endorsement: lightbulbs

The random topic of the day is compact fluorescent lightbulbs. These things rock. A 9-watt CFL puts out as much light as a 40-watt incandescent, and is no bigger (longer) than the usual type A bulb.

They are also much, MUCH cooler. I used to wonder why my room would get hotter in the evenings, even though it was cooler outside -- it was the four 40-watt bulbs in the ceiling fan. With CFLs now, my room doesn't heat up noticeably, and it's just as bright (actually slightly brighter).

At $5 apiece, these bulbs did cost more, but they also last over 10 times longer than incandescents -- not to mention the savings from the bulbs using less power, as well as the air conditioner not having to run as much.

Just be sure you check the package to see what "color" they are: warm means yellowish, cool means bluish. The "warm" bulbs are very similar to what we're used to with incandescents; to me, the "cool" bulbs are too stark and unnatural.

The one drawback is that they contain a very very small amount of mercury, and technically should be recycled rather than thrown in the trash. The places that sell them generally accept used bulbs for recycling, just as they do Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries. But seeing as they last 10x longer than normal lightbulbs, this is at most a minor inconvenience.

This bit of hippie-environmental and fiscal-conservative advice is brought to you by... the letter B, and the number 9.