Friday, March 27, 2015

Exciting Genetics

As a Christmas present for myself - yes indeed, I do that - I bought myself some DNA testing through a company called Family Tree DNA, which is the testing partner for National Geographic's Genographic Project.

I received a test kit in the mail a couple of months later. The kit consisted of two brushes and two vials. After swiping a brush gently over the inside of the left cheek I stuffed it into one vial and then did the same thing with the right cheek. Then I sent them off to the USA and waited for several more weeks.

Well yesterday the results of one of the tests came in on my assigned webpage. These results are for what is called "The Family Tree Finder", in which I can find my genetic make-up, among other things my origins.

According to the results my origins consist of 96% European (Scandinavia 73%, British Isles 21% and Eastern Europe 2%) and - lo and behold - 4% Central/South Asian. (You can see my genetic hot-spots in colors on the map above.)

What excited me most at first was the Asian origin, which according to the information consisted of Persians, Sogdians and Afghans.

And we all know our history don't we? We all know what famous person lead an army to the hills in Sogdia, besieged the Sogdian Rock and later married into Sogdian royalty and conceived a son, now don't we?

Well, if you didn't understand it before let me tell you the great news! I could of course be the great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (or something similar) grandson of Alexander the Great and the Sogdian princess Roxana.

There is of course also a very remote possibility that my ancestor was one of Alexanders soldiers or even the carrier of his chamber pot who had a one-night fling with a Sogdian working girl...  But I am inclined to lean more towards the first theory until further information comes to my knowledge.

Furthermore the test tells me the locations of my most distant paternal Family Finder matches to be in The Netherlands and Western Sweden, while my most distant maternal Family Finder matches are located in South Western Norway and Southern Sweden.

I am now excitedly awaiting the results of my Y-DNA and mtDNA screenings.

SP Board Meeting Saturday at 10 AM

The board of Second Pride will have a general meeting in the Second Pride HQ Conference Hall (SLurl) on Saturday March 28, 2015, at 10:00 AM SLT

The agenda of the meeting
1. Call To Order
2. Department Reports
    a) Chair/IT
    b) Build
    c) Events
    d) Community Relations
    e) Security
    f) Treasurer
3. Board Vacancies
    a) Security
    b) Call for interest for
         I    Marketing
         II   Secretary/Co-Chair
         III  IT
4. Adjourn

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Picture of the Day - 311

Once upon a...
"Once upon a..." by Eria Ziemia

If you wish to see more of Eria's photography, please visit her Flickr photostream here.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Picture of the Day - 310

"Dragonfly"_005aw
""Dragonfly"_005aw by Addison Summerwind

If you wish to see more of Addison's photography, please visit her Flickr photostream here.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Picture of the Day - 309

Better to be a humble sinner than a self righteous saint
"Better to be a humble sinner than a self righteous saint" by Declan

If you wish to see more of Declan's photography, please visit his Flickr photostream here.

To the Queen of Our Hearts

Today we celebrate the rezday of Hare Majesteit Koningin BM, the absolute and undisputed ruler of The Netherlands in SecondLife, and the much, much, younger and much more beautiful dear cousin of the Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm etc., etc.

One should never discuss the age of a lady, they are always timeless and ageless once they have passed there 18th birthday, this rule is even stricter when it comes to our nobility and royalty. Nonetheless they do have rezdays, even though they do not celebrate them.

Besides being the supreme ruler of The Netherlands in SecondLife, this spectacular woman is also the Queen of four - at least (unknown lovers are untold) - men's hearts.

The four of us join in congratulating our sweet, charming and amazingly patient Queen and wishing Hare Majesteit a happy and relaxing rezday!

With much love,
Kahvy & Garrett Smith
Tomais Ashdene & Bock McMillan