Social Media, Society, and Change

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Society does not react well to revolutionary change. 100 years ago Henry Ford used assembly lines to mass produce the automobile. This made the automobile available to the common people. And the young people used the automobile to change the dating norms of their times.  Before the automobile made transportation easier, dating couples could  go somewhere other than her front porch. Concerns were raised about the new morality of a mobile youth.

Today, we are living through another revolution in society. Twenty years ago, the internet was primitive and limited mostly to corporations that could afford the technology to network their computers. Now the internet is on every phone and in almost every pocket. It does more than make information available between networks. The ability to interact with other people through a screen is raising concerns and new communication styles.

Teen Ink carried an article on the changes social media is making to society. We are more connected than ever, yet communicate less. "Traditional interactions will continue to be at risk if we don’t realize the effects of our social media." The author continues to highlight the effects of shallow online friendships replacing connection with others around you, the relative ease of online bullying, and the damage to our ability to interact in the non cyber world.

Adults are more likely to use social media as a means of communication over long distances, however teenagers use their profiles to create an online identity and impress each other with their "coolness."  This coolness can include attacking peers that aren't as cool - cyberbullying. There were bullies when I was a kid, but they had to come up to you. You had an opportunity to stand up to them, fight them if necessary. Yeah, you got in trouble for fighting at school - but it was worth it. Standing up for yourself provides a sense of inner strength.  When the bully came to you on the playground or in the lunchline, all of your classmates could see what was happening, and standing up to the bully brought social benefits. How do you stand up to a message on Facebook or any of the other social networks that come and go? The Chicago Tribune carried an article on how one school district was fighting cyberpulling. Unfortunately, the only real answer is communication between parents and teenagers.

Society adjusted to the automobile and we have made it a part of our everyday lives. In some cases, new regulations were needed - the creation of road standards, traffic laws, stoplights. Today, the car is still something that can pose a danger. Social media is much the same way. We have a social responsibility to exercise our free speech rights without harming others. Regulations on social networks may be needed; parental involvement is a must for teenagers using social media.
I used MySpace and then Facebook to stay in touch with my friends and family while deployed overseas.  I have used Facebook to reconnect with old classmates. However, I deactivated my Facebook account two months ago and I still don't miss it. The key to social media has to be moderation - like a car, don't get more than you can control. I wouldn't give a 16 year old a Ferrari the day they got their license. I wouldn't give a teenager unlimited access to social networks.

Plans for the Project Car

The Integra LS came stock with a B18A1 engine and a S1 transmission which is good for 140 hp @ 6000 and 126 lb-ft (which is read foot pounds, not pounds feet like the Dodge commercial.) of torque @ 5000.

 My original plan was to find another B18A block and build that engine for a swap. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the timing belt before she gave out.  It just means I'm going to rebuild the engine that came with the car.

As far as what's in store:
Crower - Crankshafts
New connecting rods - I'm still deciding length and manufacturer
Forged pistons - leaning towards JE Pistons or Wiseco from Skunk 2

Valvetrain: with a B18C1 head
Skunk 2 Pro Series 2+ Camshafts
Skunk 2 B Series high compression valves
Skunk 2 also has springs, retainers, and valve seals for the valvetrain.
Skunk 2 Pro Series Cam gears 

I'm also putting in a Skunk 2 Pro Series intake manifold with 74mm throttle body, which will be fed with a ram air intake.  I'm leaning towards AEM for distributor and engine coil/pack.
The engine bay will also receive a full wire tuck and a battery relocation. Password JDM has a kit that includes a battery about 1/6 the size and weight of a standard battery.  

Suspension is still waiting full design. I know I'm going to need to rebuild it to handle the new power levels.  Again, Skunk 2 and Password JDM both have some very good offerings for vehicle suspension.

Vehicle interior will be a full custom job. I've already removed the backseat and started working on the front panels.

Road trips and History

This blog is actually a class assignment for one of my teaching courses at Henderson. I'm supposed to write 300 words about who I am and why I want to teach history. Well, I'm a very private person so the only topic I'm willing to talk about is why I want to teach History.

1) I'm good at it.

2) It's important.
History is the road trip of the human race. When you take off on a road trip there's two things to make it successful. You need a map and a car that's gonna make it.

And this resembles history....? If you take a wrong turn or miss your exit while driving, the map tells you how to get back where you wanna be. Think Bugs Bunny "I knew I should have made  that left at Albuquerque..."
And if the car breaks down, you won't go anywhere until you fix the problem.
History is our map as a human race. No matter what mistakes we make today, somebody else has already made the same mistake. Hitler invaded Russia in the spring of 1941. Napoleon made that mistake 130 years earlier.
But history is more than a timeline of who did what, when. The engine of history is the choices made that create a chain of cause and effect.  By understanding the choices made in the past, and their effects, we can avoid making the same mistake again. Unfortunately, the human race seems to be a poor mechanic. As a race, we like the same answers that didn't work last time...

First Post

My dad gave me my first car when I was fifteen. He took me out to the garage, pointed to my car, and then he pointed to most of my engine pieces.  Over the next year, the only help Dad gave was a Chilton's manual. It took most of the next year, but I had the engine in put together and running.

Since then, I've done most of the work on my own cars, and helped friends with their cars. And now, I have a project car: a 1990 Acura Integra.