Compact fluorescent bulbs may save energy, but they also uglify the spaces of some readers, who have complained about the unsightly spirals peeking out from overhead fixtures. Here's one solution ...

Remove the Bulbs and Fluorescent Light Fixture Cover Unplug the fixture or turn off the power at the main panel. Remove the diffuser (cover) , then carefully remove the fluorescent bulbs or tubes.

The fat, four-foot fluorescent bulb is going the way of the 100-watt household incandescent -- into extinction because it is also an energy hog compared with its replacement. That's the good news.

In 1976, Good Times ruled TV, Gerald Ford was trying to "whip inflation now," and in Ohio, a new kind of light bulb was being invented. The man behind the CFL looks back.