Mark Your Calendars
Irradiated by Stingray
For the first time in I really and honestly don’t remember how long, congress did something not entirely wrong. Hell, this is brushing up into the realm of doing something right.
Short version: Buried in a 1200 page spending bill, the incandescent light bulb ban is effectively dead. I’m as shocked as anybody that the government, of all groups, recognized something Really Fucking Stupid and put a stop to it, but here we are.
And as much fun as it is to stockpile things and then lord your dwindling supply of cherished goods over those without foresight, I think I’ll take being able to pick up a four pack of bulbs at the grocery store any day of the week and twice on Sundays over the alternative.
Besides. The spare bulb area of my garage was starting to make The Lady of the Light wonder if I wasn’t going just a bit overboard.
December 17th, 2011 at 12:03 am
I, uh, may have to re-budget for what my friends and family are getting for Christmas, this year.
But still, this is good.
December 17th, 2011 at 5:08 am
“It’s the big one, Elizabeth! I’m comin’ to join you, honey!”
December 17th, 2011 at 6:51 am
Problem being is that they are just not choosing to fund the enforcement of the law. It’s still on the books, which can lead to selective enforcement in the future. It’s a right step, but until they start repealing things like this, it’s not gone and can come and bite us on the butt at any time.
December 17th, 2011 at 10:15 am
And that’s why it’s only brushing against doing it right instead of actually doing it right.
December 17th, 2011 at 10:55 am
How many lightbulb factories didn’t get needed upgrades or maintenance, or downright shuttered because of the impending ban?
But yes, I’m happy I don’t have to convert all the fixtures here to those toxic bulbs.
December 17th, 2011 at 11:16 am
Sigh! And I just bought a package of hundred-watters. Owhell, I needed them anyway.
Jet, it’s not the toxicity which annoys me, it’s the subliminal flicker and the spectrum with holes in it. Those things just get on my nerves.
I don’t mind mercury; it’s a cool substance. You can nitrate it, and make barometers with it, and all. I miss mercurochrome, not to mention tincture of iodine.
December 17th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
I say follow the money. They didn’t rescind the ban because “they saw the light - Ha!” and it was the smart thing to do. They probably did it because some big-assed lightbulb manufacturer still had a huge inventory in the U.S. that was about to become unsellable.
December 17th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
While I agree its better to let market forces dictate these things I’ll admit to having switched over entirely to compact fluorescent bulbs. The lights never bothered me and I like only having to change one out every couple years. As for the toxicity from 5mg or so of mercury I don’t go around breaking them on a regular basis and I have a local Lowes I can drop them off for recycling.
December 17th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Midwest chick
“It’s a right step, but until they start repealing things like this, it’s not gone and can come and bite us on the butt at any time.”
Laws can be repealed? Seriously? No, your just making it up. When was the last time a law was repealed?
Here in the PRUK, I think we got about 3000 new ones from that nice Mr Blair and his cronies (seriously!) and they only removed 1. Guess which one, Yep, the death penalty for treason. Hmm, makes you think about whether it’s intentional or what, doesn’t it?
I’d say something about him and piano-wire neckties but the doctor only allows me to mention him once a month, to stop the blood pressure rise and the frothing at the mouth thing
December 17th, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Wondering WTF I am going to do with fifteen cases of light bulbs now…
December 18th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Well, I’m NOT getting rid of the case of incandescent bulbs, just in case…
December 18th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Well I’m one of those chumps who dropped $15 on an LED light bulb which is what’s keeping the room I’m in lit.
But fuck it, I like it and I stand by my purchase.
December 19th, 2011 at 7:50 am
[…] congress did something not entirely wrong. There was no repeal of the law limiting choice. Just funding cuts. […]
December 19th, 2011 at 9:44 am
There may be inventory, but there are no factories here anymore. I’ll use my stockpile until the LEDs get cheap enough.
December 20th, 2011 at 11:46 am
I’m as shocked as anybody that the government, of all groups, recognized something Really Fucking Stupid and put a stop to it, but here we are.
I’m not.
The Republicans realized it was a great way to get votes, and the Democrats saw how unpopular it was…
(That said, I suspect some of them, at least to some extent, had a purely decent motive.
But self-interest has its uses.)