click here. pretty sad. ge also plans to close the last us household bulb plant in winchester, va.

Really sad indeed. I already miss the canadian Soft White etch. It's past now 

Hmm, they wil just go tomore efficent incandescents. but i will miss the old lamp.

I prefer an incandescent over a CFL, but if it's not a China CFL, and is not a spiral, I'll use it! The Hungary CFL I got the other day has a real simple ballast! a spiral which is essentially the same, has a complicated ballast! when it could be simple!

I prefer an incandescent over a CFL, but if it's not a China CFL, and is not a spiral, I'll use it! The Hungary CFL I got the other day has a real simple ballast! a spiral which is essentially the same, has a complicated ballast! when it could be simple!

Ballast might be or simple topology, but very sensitive to component parameters, or more complex and much less sensitive and with decent protection. The consequence is, the first one likely over- or under-power the lamp (with consequence on it's life and/or performance) and fail catastrophically (components burn out at lamp EOL), so the fuse is the only component avoiding smoke and/or fire issues.
If there are EOL protection features (so the fuse is only the second-level protection), it always yield to more complex ballast.
But not valid for "more complex" => "better quality" reasonning...