A Bunch of Dim Bulbs

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist


It is almost a comfort to know that while the world is consumed by war, famine, pestilence, and plague, the United States House of Representatives is focused on the plight of the old-fashioned incandescent light bulb.  It's a small mercy that those bozos are content to leave matters relating to the survival of mankind to the Senate and the President while they themselves desperately try to hang on to the good old days of harsh lighting and high energy costs.

While Republican Congressman Joe Barton of Texas is probably not the dumbest member of Congress - only because the whole Congress includes the Senate which is home to Jeff Sessions and Jim DeMint - he is certainly on most people's short list for that honor.  Barton has been trying to pass a bill that would repeal light bulb efficiency standards that are due to go into effect next year.  The new standards are part of the 2007 Energy Bill that was signed by President Bush, and those standards mandate thirty percent more energy efficiency in light bulbs beginning next year.

The end result of the new regulation will be the demise of the old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, and a dramatic rise in those nifty new coil light bulbs that most of us are starting to use.  The end result would also be a savings of $6 billion a year to American consumers - because the new bulbs burn less energy and last much longer than their antique predecessors.  (The incandescent bulbs are essentially what Edison invented well over a century ago.)

But old habits die hard, and some elements of society have difficulty accepting change and moving on - especially the elements that are steeped in paranoia.  The teabaggers and guys in the tin foil hats are deep thinkers, and they know that this is all a government conspiracy more insidious than mandating trigger locks for guns.  The new light bulbs are undoubtedly space alien technology designed to turn real Americans gay - or worse yet, Kenyan!

You blow, Joe!