Theme

Is fiction good for us? We spend huge chunks of our lives immersed in novels, films, TV shows, and other forms of fiction. Some see this as a positive thing, arguing that made-up stories cultivate our mental and moral development. But others have argued that fiction is mentally and ethically corrosive. It's an ancient question: Does fiction build the morality of individuals and societies, or does it break it down? This controversy has been flaring up — sometimes literally, in the form of book burnings — ever since Plato tried to ban fiction from his ideal republic.

President Obama Monday vigorously defended his reelection campaign's attacks on Mitt Romney's business record, saying the principles of private equity do not apply to the presidency. "If your main argument for how to grow the economy is, ‘I knew how to make a lot of money for investors,' then you're missing what this job is about," Obama said. "My job is to take into account everybody, not just some. " In a challenge to the Romney campaign, Obama pointedly said this issue would be a focal point of his effort to win reelection.

For many New Englanders, the lure of Florida is irresistible in midwinter as they trade snow and sleet for sun and fun. The opportunities for enjoyment include this Sunshine State sampling: The Point Orlando, a condo-hotel on International Drive in Orlando, opens this month with a family package at 20 percent off. It features a one-bedroom executive suite, a continental breakfast daily, and free Internet. The resort says its design combines the amenities and services of a hotel with the space and privacy of a condo.

The remnants of the first tropical storm of the season, Alberto, will be rolling through New England today and Tuesday, and rain and clouds will be a common theme early this week, according to the National Weather Service. Scattered showers are expected today, with an increasing chance of heavier showers over Connecticut and Southeastern New England, the service said. Highs will be in the upper 60s. The showers are expected to continue to pop up into the Tuesday morning commute, said meteorologist Bill Simpson.

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. -- Charles R. Wood, a northern New York philanthropist and businessman who founded what is now the Great Escape amusement park, died Thursday at his home after a long bout with cancer. He was 90. Called the "grandfather of the American amusement park," Mr. Wood opened Storytown USA in 1954, then a single-themed "amusement center" on the southeastern edge of the Adirondacks. Intended as a place where children could immerse themselves in the nursery rhymes of Mother Goose, the five-acre park was opened with $5,000 and staffed with just four employees including...

HONG KONG -- Mickey Mouse should be really worried about people like Shum Nai-ho. The middle-aged man from southern China could have ridden Space Mountain or posed for photos with Donald Duck at the new Hong Kong Disneyland, which was expected to be a top attraction for mainland Chinese. Instead, Shum took his wife and daughter to Hong Kong Ocean Park, a 29-year-old marine-themed park many thought would be wiped out by the time Disneyland celebrates its first anniversary tomorrow.

I WENT down to Occupy Boston on a recent night to hear from the people actually there what they thought they were doing. Everyone I approached was happy to talk to me, polite, cheerful, and surprisingly modest for a bunch of protesters. But then, protests usually have a cause or a theme. The only unifying themes I found among the people I spoke with were a general sense that our society is focusing attention and resources on the wrong things and a great joy that people are doing something about it. The connections being made at Occupy Boston could easily outlast the...

The remnants of the first tropical storm of the season, Alberto, will be rolling through New England today and Tuesday, and rain and clouds will be a common theme early this week, according to the National Weather Service. Scattered showers are expected today, with an increasing chance of heavier showers over Connecticut and Southeastern New England, the service said. Highs will be in the upper 60s. The showers are expected to continue to pop up into the Tuesday morning commute, said meteorologist Bill Simpson.

John Hancock Financial Services said Monday that it plans to launch an ad campaign later this month with the theme of, ‘‘You Are Not Alone. " This is the first campaign under Boston-based Hancock's new chief marketing officer, David Longfritz. Boston ad agency Hill Holliday created the campaign. The campaign will be seen on TV and online. It continues the company's tradition of using ads that feature consumers having "intimate conversations" about their personal finances.

I have a (secular) dream In the story of the civil rights movement, pride of place is often given to religion and preachers--not least because Martin Luther King Jr. so powerfully used religious ideas to make the case for racial justice. Writing for the Religion News Service, Kimberly Winston points out that there were plenty of African-American atheists involved in the movement, but they're often overlooked. Take A. Philip Randolph. Today he's hardly remembered, but Randolph was a prominent labor leader who organized the historic March on Washington at which MLK gave...

When Bill Pope, executive director of the Zullo Gallery Center for the Arts in Medfield, found out that his town had chosen the book "Outwitting History," by Aaron Lansky, for its inaugural communitywide reading project, he saw an ideal opportunity to combine art with literature and aggregate some of the area's cultural resources. "The book is a nonfiction account about a young man from Massachusetts whose effort to gather Yiddish books turns into a far-reaching mission to help preserve a dying culture," Pope said.

When Bill Pope, executive director of the Zullo Gallery Center for the Arts in Medfield, found out that his town had chosen the book "Outwitting History," by Aaron Lansky, for its inaugural communitywide reading project, he saw an ideal opportunity to combine fine art with literature and aggregate some of the community's cultural resources. "The book is a nonfiction account about a young man from Massachusetts whose effort to gather Yiddish books turns into a far-reaching mission to help preserve a dying culture," Pope said.

The U.S. Postal Service will issue a commemorative pictorial postmark celebrating Maine's 50th annual Windjammer Days. The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce says the stamp was designed by the chamber using the components of this year's festival logo. The postmark will be offered on June 27 during the Windjammer Days festival at the Whale Park and post office. The chamber will have stamped postcards available for purchase. Windjammer Days is June 24- 27 with the schooners due in Linekin Bay on the 26th and in the harbor on 27th.

Expo 2012 has opened in South Korea's coastal city of Yeosu for a three-month run. Organizers say the fair, which kicked off Saturday, has the largest number of robots in the history of expos. Attractions include a robot fish that explores underwater resources in an environment-friendly way. Organizers say about 33,000 tickets were sold for the opening day. More than 100 countries are participating in the expo to display their technology, culture and products. Yeosu is a port city 300 kilometers (185 miles)

Rockland Trust , the largest community bank south of Boston, announced Wednesday the launch of a $1 million-plus spring marketing campaign with the theme of "Actions. Not words. " The campaign includes television, radio, print, and online ads as well as a social media component. In a statement , Ralph Valente, senior vice president and director of marketing, said, "This campaign points out in a very straightforward way how the actions we take – in terms of products and services – benefit those who bank with Rockland Trust.

It's known as one of the most glamorous red carpets of the year, with movie stars, models and even a few star quarterbacks putting on their most fashion-forward outfits for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala. Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Heidi Klum, Tim Tebow and Florence Welch were among those to weave through the tented grand Fifth Avenue entrance to celebrate the new fashion exhibit that compares and contrasts the designs of two Italian women: Miuccia Prada, who wore a...

The Insignificance of Man is a congenial theme; my own insignificance is a sore point. Mason Cooley

Putting an Eli Manning replica on a flaming spit by the highway might strike some as a little excessive, and perhaps more than a little loopy. But for Eric Danilchuk, it is a solemn duty. Well, not that solemn. But definitely a duty. Danilchuk, 46, owns Danilchuk Auto Body, in East Boston. He is also a rabid New England sports fan. Which means that, like many of his generation, he spent decades enduring heartbreaking near-misses and dashed dreams. So when the Patriots made the Super Bowl in 1997, Danilchuk wanted to do something special, "to get some spirit going.

Construction will start Tuesday on a new playground at the Franklin Park Zoo that is slated to open in early July. The 10,000-sqare-foot area will replace the old playground next to Butterfly Landing, the zoo said today in a statement. The playground's design will represent more than 30 animals, including giraffes, peacocks, and Panamanian golden frogs. While it was being designed, students from local schools were able to vote on components of the playground. Input from parents and teachers of special needs children were also...

1 "SAFFIANO" IPHONE 4 AND 4S CASE by Diane von Furstenberg, $48 at Nordstrom, Northshore Mall, Peabody, 978-278-7400, and Burlington Mall, 781-345-7800, nordstrom.com 2 "BOTANICAL" COASTER SET by Rifle Paper Co., $18 at Magpie, 416 Highland Avenue, Somerville, 617-623-3330, magpie-store.com 3 SUNGLASSES, $14 at Urban Outfitters, Legacy Place, Dedham, 781-326-6032, urbanoutfitters.com ...