And you wonder why congress has an 11 percent approval rating, making "W" look like a rock star in the high 20's

Non of it really matters, LED light bulbs will be popular long before the incandesant drop dead date.

from your lips to congress' ears, or they may outlaw them too.

What about folks with epilepsy? Is congress mandating all those folks do the funky chicken?

I would be happier with congress if they solved some hard issues like drunk driving and Tobacco use rather than whether athletes used steroids or if nba refs are cheating.

They pretend to be protecting us from things like handguns when the likelyhood of dying in a swimming pool is far greater, all the while selling us booze and cigarrettes. Noone wants to take on the unpopular issues, or the ones that generate alot of taxes.

I really hope you're right about that. I've been waiting on them.

"turn out the lights, the party's over"? Wow, pretty strong, but may be correct.

I'm also glad he made the point about CFL's causing RFI. Not all of them do, but some of them are horrid. I hate the quality of light they produce. Several years ago my Dad adopted a scorched earth policy against Kansas City Power & Light, and put these things in every light socket in the house. Every time I went over there after that, I felt like I was walking into a video game. I felt like I needed to wear my sunglasses to watch TV with them.

All around, these things are not a solution to anything IMO.

I use em outside cause they are cheaper to leave on.

With CFLs you really need to pay attention to the type of light output they produce. A normal incandescent light puts out around 2800 degrees Kelvin. Most CFLs will state on the package the light color they produce. If you buy the CFLs that produce a light color output down around 3000k, they will produce light very similar to a standard incandescent bulb.

Most of the lights in our house have been converted to CFLs and with 2 girls under 10 and a wife that never turns a light off, I've definitely notices fewer kwh being used each month.

My 6 year old always keeps a regular light on all night long. I put a cfl in there about 4 years ago and it finally died. That bulb basically lasted 4 years being used 8-10 hours a every day.

I've converted about 20 various lights to CFL's in areas that get alot of use, and in one area that gets CONSTANT use.. the backyard porch light. It's on from dusk to dawn, a 100w equivelant, and it's been in use for 3 years! It's starting to take a bit longer to come to full glow, so I guess it's gonna go soon, but I think it's paid for itself in usage. All ceiling fan lights, pole type lights, and one area of recessed lights on standard switches are all CFL. I have 3 outdoor deco-lights around the garage area that are CFL. Haven't replaced them for at least 2 years... and again on from dusk til bedtime! I havent noticed any interference on the TV when any of the CFLs are on.

I didn't convert for the environment, I converted for my wallet! And when they blow, they go into the recycle bin.. let them deal with the EPA!

Like 230Mike, when the CFL's that can be used for dimmers (and photocell eyes for auto-on/off) are available locally, they'll go in the areas that I need. I have 3,3-bulb deco lights on a sideyard brick wall controlled by photocell, the candelabra based type. Man they blowout every 4-6 months! They'll look ugly in the housings but who cares!

Funny.

Just a few minutes ago I read what it says on a 2000 New Hampshire quarter:

Live Free or Die

uh huh.

Check here.

I have a license plate from New Hamphire in my office at home.

I'm not 100% sold on CFL's. I put a bunch in when a few years ago and even though they are supposed to last ten years I've had to replace many of them. No true data on longevity as I didn't put dates on when they were installed, but it sure seems like they didn't last as long as Incandescents. I do know they don't last nearly as long if placed horizontally in enclosed light fixtures.
Made another attempt last year with replacing any of our recessed lights that were not dimmers with CFL's. over 40 bulbs replaced at about $5 per bulb. At the same time I replaced our washing machine with a front load, our dishwasher with an energy efficient one, then two months later a new energy efficient Fridge. My electric usage for the last 8 months appears to have been less than the average since we bought the house, but some months it is actually more than average.
If I could find LED bulbs you can use in lamps or other fixtures I would be all over them.

http://www.besthomeledlighting.com/all_led_bulbs?gclid=CKW38830pJQCFSCcnAodlySZgQ

they ain't cheap yet