2006 Facts | Facts about 2006s

Microwaves in U.S. households

In 1978, only eight percent of U.S. households had microwave ovens. As of 2006 over 80 percent have them.

Military sonar technology causes beachings

Submarines have been using low and mid-frequency active sonar technology, a deafening soundwave that is dangerous even 300 miles from it's source. Some mid-frequency sonar systems can put out over 235 decibals, which is about as loud as a rocket launch.

Animals for hundreds of miles literally jump out of the ocean to try to avoid the sound. The damaging effects vary, bet are akin to decompression sickness causing internal bleeding and bursting organs including lungs and eardrums. When beached dolphins are reported this sonar technology is rarely mentioned in the news, although the link has been demonstrated.

What can you do? learn more here

(update: court blocks sonar 7/6/06)

Beachings linked to military low-mid frequency active sonar

Mass beachings have been associated with active sonar
have occurred in Madeira (2000), Greece (1996), the U.S. Virgin Islands (1998, 1999), the Canary Islands (1985, 1988, 1989, 2002), and, northwest coast of the United States (2003).update: court blocks sonar 7/6/06

Animal sonar, echolocation, and noise pollution

Whales and dolphins have a tool called echolocation, a sonar which allows them to "see" their prey, even it's internal workings! Noise pollution in the water has a significant effect on whales ability to navigate, hunt, locate their pods, and reproduce.
Echolocating animals have two ears positioned slightly apart. The echoes returning to the two ears arrive at different times and at different loudness levels, depending on the position of the object generating the echoes. The time and loudness differences are used by the animals to perceive direction. With echolocation the bat or other animal can see not only where it's going but can also see how big another animal is, what kind of animal it is, and other features as well. - wikipedia

Many modern submarines use their own sonar a low and mid-frequency sonar is so deafening the pressure waves affect animals on the cellular level, causing the equivalent of "the bends" or decompression sickness. For animals with echolocation this causes sonar function to fail and leaves these animals blind, if they're lucky. What often results is massive beachings (update: court blocks sonar 7/6/06)

Real life game of monopoly

By portraying bogus intelligence as fact and by inventing a relationship
between al-qaeda and Saddam Hussein, Cheney, Bush (& Rumsfeld) led the
charge into Iraq.

Since then Cheney's company Halliburton has gotten over 10 billion dollars
in contracts from the Iraq war despite the fact that audits have shown they
have repeatedly stolen and overcharged the US government and even instituted
accounting methods designed to make funds disappear...

The Carlyle Group is a privately-owned equity firm organized and run by
former members of the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations. Carlyle could lay
claim to only a meager $12 billion in funds in December of 2001. Carlyle's
profits skyrocketed after the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Currently,
Carlyle manages more than $44 billion in 42 different investment funds.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111406R.shtml

What was the best political joke of 2006?

According to about.com and their top 25 funny jokes "I stand by this man because he stands for things. Not only for things, he stands on things. Things like aircraft carriers, and rubble, and recently flooded city squares. And that sends a strong message that no matter what happens to America she will always rebound with the most powerfully staged photo-ops in the world." --Comedian Stephen Colbert, roasting Bush at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Our favorite: “To the vice president's credit, he did own up to it (shooting hunting partner in the face). On FOX News he said the fault was his, he can't blame anybody else. Boy, it's amazing, the only time you get accountability out of this administration is when they are actually holding a smoking gun." --Bill Maher