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AFTER BIRTH - LFBC Digital Document Analysis
The Hacker Factor Blog ^ | Thursday, April 28. 2011 | Dr. Neal Krawetz

Posted on 05/28/2011 8:54:29 AM PDT by Tex-Con-Man

Preface


Before I begin, I need to point out two critical items for this evaluation. First, digital document analysis can detect manipulation, but it cannot determine whether the original subject is authentic. The authenticity can only be determined by the State of Hawaii, and they already said that it is authentic.

Second, we don't know the history of this PDF document released by the White House. Specifically, we don't know who scanned in the paper document and turned it into a PDF document.

Now, on to the analysis to determine whether there is anything funny with the PDF document released by the White House...

Contents


Let's start with the basics. The document released yesterday contains a signature at the bottom because it is a re-release. As I understand it, most states only issue two "original" birth certificates: one goes to the parents, and one goes to the state. If the parents lose their original, then the state can issue a certificate but not another original. (The states won't give up their original, and the phrase "another original" defeats the purpose of "original".) However, Hawaii made an exception at the President's request and re-issued a new original. Make no mistake: this new document is an original, even if it was not created on the day he was born.

This document itself appears to be a photocopy of a document that was created on his birth. You can see the left edge bending and having an acceptable drift. It appears to have been scanned onto official thatched paper, and then it was rubber-stamped, signed, and dated with the current date. Again: nothing suspicious.

Moreover, this document contains all of the same information found on the previous form, released nearly three years ago. Neither Obama nor Hawaii have changed their story. Everything is consistent. There is nothing suspicious.

PDF Documents


The image itself was released as a PDF document. As image analysis goes, I hate PDF files. There is only one way to create a BMP (ignoring different versions). PNG and JPEG files have a little variability, but are mainly limited by the encoding library. But with PDF files, anything goes. Each image in a PDF is given an object ID. The image IDs can be stored as anything from vector graphics to bitmaps or embedded JPEGs. Moreover, images can be segmented or made in layers.

The concern about potential tampering comes from the fact that the PDF released by the White House uses a segmented image. The PDF itself contains 9 images: one color JPEG and 8 monochrome bitmaps. These images combine when the PDF document is rendered to display the full image.

The people who think that a segmented image equates to tampering clearly do not know how PDF documents work. The simplest segmentation happens when an alpha channel is used for image transparency. While many of the image formats stored in a PDF file support alpha channels, this isn't how they are usually rendered. Instead, the PDF usually contains two images: one is the image without an alpha channel, and the other is a bitmask containing the alpha channel.

Bitmasks can also be segmented in order to reduce space. For example, if most of the active masked pixels are contained in a 1454x1819 rectangle, but a small section is located outside that rectangle, then the data can be packed more efficiently by segmenting the mask. Although a larger mask could be used, it would really result it a bitmask with significantly more inactive pixels being stored.

An image mask can only store two colors. Usually this is "black" and "white". However, PDFs permit any two colors. It is not uncommon to have one mask store everything "black" on the page, and another store everything that is a specific "gray" color. And remember: by moving these specific, uniform colors into individual bitmasks, it reduces the variation seen in the color JPEG. Less variation means better compression, so the result is a more efficiently compressed document -- in theory. (I added "in theory" because sometimes the full color image would actually be a more efficient storage method. But that's what you get with heuristic encoding systems.)

The birth certificate PDF contains one image (a color JPEG) and eight bitmasks. The main image is PDF object ID 7 0 (ID #7, revision 0) and is 1652x1276. This image looks like the fully rendered image, but it is missing everything that is completely black (mostly black text). The largest bitmask is ID 9 0 and is 1454x1819. When the image is rendered, it is rotated 90-degrees (1819x1454) and masks out the text in the JPEG image. (The image definition actually says "/ImageMask true".) This masking adds the black to the image. (With a PDF mask, one color is ignored and the other identifies where the color should be placed. In this case, the color applied to the mask is black. But don't confuse the black in the mask with the black applied by the mask; one is a color and the other denotes the location to put the color.)



All of these bitmaps are combined in object ID 6 0 to form the full image:
6 0 obj
<< /ProcSet [ /PDF /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] /ColorSpace << /Cs2 26 0 R /Cs1 11 0 R >> /XObject << /Im7 20 0 R /Im8 22 0 R /Im9 24 0 R /Im2 9 0 R /Im4 14 0 R /Im1 7 0 R /Im6 18 0 R /Im3 12 0 R /Im5 16 0 R >> >>
endobj

This PDF code says that the main image consists of a color space defined by ID 26 0 ("26 0 R" is a reference to "26 0"; this is basically equivalent to a macro inclusion or function call) and ID 11 0. The color space is how the PDF rendering systems knows what color to apply to each mask. The object then includes a bunch of masks with the main image in layers.

Is this uncommon?


The big question is: why use a bitmask to add black to the image, instead of just rendering the image with black? The answer is: I hate PDF documents. There are an infinite number of ways to store an image in a PDF document, and the PDF encoding system used to create the PDF decided to use this method. This isn't even odd or abnormal. It is strictly dependent on the encoding system and encoding parameters. Even choices like "apply color profile", "optimize for printer", "use this paper size", and "export as PDF" vs "Save as PDF" can seriously tweak how the final PDF is generated; it usually isn't as simple as scaling or recoloring.

Another question that I expect to be asked: Why aren't all of the letters in the masks? The masks are only monochrome and act like a stencil. A single color is applied based on the masked regions. The fact that some letters are not in the masks shows that the images were scanned in and not everything dark is actually black. There is a significant amount of black, suggesting color correction or possibly OCR-based letter extraction during the scanning or conversion to PDF. I've seen this in other PDF documents, so this does not strike me as odd.

The PDF released by the White House shows no sign of digital manipulation or alterations. I see nothing that appears to be suspicious.

Update 2011-04-30: Conspiracies


The latest round of conspiracies concerning this PDF file seem to repeat the same misinformation:

Finally, birthers make their boldest claims when they hide behind anonymity. Acclaimed image analysis expert "TechDude" was praised by birthers until he was outed as an anonymous fraud who was impersonating the credentials of a real forensics expert. "Polarik" was a huge anonymous expert until he was publicly exposed and shown to not have the credentials that he claimed. (To Ronald J. Polland aka Polarik: Running a dating web site is not the same as having image analysis experience, and why do you claim to work at a university when the university's faculty list does not include you? Perhaps this dating expert is just lonely... according to Facebook, "Ron has 1 friends".)

Already, anonymous experts are saying that the document is fake. Personally, I wouldn't put much stock in claims from any anonymous source. Some people have already started impersonations in order to give their theories more credibility. For example, Colonel Robert F. Cunningham reportedly sent out a heated email stating that he knows that the document is fake because of the layers in the PDF. The problem is, Colonel Cunningham died nearly 3 months ago. Either someone is impersonating the late Colonel for the credentials, or his ghost has email access. Either way, he does not strike me as an expert in digital document forensics.

Update 2011-05-03
Nathan Goulding has a great write-up for making the Quartz PDFContext library generate a PDF with masks -- just like those seen in this birth certificate. In his example, he is not doing anything fancy or special. He just selects one optimization setting.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Conspiracy; Miscellaneous; Politics
KEYWORDS: barrysoetoro; birthcertificate; certifigate; eligibility; naturalborncitizen; obama; usurper
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To: john mirse
NOT a single word, sound, or anything has come from Kapiolani Hospital officials to verify that Kapiolani is indeed Obama's birth hospital as it is stated on Obama's long form birth certificate. It is as if hospital officials have suddenly gone into hiding for some unknown reason. Why is that?

This had been discussed before, numerous times. Stop blaming Kapiolani - they are bound by HIPAA. Blame 0bama for not signing an authorization to disclose.

121 posted on 05/29/2011 1:52:29 PM PDT by sometime lurker
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To: Red Steel

That’s interesting. It’s immediately apparent that he’s a loon and a leftist by reading his analysis of media bias! Ha Ha! No wonder certain tools luv him and believe him.

Who are they fooling, anyway. (Rhetorical question.)


122 posted on 05/29/2011 1:58:28 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: Mr. K
Whis is anther thing that is odd because there are some parts of Obama’s PDF which are pixel-by-pixel duplicates of each other. ASTRONOMICALLY impossible odds of that happening by accident.

It's not an accident, nor is it a sure sign of forgery. It's an effect of the scanning software. I've shown examples of this effect found on other OCR scans in other threads.

123 posted on 05/29/2011 3:18:18 PM PDT by Kleon
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To: sometime lurker
Stop blaming Kapiolani - they are bound by HIPAA. Blame 0bama for not signing an authorization to disclose.

******

Thank you for your words of wisdom.

I am so sorry for blaming innocent Kapiolani officials for any wrongdoing in this Obama long form birth controversy.

Are these the same innocent Kapiolani officials who jumped at the chance to display a letter from newly-elected President Obama in which Obama called Kapiolani his place of birth, but who later quietly and mysterously took down the same President's letter from Kapiolani's fund raising website?

Just wondering: Why did Kapiolani officials take the letter down and, as I read on the web, put the President's letter in a desk drawer somewhere instead of displaying it openly in the main part of the hospital so everybody could look at it?

Could the reason that they quietly took the letter down from the website is that the President was lying when he claimed in the letter that Kapiiolani was his hospital of birth? I'm starting to think that the President of the United States was indeed lying.

But to make you happy, I promise that I will not criticize Kapiolani officials as long as Obama is President of the United States of America. Yeah, right.

124 posted on 05/29/2011 3:42:05 PM PDT by john mirse
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To: BuckeyeTexan
Allrighty, I think I see now.

I had to print the photos out and draw on them.

Yes, the seal appears to be readable only from the debossed side. Which is also the side the COLB is stamped on.

Interesting.

125 posted on 05/29/2011 3:45:11 PM PDT by El Sordo (The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.)
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To: Kleon

Bullshit


126 posted on 05/29/2011 4:16:58 PM PDT by Mr. K (CAPSLOCK! -Unleash the fury! [Palin/Bachman 2012- unbeatable ticket])
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To: Mr. K
I have done computer imaging for a living and even had software I wrote certified at Fort Huachuka in Arizona for military image format specification alonge with others

I don't recognize you, Mike. You must of been working there after I left in 1995.
127 posted on 05/29/2011 6:35:26 PM PDT by Brown Deer (Pray for 0bama. Psalm 109:8)
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To: kjo; butterdezillion
They even have O’Reilly claiming that Obama got his SS# in Connecticut, likely while visiting his father there while dad was a student at Harvard...wait a minute...is Harvard in Connecticut? Thought it was in Taxachusetts?

ROTLMSO, how old would the usurper have been then, hmmm???

Seems like SAD was running away from O.sr. as fast as she could at that time!!!

128 posted on 05/29/2011 9:58:27 PM PDT by danamco (-)
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To: butterdezillion
The only people who can be trusted to preserve this nation at this point are we the people.

I wish it was so!

But unfortunately most of the "We the People" are at sleep!!

The ONLY alternative to save this nation is when we wake up to a Honduras moment!!!

129 posted on 05/29/2011 10:04:50 PM PDT by danamco (-)
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To: Tex-Con-Man; butterdezillion; Texas Fossil
I personally have no interest in rehashing what Hawaiian officials may or may not have said.

But you HAVE an interest to keep the usurper in office at any costs. Your postings shows that very clearly!!!

130 posted on 05/29/2011 10:08:45 PM PDT by danamco (-)
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To: little jeremiah; butterdezillion

Did you say something bad there???


131 posted on 05/29/2011 10:19:31 PM PDT by danamco (-)
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To: danamco

This is one of those lies like the Kennedy assassination that elite opinion is going to agree to, because to admit its reality would cause the nation to erupt.


132 posted on 05/30/2011 5:09:15 AM PDT by kjo
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To: Tex-Con-Man
Layers prove nothing, especially since the assignment of text and pen marks to layers is based (mostly) on the darkness of the text/marks in the original (e.g. using the high res AP image as "original" which is alleged to be the second copy sent from Hawaii). As Elendur points out up thread, there are many other problems with the life story of B. Obama-Soetero. The author is incorrect when he states "The PDF released by the White House shows no sign of digital manipulation or alterations. " The PDF was manipulated as he himself acknowledges. We don't know if it was altered. It does not seem likely that it was altered since the AP high res image is the same except for the rubber stamp.

That all hinges on the Hawaii claim that they sent two certified copies and the WH implicit claim that both copies were released to the press, but one (on plain, non-hashed paper) only to AP, the other via B/W xerox copies, clueless eyewitnesses like Guthrie, and the obviously manipulated WH PDF.

But based on those assumptions, the layering is an aftereffect added by the WH because someone there was an idiot (there are idiots there but a lot more are clever socialists), or someone felt the need to obfuscate the released PDF.

133 posted on 05/30/2011 5:27:07 AM PDT by palmer (Cooperating with Obama = helping him extend the depression and implement socialism.)
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To: danamco

I re-posted the info in comment 56. Some tool’s ultra delicate sensibilities got hurted by my harsh language so I re-posted the info without the cruelty.

I’m being singled out, btw. I see worse, much worse language every day on FR.

So be it.


134 posted on 05/30/2011 5:32:04 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: little jeremiah
I’m being singled out, btw. I see worse, much worse language every day on FR.

I'm chiming in from scrolling the "latest posts, so I do not know the context; nor does it matter to my comment. The fact that you see "much worse language every day on FR" supports a "crusade" I revive from time to time; i.e. encouraging all of us to use our best language rather than the words that come out when we have lost our temper or banged our thumb with a hammer.

Profanity: How small minds try to speak with strength?

135 posted on 05/30/2011 5:41:50 AM PDT by don-o (Free Lazamataz!)
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To: don-o; little jeremiah
I’m being singled out, btw. I see worse, much worse language every day on FR.

little jeremiah is singling herself out, she is not being "singled out". She calls conservatives "Obots" and "Trolls" because they refuse to conform to birtherism. Some of her posts are filled with vile invective aimed at fellow freepers who refuse to embrace the latest birth certificate conspiracy theory.

I saw the post before it was pulled. The language she used is often used to describe political enemies here on FR. The problem is she keeps using it on fellow freepers.

Apparently the mods are getting tired of it.

136 posted on 05/30/2011 9:53:18 AM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: Tex-Con-Man

He who laughs last, laughs best.


137 posted on 05/30/2011 9:54:50 AM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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To: Tex-Con-Man; don-o; little jeremiah

But YOU are still posting here to keep your dear leader Fuehrer in office at any cost. You do it ALL the time, FINO, or as that real Con-Man you really are!!!


138 posted on 05/30/2011 11:13:45 AM PDT by danamco (-)
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To: danamco

Supporting Obama on Free Republic gets an instant zot.

Hit the abuse button, make your case, or STFU!


139 posted on 05/30/2011 11:32:47 AM PDT by Tex-Con-Man
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To: Tex-Con-Man; danamco

He who laughs last, laughs best.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2727118/posts?page=71
Obama’s ineligibility: Prepare for the fall

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2727177/posts
Bombshell: Second CRS Memo Covering for Obama’s Ineligibility Not Released to the Public…Until Now


140 posted on 05/30/2011 12:14:31 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
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