What can I do with my stock automatic to give it a little oompff?

[soccerballtux]

That's really only true for cheap piece of crap autos. There will always be some torque converter loss (though an auto can use a clutch), but the behavior that you describe is not inherent to automatics. It is inherent to cheap, low end, piece of junk autos with very non-aggressive programming.

You're making the same mistake that someone who drives a civic would make by assuming all cars suck because civics suck.

yes.

Rather your analogy would be better if I said all autos suck because civic autos suck.

This will be less of a problem when they switch to electric shifters from these fluid pressure ones.