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Thursday, February 29, 2024

UsefulCharts: Which DNA test is best for African-Americans?

 

[VIDEO] I'm going through this now taking both DNA tests for MyHeritage & Ancestry. Hopefully next month I may well know what my admixture is. Admixture is basically what your DNA says about your ethnicity if you're descended from African, European, etc.

I would very much recommend taking the DNA test through Ancestry. I feel as if they have a much better website to build out your family tree and hopefully make the right connects with distant relatives. MyHeritage is OK, I might recommend that because you take a cotton swab sample as opposed to spitting in a tube with Ancestry. Both companies are offering autosomal DNA which basically looks at the DNA inherited from both your father & mother.

For this the subject of this video Jabari Walker who also runs the YouTube channel From Nothing - you may have seen a video from him on this blog recently - takes five different DNA tests. Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, LivingDNA, and African Ancestry.

African Ancestry is most expensive and what is good about them is through the use of Y-chromosome testing & X-Chromosome (mitochondrial) testing they are able to identify which African ethnicity from which you are descended. Of course what they have to be sure of is that your distant ancestor is in fact African because it is possible your earliest male or female ancestor could be European for example. 

However, if you want those results through your paternal line - basically your father and his father and so-on or your maternal line - your mother and her mother and so-on there are far more inexpensive options for that. However, they may not necessarily point to a specific African ethnicity.

As for my own DNA tests I plan to release my own video about that in the near future.

Monday, February 19, 2024

Peter Santello: Breaking hood mindset, Jackson, MISS

 

[VIDEO] Tommie Mabry meets with Peter Santenello as he sees the real story around Jackson, Mississippi - the state capital. Mabry went to Tougaloo College and graduated with his undergrad and graduate degrees.

The lesson here is what does it take to turn around a depressed area? Are the people in depressed areas, depressed? How do we change the depression?

Another thing to look at is if we aren't exposed to new possibilities, how can we realize them? Say if you lived in an area that seems run-down, are you still able to see yourself living in a suburban area that is well maintained.

Oh and for those of you who are college minded. When Peter and Tommie tour Tougaloo College they meet with the school's provost and they talk about college financing. If you join an honor's society Phi Theta Kappa (ΦΘΚ) you can earn a scholarship. Do your first two years at a community college - or here in Chicago the City Colleges - join ΦΘΚ and possibly get a scholarship for your last two years at a university.

That should be motivation for those of you trying to figure out how to pay for college and getting your associate's degree shouldn't be that expensive. ;)

Think about it! 

Friday, January 19, 2024

Reason.TV: How bad was Claudine Gay’s plagiarism?

 

[VIDEO] How bad was the former Harvard University President's plaigirism?

This had been in the news for the past couple of months or so. Her bad PR started with her testimony in front of a Congressional Committee with regards to antisemitism. Her responses were a fail and should really be a slam dunk and she botched it.

A few Black academics I've seen - including the President of Morehouse College - have released statements in support of the now former Harvard President Gay. It seems to suggest that there are different standards set for Black academics vs white academics. However, here's my position what if she only showed she just didn't belong in the position and got it only because she was a "diversity, equity, and inclusion" hire. Especially in a very important position as a Ivy League University President...

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Can Black people be racist?

 

[VIDEO From Nothing YouTube channel asks a worthwhile question can Black people be racist. The answer from the YouTube may surprise you or perhaps not.

I always go with, if you spent all your life fighting against racism what justifies you holding those same opinions against others?

It seems appropriate since we just passed the MLK holiday.

Friday, January 12, 2024

Mr. Beat: What is systemic racism?

 

[VIDEO] Happy new years to you.

This video from Mr. Beat just dropped today so I wanted to share this with you all. He discusses the idea of systemic racism and the reasons for it. Expect there to be drops of "white privilege" in this video.

The next question could be what are the most reasonable solutions to this issue of systemic racism? If anyone talks about the idea of eliminating "whiteness" I should laugh you off this blog right now.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Trains Are Awesome: The many Metra Holiday Trains of 2023

 

[VIDEO] CTA runs holiday trains every year and I'm sorry I didn't do a great job of following any trains running this holiday season 2023 (as would be normal at The Sixth Ward or could also be done on Ninth Ward Chicago). However, allow me to share this video about Metra trains.

Metra also does Holiday Trains for which they do sell tickets which as you see will sell out quickly. This holiday season they did this on other Metra routes in addition to the Metra Electric which this YouTube channel Trains are Awesome had actually chronicled last year in 2022.

Though in addition those scheduled Holiday Train runs there are some regular trains that are holiday themed. I promise next year I will make sure to catch the Holiday Train on CTA & Metra.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and happy new year. See you in 2024

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Daily Dose best of the Internet 2023

 

[VIDEO] I'm sorry to have not shared more videos from Daily Dose of Internet (also Does =/= Dose). Anyway it's the end of the year and allow me to share this yearly roundup of videos posted to that YouTube channel during the past year.

See you in 2024!