Weekend Review 5-26-14

So this was memorial day weekend, so we got three days off. (Yay!) At any rate, a few interesting situations took place this weekend. I'd written a skit/play, and it is soon to be produced. Also, I ha

Awards Speech

Myles Gibbs

5-22-14

Mr. Rehak H English II

Here I stand, holding in my hand a medal. A medal that symbolizes the greatest achievement to be made in my career. The Nobel prize is the most intangible dream of all who strive to appear on the world stage. And here I am, and here you are, and in this moment, I am being recognized for having accomplishing calling so grandiose that the whole world, as one entity, has chosen to respect my work.

Of course, standing on such an honored platform, I must present myself accordingly, show my humility. I will take a moment to tell the world, and all my aides, that I would not be here without all of their hard work. No matter how insignificant it may have seemed, every action was vital to our success, as well as our present situation. I’m sure you will understand the need for celerity, so I will just say that you know who you are, and I need you to know proud I am to have worked with you, and to have known you.

I would like to take this moment on the world stage to speak on the topic of the ambition of man. I have seen, throughout the span of my life, man achieve so much. The digital age. All of the knowledge of man. Every experience, every emotion, every thought,  pooled in every waking instant. Thus, our greatest achievement has become our most tremendous failure. We are idle as we wallow in our advances. Dormant in our success. Our most trivial actions appear novel, when seen through the eyes of all the other hogs going to slaughter. I should like for the speech to be a wake up call to the millions who have lost their drive, lack their ambition.

The component we lack here is imagination. The imagination to peer beyond the fantasy we live in. The vision to crave for something more. And I’ve seen the future. I’ve seen the end of disease, the destruction of war. And it begins with every individual working towards a goal. A goal they’ve seen through their mind’s eye. A future that they’ve loved with their soul.

But to reach it, we cannot simply stand still where we are. Man has incredible power at his disposal. Yet it is only spent in such trivial manners. The latest posts. Funny vines. It’s all well and good, but in our creativity, nothing is being created. Yes, there are the occasional points where innovation is merited. But when, I ask, does anything come of this innovation? Perhaps I am naive, but I believe that we are standing still in time, rather than stopped by impressionable walls.

5-16-14 Weekend Review

            This weekend is, so far, is unmade. It will be busy though. Today, I have Boy Scouts. Or at least I would've, but I chose to instead spend the day working on homework, so I'd have time to do everything else this weekend. On Saturday, tomorrow, I'll be participating in the celebration of the birthdays of my sister and my cousin. On Sunday, I'll be at the Whitney Young swim team banquet. My dad, mother, and sister will be attending. I got a new journal (as you already know) and have been writing in it vigorously. Bye for now.

5-11-14

This weekend was GREAT! A few things happened. For one, I got a new journal from my dad. I also finally bought a working copy of Pokémon XD (which took three weeks to track down). Mothers day was swell. My dad cooked some of his excellent steak. My mom loved her card. That piece definitely made my mother. Can't wait for school to end (my apologies). See you tomorrow!

Weekend Review 5-4-14

This weekend was pretty great. I saw The Amazing Spider Man 2, which was a great movie, by my standards. I hope to see the movie a few more times, actually. Today, I'm going to a family event with the Jack and Jill organization at the South Shore cultural center. My dad burned a ROM of Pokémon XD for me. I was very happy that he did this, because I've spent weeks buying copies, and, up until now, they've all been so scratched that I had to return them. I also wrote some poetry on Friday. I was about knowing one's self. The reason I wrote it was because I've been feeling pretty lonely recently.

4-20-14 Weekend Review

This weekend was very interesting. I toured many different colleges. MIT was definately my favorite. I also liked Yale. It was a very inspirational experience. It turned a college experience into something more tangible, something I could better view. It allowed me to find out what I needed to do to get where I was going, as well as what where I am going is like. Happy Spring break. See you tomorrow.

Research Paper

Premise:

        Crowdsourcing is done when multiple people work together to make a decision, create something, or lead an organization. Crowdsourcing is the act of obtaining a good by enlisting the services of multiple people. Crowdsourcing is ever-evident in today’s society. There are many phone apps where you can crowdsource about very simple decisions. For example, what color shirt should you wear or should I get hot choco or a latte. Crowdsourcing can be found in Democracies, companies, information sources, and many others.

---

Thesis:

        Crowdsourcing decisions is more reliable than using a single person. Because of the multitude of people, it will eliminate bias from the decision makers. Similar to why Congress tries to keep and equal number of Republicans as Democrats. It is so they can have an even opinion on the subject being decided on. Not only that, but some people inside the main categories may have different opinions among themselves. This will make it even more sure that the decision will be as unbiased as possible.

4-13-14

So I spent the break touring colleges. The first one that I went to, and the only one I've been to so far, was Princeton. It has a beautiful campus, and a wonderful student body. Also, I'm typing this on an iPad, so it may seem pretty disconnected. Happy tidings for spring break! Myles C P Gibbs.

3-23-14 Weekend Review

My weekend, so far, has been pretty good. I got my grade in Honors U.S. History back up to a B (C's are not good). I've been trying to write that story, but am having loads of trouble getting anywhere. I keep looking back on my previous work and judging it, pretty harshly, too. I just can't seem to keep my focus ahead, because I find myself changing my previous work all the time. You're a writer, do you have any advise for me?

3-9-14 Weekend Review

I got further along in the book I'm writing this weekend. I started reading Courage to Run, a novella, based on the life of Harriet Tubman. I'm basically purging my bookshelf of anything I haven't read yet, and I'm almost through. I like how the crowd sourced novel is coming together. I stayed up super late last night, and am going to bed late tonight. I know I'll strut my stuff in school tomorrow though.

This weekend, I went down to Tennessee and started writing a book. It's based on my life (at present), except some parts are dramatized. I'm here because my sister's getting her pyramid or something for the Delta Sigma Theta organization. It's taking forever to do all my homework, even though I actually don't have all that much.

2-15-14

This weekend I am hosting a kind of game party at the house. Some friends are going to come over to play board games, video games, snow games, etc. I'm hoping to have a better turnout now than with my birthday party, because only three people showed up to that. I can't wait to have all my silly homework assignments done. So I can own my own time. I missed calling a lot of people on Valentine's Day, so I'm trying to call them now.

2-7-14

this weekend I found out that my friend was hospitalized for anorexia and bulimia. she's only there during the weekdays though so I still be able to see her. for that I got all my homework done early. also, I had a swim meet. I was in the last heat for all my events which is a good thing. I think I might have even beaten Baileys time. the three page essay is going well. I really think I have a good story going. I did want to askff though there was any way on

2-2-14

This weekend started with an interesting swim practice, in which I raced against the rest of my team in a relay race. I then spent Saturday with my Jack and Jill group watching a play about black history month. Afterwards, we all went out for pizza. While we were eating, I met a girl named Ashley, who I'm scheduled to meet next week. Today, I played piano in church and got an ovation from the crowd. I feel like I'm turning my studies around this semester, and I have high hopes for this next week. As long as I continue to do my best, success is imminent.

1-26-14 Weekend Review

Finals were hectic, as I had three swim meets this past week. This weekend, I mainly got to hang with my dad and relax. We went and ate breakfast, and then got home and watched TV. I got him into attack on titan, a cool anime on Netflix. I got minecraft for my X-Box, and played with my dogs. I'm so glad that finals are over! I get to start this semester fresh, and with a new agenda. I plan to make the most of 2014. I find that if I overestimate myself, I don't do work, and if I underestimate myself, I give up on my work.

1/20/14

Weekend Review 1-11-14

This Friday, I went on a short camping trip to herrik lake with my boy scout troop. We were staying in a cabin in the woods. It was at the the top of a hill covered in ice. Nearly impossible to scale without kitty litter. Afterwards, I came back to Chicago and went to piano lessons. I get to spend Saturday night with my dad. Just to chill. So hopefully Sunday's gonna go well. I got a new phone recently, and also school just started. I need to prepare for finals. If I'm ready for, I'll be able to leave this semester with some good grades.

12-8-13

This weekend was a pretty crazy one. I had a weird time with a lot of my homework, and I had quite a few assignments. It just went by so fast. It’s snowing outside. Pretty hard too. I just don’t seem to have enough time to do everything I need/want to do. I’m supposed to be heading back downtown to do this Jack & Jill event. I haven’t even bought the Christmas present for the holiday toy drive. I guess time flies by when you’re having fun... And also when you have two four day weekends in a row. I can’t wait for Winter break. It holds my birthday, a new year, and the best holidays all at once. (Plus two weeks off school).

11-16 Weekend Review

So this weekend, I’m hoping to see the new Thor movie. Which is probably about to happen. Next weekend, though, I’m totally gonna geek out absolutely. There’s the Legend of Zelda concert on Friday, and there’s a Doctor Who movie coming out for its 50th anniversary. I just finished cleaning the house. Very thoroughly, if I can gloat. I got up every shred of  dog hair in the house. And I mean every. It took seven hours. Practically from when I got up at noon thirty to when I went to sleep at eight. I’m hoping next week will feel as short as this one. I think it is.

11-10 Weekend Review

So this weekend is going to be very nice. For one, it's a four day weekend, so that's great. Also, I barely have any homework, so I'll have a lot of free time. The weather has really calmed down too. So I suppose I'll rake the leaves. I also went and saw Enders Game a second time with my friend Paige on Saturday. Parent teacher conferences are in two days, and I really hope those go well. The final due date for my science fair project is inching up on me. Time can really fly by, you know? But, hopefully, everything will turn out ok.

11-2 Weekend Review

So I spent the weekend with my grandfather. And I also got back together with my ex. We've both changed... a lot. But it's all good change. I feel like we're mature enough to understand and emphasize with each other better. It's going to work. And everything we tell each other is coming from the heart. We don't say we love each other because that's not true. We don't even know what love is! But one day, far into the future, maybe we will discover its  meaning. Hopefully, with one another. On another note, it's finally the end of the quarter! I'm going to do better this time around. (Loving this three day weekend though.)

10-25 Weekend Reviews

So I spent this weekend at the Jack & Jill mothers cluster. On Friday, there was a small get-together. Pizza, Madden, and sociable people used my attention span. I left early, and watched The Hobbit in my hotel room. With my roommates, Elliot and Kahry.   So Friday went by pretty fast. Saturday, though, was my day. 1st thing was breakfast, of course. Then we (the teen group) discussed topics such as interracial dating, teen suicide, and the trial of Treyvon Martin. The highlight of the day was definitely the dance. Apparently, I "turnt up" and "was killin' it" which was cool. I'd never really been told that I was a good dancer before. That was from 9 o' clock through midnight. Then, Sunday, I'm back home from Naperville, and both my parents have new cars. A Jeep and a Chrysler. At nine pm, I'll be watching The Walking Dead with my grandpa.

Oct 19th Weekend Review

 Wow. Talk about busy, I might be a bee.
I look down my life, and this is what I see:
Me. 50 years older. I'm workin' like someone who's pushin' a boulder...
Up Mt. Everest
Maybe Someday It will all make sense.
But until that day comes, I'll work like a bee
Do whatever I must, so I don't see "C"s.

I am really busy this weekend. I have piano, a belt test (Tae Kwan Do), a halloween party (no, it's not optional), a day with my grandpa, and around seven hours of homework to do. I'm gonna be so friggin busy! But, I've made an elaborate plan, so hopefully, I'll be able to carry through with that, and get everything done.

Joseph McCarthy

Joseph McCarthy

1. Joseph McCarthy was a Republican Senator of Winconsin who led the red scare, a witch hunt for communists, as well as a lesser known scarlet scare, which was a witch hunt for gays.
2. He had support in his hunt from Catholics, as well as the Kennedy family.
3. He made enemies with the Truman administration, who was against his hunt for the commies.
4. President Eisenhower did not want to make enemies with McCarthy, but disagreed with him nonetheless.

Raisin in the Sun Act 4

ACT 4

Ten years later

RUTH, WALTER, & MAMA are sitting in the living room of the Younger residence in Clybourne Park. RUTH is ironing, MAMA is cooking, and WILLIE HARRIS is on the phone. There is a jubilance in the air. WALTER is pacing as he speaks, as though he’s on a business call.

The doorbell rings.

SCENE 1

STRANGER: Delivery! (Walter glances towards the door)

RUTH:(To Walter) No, no. You stay honey. I’ll get it. You got yo’ dreams to worry bout’. (Turning to the door and opening it) Hello?

POSTMAN: Good evenin’ Mrs. Younger. How d’ya do?

RUTH: (Impatiently, as though talking to an annoying child) Good, good. What are you here for?

POSTMAN: (Hearing the tone in her voice and taking some offense) Aw, nothin. Just this new, expensive colla’ Tee Vee. I oughta go. Can’t lose this job. Barely makin’ along’ as is.

RUTH: (hadn’t been paying attention, absentmindedly) Oh, well that’s too bad... Why don’t you come on in and help us install it... I’ll pay you a tip.

POSTMAN: Naw, naw. Don’t got no time fo’ all that. Sorry ta let you down, Miz Younger.

RUTH: Iz alright. we can do ourselves... Not like we needy or anything.

POSTMAN: Kay then. Be seein’ you.

RUTH: Bye now...(Waits a while, watching him walk down the street, and closes the door, leaning on it. She sighs dramatically) Finally. Thought he’d never leave. (She’s done ironing now, and begins sweeping. She comes across a mess of dried leaves.) MAMA!

MAMA: Yes, honey. Somthin’ wrong?

RUTH: Yes. There’s these damned dried leaves everywhere. I think they’re from that old plant. The one you took from... from... (as though she has a bad taste in her mouth) Our old place...

MAMA: Oh, that ol’ thang? Just throw it out. All it’s been doin’ fer the last ten years is growin’ dust.(doorbell rings again) What now!? (goes and opens the door, and turns around with a smile) Our baby’s home!

RUTH:(drops broom, striding towards her son) Oh, baby. You’ll never know how much I missed you!(embraces him)

WALTER:(still on business call) I’d better go now, family emergency. Tell everyone at the office to take the rest of the day off. (hangs up phone and turns to son) What you done gone and come back from Princeton for? Musta’ been a girl.(Ruth releases her son)

TRAVIS: Nothing of the sort father, in fact, I’ve come to inform you all a... decision... that I’ve made.

MAMA:(interested)Well I think we’d all like to hear about your life-changing decisions.

TRAVIS: (looking very proud) I’ve decided to become a freedom rider. (not realizing that everyone elses mood has changed)The story of our success, and the way that the whites in this neighborhood took to us so quickly proves that a bridge can be formed between the two races. Now is the time to strengthen that bridge, and make it wide so that the multitudes can cross...(his words are met by silence) Well? What do you think?

WALTER: (clearly ashamed of his son) I’m thinking, “What in God’s name is my boy throwing away his life for?” I’m thinking, “What did I do wrong when I was bringing you up for you to turn out this way?” That’s what I’m wondering.

TRAVIS: What are you talking about?!? I’m extending the progress of our race! (Ruth and Mama look away)

WALTER: The only thing you’re extending... is the progress of ignorant blacks into the only places left untouched by their grimy hands.

TRAVIS: How can you say that!!!

WALTER: I say it cuz’ it’s true. Now get out. And don’t ever come back.

4 Weekend Reviews

Week 1: I wrote some poetry that weekend... Well, I don't know if it should be called poetry, per-say, but the point is that I did some writing. And thought about people... People like Calice Robins. But, I'll revisit that next week once it grows more pertinent. Anyways,I was with my dad that weekend. We played a lot a games. Watched a couple movies. I saw some gams at the pool. We watched The Wolverine. It sucked. Bad. I can't believe everyone piled up in a van to see that, but when Django came out, everyone was talking about how pointlessly violent it was. Depends on your definition of pointless, I suppose. I mean, is pointless violence a man ripping out someones guts because he's got a problem with a man, or someone trying to save his wife from men who would do god-knows-what to her, and not pay for it at all? Just a question people should ask themselves.

Week 2: I had such a busy weekend on the 28th. On Friday, there was swimming, then scouts, then babysitting (overnight) [still haven't been paid]. On Saturday, I had to go to piano lessons, and also do this breast cancer awareness thing with my grandmother. On Sunday, though, I had time to do some work. I did get something of a job offer though. It was an opportunity to work with a woman from PBS. Basically, the goal was to get more views on a youtube video about breast cancer. Would’ve been interesting, but I think that the time to do that has passed.

Week 3: I went to a camp this weekend. With my Jack & Jill group. It’s a organization I’m in that teaches leadership skills. Kennedy Hayes also went. My dad came and chaperoned, which was cool, because he was cool. He was pretty unattached, which was definitely good. We did some leadership/teamwork exercises before we were free to do what we wanted to. I went and did some archery. I’m surprisingly good at it. I hit the bullseye on almost every shot. So you could say I had a nice weekend. Plus, there’s the homecoming game and dance next weekend to look forward to.

Week 4: Wow. Homecoming. Was. Insane. I won’t go into all the gory details, but I’ll instead leave it at this: “I wouldn’t want to be the guy who has to clean up in there.” The rest of my time off was pretty typical though. I spent a lot of time on my author presentation for Mr. Rehak. I ended up choosing Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick. High School is pretty rough. Or maybe it just has its ups and downs. If the latter is true, I’m definitely in a down. I feel like I have way too much work to do. I have to work on three projects that are due around the same time. But, with the experience I’ve gained, I know I’m about to climb higher than ever before.

September 19-21 Weekend Review

So this week I realized that a quarter of the school year has already gone by... That was fast. Maybe it means I get older. For instance, when I was younger, an hour waiting felt like a day. Now, to wait a day feels more like an hour. Also, this week, I thought about asking Calice Robins to homecoming, and then I figured that Jennifer "Jenna P." might be trying to ask me. I'm between a rock and a hard place here, 'cause I really want to ask Calice to the dance, but I'm afraid of rejection. The other problem is that everyone's always making fun of Jennifer, calling her ugly and whatnot. I, though, am one of the only guys who sees her for who she really is, and try to be a friend to her. If I say "no" when she asks, I'll be making so many mistakes.
1) I don't even know why I like Calice. I just do. Thus, it might just be hormones talking
2) I'll probably kill off Jennifer's self-esteem, which would make me feel like a complete asshole.
3) I might still be rejected by Calice.
If I say "yes", I'll be giving up Calice which may or may-not be a life-changing decision.

Weekend Review FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH

                    So I got my cast off today... only to have a splint put back on - so... that's a let down, but at least I have a lot more mobility in my hand. Also, I'm aspiring to be a lord at Homecoming. I'm pretty nervous though. It's the first time I've ever tried to do something like this, but who knows? Maybe I'll find success! On another note, Mr. Rehak, I don't know if you noticed, but I changed the format of my blog today. That black background was just too much to deal with. This week was extremely hectic. I had four tests!!! One in algebra, one in Spanish, one in HUSH, and a fourth one in chemistry. Too many! I mean, this is a serious case of radically bad timing. But, at least now I know I can handle the heat. I've changed a lot in these years. I've become more responsible, organized, focused, and constructive. Whitney Young has definitely assisted in my development. It's forged me into the individual I am today... That and my mom. I don't know what I'd do without her. Now that I'm organized, everything seems clear. I'm more adaptable. It's like all the grime has been polished off my mind, and now I can see what it wants. I learn more about myself every day.

Grammar Lesson

Lesson: Narrative Voice

Myles Gibbs

THE FACTS: The narrative voice describes how the story is conveyed, or who the reader is seeing through.

WHY IT'S CONFUSING: This is confusing because even though the writer may be thinking about the story from all angles, or wants to tell the reader something directly, he/she must remember that the character doesn't know everything, and that the reader doesn’t exist to the character.

HOW TO REMEMBER: The best way to remember this rule is to check and make sure that you keeping the right point of view. If in the 3rd person, make sure you don’t say “I”. If in 2nd person, make sure you’re talking to the reader, and never say “I”. If in 1st person, make sure speaker only talks about what character knows.

Decide whether the following is in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person:

1. As I went down into the field, my mother embraced me.

2. As Michael strolled into the field, his mother embraced him.

3. As you walk into the field, your mother embraces you.

Try these on your own, then ask the teacher or a friend to review:

1. You’ve learned the secret. The answer to everything... 42!

2. I’ve learned the secret. The answer of everything... 42!

3. And then they learned the answer to everything... 42!

Finally, try these for homework.

1. Michelle tried to focus on her homework, but to her, the whole world was a distraction.

2. I tried to focus, but the whole world is out to distract me!

3. You try to focus on your work, but everything seems to distract you.

1st Weekend Review

This past week was my second week of high school. I'm getting used to that. I was going to try out for acting this year, but I've figured that if I don't even have time to find a necessary form and print it out, I definitely don't have time to be in a major role. This arm is beginning to annoy me. It's stupid how I broke it. I'd been over ten feet off the ground that day, on multiple occasions, yet somehow, when I actually fall, it's four feet down, flat on my back. Chemistry's pretty sweet, I'm glad that I get to do stuff. Not just listen to how things work, or, god forbid, learn how something works and the test it. If I'm gonna do something, I wanna do it for a reason. (I hate busywork). The English teacher's cool. I get the same vibes from him as I did from Mr. Tchless (is that how it's spelled?). I've been having a crazy amount of super-realistic dreams lately, and sometimes I can't tell whether I'm awake or asleep. Even spookier is the deja-vu moment I had yesterday. I was in Algebra 2 with Trigonometry, and Mrs. Chhabra called me up to present my homework - and for one second, everything was quiet. And I remembered. I remembered that at the beginning of the summer, I had a dream, a dream that I was in a classroom with people I didn't know, but in a place I recognized, and the teacher called my name, and I woke up. In reality, three months later, I was sitting in the same seat, doing the same thing, but, most chilling of all, Chhabra called my name the EXACT. SAME. WAY. Every since then, I've been waiting for something... important to happen. I don't what it is, but things like that don't just happen. They mean something - and as of right now. It's my personal job to find out what.

The Discovery of Pilsen

Myles’ Notes on the Area of PILSEN, IL

As I venture further into the neighborhood of Pilsen, I realize that most of the people living here are Mexican. The downtown area is lively, and it harbors a university. It is called the University of Illinois at Chicago, but it is commonly written abbreviated as UIC. Because of the presence of the university, a majority of Pilsonians are between eighteen and twenty-two years of age. Also present, on the border of town, is a homeless shelter. This is responsible for many of the impoverished, vagrant, and unruly persons who always seem to be either sitting on the doorsteps of houses they do not own, or sleeping on the sidewalks, still as the dead.

As I move into the public park, I smell the spicy, sweet scent of barbecue. I notice that many families  stay outside after their workday is over, cooking and consorting with well known neighbors. Set right under a major highway, you can hear the sounds of the cars from almost anywhere in Pilsen. Geographically, downtown Chicago is a short distance to the northeast, UIC is less than a mile northwest, Chinatown lies to the east, & the Little Village directly to the west. There are a lot of restaurants near here, as well as small businesses. The public transportation is always crowded due the massive amounts of college students plugging up the streets.

My view on the people of Pilsen is that they are unusually kind people, who’ve just started a family. Trade, as I said previously, has a major presence in Pilsen, as even Chinatown business has spread here. There are quite a few flats in Pilsen, probably due to the UIC students. There is a gas station at the end of the block I am staying at. There’s a homeless man who I’ve taken to calling “ Mr. Jenkins” who is usually loitering around the block. The park, for one reason or another, has no basketball court. The ICON theatre is nearby. Its success seems to have built up the apartments around it and the mall that’s being added to it. It takes up almost three city blocks!

There’s a lot to find here in Pilsen, & a lot to love. I think that this would be the perfect place to set up a home in. There’s entertainment, food, people, & all the basic necessities right outside your door.