There’s a reason that the Olmsteads’ story struck a chord with so many people. Who among us hasn’t secretly harbored a belief in our own children’s genius? The fact that young Marla’s mode of expression was abstract art makes it all the more appealing. Most kids are capable of splotching paint exuberantly about, so a parent can readily believe that his own child has a touch of Marla’s gift. Early talent in music or math is more objectively determined and so doesn’t lend itself as readily to a parent’s unrealistic fantasizing.

Also, the art itself seems to answer the question of "Are her parents pushing her too hard?" Well apparently not – this is joyful expression, driven by the boundless creativity that supposedly exists in all children and should be nurtured above all other qualities. Whereas the five-year-old who can play Mozart or do long division is viewed as a bit of a freak, Marla can be held up as the idealized 21st-century child, the embodiment of modern pedagogical theories that left to their own devices, children develop naturally and happily into creative geniuses. Marla becomes a paragon not only of talent but of well-adjustedness, and her parents bask in the glow not only of her accomplishments but of their own evident wisdom and impeccable parenting.

So that’s why Marla was bound to be celebrated in the press, which after all consists mostly of upper-middle-class parents. For the same reason, the backlash is inevitable too. This happens on a smaller scale all the time in affluent areas – parents surreptitiously sizing up each other’s kids intellectual and athletic ability, extravagantly praising the gifted ones, while waiting for them to screw up so they can gossip with other insecure parents about how so-and-so’s child is very bright but a perfect nightmare behavior-wise. Marla was held up as an exemplar of our brilliant children to make us feel good about them and ourselves, and then chopped down to size to make us feel better still.

is that if the poll had shown Giuliromney or whoever winning decisively, then that would be presumed to be an accurate "show of hands." It's just when the result is so patently out-of-step with MSM expectations that the validity of the poll itself is questioned.

This undermines every political poll that CNBC runs, as it can be assumed that the only ones we will be permitted to see will be those that fit into the accepted narrative.

And how sneaky of them to fill them with exactly the sorts of appliances and furniture that most little girls (including one of my own) love to play with.

What's next, trains and trucks for boys? Oh, the humanity!

You should buy nothing but PCs from Costco and return them for a full refund every 90 days.

I think only the most extraordinary circumstances would justify offering unsolicited advice about a sensitive matter. Perhaps they are being foolhardy, but it is their right to do so. The most you can do is learn from their example (and dissect their folly with your spouse at great length when the two of you are alone again – one of the great unsung pleasures of marriage). Yes, what they are doing is stupid and immature, and you are watching a slow-motion train wreck. Avert your eyes and continue to enjoy their companionship while refraining from meddling.

That said, I do think that if the subject comes up organically, or if they request your opinion, you are free to state your mind (look at the title of Cary’s column). When a close relative asked me what I thought of SUVs (she was in the process of buying one), I gave my honest opinion that I don’t like them, because I think they are unsafe, inefficient, and in bad taste. She bought it anyway, and we haven't discussed it again.

Now to turn a spotlight on you, LW. You sound like me and my spouse. We live below our means in order to have a comfortable safety net should we suffer a reversal. It is better to sleep well than to eat well, as they say. Most of our friends probably make about the same or even less than we do, but live much more luxuriously. Sometimes when I behold their fancy new houses or hear about their extravagant vacations, I find myself being privately judgmental. Watching other people whooping it up while you hold to a tight budget isn’t the most fun thing. I'm not hoping for misfortune to strike so I can indulge in schadenfreude, but I do feel that if it does, I will blame them for it, and I don't much like this quality in myself. Are you sure that your concern isn’t rooted in a little bit of annoyance that they are having too good a time given their financial situation, perhaps even a better time than you even though you are better off than they are?