Oh dear. What a week.
Here in Ontario we have elected our own mini-Trump as the head of our provincial government, in the form of Doug Ford. Remember Rob Ford – the late, infamous crack-smoking mayor of Toronto? Beloved of late-night talk show hosts? If you don’t, feel free to Google him.
And yes, this is his brother, who is going to get rid of sex education but give us cheap beer. (What could possibly go wrong?) On the bright side, this week the Canadian Senate voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana.
Who’s with me on spending the next 4 years high and drunk on Ford’s Buck-a-Beer?
Just kidding. I only drink craft or imported beers. 😉
On the bright side, I enjoyed a riveting talk yesterday, put on by the Fashion History Museum, on providing clothing for the film industry. Ian Drummond regaled us for over an hour with his tales of working on film sets such as Chicago, Hairspray, Dark Shadows and the Rocky Horror Picture Show TV reboot. He brought along a couple of outfits worn by actors, that now belong in his “hall of fame”. I asked for permission to take and post these photos:
Also on the bright side, I am going to see The Rocky Horror Show in Stratford later on this summer. So excited! I may or may not dress up. I have a concept for an outfit gelling in my brain which I can pull together practically entirely from items in my closet. Which tells you something about my closet. Which might scare you, actually. 🙂 However it will be age- and body-type appropriate, I can assure you!
And finally:
Way back in April, when I was slogging through the A-Z Challenge as well as a heavy month at work, I received my DNA results from MyHeritage. My intrepid genealogist friend recommended I take another DNA test from this company, as it apparently has more European customers and information.
Here are the results:
I find both the similarities and the differences between the two sets of DNA analysis very interesting. The mystery Jewish grandfather is still very much in evidence! And unfortunately, I am still no closer to finding out who he is was. (I have to keep reminding myself that he is almost certainly no longer with us by this time, unless he is still kicking at ~100 years old.)
I was really intrigued to see the Central Asian component pop up. It makes me wonder: could I have some of Genghis Khan’s blood in me? Apparently the man really got around.
And it gives me an excuse to provide a link to this song and video – both of which I absolutely love. Indulge me please:
And how was your week? Do tell.
Rock on,
The WB
Good luck with your new provincial government — I hope you can find a balance of staying informed and sane as I’ve tried to down in the U.S. I’ve also done some cursory DNA testing/exploration from two companies. Although we have photos and oral tradition stating that we have Native American ancestry, one suggested 14% Native American heritage and the other didn’t show any. Go figure….
Thanks Janet! I will try to stay sane. I don’t know what this world is coming to. We seem to be heading back into some sort of Dark Age, I fear.
I hope we as humans can turn this around.
As more genetic information is gathered and the technology gets better, accuracy will no doubt be improved. It’s early days, yet.
Don’t rule out the idea of learning more about your grandfather. If My Heritage works like My Ancestry distant relatives could pop up with similar DNA to yours who have a more complete family tree to share. I’ve had the happen twice and when we comparing family trees we found our common relative.
A mini-Trump, oh no! I feel like as an American I need to apology to my neighbors to the north for the insulting attitude Trump displayed at the summit last week. In my entire life I’ve never been so embarrassed by a president.
I love clothing museums. 10-12 years ago I actually donated my prom dresses from the fifties to a clothing museums here that rents them out for civil theaters.
Thanks, Jean! I keep hoping to get that email from someone on Ancestry or MyHeritage who is a decent match. The ones the site says are matches so far are so distant that I haven’t been able to find the common ancestor. But as more people do the testing and publish their family trees, I am sure the mystery will be solved.
I can’t for the life of me figure out why Trump is so fixated on dairy. As someone who works in the industry, I have been watching the US dairy industry go through this crap for years and Canada is not to blame for their farmers’ woes. Our dairy industry used to be in the same boom-bust cycle until we introduced supply management in the ’60s. Milk prices go high and everybody buys more cows…then there is too much milk and prices drop. Farmers can no longer make any money so farms go under. Then there is not enough cows/milk and prices soar again…and so on and so on…
That is cool about the prom dresses. The Fashion History Museum doesn’t rent out clothes but allows researchers to study the collection for their own projects.
Deb
I’ve been in denial about Trump being the President of the US, and now I am in denial about Ford being Ontario’s new Premier. Please wake me when it’s all over!
Can do, Donna 🙂
Hey Deb.
I consider myself a pretty optimistic person. I can usually find redeeming qualities in just about anyone. But Trump and now Ford baffle me. No, it’s worse than that. They depress me – not only because they are such buffoons, but because they are buffoons who are where they are because ordinary people like us put them there. How on earth could that happen?
On a much more positive note, how cool that you went to a talk about clothing in films. I’ve just been reading some books about curiosity, and you would definitely be considered a Curiosity Explorer. Being one means you’ll accrue all kinds of benefits in your life, not even including the pleasure you took in the lecture itself.
The other thing you’re curious about – your DNA analysis – doesn’t do it for me quite as much. I’m suspicious of the companies that do this work, a suspicion confirmed it seems when you can get two different sets of results. How is that possible?
Hmm. I just reread my comment and noticed I ended the first paragraph with “How on earth could that happen?” and my last with “How is that possible?” Maybe ignore my DNA suspicions, Deb. I think I’m still in shock about our election results and Trump’s recent bout of trade and tariff idiocy, and the only question that I can utter over and over again is some version of “How????”
Thanks Karen! I like that term – Curiosity Explorer…sounds better than the term I use, which is: Dabbler. I’ve written a post or two about being a Dabbler (vs. a Digger). One of my university profs (Dr. Mayfield) labelled me that way back during my first undergrad and I thought it was quite accurate and didn’t take offence. Especially when he explained that the Diggers get the Nobel prizes but the Dabblers have all the fun.
DNA analysis – for humans I consider it still to be in its infancy. The more people who get tested the more knowledge we get in the databases and the better it gets. My genealogist friend is already reaping the benefits of this technology in her business. In my science day job, I know very well of the variability between different test methods so I am not surprised or suspicious that the results don’t match. In fact, I am tickled that they correspond as well as they do. Expectations, right?
I think we are all in shock due to the election even though Ford’s win was predicted for weeks already. I kept hoping the predictors were wrong.
To answer Karen’s question, it is possible to get somewhat different DNA results from different companies because there are SO MANY DNA markers. Mr Science (aka Gilles) does not place any credence in the DNA testing because none of the companies provide any clear documentation of their methodology.
Having said that, I still find the analysis interesting, although I wouldn’t know how to even begin to write a post about it.
As for our new Ontario government? Sigh. There is no question that we are in for a very rough 4 years.
Yup. There are so many DNA markers and I am not surprised at the secrecy of the DNA testing companies. We use DNA testing kits in the lab where I work and don’t know what the “special sauces” are, because that is proprietary information the developer of the kit worked on for months or years, in order to come up with a saleable product. And competition is fierce in DNA testing land.
We validate the kits by comparing results to other methods, known samples and blind samples, so we know they work and that we are using them properly. But we don’t know exactly what the composition of the chemicals and enzymes used in the kits are. So I do know or suspect the methodology being used for human DNA analysis, but not the exact markers being used or the chemical extraction and DNA amplification process.
I didn’t talk about that in the blog post because I know it is intensely interesting to me and probably only me. 🙂 As I mentioned to Karen in a reply to her comment, I am actually pleased at how close the results from the 2 companies compared. There, I’ll shut up now before your eyes completely glaze over. Hehehe!
Interesting to you – and Mr Science 🙂 I hear a lot about it on my end! Like you, I would expect the results to be similar, but not exact.
Both of my sons had their DNA done and the differences in results are very interesting. Something we can talk about some day 🙂 … but I smiled when I got the emails from MyHeritage saying they found a match and it’s a son!
Hah! Like you had a son and didn’t realize it…or forgot about it. 🙂
I know! Those young and reckless years when I killed off so many brains cells 😉
I’ve thought about doing the DNA thing just for fun. We pretty much know our history (English, French, Irish and Welsh) and my Grandmother’s line on my Dad’s side has been done completely (because it traces back to English royalty so was easy to do).
Very cool, AJ!
So sorry about your election, yes I remember Rob Ford. We have the real Trump, so I can relate. However, as you said, you can just get high (legally) and try not to dwell. Hope you are feeling better these days. Happy to have found a fellow beer drinker! That is usually my drink of choice. Enjoy Rocky Horror, it’s one of my favorites – movie, play, I don’t care, I love it!
Karen, is there anything better on a warm, sunny day than a cold beer? If there is, I haven’t found it.
Yes, I am feeling better, thanks!
Glad to hear you love Rocky Horror too! I’ve never been to the Stratford Festival (famous Shakespearean/other theatre festival near me) and always wanted to go. When I saw they were doing Rocky, I knew it was finally my year to get my butt there.
Deb
I loved that jacket from Dark Shadows (how slim is Michelle Pfeiffer?!!) and I expect a blog post on your visit to the Rocky Horror show – complete with pics of the outfit you put together – I’m sure you’ll rock it!
I know! Ian said it had to be taken in for Michelle!!! Tiny!
Thanks Leanne – I plan to blog about it, and my outfit too (if I don’t chicken out 😉 ).
The DNA tests are fascinating – both my dad and my sister took them. There were definitely some surprises on them for us!
My genealogist friend has had some stunning surprises, even within her own family. She had to tell one relation that his so-called cousin was actually a full sibling. The truth will come out, eventually!
Oh wow! That’s much more surprising than anything we found out!
I’ve never taken any of those DNA tests and am fascinated by your results. We are who we are, but how we came to be who we are is a mystery, it’d seem. I look forward to learning more about your Rocky Horror outfit. I’m intrigued to know what [exactly] is hanging in your closet.
Hehehehe….🤘😜🤘
I love the sound of the Fashion History Museum and especially love the 20s era of fashion. The Rocky Horror Show is timeless and we all know how to do the ‘Time Warp’. I’ve managed to find your blog and follow you on wordpress now so I don’t miss your posts. Have a great week!
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
Thanks Sue! Too bad you are so far away – the Fashion History Museum is hosting a Downton Abbey era Tango Tea this September. Sounds like something you would enjoy.
Oh I’m booking my tickets to fly over! That would be absolutely perfect. I loved Downton Abbey and the fashion. I hope it comes to Australia. xx
Gorgeous photos as always! I would love to hear a fashion pro talk about their work someday. Until then….I sweat it out during the months Project Runway isn’t on. And I am so, so curious as to my own DNA. Maybe one of these days I will do one of those tests myself.
Thanks, Kim! I find DNA analysis fascinating. It’s part of my day job, after all, so to have my own DNA analyzed and to learn the results is uber cool.
Deb
Wow, you pack a lot into one blog post! Lets see… we visited the political map (our condolences), the Canadian marijuana laws, yay on that one, a cool designer show and tell, and your DNA results. I too would find the 2% Central Asian more difficult to fathom than the Jewish grandfather element. I think such blood tests should be mandatory for all say at the time of getting their drivers license, it could go a long way towards eliminating or at least reducing racism, as there would be a heightened recognition that we are all blends and unique cocktails of genetic, multiethnic inheritance.
Ben
Thanks Ben! Unfortunately the racists who have had their DNA analyzed refuse to believe the results – it’s all part of a Jewish conspiracy, don’t you see?! 😉
Deb