Monday's Most Active Threads

The most active thread yesterday was titled, "When you didn’t 'do enough' as a host" and posted in the "Family Relationships" forum. The original poster is upset because she hosted her family's Christmas celebration and was told by her sister that she had done almost everything wrong. The start time was too late, the food was wrong, and other issues. The original poster simply wants to vent. Posters were shocked that a guest would be so rude, though there is some agreement that sisters can be especially difficult at times. There were many requests for more details so that those responding could better understand the situation. After the original poster revealed that the dinner consisted of "heavy apps", almost all of the discussion turned toward whether that was suitable for a meal. Many posters thought that heavy apps simply wouldn't be sufficient, though that didn't necessarily justify such criticism. Other posters were big fans of heavy apps. While the heavy app debate raged, the original poster apparently took a nap, only to return and express surprise at the number of responses her holiday dinner thread had provoked. The main takeaway for me from this thread is that I have no idea what is meant by "heavy apps". One poster, who was not the original poster, tried to explain but basically described an entire regular meal. That only added to the confusion and, in the end, neither I nor several other posters were left any wiser.

The second most active thread is a bit of an odd one. Another thread posted in the "Family Relationships" forum, this one is titled "BIL almost hit my 6-yr-old DD". The original poster explains that she has a brother-in-law who is mentally and physically disabled and has a mental age of 3. During their Christmas dinner, the brother-in-law became agitated and wanted to go home. He began waving his arms around and almost hit the original poster's six year old daughter. The original poster feels that something needs to be said (it not clear to whom) about how this was inappropriate but her husband says it is not her place to say anything. What is odd about this thread is that, unless I missed it somehow, the original poster never returned to the thread after the initial post. So, the entire subsequent debate — which was sufficient to make this the second most active thread of the day — took place without her. To be sure, many posters throughout the thread believed the original poster to be a troll, something that is difficult to either prove or refute in this case. Multiple posters accused the original poster of being misleading with the thread's title given that there is no indication that the brother-in-law intentionally tried to hit her daughter which was how most posters seemed to have understood it. The thread consists mostly of arguments about the most appropriate way to treat those with mental disabilities. I haven't read every post but see that the discusion degenerated to the point where the brother-in-law was compared to drug addicts and homeless people.

The third most active thread was titled, "Is life really better in Scandinavian countries?" and posted in the "Travel Discussion" forum. The thread is not really about travel, though the original poster was probably seeking input from travelers. The original poster acknowledges that the realities of Scandinavian countries are most complex than the generalities in which they are normally discussed, but nevertheless wonders if life is really better in those countries. She points out that the Scandinavian lifestyle has recently gained popularity as a result of social media influencers from Scandinavian countries. Several posters criticized the region for a lack of racial diversity and for its conformity. But other posters said the reality was the exact opposite and that Scandinavian countries are very racially diverse and welcoming to immigrants. Discussions like these are normally fairly predictable and this one goes much as would be expected with some posters praising the universal healthcare and other social services provided while other decry the high taxes. There is probably a plurality of opinion, if not outright majority, that the quality of life is pretty good and likely better than in the US. As with all DCUM discussions, the input is of varying quality. One poster based her negative opinion of Sweden on Fredrik Backman novels while others who replied had extensive living experiences in the region.

There is no requirement that DCUM threads be about serious topics and, admittedly, what may seem trivial to me may be important to others. But the last thread that I'll discuss really breaks new ground in making mountains out of molehills. Titled, "Friends are mocking my credit card" and posted in the "Off-Topic" forum, the original poster says that after she pulled out an "Amex Platinum" card to pay her portion of a lunch with friends, the friends started teasing her about being rich. The original poster doesn't like it and wants to know how to get them to stop. I don't mean to be rude, though I also am not trying very hard not to be, but this seems like a ridiculous thing about which to start a thread and I can't believe that it is one of the most active of the day. I am not going to spend time reading this thread so if you are interested, you will have to read it yourself. But, both the original poster and her friends should be thrilled that they don't have more important issues in their lives to occupy them.