So as we say farewell to 2013, we are also going to see the last of 40-60 watt incandescent bulbs on store shelves. Our government has seen to it that we can not buy them. Just they outlawed the higher wattage bulbs last year. Now I understand that if you want to spend $15+ on a bulb using new technology (LED) you can eventually save some money. But two things burn me up about this "mandate" ... one- the old saying that if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door. Well today the government doesn't think that's the way things should work. Instead they want to outlaw your old mousetraps and force you to buy what they think is a better mouse trap. Big Brother... get off my sub! Because here is how their law is hurting the memorial sub community (gripe 2): We need to look 1945... or 1952... not 2013 with squiggly CFL bulbs hanging in our sockets. And since many of the bulbs in a fleet boat are enclosed in steam-tight fittings, the expensive new technology bulbs will cook themselves to an early grave. My 75-cent traditional bulbs don't mind the heat... but the new tech bulbs fry themselves in short order based on our tests over the last year. BTW: in your house... yes you save money on electricity with the new bulbs, but guess what... if you're in the heating zone of the USA, you will find that you have to turn up your furnace! Yes, because those incandescent bulbs actually heat your rooms more efficiently than your furnace! But instead of suggesting Americans switch out their incandescent bulbs when they turn on their air conditioners, we are treated like children and have our bulbs pulled out of our lamps by Uncle Sam!
I have gone to great lengths to ensure as much period accuracy aboard USS COD, but now I have to find ways to stretch my limited supply of 40-w incandescent bulbs and disguise the few LED bulbs that sorta look like the old bulbs.
THANK YOU NANNY STATE GOVERNMENT!!!
