@bobdobbs: I can fix that...

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NWS Lyrics/Audio

Xavoc

@Xavoc: I need to 1) Make my references more obscure and 2) Make sure my references don't involve horrible songs you won't be able get out of your head all weekend.

bobdobbs

@bobdobbs: We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind. Because your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well... They're no friends of mine.

Xavoc

The problem with CFLs beyond the mercury...

They still "flicker", they are not full brightness until they warm up. Even on the bulbs that are supposedly fixed, this is true. Which, sucks for use in places where you flip the light on, grab something, and flip it back off because I always feel like I'm fscking going blind because it's so dim...

If you really want to save the environment, use lights as little as possible. It's what I do. Pretty much a light is off unless I need it to not be off.

Xavoc

Wasn't that guy in some '80s New Wave band? Dancing around poles with little people or something?

bobdobbs

@jkr2: Yeah, our Apartment complex hands them out like candy for free. I'm tossing a dead one into the garbage at least every other month.

krispykrink

I have yet to see CFL's last anywhere as long as they claim. I was all for them in the beginning, but have come to realize that they are more costly period. At least they did get past their "warm up" problems.

jkr2

@unibrow4o9: You can be environmentally friendly but not that "friendly".

Mr.DuckSauce

No offense but the guy looks like Hugh Hefner with aids. Eat a sandwhich...and Carlito's Way was a movie...not a fashion ethos.

Bedheadjc

So wait, don't lick the mercury? Damnit, I have so much to learn when it comes to being environmentally friendly. . .

unibrow4o9

at least he didnt crucify him. I'm glad he mentioned the 45 mph rule, i was always curious about that. And the mythbusters seemed to only complicate it for me for some reason.

simplegreen

@TDBURN: Right, but see, even cement factories release mercury into the air. Hundreds of pounds of it yearly...

Xavoc

If you trace the pollution/hazardous waste caused by CFL's compared to incandescent from production to disposal it is likely you'll find that cfl's in the end do a lot more harm. In the production stage in countries like India and China the CFL plants basically pump mercury and other dangerous waste into the air. The only thing going for the cfl's are that they use less energy. We should instead be focusing on replacing incandescents and cfl's with LED lights. Because they do not contain mercury.

TDBURN

Linux beats windows or A/C

Con Seannery

@bobdobbs: It really is just kind of... "WTF" isn't it?

Xavoc

@krispykrink: Yeah, but that's the issue. The mainstream media won't talk about how these bulbs are considered hazardous material and that it's not only dangerous to the environment, but often illegal to throw these into the trash. You're technically supposed to have a special disposal company that deals with hazardous material removal come and pick these up from your home. And let's not even mention what you're supposed to do if one of these things breaks. CFL is not the way to go. Tell GreenPeace to shut the flug up. Just sayin'...

darthsaber10

@tidybowl: Actually, they've changed the project name to Open Windows in order to sound more eco friendly.

Xavoc

so there's a new OS called "air conditioning" and it's competing against windows?

Looks like Colbert scooped Giz this time.

tidybowl

@Xavoc: Wow, that's better than watching The Wizard of Oz while listening to Dark Side of the Moon.

bobdobbs

As a right-winger who drives an F-150 and tops off my gas tank so I can watch the gas evaporate off of the pavement, I am more and more impressed with how far the CFL has come. I have a few of them -- 4 in fact, in the only fixtures in my house that don't have dimmers -- closets, pantry, and garage door opener. Even my bathrooms have dimmers!

If and when CFLs become more suitable for dimmers (the current dimmable CFLs suck) I may buy more. Oh -- and they will need to look good in my clear fixtures too.

Looks like I'm gonna be stockpiling my Philips Halogena bulbs for a while...

AD8BC

You all can use the swirly bulbs all you want. How does changing your light bulb save the environment anyway? If you think because then it uses less power.. why stop at chaging it? Why not just have no lights and use candles? Oh wait they burn.. that would be CO2 emissions.. cant use fire...

The most ingenious (vain) ways to 'save the planet' that questionably needs saving:

Use 3 sheets of toilet paper when you wipe
Put a brick in your toilet tank to use less water
Climb behind your appliances and furniture to unplug off gadgets and appliances
Take fewer showers to use less water
Drive a smaller car
Use swirly lightbulbs that arent as bright, contain mercury, but use less power
Sweat. We dont need AC in the 21st century

And pay more money to buy into these ways to rid yourself of your guilt..

Aturayd

Does displacing water in the toilet tank with a brick or other object actually save water? I can't see how it would. The toilet takes 1.6 gallons, or whatever, to flush, no matter how much water is in the tank. Isn't the amount determined by the design of the bowl, jets, and flapper or tank ball, and not by the amount of water in the tank?

CSX321

BRING BACK LOW END THEORY!

(Am I the only one that still remembers that little thursday gem?)

Rob C

@darthsaber10: Yeah, I know. There's no way in hell I'm going to mobilize a Haz-Mat response unit just for a damned light bulb. I guess it's my way of flipping the bird to all the jackasses that push for us to use these things.

I've gotten rid of most of them anyway and went out and bought my favorite bulbs that give off pure white and super bright light.

@Aturayd: LMAO! 3 sheets! I remember when I first heard that one, I couldn't stop laughing.

krispykrink

there are always risks involved in life there is just no way of getting around it, those that try to help should be congratulated but it will never be enough. The whole turn off your electricity thing this summer was a failure from what I saw. Hell instead of people arguing about it we should just start now by turning off our pc's heck im gonna do it right n... .. .

lilaliendog

@bobdobbs: Your dating yourself...

sfokevin

In the end, we're all gonna end up paying for incandescent bulbs anyways. Those who suffer from severe migraines (a number which is growing at alarming rates) can't have CFL bulbs in their homes, neither can those who suffer from certain seizure disorders. I read about it a while back. The plan is to make incandescent bulbs available as medical devices. We all know that medical versions of anything cost both arms and both legs, so all these people who will then need bulbs will have to go through insurance. That means all that subsidizing gets passed onto the rest of us through our insurance costs. You can thank our government for passing the law that will effectively phase out incandescent bubls by 2014.

darthsaber10

Sound quality Sucks. I can't hear anything

Unknown2U

@Rob C:
I loved Low End Theory -in my mind Brendan looked different.

Maladjusted

@sfokevin: And why not? I'm a lot of fun.

bobdobbs

@Maladjusted: thirded.

CYST!

I've had CFLs burn out in a matter of weeks, and I've had one burning roughly 12 hours a day for almost 5 years. If one burns out it gets replaced with an incandescent. You get one chance at my house.

@CSX321: "Isn't the amount determined by the design of the bowl, jets, and flapper or tank ball, and not by the amount of water in the tank?"

No. The tank ball arm can be bent to adjust how high the tank fills, but however much is in the tank is how much you use per flush.

GadgetPlay

I've only had one CFL, it didnt last anywhere near what was advertised. I guess I didn't use the right type of lamp or something.

FinalValgas

@FinalValgas: i bought a bunch and have been taking them with me from apartment to apartment as i move and never had one break (user error or otherwise). maybe you got a bad one? you can use them in any type of lamp that it fits in.

sototallycarl

I use CFLs a fair number of my lights at home simply because I have very old wiring and they seem to be more resistant to shorting out. Also, the CFLs are much less prone to fail from physical abuse (bumped the light while working in the shop, shook it while moving it, that kind of thing)

So, in my case, I'd much rather have a ugly curlycue bulbs in my track lighting and shop lighting if I don't have to get a new bulb every few days.

Energy savings was not something I necessarily concerned myself with when making the decision to buy them. More like a nice to have kind of benefit.

evilm

[en.wikipedia.org]

Accumulation is the danger.More CFLs = more danger.

CGANIERE

I saw this clip live. I didn't know he was a Giz guy. We use CFL in my house and I haven't been able to look at them the same since.

Wolfcry

Can't believe he missed the opportunity to tell people to always recycle their damn CFLs. At the very least, there's always Home Depot. [blogs.consumerreports.org]

ryran