Family Tree DNA Offers Y-DNA Upgrade Sale

As the Group Administrator for the Swanay/Swaney DNA Surname Project, I am pleased to tell you about the "Y-DNA Upgrade Sale" currently being offered by FamilyTree DNA. I received the following email yesterday from FTDNA Vice President Max Blankfield:

Over the last several years, due to the unmatched growth of our database, numerous people have confirmed and found new connections with others of their surname, and adoptees and descendants of adoptees have even found their biological surname lines. Are there any other individuals among these adoptees looking for their connection to this direct paternal line?

To help answer that question, Family Tree DNA is offering, for a limited time, a discount on all Y-DNA upgrades! We will notify each participant in the database who qualifies for this offer by e-mail, and will provide them a direct link they may use to take advantage of the upgrade. There will be no need for participants to contact us directly in order to receive the reduced price; our prices have been adjusted in the system accordingly.

The offer will last from May 14th through May 23nd. On average, the reduced prices will be 25% lower than the standard upgrade price. This is a great opportunity to increase the data in your project. Are there members who have been hesitant to upgrade due to price? This discount is an opportunity for them to upgrade and help both their group and potential lost relatives at the same time. When encouraging members to upgrade, you may wish to note that genetic matches allow people to find their biological lines, and not necessarily a specific individual.

This promotion is for upgrades only and does not apply to new kit orders. It's our way to thank past customers for their patronage.

As always, we appreciate your continued support.

If you have already tested with Family Tree DNA, you may order this special offer by logging into your personal page and clicking on the special offers link on the left hand navigation bar. Offers that are relevant to you will be displayed in the drop-down menu. Don't miss this great opportunity to get more "bang for your buck," DNA-wise!

For more information about the Swanay/Swaney DNA Surname Project, please visit our public project page, or visit FamilyTree DNA.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Thanks and Belated Thanks!

Things have been a bit stressful at the "Little Bytes" household for the past few months. I know I haven't been on the level with you all... but I will, I promise. I've done quite a bit of whining and complaining on Facebook, but I don't want to do that here in this post. I can whine and complain later in a completely new post.

As I read my email (which is dreadfully backed up) a few days ago, I found a very sweet comment posted in the previous article. It was from Janice Tracy, who writes the Mississippi Memories blog offering me the "One Lovely Blog Award," which you see pictured to the left. Janice, thank you so much for making my day!

One of the requirements of receiving this award is that it must be passed on to seven other bloggers whose sites are worthy of the award. So, I hereby bestow this lovely award upon the following lovely bloggers:

Virginia Travis of Oh Blah Vi, Oh Blah Va
Lisa of Small-Leaved Shamrock
Taylorstales-Genealogy
Jennifer of Rainy Day Genealogy Readings
Jewelgirl at Searching for Family Branches
A. at A Changing Life
Harold at Midwestern Microhistory

I hope that you will visit these sites and tell them all just how lovely they are!
____________________

This has jogged my seriously deficient memory... I had received a couple of similar messages a few months ago. I offer my PROFUSE apologies to these wonderful folks: please know that had I not been such a space cadet at the time, I would have thanked you much sooner!
Back in December, both Sheri Fenley of The Educated Genealogist and Bill West of West in New England offered me the "Proximidade" Award:

These blogs invest and believe in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

***

Judith Richards Shubert of the Tennessee Memories blog awarded me the "Kreative Blogger" Award back in February. I love reading all about Tennessee (the home of my paternal ancestors) on Judith's blog!

The instructions for this award are as follows:
1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate other bloggers.
4. Link to those sites on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.

***

Since so many months have already passed, and there are probably very few, if any, bloggers out there who have NOT received these two awards, I'm going to be naughty and not nominate any others (GASP!). However, if you come upon this post and find that you are one of those few, please feel free to pick one up for yourself and consider yourself nominated!

Thank you again to all four of these kind folks. I will strive to be worthy of these awards in the future!

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Wordless Wednesday: Yesterday's Delta 2 Launch

...as seen from my backyard.

Delta 2 Launch. Photographed by Elizabeth O’Neal, May 5, 2009. [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Santa Barbara Co., California. 2009.

More about this launch at Spaceflight Now.

More about Wordless Wednesday.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Genealogy Action Alert: Preserving the American Historical Record

"Preserving the American Historical Record" is a bill to provide federal formula grants to every state for projects that preserve historical records and make them more accessible. As genealogists, we certainly want those records preserved and accessible!

Current Status: Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY-22) and John McHugh (R-NY-23) reintroduced the PAHR bill in the House of Representatives on April 30, 2009.

What can you do to help?
Ask your representative to sign on as a co-sponsor of HR 2171. Ask him/her to contact either Mike Iger in Congressman Hinchey's office (202-225-6335 or michael.iger@mail.house.gov) or Jason Miller in Congressman McHugh's office (202-225-4611 or jason.miller@mail.house.gov).

NO representatives from California are currently sponsoring this bill.

For more information, visit http://www.archivists.org/pahr/.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal

Central Coast Genealogy Calendar: May 2009

Saturday, May 2
San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society
12:30 - 1:00 PM
Research Class: "Internet Boom Town: What's New for Genealogy?!" with Cafi Cohen
1:00 PM - Business Meeting
1:15 - 1:45 PM - Social time; book & drawing sales, snacks, coffee & tea
1:45 PM - Main Room - "Swedish Research" with Roma Miller
1:45 PM - Lunch Room - "Case Study: Big City Research Online" with Cafi Cohen

Thursday, May 7
Monterey County Genealogical Society
7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:00 PM)
Gale Foss - "Norwegian Heritage: Ancestral Homelands"

Tuesday, May 12
Conejo Valley Genealogical Society
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Computer Interest Group Meeting
Delores Pederson - Online Photo Sharing

Friday, May 15
San Luis Obispo County Genealogical Society
1:00 PM
Internet Genealogy Skills - "Finding Living Cousins Online"

Saturday, May 16
Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society
9:30 AM - Special Interest Groups
10:30 AM - General Meeting
Kate Carter - "The Way it Was: Remembrances and Lessons from the Depression Years"

Saturday, May 16
Ventura County Genealogical Society
1:00 – 4:00 PM
Rev. Dr. Gary Alan Dickey - "The Treasure of Church Records"

Tuesday, May 19
Conejo Valley Genealogical Society
5:30 - 6:30 PM - Genealogy Tools
6:00 - 8:45 PM - General Meeting
Delores Pederson - "Organizing Your Research For Your Heirs"


Please send me an email if you would like to have your event included in this monthly calendar series.

Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal