Response to Jessica:

Whoa, let's not get too Calabrese. As a Latino who is not Mexican, I agree with the spine of your post; your specific conclusions, however, miss the mark. There are no guarantees in life; if one is to guess (and what more is there to being human than to guess), then its not terribly inhuman to guess that a Latino knows more about Mexican food than an Indian, or that a Korean knows more about Japanese food, or a Spaniard more about Portuguese food. It hardly seems necessary to ridicule nathan for making similar assumptions. Furthermore, it's the very nature of this show's producers to play upon those common assumptions, in order to create dramatic tension and surprise; shouldn't you first criticize the show itself for employing such crass social manipulations?

i am a film director that would very much like to get in contact with Mr.Stacey Torrance.This story is very sad but intriguing and people need to learn from it.Anyone that can give me info : nlmcfcc@gmail.com

I am sad that Chef Mehtha lost and did not become the next iron chef. Ia still proud of this chef because he is very humble and rarely bitched about other chefs and thier cooking style throughout the competition.I watched the last 2 episodes where the other 2 chefs bitching about chef mehtha's colourful plating sytle for lack of creativity and judging him and those 2 judges sounded arrogant.

Thanks Jessica, that was a classy post...

It's a surprise for me why people consider Chef Jehangir Mehta a supervillain of cooking. He is very creative in his dishes. He was beaten by one of the Iron Chef(I think was Bobby) for only a point.
Chef Garces looks an arrogant for me and looks ridiculous how he pronunces his name with a gringo accent when he is a first generation of Americans from Ecuadorean parents. Many children of immigrants are proud of their parents culture and language. Or prehaps his parents never teach him Spanish.

Response to Nathan:
Are you serious, you just demonstrated to all of us how ignorant you are. Just because a person is hispanic/latino does not mean they are Mexican, Chef Garces is Ecuadorian!! And no, just because you are Latino does not mean you know more about Latino food, it's like saying that a Japanese person is likely to know more about Chinese food than a French person. You are a joke, think before you speak please.

Great place to watch the games. They will put anything on for you. the menu is great - can't beat there chz burger. The best in town.

Well this episode was shot long back and Chef Garces is hosting a 2floor viewing party... they took the suspense out of it.. shudnt it be against the rules or something .. the whole 'suspense' is gone...

I lived in Austin for about twenty years until recently. I think I tried every BBQ joint in Central Texas and am convinced its the best BBQ in America. I look forward to checking out the new Percy St.BBQ.Ironically, I walked by the place just today and wondered where this came from and why are they closed. Now I know it doesn't open til 5 whic is the time by which most serious Teaxas BBQ joints are closed because they're sold out. Its mostly a lunch thing there.

I was there last night and i have to say that a lot of money was raised for The Leather Heart Foundation. I think it is such a shame that others not in the BDSM lifestyle believe all the rubbish they read and see on TV which portrays us like Freaks and Serial Killers. If they would stop assuming things and take a moment to really talk to those of us that live it 24/7 day in and day out they will see the beauty and truth about what BDSM is honestly about. Master and i are in a 24/7 M/s relationship and have been for 7 years now. Our relationship is based on Honesty, Trust, Respect and Love. We are proud of who we are and what we stand for. So in my opinion those that turned down the money raised last night to support their charities lost out. I'm personally glad that The Leather Heart Foundation got the donation. It is a worthwhile organization who takes care of their own.

slave tami

Hello Wilma,
I also saw 'Sunday Morning' today and was moved by your story. I am hoping to be teaching in Philly in the very near future. You wake 'em up with a little fear and a lot of inspiration. You engage your students with a combination of heightened drama, expertise, and your unyielding demands - all tempered with concern for your kids and the grand hope of building their productive futures.

I hope to find my own balance of caring, toughness and teaching to help my students build their skills, knowledge, and motivation for tomorrow.

God bless you.
Dorothy

Chef Mehta has the Iron Chef potential. Chef Graces is ok and doesnt jump out as far as his food is concern. Graces just play it too safe with familiar food and presentation . Many chef are capable of whipping up dishes but few are able to move beyond to Innovate a dish. Not as a disrespect, the only true iron chef in the Iron chef America line up is Chef Morimoto and grossly underrated and Flay is grossly overrated . I don't remember most of his dishes but Morimoto's dishes and presentation lingers on me. Similarly Graces present existing food with his own flare..not innovating...very forgettable. The truth is Chef Metha create flavorful and dare to be different.
Let's admit..who wants another boring flay like chef. ..bring on Morimoto like chef calibrate anytime for me. my vote is to Metha

It is good that transit workers have a union with the heart ,stomach and balls.the bloated beauracracy ,inept or unwilling management and patronage hacks need to be kept under control.

Skullboy said "I don’t give way because I shouldn’t"

Skullboy,
You have a duty to avoid harming someone no matter what mistake they are making.

Would it be fair for motorists to teach you a lesson by ramming you for a percieved traffic mistake?

Good Morning Wilma. I saw your story on Sunday morning this morning and I was so touched. Isee some nasty comments on here as well as some good ones... You keep doing what you are doing because that is waht the young people of today need. They need a strong hands along with loving arms to get them throught this mess we live in today! Keep up the good work.

Just went through PA statutes. Oddly, it is legal to ride bicycles on the sidewalk. I also couldn't find any provision for municipalities to alter state code. Does Philly even have a legal right to impose this rule?

After reading all of the comments, I think there is some confusion on what FDA regulates and doesn’t regulate. This can be very confusing to understand, so an example from day to day life should help. We’d all accept at face value that a restaurant is not FDA regulated. Why? The public health risk of bad food served in a restaurant is a one on one risk. At worst, a restaurant with a bad kitchen might make tens to hundreds of people ill. This is similar to a doctor’s office or a hospital delivering bad medical care, which also have the theoretical risk of making tens to hundreds of people ill. For this reason, both the restaurant and the medical office/hospital are regulated at the state level (the state health board for the restaurant and the state medical board for the doctor). Now let’s say our restaurant has a popular menu item that it wants to place in jars and ship across state lines to customers placing orders. All of a sudden the public health risk goes up dramatically. The food in jars has the potential to make huge numbers of people ill with just one bad production batch. Since we no longer have a restaurant and now have a food production facility, the FDA now regulates this facility, as the public health risk is a federal issue. The same holds true if our doctor’s office decides to place stem cells in a vial and ship those to other doctors in other states, now the public health risk is much larger and involves potentially all 50 states. There is no doubt that we would all want the FDA to have regulatory authority over stem cells shipped in a vial. What would happen if we had FDA regulate restaurants? Since every kitchen would need a cGMP kitchen (meaning up to the standards of mass food production) the cost of eating out would become prohibitively expensive. A ten thousand dollar prime rib anyone? What would happen if FDA regulated your doctor? The cost of delivering medical care would explode as every time your doctor wanted to treat you, that treatment would have to undergo 7-10 year FDA approval. Since the vast majority of what doctors do day to day could never pass this muster, medical care around the country would effectively stop. Just as there is no public health rationale for having FDA regulate restaurants, there is also no public health reason for FDA to regulate the activities of medical offices or hospitals.

Patrick Rapa, you're the joke. BAD article.

They reside in Holland township, NJ, not Pennsylvania
BUT, Pa can have them and pay for their welfare.

Hey, perfect for "the city of neighborhoods" I bet West Mt Airy, Fishtown, Gray's Ferry, Powelton Village and Germantown will want their own.

Bradley,
There is a basic minimum of service required at a restaurant in which a 15% tip is what is the norm expected. A good server who exceedes expectations may receive up to 20%. On the flip side, if the service was poor, then perhaps 10% would send a message of displeasure. HOWEVER, at no time is it appropiate to leave less than 15% for receiving the appropiate amount of service. IT IS IRRELEVANT WHAT YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION IS! One should always budget 15-20% over how much the dinner will cost or one CLEARLY CANNOT AFFORD TO GO OUT TO EAT! I think everyone should work in a restaurant at one point in their lives so they will understand. DID YOU KNOW THAT THE I.R.S. ASSUMES ALL SERVERS MAKE A 15% MINIMUM ON TIPS AND WILL TAX ACCORDINGLY. IF YOU BUILD AN 'ADEQUATE' ROOF ON MY HOUSE, CAN I 'DECIDE' TO ONLY PAY YOU 50% OF YOUR QUOTED LABOR??!! Think about it....

Last year I was stopped in an intersection waiting at a red light when i biker on the sidewalk did'nt look in front of himself and by the time I saw him it was too late, he slammed into me. I'm happy I wasn't hurt too badly(even though it was quite painful at that moment). Cyclists on the sidewalk are dangerous and cyclists should know that. But at the same time, car drivers need to respect bicyclists rights on the road. More bike lanes would be a great incentive to get bicyclists who are scared off the sidewalk. I don't think fines are the way to go, however. I do think that cyclists need to follow the rules of the road. Pedestrians need to do this too! I've almost hit pedestrians because they jump out right in front of me when they have a red light and it is really bothersome...more restrictions need to be put on pedestrians who don't give a crap about themselves and others.

Pretty good turnout for the "Literacy 'Freeze' You" event. It was more regimented than other flash mobs I've been a part of, with organizers coordinating freezer positions, announcing the time to freeze by megaphone, and giving out free t-shirts.
Although many freezers (myself included) brought books, organizers asked us to pose with a Center for Literacy pamphlet instead.

I would like to add my perspective as a medical researcher who has been involved in stem cell studies for the past 5 years. The fact is, the only difference between an "approved" (whatever the approval body) and unapproved technique is that it has been approved. This rather simple statement hides all of the issues that may go along with getting approval for an innovative treatment, some of which have been already been discussed here. One thing is certain - lack of approval is not proof of lack of demonstrable safety and efficacy, and approval does not mean safety and meaningful efficacy is present (just look at the numerous FDA approved drugs that were later withdrawn, usually with a sordid tale of scientific jiggery-pokery associated with them).
It is reasonable for the ICMS to try to help sort out, among the unapproved techniques that may offer real results, the more bona fide treatments from the actual snake oil. This gives consumers some degree of expert guidance in the market driven health care model that currently exists, and this can only be a good thing.
Governmental approval for innovative medical treatment serves as a financial barrier as much as a steward of public safety to innovators, and this fact must be at least acknowledged in this kind of a discussion, in my opinion.
Billions are wasted every year on pot boiler "research" that keeps well-oiled grant writing machines and the researchers they support in academic departments afloat. I can't comment one way or the other one the treatment described here, but I will say that $32K is a drop in the bucket of the money that is wasted on ineffectual "approved" treatments in a 5 minute period in the US every day.

Ah, good to see our Collin in something other than the police blotter. Dude, you really have to stop braising people's pets. That is clearly the thigh of a Saint Bernard you are chomping on.

FYI to Valetta/Adelizzi: Collin is not an idiot, he knows what sweetbreads are. In your rush to make a snide comment, you totally missed the point that he was making an analogy. Also, my comment about him eating dog is a joke, although a sick one admittedly.

Dear Profit in Unregulated Clinics. The ICMS is a nonprofit organization. It is not interested in profit. By law, it can't make a profit. What it is interested in is addressing your specific question about medical tourism. You are right, without oversight, there are huge opportunities for foreign stem cell clinics to promise the moon and deliver nothing. That is why organizations like the ICMS which strive to educate patients on what are good therapies is so critical.

If you sincerely care about patient safety, then stop condemning the only organization that is trying to help patients make informed decisions about stem cell therapies.

Dear Profit in Unregulated Clinics. The ICMS is a nonprofit organization. It is not interested in profit. By law, it can't make a profit. What it is interested in is addressing your specific question about medical tourism. You are right, without oversight, there are huge opportunities for foreign stem cell clinics to promise the moon and deliver nothing. That is why organizations like the ICMS which strive to educate patients on what are good therapies is so critical. If you sincerely care about patient health, then stop condemning the only organization that is trying to help patients make informed decisions about stem cell solutions.

The writer asks, "why, then, do there seem to be efforts afoot in Harrisburg to help the faltering casino afloat?"

Answer: Because the local investors are the governor's friends-Ron Rubin, Ed Snider, Lewis Katz, Peter DePaul, etc.

Major awww moment here. Thanks for the kind words! You guys are the twist in my Manhattan!

I applaud Mr. Ford for his clarity of mind and courage. Even if you look at this from a pure science standpoint, I think what everyone is forgetting is that while evidence based medicine is important, there are times that system fails. For example, there are countless therapies that work well for some patients and not others that could never make it through a trial that requires generalization of effect. At the same time, any patient with no traditional medical options should always be free to try options that may not have been proven safe and effective in large studies, but show promise in smaller studies or animal models. After all, this is exactly what happens in stage I/II FDA trials, patients with no or few other options are offered experimental therapies that worked in animals, but the effect is unknown in humans. The advantage of the clinical trials system is that it can over a number of years provide robust efficacy and safety data. This disadvantage is that it's an aircraft carrier that once set on it's beurocratic course, often leaves guys like this out in the cold. This is not an academic argument about the merits and problems with the FDA system (there are many many merits and problems), this is a real person.

The FDA has about as much authority over the practice of medicine as the FAA or the Federal Reserve (i.e. none). At the end of the day, terminally ill patients will travel to get their needs met, that's just human nature. This upsets the FDA, drug companies, and pharma sponsored organizations, but these are sick adults who get to make thier own choices. I applaud this poor grad student for taking control of his own destiny, whatever the eventual outcome of his stem cell therapy. I think everybody posting here on both sides of the debate would make the same choice if we they were in his shoes. Put the science aside for a minute and stare into his face, he's all out of big pharma and traditional medicine options.

I am the person profiled in the article. Thank you for all of the supportive comments. My decision to travel to China was not made without much research and much prayer. When my neurologist tried to dissuade me from "wasting my money" on stem cell therapy I asked myself, is that what she would say to HER son? "Sorry son, although there's a treatment out there that may help you, it costs too much and the data are insufficient to adequately evaluate is safety and effectiveness. So until the FDA gives the ok we'll just watch you waste away and suffer." Of course she wouldn't. She would travel the globe so long as there was some glimmer of hope that something could help her son. But she was more than comfortable saying it to me. I don't think she's a bad person. I do think she tried to speak intelligently on a subject she knows little about and she, like other physicians, refuse to accept that there may actually be an alternative to taking drugs for the rest of your life.

Let's be clear - adult stem cell therapy, particularly autologous therapys, is safe. This has been proven in numerous clinical trials conducted in the US and other countries. Adult stem cell has also been proven effective in treating several "incurable" diseases, most notably MS. Unfortunately, this issue is not discussed enough in mainstream media and the various types of stem cell therapies are conflated. This just exacerbates the confusion and fear that people harbor about trying something new. Just because the FDA hasn't approved it doesn't mean it's illegitimate. I've worked at major law firms, government agencies and studied politics, so I have some idea about how "legitimate" academic research is conducted and published, how certain policy decisions are made and implemented, and how firms with money profit from and thus protect those decisions. It's a game, and those with poor bodies can't afford to play.

I respect the argument of all who have posted an implore all to do what you can to bring more attention to the issue, regardless of your perspective. My goal is not only to raise money for myself, but also to raise awareness for everyone who suffers unnecessarily. If you visit www.rockysfight.com you will find a provocative photo of me that expresses, in part, my own struggle with disease and disability. Again thank you for all of your comments.

I absolutly cannot stand Mehta's personality...not to mention his obsessed eyes, Garcia does nothing for me... in all honesty Amanda Freitag should have won..she competed well against Flay when she was on the show. She is an amazing chef.. they really got it wrong this year.. what iron chef needs is new judges and to fire THE MAN WHO EATS EVERYTHING.

I have been a cyclist since 1982, I have raced both mountain and road. I am a true advocate across the board. I also feel that although the fines are steep, they are in order. the majority of cyclists will refine their riding styles accordingly. The jokers will continue to be jokers and as a result they will be fined. As for the license plate, well that is just stupid. In centre county,Pen State area, a registration sticker sufices that is placed somewhere on the bike frame. this also helps with theft as it is not removable with indication that it was there. In most European countries this is mandatory as well as fixed lighting both front and back. all issues of traffic law are applied and come with a fine. If we want more more rights as cyclists and more safety on the road then we must bear the responsability as a result. I see this an overall positive. SO please stop crying

Just wanted to make sure everyone knows that my show on Sunday is at the Tin Angel. For a link to reservations: www.aimeerobidoux.com

I can say that I actually know the other people at the table, they are colleagues of mine, and they are mild and well-mannered people. Additionally, I have been to that establishment on many occasions and you can be sure that the service, especially on Sundays, can be terrible. For example, when dining at the bar (where the servers double as bartenders for a small crowd), I have found that after ordering your food, the server will not provide you with any flatware until you request it (even for dishes traditionally eaten with forks and knives such as steaks and pasta). Nor will they ask if you wanted any salt or pepper or condiments. Now it might just be that I was at the bar (talking to the server/bartender), but I think that some of their servers can be terrible. Furthermore, a few others at the table independently told me that the restaurant/bar was not busy and they were 8 of about 20 people when the 8 ordered only wings (which were on special, hence the low cost of the check) and salads. I know that wings only take a few minutes to cook and that salads are easy to make as well.

I don't know what exactly happened because I wasn't there. What I do know from personal experience is that the service at that bar can be terrible; it is usually empty in there, no matter when you go; and that the owner is making the majority of his money from the hundreds of college students who come down there to dance to crappy techno music after they have pre-gamed and to drink at the bar from no earlier than 12:01 a.m. to close.

And for anyone who is going to complain about the graduate students being cheap, I'd like to see you walk a mile in their shoes. With probable students loans to pay, making just a bit more than the poverty line, not to mention health/auto insurance, being frugal is an almost requirement of being a graduate student. I know. I am a graduate student.

George: Spoken like a true restaurant owner or cheapskate diner.

You missed the whole point.

It isn't always up to the server how much money is made. Great servers cannot rifle pockets of diner if stiffed, no matter how good the service was.

$$$$$ may be earned but diner can leave $ or 0 on the table.

This, of course, leaves a negative balance with which to pay all those people who have their hands in the servers' pockets with the blessings of the owners.

If you don't want to tip, stay home or pack a lunch until someone changes the tip rules and owners pay decent wages.

Everyone, remember, a great way to judge character of people is how they treat those who serve them.

And then....there's karma. LE

ICMS defenders seem to me just as interested in profit, much like plastic surgeons operating under the radar and in 3rd world countries. This is a complex issue and patients especially need to research with a critical eye and not a jaundiced eye. Just because someone has an MD after their name does not mean they are a stem cell expert. Appropriate regulation should not stifle innovation, and by the same token, innovator should not be afraid of regulation. See Science. 2009 Jun 26;324(5935):1664-5. "Medical innovation versus stem cell tourism." Stem cell tourism is criticized on grounds of consumer fraud, blatant lack of scientific justification, and patient safety. However, the issues are complex because they invoke questions concerning the limits of acceptable medical innovation and medical travel. Here we discuss these issues and articulate conditions under which "unproven" therapies may be offered to patients outside of regular clinical trials.

I think this calls for some science.

I suggest some identical bikes with identical tires and tire pressure and identical weight riders, a speed gun, a suitable paved area, some chalk and a measuring tape, and some agreed upon referees. Since the fixie rider is the one with something to prove, --they are the ones under attack-- they can pick the gear ratio and the riding position. Since this won't be a handling test the fact that it's not their regular bike shouldn't be an issue, and in fact it probably won't be the regular bike of either competitor; we're not talking how well it corners or something.

This event would be a fundraiser for Neighborhood Bike Works.

If there is interest I'll be contacting bike manufacturers so that we can borrow a pair of identical bikes, and maybe some of the people at Drexel who organized a human powered vehicle race here last summer. They have timing equipment.

Contact me with suggestions regarding people, bikes and locations where this could take place. I myself am genuinely interested in the outcome but truly neutral regarding any desires as to who would be seen to stop in a shorter distance. I suggest that there be committees or teams on either side of the issue that can agree on equipment and rules. The event should test fixed-only versus fixed-with-front-brake verus freewheel with two brakes. We should consult some statisticians to make sure that the number of runs by each side make a statistically significant result. The experiment should be conducted with runs at various speeds so that any advantage of one system over another would be demonstrated in such a way that nobody could say something like "well, the fixie may have won, but brakes work better when you're going really fast/slow," etc.

Who is really neutral about this and would like to work on the event, so that there's no feeling of bias by either side? Send me an e-mail.

do it to it

Concerned, I think we share your general "concerns". ICMS definitely doesn't want to see people exploited and as a result already has a complete list of off shore sites, see www.cellemdicinesociety.org. The types of off-shore stem cell outfits you reference would never be accepted through the ICMS registry process.

My "concern" is that ISSCR is funded by big pharma, so it can't be entirely objective here. I think some of the big pharma pushback you're seeing on this board is because when the average American is given the choice of trusting their physician, big pharma, or an insurer, they usually trust their physician. Having said that, I think the ICMS and ISSCR goals are the same, educating patients so that they can make informed choices. These patients will seek care, so would you or I if we were in the poor man's condition. In that case, it's likely better to educate.

Not gonna lie, I have a major Felicia D. crush.

Of course I am sympathetic to this patient, but also very concerned that stem cell therapies are being sold around the world before they have been proven safe and effective. Isn't there a profit motive for these offshore companies selling their therapies? Of course there is! According to the International Society for Stem Cell Research, "Stem cell therapies are nearly all new and experimental. In these early stages, they may not work, and there may be downsides. Make sure you understand what to look out for before considering a stem cell therapy." Please see

Hey Isaiah - you might want to check this group out - it's been spontaneously organized and in less than 48 hours has about ~350 participating - and made the evening news

Would love to see a red bicycle icon for the redlights here. Would that actually begin to change behaviors, such as the sorry-but-it's-illegal rolling stop?

First they came for the fixie riders, but I was not a fixie rider, and I did not speak out because I was not a fixie rider made snide, petty comments...

Man, who cares. Fixed Gear bikes are for hipster doofuses who ride to show off. The only thing I regret about outlawing fixies is that the amount of hilarity that I will witness when these losers wipe out due to their own stupidity will decrease. Too bad.

These laws make sense for safety reasons, but the fines are ridiculous. The reason I ride is to save money. I'm in the process of selling my car because insurance, gas, and maintenance were killing me... Now I have to worry about biking fines that cost more than my car?! I'm not too worried though, because I think enforcement of these laws will be tough. I don't plan to change my biking habits...

These laws make sense for safety reasons, but the fines are ridiculous. The reason I ride is to save money. I'm in the process of selling my car because insurance, gas, and maintenance were killing me... Now I have to worry about biking fines that cost more than my car?! I'm not too worried though, because I think enforcement of these laws will be tough. I don't plan to change my biking habits...

State law supercedes county or city law. Hence this "law" is not really law. First person who gets an infraction due to this new "law" can take it to court and any judge worth his salt should throw the law out. Done.