Author: Ray Youman

When it comes to secret communication, the general rule of thumb remains that lower-fi = better. Even today, dead-drops and frequency channels & codes remain the standard for getting data and information across long distances. The standard of encryption and anonymity is simply unparalleled when distributed across a physical medium as opposed to a virtual… Continue reading The Numbers Station

Turn on your favorite TV station right now and you’ll find a plethora of commercials directed towards the broader channel audience. You may even see local advertisements encouraging you to go get vaccinated, or Mike from the local Toyota dealership selling low interest rates on cars. More commonly, you’ll hear the commercial before you see… Continue reading Musical Advertising

If there’s one thing you can always count on Pearl Jam to do, it’s their ability to completely alienate their fanbase’s expectations. With the exception of their first album, Ten, the band has always strived to create the weirdest, out-of-fashion, and radio-averse songs on subsequent albums. Themes dealing with love, greif, depression, and triumph all… Continue reading Pearl Jam’s Campfire Tune

The NOAA, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has been recording sounds near the seabed of the Pacific Ocean with advanced hydrophones since the early 1990’s. What initiated as a way to track Soviet Submarine activities has since morphed into an umbrella project for the monitoring and archiving of undersea seismic activity, as well as… Continue reading “Upsweep,” Nature’s Strange, Beautiful Music