Beam me to Planet Gore !
Silly conservatives don’t realize all the “green” jobs this will generate to swell the economy. Thar’s gold in them there florescent bulb cleanups.
Or has some killjoy conservative economist already called this the “broken windows phenomenon”?
How about if Algore invents a hybrid bulb... incandescent for short usage and fluorescent for longer usage.
Mercury from fluorescents?
No thanks, I take mine from fish.
I’ve used them for years, and they save us a ton of money. But I certainly agree that it’s not a matter for the government to mandate. And there are a few places where I don’t want to use them, because, as you point out, they are pointless in fixtures where you only use the lights occasionally, for a short time. And they are slow to come up to full brightness out in the cold.
For reasons I don’t entirely understand our local hardware store has been selling the best compact flourescent bulbs, made by GE, for a dollar apiece all year. I have stocked up on them, because that’s a pretty good deal.
This bit about the danger of the mercury in the bulb is ABSOLUTELY STUPID. I ask you, “How many light bulbs have you broken in your life time”? This is the same type of stupidity as having rats consume a ton of something and then saying the product causes cancer, even though the rats died because of obesity.
The other arguments are valid. We have changed half of the bulbs in our house, especially in those areas where we do not need the intense light such as in hallways, outside, etc. They do take a long period to get to full power and they do have the flickering common to the type of illumination. But these are areas we do not frequent. So it is all right.
But having to put drop clothes under a light socket to change the bulb? This is only a sympton of the problems we are facing in our society. Next we will have to have a HAZMAT team next to us while putting gasoline into our car (if we can afford it). Or having an expert on nutrition checking we are grilling our ribs properly to prevent some massive invasion of bacteria into our bodies.
Come on people. Get real and start telling these SOCIALIST beauracrats(sp?) to get lost. Let them go someplace where they can legislate themselves into the never-never land of OZ.
I’m worried, too, about opportunity costs. Did Congress pin its hopes on a technology not ready for prime time and by pushing a choice without market support, impede development of a better solution? With LED technology rapidly advancing, did Congress in their quest to “do something” give us a short-term solution with long-term consequences? Perhaps in 20 years when municipalities are bankrupted by landfill cleanup operations, people will wish “oh, if only Congress waited just a little while longer.”
This is all very strange. To be such a health hazard, you’d think the warnings would be prominently placed on the product itself.
In a room where the lights are on 12 or more hours most days, the regular bulbs would blow about every six weeks. So, I decided to try to fluorescents just to cut down on the frequent changing. It’s a three bulb, overhead fixture. Since November, I’ve used three 13 watt, or 60 watt equivalent fluorescents. They’re still going after more than seven months. The light’s not quite as good, but I do like not having to change them so often. If I had a different shaped fixture, I could use the 100 watt equivalents, but they’re too large to fit in this particular fixture.
But, there is not one word of instructions to handle all these hazards on the packaging, and I have bulbs from two different manufacturers. All there is a little box that says:
LAMP CONTAINS MERCURY
Manage in Accordance with Disposal Laws
See: www.lamprecycle.org or call 1-800-435-4448
So, I’m sure every buyer of these bulbs is going to that website and reading it thoroughly:
Whatever the real hazards and whatever the best disposal methods, I doubt 1% of users are following the guidelines, if they happen to seek them out.
???Is there any way to dim a CFL, or does it just flicker with lower voltage???
About 90% of the lighting in my house is dimmable, for mood, don’cha know!!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
CFLs are about 1-1.5/each now at Costco, Sams, Walmart and the like and they do greatly reduce your electric bill. I saw a savings of about 18%-20% which paid for the new bulbs in about a month and a half. So far in 10 months I’ve only had to replace one bulb out of about 50 which is a far better cry than with regular bulbs—which I would have replaced probably 20 of them in that time frame. The newer ones after 10-15 seconds are just as bright as regular bulbs. Forcing people to use them is not a good idea though. Hopefully LEDs will become better and cheaper in the near future anyway. They are even more efficient and contain no mercury (although CFLs only contain a small amt of mercury).
Okay, so you’ve probably heard the joke about how many people it takes to change a light bulb?
Q: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but the bulb has got to really WANT to change.
Q: How many programmers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: None. Thats a hardware problem.
Q: How many Unix hacks does it take to change a light bulb?
A: As many as you want; they’re all virtual, anyway.
Q: How many Bell Labs Vice Presidents does it take to change a light bulb?
A: That’s proprietary information. Answer available from Western Electric
Corp. on payment of license fee (binary only).
Q: How many New Yorkers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A1: None of your damn business!
A2: 50. 50? Yeah 50; its in the contract.
Q: How many med students does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Five: One to change the bulb and four to pull the ladder
out from under him.
Q: How many supply-side economists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: None. If the government would just leave it alone,
it would screw itself in.
Q: How many data base people does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three:
One to write the light bulb removal program,
one to write the light bulb insertion program, and
one to act as a light bulb administrator to make sure
nobody else tries to change the light bulb at the same time.
Q: How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two, one to hold the giraffe, and the other to fill the
bathtub with brightly colored machine tools.
Q: How many managers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three. One to get the bulb and two to get the phone number
to dial one of their subordinates to actually change it.
Q: How many IBM types does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 100. Ten to do it, and 90 to write document number GC7500439-0001,
Multitasking Incandescent Source System Facility, of which 10%
of the pages state only “This page intentionally left blank”,
and 20% of the definitions are of the form “A ...... consists
of sequences of non-blank characters separated by blanks”.
Q: How many DEC employees does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: 2 People - Preliminary discussion on concept of change.
1 Person - Devise and write formal bulb architecture.
2 People - Feasability study and timetable of events.
2 People - Produce four utilities to reduce screw-in time
(in addition to the electric utility).
1 Person - Maintain ISO and DEC standards
(sockets, voltage, AC/DC).
4 People - Commonality task force on bulb change.
15 People - Change bulb.
5 People - Perform bulb functional test.
2 People - Perform bulb load test.
3 People - Perform bulb regression test.
1 Person - Perform bulb performance analysis.
1 Person - Perform bulb bottleneck analysis.
1 Person - Follow-up study (bulb merge feasibility).
1 Person - Interface with utilities commission.
1 Person - Interface with users. (Did they want incandescent
when we only supply non-tunable fluorescent point
product?) BAX (Bulbs Are eXpensive)!
5 People - Perform BOSE (Build Other Socket Enhancements).
compatibility architecture/study.
3 People - Perform VIA (Voltage Increases Amps) phase 2
compatibility architecture/study.
2 People - Ensure form (round, square, clear/frosted)
follows function (wattage, 120/240 volts,
visible/ultra-violet, flashing, flood/spot).
3 People - Implement temporary alternative bulb socket for already
existing, successful, and profitable socket (bulb-in-one).
5 People - Determine how to market/package/distribute temporary
alternative bulb socket.
10 People - Determine how to perform bulb change product split
(Control: switches, dimmers; versus implementation:
screw-in torque, recovery strategies).
1 Person - Interface with utilities commission QA group.
1 Person - Submit to BDC (Bulb Distribution Center).
1 Person - Set up BPR (Bulb Problem Reports) system.
10 People - Answer customer BPRs.
11 People - Football team to challenge bulb changers.
Q: How many graduate students does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but it takes nine years.
Q: How many professors does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but they get three technical reports out of it.
Q: How many net.jokers does it take to tell yet-another LBJ?
A: 1,622. One to tell the orginal joke, and the rest to give some
minor variation of it!
Q: How many Harvard students does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Just one. He holds the lightbulb and the universe revolves around
him.
Q: How many bureaucrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to assure the everything possible is being done while the other
screws the bulb into the water faucet.
Q: How many board meetings does it take to get a light bulb changed?
A: This topic was resumed from last week’s discussion, but is incomplete
pending resolution of some action items. It will be continued next week.
Meanwhile...
Q. how many ibm cpu’s does it take to do a logical right shift?
A. 33. 1 to hold the bits and 32 to push the register.
Q: How many existentialists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Two. One to screw it in and one to observe how the lightbulb itself
symbolizes a single incandescent beacon of subjective reality in a
netherworld of endless absurdity reaching out toward a maudlin
cosmos of nothingness.
Q: How many WASPs does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two. One to call the electrician and one to mix the martinis.
Q: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but the bulb has got to really WANT to change.
Q: How many programmers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: None. Thats a hardware problem.
Q: How many Unix hacks does it take to change a light bulb?
A: As many as you want; they’re all virtual, anyway.
Q: How many New Yorkers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A1: None of your damn business!
A2: 50. 50? Yeah 50; its in the contract.
Q: How many Christians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three, but they’re really only one.
Q: How many Feminists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: That’s not funny!!!
Q: How many graduate students does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but it takes nine years.
Q: How many professors does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Only one, but they get three technical reports out of it.
Q: How many members of the Impossible Missions Force does it take to screw in
a light bulb?
A: Five. While Cinnamon creates a diversion by wearing a skimpy dress, I use
a tiny narcotic dart to knock out the fascist dictator and remove his body.
Rollin, wearing a plastic mask, masquerades as the dictator long enough for
Barney to sneak up to the next floor, drill a hole down into the light
fixture, remove the burned-out bulb, and replace it with a new super-high-
wattage model of his own design. Meanwhile, Willie has driven up to the
door in a laundry truck. Just before Rollin’s real identity is revealed,
we escape to the laundry truck, drive to the airfield, and return to the
United States.
- Jim Phelps
Washington, D.C.
Q: How many Vulcans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: “Approximately 1.00000000000000000000000”
Q: How many members of the U.S.S. Enterprise does it take to change a
light bulb?
A: 7. Scotty will report to Captain Kirk that the light bulb in the
Engineering Section is burnt out, to which Kirk will send Bones
to pronounce the bulb dead. Scotty, after checking around, notices
that they have no more new light bulbs, and complains that he can’t
see in the dark to tend to his engines. Kirk must make an emergency
stop at the next uncharted planet, Alpha Regula IV, to procure a
light bulb from the natives. Kirk, Spock, Bones, Sulu, and 3 red
shirt security officers beam down. The 3 security officers are
promptly killed by the natives, and the rest of the landing party
is captured. Meanwhile, back in orbit, Scotty notices a Klingon ship
approaching and must warp out of orbit to escape detection.
Bones cures the native king who is suffering from the flu, and as
a reward the landing party is set free and given all of the light bulbs
they can carry. Scotty cripples the Klingon ship and warps back to the
planet just in time to beam up Kirk et. al. The new bulb is inserted,
and the Enterprise continues with its five year mission.
Q: How many new agers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
A: Two. One to screw it in and one to observe how the lightbulb itself
symbolizes a single incandescent beacon of subjective reality in a
world where we can all aspire to be gods.
From Brian.Lallatin@gd-ais.com Wed May 29 13:03:40 2002
How Many Dogs Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?
Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we’ve got our
whole lives ahead of us, and you’re inside worrying about a stupid
burned-out light bulb?
Border Collie: Just one. And I’ll replace any wiring that’s not up to
code.
Dachshund: I can’t reach the stupid lamp!
Toy Poodle: I’ll just blow in the Border collie’s ear and he’ll do
it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.
Rottweiler: Go Ahead! Make me!
Shi-tzu: Puh-leeze, dah-ling. Let the servants. . .
Lab: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I?
Can I? Huh? Huh? Can I?
Malamute: Let the Border collie do it. You can feed me while he’s
busy.
Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the
dark.
Doberman Pinscher: While it’s dark, I’m going to sleep on the couch.
Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.
Hound Dog: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.
Pointer: I see it, there it is, right there...
Greyhound: It isn’t moving. Who cares?
Australian Shepherd: Put all the light bulbs in a little circle...
Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? Light bulb? That thing I just ate
was a light bulb?
Astrology
How many Aries does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but it takes a lot of light bulbs.
How many Tauruses does it take to change a light bulb?
What, me move?
How many Geminis does it take to change a light bulb?
II
How many Cancers does it take to change a light bulb?
Only one, but he has to bring his mother.
How many Leos does it take to change a light bulb?
A dozen. One to change the bulb, and eleven to applaud.
How many Virgos does it take to change a light bulb?
One to clean out the socket, one to dust the bulb, one to install,
and two engineers to check the work.
How many Libras does it take to change a light bulb?
Libras can’t decide if the bulb needs to be changed.
How many Scorpios does it take to change a light bulb?
None. They LIKE the dark.
How many Sagittarians does it take to change a light bulb?
One to install the bulb, and a Virgo to pick up the pieces.
How many Capricorns does it take to change a light bulb?
The light’s fine as it is.
How many Aquarians does it take to change a light bulb?
Have you asked the bulb if it WANTS to be changed?
How many Pisceans does it take to change a light bulb?
What light bulb?
How many astrologers does it take to change a light bulb?
“Don’t ask me now, Mercury’s retrograde!”
The last laugh is on Congress. It took all of Congress to change a light bulb.
Tungsten, frequently found in incadescent bulbs, is actually RADIOACTIVE!!!!!! (meaning "We are all gonna' die")
save
thanks, bump for later
I suspect true white and warm white LED bulbs will solve the compact flourescent issue
Whie LEDs are what will eventually win out in the future.
Cheaper to make (once EOS kick in), brighter light, use much less energy per lumen than the rest, no toxic gasses involved