The Conquest

For those of you now wondering why I would choose a Chrysler over a prepped Ferrari "Black Miracle"...

a small Volkswagen possessing a 650hp mid-mounted w12...

and a 1987 Oldsmobile possessing an estimated top speed of 278mph...

I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you.

However, I can give you this from allpar.com:

"The Conquest was introduced in 1983 by a Chrysler Corporation that had yet to bring out its own sports coupe, the Dodge Daytona; that introduction would come a year later. The Conquest was aimed at import buyers who might have looked at the Supra, RX7, or 280ZX. A high performance grand touring car, the Conquest combined sporty, modern styling with an upper grade interior, advanced electronics, and many standard features. Full instrumentation was standard with an optional digital dashboard. Floor traffic from the Conquest was expected to help sell other cars.
A rebadged Mitsubishi Starion two-door, four-seat hatchback, the Conquest sold in small numbers and was based on the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda / Mitsubishi Sapparo (also sold as the Plymouth Sapparo). A traditional rear-drive, front-engined vehicle, the Conquest had a MacPherson strut front suspension and an independent rear suspension; the base engine in Japan was 2 liters, but Americans got a 2.6 liter single-overhead-cam engine with a turbocharger and single-point electronic fuel injection. Horsepower ranged from 150 to 198, with the TSi model getting a boost from the intercooler; a five-speed manual transmission was standard. The aerodynamic shape belied a truly aerodynamic car, with a drag coefficient of Cd=.32, about the same as the later Dodge Neon and quite good for the time (or for today). The Conquest ran until 1989 with few exterior changes, by which time the Daytona had its own turbocharger; it was replaced by the Dodge Stealth, a moderately restyled Mitsubishi 3000GT with no apparent Chrysler engineering.

In 1988, Chrysler published this press release:
'The Conquest TSi sports specialty coupe, imported for sale by Chrysler dealers, shows its world class ways in 1988 with the addition of an optional four-speed automatic transmission and new interior appointments to accent its aggressive performance personality. ... Performance highlights include a new 188-horsepower rating under the TSi's sleek hood, an increase of 12 horsepower for the strong 2.6-liter turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder engine. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard equipment. The new beefed-up optional four-speed automatic transmission is now available.
Four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock rear brakes, an anti-theft system, automatic passive restraints and power door locks are just some of the TSi's standard highlights. New sporty five-way adjustable bucket seats, a new leather-wrapped four­spoke steering wheel and a new stainless steel exhaust system are added to a comprehensive list of standard equipment that help make Conquest TSi an outstanding value.
Conquest for 1988 is truly a driver's car featuring curve-taming 16-inch aluminum road wheels that are seven inches wide on the front and eight inches wide on the rear. The optional Performance Handling Package includes eight-inch wide front and nine-inch wide rear wheels with 225/50 (front) and 255/45 (rear) low profile tires and gas adjustable shocks for all-out handling and stability.
Exterior accents on the Conquest's performance check list include concealed halogen headlights, fog lamps in the bumper, a rear spoiler, rear wiper/washer with intermittent wipe feature, a new aerodynamic front air dam, optional pop-up glass sunroof and two new high-impact colors, Bright Yellow and Super Blue.
Interior touches include full analog instrumentation, split fold-down contoured rear seats, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, and fabric covered headliner, door trim panels, sun visors, armrests and quarter trim panels. Also among the more than 60 standard features that combine to enhance Conquest's comfort, convenience and value are automatic speed control, power antenna, electrically..:.controlled heated outside mirrors, adjustable steering wheel, a full complement of warning lights, and an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo cassette radio with six speakers and a nine band graphic equalizer sound system.
The Conquest TSi imported for Chrysler is backed by a 3-year/50,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and a 5-year/ 50,000-mile outerbody corrosion warranty. TSi has a 95.9-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 173.2 inches. Width is 68.3 inches and overall height is 50.2 inches. '"

In short, it was a cute, sporty little car. It seats four people so you can keep it after you start having kids (that is, until number three comes along). It came with a stainless steel exhaust system with a turbo-4 mated to a rear-wheel drive drivetrain. The suspension in the rear was an IRS (!) and it was somewhat adjustable.

My favorite cars are those that I can see on the street. They have to be cars that are simple in operation and TLC, yet complicated enough to be sporty (because these days sporty cars are seen as being complicated).

Ride the lighting...

I used to be scared of lighting. In fact, I was terrified whenever a storm would come through. At my old house in Clayton, the circuit-breaker box was in my room. Every time lightning struck close, I would see the flash and here the "click" of the circuit-breaker at the same time. This combination would keep me petrified for however long the storm would last, and the whole fear was in me for several years...

Until a year ago when I was in my OA Ordeal ceremony. Naturally, we were out in the stix of the camp, which was already in the stix enough as far as most people were concerned. Then in the middle of the ceremony, lighting struck less than a mile away. Then a second time. A minute later, it was raining so hard I couldn't even hear one of the guys talking twenty feet away. This continued for several minutes as lighting continued to strike. During the whole thing, my mind kept drifting back to the story of Jesus calming the storm. Just thinking about it did wonders.

Eventually, someone walked up to the guy talking and told him that the ceremony was pretty much over. It was raining so hard that I couldn't make out the secret word when someone told it to me, even though they said it right into my ear.


Last night, I actually opened my window to watch the lighting. As I thought about the fact that God has control over the lighting, my mind naturally started to drift onward on the subject. Think about it:

He has control over where it strikes, how many volts it possesses, how hot it is, how quick it is, how the sound waves propagate due to the certain temperature, how the sound waves are affected by the air conditions, etc. It's awesome!


I have a new fascination with lighting. ;)

The disorder of...anger?

I was listening to a morning talk show on the radio once, and they had a guest on there who was from "Men's Health" magazine (which always has a tag on the cover saying either "better abs" or "better sex", or both). She talked about a new study that had come out stating that men are angrier now more than ever, especially after the Virginia Tech massacre. I was not happy at hearing the first part, but the fact that she mentioned the VT massacre surprised me. So, I'll address both of these things separately.

1) I am not surprised that men are angrier than ever. Apparently, it has become so bad that we have a new mental disorder: Intermittent Explosive Disorder. This "disorder" just so happens to have the acronym IED, which makes me angry. Grrrr. Although I do believe that a few might have problems with something like this, I do not believe that all people labeled under it really have a disorder.

"People with intermittent explosive disorder have a problem with controlling their temper. In addition, their violent behavior is out of proportion to the incident or event that triggered the outburst. Impulsive acts of aggression, however, are not unique to intermittent explosive disorder. Impulsive aggression can be present in many psychological and nonpsychological disorders. The diagnosis of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that it is given only after other disorders have been ruled out as causes of impulsive aggression.
Patients diagnosed with IED usually feel a sense of arousal or tension before an outburst, and relief of tension after the aggressive act. Patients with IED believe that their aggressive behaviors are justified; however, they feel genuinely upset, regretful, remorseful, bewildered or embarrassed by their impulsive and aggressive behavior."


http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Intermittent-explosive-disorder.html


"According to Dr. Aaron Beck, a pioneer in the application of cognitive therapy to violence-prone individuals, most people diagnosed with IED believe that other people are basically hostile and untrustworthy, that physical force is the only way to obtain respect from others, and that life in general is a battlefield. Beck also identifies certain characteristic errors in thinking that go along with these beliefs:

-Personalizing. The person interprets others' behavior as directed specifically against him.

-Selective perception. The person notices only those features of situations or interactions that fit his negative view of the world rather than taking in all available information.

-Misinterpreting the motives of others. The person tends to see neutral or even friendly behavior as either malicious or manipulative.

-Denial. The person blames others for provoking his violence while denying or minimizing his own role in the fight or other outburst."

http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/intermittent_explosive_disorder.jsp

Now wait a minute here...

"Some adult patients with IED appear to benefit from cognitive therapy. A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that cognitive approaches that challenged the patients' negative views of the world and of other people was effective in reducing the intensity as well as the frequency of violent episodes. With regard to gender roles, many of the men reported that they were helped by rethinking 'manliness' in terms of self-control rather than as something to be 'proved' by hitting someone else or damaging property."

"As of 2002, preventive strategies include educating young people in parenting skills, and teaching children skills related to self-control. Recent studies summarized by an article in a professional journal of psychiatry indicate that self-control can be practiced like many other skills, and that people can improve their present level of self-control with appropriate coaching and practice."

(Same source as first)

So why are we labeling this as a "disorder"? Am I not up-to-beat on the latest definition? If preventative measures include teaching children about self-control, can we put a lot of faith in this statement? If effective treatment includes teaching a man how to really be a man, what are we talking about here?

"In sum, there is a substantial amount of convincing evidence that IED has biological causes, at least in some people diagnosed with the disorder."

I know that there are a few people out there who can have such problems that are caused by biological factors, but how many people does "some" include?

To me this looks like another result of the breakdown of the family. If daddy is on drugs and doesn't control himself in front of Junior with the drugs or anger, where is Junior going to learn how to use self-control? If someone doesn't teach daddy how to lead his family and set the biggest example his kids will probably ever have, what's going to happen?

2) When I first heard the news of the Virginia Tech massacre, I was shocked. Then as I listened live on the radio for the next few hours, I heard the body count tally up from a dozen to over thirty. This, naturally, made me sad. But it also made me mad. It made a lot of people mad. From the words spoken by the representative from Men's Health, it seems like that was a bad thing.

What has happened to righteous anger in this country? Why has passivity gone so far over the edge that it almost cannot be classified as such? Why do people spend money and time watching things such as UFC, where "fighters" beat the mess out of each other in a street-fighting style without real gloves or protection? Bones have been broken, blood has been spilled, and people have literally been knocked out in these competitions. Why do we cheer on our favorite "fighter" while we are too scared to do anything about a gunman? Why are there so few people who stand up to bullies? Why does a teacher have to die for his students while every single one of them jump out the windows? Why is a gunman allowed to continue down a hall to shoot ten more people while thirty sit in a classroom, listening to the sounds of screams, gunshots, pleas for help, and bullets hitting flesh?
WHY?
Because as angry as people are these days, they are too scared to act upon it when the time comes. Our society has grown so fond of fighting and violence, yet the right kind of violence is shunned. I saw a story of an older man being car-jacked a few weeks ago. While he was lying on the ground in a heap being pushed around by the car-jacker, onlookers sat there and stared. We have become so obsessed with the wrong kind of violence that we do not act out the right kind. The same thing has happened with sex. Sex was designed to glorify God within the bounds of marriage, but we have so distorted it that it has become just another thing to do, just like beating up your opponent until he passes out. The right kind of sex has been shunned by our society, just like the right kind of violence.


Just an interesting thought on this lovely Saturday...

You drive me crazy...

Yesterday I had my first bad experience as a driver. (Merely honking the horn at someone when they cross the double line doesn't count)



I was driving north on Saunders towards downtown and was stopped at the light with the Dunkin' Donuts on the left and the Taco Bell and Asian Market on the right. In front of me was an early nineties/late eighties Honda with about two dozen bumper stickers (with at least three of those being Tool bumper stickers). Next to him was a late model Taurus. There is a left turn lane in the lane next to the Taurus. As the left turn light turned green both the Taurus and the Honda jumped (it was a green arrow so our lights were still red). It is not uncommon to see a car jump when that happens, but to see two do it at the same time is kind of weird. I was expecting the Honda to "get up and go" when the light turned green so I "got up and went" when it did. Strangely enough, the Honda started slow, so I got kind of close to his bumper. This baffled me. Then the driver of the Honda gave what looked like a friendly wave. I saw a smile on his face.



Me: Did he just flick me off?

Mom: I don't know. Don't worry about it.



By the time I was done thinking about this and the fact that the car looked like it was way out of alignment, I noticed that the Honda was suddenly far ahead of me and right next to the Taurus. Then he swerved right into the Taurus's lane. By this time my mind was flashing back to a really bad experience with road rage/stupidity in Chicago a few years back. Then the Honda did it a second time. As he corrected back into his lane after the second swerve he lost control and did a 180 across three lanes of traffic and went into the dirt right after the exit near the funeral home.



Evidently, he was:



a) Not drunk.

b) Not stoned.

c) Definitely stupid.

d) Definitely looking for trouble from the rest of the people that witnessed the whole event.



I'm guessing that he had had a little confrontation with the Taurus earlier and was trying to show that he was the dominant male in the situation. One word describes this kind of person: Bozo. (By the way, does anyone remember that show?)



Revenge is for pukes, as this guy made a fool of himself and put the lives of the rest of us in danger.





Finally, a hearty farewell goes out to Bob Barker as he has retired from The Price is Right ("The price is wrong, Bob!!").

Frownies

After you read this post, you will come to realize that I (when writing it) had a lack of motivation to do anything else. :) Let us begin...


At class yesterday, some of the students were having some trouble with adding. Specifically...

2x + 3x = 5x


Of course, most of the people in there haven't had algebra in at least five years (for some it has been more than twenty years).


So...

Mr. S: Two times the square root of two plus three times the square root of two equals...
All (I should say "Most"): Five times the square root of two.
Mr. S: Five smilies (draws a smilie next to the five) plus three smilies equals...
Me: None.
Dude behind me with a southern accent: Eight frownies.



So that was the highlight of my day besides the fact that I confirmed that I had a confirmation e-mail for CWIS.

"Hey Moe, we got a prooooblem..." "Whaddya mean, 'we got a prooooblem,'?"

I been thinking about posting this for a while, and the Patton/Halsey/O'Neill in me said, "post it, $#@%!"



So here I am.



I hate it when people ask me "the question".



"So, what do you want to do in life?"

It makes me uneasy real quick. You all know that I usually don't get uptight or uneasy when I'm talking to anybody, but when someone asks me "the question" I go berserk inside because I'm trying to think up a way to get out of answering the question.

The first part of the answer isn't too bad. Most people are okay with it.

"Well I'd like to go into the Navy..."

The second part triggers the reaction...

"as a career." (and I don't even dare mention that I'm interested in unconventional things)

I've received a plethora of responses from people with just the first part of the answer:

1) A genuine response of acceptance.
2) An "okay," which is just fine.
3) "Oh."
4) "Why?"
5) "Oh, you must have your parents worried to death!"
6) A look that blatantly says, "why in the hell would you do that?"

You guys also know that I really don't care when people disagree with me on certain things. But with this, I can't reason with them or get angry at them (and I shouldn't get angry with anybody else). So instead of getting angry at them or debating (in a sense), I get edgy and nervous, hoping that the subject doesn't get brought up. I almost worry ahead of time when I go into a situation where the whole scenario is a possibility.