
I love that show!
Thanks for the wonderful blog you provide us
(people without their own life) with.
59. Tootise said:
You had me at POO and lost me at COCKROACHES. Now I'm itchy.
60. rebecca said:
i wonder if bats ever defecate while hanging upside down.. that would be rather troublesome. science is cool!
61. Sarah said:
So do Friday nights consist of the hubby saying poo repeatedly in a British accent? Hey whatever gets your motor revving. I'm not here to judge.
62. Bente Lilja Bye said:
I was going to say that Leta will continue to talk about poo for a number of years to come, when I realized that you are talking about your friend Leah and not your 4 year old daughter. Well, judging from the conversation you have with your adult friend, the period where Leta always will feel compelled to let you know exactly what she is going to do, pooing or peeing, will last a lot longer than average with her genes...:-)
If you're interested in the planet Earth you can always check out my site for some deep secrets. ;-) I even managed to make a documentary from China and Tibet, too.
I enjoy very much your sense of humor and Leta is absolutely adorable.
63. Kriss said:
I think there's something in your water.
I just made my Very British Husband say "Bat Poo", and it did nothin' for me.
64. John said:
When you say "bat poo", you have to sing the theme from the batman and Robin TV show first:
da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, BAT POO.
Now wash THAT out of your head :-)
65. Lullaby said:
Thanks all...you know what's going to be running through my head tonight during the "very serious discussion' with my husband......
da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, BAT POO.
66. Becki said:
I, too, was confused over the similarity of Leah's name to Leta's. I've skipped a few weeks of reading the blog and at first glance I thought maybe you lost custody of Leta in some strange circumstance. I was ready to head up a fundraiser for your legal defense and rally around your cause to get your daughter back. But alas, it was your friend, not your daughter. Whewwww!!!
67. Betty said:
My 3 year old son is in love with Leta, can they get betrothed soon? He loves watching her video and the one underneath the bat poo entry he watches with rapt attention. His only comment, "She have wipees too!".
68. mleiv said:
Meh. Only the Welsh accent does it for me. :P
BTW, Drupal *AND* recaptcha? That hubby of yours is DA MAN!
69. DM said:
I love Planet Earth. We watched the one about the seasonal forests yesterday and I wanted to adopt all of the animals, except for the pine marten with his eating of bird eggs and squirrels (I am quite fond of birds and squirrels). And yes, an English accent is the best. I think Alan Rickman is the sexiest man ever, especially as Snape.
70. Kathy said:
When I read the words "bat poo" the first thing I thought of was -- and I think this is a Discovery Channel (love the Discovery Channel) show -- "Dirtiest Jobs," the vomit island episode. It was lacking a british camera man saying "poo" repeatedly, though.
71. Kate said:
I've been a complete and utter fan of Planet Earth since it aired in the UK with David Attenborough narrating...I think he adds a little something special to the episodes. I think in that cave episode (which is my favourite), there was a short feature on caves which had high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas. In those caves, instead of stalagmites and stalagtites, they had 'snotites'. They're like stalactites but basically just colonies of bacteria which feed off the gas, dripping from the cave ceilings, that really do look like snot. Except that they drip sulfuric acid strong enough to dissolve clothing.
I LOVE Planet Earth.
72. Jen said:
My husband and I refer to "Planet Earth" as Planet Death, since it seems like we are watching way too many cute furry things being chased and eaten on the tube. The images are breathtaking, however, if I sense death is around the corner for poor unsuspecting creature, I must leave the room. The circle of life, although fascinating and a must, can be a bit hard to stomach.
73. Angelique said:
Great, now I am besieged by the Batman theme. My roomates and I in college used to call each other Derfla, Nibor and Namtab.
... ya know, backwords.
Try saying "I'm batman" circa Micheal Keatin in that low voice of his... but saying it as "I'm Namtab". Seriously.
As an aside, and while we are on poop, how has potty training been, Dooce. My son is fighting it with every ounce of his being....
74. Beckey said:
OMG! I hated the caves episode. I fastforwarded 78% of my way through it! Bugs are gross!
75. Clara said:
I've totally got to start watching that show XD
76. Heather said:
Here in Arizona, we call it Bat Guano - and it can be purchased at landscape nursery's for use as fertilizer in your garden... You want I should send you a bag??
77. HouseofJules said:
Try being a 11-yr-old girl scout, amongst many 11-yr-old girl scouts who go exploring in a cave for some badge (probably the badge for BAT POO) and your guide is Australian. Everytime he said, "Stalagtites" or "Stalagmites" we all swooned. That was over 20 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday!
Jules
78. Magpie said:
I know what you mean about the accent. I'm so lucky to be dating an Englishman.
79. Donny Pauling said:
That series is pretty amazing. I've been watching it to. I have not, however, been fortunate enough to view the 300 ft pile of bat guano. I must witness this!
80. Katie said:
I heard a great story on a Nature Conservancy NPR special that I think may apply to you:
Sean Cole's "Nature Junkies." It's all about people who are obsessed with nature programs.
81. Manda said:
Growing up, we had a blood plum tree in our yard, conveniently located right next to the car space at the top of the driveway.
Bats used to come and eat the plums and then poop on the car, so each summer morning mum would be out there with a bucket of hot water scrubbing the bright red blood coloured poop clots off the car.
The fruit acids in the poop caused the paint to discolour, so after living there for a decade, the old blue car look like it had been tie dyed - with uneven faded purpleish spots all over it, and chip marks in the paint from prying off plum seeds.
82. Gigi Griffis said:
Gotta love those accents. I had a British man lecture me a couple times when I used to work for a British company. I had to try really hard not to smile throughout the entire lecture.
83. John Dickerson said:
I hate to think what this information might do to you, particularly if announced by an Australian but it is also a natural fact that bat guano is used for nest making by the Peruvian Booby.
84. Lene said:
I've always been fascinated by BAT POO (sorry, the capitals just slipped out). Well, bats in general, but once I found out about the guano, it all became much more enthralling. I hear it's one of the most awful smells in the world, right up there with that tropical fruit thingy.
I have the Planet Earth series and am saving it for the holidays. And now I'm even more excited because of the promise of sexy British cameramen. There may be a panty-throwing incident or two because dear lord, that's a seriously sexy accent.
85. braine said:
I used be to totally gaga for bat pooh my own self, until a few weeks ago when I dislodged a chunk of it from the insulation in the crawlspace under -- oh yes, UNDER -- my living room. Not so excited about it, now.
86. Joy said:
Damn those english men, if only they had better teeth...
87. Charlotte said:
For Sadie:
Scat = Bear Poop
Its the only other poo I know that gets its own special name.
Just thought I'd share.
C
88. Deva said:
LOL, I loved watching Blue Planet almost as much as Planet Earth. I should have been a biology major and studied the aminals and all their poop.
89. GEORGE! said:
While I was working in Canada there was a guy from the UK there.
I wanted to stuff him in my suitcase and take him home. I really like UK accents.
90. laura said:
But maggots ARE larva!
91. val cox said:
I love it, you have a great way of making even the mundane topics of day to day life so darn interesting!
92. Velvet Verbosity said:
I share your love of the Planet Earth series....AND British accents. No lie, I definitely once went out with a guy for only two reasons. 1.) He had a fab British accent and 2.)he was a Shakespeare actor.
93. Anonymous said:
I love Planet Earth so much that when we bought a new high def DVD player this summer I made my husband buy it on high def DVD despite the fact that we already had it on regular DVD.
The caves episode was my favorite and yes, when we watched it we were all amazed at the pile of bat poo in that cave. It was deranged amount of poo.
94. pogonip said:
We tune in Dog Whisperer every Friday night so our puppy can watch. She, like Chuck, is so well-trained that she watches the "bad dogs" with interest and disapproval. So far Kharma isn't interested that much in Planet Earth. Perhaps her tastes will evolve as she grows up and learns to appreciate the British accent as much as I do.
95. Karen said:
I have to comment just because comments are actually still open. I really enjoy your blog and your take on life. Thanks for all the fun stories. I especially enjoy your takes on Utah/SLC because it's my home too.
96. ALF said:
It's so great that your new design allows for comments more often. I never have anything witty to add but just wanted to say that I love reading what you write.
97. Kara said:
But seriously, how many times an episode do you just want to die when suddenly the music goes minor and one more adorable animal with big eyes and baby fuzz, the one we've been admiring for the past five minutes- Look! Look at it yawn!- GETS EATEN ALIVE.
Oh Planet Earth you drag me through the trenches.
98. Patti said:
Heather-thank you and your family for my daily laugh-i absolutely LOVE your blog! keep it up! oh, and give Chuck a hug for me!! noodlehead!
99. jo-anne in vancouver said:
Not too long ago I had an amazing British lover. Because of her accent, she could recite a bloody bus schedule and make we want to drag her to bed!
100. Cissy Harklerode said:
YAY for comments! i haven't seen the cave episode, but now i'll definately have to!
GUANO! Bat poo! Bat POO!
Haha.
Much love to you and yours!
Merry Christmas!
101. TropicalPopsicle said:
As I was watching that episode I remember thinking how much Heather would love the piles of poo! Oh yes, and the snotties in the British version were my favorite!
102. themark said:
british accents... they'll get you everytime... doesnt matter what they do or look like, you just want them to keep talking
103. Michelle said:
The biggest problem with guano is the smell. Ride your bike under a bridge on a hot summer day, and risk passing out from the pukey-sweet smell of baking bat poo. It's BAD.
104. Wacky Mommy said:
That Leah-Peah is one heckuva good friend.
105. Doctor's Girlfriend said:
lol........lol.....lol....
I love both shows dearly and I know exactly what episode of Planet Earth had the bat poo. It was quite an amazing pile...:-P
106. Anonymous said:
Comments? Open? Waaow.
They have a new(ish) bat exhibit at the Oakland, California zoo with great big huge bats. For the commenter who wondered whether the bats poop while hanging upside down:
We watched a bat that was hanging upside down by its feet from a horizontal rope reach up and grab the rope with its front claws, swing its feet and body downward, poop, then swing its feet back up and re-hook them on the rope, and finally release its front claws. All this in one fluid, graceful, practiced motion.
Just occurred to me that there'd likely be something on YouTube -- sure 'nuff. (There's no pooping in the video, though.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYWbxO7BpI
107. Kimberly said:
I just had to tell you that Marimo nearly killed me. I cried for 20 minutes straight. Sobbing till my head was pounding and my mascara was well down my face. It was so very touching. Thank you for sharing.
PS I posted here because comments were not open on Marimo but I wanted to be sure to say thanks.
108. Dorothy Stahlnecker said:
This was so interesting..good luck reading all our rantings....fun to comment here once in awhile..
Dorothy from grammology
call gram
109. Nhiro said:
I gave my friend Planet Earth as an early bday gift and he now thinks I'm kick ass.
And I simply don't think I've ever been so tickled by bat poo before.
110. Austin Jen said:
Come on down to Austin, where we have our very own bat colony living under the Congress Avenue Bridge. The smell is pretty pungent when running on the Town Lake Trail in the summertime, but it's cool to watch the bats head out to the Hill Country every evening to have some dinner....
111. Chris said:
I have seen 2 of them I think, but the cave episode was one of them.
Truly awesome series. I never got to the point of panty-tossing myself, but I could see how it could happen.
112. Karen Sugarpants said:
I got that series for my husband for Christmas! Mike Rowe did a Dirty Jobs episode with Bat Poo and nearly lost his boots - now THAT was funny.
Kiss and hug Leah for me! xo
113. Miss Manners said:
Dude, Planet Earth is so amazing! Best holiday gift, hands down!
Oh, and Dooce- I am hysterically excited that your Daily Style photo is of a wine that's produced in my locale!! Bonny Doon Vineyard's wines are sooo good! I highly recommend the Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, which also comes in an amazing bottle: http://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/bdvlab/html/esoterica_nov17_04.html
Yeah, I get overly excited about local wines, but they are seriously the shit. Santa Cruz rules!
114. Undomestic Diva said:
I wish my kid's poo was as fascinating. Or at least as useful. Hell, I wish my kids were that fascinating.
MH
115. Michellle said:
If you like Planet Earth, you might want to watch David Attenborough's "Life of Mammals". I think it is a better series, although I like Planet Earth too.
116. Mark said:
David Attenborough / BBC Version ++
Torrent it dooce, your panties won't last 5 minutes.
117. Megan Tidd said:
Planet Earth is the best thing to happen to British television since Little Britain. We've seen all the episodes a couple times now (they've stopped reruns here, and I miss it), and I think my favourite is the episode where a magical flying machine crashes into Boabab trees.
Also as enthralling is "Blue Planet" - but I think anything that has David Attenborough's voice has a certain grativas. Thank GOD he never decided to advertise for toilet rolls.
118. jane said:
yeah i clearly remember that amazing pile of bat poo from when it was shown on TV here in England - that and the slow motion of the shark coming out of the water.
But David Attenborough is the man.
119. Liz said:
Oh, we haven't had this series over here yet (Ireland) but I have heard all about it and I am dying to. Not a big fan of cockroaches though.
120. Liz said:
Megan and Jane -- what channels was this shown on? I'm assuming the ones we get over here. I'm sad I haven't seen it. I know you're definitely not able to buy it in the shops in Ireland but I would love to.
121. Justine said:
Just for Sadie...Penguin poo is also called guano... :)
122. MamaBear1001 said:
just b/c i'm compulsive...
scat = any wild animal poo. scat is what one tracks when hunting. watching many wild animal shows through childhood and adulthood (kratz brothers!) teaches us much useful information.
123. Helen said:
You must get it with the David Attenborough soundtrack. He not only did the narration, he made the programmes and is talking about what he knows, not just reading a script. I've had a crush on him since I was 9, which is quite a long time ago now.
124. CC said:
I watched almost all of Planet Earth until I got to the caves section. That was last year. My New Years Resolution is to make it through the rest of the hour of watching cockroaches roll bat poo around the cave. Yum.
125. Chessy said:
My husband and I LOVE that show. I try not to watch too closely because, yeah, they let you get attached to fuzzy little animals that are going to be eaten. So. Much. Eating.
I am going to have to keep an eye out for the bat poo one. We have caught about four, ourselves, but so far, no bat poo.
126. jane said:
Liz - it was on prime time BBC1
127. -=B=- said:
I see where Leta gets her urges to yell POOP all the time. Poop poopy POO BAT POOP, poo is fun(ny).
That cave episode is my favorite one so far andI think I've seen them all.
128. kris said:
here i am with my first cup of coffee for the morning... and i am reading about a mound of bat poop. how clearly vivid.
i am not sure it's the coffee or that image that has cleared my thoughts...
heellllooo morning! :)
129. becky said:
I love the Planet Earth specials - I've seen them all several times each. The cave episode is one of my favorites! I know exactly what you're talking about with the guy's accent... I actually reversed it on the Tivo a couple times to hear him talk some more :) And don't you think humans would be much better off if our saliva glowed as beautifully as that of those glow worms?
130. Missy said:
Yesterday my 20-month-old son discovered that I think his big sister's plastic pile of poop is disgusting, so he proceeded to taunt me with it all day long. Less than 2 years old and he already knows poo is HILARIOUS!
131. Holly said:
there's no such thing as a British accent, it's an English accent
132. Casey said:
Is it just me or is Cesar Milan really sexy? I can't lie: I kinda want him to say "tsss" softly in my ear. Mmmm!
133. in like a lion said:
I love how the ad scanner searches your post, finds the word "champagne," and then tries to sell me champagne while I read a post about bat poo.
134. Kristin said:
I saw an episode of Planet Earth on Sunday night -- it was an amazing show. Instead of a pet hippo, you should consider a southern pudu, a deer that stands only 40cm at the shoulder ... they showed this place (sorry can't remember the name. too ethralled with the mini animals) ... where all the creatures were miniature. So freakin' cute.
135. Rich said:
I love Sigourney (ever since Alien actually) and her narration, especially the way she says "water".
136. wendy myers said:
Try with crackers, very tasty!!!
137. Lia said:
In seventh or eighth grade, we read a book about some sort of explosion. The kids in the book took refuge in a cave where they slipped in the 'guano fraiche' and had to eat cave bugs. Our teacher had to explain guano fraiche and the entire class used that expression to various degrees. I bet if would work even now 15 years later, guano fraiche still makes me laugh!
138. natalie said:
Oh man, I cried my eyes out watching the polar bear keep trying to pull herself out on ice that kept cracking underneath her. And the hubby couldn't stop watching the shark jump out of the water to eat the seal. SUCH an amazing piece of work. Glad you found the most interesting part for the Armstrong household!
139. vanessa said:
Wonder where Leta gets the urge to yell POOP?
FYI, in (positive) dog training circles The Dog Whisperer is...hated. The man is an ass.
But Planet Earth is awesome.
140. April said:
chuck is fake
141. daisy said:
Scottish. That's the accent that gets my panties.
That's what we're talking about here right?
142. ML said:
I'd ebay my British accent for a Scottish one any day!
143. Stephanie said:
My boyfriend has tivoed the Planet Earth series but for some reason I always end up watching The Hills instead.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/56c2d6a703
144. Angela said:
I'd really like to think our poo serves some similarly meaningful purpose.
Yesterday I wrote about these "self esteem" pills that allegedly make you poo gold. No, I'm not kidding. Voila:
http://www.adrants.com/2007/12/if-you-cant-shit-roses-at-least-shit-glit...
145. Susan said:
Your posts crack me up...and now I wanna go on ebay and try and find a copy of that. And I just love Chuck.
146. William said:
Would that be Stalacshits or StaGaG-mites.
147. BOSSY said:
Panties at the television? Yeah, Leah can be like that.
148. Alyxherself said:
ooooh! Tiny elves!
149. Heather said:
Accents are damn sexy!
150. Kate said:
Obviously several people have beaten me to the punch on recommending the BBC Attenborough version over the US Sigourney Weaver version, but I'll say it again just for good measure. If you like nature documentaries, you really should check out some of Attenborough's other works -- The Life of Birds is my favorite. It has some seriously great footage, and Attenborough is so gently and genuinely wacky that he makes it that much more fun to watch.
151. melissa said:
i feel like such a number...150 comments...my god girl, that's amazing!
anyway...i'm never eating anything...ever...you just helped my diet by letting me know everything i eat has been touched, in some way, by bat poo! thank you! i owe you...big!
152. Ron said:
Oh God, Heather....you freaking make me laugh so hard...I could just do a poo!
Holy Bat Shit, Robin!
Peace!
153. Shelley said:
Thanks for the laugh. I too had never thought of bat poop.
154. brenna said:
:) it's such an amazing film! my sister is visiting us and i'm making her watch it.
the bat poo grosses me out so much! :)
155. Mother Earth said:
having a son who's alter ego for an entire year was batman ( age 5 - papers all signed batman - very serious stuff - still have them all) when I saw this show I was completely fascinated - here was more we didn't know about bats and told in a way that in itself is an artform to behold
I found your blog through Liz strauss and her SOB's - been back daily since and have shared
your at least a daily hearty roar - sometimes a roar and a half
delighted to meet you
If only we had this way of expressing ourselves 20 years ago
I might have been sane while raising my own
156. jeanne said:
Netflix has the David Attenborough version - sweet! Love him so much - I'd like to have him over for linguine and clams.
Oh, God, Scottish accents! If I could have Alan Cumming talking dirty into one ear and James McAvoy in the other, I'd dissolve into a happy pool of LAVA.
157. Miss Obtuse said:
That episod made me barf, i was ok with the bat poop but the cockroachs were just gross.
158. Jenn said:
Brilliant as always Heather. BTW - you know you want to visit my site- I wrote something, okay a lot of things, about you....
159. A Seattleite in Paris said:
My boyfriend is English and I'm always giving him a hard time about his accent, because it makes me laugh. I must be one of the very few American females who don't have a thing for English accents. Scottish accents on the other hand...
160. manda said:
I love science documentaries. I'm in the process of helping one of my professors make one about beg bugs. It's pretty awesome. Bats are amazying little creatures especially when they live in symbiosis with certain types of birds.
161. GirlDuJourToday said:
So this guy was like the Tom Jones of bat poo then?
162. Raych said:
Have you seen the episode with the elephants caught in the dust storm, and then they all make it safely to shelter except the one, and the last shot is of the one elephant, clearly near the end of his rope, staggering off on the African savannah but IN THE WRONG DIRECTION? Because of the dust? And you know he's doomed, but HE doesn't know, and he just keeps on keeping on? It's the saddest thing I've ever seen.
163. estefania said:
Thanks for the inspiration! I'm going to make a Xmas gift of that lovely POO filled (BAT POO!) DVD series to my folks. They love poo.
I must disagree on the Brit accents, though. After living 18 months in london, that accent became a bit commonplace -or too associated with that 'c' word which gets passed around like the town whore's 'C'.
The IRISH lads, though! Hel-lo BOYS!
164. JW said:
It's not just you A Seattleite in Paris. I had to buy the Sigourney Weaver version because the Attenborough version reminded me of John Cleese, and you just can't watch Planet Earth narrated by Basil Fawlty.
That said, Planet Earth is AWESOME. And the Dog Whisperer is "the emperor in new clothes."
165. hotpants said:
i had to turn my head when they showed the cockroaches, but planet earth is the best. i've seen half the episodes & can't wait to watch the rest.
166. LJ said:
But seriously, isn't GUANO the best word ever to say? I mean, for me, it tops "poop" even. And it's an excellent word for slurs. "Guano-filled bucket of lies" is a much better phrase for your significant other than "poophead" during a heated discussion.
167. Shylah said:
Mm. Bat poo.
So, how does one get verified?
168. Kim said:
I love Planet Earth.
I also had never thought of dogs feet smelling like Fritos.
Great description!
169. Daisy said:
We are watching all of them too. I feel sorry for the camera men though. Especially the two who had to live on Antarctica for 2 years to get the perfect shots of Penguin's. I turned to my husband and said 'did they REALLY have to do that just so we could watch the penguins?' They could have just told us about them.
171. Music Critic said:
The best thing is that there was bat poo (animal stool) on the Office last week:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/13638/
"Poop is raining from the ceilings!"
172. Kate said:
When I first bought the HDtv, the cable guy set it up and immediately turned on Planet Earth for some reason. I was addicted from there on out, and I'm dying for the whole dvd set.
The best part of that cave one though is the albino lizard thing with no eyes. That thing was fucked up.
173. lucy loo said:
I do love British accents but find South African accents even sexier!
174. timmi said:
God, you're funny.
175. mirela said:
Just reading your post, and I want to see Planet Earth so bad (first time I hear about it). Is it worth buying the DVD set (kinda pricey...)?
176. Carrie said:
I love Planet Earth! I bought the whole set on Amazon for a fairly decent price.
But I first saw them all when Discovery premiered them earlier this summer. And when I saw the Cave Episode..and the Bat Poo...I totally almost fainted. That shit was scary (no pun intended). Especially since it's CRAWLING WITH ROACHES!!
AAAHHHHH!!!
177. erin said:
you are funny. also, planet earth RULEZ. i am through the entire thing and wishing there was more!
178. Black Belt Mama said:
We're obsessed with "The Dog Whisperer" too and we don't even own a dog!
My friend married a British man this past summer, and when he talks I can barely concentrate on what he's saying. I certainly can't argue with him about anything. That accent is awesome.