25.6.07

Sibling Rivalry

An article in the New York Times claims the eldest sibling has a higher IQ over her younger one. The average difference was 3 points. That might not seem like a lot, but that could be the difference between getting a B+ and a Low A. I'm not really sure if I buy all of that, but I did agree with some parts of the article. As the younger sister to a ridiculously overachieving genius sister, I've always wondered why she was so much smarter than I was. I guess that would explain it.

Does it has something to do with prenatal care or nature? I really don't think so. After I think it has more to do with nurture rather than nature. I know my sister and I were definitely treated differently growing up. My parents were a lot stricter with my sister than they were with me. That may have been because my sister paved the way, or what not. That would be something to really look into as a social anthropologist I suppose. It's something that I've always been curious about.

Some things I agree with in the article:

Some studies find that both the older and younger siblings tend to describe the firstborn as more disciplined, responsible, high-achieving. Studies suggest — and parents know from experience — that to distinguish themselves, younger siblings often develop other skills, like social charm, a good curveball, mastery of the electric bass, acting skills.
That is most definitely true. I feel like I am a bit more social than my sister, I'm more creative, I'm just a little more out there than she is...but have you ever read one of her papers? She's definitely the more studious one and she's more responsible than I am (My sister saves her money, I like to spend all of my pennies!). I also like the way they compare it to a niche and the younger siblings trying to find a different way so there isn't direct competition. I wonder what that means evolutionarily.

I also think though, that siblings are more supportive of each other. I know my sister was always telling me to do whatever I wanted. And I look to her more for support and an OK than I look at my parents, so when the article states this:
[T]hat younger siblings often live more adventurous lives than their older brother or sister. They are more likely to participate in dangerous sports than eldest children, and more likely to travel to exotic places, studies find. They tend to be less conventional than firstborns, and some of the most provocative and influential figures in science spent their childhoods in the shadow of an older brother or sister (or two or three or four).
I see that coming from the fact that we have this extra support. Also a support that's more in tune with you. There's no age gap, and "voice of reason" I suppose. I'll give you an example. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer. And my father hoped I would major in something a little more practical than what I decided to go into. It was my sister however that was with me on majoring in Evolutionary Anthropology. It was also my sister who was the only one that could really see that I liked what I was studying, she was also the only one in my family telling me I was good at it.


I'll probably try to read the actual article from Science and again the NY Times article in more detail and edit this so it's a little better and make some sense! But in reality what do I really know! Maybe I should look over my Social Evolution notes as well!! Along with all the bones I have to study! I'm sure it'll be a splendid night!

20.6.07

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Title!



Phew! Now that that's out of the way, I can continue with this blog entry! Actually, I need to make a generic rant that I can just insert into this thing whenever I wanted to. It would save me time and energy. It would be like Greeking...only from a real Greek and not in Latin!

Any who, it's been my third week at work now. It's not so bad. I make stupid mistakes. I blame that solely on the fact that I am in fact stupid!

I'm a little worried about my trip. I was supposed to get an updated Expedition Guide (or at least that's what I got out of the email they sent) and I haven't. Being the paranoid soul that I am, I emailed and my "Expedition Coordinator" had no idea what I was talking about. EEP! I hope she just didn't understand my "it's too early for this" English, so I emailed her back. I haven't heard from her. These people don't understand who they're dealing with....I will go buck wild to get my money back.

No one reads this so I wonder why I even bother to post. I don't even know what to write anymore. Nothing that interesting happens and I've been so tired lately that I don't even write in my regular journal. My exhaustion mixed along with a complete boredom of my own life and problems makes for equally boring and poorly written blogs. What am I going to write about though? The same waste of thoughts and problems that I've been obsessing about for the last 3 years? That gets a bit old and I don't really have the courage to blog with the same detail and scope as I would in my private journal. I don't want to deal with the dramatics of it nor do I want to put myself out there for the whole world to read. (with the possibility of the whole world being able to read it. That's more accurate!)

I'm just stuck. As stuck in my meaningless blog entries as I am in my life. What am I going to do with myself. I have grandiose ideas as to what I am going to do with myself, but the conviction and drive to actually make those ideas a reality isn't there. You would think knowing what I need to do to improve myself would spark some type of motivation in me, but it hasn't. I'm sitting here knowing what I need to get done and just looking at it as if it will just do it itself. I'll just wake up one morning and everything will be laid out for me. No need to study my osteology, no need to refresh my math for the GREs, no need to write stupid proposals and apply to graduate schools. I'll wake up one morning and everything will be perfect....like Christmas Morning.

I need to get back to work, before I have to start worrying about that too!


Blibbity blah!

Out kiddies!

12.6.07

The Proof is in the Pudding!

I've studied Human Evolution for 4 years. I still read up on it now. I can spit out Darwin's Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection better than most Church goers can recite the 10 Commandments. Yet, through all my years of study and my desire to learn more and my belief in evolution is how we got to where we are, all it takes is one dumbass to make me think....maybe this isn't really how we got there. Shouldn't there be a selection against half of these people walking around? Or is that just me? Oh culture...you double edged sword!

Anyway, I've had a series of bad mornings. Yesterday I fell down a flight of stairs. It gave me a giant bruise on my forearm and the nickname Bumpy (Andrew's very creative apparently). Today, I spilled oil all over the pants I was originally wearing so I had to change 2 minutes before I had to leave for the train! Yes! I got really angry too and started bitching. It happens though.

Other than that little rant, nothing else is really happening. I'm just reading up on some Anthro things. I realized that I just space out when it comes to reading about magnetostratigraphy. I've tried to read this little chapter three times and every time my brain doesn't want to stick with it!

Apparently Ruby thinks that the chick Chloe from Smallville looks like me. She said she was watching it and she was like look that's Leni! Pfft, that's not what my heritage said:


But I'll let you decide:



More importantly she said that it was the cuteness of her face that reminded her of me. That just means that I got called cute....by someone else who is beyond ridiculously cute!! Ha! Suckers! I'm cute and the proof is in the pudding!

8.6.07

Retarded

I noticed LO left me a comment about doing photoshop to yogurt. For days I was trying to figure out what the hell is was talking about. Today I finally found the post. Perhaps this weekend I'll get on it!

I'm an idiot!

6.6.07

Upstream Red Team

My first couple of days at Rutgers. Tis not bad...not bad at all. But it's summer and it's quiet. I'm sure in the fall it'll be nuts. It's a nice department the Life Sciences department. Seeing the classes these kids are taking/ have taken and being on campus makes me want to go to school again! I want to study and all of that balogna. I really do. I want to buy text books and sit in lectures of all sorts, boring ones, fun ones, in the middle ones. I miss those days. I can't believe I skipped class because now I look at it and I know I was a complete asshole! I should've gone to every class, I should've taken advantage of every free event, free anything Rutgers offered. (Except for the free Juice and Cookies offered after donating blood...which I can't do anyway!)

Being here makes me wonder why I ever left and went to work in Corporate America. It's a scary place and heartbreaking. Especially to an idealist like me. Absolutely heart breaking!

Maria got a phone call from the 'rents. Big problems in little Kalamos, but my parents are also known to be exaggerators! So it could be little problems that they've elevated into these huge problems. They like making mountains out of molehills, actually it's a Glykis trait.

Ruthy emails me frequently and keeps her blog up to date. I don't really think she's having a great time there, but she could just make it seem like it sucks because she doesn't want us to think that she's having a blast without us. I hope it gets better for her. Maybe once the field school actually starts she'll like it more.

Portugese festival is this weekend in Newark. Supposedly the last one ever. I'm not sure if I am going to go. Who would I hang out with if I did go? Dave's only going for a bit on Saturday, Danny's not going at all. I haven't spoken to Beto or Shitty in forever. Carlos is going, but I don't really hang out with him. So.....I guess I'm just going for a bit for Saturday.

Yeah, I could write more but I'm at work, and I really don't think I should be taking up my time blogging. So I'll get back to work!

4.6.07

Monday Blues

It's a cold and rainy summer day. Already June. Can you believe that? Already June! A year ago I had just moved back home and started looking for a job. A month ago I had nothing to do. Actually I think my time off mimics when I came home from school. That's pretty cool.


So I started my new job. It's pretty exciting. I checked my email, myspace, and used meebo all in one day. I have to say that's better than Citi off the bat! I couldn't check my gmail there and after a while I couldn't evne check my Google Calendar. What kind of Riduculousness is that?