Any baseball fans out there?

To the small subsect of my readers who are also Blue Jay fans. A most bizarre, ridiculous, and possibly unprecedented event happened this weekend. In the midst of the media and the Blue Jay organization wondering where all the Jays' fans are (see 2nd worst attendance in baseball), the Rogers' Blue Jays organization just inflicted a self strike on its image. If you read beyond the headlines reporting the Jays taking two of three from the Yankees this weekend, you'll discover that either the Blue Jay organization or the Fan590 (both owned by Rogers) muzzled the team's number one beat reporter: Mike Wilner. Mike, a regular member of the Jays' radio broadcast team was asked/told/mandated to miss the New York Yankees series this weekend on the heels of doing his job by asking critical reporting questions of the manager, Cito Gaston. Although Cito is beloved by this city thanks to his role as manager 17 years ago when we last won the world series, he is not and should not be exempt from the typical day to day questioning of the reporters. Following a terrible loss to the first place Tampa Bay Rays, Mike Wilner questioned our manager about his use of the bullpen. Unsatisfied with Gaston's short answer, Wilner followed up with a second question, second guessing the manager's philosophy of managing the bullpen. Wilner was quickly asked to move on. Wilner wrote about this exchange on his blog, answered question on The Jays' Talk radio show after the game, and that is the last we've seen or heard of Mike Wilner.

As a hockey fan, I find it absurd that the Maple Leaf's head coach can manage to answer highly intellectual hockey questions and criticism after every game, but the moment the Blue Jay coach feels uncomfortable with a critical question from the #1 reporter the Jays have, he is quickly muzzled, suspended, or whatever has transpired over the weekend.

This story is just getting started. It has significant potential ramifications for the media and the way we cover our sports teams, for the Blue Jays, Fan590, and Rogers corp.

As a big Jays fan, and one who especially enjoys the critical analysis of the game, this is a story I will follow closely.

Moving Update

Hi folks,
To my regular readers (or, reader - I know there is at least one of you), I thought I'd give you a quick update regarding the goings on with my practice. As you may recall, I am changing office locations in July. If it were not for the fabulous new location I would be sad about leaving Wellpoint. But, alas, I am really excited to introduce you to my new office at Satori Urban Wellness - around the corner.

Shortly, this week, you will receive a snail-mail letter introducing you to the new practice location.

Next week, I will send out a mass email with all the same information - for you electronic people!

I am also re-branding myself. Soon I will no longer be "Bend Chiropractic & Laser Therapy". Rather, the understated "Dr. Michael Berenstein - Chiropractor". I'll be launching my new website soon too. Look out for it, it's member features, and newsletter.

My new blog will be built right into the new website too so this blog will cease to exist. I'll keep writing at the new blog though. Stay tuned ...

LOST in Review

For six seasons and 17 episodes Lost - the t.v. show - was steeped in mystery, asking the characters and viewers questions about spirituality, faith, science, fate, and free will. Incomplete answers to these questions only left further questions in their wake. The final episode did not disappoint by staying true to its nature. We are left with no more story and many questions. The questions we are left with though transcend the t.v. show. Certainly there are smaller picture questions that would be fun to know the answers to, but fundamentally this t.v. show was not about those answers. It was about the larger questions that do not have answers.

Why was Walt special?
Why did Eloise Hawking know so much?
Why was Desmond so uniquely special and what happened to him on the island in the end?
Who dropped the Dharma food feeding all our Losties?
What about the Hanso foundation and their funding of the Dharma initiative?
What was Widmore's true intentions in seeking out the Island?

These, and so many more, are fun questions. But, they don't help us understand the bigger questions:

Was Jacob and his brother Man-in-Black (MIB) really special? Or were they just boys who grew up to be men believing they were special?
What does that light at the heart of the island truly represent? All that is good with the world? Was MIB spit out because he was inherently bad?
Did Jack really impart special protective powers to Hurley by having him drink from the water bottle? Or, is it more important that Hurley believed he was imparted with such power?
And, the biggest question of all is what did the ending mean? Were our losties redeemed on the island allowing them to pass through to the next phase of the afterlife? Or, did they all die in the original plane crash sending them all to purgatory, rendering the island life a mirage?

I, for one, don't think it matters. In the end, our characters that we grew to love needed purpose and love and through their life (or afterlife) on the island were redeemed. It is all a matter of perspective. Was the island life purgatory and the Flash-Sideways their next phase of the afterlife? Or, was the island life real and the Flash-Sideways the first phase of their afterlife? I don't think it really matters. We saw an incredible ensemble of characters achieve purpose, love, and redemption on their journey together. After all, it is all about the journey. Without the end, the journey is not worth taking. Richard figured that out in the end when he was returned to a mortal life. And, how you behave and treat people matters in the end. Ben figured that out as well. He was flawed, like so many of our losties, but I 'believe' he will achieve his redemption too.

I am sad Lost is over. But what an amazing story filled with excitement, love, sadness, and wonderful questions we can try to answer from hereon in.

UPDATE: More theories and explanations continue to filter in during these post-Lost days. I won't bore you with blog after blog of theories, but suffice it to say I will be happy to discuss at length as we strive for wellness in the office!