The stuff drivers buy at Racine County gas stations is largely the same as it was in the mid-1990s when the federal Clean Air Act pushed us into this grand experiment.

The gas blend has helped clean the air somewhat, Larry Bruss said. He's chief of the regional pollutant section at the state's Bureau of Air Management.

A few years ago, the special fuel was cutting ozone levels by around 3 percent, "which is a very significant change," he said. In 2004 a federal rule took effect, removing sulfur from regular gas.

"That has narrowed the gap between reformulated gasoline and regular gasoline," Bruss said.

The difference is now more like 1 to 1.5 percent, he estimated.

This is a good year to breathe. Bruss said only four Wisconsin counties are failing to meet the Environmental Protection Agency's new standard, and Racine County isn't one of them.

Plenty of drivers still hope for the return of the plain, old "good gas." Complaints have always been that the reformulated stuff costs more, damages engines, smells bad or just pollutes in a different way.

The EPA recently rejected a request by a bunch of state legislators to waive the reformulated gas rule here, state Sen. Mary Lazich said.

I bought one of the converter boxes for the upcoming switch to digital TV signals and am having trouble taping programs using my VCR. Is there a certain converter that will help me do this?

What's a VCR? Just kidding; I've grown attached to our DVR, but I'm not that young.

This question refers to the big date of Feb. 17, when the government will require TV stations to broadcast digitally. For viewers who use antennas or rabbit ears, that's when they'll need a TV with a digital tuner or a special converter box.

Unfortunately, those boxes can't teach an old VCR new tricks. Recorders with analog tuners can only tape the channel where the tuner is set, said John Kuzma, field agent for the Federal Communications Commission. "You lose a lot of the functionality," he said.

The same applies to analog DVD recorders, too, he said. Newer devices with digital tuners can alleviate the problem.

If you've got more specific questions, you can ask Kuzma in person. He's scheduled to give a presentation on the switchover from 2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Graham Public Library, 1215 Main St., in Union Grove. Or go to http://www.dtv.gov.

Is the Empty Bowls fundraiser going to move back to its original fall date, or is it going to stick with its move to a March date?

Warm soup and chilly fall days go well together, but organizers had good luck in the spring. So they're sticking with it.

If you haven't attended before, volunteers serve homemade soup in artistically designed bowls that people can keep. The annual event raises money for both the Racine County Food Bank and the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization.

Empty Bowls organizers originally shifted the date because they were having trouble finding new leadership. Dan White was one of those who came on board.

"We picked up enough people to revitalize it," said White, now co-chair of Empty Bowls.

Next year's is planned March 2 at the Masonic Center, 1012 Main St. in Racine. For more information, e-mail White at dwhite444@att.net.

Mike Moore compiles the Glad You Asked column, which seeks answers to questions of local interest. Call us at (262) 631-1758 or e-mail: ask@journaltimes.com