On This Day...

... Thomas Edison was granted a patent for his incandescent light, in 1880.  Just slightly less than 130 years later the state of California implemented a virtual ban on his invention, forcing its citizens to buy "eco-friendly" (oh, how it pains me to use that term) substitutes in the form of those damned CFLs or LED lights, both of which are horrendously expensive, and in the case of CFLs... an environmental hazard due to their mercury content.  Or Californians can choose to live with less light from a "standard" 100 watt bulb.

Well, it sucks to live in the Once-Golden State and light bulb stupidity is just one small example.  But the rest of America shouldn't laugh coz we'll all be in the same boat next year... California just got a head-start on the insanity.  Unless the Better Use of Light Bulbs Act or BULB Act (H.R. 91) is passed into law.  The BULB act repeals Subtitle B of Title III of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the de facto ban on the incandescent light bulb.  The act just might pass and it would be one small step in correcting the PC madness on the federal level.  California residents would still have to deal with their dumb-ass state legislature, though.  Good luck with THAT, Californians.

Apropos of the above... don't you just HATE this new-found compulsion to assign cutesy and meaningless names to every goddamned bill introduced in Congress?  Just STOP it, already.  We are NOT amused.  (insert the UCR lawn exclamation here)

Image from here.  Scroll down and read the "How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb" joke.