An AP article by Jim Davenport about South Carolina’s kerfuffle over the federal law that phases out incandescent lights in favor of the curly and energy-efficient compact fluorescents reminded me of one of my favorites: How many Californian’s does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes thousands to share in the experience. The gist of the story is that South Carolina wants an exemption. The part of the article that brought the joke to mind was this paragraph:
“Arizona lawmakers tried the same thing a year ago, passing a bill that would have declared incandescent light bulbs manufactured entirely within the state exempt from federal regulation. But Republican Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed it. Texas, Georgia and Minnesota have also considered clinging to incandescent bulbs, but none has passed a law. California embraced the new federal regulations a year early.”
My mind’s eye conjured up an image of a gargantuan group hug… hordes of the Gold Rush State’s populace squeezing in tight to embrace the law. In that scene, my brain has awarded the leading role to Bill, the star of the old Schoolhouse Rock! cartoon segment: I’m just a bill.
There they would be, our teary-eyed California brethren, basking in the glory of their early screwing out of incandescents and premature screwing in of screwy compact flourescents. Of course, they are really best at screwing themselves. If that many of them are going to live all in a bunch, using cars less and public transportation more might help. Those tears are actually from the effects of smog and the anguish of spending lifetimes on snarled freeways rather than any emotional attachment to newy screwy light bulbs.
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