Andy Borgmann's Blog

You ever have the days where it just feels like every single thing goes wrong. As everyone else goes into a three day weekend, I was looking forward to at least one day off. But that just wasn't in the cards...

It started on Wednesday when I noticed water dripping from my ceiling. So I called my home warranty company and supposedly a local company was coming out.

Anyways, long story short, it was horrendous customer service by the local company and the home warranty company and they weren't going to get someone out by Tuesday - all the while water is dripping from my ceiling. I decided to cut my loss on that one and call a local company that advertises on WSB. It cost me a $1,000 and I have obnoxiously loud fans blowing all weekend, but I still think it was the better decision.

If that wasn't enough, I sat down to work on one little computer project (personal, not work) that I thought would take 30 minutes...it ended up taking six hours! Whole day gone.

Then, just for the icing on the cake, I go out to my mailbox, and my lovely dentist (who I actually can't stand), sent me a bill because I guess my new insurance doesn't cover as much as my old insurance did.

So what do you do we it seems like all the crap hits the fans?

It isn't even the time and the money. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't like dropping $1,000 bucks that isn't travel related, but at least I sort of have it. And it isn't like the loss of one day off in the grand scheme of things is going to be anything. But it still doesn't negate the fact that sometimes days like this are just going to happen.

We did a show back in October of last year about this, but to be frank, I can't remember what was said. But I think the two things that I always remember is that 1.) the worst day I can have (minus maybe losing a loved-one) would be traded in a second by billions of people around the world and 2.) there's nothing I can really do about it at this point, and it doesn't help the situation to be in a bad mood about it.

Alright...well, the burgers are done, I got friends over (despite the fans), and here's to a better night...

Ok, some of you might have noticed I haven't blogged much recently. I am sorry. But the reason is because I have no integrity...

Any of my friends will tell you, before the Olympics started, I obnoxiously professed that as much as I loved the Olympics (and I do), I was planning on boycotting due to the fact that China should never have gotten the games due to there human rights violations and their inability to step into the 21st century. I kept saying, why not just have the next games in Tehran.

But my protest lasted literally 5 minutes. That's right. I have no integrity and I freely admit it. We were 5 minutes into the Opening Ceremony when I stepped up to the couch and gave in. And boy was it a great Olympics...

The opening ceremony was amazing. As someone who has put on psudeo-large events, I truly had an appreciation for what the Chinese pulled off. Sure it is easy when you essentially have a slave population, but nevertheless it was truly awe-inspiring and amazing.

One of my favorite parts was watching President Bush at the games. Say what you will about his politics, but it was nice to see our leader at the games, cheering for our athletes just as we all were.

Kerry Walsh & Misty May. What can I say, I am a sucker for skinny, flat-chested blonds with no butts. Put them in a bathing suit and have them compete for America's honor and I am in.

Nastia Liukin & Shawn Johnson. Take same principle of Kerry and Misty, remove the suits, put in leotards, and the same statement applies. Although I will only say that about Nastia as saying that for Shawn makes me a pedophile.

Michael Phelps I am sure is the biggest douche-bag in the history of all people. But I was cheering right alongside for the 8. The 4x100 medley and the 100m fly. The close finishes. Woah. Great, great stuff. (For evidence of Phelp's douche-baggery click here and advance to the 6:00 mark and watch until at least 6:45)

Bryan Clay. Amazing decathlete. Met him many a times as he went and trained at Azusa Pacific University. Great guy. Arguably the toughest sport and truest test of an athlete. And before you ask, no he wouldn't remember me, but I will always remember him.

Redeem Team. We are suppose to be good at Basketball. 2004 Athens was ridiculous. And although the gold medal game was closer than it should have been, I was proud that our Basketball team redeemed our reputation and our dominance.

I think the best moment was something everyone else missed. It was the quarterfinal game for Men's Indoor Volleyball against Serbia. It was one of the great competitions I have ever seen in my life. I am glad I stayed up to watch.

It was fun. DVR-ed almost everything I could. Averaged 20 hours a day. On days where I didn't have to be in the office early, I stayed up past 3 and 4 am to watch late night. Even Rowing - all the while thinking Lissa would be a better coxswain.¹

I even had what Nathan and I referred to as Olympic Configuration for the couches. Which really meant just bringing one closer to the table so we could eat and then fall asleep into the wee-hours of the morning.

Well it is over tonight. Back to normal life. Back to blogging. And waiting for London in 2012 - at least these games won't cause me to lose my integrity.² Now...bring on the Cubs vs. Rays/Angels World Series in October.

I turned 26 yesterday. I deliberately waited to write this because I am not really a big birthday person. To prove this, I have spent three birthdays in my life where nobody I was with even knew it was my birthday. I am sure there is something psychologically wrong with me. This become all the more evident as I write...

I have always felt that dying on your birthday is one of the greatest achievements one could have - mainly because you really have no control over that and the odds are .273%¹ More on this later.

I once had a girlfriend who turned to me at dinner and said, "tell me something about you that nobody knows." Internally, I rolled my eyes and debated answering: 1.) I once shot a man in a hotel in Paris² or 2.) I always take my mobile into the bathroom with me when I am home alone.³ But I settled for neither and just responded, "you know, I am a pretty open person and there isn't much I don't share with everybody."⁴

Which brings me back to the dying. I have never shared this before, but for some time I have always had four fairly certain feelings about my death.

1. I will die before I am 40⁵
2. I will die in a plane accident
3. I will die while on the toliet⁶
4. There is a specific place on the back of my head that I feel will be penetrated causing my death.

I know. Weird. I told you something was wrong with me. But what if it were all true. What if I died before I was 40 while going to the bathroom on a plane because because something fell and penetrated my skull.

So what does this have to do with 26? Simple. Life is short. How would your life be different if you knew you were going to die by 40? Just because most of us will pass at 70 or 80 really isn't that different.

And while it is true I believe in life after death, it doesn't mean we shouldn't seize the stages of life we find ourselves in like they could be our last.

There is a saying Allen uses often, which is "pray like it all is up to God, and work like it is all up to you, and somewhere in between you'll end up alright." I think a similar statement could be applied to life. "Prepare to live forever, but live like it is your last, and somewhere in between you'll end up alright."

February 10, 2006. I remember just clearing security at Sydney's airport heading to my gate. I was about to board a 13 hour flight back to the States. And there it was, a computer...

I promised myself that I would not check e-mail for my entire 12 day journey down under. And I had done it!

It was the first 12 days I had gone with out checking e-mail since probably 1995. I remember sitting down in front of the computer at the airport café and feeling almost violated. It was like something was pulling me from a joyous, stress-free environment, back into the hustle of everyday life. I haven't left that hustle for almost two and half years.

July 27, 2008. For the first time in 2 years and 24 weeks, I am going on a real vacation. Not taking a laptop. Not taking a small to-do list. Not doing anything.

I am going to visit loved ones in Fort Wayne. I am going to hold Asher for the first time. And I am going to hopefully not drive myself crazy out of boredom.¹

I have to admit, I am a little scared. I am not sure if I am going to make it. But I got everything done for the next two weeks and there should be no problems. Everything else can wait.

If anybody is in Fort Wayne, give me a ring on the mobile² and I'd love to meet up. To the rest of you...see you in 7 days! I will not be blogging.³

P.S. Too all my law school law graduates lawyer friends who are taking the Bar on Tuesday and Wednesday, congradulations. I am very proud of each of you. I know the Bar is hell, but you are almost done. If any of you are in Fort Wayne,⁴ I'll buy you a drink at Columbia Street.⁵ For the rest of you, I'll buy you a drink the next time I see you. Congrats, you now officially can hold it over my head that you are an attorney, and I am not

So do you think my computer will get lonely at the office?

My freshman year of college I took Psychology of Religion. It was one of the greatest classes I ever took. It assigned two books. One was my favorite book of all time, Sheldon Vanauken's A Severe Mercy. The other, a book by Erich Fromm, To Have or To Be.

Fromm's book had an interesting premise. He position was that a century ago we were a "being" culture. 100 years and an industrial revolution later, we are now a "having" culture.

One classic example was how a century ago, when referencing marriages, men would say that they are a husband or that they are married. Now, Fromm says, men have a wife. We went from a state of existence to a state of possession.

Same rings true with children and jobs and hobbies and pretty much everything.

And the problem is much larger than just a semantic one.

When I was in 7th grade I took French. The first verb I learned was être - "to be." The second verb I learned was aller - "to go." The third verb I learned was avoir - "to have."

It was far more important for me to know Je suis Américain² before I learned J'ai une voiture.³

Why? Because even at the core of language, being and existing is more fundamental to our human experience than having and owning.

The problem is that in our increasing materialistic world the inverse seems to be true.

Fromm explains the rise in divorce as one of an identity crisis. If marriages are possessions, then like all possessions, when we tire of the marriage we drop it for a new one. As apposed to the idea that if at our core, our existence is tied to that marriage, to drop the marriage would be to drop one's existence - which we would be far less inclined to do.

It truly is a challenge to overcome the social pressure of the "having" culture - and it doesn't get easier with age. I find myself comparing myself to the neighbors and friends far more than I ever did before.

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly." I think that is a sentiment Fromm would agree with, and one I should pay more attention to.

Nathan and I went swimming yesterday. Came home. Decided we were hungry. I realized I had no hamburger in the house, so we had to go to the store. I walk out to back my car out of the garage and bam! The picture to the left is what I saw. My neighbor had parked his truck in front of my driveway so I couldn't get out.

And scene:

Andy: (walk over to neighbor's and spots him) "Is this your truck"

Neighbor: "I figured that would get your attention"

Andy: "Can you please move your truck"

Neighbor: "Nope"

Andy: "Can I ask why not?"

Neighbor: "Because your friend is parked in front of my house"¹

Andy: "It's a public street and she is breaking no rules parking there"

Neighbor: "That's not true. It is our space in front of the house"

Andy: "I have reviewed the neighborhood association rules and it states this is a public street and anyone can park anywhere"

Neighbor: "Well, I am an owner of a dealership, maybe I'll just bring a bunch of cars from the dealership and park all over the place"

Andy: "You would be free to do that, like I said, it is a public street. Now can you please move your truck"

Neighbor: "No, it is our space. I'll move my truck when she moves her car."

Andy: "First of all, she isn't here, she left with my roomatte. Second of all, no it isn't your space. I talked with my attorney² and it is not your space"

Neighbor: "Ohh you talked to your attorney, well, sue me!" (neighbor begins to walk inside and makes no indication he is going to move his truck from blocking my driveway)

Andy: (dials 911)

911: "911 Emergency what is the situation..."

So, I explain to the 911 operator what is going and she says a police officer will be right there.

In the middle of the conversation with the operator I realized that I hadn't taken a picture of the offense and I see the neighbor coming back out with a key. The 911 Operator was still not ready to hang up, but I couldn't take a picture with out getting off the phone.

So to buy some time I say to the neighbor, who is now walking towards the truck:

Andy: "ohh so now you are going to move your truck. Now that I have called the police."

Neighbor: "I didn't say I was going to move my truck."

Andy: "then why is your key in your hand?"

All the while the 911 Operator: "Sir! Sir! Do NOT escalate the situation. Do not escalate the situation. Wait for the police officers."

But the plan worked as the neighbor didn't move his car until after I got off the phone and took the above picture.

The Police came (3 actually). I explained the situation and apologized for having to bring them out for such a petty thing, but he refused to move his truck so I had no option.

My favorite part was when the police officers started to walk towards him, he acts like he is waxing his car, and responds "We don't have a problem here. Everything is resolved."

I explained to the Police Officers that not everything is resolved and I would like a Law Enforcement Officer to remind the guy that this is a public street and they have no ownership of the space in front.

The Police Officer then shared with me that what the neighbor was doing wasn't just against Homeowner Policy, but that it was against Roswell City Law as a car cannot park anywhere for more than 10 hours in one spot.

Anyways...they explained the law and situation and hopefully we won't have anymore problems.³

But here's my question: was I wrong in doing this? Should I have turned the other cheek? There is a bit more of a back story to this, as people don't just park cars in front of driveways and other people just don't call the cops. But you get the basics.

Gotta love living in the burbs!

P.S. If you don't get the title reference, I have attached a video of Klondike Bar's most recent ad campaign. This blog title actually came out of the fact I went to the grocery story after this whole deal and I saw Klondike bar's in the freezer and said to my friends who were with me, "Hey Andy, you just called the cops on your neighbor, you deserve a Klondike bar..." We laughed.

Since January, people always come up / email / send messenger pigeon to me saying, "can you believe Allen became Catholic." And I always say, "for those of us who know Allen, it really wasn't that much of a surprise." And I can attest that since becoming Catholic, not much has changed.¹

One thing that has changed: Allen has increased his use of the phrase the "seven deadly sins" exactly² 834%.

The seven deadly sins make for a great movie³ but awful theology. The ranking of sin itself is determinental to a true understanding of grace and redemption.

The Catholic church has taught for years there are two categories of sins: venial and mortal. Venial being your light everyday sin that must be easy for God to forgive.⁴ Mortal, or deadly, being the stuff God must have to work at to forgive you.⁵

But it isn't just the Catholics. We all do it. Please rank with your best Protestant Theology from most to least likely to be shamed.

1. Worked everyday of the week
2. Looked at pornography
3. Thought of myself better than the homeless man
4. Lied to a friend about plans
5. Cheated on a spouse
6. Used the words God Damn It
7. Disrespected a parent on national radio
8. Downloaded MP3s illegally
9. Used Ecstasy recreationally

My guess is you would rank it: 5-9-2-7-4-6-3-8-1

If I came to you and said, "hey, I was just really busy this last week. Boss really riding me. Worked every single day of the week." Would you even think there was anything wrong with that?

Now let's say I cheat on my wife.⁶  Now let's say I regularly sleep with my girlfriend.⁷ Now let's say I came to you and said, "hey, for the last five years I have had a sex buddy. We have no real relationship, but you know, we both have needs, and we both get pretty stressed out, so you know, from time to time we are 'friends with benefits'." Tell me you would not think differently in this case?

The point. We all rank sin. But does God?

The way I read it, there is no goody-two-shoes in the Bible.⁸

Paul, killed thousands.

Peter, denied his relationship to Jesus when Jesus needed him the most.

David, slept with Bathsheba, tried to cover it up, murdered her husband.

Abraham prostituted his wife for safety.

Name one person in the Bible who actually lives up to a sanctified life.

Heck, even sweet Ruth seduced Boaz on the threshing floor.

Do any of these sound like your pastor? Better yet, let's say your pastor did any of this, do you think he would keep his leadership position?

The modern Church has missed out on being apart of the story of redemption and grace for thousands of years. And it is all due to the fact we have an erroneous, sanitized view of redemption and it starts with the ranking of sin.

I have not had a physical in five years. This is not something I am proud of. It is just the truth. I don't get sick very often. Which is good. But the downside is that I haven't been able to find a good general physician.

I think it is because I was spoiled living Fort Wayne, IN. I had the greatest doctor from the moment I was born. Dr. Muhler was awesome. Graduated from Notre Dame. Very knowledgeable. Voted by doctors in his community as the doctor they would most like to be treated by. Heck, his father invented fluoride toothpaste for Proctor & Gamble.

Realizing I was coming to Fort Wayne at the end of this month, I figured I would try to schedule a physical with Dr. Muhler, but alas, the next physical appointment available is in November. Ohh well.

But this got me thinking, it wasn't just Dr. Muhler. Fort Wayne, as a whole, has an awesome healthcare community. It is a community that no where else I have lived or been to has been able to compete with.

If my gallbladder needs to say goodbye to my kidney, I want Dr. Justice yanking that sucker out.

If I inadvertently knock somebody up, the first face I want my first child to see is Dr. Alexander.

If I get cancer, the person making my body feel on fire due to the chemo had better be Dr. Rhinehart.

But this post isn't about all the doctors I psuedo-know. It's about Universal Healthcare. Because it hit me how important having a doctor who is knowledgeable and trustworthy is to your overall health.

When we don't feel comfortable with a situation, we are inclined to neglect it. Be it a relationship, or a job, or our healthcare. This would be Universal Healthcare's impact on the American medical community.

People are given less options. They feel less in control. And they ultimately become distrustful of the whole process.

We then would seek out medical care where we can get control. Just like how I was attempting to get a physical close to 600 miles from my home, so will millions of Americans if Universal Healthcare becomes a reality. But instead of 600 miles, it will be 6,000 miles as we leave the country to find our best options.

It's called medical tourism, and it would be an inevitable consequence of Universal Healthcare.¹

We have been on the radio for three years now. I have decided that unlike men, all opinions are not created equal which means not everyone deserves to have an opinion. For now on, I am going to require a simple, but apparently difficult, logic test for all people before they share an opinion.

Ready...

True or false:
      If A implies B.
      Then B implies A.

Simple enough right? Think you know the answer? Read on...

The inspiration behind this post is an email we received last night from Lucida on our topic "Man's Best Friend Has Become Man's God". She writes: "From a factual standpoint: It has been well studied and documented that animal cruelty is associated with crimes against human beings." The implication. Those that are cruel to animals are just destined to become murders.

Now the study she is referring to is true. It has been proven that those who have committed serious crimes had shown a propensity towards animal cruelty before acting out on humans. But does the inverse ring true as well?¹

Another classic statement I hear is that studies have shown that serial rapists were also pornography users.

Well duh! Of course those who are rapists are going to have an abnormal view of sexuality. But does the inverse run true? Are those who struggle with porn one image away from becoming a rapist?

When I was in high school, I took an Introduction to Philosophy class at Huntington University. As I later realized, it was less a class on classic philosophy and more a class on logic. The above test was essentially day one of the class.

Let's take the murders and rapists and alphabet letters² out of the equation and put it in more simple terms.

If it is raining the streets are wet. The streets are wet, therefore it must be raining. Wait a minute, something isn't right about that statement.

And now we are back to my test. Why doesn't that sound right? Because logic that assumes since a implies b, therefore b implies a is false. The streets could be wet because of a fire hydrant or because a dam break or thousands of other reasons.

If you answered true to the test above, you would be wrong, and no longer deserve to have an opinion as there is something fundamentally wrong at the core of your logic.

If you have an opinion, be sure to leave it in the comment box below.³

I have a huge dilemma on my hand. This dilemma is so large, I think I am going to lose some sleep over it tonight. It just hit me tonight, when watching the Cubs game, that I haven't been to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in like 10 years (I think it was Sophomore year of high school). So I hit the web to find out a day I could fly up to Chicago to visit my brother and go to a Cubs game. But then it hit me...this is the last time I will ever have the chance to watch at game at Yankee Stadium. Oh boy...I am not really sure how I am going to sleep tonight.

To be fair, I hate the Yankees. I don't care who they are playing, I will be rooting for the other team. But there was so much history at Yankee Stadium. Babe Ruth. Willy Mays. Lou Gerhig. Hosting 37 of the total 84 World Series. Not to mention all the non-Baseball history. Pelé played Soccer there. Boxers have boxed there. Heck, Popes have spoken there.

So here's what I found out. I can fly up to New York on the morning of July 27th at 6:00 am, go to the 1:05 pm game against the Orioles, and then fly back to Atlanta at 7:00 pm. Baseball Tickets: $20.00 Plane Tickets: $219.00 Watching a game in Yankee Stadium: priceless?!?

It is no secret that I have sort of bucket-list already for my life, and I am not waiting until retirement to complete it. Why? Who knows if I'll make it to retirement! I think the mindset is a healthy one.

I have bought a home.
I have received a college degree.
I have watched a NASCAR Race from the Pits.
I have snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef.
I have visited 47 states (almost my goal of all 50).
I have been to the Dome of Rock.
I have been at Times Square for New Years.
I have slept the night on the street in Pasadena to watch the Rose Bowl Parade.
I have kissed a girlfriend on the Eiffel Tower.
I have chased the pigeons in San Marco Square in Venice.
I have floated on the Dead Sea.
I have worshiped on Waikiki Beach at an Easter Sunrise service.
I have planted gardens in poverty stricken regions of South Africa.
I have built homes in Mexico and gymnasiums for orphanages in Honduras.

But should watching a game at Yankee stadium be on the list and is it worth $239.00.

I have to admit. If it weren't for the fact that I just spent way too much money earlier this month due to the unexpected vacation surprise, I would be a lot more willing to do it.

I guess I'll just sleep on it and hopefully not die in my sleep. Anyone want to join me?