The Numbers Stations Analyzed, Discussed 224
GMontag wrote to mention a Washington Post article about the always-intriguing 'number' radio broadcasts. The numbers stations, as they are known, are 'hiding in plain sight' spycraft. Random digits broadcast at little-used frequencies are known to be intelligence agencies broadcasting their secrets in encrypted form. The Post article gives a nice run-down on the truth behind the transmissions, and touches a bit on the odd community that has grown fascinated by them. From the article: "On 6840 kHz, you may hear a voice reading groups of letters. That's a station nicknamed 'E10,' thought to be Israel's Mossad intelligence. Chris Smolinski runs SpyNumbers.com and the 'Spooks' e-mail list, where 'number stations' hobbyists log hundreds of shortwave messages transmitted every month. 'It's like a puzzle. They're mystery stations,' explained Smolinski, who has tracked the spy broadcasts for 30 years."
This article made me recall a great All Things Considered story from a few years back about Akin Fernandez's 'Numbers' CD, a CD compilation of some of the most interesting strings of randomly read numbers reaching out across the airwaves.
Re:I've picked these up on short wave (Score:5, Funny)
Twice.
I spent a lot on booze and whores.
I wasted the rest.
Oooo, just heard a broadcast (Score:2, Funny)
1 2 3 4 5? That's amazing! I've got the same combination on my luggage!
Re:IP Addresses (Score:5, Funny)
C0016UY: 1337641: 69?
1337641: 637 1057!
That explains it... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:1258965 (Score:5, Funny)
Source code (Score:5, Funny)
The "numbers" stations only exist to confuse people. On Wednesdays, we have "beer" day, where you are entitled to a beer from the cooler if the number 12725 comes out.
So we had one day, last year, where somebody (I think it was the Chinese) hacked our main server, and made it broadcast 12725 continuously all day. So there we were, plastered out of our mind, when 270 Lbs of fissionable material was stolen from our floor. The investigation is due to be completed sometime around 2021 - we don't talk about that very much.
Anyway, here's the source code: Information wants to be free!
4 8 15 16 23 42 (Score:5, Funny)
Re:4 8 15 16 23 42 (Score:3, Funny)
Re:1258965 (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I've picked these up on short wave (Score:5, Funny)
Re:1258965 (Score:3, Funny)
Re:IP Addresses (Score:5, Funny)
A fine, upstanding gentleman: Dearest, skilled lady... wouldst thou join me in mine bedchambers for some chaste frolicking?
Skilled lady: Alas! No, I must not! For thou art neither truly updstanding, nor the gentleman thou claim'st to be. Now, leav'st me be posthaste!
I try so hard... (Score:4, Funny)
"a great All Things Considered story from a few years back about Akin Fernandez's 'Numbers' CD, a CD compilation of some of the most interesting strings of randomly read numbers"
Interesting... random numbers... Ok, so my friends were right.
Re:1258965 (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I've picked these up on short wave (Score:4, Funny)
And if you're going to steal, get it right! George's wording was far better:
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."
See? That word: squandered. Much, much better than wasted. You can waste anything but only riches can be squandered. And you forgot the fast cars [photobucket.com]. Unforgivable.
Re:IP Addresses (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Triangulation to locate sources? (Score:4, Funny)
Given the right atmospheric conditions, you can pick up the signal decades later: one of the coolest things that ever happened to me was picking up battle chatter from Vietnam while on a training exercise with Army Signals. I'm 25. It was eerie people die in a transmission that was sent before I was born.
Re:1258965 (Score:3, Funny)