Malibu, Calif. If you were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, would you want to know? That question will haunt a growing number of people and their families as scientists devise more ways to diagnose the degenerative brain disease before it causes severe symptoms, but still can't prevent or cure it. If you were in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, would you want to know? Melinda Beck on Lunch Break explains why one 57-year-old California woman and her husband wish they had never learned. Photo: Michal Czerwonka for The Wall Street Journal. Linda Dangaard underwent a spinal-tap test last year confirming suspicions of early Alzheimer's disease at age 56. Allowing his wife to be tested "was the biggest mistake of my life," says ... Continue reading →
More than half of the young children in the U.S. now have access to an iPad, iPhone or similar touch-screen device. For parents, their children's love of these devices raises a lot of questions. Kids for years have sat too close to the television for too long or played hours of Madden on family room game players. But pediatric neuroscientists and researchers who have studied the effects of screen-time on children suggest the iPad is a different beast. IPads can be wonderful, but are they wonderful for toddlers? Ben Worthen on Lunch Break explains why pediatric neuroscientists and researchers suggest that the iPad differs from TV and video games. Photo: Darcy Padilla for The Wall Street Journal. A young child will look away from a ... Continue reading →
San Francisco Andrea Petersen on The News Hub shows us the most expensive food items (not including alcohol) sold in the minibars at five U.S. luxury hotels. Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco 479 degree 'Fleur de Sel Caramel' popcorn $6 .00 F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal Roasted, salted mixed nuts (almonds, cashews and pecans) Boston Four Seasons Hotel Boston Roasted, salted mixed nuts (almonds, cashews and pecans) $8.00 Beverly Hills The Peninsula Beverly Hills 10 chocolates housed in a box shaped like the cap worn by the hotel's pages $80.00 F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts New York Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park Chocolate-covered macadamia nuts $14 F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal Popchips potato chips, ... Continue reading →
Get ready for more luxury hotels to charge $1,000 a night for a room. Paying that price won't snare you a special suite—just an entry-level room. Several companies specializing in smaller, ultraluxury hotels with high-season rates nearing—or breaking—the $1,000 mark are expanding. Some hotels are pioneering a new price for a standard room: $1,000 per night, while $500 a night rooms are becoming more prevalent as well. Andrea Petersen has details on Lunch Break. Photo: Mandarin Oriental Paris. How is $1,000-a-night hotel better than a $500-a-night one? A gorgeous setting and a large room are generally a given. There can be guaranteed ocean views and legions of fawning staff. Hotels are generally small, but have the 24-hour room service, full-service spas and a choice of ... Continue reading →
BY ELIZABETH HOLMES Matt Anderson was hanging out at a L'Occitane store in Washington, D.C., one afternoon, waiting for a friend's wife to finish shopping, when a saleswoman gently suggested his face and shaved head would benefit from some moisturizer. Mr. Anderson, a 37-year-old with a beard who manages a team of international disaster-response volunteers for the American Red Cross, had never used a facial skin-care product before, much less one from Provence. But "on a lark," he says, he bought the Verdon Energy Face Moisturizer and soon found he liked it enough to use it twice a day. Perhaps there was a ...BY ELIZABETH HOLMES Matt Anderson was hanging out at a L'Occitane store in Washington, D.C., one afternoon, waiting for a friend's wife ... Continue reading →
The biggest consideration in choosing an alarm clock is usually finding the right buzzer noise—annoying enough to force you to get up but not so horrible that it ruins your day. Now a bevy of "smart alarms" have a new selling point: waking you at the perfect time. A smart alarm can monitor your sleep and wake you gently while you are in a light stage of sleep, which will leave you feeling less groggy, according to the companies that sell the alarms. But sleep specialists are skeptical the alarms will improve alertness, emphasizing instead the importance of a good night's sleep. Several devices work by "actigraphy" or monitoring your motion because people are more likely to be moving when sleeping lightly. The alarms determine ... Continue reading →
Jessica Setnick was on her way to her mother's house for dinner when she decided that she had something to say that couldn't wait. She sent her mom a text: "I got my hair cut today and I think it looks fine. So if you don't like it, please don't say anything." Ms. Setnick, a 39-year-old registered dietitian in Dallas, says she frequently braces herself for her mother's disapproving remarks. Such as, "Now that your husband has been laid off, you will need to stop eating out so much." Or, "The green napkins would look much better on the table." Or, "Why did you buy so many ears of corn?" Ms. Setnick says she finds these comments condescending and often feels hurt by them. They ... Continue reading →
