CFL Bulbs

I have a question for all of you learned and brilliant people: Why do the GE CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) bulbs bought from Lowe’s suck, but GE CFL bulbs from Wal-Mart rock?

I’ve been trying to replace all my bulbs, but that fluorescent-white light just penetrates my brain (not in a good way). I converted all my closet lights long ago, via three trips to Lowe’s, trying every CFL they had (even the bulb that says “Warm Light” was awful. That white light is in no way at all WARM, you lying bastards) but I’m wanting to do every light in the house. And then when I bought this new house (over a year ago now), I realized that one of the overhead lights had a CFL bulb in it that was virtually indistinguishable from the regular bulb occupying the other side of the fixture. So I called up the previous owners of the house and asked them where they got the bulb.

“Wal-Marks,” she said, with a cigarette hanging limply from her mouth (I’m kidding. She doesn’t smoke). “They’z outta them other’ns,” she said, spitting a spatter of tobacco juice from her snuff-filled lip (I’m kidding. She doesn’t dip, either. And, actually, she doesn’t talk like that, either; she’s a very, very nice and mannered retired English teacher).  

So anyway, I went to Wal-Mart and bought some CFL bulbs, brought them home and am now in the process of replacing bulbs as they blow to the new, oranger CFLs that I can tolerate. But why the big difference between the light? They’re both marked GE CFL, they both have “Helical” printed around the trunk…I don’t get it, and I can’t find any explanation for it on the ‘net. Anybody have any idea?

Image by Jeremyhall