Articles written by Dick Stewart

What is Helium

About me - Dick Stewart

Born in Ohio, Raised in Michigan, schooled in Illinois, I have a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana. I served as an Army Reserve officer during the Vietnam Conflict, in Alaska as Motor Maintenance Officer at

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Relationships & Family > Gay & Lesbian Issues Reasons people oppose gay marriage: 1 of 27
There are two kinds of objection to gender-neutral marriage. One is the public face of the "anti gay marriage" campaign. That category of objection portrays an opposition founded in reasonable concerns: protecting a cherished institution and young people from the claimed ill effects if persons of the same gender were allowed ... More..
Autos > Driving & Safety Should US national speed limits revert back to 55 miles per hour?: 1 of 12
In the USA we know we have to accept some restrictions on our freedom to promote the overall good. Generally these restrictions are limited to actions that impinge on others' freedoms, or on their safety. There is a fuzzy line, however, between genuine public concern and the temptation among some to impose on others a restric... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Spiritual Insights Is it possible live a life without sin: 4 of 46
Sin is a legacy we humans inherited from the first hominids who discovered that they could foresee the consequences of their actions. The prevailing cultural metaphor for this event is the "Fall," as told in the Garden of Eden story. In it, the first couple ate of the fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." In oth... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy Is regular-grade gasoline just as good as premium gas for your car?: 2 of 17
The question "Is regular-grade gasoline as good as premium gas for your car" is inadequate to encompass the role that octane plays in your car's engine. Too much depends on your particular engine's design. But since most people will be putting regular gas in cars that are just fine with it, and cars designed to work best with... More..
Autos > Car Reviews Car reviews: Chevrolet Corvette: 1 of 6
By the early 1950s the enthusiasm that greeted the first new cars out of the reconverted tank factories had faded a little. The GIs who came back from Europe and England had seen and driven their smaller, more agile cars, and some had brought them over here. Those little upright MGs were fun to drive on sunny days, but on a s... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy Alternative fuel sources: 7 of 38
Sometime in the not-too-distant future, there will come a tipping point where the demand for energy exceeds the supply of economically and responsibly extractable fossil fuels. It's not an "if" question, just a "when" question. We all know this, just as we here in California know that The Big One is just around the corner, or... More..
Autos > Buying New Cars Determining how much horsepower your new car should have: 1 of 5
The mainstream media, advertising, and even stuffy old Consumer Reports continue to emphasize horsepower when they consider the performance capability of a car. But engines are tuned differently for different uses, and comparing a high-torque turbo-diesel with a high-revving gasoline engine using horsepower alone will not giv... More..
Autos > Car Reviews Car reviews: Jaguar XF: 1 of 5
Jaguars are known for their stunning good looks and abysmal reliability, so buyers hesitate, even when the styling seduces them. Yet Jaguars needed to evolve from the late-sixties look if they were not to be another victim of the inertia that killed most of the British car industry. Enter the Jaguar XF Sedan.The designers acc... More..
Autos > Fuel Economy The value of using high octane fuel: 1 of 5
Octane is a fuel's resistance to preignition or detonation, the tendency of the fuel/air mixture to start burning before the spark fires. Since that causes an explosion that occurs while the piston is still rising on the compression stroke of the Otto cycle, it can be very damaging to your engine.The Octane Number is a percen... More..
Autos > Autos (Other) Could electric cars save the US auto industry?: 2 of 8
If the personal transportation system the automobile represents is to survive the eventual and inevitable decline in oil production, it will be as an electric vehicle of some kind. The question is not "if," but "when" and "how."<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />Current projections ... More..