Rich, I couldn’t agree more. And, as you correctly note, it’s not really about light bulbs. I use the piggly-wiggly thingummies in about the half the lights in my house and they’re okay, although they’re obviously rubbish with dimmer switches and will probably end up affecting the pineal gland in some weird way that science has not yet found a way to measure.

The larger issue is the meddlesome group of busybodies with law degrees known as the U.S. Congress. Ever since the Bill of Rights told them there were certain laws they were not to make, they’ve taken out their frustrations with blizzards of new laws that go far beyond their constitutionally mandated duties — in fact, they don’t think they’re working if they’re not “legislating.” As I read Article 1, Section 8, there’s not a word about light bulbs in there, which is not surprising since they weren’t invented yet, but I can’t find even the emanation of a penumbra inside a sphinx-wrapped enigma.

The “borrowing money” power they’ve obviously got down cold, but there’s lots of other cool stuff about erecting forts and arsenals, stopping piracy and issuing letters of marque and reprisal, and calling forth the Militia, etc., so maybe they should give some thought to those enumerated powers and leave the rest of us alone. Just a thought.