Guests

Until recently, very few people had ever heard of raspberry ketones, the aromatic compounds that give the berries their distinctive smell. Today, health food stores have trouble keeping the capsules or drops of the stuff on their shelves. Almost overnight, an obscure plant compound became the next big thing in weight loss - and all it took was a few words from Dr. Oz. In a February episode of "The Dr. Oz Show," Mehmet Oz told viewers that raspberry ketones were "the No. 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat. " Once Oz calls something a "miracle," it doesn't remain obscure for long.

Known for the great variety of the roles he plays, Leonardo DiCaprio now is trying his hand at Malibu beach house landlord. He has listed this Cape Cod-inspired home for $75,000 a month for a long-term tenant or $150,000 a month for leases of less than six months. His Malibu Colony compound was recently remodeled and features a four-bedroom main house on the ocean side, a two-bedroom guest house and a detached loft with gym. There is a beach-front deck, a fire pit, gardens and lawn on the less-than-half-acre lot. DiCaprio, 37, whose blockbuster hits include "Titanic" (1997)

Most voters have by now received their sample ballots, and those who plan to vote by mail are sending in their applications. The June 5 election is underway right now. It is noteworthy for several reasons. Los Angeles County voters will be selecting a new district attorney, and this is the first time since 1964 that there is no incumbent trying to hold onto the seat. The field is wide open. To win outright in this nonpartisan race, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote.

Two new Las Vegas venues invite guests to - quite literally - have a blast. Letting loose with high-powered firearms may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but my visits to two indoor gun ranges suggested just how popular they are with tourists. The bed. After you've plunkeddown plenty for a session at a gun range, that credit card may be close to maxing out. Consider staying at the Plaza (1 Main St.; [800] 634-6575, http://www.plazahotelcasino.com ; rooms from $31 weekdays and $80 weekends)

Two new Las Vegas venues invite guests to - quite literally - have a blast. Letting loose with high-powered firearms may not be everyone's idea of a good time, but my visits to two indoor gun ranges suggested just how popular they are with tourists. The bed. After you've plunkeddown plenty for a session at a gun range, that credit card may be close to maxing out. Consider staying at the Plaza (1 Main St.; [800] 634-6575, http://www.plazahotelcasino.com ; rooms from $31 weekdays and $80 weekends)

Shahbal Shabpareh and his band Black Cats — a premier Iranian American pop group — have performed American hits with a Persian twist at upper-crust Iranian celebrations almost weekly for years. They've seen lots of lavish weddings, but one stands out as the most over-the-top. As guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres outside the banquet hall, the bride was placed in a glass coffin. The groom fitted on a white half-mask. Then, the carefully planned Phantom of the Opera theme devolved into chaos.

Buster Keaton The great silent comic guest-starred in two episodes, 1958's "A Very Merry Christmas" and 1965's "Now You See It, Now You Don't. " Don Drysdale The Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame pitcher appeared as himself in two 1964 episodes, "Play Ball" and "My Son the Catcher. " Lassie The beloved movie dog and director George Sidney stopped by in the 1961 "The Stones Go to Hollywood" installment.

Guests are getting less happy with their hotel stays, judging from a new survey.  A major culprit: As hotels cut costs, their service and facilities have slipped. Results of the 2011 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, released Wednesday by J.D. Power and Associates , found that overall satisfaction with hotels over the last year has slid to 764 from 771, based on a 1,000-point scale. Despite paying about 4% more in room rates, customers said they were actually more satisfied this year than last with costs and fees, the study found.

Leave it to a luxury resort to redefine "alternate route. " To the Post Ranch Inn in California's Big Sur area, a 15-minute helicopter ride is the best way to avoid an hours-long detour. And starting Wednesday, you can book a package that includes the scenic flight. Since March 16, when a section of Highway 1 collapsed north of Big Sur, about 13 miles south of Carmel, the California Department of Transportation has advised motorists to find different routes into this popular stretch of Central California . Travelers driving up from Los Angeles and other points south of Big Sur are not affected by the slide.

First Lady Michelle Obama will watch her husband's State of the Union speech surrounded by some familiar names. On the list released Tuesday by the White House was astronaut Mark Kelly, the husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of Apple founder Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffett's secretary. If Debbie Bosanek's name is not well known, her tax bracket is. The assistant to the billionaire founder of Berkshire Hathaway, became a minor political figure after her boss declared that he shouldn't be paying a smaller slice of his income in taxes than middle-class workers like his secretary.

Question: Many hotels, both in the U.S. and abroad, piously announce that they are helping to preserve the environment and reduce water usage by offering guests the option of not having towels and sheets changed daily. We are instructed to hang up the towels if we are willing to not have them changed. Many hotels do not provide sufficient towel racks, making it difficult to hang up the towels. If we do manage to hang up the towels, they are changed anyway. I routinely complain to the front desk, though I always sense that the staff has no idea and no interest in my complaint.

Strange, jellyfish-like creatures swarming a coastal nuclear power plant: It might sound like the premise of a cult horror flick, but the invasion has prompted officials at the Diablo Canyon facility in San Luis Obispo to curtail operations for at least a few days. The plant's operator, Pacific Gas & Electric, cut power generation from one of the plant's two reactors to 25% of its capacity, spokesman Tom Cuddy said Wednesday. The other reactor was shut down this week for what PG&E described as routine refueling and maintenance, a procedure that could take about a month.

Under Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's shy and reclusive personality stands a man gracefully taking center stage. He did that on the hardwood. Abdul-Jabbar won five of his six championships with the Lakers during the Showtime era. He finished as the NBA's all-time leading scorer (38,387 points). And he capped his 20-year career with a distinguishable skill-set with his famed sky hook. Abdul-Jabbar also has done that with acting. He grew up taking acting lessons at St. Jude Catholic School in Manhattan.

Actor Harrison Ford has listed his compound in Brentwood for $8.295 million. The New England-inspired traditional house, designed by Gerard Colcord and built in 1951, is set off the street at the end of a long gated driveway. On more than three-quarters of an acre with mature trees and three detached guest suites, the two-story main house has been restored and remodeled in keeping with the original design. "It was a one-story Colcord country colonial originally," said Bret Parsons, author of the book "Colcord Home.

When I married into a Yemenite family in Israel more than 40 years ago, it raised some eyebrows. Since my family was of Polish and Russian origin, I was embracing a different culture, including foods that were unlike the Ashkenazi ones I had grown up with. When the Jews are classified into two broad groups, my in-laws count as Sephardim - Jews from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern lands. In Israel, such "mixed marriages" of Ashkenazim and Sephardim have become much more common, and this is naturally reflected in today's Passover menus.

USC is free and clear of its two-year bowl ban, but Trojans practices on campus will remain in NCAA-mandated lockdown throughout two remaining years of probation. Players' immediate family members, invited guests of USC senior administrators, recruits and media representatives are the only outsiders allowed inside the gates of Brian Kennedy-Howard Jones Field, keeping what was once a bustling, fan-friendly facility under former coach Pete Carroll a ghost town by comparison.

Want to feel like a rock star? You don’t need an agent. Just check into the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego and check out a $2,000 electric guitar. On the heels of Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, which began the “ Check In. Rock Out ” program more than a year ago, the San Diego link in the music-themed chain is letting guests use handmade, high-end Gibson guitars for free. Among the models are Les Paul Studios, SG Standards and SG Specials, said Blake Smith, global music marketing manager for Hard Rock International.

"Welcome to Hollywood!" said the man in black who opened my car door. "Welcome to Hollywood!" said the woman in black who checked me in. Even the bellboy in black welcomed me to Hollywood. I hadn't warbled my way into the "American Idol" finals. I was merely spending a night at the W Hollywood, which opened a month ago near Hollywood and Vine. The W doesn't want you to forget you're in Hollywood — the Hollywood of myth, glitz and glamour, not this still-seedy part of town.

Welcome to the iHotel, where you can check in - but there's no check-in counter. At the Andaz West Hollywood, a host stands near the entrance to register guests on an iPad tablet. The 239-room boutique hotel - which also features free Wi-Fi and communal tables designed for laptop use in the lobby - is just one of many hotels that have adapted their reception areas to be a better fit for the digital-savvy guest. Because working alone in a hotel room seems as antiquated to young business travelers as typewriters, these hotels are going for a Wi-Fi coffee-shop atmosphere in their lobbies.

Vengeance on the court In February, actor-comedian Will Ferrell delivered a few humorous pregame player introductions before a Bulls-Hornets game in New Orleans. Here were a few of his one-liners: "At forward, No. 5, he still lives with his mother . . . Carlos Boozer. "At center, No. 13, he's a Scorpio and a horrible dancer . . . Joakim Noah. "At guard, No. 1, his favorite movie is 'The Notebook' . . . Derrick Rose . " How do you top that?