Issue Date: August 27-29, 2004
RU-21: License to drink?
Imagine James Bond out on the town with a beautiful Russian spy. A few bottles of champagne later, he's passed out while she (unaffected by the alcohol) is now free to rummage around in his hotel room. Her trick? An "antidote" to alcohol she took ahead of time, which allowed her to drink without becoming inebriated.
Sound far-fetched? Well, Soviet scientists tried to develop such a pill during the Cold War. The problem: Although it seemed to help with hangovers, it didn't prevent getting drunk. So, the "KGB pill" never made it to prime time. But after the fall of the Soviet Union, information about this supplement became available, and entrepreneurs took notice. Spirit Sciences USA, a company based in Los Angeles, sells a dietary supplement, marketed as RU-21, online and in stores. The makers of RU-21, which is produced in Moscow, say it enhances the body's capacity to break down alcohol and prevent the buildup of acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism. Besides warding off hangovers, acetaldehyde may be linked to alcohol-related diseases, including liver damage. Spirit Sciences sees the product as a tool to lower a drinker's long-term risk, as well as help prevent hangovers. Many involved in preventing alcoholism are concerned about sending a message that a pill can make drinking risk-free. Also controversial: RU-21, as a dietary supplement, requires neither approval from the Food and Drug Administration nor a prescription. This much is certain: RU-21 will make its way to campuses and nightclubs. Until further research is done, we should proceed with caution. By eliminating a consequence of drunkenness, more people may feel a license to drink. But combined with driving, that can become a license to kill. I think that's one license we need to leave to James Bond.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., directs the Wellness Program at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas.
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Fix that ripped screen
Torn screens are a fact of owning a home. I've re-screened our front screen door twice so far. By removing the old screen and buying a roll of fiberglass screen (the easiest to use), some new spline (the thin rubber rope that holds the screen in the frame) and a spline tool, you can do it yourself. Lay the new screen over the frame, insert the spline into the groove and press in place. Use the spline tool (it resembles a pizza cutter) to secure the rope. Cut the excess with a utility knife and replace the screen in the opening. If yours is a problem screen, consider aluminum screening, which is a little tougher. If a large pet likes to stick his snoot in the screen, there are thicker pet screens that are the toughest around.
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Presidential perks
Where do presidents sleep when they travel? In presidential suites, of course. And if your pockets are as deep as the U.S. Treasury's, you can enjoy the same kind of pampering. Every president since Herbert Hoover has stayed at New York's Waldorf Towers. The 3,750-square-foot Presidential Suite has up to four bedrooms, a formal dining room and a vast living room with a fireplace (from $7,500 a night). The Penthouse Suite at the Fairmont San Francisco has a terrace view of the bay and skyline. In 6,000 square feet, there are three bedrooms, a grand piano, a dining room seating 50, a two-story library and a billiard room covered in Persian tiles ($10,000 a night). In Chicago, the Ritz-Carlton's 2,000-square-foot Presidential Suite has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lake Michigan, a kitchen and a spiral staircase to the two bedrooms on the upper level (from $4,000 a night).
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Credit card rebates
Tired of using your credit card to rack up frequent-flier miles that are difficult to use? Good news: Many cards now pay you back in more meaningful ways. They have to. "Most consumers already have several cards," says Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings .com, "so to get you to apply for a totally new card, issuers are dangling the carrot and giving you good reason to switch." Some cards give higher rebates if you keep a balance rather than paying off your card each month. But that's never worth it. Here's a look at three cards, all with no annual fee.
Savings:
Fidelity Investment Rewards MasterCard (MBNA), personal.fidelity.com
APR: 9.9%.
Rebate (1.5%; $1,500 yearly maximum) goes in Fidelity investment or IRA.
Why we like it: 1.5% is a good rate. If you put it in an IRA, there are tax benefits, too.
Education:
Citi Upromise Platinum Select MasterCard, citicards.com
APR: 12.24%.
1% shopping rebate (annual cap: $300), 10% on select items (no cap) and 2% on gas from ExxonMobil (no cap) goes into a 529 college savings plan.
Why we like it: AOL members get double rebates.
Mortgage:
Citi Home Rebate Platinum Select MasterCard, citicards.com
APR: 11.24%.
Rebate of 1% of all purchases goes to mortgage principal, regardless of lender.
Why we like it: Good for big spenders, because there's no cap.
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