A USEFUL Tom Delay!

This one works for the Carbon Trust, a group in London that's trying to pitch measures designed to lower carbon emissions to consumers and big businesses.

Among the simple changes each individual can make are switching to lower-energy lightbulbs and not quite filling the kettle (or in our case, the Mr. Coffee) all the way, which in turn requires less time (and gas) to boil the water.

Is it a cosmic joke that he shares a name with a poisonous right-wing American midget? Or just an unkind coincidence?

Oh, well, in Britain it probably doesn't register as it does here, since the American Tom DeLay probably doesn't get as much exposure there (the TV cameras were probably always aimed over his head). Also, he does that capital "L" thing.