CuriousByNature

I believe it's supposed to be set in the early 1880s. It was around that time that Mrs. Astor was forced to recognize the 'upstart' Vanderbilts, which the Russell family seems to mirror in the tv show. However, 'The Four Hundred' - the list of the 400 people who constituted 'Society', and based on the number that could fit in Caroline Astor's ballroom - was not compiled until the early 1890s, if I recall correctly. Since the list is already mentioned in the show, the program plays a bit fast and loose with the historical timelines. Also, the marriage of Gladys to the Duke is also set 10 years earlier than it was real life, if Gladys is meant to be analogous with Consuelo Vanderbilt, who married the Duke of Marlborough in the mid 1890s.

A lot of subs are long and hard, and full of seamen.

Yikes 😧

Priceless! LOL.

Would it have been less problematic for you if I wrote, 'social and psychological reasons' rather than 'reasonings'? If it wasn't clear in what I wrote, what I mean is that there are more than just biological reasons why incest has generally become taboo in most societies. There are social and psychological factors as well, that likely predate any understanding of genetic implications.

There's nothing puritanical nor judgemental in what I said. Two consenting adults can do what they want. All I said is that there are other reasons why incest has become taboo in most communities over the millennia. It isn't just about inbreeding and potential birth defects. Traditional societies have strong ties of kinship that follow certain parameters - and this predates our knowledge of genetics by a very, very long time.

I have no romantic feelings towards my cousins... lol.

I'm not sure why you seem fixated on this. My comment has nothing to do with gender roles. I'm looking way, way back in the history of communities - long before there was an employment based economy.

Please see my reply to Walt...

No, I have to disagree with the comparison. In addition to the biological issues of birth defects, from a social and psychological perspective, incest has generally been taboo for millennia because it can create significant breaks in familial bonds, leaving family units more vulnerable in times of hardship. The sibling bond that starts at a very young age has tended to render siblings sexually unattractive to each other, thereby fostering a stronger kinship loyalty across generations. While this psychological aspect of aspect may have an evolutionary impetus - acting as an additional safeguard against inbreeding - it is more likely environmental, since siblings raised separately and without knowledge of one another may be more likely to have a mutual attraction than siblings raised knowing one another.

The bias isn't just about biological consequences. The taboo is also rooted in social and psychological reasoning.

All you guys talking about your remote controls.... what about those who have a roll of lifesavers?

Given that iridium is highly resistant to corrosion, I would expect that he'll age very well.

The obituary wasn't posted - I only noticed that he mentioned a possible obituary stating a death from a few months back, and then I looked at William M's profile and saw he was last on the site at the end of May. Thankfully the obituary couldn't have been his.

I noticed his profile shows he last visited the site on May 29, which is only 7 weeks ago. If the obituary is from a few months ago, perhaps it was a different person?