Practical devices

We have two inexpensive torchere-style lamps that the bases of fluorescent bulbs simply would not fit into - the wide part (ballast maybe?) of the compact fluorescents are just too wide for the way the lamps are made.  I was buying compostable Bio-bags on Gaiam and spotted these socket extenders.  They arrived today and work perfectly, allowing enough clearance that I can put those CF bulbs to use and ditch the incandescents.  You can probably find these at a local hardware store too.

By the way, if you live in an area that collects compostable garbage separately (as we do - Cleanscapes has special, less expensive, bright orange bags for it), or if you have a compost pile but want to collect a few days worth of scraps, the 3-gallon sized Bio-bags are terrific.  We drink a lot of tea and so have quantities of wet leaves (in addition to all the greasy cardboard pizza boxes and paper sandwich wrappers and various food waste) - they are collected in a Bio-bag lined covered dump bucket and removed to the special orange bag in the chest freezer every few days.  Once the bag is full, it's hauled out to the alley for pickup.