If you are saying that the 'average CFL bulb' is better than any other and that the mercury issue is moot because there is recycling then I have to counter with the question: 'Do you believe that the average Wal*Mart shopper has the foresight and intelligence to actually recycle these 'bulbs'?

I don't.

You have to assume that out of the massed hundreds of billions of 'Made in China' crap CFL's that Wal*Mart has self-righteously pumped into the America market that probably on the order of 85% will end up in the garbage. Well, looking at only Wal*Mart sales, that's a hell of a lot of mercury being dumped into the environment. Thank ford that it's not all in the same place but nonetheless the long term effect of that much contamination is unknown but sure to have an effect over time. That, along with in my opinion, severe quality issues in the CFL bulbs that I've tried keep me on the halogena wagon trail.

And just mentioning 'Made in China' makes me wonder how well the Chinese are at measuring that 'insignificant amount of mercury' in each and every bulb. They can't keep 'significant' toxic contamination out of their exported food and HBA products (not to mention lead based paint which in itself is beyond stupid. It would make me wonder if the Chinese have it out for us?) and we are to trust them on the mercury content in CFL products? Why? The Chinese government has been proven to not have ANY control over their masses of manufacturers (or perhaps they have very tight control?) so short of going slum to slum in China testing each manufacturer, you will never know...

To present CFL's as a Hobson's Choice is devoid of logic and common sense let alone being intellectually repulsive.

To wrap yourself in a green flag over them is heresy.

Case in point: M-I-L used to buy those things like candy from the local Wal*Mart. (I've tried to get her to stop shopping there on moral grounds) A lot of the CFL's that Wal*Mart sells are the cheapest things that I've ever seen. Some are DOA and some suffer violent ends soon after being installed. She used to just pitch them in the trash. I pointed out the mercury issue, she majored in organic chemistry, and how the long range effects of that much mercury in the environment from all those Wal*Mart bulbs failing and ending up in the trash must be taken into account. She stopped buying them because of the quality issue and now recycles every one that fails.

It would seem that the mercury industry is greenwashed like the coal industry is disparately trying to do...

How many horses have to be destroyed before people get the clue?

I do have to admit I nearly laughed at the definition of the crop as a 'guiding device'. Bull shit!

Horse racing, like so many 'sports' encourages the destruction of animals and humans for the gain of those that run the sport. Looking at football players that are 'used up' with bad joints and broken bones and fighters that die in the ring or suffer lifelong effects of being beaten for others gain.

It's just disgusting and it's not made any better by the huge money involved.

The huge difference in my mind though comes down to awareness. The horse is trained to run. It's bred into them as well as a known genetic defect of weak legs.

The idea that the industry will change its methods is daft. It will not change because the chances of another Eight Belles is low. Well, and it's just another horse. Another possible liability if it doesn't run fast enough for them to hitch their dreams of huge profit and glaring tv lights to build up their inadequate ego's.

I think nothing short of legal action and fines and drawn out court trials can save horse racing.

I remember reading about how the greyhound racing machines (industry) dealt with their dogs. Often finding huge piles of their bullet riddled carcases piled and finding dogs in dumpsters and starved to death. Inexcusable! Are we to easily excuse the carnage? The pain? No wonder people actively cheer the Iraq war and support torture. The public needs its blood, and the industry needs its profit. Just grease on the wheels of the next record breaking filly to be produced by the machine and destroyed in her prime... Doing what she was programmed to do and failing like she was also programmed to do... It's sick.

Things that don't exist in Harry Reid's world

• Liars
• Idiots
• Political opportunists
• Hypocrisy
• Old fools
• Paybacks
• Reality
• Meanness
• Stupidity
• Senility
• Self respect
• Being seen as a fool
• Foresight
• Hindsight
• Common sense
• Ramifications
• Follow through
• Honor
• A clue
• Party loyalty
• Honesty
• Accountability
• Blowback
• Respectability
• Political parties
• Seriousness
• A laugh track

I probably left some things out...

Is this a Reid 'heck-of-a-job' moment?

With all the underhanded crap he's pulled in the past, I'd take him at his word on this one. He believes it.

This could be his attempt at keeping his grasp on power though, too. Once there is a larger majority of democrats in the House, I'd believe that he'd be ousted from his throne too...

God forbid that we end up in the same state after the elections and have to put up with 4 more years of the prancing idiot Lieberman...

How much simpler can someone say it.

Perhaps someone needs to target ads to that Bush hugging demographic this time, this election...

Pope John Paul II and top Vatican officials are unleashing a barrage of condemnations of a possible U.S. military strike on Iraq, calling it immoral, risky and a "crime against peace."

His message was drowned out by the drums of war (and 'big' thoughts hitting hollow heads).