Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I'm Mixed. But I'm Black.

Whenever someone asks me my ethnicity, I always say Black. I always have. That’s how I identified myself and it was never a problem. Now people didn’t always believe me. The light skin and freckles throw people off. They’re always like, “What? You’re black? I don’t believe it”. That gave me the room to tease them and come up with crazy mixes like, “Yea, I’m half Dominican and half Romanian.” And they’d believe that more easily! Now I always knew my family had Native American and French in us, as we come from New Orleans so we had that Creole aspect. But I never knew how much. So I asked a bunch of my family members about our heritage and this is what I got.

Paternal Side:
My grandfather’s mother is half Native American and half French.
My grandfather’s father is white.
So my Papa, Norman Sr.: ¼ Native American, ¾ French
Which surprised me, I always thought my grandfather was black somehow.

My Dad's dad - Papa


My grandmother’s father's (Charlie 9) Mother (Ethel) is half Italian and half Black.
My grandfather’s father’s father is Black, but of French background. Which is where the Francois comes in. They say his curly hair made him think he wasn’t completely black though.
Charlie 9: ¼ Italian, ¾ black

My grandmother’s mother’s (Elizabeth) mother (Corinne) is half Jewish and half black. She is the direct descendant of a white Jewish slave owner and a black mother.
My grandmother’s mother’s dad is a Black man. His name was Governor Ruth.
Elizabeth: ¼ white jew, ¾ black

So when Charlie 9 and Elizabeth had a baby, that baby, my grandmother was:
Momo, Elizabeth Ann: 6/8th black, 1/8 Italian, 1/8 white jew

My Grandma and Cousin Janet


SO then, when my grandparents got together…
Momo: 6/8th black, 1/8 Italian, 1/8 white jew
Papa: 2/8 native American 6/8 french

That would make my daddy:

Daddy: 6/16 black, 1/16 Italian, 1/16 white Jew, 2/16 native American, 6/16 french

(If my calculations are correct lol)

My dad, Norman Jr.

My dad



Maternal:

My mothers’ father’s father is half Cherokee, half black.
My mothers’ father’s mother is black.
My Papa: ¼ native American, ¾ black

My Mom's Dad - Other Papa

My Mom's Dad - Other Papa


My mother’s mother’s mother is ¾ irish and ¼ black. Stewart family.
My mother’s mother’s dad is black..
So my Memo is: 3/8 irish, 5/8 black

So when my mother’s parents got together…..
Memo: 3/8 irish, 5/8 black
Papa: 2/8 native, 6/8 black

That made her:
Mommy: 3/16 Irish, 2/16 native American, 11/16 black
My mommy and me

Mommy



And so then whey MY parents got together:
Daddy: 6/16 black, 1/16 Italian, 1/16 White Jew, 2/16 Native American, 6/16 French
Mommy: 3/16 Irish, 2/16 Native American, 11/16 Black

That makes my sister and me:
17/32 Black
6/32 French
4/32 Native American
3/32 Irish
1/32 Italian
1/32 White Jew

Me, My Auntie Kim, and My sister Cait


So we’re a little over half black, which is what I expected, it’s interesting to see the break down. I’m more “mixed” than I would have thought. When you combine all the smaller nationalities of the Caucasian relatives we are:

17/32 Black
11/32 White
4/32 Native American

It’s pretty cool though because all the members of my family are very different from each other. Especially my dad’s side, all his siblings are a full range of the color spectrum. They're all have the same parents, Norman Sr. and Elizabeth Ann. Check out the pics. Most of these pics are of my dad's side.

Charlie 9

My dad and Uncle Charles

Auntie Dede and Auntie Kim and Uncle Tony

My Cousin's Jessica and Janet (and Janet's husband)

Auntie Kim, Uncle Tony, My Dad

My Cousin Justin

Uncle Charles and My Cousin Jihad

My Dad and Auntie Kim

Auntie Dede

Cousin Taylor

Auntie Kathy, Auntie Kim, Auntie Metra

Auntie Metra and her son Jihad

My Auntie Dede, her husband and my cousins, Janet, Jessica, and Jared

All the grandkids

My cousin Chris

Sunday, June 28, 2009

You've got it bad when...

You've got it bad when you start labeling cars on the road as Autobots or Decepticons.


Thursday, June 25, 2009

Michael Jackson Dead

It can't be true. I can't believe it. He's the only entertainer I ever said I cared if he died.
He better not be dead.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

My Vow

I am certain of, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my true purpose. My whole essence and reason for being. I've known. For quite some time. How could I not? It is ingrained in my very core. I'll not only sell my soul, but I will split it into 7 parts. I've dedicated my life and am going to pursue my dream in the hopes that someday....

somehow....

I will be an Autobot.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Monday, June 15, 2009

I'll Marry You For Your Voice Alone

Maxwell

James Morrison

Finn Andrews

Matthew Bellamy of Muse

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Today





Saturday, June 13, 2009

Going Back to My Roots

MMMMM My cholo summer is officially over.
Its all about the Native American men, baby.



Jason Momoa as Navarro in Johnson Family Vacation




Derek HInkley


Rick Mora

Tokala Clifford


If they let me cast Twilight, it would be better because...

I love books! Love love love them. I'm usually enjoy every book I read. I mean, I'm always down for symmetry between a book and the movie that was made after. Especially since most of the movies that have been coming out the past few years, I have read and been a fan of the books before. So If I could make three major changes, it would be for the better.

EDWARD:

I don't have a problem with Cedric Diggory, I mean Robert Pattinson persay, its just slapping some white makeup on a boy does not a sexy vampire make. He is ok in his own right, but not what he's supposed to look like. This is the BOOKS description of edward:
  • Hair: tousled bronze (reddish-brown).

  • Eyes: Liquid topaz when he is well fed, and 'flat black' when he is hungry or angry, with purplish almost bruise like circles under his eyes...they lighten and almost disappear when he has fed. Long, black lashes.

  • Face: Perfectly sculpted, like the rest of his body. High cheekbones, straight nose, perfect full lips with razor sharp, straight, white teeth. Always flashing his crooked smile to get what he wants.

  • Skin: Often described as looking like a stone carving or statue, perfectly smooth, alabaster white, rock hard. Bella's own 'personal god'. Shimmers like a crystal in the sunlight, throwing millions of rainbows everywhere.

  • Body: Not as muscular as his brother Emmett, more boyish, but lean and strong..and not without muscles of his own.

  • Dress: Subdued colors, khakis, whites, blacks. Always 'perfect'.

  • So, out of those, I'd say that Robert fits the hair and the dress. He does have a very sculpted face, but its so hard and masculine. Not refined and boyish like he's supposed to look.

    MY RECOMMENDATION: Gaspard Ulliel
    Hair and Eyes can be changed on set, like they did with Robert. He is SUCH a better fit.


    NEXT..

    BELLA:

    First off, PERSONALLY, I think Kristen Steward is not cute at all, always acts like a crackhead and is an awful actress. AWFUL actress. Those are personal thoughts and only an actresses acting ability and character believability and development should be considered. And for this movie, the awful acting is the worst part. This role requires depth, most of all we hear in the book is Bella's inner thoughts. Complex character. I feel Kristen never acts well and she didn't in this either. As far as looks, Bella is to be plain, especially compared to Edward. Which I feel Kristen fits. But Jacob and Mike both like her as well, so I'd imaging her pretty, even though she is plain. From Stephanie Meyer, herself, the description is:

    • very fair-skinned, with long, straight, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.

    • Her face is heart-shaped—a wide forehead with a widow’s peak, large, wide-spaced eyes, prominent cheekbones, a thin nose and a narrow jaw with a pointed chin.

    • Her lips are a little out of proportion, a bit too full for her jaw line.

    • She’s slender but not at all muscular, and weighs about 115 pounds.

    Now I can see how, on a very BASIC level they can pick Kristen, because she roughly fits this. But this is HOLLYWOOD. You have thousands if not millions for the budget and tons of people working on the cast and crew. You have hundreds of actors and actresses in town everyday looking for roles. I'm just saying you could have done better. Much better. I'm sure there is a great unknown out there. If not Kristen, even Alexis Bledel would have been a better choice. Better actress and better looks.



    And finally:

    Jacob Black:


    I actually really like the guy who plays Jacob. Taylor Lautner has come a long way since he was Sharkboy. I think he is hot and a great actor. And no, I don't care how old..or young...he is lol. I think he was perfect in book one, and though he buffed up a lot *fans self* for book two, its just a lil hard for me to match the description in the book to Taylor. Before his transformation he is:

    • 6'5

    • He can be a mischievous teenager when he wants to be, but usually happy and grinning

    • golden brown

    • long and lean, but muscular


    This one I'm not as adamant about, because as I said, I'm really enjoying Taylor being Jacob. But I think Steven Straight would be a HOT Jacob. Or part of the wolf pack as Sam. OOOO. Maybe if they give him a tan tho lol