What is your most embarassing moment?

August Answers:

We can't wait to see what our public will reveal. Some of the hardest moments in our lives. Often ones we will never forget no matter how hard we try...

• When my mom calls me squiggy in front of everyone. - Theodore
  
• I am embarrassed that I have nothing to say that you would print.
• When my brother put something in someone else's pocket. - Eva
• Wow, free pen. Thanks!
• I crashed into the bagel store in Shelburne two years ago!
• I was skate boarding with a frozen blended coffee and hit a pebble on Church St. The drink hit the ground forming a perfect puddle which I landed in in front of some of the most attractive people I would never meet. :(
• One time I pushed back too hard on my bike pedal and fell off my seat. - Sammy, age 5
• I was in class leaning in my seat, fell backward hit my head on the water fountain.
• When I was in first grade I was heading out of school with everyone. A teacher came up to me and pulled on my dress...it was caught in my backpack! - Juliana
• When I was 11, my parents at the supper table told jokes about the moile who circumcised me and what an awful job he did.
  
• When I got sick and had to go to bed at my own birthday sleepover. - E.P., age 11
  
• Once my next door neighbors pulled down my pants, ALida, age 7
• Once, I accidentally "fluffed" after prom when I was sleeping in the car with my boyfriend of 2 months. Luckily he wasn't too grossed out.
  
• Tired from shopping I walked into a 3-way mirror and said "Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry" to myself!
• A classic -- my skirt was tucked all the way into my nylons in the back -- full butt exposure -- walking down the hall in high school
• When I was four, I passed gas on an airplane and said "I have gas" - A. from S. Burlington
• I labelled a power point presentation as my power point, but abbreviated it "my pp" so at a talk of lots of scientists it opened up on the big screen as "my pp"
• Going to the beach with my bikini on, but forgetting I was still wearing a front closure bra that I had simply unhooked the late night prior. I didn't discover what I'd done until I was at a busy beach on the Cape...and I had to try and wrestle off the bra with everyone behind me.
• I guess I've had a few...once I stood up in fourth grade to recite a story and I was so thin (at the time) that my skirt fell down in front of the whole class! Going to school was a little harder for the rest of the spring. - Karen
  
• When I was seven, we were at my grandpa's house in Oklahoma for Christmas. I fell off the top bunk one morning with the whole family sitting around the bunkhouse drinking coffee. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandpa, parents, everybody laughed. So embarrassing. - Coyote
• I don't get embarrassed too easily...so after cutting a male client's hair in Burlington, he noticed this funny wire poking out of my shirt. It was the underwire from my bra! So I wore it as a head band for the rest of the day. Not embarrassing, just funny.
• I was 15 and in Cancun with my family. I wanted to be off in the water alone to look cool or whatever. I was taken by a wave and came up topless. A man came over and asked me if I was ok? I was completely embarrassed and feeling very uncool.
• I was 15 and my super cool cousin who was in a SKA band invited me to come to his practice. I had a huge crush on his trumpet player and was trying to be cool and was too busy doing so to notice the spring loaded door which consequently slammed on my head. Not cool! Or the time I set off the fire alarm at the Hard Rock Cafe in Baltimore when I was with my girl scout troop. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
• I "shorted" in the 6th grade and my brother told all my friends even when my mom told him not to.
• At the World Boy Scout Jamboree Alberta 1983. They had these big latrine tents -- the "stalls" only partioned on the bottom, so you could see other people from the chest up. I walking into one, saw several guys -- and as a very self conscious teenager, I immediately left without relieving myself. I found another latrine tent with nobody inside, so I rushed in, took a seat, and hoped I could finish before anyone came in. Halfway through, two women appeared at the door of the tent. I startled and the immediately left -- but called from the outside of the tent that I was in the women's bathroom. Oops! At least they were kind enough to guard the door until I finished... - Dave, Jericho, VT

What Is One Thing To Make Burlington A Better Town?

Answers:

• Wireless internet in City parks
• Livable wages for Burlington School District support staff
• Buses that run on Sundays
• Less roads and more trees and bike paths
  
• More dirty secrets
• Better public transit
• Progressives who would start acting progressive and listen to the people who love this town!
  
• More people just like me...and Chapin - Liam (Thanks Liam, you get extra credit for this answer)
  
• Less police violence and less pedophiles
• More code enforcement so families will stay in Burlington
  
• Real good men in their 30's ;-)
• My ex-girlfriend moving!
• Recycle bins on the bike path. Maybe 1 or 2 at each park area. Thanks for your service.
• College students who don't litter or swear when they're standing outside the bars. One thing the town doesn't need - another yoga studio.
• A little taqueria right next to Speeder & Earls on Pine Street. Nothing fancy - just a stand with real Mexican food, open early in the morning and late at night for hungry people. I will run it if someone will fund it! I'll use all green products, too. - Graciela P.
• More alternative energy like wind and solar
• Improved bike lanes
• No open container law on Church Street
• Get more New Yorkers to move here! Love, Fundarr
• More Folk Food patties! hee, hee
• More hours of bus service - evenings and weekends (love your surveys)
• Jobs, affordable housing and free ice cream on Tuesday.
• The first Friday art opening should include outdoor music events. - Seth
• More control over loitering and pan handling. :-)
• A carless downtown like Copenhagen. Thanks!
• A good skatepark. No bad cops.
  
• Eliminate graffiti.
  
• Free buses and public transportation for all! - Heather
• Affordable housing.
• Church Street should be run by the city or community -- not by an organization.
• More bike lanes in town, better public transportation, and more jobs.
• Get rid of Moran plant and build recreation center / marketplace / parking / commercial space.
• Less Progressives.
  
• Make Burlington smoke free. Ban smoking.
• Decriminalize marijuana.
  
• Connect bike path to others in the region
• Increase the amount of forested open space that is available to the public -- five times what we have now, at least
• I would like to see the bike path plowed and salted during the winter. - Dr. Dave
• Repair this great bike path that we have. It is so beat.
• Fix our transportation problems- crossing lights, paths, streets, sidewalks. The police need to enforce and the city needs to provide.
• More trails like this one. More buses like College St. shuttle.
  
• More Minorities!
• More Single Men!
  
• NO HIPPIES!!! and the evaporation of annoying grassroots bull#$%* like this stupid "trailspeak" thing. Please take this thing down and stop disrupting my peaceful commute to work.
• A real network of bike paths, specifically for transportation- no pedestrians taking up path dawdling over entire lane area- which is OK for a wreck (sic) path, but for real commuters-bike commuters. That would dramatically improve B-town area.
• Maintain bikepath
• People should stop running redlights.
• Cleaner lake areas. Ecoli- eww
• Remove the stinky water /sewage treatment plant from the waterfront.
• Lower taxes/ Cleaner lake/ more bikepaths.
• More variety in people and political viewpoints (though there's not much anyone can do about this one)
• Burlington would be a much better place if Bill Jones would marry me. Potter
• More bikes, less cars!
  

I am amazed how many people want more and better transportation and bike facilities. I just warms my heart- rg

Who is your hero or heroine?

July 2007 Answers:

• Chris Bliss...sense of balance (Check out the YouTube video and you will see why)
  
• Gib Mach- my dad- He was a positive influence in many lives and a super role model.
  
• Marin Luther King, Jr. and Starhawk- Great courage and power thru nonviolent activism.
• My hero is my son, who faces the challenge of multiple disabilities with grace, dignity, patience and perseverance.
• My mom & my husband - when my son was born at home and the midwife didn't show up in time, they delivered my son. No firetrucks or 911 necessary. We call them our local heroes.
• My late grandmother (Nonny) is my heroine. Her husband died when my mom was only 2. She also had a one year old, a three year old and five other children. She had to raise these 8 children on her own as well as run the family business. She even took in two foster children. She was very independent and always happy. She taught me to always enjoy life no matter what life hands you. - Deb R.
• My mom who fought cancer and almost won. She taught me how to fight hard.
• Muhammad Ali - Outstanding moral principles and courage to stand up for them. Plus the greatest boxer of our time! Pacifist, warrior, hero.
  
• Michael Moore, you're my hero.
• My dad 'cause he's got some crazy stories
• Mahatma Ghandi for standing up in the face of oppression
  
• Sir Richard Burton - an English explorer/spy in the 18th century India who made great strides in language and culture. He was kind of a jerk though.
• My hero is Jesus Christ. He died for me. He rose for me. He lives for me. And has a home prepared for me in heaven!!
• John Lennon - he was fearless
• Jesus Christ - he died for us
• James Bond- RJW
• Georgia O'Keefe for one
• Desmond Tutu
• Carry Weed- PKC
• My teacher, Miss McMorris/ my mom
• Bobby Kennedy. He brought the hopes of equality to all people.
• Dad, he rocks
• Charlie the Unicorn- he lost a kidney for comedy... :)
• Joseph Stalin for bringing so many people together forever.
• Oprah. CH
• Truth is so transcendent that we depend on it more than it will ever depend on us. SK
• The Buddah for sharing a path for peace
• Ceasar Millan, rehabilitates dogs while training people- Go dog whisperer!
• Superman- need we say more...
• mom and dad
• my hero is anyone who can face the reality of our world and not be discouraged.
• Joan Benoit who won the 1st Olympic women's marathon in 1984 in Los Angeles. When she was way ahead of the pack and alone on the LA freeway all the commentators predicted she'd "never last." She went on to win! I still admire her. It was a great moment for women and sports.
• Superman
• Gary Snyder- Award wining poet, proactive environmentalist has lived a diverse life following his won rules and path and came out as a humble role model.
  
• My hero- for the moment is Madeline Kunin- who paved the way for women in Vermont and justice in Europe and a healthy environment!
• My mom! Because she has such an open mind and youthful spirit at almost 80!
• Pat Tillman- Gave up Million $ Triggered to serve by 9/11/01