I received a genetic test result from My Heritage and they agreed with my family genealogy records. But I was curious enough to take a 2nd test from CRIGenetics.
The following is my PERSONAL OPINIONS about the CRIGenetics results and not mantt to defame or diminish their business. Their actions have done that on their own.
1. Their results were amazingly diverse with my genealogy records.
2. They have a Finnish person in 1750 resulting in 30% of my genes. The other company showed no such genetic history.
3. CRI has me coming from all over the map. I seriously doubt that any Vietnamese AND Chinese AND Japanese AND Punjabi Indian AND Gujariti Indian AND South American people got to Europe in the 1700s to "engage" with my ancestors.
4. CRI is not responsive to questions unless you agree to pay them to talk to you online or by telephone.
5. CRI only will offer reports at a high monthly or annual cost.
6. CRI will not reply to direct email questions.
7. CRI claims to identify "British" dna. Think about that. "British" is just a collecton of varied ethnics groups that migrated or invaded the British Isles. You can be Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Viking, Norman French, or true French, but you cannot be "genetically British". There is no such group. But CRI claims I am 20.6% British as opposed to other European ethnic groups.
8. These are not people *I* would ever trust again to perform a genetics test.
I told them I would describe my unsatisfactory experience with them if they did not provide more detailed information, and they did not, so here it is. And I will seek out sites where the subject is in legitimate general discussion and comment there.
And I will just let this it sit here for now.
And yes, I'm pissed!
Mark
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Well. I Did It!
Shaved the head...It's not pretty. and I smeared it with aloe because I didn't think it was ready for even the 1/2 strength aftershave I mix for my self (unscented).
And trust me, the above-the-head shots are not pretty. I missed a few spots, but I'll get them next time. My electric razor ran down though, so there are some raw spots. But for a first try, it could be worse.
Makes my brain look bigger, LOL!
It's OK, I wasn't exactly the Handsome type before, either
Makes my brain look bigger, LOL!
It's OK, I wasn't exactly the Handsome type before, either
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Shave It?
My family (especially on my mother's side, which is the controlling gene) is notorious for the males going bald in their 40s. I am no exception.
I'm considering just shaving my scalp "Mr. Clean" style. Quite frankly, what's left is just mostly annoying. I already wear baseball or straw hats outside anyway (to prevent sunburn).
What do YOU all think?
What do YOU all think?
Monday, March 12, 2018
Seed Starting
I've mentioned before that I have a box of index cards I created that reminds me when to start seeds indoors, outdoors, and transplant dates. Some years I get behind, but this year I've been staying on schedule. Or so I thought.
Oh NO! I completely forgot about the flowers! Those aren't in the index cards because I change flowers too often and even varieties of the same kind can have different indoor or oudoor planting dates.
But I have that information for the flowers on my seed list. Sure enough, I should have planted some of them a MONTH AGO! So I stayed up late Saturday to set up 6 flats of my starter soil mix in my 36 cels per flat and poured warm water into them to soak the soil. I have been expanding my selection of flowers the past couple years. They all want different conditions.
Sunday, after changing all the clocks (and I sure have a lot of them) I planted! And it isn't just pushing seeds into the soil. Some want 1/8", some want 1/4" and some want NO cover at all (needing light to germinate.
And some want cool temperatures (50-60), some want 70-80, and some want in between that. And since some want cool temps and light, and some want warmer temperatures and don't need light until the emerge, it got really tricky. I spent an hour just sorting out seed packets by requirements, LOL!
But when I had that all done, it was easier. Some were super-easy. A whole flat of one kind, like marigolds or balsams or salvia required no combinations with other seeds. Others did though, and as a result, I will have some more of some flowers than others I am used to.
And, BTW, when I say a 36 cel flat, I really mean 35, because I always leave one cel cut out for easy watering. I used to lift a corner of one cel to water under, but I noticed that one one seldom grew (because I was bending and thereby ripping the roots I think). You learn stuff...
But I got most of them sorted out by temperature and germination requirements, and here is what I have growing!
I planted 6 flats. Some can be under lights in the 64 degree basement.
Some can be upstairs at 72 degrees and need light but are sitting on a countertop (covered to prevent cat-exploration).
Some are in the cool basement and not needing light yet... And, BTW, that light-color stuff is vermiculite which doesn't crust over like soil and makes it easier for the seedlings to emerge.
Some are in the cool basement uncovered and exposed to light...
And aside from all that, my veggie seedlings are all up and growing well.
Most of these seeds are several years old. But because I keep them in sealed vials in the basement refrigerator, they last 3 times as long as the packets suggest. I got almost 100% germination this year.
Next week, I have more flower and veggie seeds to plant indoors (and some outside). I think I need another light stand!
But with any luck, this should be a fabulous year gardening year. Most of the new flowers are self-sowing "cottage garden" types and will not need annual replanting (well, maybe some every few years) but it is a start at a "self-maintaining flower bed" in some parts. Some parts of the flowerbeds have dependable perennials, and I love those.
But I'm exploring self-sowing annuals lately. We'll see how well that works in a couple years. I'm patient.
Oh NO! I completely forgot about the flowers! Those aren't in the index cards because I change flowers too often and even varieties of the same kind can have different indoor or oudoor planting dates.
But I have that information for the flowers on my seed list. Sure enough, I should have planted some of them a MONTH AGO! So I stayed up late Saturday to set up 6 flats of my starter soil mix in my 36 cels per flat and poured warm water into them to soak the soil. I have been expanding my selection of flowers the past couple years. They all want different conditions.
Sunday, after changing all the clocks (and I sure have a lot of them) I planted! And it isn't just pushing seeds into the soil. Some want 1/8", some want 1/4" and some want NO cover at all (needing light to germinate.
And some want cool temperatures (50-60), some want 70-80, and some want in between that. And since some want cool temps and light, and some want warmer temperatures and don't need light until the emerge, it got really tricky. I spent an hour just sorting out seed packets by requirements, LOL!
But when I had that all done, it was easier. Some were super-easy. A whole flat of one kind, like marigolds or balsams or salvia required no combinations with other seeds. Others did though, and as a result, I will have some more of some flowers than others I am used to.
And, BTW, when I say a 36 cel flat, I really mean 35, because I always leave one cel cut out for easy watering. I used to lift a corner of one cel to water under, but I noticed that one one seldom grew (because I was bending and thereby ripping the roots I think). You learn stuff...
But I got most of them sorted out by temperature and germination requirements, and here is what I have growing!
I planted 6 flats. Some can be under lights in the 64 degree basement.
But with any luck, this should be a fabulous year gardening year. Most of the new flowers are self-sowing "cottage garden" types and will not need annual replanting (well, maybe some every few years) but it is a start at a "self-maintaining flower bed" in some parts. Some parts of the flowerbeds have dependable perennials, and I love those.
But I'm exploring self-sowing annuals lately. We'll see how well that works in a couple years. I'm patient.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Blown Out Fence
I was wrong about my neighbor's fence being blown out in the windstorm of the past 3 days. An 18-24" diameter tree fell over on it. No fence panel is going to stand up to THAT.
But I saw other fence panels blown out all around the neighborhood without trees fallen on them, so my original assessment of my fence construction quality stands.
Most neighbors went cheap accepting commercial builders fences with 1x4" boards between the posts (and some posts just set in dirt because the owners didn't understand anchoring). And the upright fence boards are just air-pinned nails.
I used 2x4" horizontal boards and used exterior screws instead of nails. 1x4" horizontal boards are cheaper and air-punched nails are faster.
But they don't last... Nails are good for about 5-10 years. Screws are good for 10-30. My fence is about 25 years old. I've had to re-screw a few boards, but not many. There will come a day when I have to rebuild the fence. Even ground-contact pressure-treated wood doesn't last forever. But not yet...
One of my windward side neighbor's huge trees are going to fall down and crush one of my 8' fence sections one of these days. I can't stop that. But it won't be a weakness of my fence, LOL!
But I saw other fence panels blown out all around the neighborhood without trees fallen on them, so my original assessment of my fence construction quality stands.
Most neighbors went cheap accepting commercial builders fences with 1x4" boards between the posts (and some posts just set in dirt because the owners didn't understand anchoring). And the upright fence boards are just air-pinned nails.
I used 2x4" horizontal boards and used exterior screws instead of nails. 1x4" horizontal boards are cheaper and air-punched nails are faster.
But they don't last... Nails are good for about 5-10 years. Screws are good for 10-30. My fence is about 25 years old. I've had to re-screw a few boards, but not many. There will come a day when I have to rebuild the fence. Even ground-contact pressure-treated wood doesn't last forever. But not yet...
One of my windward side neighbor's huge trees are going to fall down and crush one of my 8' fence sections one of these days. I can't stop that. But it won't be a weakness of my fence, LOL!
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Genetic Test
I just got the most ridiculous genetic test results back today. A previous test from MyHeritage offerred results I generally expected. Mostly French/German/Scottish and a bit of Iberian. That made perfect sense. Family lore and genealogy says we came from France and Germany into England and from there to North America early on in the 1600-1700s with more German influence in the 1800s.
The result I received from crigenetics is moronic.
According to them, I am mostly Finnish. And there is all that Asian percents.
I wouldn't mind the least bit if I thought it was accurate; in fact if I thought I was from "everywhere", that would actually be neat! But I know they are wrong about it.
The result I received from crigenetics is moronic.
According to them, I am mostly Finnish. And there is all that Asian percents.
I wouldn't mind the least bit if I thought it was accurate; in fact if I thought I was from "everywhere", that would actually be neat! But I know they are wrong about it.
Friday, March 2, 2018
March Comes In Like A Lion
And other problems...
We have had some of the strongest winds here the past 2 days and it is forecast to last another. Well "strongest" except for hurricanes and those don't last as long. There have been gusts up to 62 mph, and it seems constant around 40+. The wind howled so loudly around the house I could barely sleep, and I was very tired from staying up all night on the computer til 8 am the day before and only getting 5 hours sleep before I was SO hungry I couldn't lay in bed anymore.
I've mentioned before that I keep weird hours, but maybe not have explained in much detail.
I stayed up late Tuesday night and got 5 hours sleep. I stayed up late Wed night in spite of having a dental appointment Thursday at 2 pm. Partly, it was stress from the dental visit, but partly because I got emails from almost everyone I know and wanted to respond. And I had just started an online chess game and kept getting replies from my opponent.
I also had about 100 pictures to process, a Dr Seuss poem to write, some software downloading problems, and Amazon seemed to have taken over my search engine choices (anything I searched online was sending me straight to Amazon's page).
I can't sleep worth a damn when I have stuff floating around in my head like that, and the only solution is to stay up until I solve most of the problems.
So I did most of that stuff, and went to the dentist about as tired as possible. That is generally good, as I have some problems with dental work. I have a small jaw and holding it open while they do their work is hard. Plus, let's just say I have to swallow a lot when my jaw is stretched wide and leave it at that.
So I got home Thursday and the winds hit! I needed sleep and got little. The crashing sounds outside didn't help. I was "IN" bed 12 hours, but maybe got 8 hours sleep. Which, averaging the past several nights came out to about 4 hours per night for 4 nights each.
My local meat market was having some specials this week of exactly the stuff I wanted. Del Monico Steak at $8 per lb, pork boston butt at $2, deli roast beef at $5/lb, and other stuff. I HAD to get up to shop today to shop (Saturday is a madhouse there). And I was out of fresh fruit. I love fruit.
I slept Thursday night til noon. Got up and left the house at 1 pm. But that would have put me at the meat market just when the local school lets out and a dozen students hit the store deli counter for subs. So I stopped to get a haircut.
I obviously don't worry about my appearance too much, LOL!
The cats aren't very critical and it is not like I'm trying to win a "handsome contest".
Driving to the barber and the grocery stores was interesting. The car kept rocking in the wind just sitting at a traffic light. While actually driving, I kept getting hit with cross-winds and wanted to "change lanes" for me. Local bridges were all closed. One bridge, after having 3 tractor-trailers just plain knocked over.
The dentist said none of my teeth are any good. Which is really annoying because I don't eat candy and sweet stuff and brush twice a day.
Well, Dad have no teeth left by my age, so I guess I will not thank him for THOSE genes.
The neighborhood have fence panels blown out all over the place and I've never seen THAT even when Hurricanes blew through. None of mine though! Friends tell me I "overbuild" things. But I know those neighbor's fences and they are newer than mine and build by professionals. I built my own.
Companies use 1x4s and I use 2x4s. They use nails and I use screws. And that is why it is still standing! My fence is 30 years old now, and not one board loose...
We have had some of the strongest winds here the past 2 days and it is forecast to last another. Well "strongest" except for hurricanes and those don't last as long. There have been gusts up to 62 mph, and it seems constant around 40+. The wind howled so loudly around the house I could barely sleep, and I was very tired from staying up all night on the computer til 8 am the day before and only getting 5 hours sleep before I was SO hungry I couldn't lay in bed anymore.
I've mentioned before that I keep weird hours, but maybe not have explained in much detail.
I stayed up late Tuesday night and got 5 hours sleep. I stayed up late Wed night in spite of having a dental appointment Thursday at 2 pm. Partly, it was stress from the dental visit, but partly because I got emails from almost everyone I know and wanted to respond. And I had just started an online chess game and kept getting replies from my opponent.
I also had about 100 pictures to process, a Dr Seuss poem to write, some software downloading problems, and Amazon seemed to have taken over my search engine choices (anything I searched online was sending me straight to Amazon's page).
I can't sleep worth a damn when I have stuff floating around in my head like that, and the only solution is to stay up until I solve most of the problems.
So I did most of that stuff, and went to the dentist about as tired as possible. That is generally good, as I have some problems with dental work. I have a small jaw and holding it open while they do their work is hard. Plus, let's just say I have to swallow a lot when my jaw is stretched wide and leave it at that.
So I got home Thursday and the winds hit! I needed sleep and got little. The crashing sounds outside didn't help. I was "IN" bed 12 hours, but maybe got 8 hours sleep. Which, averaging the past several nights came out to about 4 hours per night for 4 nights each.
My local meat market was having some specials this week of exactly the stuff I wanted. Del Monico Steak at $8 per lb, pork boston butt at $2, deli roast beef at $5/lb, and other stuff. I HAD to get up to shop today to shop (Saturday is a madhouse there). And I was out of fresh fruit. I love fruit.
I slept Thursday night til noon. Got up and left the house at 1 pm. But that would have put me at the meat market just when the local school lets out and a dozen students hit the store deli counter for subs. So I stopped to get a haircut.
I obviously don't worry about my appearance too much, LOL!
Driving to the barber and the grocery stores was interesting. The car kept rocking in the wind just sitting at a traffic light. While actually driving, I kept getting hit with cross-winds and wanted to "change lanes" for me. Local bridges were all closed. One bridge, after having 3 tractor-trailers just plain knocked over.
The dentist said none of my teeth are any good. Which is really annoying because I don't eat candy and sweet stuff and brush twice a day.
Well, Dad have no teeth left by my age, so I guess I will not thank him for THOSE genes.
The neighborhood have fence panels blown out all over the place and I've never seen THAT even when Hurricanes blew through. None of mine though! Friends tell me I "overbuild" things. But I know those neighbor's fences and they are newer than mine and build by professionals. I built my own.
Companies use 1x4s and I use 2x4s. They use nails and I use screws. And that is why it is still standing! My fence is 30 years old now, and not one board loose...
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