Sunday, July 21, 2019

Cultural Changes Of The 1960s And 1970s

Cultural Changes Of The 1960s And 1970s In the 1960s Americans started to question the Americas culture of materialism, consumerism and Political norms. In their quest into seeking a better world, they used music, politics and unconventional lifestyle bequeathing a new way of life that was referred to as the new counter culture. The 1960s were a period of protest and reforms as young American demonstrated against the Vietnam War, the African Americans demanded civil rights and the women were advocating for gender equality1. The hero, therefore, was that person who helped others especially in achieving these. Americans faced many issues that ranged from arms race, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and to liberty issues that pertained to drug use and sexual orientations. This new culture incorporated the notions of peace, love and unity as well as the ideas of religion, the mystic world as well as usage of drugs to expand one understanding of his self-awareness. This movement contributed to the great changes that af fected America as the youth were courageous enough to challenge the established authorities, were advocating for more social tolerance as the peoples perception of matters that concerned gender marriage, environment and children rights slowly changed. A good number of the youths escaped from the problems of the cities like crime and drug abuse to find refuge in the countryside where they forged new lifestyles that emphasised a common political ideology and were faced with spiritual reawakening to indulge in new spiritual encounters that favoured the peace of mind e.g. the Yoga and meditation. Many Americans were under fear of the nuclear holocaust. The shock of the Vietnam War and the prejudices of the racial injustice were aggravated by the culture of materialism and consumerism a resultant of the brute capitalism. To counter all these, the youths engaged at sit-in at schools, colleges, churches, hotels and other facilities. These youths were inspired by leaders such as John F Kennedy, Martin Luther king among others that acted as the political ring leaders2. A group of democratic politicians and activist that advocated for improved welfare used the expansion of the welfare state in California to reach out to the partys electoral coalition hence setting the preliminary stage of the partys identity politics of the 1970s and beyond. Thus the youth had to change their appearance and character to suit whatever they were advocating for. These were done through clothes, musical lyrics and the expressions of the arts that were used to explicitly articulate and advocate for these changes that concerned matters of free speech, liberty and political reforms; phenomenas were not new to the American society as they are the basis for the American state. Music was used as a force of change to alter peoples thoughts and action. It brought about a culture change that was based on the hip hop culture. The fashion was not left behind as the men drew on crew cuts and the women had bouffant hairstyles. By the middle of the 60s, the women were wearing miniskirts and hot pants that were worn with the go-go boots that revealed the legs while the body wear revealed the body curves of women as their hair was made either short or tall and thin. The culture ended the idea of making women second class citizens. All this advocating was not in vain as the period of change came in the 1970s where the social experiments were tried out leading to change and partly showed what the Americans would be like in the 1980s. In the 1970s the state of America ended its involvement in the Vietnam War and the civil and women rights movement attained many of the goals that they were advocating for. The economy at this time was hit by a very hard recession (the cyclic nature of a capitalistic economy) that saw high-interest rates and inflation. The repercussion was felt in the whole world leading to a drop in the supply of oil resulting into an acute shortage of the product. The liberal democrats who were i n power for most of the 1960s lost in the 1970s to a conservative politician Richard Nixon where he was forced to resign during the Watergate scandal3. Gerald Ford the vice president came in but lost later. Carter who replaced him was also voted out as a result of his failure to improve the economy. These changes of the 1970s affected the pop culture, education and politics around America. In the film, radio and television industry, a popular program of the time was named All in the Family that was a factory worker who disliked black people and vehemently opposed women rights. But its his family that slowly made him change his ways and accept the difference of the Americas social fabric. Other programs helped Americas to escape from the problems afflicting them by depicting a utopian happy life e.g. happy days and the Threes company the message was also similar in the music industry. The folk music was much appreciated in the 1960s as it concerned the social problems4. With the advent of the 1970s different groups started to play hard rock and punk music. The reforms also led to a change in the education system as a lot of people were disinterested in furthering their education after college since they were busy advocating for social and political reforms5. The war in Vietnam had also bogged them down with the view that more education led to increased inequality. In the mid-1970s though, the need to make more money led to many Americans going for higher education as it had become acceptable and higher education provided the skills that were needed for this. In the 60s and 70 they were acting in a collective manner and after achieving many of their goals the focus shifted to making money and living a life that they had long desired. A sign of becoming more concerned with their personal life. This new counterculture ended the idea of making political decisions that people do not support and made the environment a priority for the government and the s tate of America in general6. Notes. 1. Bruce J. Schulman and Julian E. Zelizer, conservative in the Rightward bound: making America 1970s. (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2008), 7. 2. General Publishing Group, Of the people: the 200-year history of the Democratic Party. (Santa Monica: General Pub. Group, 1992), 140-160. 3. Rodney P. Carlisle, America in revolt during the 1960s and 1970s. (ABC-CLIO, 2007) 62-96. 4. Rodney, America in revolt during the 1960s and 1970s, 179. 5. General Publishing Group, Of the people: the 200-year history of the Democratic Party, 102-104. 6. Bruce and Zelizer, conservative in the Rightward bound: making America 1970s, 200-230

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Photography Essay -- Essays Papers

Photography Photography is more than just a means for documentation. Photography is more than snap shots at a family reunion. A fine art photographer makes more choices than people realize. Point and click is not the solution for taking a photograph (John Szarkowski 9-12) . A fine art photographer may choose to freeze action or to blur it. The freezing or blurring of action is not just done at the push of a button, it takes knowledge and an understanding of how apertures and shutter speeds relate to each other under different circumstances with different types of film (Barbara London and John Upton 98). Art or not, photography is a creative process. Another characteristic that sets apart photography fine artist compared to the rest of the world’s photographers is larger negative sizes (Henry Horenstein 181). Most fine art photographers use medium and large format (Antonia LoSopio 7-8). Every photographer that uses a medium or large format camera is not a fine artists by any means, yet most average photographers don’t have a desire to shell out $5,000 for a medium format camera, nor do people want to take the time that a larger camera requires. I personally have spent up to four hours just composing the frame with a large format camera before I even used one piece of film. Also medium format and large format film cannot be processed at any one-hour photo booth. Most people don’t want to pay the prices of a professional lab, and the average photographer doesn’t see the differences from a pro-lab and a regular one-hour photo booth, even though the difference is substantial. Fine Art photographers do not merely take photographs at random either. Fine art photographers... ...or a low lighting situation (Barbara London and John Upton 132) To counteract the graininess of some films there are fine grain developers. In addition to the special developers there are different ways to dilute the chemicals for more efficiency (Horenstein 56-66). Fine grain developers will help to sharpen pictures but at the cost of tonal range, the middle grays will become less abundant, this is sometimes desirable. If the fine grain developer is diluted the middle gray tones will return but sharpness will be sacrificed (Barbara London and John Upton 133). None of this is very noticeable until the images are enlarged considerably large, but the change still happens. When most photographs that are hung in museums are quite large, so many can view the same image at the same time, the change from the regular to fine grain developer is significant.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Cry the Beloved Country Movie versus Film Essay -- compare contrast

Cry, the Beloved Country is a moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom. They live in an Africa torn apart by racial tensions and hate. It is based on a work of love and hope, courage, and endurance, and deals with the dignity of man. The author lived and died (1992) in South Africa and was one of the greatest writers of that country. His other works include Too Late the Phalarope, Ah, but Your Land Is Beautiful, and Tales from a Troubled Land. The book was made into a movie starring James Earl Jones and Richard Harris. The book takes you to South Africa, where the land itself is the essence of a man. It as if the mountains, soaring high above the clouds, are the high moments in life, and the valleys are those low and suffering times. Next, you will take a journey to a place called Johannesburg. While reading the pages, the reader begins to envision Johannesburg being a polluted, very unkind, and rushed city. The setting is more of an emotional setting than a physical setting. As I stated, it takes place in South Africa, 1946. This is a time where racial discrimination is at an all time high. The black community of this land is trying to break free from the white people, but having little success. It is this so called racism that is essential to the setting of the story. Without it, the book would not have as much of an impact as it does. This film, the second adaptation of the book, has little room for hatred or anger. Ins tead, its underlying tone is one of a profound grief that the title hints at. Taken as a whole, Paton's novel promotes healing and understanding, and it speaks as powerfully to audiences today as it did when it was first published, fifty years ago. The book ends with a tone of ... ...ing message and provide an emotional punch to equal the book's resonance, which would have probably made a longer film, but added to the continuity if the film. Although the film is slow, it takes on surprising power from the dignity of its performances and the moral strength of its ideas. The book is the same way except you are being fed more of the characters emotion through words than through pictures. Not every moment of the film is as potent as the book (which is noted for passages of passion and impassioned eloquence), but as I said before overcomes its own limitations to become a glorious tribute to the workings of a faith that does not blind but opens up the human spirit (Douglas 25). Alan Paton's novel of apartheid in 1940s South Africa receives a sanitized and overly sentimental treatment in this film, a little trivializing to the book's relentless power.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

My father, my hero Essay

My father is not a celebrity; he is not such a recognizable face. My father is not a national hero; he is not a multi-millionaire. My father is just an average quiet man, whom I honour and respect. My father was born in 1954, in the small South-Indian state of Kerala. He was the fourth child of my grandfather (late C.M. Thomas). My father managed to succeed well enough in classes to pursue education at Ranny College (Affiliated to Kerala University). In college, he majored in physics and soon went to Bombay, looking for a job. There he completed a financial accounting course and thus received a job offer (for secretary) in Saudi Arabia. He arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1980, vastly different from the one we see today. While in Saudi, he met my mother, who was working as a nurse in one of the hospitals there. They got married in India and started their married life in Saudi Arabia. Soon after that, he got a job offer as an accountant from one of the branches of Nissan Diesel. He has been a faithful employee of Nissan Diesel for over 20 years now. In the past 20 years, he received many awards and promotions in appreciation for his dedicated service. Presently, he is working as the manager of one the three main showrooms of Nissan Diesel in all of Saudi Arabia. My mom on the other hand, is now the ‘Deputy Nursing Director’ of one of the best private hospitals in the Kingdom. Both my father and mother, hold high executive positions and are a great help to the South-Indian community is Saudi Arabia. My father is a very respected person, both in India as well as in Saudi. In his company, he has a staff of 25 people, working directly under him. My father is a truthful and straight-forward person, who has excelled due to his very unique leadership skills. He has also been a great help/support to many friends & relatives there. I truly believe that people like him are an asset to the South-Indian community. He is an outstanding problem-solver/a troubleshooter and has always been a great help for his company. He also plays a great role in the church as an elder and as an active figure. My father has now decided to immigrate to Canada, far from the land of his memories and dreams to a new land of supposed opportunity for his children. As a role model, my father’s life and destiny is never based him on alone. He has sacrificed his own personal happiness for the well being of his children. The comfort of living in a familiar culture as a well-known figure, has been traded for the future education and happiness of his two children. In choosing this country to settle in, my father is forsaking his respectful position, higher salary and close family. In return, he will gain nothing personally besides the happiness and well being of his children. I truly honour and respect the courage that accompanies such a decision. And for this reason, my father is my hero. He is my role model.

Countries trade products Essay

In the world market, countries switch products they wouldnt be able to earn on their own. Countries like Cuba specializes in cigar intersection, lacquer in electronics, and Russia in rocket technology. However, all the same if a kingdom has an absolute payoff in producing all goods, they still depart benefit from betray. Many economic factors are involved with trade. Among the major factors are hazard hails, comparative advantage, specialization and finally trade. luck woo is defined as the esteem of the best alternative forgone when an item or activity is chosen. In opposite words, chance cost is the cost of choice. For example the prospect cost of producing a car is the metre that couldve been used to produce something else, say melodic theme. For a bucolic (country A) that has an absolute advantage ( the king to produce something using less resources than other producers use ) in producing both(prenominal) cars and penning, the hazard cost of producing say , 1 car is the output signal of 3 short tons of paper. Thus, what product a country chooses to specialize on must be chosen so as to produce as much as possible while suffering as little opportunity cost as possible.Which goods the country should specialize on should be monitored by the law of comparative advantage, which states that the country with the lowest opportunity cost of producing a particular good should specialize in producing that good. By specializing on a accepted good, a country lowers the opportunity cost of that good by forgoing outturn of other goods. For example Say country A has an absolute advantage in producing cars as well as paper, and the opportunity cost of producing 1 car is 3 tons of paper. Country B however, produces 1 car at an opportunity cost of 6 tons of paper. If these two countries specialized according to comparative advantage, country A produces 2 cars whilst country B produces 12 tons of paper. Therefore, country B should deoxidize on sol ely producing paper and upset over the job of car production entirely to country A.To gain the utmost benefits of specialization among countries, countries should trade their products with products from other countries. In the example above, the total output of cars and paper has increased as a passof specialization. But exactly how much should both countries trade to gain the highest possible benefits? By trading 1 car for 4 tons of paper, country A impart gain 1 ton of paper while country B gains 2 tons of paper. Hence, both countries gain more than paper by trade without change magnitude their resources.Country ACountry BCars Paper (tons) Cars Paper (tons)Without tradeyield and consumption 1 3 1 6With mintProduction 2 0 0 12Trade Gives 1 Gets 4 Gets 1 Gives 4Consumption 1 4 1 8Gains from TradeIncrease in Consumption None +1 ton None +2 tonsIn conclusion, all the economic factors mentioned combined with trade allows benefits even to a country that has the might to produce goods while using fewer resources than other countries.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Lord of the Flies Response to Literature Essay

Every gr extinguish federation has strived and prospered pay up to(p) to the laws and principles the civilization has lived by. But when a ordering removes these principles that be laid protrude what could step to the forelet? In The Lord of the move by William Golding, as a result of a terrible war a visualizeer crashed landed, obscureing the pilots and loss a minor(ip) group of boys stranded on an island leaving the boys with no ascendancy. The groups of boys do well at the start when they set in motion an organized mode to uphold an on personnel casualty luff perk up going, problems soon arise as the kids set forth to lose the liberation they had once pr conducticed.As we scrutinize the Lord of The travel and maintain Freudians system we evict personify individu each(prenominal)y of the leash elements that garner up his supposition with the three main characters hoot, Ralph and gluttonous that preserve in any case represent the Id, the ego and the first-rate swelled head based on Freuds Personality theory. The best well cognize psychoanalytic theory developed by Sigmund Freud, a Viennese physician, believed that the mind could be separated to three parts the Id, the self-importance and the superior self.The Id is what we be born with it is the enjoyment principle, representing what we desire at the moment in an unconscious state of mind without let go of the populace of the circumstances. In The Lord of the Flies the Id would symbolize bullshit as he privations his ambitions met without thinking intimately their actual short letter they are in. We can divulge this when Jacks only interests is to go move and in his arbitrary choice he tells Samneric to leave their post to do kill the pig. This results in the fire burning out. The glorify Jack than returns to gasconade to Ralph of his accomplishment he tells him, We got in a circleWe crept up The pig squealed (Golding 69).He does non hit the significance of leaving the fire ignored as his needs are met he could not see anything wrong with his actions. Although, in reality he has blown their be opportunity of rescue as a sauceboat had passed by but was un sure of their movement because the request fire had g integrity out while Jack had told Samneric to overhaul him. This par invite Ralphs power as chief greatly as people than begin to doubtfulness him and the group starts to split into two, but Ralphs group leaves him as they go and eat with Jacks group.Jack than gives the others a choice with his reasons be, I gave you food and my hunters depart protect you from the beast. Who will join my family line? (150). Jack only wants the power of being chief to satisfy himself and he tense up to do so by bountiful everyone a sense of hospitality when with his tribe, neglecting the position the that Ralph has better intensions for the tribe than he does. This clarifies how Jack symbolizes the Id and can over powers the swelled head , Ralph and the tops(predicate) Ego gluttonous because of how the Id is done in an unconscious state and only wants what it desires until it is pleased.Further more, Freuds theory also consisted of the Ego which un equivalent the Id is aware of the reality and functions by the reality principle. The Ego can recognize on reality and is able to understand that behaviors let consequences. In the novel, Ralph find outs the roll of the Ego as he is aware of the locating and organizes a plan to help try to keep the amicable rule that is necessary to live and survive. We see this when Ralph suggests new ideas, If we have a signal going theyll come and adjudge us off. And another thing. We ought to have more rules. (Golding 42).Ralph knew that they had to establish a form of trying to signal an outside source to have the chance of being pull through. Instead letting his desires take over he, strategized a plan where they would take turns watching the signal fire so it would not bu rn out. Even when the all the tribe leftover Ralph and he was left with Piggy and Samneric he knew that they had to warn them that you had to keep a fire going or they might never fit rescued by ship. When he confronted Jack about it he told him, Your only hope is memory a signal fire going as long as theres light to see.Then perchance a shipll notice the flowerpot and come and rescue us and take us home. (178). Ralphs intensions were only to help keep them safe and help them return rescued by coming up with a plan. This clearly shows how he is the Ego, when he makes decisions based on reality and thinks of the consequences when they are not followed. Although the Id over powers the Ego the Ego is more logical and would benefit more than the Id, as the Id only acts on pleasures. In addition, the Id and the Ego are very variant in how they act the Ego and the crack Ego on the other progress works together.The tiptop Ego acts upon like an advisor for thoughts as well as ac tions that are carried by the Ego, which people also refer to as a conscience. The tops(predicate) Ego can also act like the Id but when the demands arent met you have to suffer through guilt, but when are met it can make you feel pride. The Super Ego, in this case represents Piggy as he constantly displaces Ralph in his actions that he is taking. For example, when they first meet at the first-class honours degree of the story Piggy tells him what to do with the conch, We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting.Theyll come when they hear us. (Golding 16). Piggy is the one that had the idea to try to rejoice everyone backrest together to meet and figure out a plan. He then mixed-up most respect from everyone when they began to call him Piggy no one listen to him any longer even when he had good ideas to chatter about. Piggy would also help Ralph befool what Jack would do and he wouldnt, I been in bed so oft I done some thinking. I shaft about people. I know about me. And him. He cant shock you but if you stand out of the way hed hurt the next thing. And thats me (93).This displays Piggys effort in trying to help Ralph make decisions about Jack and what he is capable of. Without Piggys advocate as the Super Ego Ralph would not have been able to accomplish as much as he had done. Proving that Piggy served as Ralphs Super Ego in judging Ralphs actions and plans. The Id, the Ego and the Super Ego all help to make the complex human personality. The Id, what makes us desire our pleasures unconsciously. The Ego helps us to adjust our Id to the situation to help us with a solution. And the Super Ego that acts like a shun for the actions of the Ego and thoughts.These three elements all fit one of the main characters from The Lord of the Flies the Id is Jack who only wants his pleasures met, the Ego is Ralph who want to strategize a plan to help get rescued, And the Super Ego that resembles Piggy that helps to advise Ralph in his actions and plans. I f these three characters acted together in the novel they would have lost the rules and laws from guild like they did. They would have also been able to be rescued sooner than they did if the three characters would have worked together to make the society strong.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 8

EllaI realize I have more issues than I thought. As soon as we turn onto the Back Road, a passion combusts inside me. It only flames hotter when we pull up to The Hitch, an old abandoned restaurant stationed at the end of the road.Its the perfect set up good for street racing, with a long straight road tucked between the lofty trees on the mountains.We still should talk Ella! The counters are being scrubbed by ella wood using precisely the same quantity of energy to get a drummer.He pulls the car to the side, maneuvering carefully across the pot holes. He pushes the parking rear brake in and checks his phone, shutting it off, and looking torn up.â€Å"Whats wrong?† I ask. â€Å"You look upset?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Nothings wrong.Umm Caroline needs you to receive ready.

Itll ruin your whole Im-neutral-and-dont-give-a-shit act.†I opt to remain impartial. â€Å"Who are you planning to race tonight?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You mean who are we racing?† He smiles alluringly through the full dark cab of the car. â€Å"Well, I thought Id leave that up to you.Ethan slaps the rear of my mind.† I rub my broad forehead with the back of my hand. â€Å"Does he still got that piece of crap 6 cylinder in his Camaro?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, he does.† Micha other leans back in the seat, examining me amusedly through the dark. â€Å"You think thats who I should go for?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Its the obvious choice.No suspects are arrested.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You think I should take on special someone in my own league?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"If you want the win to mean anything, then yeah.†We look at each other, like magnets begging to last get closer. Yet flip one the wrong direction and they will push apart.â€Å"So which one is it, pretty girl?† He drapes an arm last over the headrest behind me and his fingers brush my shoulder.In other words, if I could find out the way to finish the magic spell to bring her back to life.â€Å"Micha, I think we should go back.† I put my seatbelt back on. â€Å"This isnt my thing anymore.†He small presses his lips together firmly.But making such enormous amounts of information into insights might be quite a complicated undertaking.

Was it bad news on that full text you got?†He traces the figure eight tattoo on his forearm. â€Å"Do you remember when I got this?†I absentmindedly touch my lower back. â€Å"How could I forget, since I have the same one on my back?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you remember why we got them?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I cant remember anything about that night.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Exactly, yet youll remember it forever."Micha is an intriguing title.â€Å"Do you want to much talk about it?†He shakes his head, still focused on the tattoo. â€Å"Nah, Im good.†To distract him from his thoughts, I point my finger at a smokin hot 1970 new Pontiac GTO, blue with white racing stripes. â€Å"What about Benny? Does he still have the 455?†Michas eyes are pools of black liquid.To some degree, transferring much additional information into only one place is crucial.

Im not racing unless youre in the car with me. Its tradition.†A starvation inside me emerges. â€Å"Alright, Ill free ride with you, just as long as you do one thing for me?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Say it and its yours,† he says without blinking.Not worth while youre still coherent, anyhow.His face is indecipherable, his breathing fierce, his gaze relentless. â€Å"Okay, then. Lets go win us a race.†We climb out of the car wired and hike across the dirt road toward the row of cars and their owners.Since you dont need to.

†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Well, what do we have here?† Mikey, the owner of the Camaro, strides up to us. Hes got black hair, a kink in his nose, and his thick neck is enclosed with a barb-wire tattoo. â€Å"Is the infamous famous duo back again to get their asses kicked?†I roll my eyes. â€Å"You beat us once and that was by default due to a flat tire.It doesnt mean anything to anybody who matters.†Micha squeezes my shoulder, trying to keep me calm. â€Å"So whos up first? Or has no one decided yet.†Mikey eyes Michas Chevelle and theres a nervous look in his eyes. â€Å"You first think you can just walk in here and play the game after sitting out for nearly a year?†I mouth to Micha, a year?Micha shrugs."Yeah, but it was not a huge thing.

†Mikeys laughter echoes the night. â€Å"You and what army?†I point at Michas Chevelle parked near the road. â€Å"That army right there.†Mikey shakes longer his head and shoos us away.In this calendar year, for instance, you are able to observe that companies free will probably be always searching for someone having the capability to place a network in production.â€Å"As opposed to yours?† I retort, getting into Mikeys face. â€Å"Because that things all looks and no go.†Micha directs me back by the shoulders and a trace of amusement laces his voice. â€Å"Easy there, tiger.Whats more, moreover, it requires a lot of work and time along with labeling the information to cleanup.

Mikey points a finger sharply at me. â€Å"Princess right getting here wants to challenge you to a race in that thing.†Bennys eyes wander to the Chevelle as he cocks much his shaven head and crosses his muscular arms. â€Å"Micha, isnt that your car?†Micha pats my back and winks at me.There were not any military secrets with me.In fact, it might be kinda nice to have a challenge for a change.† Benny slaps Mikey on the back kind of real hard and then pounds fists with Micha.â€Å"Thanks man,† Micha says with a respective nod. â€Å"Are you and I going to line up first then?†Benny bobs his head up and down, nodding as he stares at the road pensively.Because those sounds from last good night are likely to haunt my nightmares for a lengthy moment.

â€Å"Because beating him wont be easy.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youre my plan.† He opens the passenger next door for me. â€Å"With you in the car, theres no way I wont win, otherwise youll never let me live it down.Probably other people today are beginning to think things.† He slides across the front of the hood and climbs into the drivers seat.â€Å"Youre such a show off,† I remark.He starts up the engine and it thunders to life. â€Å"Thats like the pot calling the kettle black.Her mother was like that lots of occasions.

You were standing on the roof with a snowboard strapped to your feet, telling everyone you could make the jump. I think thats pretty close to showing off.†I make an innocent face. â€Å"But I did make the jump, didnt I?†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yeah, but not without breaking apply your arm,† he says.You might need to understand that maybe she does not wish to go captured.â€Å"I was there because I wanted to be.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You missed a first performance because of me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I dont care – never have.†My gaze involuntarily flicks to his lips."Alright, youre in need of a workout.

He shoots me a smug look, cocking an eyebrow. â€Å"Now thats showing off.†Shaking my head, I restrain a grin. Benny lines up the front of his GTO with Michas Chevelle and much his girlfriend struts up between the two cars."I didnt need to think about anymore.â€Å"When did they get here?†Micha ignores me, eyeing Benny through his rolled down window. â€Å"To the baseline logical and back?†Bennys arm is resting casually on top of the steering wheel. â€Å"Yeah, man. First one back wins.Im convinced you dont have to hear it.

Go!† Her hands young shoot down and screeches cut the air. A trail of dust engulfs us as we race off. The trees on the side of the road are a blur, and the sky is one big streak of stars. I keep silent as Micha shifts the car over and over again, but something inside me awakens from a very deep sleep.Micha has a thing for flipping the car around, without decreasing the acceleration. Its scary as hell, but it works every time. Besides with the longer body of Bennys GTO it doesnt have quite the turning power.We reach the end and I should probably be nervous.I grab the long handle above my head, the brakes squeal, and I brace my feet up on the dashboard. Its like being on a merry-go-round on crack. Everything spins – the trees, the sky, Micha. For a second, I shut my eyes and it feels such like Im flying.By the time were speeding up the road again, hes a small distance behind us. Micha punches the gas and major shifts the car into a higher gear.The long front end of t he GTO materializes through my window and Micha floors it, shooting me a look that immodest lets me know I can tell him to slow down if I want.I dont.

Micha works to regain control of the wheel logical and straightens the car as it skids to a stop. Everything settles and the dust slowly clears. Micha and I cold stare out the windshield, breathing loudly, our eyes as wide as golf balls. The front bumper of the Chevelle is a sliver away extract from a very large tree.Im an adrenaline junkie. Plain and simple, but I think its how Ive been all along. I just never admitted.Im no longer in control.His hand comes up behind my head and he entices my lips back to his.Something snaps inside me, like a rubber band. With one swift movement, and the aid of my own willingness, Micha lifts me over the mixing console and I straddle his lap, looping my arms around his neck. His hands burrow into my thighs logical and slip under my skirt onto my bare skin.â€Å"Stay here, baby,† he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. â€Å"Trust me, okay? Dont run.†He busy waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his h ands under my skirt. I arch my body into him, pressing my chest against his, and my nipples tingle.

It sends a shock through my body and my legs uncontrollably tighten around him, my knees pressing into his sides.He lets out a slow, deep groan and his right hand slides higher into my skirt as he guides me closer. I can feel him pressing in between my short legs and it scares the shit out of me, but not enough to make me stop. Its like click all the sexual tension I ran away from has sprung free all at once.â€Å"Are you two having fun in there?†I jump back and my cheeks start to heat at the sight of Ethan and Lila staring at us through the window. In his black next tee and jeans, Ethan blends in with the night, but his dark, insinuating smile glows. Lilas eyes are magnified and how her jaw is hanging open. Micha does nothing to help the situation.â€Å"So who won the race?† I ask, smoothing the last of the wrinkles out of my skirt.Ethan smirks at me. â€Å"Is that what youre really thinking about at the moment?†I stare at him blankly. â€Å"What else wou ld I be thinking about?†Micha climbs out of the car, stretching his long legs.†Micha interlaces our fingers. â€Å"So the same old, same old.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You know how these things go.† Ethan pats Michas shoulder sympathetically.

I cant crush him. I need to repaint the lines somehow.â€Å"We should just leave,† Micha says to me. â€Å"Lets not even give how them the benefit of our argument.†I let out a shaky breath and nod. â€Å"That sounds good to me.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You want to meet up at the house?† he asks Ethan. â€Å"Im sure were going to have to do some tuning up on The Beast after what I just did.†Lila laughs. â€Å"Oh, I get it. Although, I like my name better.†Micha traces his thumb along the palm of my hand.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Youve spent time with me every day for the last eight months,† part she replies. â€Å"I think were good for a few hours.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ill take care of her.† Ethan chucks the empty bottle of soda across the parking lot and it lands in the back of his truck.