FEARING AN INCANDESCENT-BULB PHASE-OUT, Americans are hoarding. I like the way the NYT spins this to blame Bush even as it tries to debunk. But if people are afraid of Bush’s ban, where’s the change now?

Anyway, if the debunking doesn’t calm your worries, it’s not too late to stock up!

UPDATE: Reader Stephen Siegel writes:

I read the NYT piece you linked alleging that the ban on incandescent bulbs is false. Their claim surprised me, so I checked Home Depot’s web site, which reports that they are indeed being phased out.

Then I compared standard 60-watt incandescents with the NYT’s approved substitute, the Philips Ecovantage. First problem is that the substitute isn’t an incandescent; it’s a halogen. The second problem is that it has the same life, produces less than half the lumens (light output), and costs nearly five times as much. It is 28% more efficient, but that won’t even come close to offsetting its higher costs.

Yeah, and I have to say I’m deeply, deeply disappointed with CFL bulbs. I replaced pretty much every regular bulb in the house with CFLs, but they’ve been failing at about the same rate as ordinary long-life bulbs, despite the promises of multi-year service. And I can’t tell any difference in my electric bill. Plus, the Insta-Wife hates the light. I’ve had somewhat better luck with LED bulbs, of which I have a couple, but though the longevity is better, the light is still inferior.