A means to an end. I had heard about these ‘helping hands’ (my use of terms) toilets, but have yet to meet anyone that has or used one.

http://www.performancetoilets.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=17

Personal hygiene is a chronic human concern, and we know so little about how people handled it in the days before soft toilet paper and easy running water. All we can be certain off is that, as to large parts of human history, we’re better off now.

Yes, I was thinking after I commented that a healthy amount of soap and water takes care of that.

I also then thought of Sheryl Crow’s thought experiment (?) where we would all be limited to four squares of toilet paper (or be forced to pay for each additional square, with a coin slot I suppose)… and then there was her idea that if you eat in public you will be required to have your own cloth napkins attached to your sleeves. I believe she meant that if you don’t, you won’t be allowed in.

I still don’t think her reputation has recovered from that little burst of public eco-enthusiasm.

(And as always remember that such ideas as hers are *not* to be tried locally, nor tried by a business, but rather would be mandated, forced upon us by the national government.)

You can email me direct … sue at varietylighting dot com…no spaces, of course.

This link might fit into another thread better, but the enbedded youtube video demonstrates a flashlight we don’t stock!! Very cool!

http://nooilforpacifists.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-stimulates-handgun-sales.html

No offense taken. I did want to point out that some of their information seemed to be somewhat misleading. If you know what you’re getting, and you’re willing to pay for it, that’s your choice. No problem. I’ll even look for a good deal for you so I can make a buck or two and make you even happier. What bothers me is when the information is misleading, and in my case, customers are then unhappy because I’ve sold them a product they feel doesn’t live up to it’s promise.

For example:

>>I have noticed the CFL’s don’t last as long as they advertise (5+ years in some cases).>>

I’ve seen 7 years as well. CFLs don’t burn for _years_…they burn for _hours_. If you can find the original label of your 5 year bulb, you’ll find a little * or a little cross next to the name. Very small, very light print. Then if you hunt both sides of the label (you may need a magnifying glass) you’ll find _somewhere_ on the label very very small print in some out of the main part location that says “based on residential use of 3 hours use per day” or some such. If you do the math, you’ll usually find that the expected life is about 8-10 thousand hours. Since that’s an average life, if you get more than 50%, you’ve got all you’re going to get. Theoretically, they test lightbulbs by burning a large number of them in a single setting, and when half have burned out, that’s the “average” life.

>>Please don’t destroy the myth that CFL’s save me money.>>

It depends on how you use them and how you count your savings. If you figure Kwh, there’s no question that CFLs will save you money. If you add in the original cost of the bulb plus replacements over time, they probably _still_ save you money. But if you buy cheap brands, use them in closed cans, use dimmers or frequent on/off situations, you’re going to be replacing them at a rate that will make the savings pretty slim if at all. They may still have their uses. One maintenance guy paid $9. each for the first candelabra based CFLs we got because he had a location with a chandelier where he had to put his ladder with two legs on a stair step and have someone hold it steady while he went nearly to the top to replace the bulbs. He didn’t care what they cost if it meant he didn’t have to do that job more than once a year or so.

When it comes to LEDs, I don’t know. They’re still really expensive, but in some uses – like exit lights – they’ve definitely proven themselves. For other things, they haven’t, but manufacturers are working on them. Their long life is certainly attractive. The chips are silicon so pretty environmentally neutral – but I don’t know how they’re made. We don’t see much environmental cost to CFL manufacture, because they’re virtually all made in China.

In the end, it’s up to the consumer to determine the particular need and use whatever bulb makes the most sense for that particular purpose. It’s nice we have a choice, but it does mean that you have to educate yourself and rationally _make_ that choice. I’d rather that the consumer makes the choice than the government.