Roots Television | Megan's Roots World

Check out this series of articles on genetics in Forbes, including this photo series on celebrity DNA. It's funny -- this stuff has been around for about half a dozen years, but the whole world seems to be waking up to it now!

The globe-trotting genealogist will be delighted in these latest developments -- genealogical concierges in Scotland and butlers in Ireland. What a great idea! Wonder how long have to wait for this to catch on in Slovakia??

Sheraton Edinburgh launches Genealogy Concierge Service

Shelbourne offers genealogy butler

From the latest issue of Nu? What's New?, The E-zine of Jewish Genealogy by Gary Mokotoff, comes this promising news:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Plans to Implement Fee-for-Service Program
Seven years ago, Marian Smith, historian for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) divulged, in the Summer 2000 issue of AVOTAYNU, a proposal to improve service for genealogists at INS through a fee-for-service program. Such a program was encouraged by the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) and other major genealogy organizations. The wheels of the government grind slowly, but sometime at the end of 2007 the program, called the Genealogy Program, will be implemented.

The article goes on to list the types of records that will be available under this new program:

Available records under this program will include Naturalization Certificate Files (C-Files) 1906–1956; Alien Registration Forms 1940–1944; Visa Files 1924–1944; Visa Records 1944–1951; Registry Files 1929–1944; Registry records 1944–1951; and Alien Files numbered below 8 million (contents prior to 1951).

This is going to be a real treasure trove for the 40% of Americans with Ellis Island roots. Thank goodness for Marian Smith and her persistence! I can't wait!

If anyone gets to Wolfson College in Oxford anytime soon, I'd love to see what these look like -- especially Helena, the daughter of Eve I descend from (along with a huge chunk of those of European maternal origin):

Daughters of Eve In Paintings

Mixing painting and DNA. Hmmm . . . wonder what other creative uses of DNA we'll see in the not-too-distant future?

Who'd have thought that genetic genealogy would make Vanity Fair, but it has. Bono is guest editor for the July issue (out on stands now) and has included this little gem from Spencer Wells. As a bonus, in case you're curious, you get a photo of baby Bono, whose paternal ancestors were apparently among the first to wander out of Africa.

If you're an avid genealogist, you've probably been there. There you are overseas exploring your old country roots, and you've just encountered a local with the same surname as you. Coincidence? Well, if you're traveling in Scotland, the pair of you can snag some DNA tests and find out. These folks in Scotland have hit on DNA testing as a means of encouraging ancestral tourism.

Actually, as someone who has traveled abroad with a bunch of DNA kits at the ready, I really like this notion. Now you've got a safety net if you find lots of willing test-takers -- sort of like being able to snag one of those disposable cameras in a pinch.

You know, genetic genealogy has become so trendy, it almost makes me nostalgic about the days when I took bullets for being a proponent. Just a few years ago, you were accused of cheating or trying to take shortcuts if you dabbled in it. Look how far we've come!

Roots Television just ventured out for only the second time (our first outing was London's Who Do You Think You Are LIVE! event -- just go here and type in "who do you think" to see the 8 videos we have so far), and man, do these folks know how to throw an event! Thanks especially to Paula Hinkel and Charlotte Bocage for all they did for us!

I had a chance to do 5 talks, tape a few remarks for an upcoming movie (Google Me), and catch up with some friends. You might spot a couple in this photo (hint: think ISOGG and Tracing the Tribe):

My good friend Curt Witcher weighs in on an important issue for all genealogists -- and one that is affecting more and more of us. If you haven't dealt with this yet, your turn is coming, so it's worth a little thought:

What to keep, what to throw away?

Thanks to kind reader Diana Gilman Maurer, I learned that Golden Door was indeed showing in my area, so I went to see it. It's the kind of movie that probably couldn't be made in America due to its deliberate pace, but I enjoyed it as the whole two hours follows an Italian family dealing with emigration and all it entails. You follow them as they make their decision to emigrate on through their arrival and processing at Ellis Island. With 6 of my 8 great-grandparents being Ellis Island-era arrivals, it gave me a chance to journey with them in a sense -- and I suspect fellow genealogists would appreciate this opportunity as well.

The movie also features remarkable imagery (click on the gallery here to get a sampling) -- and that's where the reference to carrots and milk comes from. But I don't want to ruin it for you, so you'll have to go watch it yourself to see what I mean!

I've been a neglectful blogger this past week, so here's a little catch up -- a radio interview I did for NPR, a podcast with the Genealogy Guys, and a fun article on black sheep that includes Rhonda McClure, Leland Meitzler and yours truly. This last one sure contradicts that genealogy-as-bunk article from the Smithsonian Magazine that's getting so much play. Apparently, the writer still thinks we're after illustrious roots -- very 1927 of him.

-- NPR's Talk of the Nation: Putting the "Genes" Back in Genealogy

-- Genealogy Guys podcast -- an interview with Drew Smith about: Roots Television

-- Black sheep, good sheep in the Globe and Mail