Treehugger says not much. The mercury levels in CFLs are too low to be really dangerous. IIRC, there's less mercury in a CFL bulb than in an old-fashioned mercury thermometer.

huh. the Sun article very much implied differently (from what I skimmed of it).

I pre-ordered an album I really really really want few weeks ago (it's out by now) from a local record store here. This morning I saw they changed the estimated arrival date, the third time in a row. The new date is April.

The first date they gave was 13/3.

At first I was frustrated. Now I'm just sad. It feels like I'm never gonna have it, you know? And I didn't want to order it from Amazon at first place because I wanted to support that good local independent record store. I'm not going to cancel my order now, but I am going to order the (temporarily sold-out) vinyl from the label, directly. I wonder which I'll get first, the CD or the vinyl, and more importantly, WHEN.

definitely ugh, msbelle.

emily, sick days are a necessity in large urban schools, as you know. What kills me is they try all of these incentive programs for teacher attendance. A person I worked with for a bit had 5 years without an absence and got $3.00 as her incentive. WTF?!

It's not going to stop me from switching. I already have in some lamps. Still hate the light and miss my halogen, but it is nice not to have to replace the bathroom lights all the freaking time. And cooler in there with CFLs.

The Sun has been a bit, erm, negative about CFLs. In some cases, warranted (the whole gov't subsidized bulbs but you could barely find a place in town to get them.) I think they are trying to have a main point of how gov't has really not done a good job of functionally getting people to switch beyond hot air, but they're approaching it from too much of a CFL EVIL direction.

So exhausted. May curl up and die under my desk. Send burrito.

it is nice not to have to replace the bathroom lights all the freaking time.

I've read that you shouldn't use CFLs in bathroom fixtures because the humidity can shorten their lifespan significantly. (Like, short enough that the energy savings will be offset by buying so many replacement CFLs.)

So exhausted. May curl up and die under my desk. Send burrito.

I don't know why, but I'm picturing some cowboys riding up to your office on horseback. Then as they enter your office, the receptionist exclaims, "The Burrito Rangers are here!"

So exhausted. May curl up and die under my desk. Send burrito.

I'm totally having a burrito for lunch. And a GIANT cookie.

What kills me is they try all of these incentive programs for teacher attendance. A person I worked with for a bit had 5 years without an absence and got $3.00 as her incentive. WTF?!

Ah, bureaucratically administered education programs. What would we do without you? We'd actually have to pay for farce!

Hey, anyone know how to get Wite-Out off a keyboard? And, er, computer? And desk? And glasses?

I'm totally having a burrito for lunch.

Me, too. Because the burrito place is a block away, and I don't think I can drag myself any farther.