'The Oprah Effect': Is Christmas in October naughty, or nice?

It's not surprising that there is buzz after today's Oprah Winfrey Show (she seems to have that effect on people frequently), but this time many are wondering if Oprah's featured offer is just an early example of the acceleration of Black Friday's rabid consumerism. All this, and Halloween hasn't even arrived yet.

On the second segment of her show today, Oprah announced an exclusive sale at Payless ShoeSource: a link to a coupon for 50% off one’s entire purchase. (The offer is only good in stores from now until the close of business Friday, Oct. 30. That's tomorrow, folks -- so if you're interested, don't delay on printing that coupon.)

(Perhaps unrelated to the Christmas season, but still worth mentioning, is another offer recently released by Boston Market. The restaurant chain's coupon, which offers customers the choice of a quarter white meat or a three-piece dark meat meal with mashed potatoes and cornbread for $1, was a response to KFC's free-chicken day on Monday, Oct. 26. Boston Market makes no attempt to hide that the promotion is an attempt to steal KFC's thunder; its coupon reads "$1 Real Chicken Meal: Always better than just a FREE piece of chicken." The offer is good until Nov. 1.)

Hollywood's Museum of Death: 'Carpe diem' reminder or inappropriate?

You don’t have to wait until Nov. 1 to celebrate the Day of the Dead -- head on over to Hollywood’s Museum of Death and live it up now.

Today, The Times' Bob Pool shares the grisly details about the mummified heads, reenacted mass suicides, and how-to videos for embalming a body in Cathee Shultz and J.D. Healy's museum. (A photo gallery shows some of the museum’s authentic death artifacts and museum visitors’ reactions to them.)

Healy says he hopes people leave not with nightmares about murder and demise, or fear about their impending mortality, but with a renewed appreciation for life.

After reading Pool’s article about the museum, are you going to visit the Museum of Death? If you have visited, do you agree with Healy that its grave exhibits encourage you to live life to the fullest?

Or are the displays -- like the room devoted to serial killers -- just offensive and inappropriate responses to serious tragedies?

-- Kelsey Ramos

Photo: A visitor looks at the display on the Heaven's Gate cult suicide.  Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Medical marijuana for an L.A. Times columnist

For a lot of people, the details about medical marijuana can be hazy. Hundreds of dispensaries have grown like weeds around Los Angeles, some of which are open as late as fast-food restaurants (a blessed coincidence). But how does one get a prescription to use this medicine?

Thankfully, L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez broke down part of the process in his column today about his visit to the medical marijuana doctor.

In his account, Lopez educates us about obtaining a marijuana “recommendation” from an obstetrician who had advertised as being someone who could write a script for the controversial bud. 

So the question is: Is Lopez’s account of visiting the doctor an accurate depiction of the experience?

Do you agree with him that we’re better off legalizing the plant? Or do the recreational users who abuse the system need to be, excuse the pun, weeded out?

Our interactive map of L.A. marijuana dispensaries shows which are licensed and which have been denied applications -- it also marks their proximity to schools, parks and libraries. What do you think about the location of these dispensaries? Does it matter that they are so close to schools and public spaces? Or do you consider this much ado about nothing?

-- Kelsey Ramos

Photo: Various strains of medical marijuana sit on a shelf inside Green Oasis, a medical mariujuana dispensary in Los Angeles. Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

Did you watch the U2 concert at the Rose Bowl?

U2 was in sync. The Edge was electric. Bono was energetic. That screen was absolutely massive.

Throngs of concert-goers turned out for the U2 concert at the Rose Bowl on Sunday.

After all, it was the largest audience the Rose Bowl has ever hosted. U2's concert brought out tons of celebrities, including J.J. Abrams, Colin Farrell, Michael Bay and Danny DeVito.

The performance received rave reviews, and we want to hear all about your experiences.

Did you brave traffic and crowds to attend on Sunday? Were the streets as bad as some say? Were you impressed with the performance? Were the Black Eyed Peas a worthy opener?

If you decided to skip the show (hey, traffic was rough, and tickets were expensive or unattainable), did you watch on YouTube -- or should we say, U2ube?

Google hasn't yet released metrics, but the YouTube broadcast of the U2 concert was expected to attract millions. Did you have any problems with the stream?

Some were bound to have skipped Bono-mania entirely. Are you going to watch the rebroadcast online, or are you just not impressed with the Irish foursome?

-- Mark Milian

Photo: The Edge and Bono perform at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Associated Press

Sculpture installation at new LAPD headquarters: art or atrocious?

In today's column, Steve Lopez finds mixed reactions to the six cast-bronze pieces recently installed outside of the nearly completed LAPD headquarters downtown. Police Chief William J. Bratton said he walked by the installation to see whether "it's as ugly up close as it is when you're driving by." A passerby said, "It's nice, but is this a pig, or what is it?"

If you haven't seen the objects in person, take a look at a these photos. Let us know what you think of the installation.

Photo: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

'We did it for the show,' balloon boy explains, so does that mean it was a hoax?

Yesterday was a busy day for little Falcon Heene. One minute he's playing with his brothers as they tinker with a homemade balloon, the next minute the balloon is airborne, and soon after millions of people are under the impression that Falcon is aboard the craft as it speeds through the thin air of Colorado.

We now know that the 6-year-old spent five hours hiding in the attic of the family garage out of fear of being reprimanded for letting the balloon loose into the heavens. But around the Web, and even in our own comments, the phrase (and accusation) "Balloon Boy Hoax" is gaining momentum.

The cynicism about the young lad and his trial is due in part because, when asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "Larry King Live" yesterday, young Falcon said, "Um, we did it for the show." The question was along the lines of "why didn't you answer when your parents called for you?" Thus the critics are assuming that the family, who has participated in a TV reality program, were all in on the commotion. When Blitzer pressed Richard Heene, the father became visibly agitated.

Later it was reported that Falcon himself got physically upset, twice, during interviews.

Loma Prieta earthquake was 20 years ago -- where were you?

Twenty years ago two 50-foot sections of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge collapsed because of the Loma Prieta earthquake. That wasn't the only damage. Indeed, 63 people were killed, about 3,800 people were injured, and the 6.9 magnitude quake caused over $10 billion in damage across the Bay Area.

The reconstruction of the Bay Bridge turned out to be the largest public works project in California history -- and it's still not finished two decades later.

As we look back to the quake that even postponed the World Series, we ask: What were you doing when the quake hit? Feel free to answer in the comments box below.  Did you take photos of the event?  We'd love to see them -- share them at The Times' photo-sharing site, Your Scene.

-- Tony Pierce

In this photo taken Oct. 17, 1989, a California Highway Patrol Officer checks the damage to cars that fell when the upper deck of the Bay Bridge collapsed onto the lower deck after the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco. Credit: Vince Maggiora / San Francisco Chronicle

Balloon Boy alive and safe

For a few hours this afternoon, the nation turned its focus to an unlikely victim -- Balloon Boy.

A 6-year-old boy named Falcon Heene was believed to have crawled into a homemade balloon modeled after a UFO in Denver and found himself floating below the clouds. The Heene family was featured on the 100th episode of the ABC show "Wife Swap," which aired nearly two weeks ago.

CNN followed the balloon with cameras as news commentators quizzically ranted about how confusing this whole thing was. Tell me about it.

When the balloon was finally grounded, no one was found inside.

Finally, authorities confirmed that the so-called Balloon Boy was alive and safe.

The hubbub was followed intently by major news organizations, but the chatter was perhaps most prevalent and most immediate on Twitter. On the social network, endless tweets were focused on the event.

As rumors spread and the boy's safety remained uncertain, users signified their distress by Twittering concerned comments and appending the hashtag "#saveballoonboy."

Also on the Trending Topics list, which shows the most popular topics at any given time, was #balloonboy, Balloon Boy, Falcon and Colorado.

Here's a sampling of some of the more notable tweets reacting to the news of the boy being found:

Raychellie: Falcon Heenes (aka: balloon boy) should win the 2009 Hide and Seek award.

SethMyers21: Oh and by the way, THE KID SHOULD GET IN TROUBLE!!!!

Motownmutt: Hearing rumours that the balloon boy is grounded.

Franklinavenue: Today's coverage of "Balloon Boy" brought to you by Disney Home Entertainment. "Up" released on DVD and Blu-ray on Nov. 10!

How did you react to the Balloon Boy news?

Update after the jump...

Santa Monica considers raising parking rates to discourage automobiles

Santa Monica is considering raising its downtown parking rates to encourage people to use alternative means other than automobiles to visit places such as the Promenade. According to the story in today's Times, "a full day of parking would rise from $7 to $9 and on-street parking meters from $1 to $1.50 per hour. Meters might be converted to accept credit cards."

By boosting rates, officials intend to make the parking closest to the congested Third Street Promenade expensive enough that some visitors will instead walk, take the bus or park in more-distant garages. If it works, the city would benefit from smoother traffic flow, reduced pollution as fewer people cruise for spaces and a better return on land developed for public parking.

"What we're saying is: 'Parking's not free in Santa Monica anymore,' " said Councilman Bobby Shriver, who advocates changing the parking rules.

Santa Monica is one of several cities -- including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- turning to market-based pricing in an effort to keep parking lots busy with paying customers while making alternatives such as walking, cycling or taking public transit more appealing.

Some critics are concerned about the elderly, of whom there are many who reside at the beach city, who live on fixed incomes and will possibly be the most affected by the increases. Meanwhile, small business owners worry that it might discourage would-be customers from "popping in" to a bar or restaurant for a quick drink or snack.

So where do you stand? Do increased rates for parking meters slow you down from taking your car to certain parts of town? Will increased parking rates stop you from visiting Santa Monica or will you ride the Big Blue Bus the next time you head down there?

-- Tony Pierce

Photo: People enjoying Santa Monica Pier in August 2009. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

George W. Bush's new smart phone attracts Twitter zingers

Just when you thought people had grown tired of ragging on President George W. Bush, the zingers come back.

The Ticket posted news Tuesday about the former president getting a BlackBerry.

After a meeting with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, we -- along with Stone -- had begun to wonder if Twitter could be next for Bush.

The Twitter world wasn't so enthusiastic about the less-than-popular politician coming to the party. The prospect incited disses not seen since the latter part of Bush's last term.

JashSF writes:

He's going to need a spell checker on there.

Barbapreta writes:

Oh my Gosh! Are you ready for e-bushisms!

RichardWildwood writes:

I can see how this is BB's ideal celeb advocate

Thesurfreport writes:

Doubtful as he probably can't count to 140.

-- Mark Milian

Twitter: @markmilian

Photo credit: Associated Press

Shouldn't students be able to get a bailout?

While huge banks, homeowners and automakers have received billions of federal dollars in bailouts, David Lazarus wonders why students -- the future of this country -- don't get the same treatment.

Like many recent college grads, Los Angeles resident Steven Lee finds himself unemployed in one of the roughest job markets in decades and saddled with a big pile of debt. He owes about $84,000 in student loans for undergrad and grad-school costs.

But what Lee's angry about isn't the slings and arrows of an outrageous economy, and it isn't the idea that he owes a ton of money for all the learning he's received.

It's the interest rates on his government-backed student loans, which range from 6.8% to a whopping 8.5%.

"That's just ridiculous," Lee, 35, told me. "The rate for a 30-year mortgage is around 5%. Why should anyone have to pay 8.5%?"

Read Lazarus' piece here and watch the video above, and when you're done feel free to chime in below  with an answer to the question: Shouldn't students also receive a bailout? Their fees and tuition have skyrocketed over the last decade -- suppose we give them a hand?

-- Tony Pierce

Obama wins the Nobel and $1.4 million -- what should he spend the money on?

This year's Nobel Prize brought about some strange bedfellows. Friday morning, when news surfaced that President Obama had been awarded the peace prize, critics from the left, the right and even the Taliban called foul.

"We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama," a Taliban spokesman told the AFP news agency from an undisclosed location. "When Obama was elected president, we were hopeful he would keep his promise to bring change. But he brought no change, he has continued the same old strategy as [President George W.] Bush."

Many of the comments on blog posts around the Web, including here at The Times, wondered what Obama had accomplished in the short period of time he's been in office.

But the cold, curious fact is he won it. Members of the Nobel committee, who heard gasps when they  announced him as the winner, aren't about to change their minds. Further, Obama accepted the honor and said he felt "humbled" to win it.

So the question now becomes, what should Obama do with the money that comes with the prize? $1.4 million can't cure cancer or build a football stadium in L.A., but surely it can do something. The White House has said the president plans to donate it to charity, but can that really make a difference?

Share your thoughts on what you think the president should spend the money on.

-- Tony Pierce

Photo: A sand sculpture in Puri, India, created by artist Sudarshan Pattnaik to congratulate Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Credit: EPA

Does Obama deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

It took a Nobel Peace Prize for the former community organizer, Barack Obama, to unite the normally fractious political spectrum that ranges from liberals to conservatives and from Democrats to Republicans. Everyone, including the White House, was shocked by the win.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged that it was moving quickly to give Obama the award, before he had done much more than lay out guidelines for his new diplomatic role.

Obama’s outgoing approach and desire to broaden the diplomatic exchange is in sharp contrast to his predecessor, George W. Bush, and that too played into the selection.

But Obama has had his accomplishments. He has given major speeches in Cairo on the need to recognize the Muslim world and in Prague on halting the spread of nuclear weapons. He helped get a strong United Nations resolution on nuclear nonproliferation.

He has also spoken forcefully on the need to act to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to fight global warming, though his administration concedes that Congress will probably not act before the next international climate conference in Copenhagen in December.

Obama scrapped a Bush proposal to build a missile shield for Eastern Europe, a step Russia had sought.

 -- Michael Muskal

Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House after being awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Oct. 9, 2009. Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for "extraordinary efforts" to strengthen global diplomacy just nine months into his term and without the record of achievement of past laureates. Credit: Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg

Lindsay Lohan draws jeers and cheers as artistic advisor for Ungaro

Once Lindsay Lohan graduated from the Disney film factory of cuteness and started to mirror the behavior of the likes of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, the negative criticism started rolling in. The negative press didn't just focus on her personal foibles of car crashes, getting thrown off projects and flashing her lady parts; she broke a record a few years ago in her professional career by collecting seven Razzie awards including worst movie of 2007. 

Hopefully Lohan has developed a thick skin from all that drama because this week she co-designed a line of clothes for French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro's Ready-to-Wear Spring/Summer 2010 Collection, and the comments in our All the Rage and Dish Rag blogs were pretty harsh.

Shanna wrote: Kinda reminds me of Dunkin' Donuts uniforms...

joanne agreed: Disgusting, what an insult to UNGARO

lula commented: wow so glad for esteban that he is out of this mess he is rising by the minute while the house sinks to the deep end. tacky trashy no class is an understatement for this slap in the face collection

JohBurgJen said: Been there, seen that. A totally pathetic attempt to put together a fashion show. Are you people joking? Lindsay should stay where she belongs.

Shawn complained: AAAH! My eyes!  All around a very embarrassing moment for everyone involved. The bottom-line, though, is the fashion industry is as cut-throat as it gets. It was rather cruel to prop Ms. Lohan up in this position knowing that her psychological health is hanging by a thread. I feel really sorry for her - but who couldn't see this coming? Except *maybe* for Lohan and that misguided Ungaro exec. On the other hand, if only the clothes were halfway cute - she might get some respect. But they look like Polly Pocket Porn Star meets Pamela "oops, I forgot my pants" Anderson. They are UGLY, look unfinished and completely un-inspired. 

Should the Supreme Court allow a Christian cross in a war monument?

 
This 75-year-old wooden cross, now covered with a tarp, was at the center of a heated debate in the U.S. Supreme Court today.

The cross, which is located atop a rock in California’s Mojave National Preserve near the Nevada border, has honored fallen World War I soldiers since 1934 but came under fire a decade ago after park employee Frank Buono protested its potential 1st Amendment violation of establishment of religion.

The land on which the cross sits was recently transferred from the national preserve to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, but the Supreme Court justices debated today whether that solves the issue. In the past, the park has turned down a request to display a Buddhist symbol. The Obama administration agreed with the VFW and urged the court to uphold the display of the cross while it is under private control.

An excerpt from the article by David G. Savage:

"This is a stand-alone cross," said Peter Eliasberg, the [American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California] lawyer. "The cross is the predominant symbol of Christianity," he said, and it should not be treated as though it is the single, favored religious symbol.

Justice Antonin Scalia took sharp exception to that comment.

The cross "is the most common symbol" to honor the war dead, he said, calling it an "outrageous conclusion" to say the cross is limited to honoring only soldiers who were Christians. By the end of the hour, it was not clear what issue the justices will decide. They could decide whether the transfer of the cross to the VFW solved the legal problem. Or they could go further back and decide whether it was constitutional to erect the cross on public land.

So what are your thoughts? Is it being too politically correct if we disallow a private World War I monument with a Christian cross? Or does the cross' presence in the preserve wrongly discriminate against other religions by preventing their symbols, like a Buddhist one, from being represented as well?

-- Kelsey Ramos

Photo: This cross, now covered in tarp, atop a rock in California’s Mojave National Preserve has been a memorial to fallen World War I soldiers since 1934. Credit: Liberty Legal Institute / Associated Press