Reporting aesthetics in the community, business and health

I've been complaining about Christmas decorations appearing the malls already and about holiday commercials on t.v., but one thing I will not complain about is The Boston Globe's article on the infamous house on the parkway in Jamaica Plain whose owners are already in trouble this year for their Christmas decoration spectacle. I love this house. Year-round, it's an imposing, castle-like structure that few people who drive through that area can miss. At Christmas, the over-the-top decorations (which do more than test the line between tacky and tasteful--they flatten that line like Santa's sleigh would a snowflake) are an annual delight for me, just because of the enthusiasm they show. The article explains, though, how the owner is in trouble this year for constructing a new addition that they say ought to have a building permit. The article does a great job showing multiple sides of the story: the snobby neighbors who find the decorations distasteful but try to cloak their attitudes with concerns for safety (A 650-pound structure is not going to get swept off the roof by wind and land on a child. Honestly.); the adoring fans who send letters; and the owners' own enthusiasm for their annual tradition. It's a great community story. I loved it. I just hope they do a follow-up once the holiday season is truly underway.

If only all news stories were so engaging. The New York Times article on Christie's opening auction last night has all the facts and figures but little of the panache that makes an auction exciting. The article jams a lot of information in about particular sales, including their predicted selling prices and actual outcomes, without including much dialogue or drama. It certainly succeeds as a news story, incorporating all the important information, and it does explain the process thoroughly--I particularly appreciated a parenthetical note that explained the inclusion of commissions in the final prices but not the estimates. But I just can't help but think that to include this article in the Arts section (when it very well could have been a business article) without capturing the atmosphere of the event does an injustice to the story.

In a turn away from aesthetics, a Washington Post article examines a new study that suggests being overweight is not as detrimental to one's health as previously imagined. The article examines the complexities of the study, which suggests being overweight is still harmful in some respects but can actually decrease the likelihood of other health risks. The article includes opinions from all sides in the scientific community.