wrote in message ...

Which reminds me. I have an old neon bulb nightlight. This thing
is confused and retarded. If the room is dark, it does not light. But
when I flip on the ceiling lights in the room, or point a flashlight
at it, the neon lights up...
I think it's just plain old, but I leave it there just because it's a
conversation piece.

Believe it or not, this is more or less normal for an old neon bulb.

Ambient light knocks electrons off the neon atoms in the bulb, _lowering_
the threshold voltage. This bulb has aged to the point where the line
voltage isn't high enough to light it _until_ room light or a flashlight
"kicks butt" on them-there outer-orbital 'lectrons.