I’ve always been on the fence about CNN. I felt like John King’s magic map and coverage of the 2008 Election was really impressive, but then it would be followed by Larry King talking politics and roundhouse kicks with Chuck Norris. This weekend, I watched Planet in Peril - pretty good - but the commercials for Anderson Cooper’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Kathy Griffin (?) kind of threw me off. Then I read that they eliminated their 7-person science reporting unit, thinking that the Planet In Peril programming would replace that group. Thoughts?

New York Times’ Dot Earth - Science Journalism Implosion, CNN and Beyond

CNN - Planet in Peril

If you’ve been holding out on putting energy smart Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs in your house because you just can’t get used to their spiral shape, General Electric (GE) has the answer. On December 28th, GE will introduce the new covered GE Energy Smart CFL bulb at Target, and at other select retailers starting early next year. The new 9-watt bulb has the appearance, size and fit of a traditional incandescent bulb but is the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent, is rated for 8,000 hours and guaranteed for 5 years, based on 4 hours of daily use.

According to Kathy Sterio, general manager of consumer marketing for GE Consumer & Industrial, “these fit in more lamps and fixtures than standard GE Spiral CFLs with the plastic base,…so [people can more] easily use it with clip-on lampshades or smaller table lamps.” Sterio added that “other people may see it as more aesthetically pleasing than GE Spiral CFLs in lamps or fixtures where the bulb is visible. It provides a more finished or tailored look that appeals to a lot of consumers.”

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