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Doctrine of signatures

Eyebright was used for eye infections, owing to the supposed resemblance of its flower to an eye.

The doctrine of signatures, dating from the time of Dioscorides and Galen, states that herbs resembling various parts of the body can be used by herbalists to treat ailments of those body parts. A theological justification, as stated by botanists such as William Coles, was that God would have wanted to show men what plants would be useful for.

It is today considered to be pseudoscience,[1] and has led to many deaths and severe illnesses. For instance birthwort, once used widely for pregnancies, is carcinogenic and very damaging to the kidneys, owing to its aristolochic acid content.[2] As a defense against predation, many plants contain toxic chemicals the action of which is not immediately apparent, or easily tied to the plant rather than other factors.

Paracelsus (1493–1541) developed the concept, writing that “Nature marks each growth … according to its curative benefit”,[3] and it was followed by Giambattista della Porta in his Phytognomonica (1588).

The writings of Jakob Böhme (1575–1624) spread the doctrine of signatures. He suggested that God marked objects with a sign, or “signature”, for their purpose.[4]
Plants bearing parts that resembled human body-parts, animals, or other objects were thought to have useful relevance to those parts, animals or objects. The “signature” could sometimes also be identified in the environments or specific sites in which plants grew. Böhme’s 1621 book The Signature of All Things gave its name to the doctrine.[3] The English physician-philosopher Sir Thomas Browne in his discourse The Garden of Cyrus (1658) uses the Quincunx pattern as an archetype of the ‘doctrine of signatures’ pervading the design of gardens and orchards, botany and the Macrocosm at large.

The botanist William Coles (1626–1662) supposed that God had made ‘Herbes for the use of men, and hath given them particular Signatures, whereby a man may read … the use of them.’[3] Coles’s The Art of Simpling and Adam in Eden, stated that walnuts were good for curing head ailments because in his opinion, “they Have the perfect Signatures of the Head”. Regarding Hypericum, he wrote, “The little holes whereof the leaves of Saint Johns wort are full, doe resemble all the pores of the skin and therefore it is profitable for all hurts and wounds that can happen thereunto.”[4]

A theological justification was made for this philosophy: “It was reasoned that the Almighty must have set his sign upon the various means of curing disease which he provided”.[5]

For the late medieval viewer, the natural world was vibrant with images of the Deity: ‘as above, so below,’ a Hermetic principle expressed as the relationship between macrocosm and microcosm; the principle is rendered sicut in terra. Michel Foucault expressed the wider usage of the doctrine of signatures, which rendered allegory more real and more cogent than it appears to a modern eye:

Up to the end of the sixteenth century, resemblance played a constructive role in the knowledge of Western culture. It was resemblance that largely guided exegesis and the interpretation of texts; it was resemblance that organized the play of symbols, made possible knowledge of things visible and invisible, and controlled the art of representing them.” (The Order of Things , p. 17)

Signatures of some plants used in herbalism[edit]

Lungwort was thought to have the signature of the lungs and was used to treat lung infections.

The concept of signatures is reflected in the common names of some plants whose shapes and colors reminded herbalists of the parts of the body where they were thought to do good, as for instance:

Concepts similar to the doctrine of signatures may be found in folk or indigenous medicines, and in modern alternative medicines.[citation needed]

In literature[edit]

The phrase “signatures of all things” appears in the beginning of episode 3 in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses. The character Stephen Dedalus walking along the beach, thinking to himself “Signatures of all things I am here to read, seaspawn and seawrack, the nearing tide, that rusty boot”. The Canadian poet Anne Szumigalski, 1922–1999, entitled her third full-length collection “Doctrine of Signatures”.

Scientific skepticism[edit]

The signatures are described as post hoc attributions and mnemonics,[10] of value only in creating a system for remembering actions attributed to medical herbs. There is no scientific evidence that plant shapes and colors help in the discovery of medical uses of plants.[10]

Another explanation is that the human mind, in trying to find patterns to explain phenomena, while lacking adequate scientific knowledge, resorts to anthropomorphism.[11]

See also[edit]

  1. ^ Simon, Matt (14 August 2014). “Fantastically Wrong: The Strange History of Using Organ-Shaped Plants to Treat Disease”. Wired. Condé Nast. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  2. ^ Robertson, John. “Aristolochia, birthwort”. The Poison Garden. John Robertson. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d “Doctrine of Signatures”. Science Museum. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Pearce, J.M.S. (May 16, 2008). “The Doctrine of Signatures” (PDF). European Neurology. 60 (1): 51–52. doi:10.1159/000131714. PMID 18520149. Retrieved August 31, 2008.
  5. ^ White (1896), p. 38.
  6. ^ McDougal, Kevin (2013). “Hedge Woundwort”. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  7. ^ Stern (1991), p. 338.
  8. ^ “The Tudors” (PDF). Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  9. ^ Irvine, Alexander (1860). The Phytologist: A Botanical Journal, Volume 4. William Pamplin. p. 308. As late as 1657 we find William Coles, who was a herbarist … speaking of Spleenwort, or Miltwort, tells us that the learned Crollius, amongst the signatures of parts, doth set down Ceterach to have the signature of the spleen, and that therefore it is profitable for all diseases thereof;
  10. ^ a b Bennett, Bradley C. (2007). “Doctrine of Signatures: An Explanation of Medicinal Plant Discovery or Dissemination of Knowledge?”. Economic Botany. 61 (3): 246–255. doi:10.1663/0013-0001(2007)61[246:DOSAEO]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0013-0001. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  11. ^ Buchanan, Scott (2014). The Doctrine of Signatures, A Defence of Theory in Medicine. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. p. 142. ISBN 0415614155.

Further reading[edit]

  • Boehme, Jakob (1651) Signatura Rerum (The Signature of All Things). Gyles Calvert.
— Translation by J. Ellistone.
  • Buchanan, Scott Milross (1938) The doctrine of signatures: a defense of theory in medicine.
  • Cole, W. (1657) Adam in Eden or Nature’s Paradise. J Streater for Nathanial Brooke.
  • Conrad, L.I.; M Neve, V Nutton and R Porter (1995). The Western Medical Tradition, 800 BC – 1800 AD. Cambridge University Press.
  • Porter, Roy (1997) The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity from Antiquity to the Present. HarperCollins.


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Cannabis in Malawi

Cannabis in Malawi is prohibited, but remains a popular drug and is produced for domestic use and export. In Chichewa, it is locally known as chamba.[1] Chamba is grown mainly in central and northern regions like Mzuzu.[2]

Malawian cannabis, particularly the strain known as Malawi Gold, is internationally renowned as one of the finest sativa strains from Africa.[3] According to a World Bank report it is among “the best and finest” marijuana strains in the world,[4] generally regarded as one of the most potent psychoactive pure African sativas. The popularity of this variety has led to such a profound increase in marijuana tourism and economic profit in Malawi that Malawi Gold is listed as one of the three “Big C’s” in Malawian exports: chambo (Tilapia fish), chombe (tea), and chamba (cannabis).[citation needed]

Malawi is one of the largest producers of cannabis in Southern Africa.[5] It is mainly cultivated in remote parts of the central and northern regions. In the north, it can be found growing in Mzimba District’s Likwawa hills, and in Nkohotakota district.[5] Nkhotakota District is known for producing the best marijuana, particularly near the banks of Lupache river.[5][6] It can also be found at smaller quantities in the districts of Ntchisi, Kasungu, Ntcheu and Dedza. Most growers cultivate small, out of the way fields up on remote mountain hills, hidden in bushes, or intercropped with other field crops.[7] There are a few commercial farmers.[7] The United Nations Development Assistance Framework report that in the late 1990s, estimated that up to 385,000 acres (1,560 km2) in the country were devoted to the cultivation of marijuana.[8]

Women are largely involved in cultivation of chamba, while men are mainly involved in marketing it.[5] In Malawi, the marijuana buds are cured after being tightly bound in banana or maize leaves. They are sold in units called ‘cobs’.

International market[edit]

Its quality has led it to out-perform marijuana grown in other countries in terms of sales in each market it is introduced in.[9] International organized groups employ Malawians to purchase and produce cannabis from local producers.[5] It mainly crosses Malawi borders through Mozambique and Zimbabwe, to South Africa. For South Africa, it has led to an increase in marijuana tourism from holiday makers seeking cannabis. More recently Malawian cannabis has now flooded the marijuana markets in Kenya, Tanzania, and many other locales.[9] In Kenya, one cob of pure, smokable marijuana is worth US$1.97. About US$0.32 is paid to the original farmer.[4] It even was available in the Netherlands.[8]

For many marijuana smokers, the strain Malawi Gold has reached almost a cult status. There are websites and blogs which have been dedicated to the praise of chamba.[8] Legends and myths have developed surrounding the potency of the drug, as an example, there is a popular story about visitors that came to Malawi, tried chamba, and lost the will to return to their country of origin.[10]

Marijuana tourism[edit]

Malawi gains a significant amount of its tourism from the marijuana trade. Albeit illegal, the plant grows in the wild in many areas, which has made it hard to control. In the lake areas, many tourists purchase the drug and smoke it in the privacy of their hotel rooms or homes. Tourists in Malawi known to shop for chamba in the Nkhotakota District which has a reputation for producing the best marijuana.[6]

Domestic market[edit]

Illegal trade in chamba amounts to an estimated 0.2% of Malawi’s GDP or K1.4 billion.[4] The majority of the product is not used locally since it is primarily grown for an export market.[4] Integration in the global market has resulted to unfair trade therefore Malawian growers are getting underpaid.[4] Malawi farmers receive only about a fifth of the price for which it is being sold in foreign consumer markets.[4] It does however, fetch more money than Malawis largest export, tobacco.[7] Most growers do not sell it directly to the market themselves, but instead to national or international traffickers.[7]

Medicinal usage[edit]

Cannabis was widely used by the entire population as an intoxicant and as medicine in treating conditions like anthrax, dysentery, fevers, malaria, or snakebites.[7] Rastafari in Malawi now are the proponents that claim medicinal use of the chamba leaves. A research study entitled, “Patients’ Perceptions of Chamba (marijuana) Use in Malawi” was conducted in Zomba Mental Hospital was published in the International Journal of the Addictions in 1998. It had it implications for the development of treatment and prevention programs for chamba users in Malawi.[11]

Religious usage[edit]

Malawian Rastafari have been using marijuana as part of their spiritual awakening for years. The Rastafari cite religious importance in the use of the plant.[9]

Recreational use[edit]

Malawians have been using cannabis for recreational use for generations. The use of cannabis is particularly popular along the lake side. Many Malawians claim that cannabis helps them to relax and concentrate. Local students use cannabis to prevent pre-exam jitters. Police raids are common, however recreational use of cannabis remains unabated. Many backpackers and overlanders are attracted to Malawi due to recreational use of inexpensive cannabis.[10]

Legal issues concerning usage[edit]

Growing, selling, using, or possessing cannabis is a criminal offense in Malawi.[7] Although cannabis is illegal in Malawi, it is estimated to be the largest unofficial export. Malawian economists group the illegal export as one of the three ‘Big C’s’ in Malawian exports chambo (fish), chombe (tea) chamba (cannabis)’. The growth in sales means that there are growers cultivating the drug illegally in Malawi due to the large profits they gain from its sales.[8] However a recent World Bank study reported that Malawian farmers are being underpaid for their labor in the trade.[4] The production and selling of chamba has been increasing in Malawi over the past few years.[5] The efforts to curb its production and selling is also on the increase.[5] Anti-drug unit is led by the Malawi Police Services that confiscate about 70,000 kilos of cannabis per year for the year 2010.[7]

Below are the United Nations figures on number of cannabis seizures in Malawi from 1995 – 2000 published in the 2003 Institute for Security Studies Report:[12]

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Total
39,911 8,453 10,320 5,202 27,142 312,472 403,500

Campaign to legalize cannabis[edit]

Rastafari in Malawi have gone to court to demand their right to smoke cannabis. In 2000, the government briefly explored the possible legalization of Indian hemp, despite police warnings of potential abuse by cannabis growers.[13] This was championed in parliament by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Joe Manduwa who argued that the plant could be a valuable alternative to tobacco.[13] The idea was supported by member of parliament and medical doctor, Hetherwick Ntaba who argued that it is non-addictive.[citation needed]

See also[edit]

  1. ^ “AFRICA | Malawi Rastas’ marijuana struggle”. BBC News. 2000-09-11. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  2. ^ “Marijuana Cultivation Increases in Malawi – New York Times”. 1998-12-17. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  3. ^ “Marijuana Wikipedia : Malawi Gold”. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g “BNL Times – Malawi’s Premier News”. BNL Times.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g “Archived copy” (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2011-12-16.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ a b “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2011-12-15.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g “Ill Gotten Money and Economy” (PDF). World Bank Document. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  8. ^ a b c d “UDF factions ‘agree. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  9. ^ a b c “The Weed Inc. Pt. 1”. YouTube. 2010-09-08. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  10. ^ a b “Malawi : On a mission in Africa”. The Daily Telegraph. London. 1998-03-28.
  11. ^ [1][dead link]
  12. ^ Peter Gastrow, Institute for Security Studies, Cape town, Published: October 2003
  13. ^ a b “AFRICA | Legal hemp for Malawi?”. BBC News. 2000-04-24. Retrieved 2011-04-20.

External links[edit]

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Editor's Note - Spring 2013

By Robert Wilson | March 1, 2013

Ralph Eubanks has spent much of his adult life pondering, in books and articles, the meaning of his complex racial heritage. The complications involve a family history across generations of white and black intermarriage, made more difficult by geography; Eubanks, his parents, and his grandparents lived in the American South, where miscegenation laws were in effect until appallingly recently. The absurdity of these laws is illustrated by the experiences of his mother and aunt, whose father was white and mother was black. Their birth certificates listed them as white, but they chose to identify themselves as black, and when they married black men, each had to change her birth certificate to get a marriage license.

Eubanks had previously delved into his past using historical research, oral history, and memoir. But once the completion of the human genome proved that whites and blacks share 99.9 percent of their genetic material, he turned to science to test his own genetic makeup, participating in a class at Penn State where all of the students agreed to DNA testing.

He was not surprised to find that his own background was roughly half African, a bit less than half European, and the rest Native American or Asian. But it was the surprising genetic results for many people in the class, whose backgrounds were more mixed than they suspected, that led to his conviction that race is more a social construct than a biological fact, and that our racial categories are hopelessly simplistic.

As it happens, and as Eubanks graciously acknowledges, the eminent sociologist Amitai Etzioni came to similar conclusions in the SCHOLAR six years ago (well before there was any prospect of a mixed-race president), in an article we called “Leaving Race Behind.” Etzioni argued that the growing Hispanic population in the United States, which for the most part does not identify itself by color, gave us a chance to break down the old racial categories. He proposed that the government itself take the lead by eliminating racial identifications from the U.S. Census. Etzioni also maintained that even if a consensus arose to make the government colorblind (and Eubanks admits that just getting most Americans to talk frankly about race is unlikely), we should not abandon efforts to address the historical injustices caused by racial prejudice. He then offered a commonsense approach to righting those wrongs.

My fear is that we will go about this backwards, beginning with the forthcoming Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions. Our next step toward a colorblind society should not be blindness to the harm racial categories have caused.

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The topic this month on the blog is all about data.  I thought I’d weigh in on this topic from the speech perspective.  As we all know data is so important and necessary in our profession.  I use data to determine if students need to receive speech-language therapy, what therapy goals to create for each student, if students are making progress toward their goals, and of course data to determine when students are ready to be dismissed from speech therapy.  Data, data, and more data.  The problem is how to accurately and effectively collect data during speech therapy sessions and keep it organized.  This is the challenge.  I do take data ever session unless I am using it as a teaching session for a new concept.

How you collect data depends on your setting, student population, and IEP goals.  Do you track IEP goals with percentages, trials, a rating scale, checklists, etc?  For example, in my district we write goals based on trials and not percentages but every setting can be different.  Some districts place restrictions on how your IEP goals need to be written so you need to take data on how your goals are written.  A topic for another day is make sure goals are written so you can take data on those goals…believe me I have seen some interesting goals over the years that are not data tracking friendly!  Over the years I have tried different systems but I always tend to fall back on using the same data sheets I used with my supervisor in grad school.  I’ll share about the data sheets I use in therapy but I have seen other data sheets which may work for you.  If a system works for you then stick with it.  The bottom line is we need to be taking accurate data on our students’ goals.  I still take data on paper because I’m in different classrooms and work with a wide range of students some who need some intense supports so trying to track data on a computer or another device does not work for me.  I’m all over my buildings but I always have my clipboard with data sheet on it.  I arrange my data sheet for each day.  I write the students name, IEP goals, the activity we do, and then add the data onto the sheet.  Having 60 students on my caseload and most of my students have between 2-3 speech goals makes it difficult to remember everyone’s goals which is why I have them with me.

For me articulation goals are much easier to take data on then language goals.  With my articulation students if I’m working on the sound in isolation, syllables, or at the word level I do sets of 5 to make it easy for me to track data.  I’ll have the student say the target word 5 times and I’ll just write the number of correct times in the box.  I know that each on is out of 5 trials.  At the end I just add up what they got correct and know what it would be out of such as 33/50.  That makes it easy.  If they are working at the sentence level I just use plus and minus signs to track the data.  For some of my students I give them white boards or sticky notes and have them track their data along with me so we can see if we got the same number.  That also makes the student take ownership over their goals.

Other goals can be more challenging to track data during the session.  For example, I have lots of students working on following directions involving a variety of linguistic concepts.  I try to focus the session on specific concepts and only track data on the targeted concepts and make sure I write what was targeted when I write up my daily progress note.  One session, I might be working on prepositions and I only track data on those prepositional concepts.  I try to set up sessions or use material that will target those specific concepts.  For example, I like to use adapted books and do an activity related to that so the focus is on the same concepts.  I might use the book “Where is the butterfly” and then do the “Where is the Butterfly – Preposition Scene Matching” activity with it.  I can take data on those activities and know which prepositions were targeted.  Then when I write my progress note it might go something like this “student followed 15/18 2-step directions involving prepositional concepts “on, under, next to, above, and below” given no more than 1 additional visual or verbal prompt”.  Another group I might work on following directions involving color and number concepts or following directions with colors and shapes.  The progress note would indicate the data from those concepts.

I also like using task cards during sessions because it makes collecting data easier for me.  I can complete a set number of cards and know exactly what I targeted.  If I’m working on synonyms I use my synonym vocabulary boards.  My progress note would be something similar to this “student provided the correct synonym for a given vocabulary term in 16/20 trials given a choice of 3 answers and one visual prompt.”

I also make sure when I track my data I indicate the level of prompting I am providing.  When learning a new concept the student may need hand over hand prompting.  For example, with PECS my student will complete all the single picture exchanges but it might be with hand over hand prompting and I need to make sure I indicate that so it does not seem like the student can complete exchanges independently.  The prompting may also change during the session and I note that.  It might be the student selected the desired item picture from a visual field of 2 and exchanged it with the communication partner in 10/20 opportunities given one visual prompt which increased to 20/20 provided an additional physical prompt.

Figuring out a good system to track data and actually taking that data during a short session with multiple students is so challenging but important.  We want to make sure that are students are making progress towards their goals or we need to make some changes in those goals or our teaching strategies.  The data can show the great work of our students and us.

Sarah Allen, MA CCC-SLP
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My unfolding – Part 1

When I think about the seven months that progressed before I finally left the states, I see it in my mind as an inverse bell curve.  I started off on a total high from my mind being cracked open and the universe having rushed in, but then the worst depression of my life ensued.

All of December was filled with this bubbling excitement at the possibility of what I was signing up to do.  For the first few weeks of December I had been thinking about this constantly, my brain (but more so my heart) wouldn’t stop swimming in visions of possibilities.  By the end of December I had decided that this wasn’t some ridiculous, drug-induced pipe dream and that I really could make this happen so I told my closest few friends.  To my half-hearted surprise, they were ecstatic about my loose but whimsical plan.  They saw the wanderlust in me before I did and mirrored the gumption to follow through that I was thirsty to embody myself.  As fate would have it, every one of my close girlfriends have many stamps in their passports, giving them the personal and intimate knowledge of what it’s like to travel across seas.

The dawn of a new year came with a beautiful shift of energy within me.  To be frank, I always thought it was so cliche when people would say, “This is going to be my year.”  That is, until I said it myself (doesn’t it usually happen as such?).  Literally, the moment the clock ticked midnight on December 31st, 2016, a jolt ran through me and I felt a charge rush through my veins.  But it wasn’t that I was claiming this year as my own; it was more so that 2017 had claimed me and I could either go with it or fight against it.

As January ticked on, the thrill of my possible adventure continued to swell within me.  I began thinking about how I would break this to my clients.  What I would do with all of my belongings.  Where would I even start this epic tale.  By the end of January, the fumes of my titilation transformed into black plumes of depression.

At the end of January I had returned home from a two week vacay to a disheveled and empty house.  An opportunity for my ex to move out had finally arisen (reminder: after SEVEN MONTHS of surviving within the same small space, while being separated) and we had agreed that the move out would happen while I was out of town.  There wasn’t a long drawn out process of the separation of things because I honestly didn’t want much since I knew I was going to be getting rid of everything in due time anyhow.  So it wasn’t a huge surprise when I walked in and saw most of the belongings taken, but I didn’t expect the brutal jab that I returned to.

We shared three cats between us, two of them my step fur babies, and one we had adopted together (Chai).  We had come to the agreement that I would hold onto Chai until I left the states, but my ex made the executive decision while I was away that it wouldn’t be a good idea to separate the three cats for those few months.  Now, my higher self can agree with that, but my human self was devastated that my beloved Chai was taken from me without me even getting the chance to say goodbye.

Some of you may think, “Dude, it’s a cat, no biggie.”  And if that’s your sentiment, then you clearly haven’t been the owner of one.  Chai slept with me every single night of those awful 7 months.  We played fetch.  She climbed on my back like a billy goat and hung out around my neck like a travel pillow.  She kept my heart light and I kept her well loved.

I felt my heart tear right down the middle that night that I returned home and for the following two months, that tear only deepened as waves of loss pounded against me.

I was taking care of all of the divorce proceedings myself as I began selling all of my things.  I finally told my clients by the end of February and became the rightful container for their loss as well as my own.  By mid-March I gave my teaching resignation and then held the loss for my students as well.

The nights were the worst.  I referred to those dark hours as were wolfing; the metamorphosis felt similarly gruesome.  My self-destructive habits as a teenager came out to play all over again, giving way to a, “WTF, I thought I had taken care of that shit years ago,” reaction.  My mom summed up those nights perfectly with just one haunting sentence, “Every night you make yourself cozy in a grave.”  And that I did until the beginning of April, when I moved in with her.

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New property listed in Williams Lake - Rural South, Williams Lake (Zone 27)

I have listed a new property at 3340 CRANE RD in Williams Lake.
This charming, stand-out 10 acre property is perfect for any horse lover. Just 25 minutes from Williams Lake in scenic Springhouse, this well maintained property is private and peaceful. The 3 bedroom double-wide home features a large kitchen, full ensuite bathroom, foyer addition and a wood burning fireplace. Lots of natural light with many windows providing picturesque views of the deer that call this property home. Fenced and cross-fenced with multiple pens and a large central pasture, this property backs onto crown land with endless miles of trails. A huge 32x16 wood heated workshop, several storage sheds, a private driveway and so much more...You'll be taken back by this amazing slice of nature!


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LIVE tonight on it’s Our United Strength with your regular hosts Allan Bourdius (@unrealallan) and Amy Curtis (@rantyamycurtis)!

We have a jam-packed show tonight, including an amazing nonprofit organization, Illinois being 36 years late approving the Equal Rights Amendment, an act of kindness from a Green Bay Packer, Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif making NFL history, President Trump signing Right to Try legislation, a prime example of the need for criminal justice reform, and a bakery in Portland firing two employees.

So TUNE IN tonight to for Our United Strength at 10 pm E/9 pm C.


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Logo Hat (Multiple Colors)

Sale price Price $35.00 Regular price

This logo hat comes in two colors a solid black and a faded pigment-dyed black.
The faded black hat is more of a dark charcoal.

  • 100% garment-washed cotton twill
  • 6-panel, unstructured, low-profile
  • Tuck-away leather back strap; antiqued brass buckle and grommet
  • Cool-Crown mesh lining
  • Four rows of stitching on bill


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Thoughts on 2 Books #8

Happy Friday, y’all!  Are you as ready for the weekend as I am?  Not that I’ll get to rest or relax much; The Girl, The Boy, & The Boss keep me as busy over the weekend as the job keeps me during the week.  Hell, often even more so, to the point where I’m eager to return to the probation office on Monday just to catch my breath!

I already posted these reviews on Goodreads.  If y’all’re interested in reading either of the synopses, just click the linked titles below.  And if you’ve read either of these books, I’d love to hear what you think in my Comments section.  You know, way down yonder at the bottom.

Essex Serpent

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, audiobook read by Juanita McMahon.  I rated it 3 of 5 stars, ‘liked it’, on Goodreads and shelved it there as British, fiction, literary, & novel.

Great characters, good story, and remarkable setting. Perry has a gift for infusing her characters and events with a palpable sense of their landscape and environment. I couldn’t help but feel the story and everything in it were the inevitable result of the place in which they’re set.

Juanita McMahon does a fine job of narrating. Although I occasionally grew annoyed by her sometimes-halting style, she has an uncanny range of voices, accents, and vocal mannerisms, so she brings every character to life.

I enjoyed the extended interplay between religious belief and science and think Perry dealt with that tension generously, refusing to condemn or praise either approach too highly. There’s much about The Essex Serpent that I really like, but I was a little disappointed by the ending, so I can only give it 3 stars. I may eventually read the actual book. If I do, I might reconsider my rating.

Obelisk Gate

The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth #2) by N. K. Jemisin.  I rated it 3 of 5 stars, ‘liked it’, on Goodreads and shelved it there as dystopian, epic fantasy, fantasy, fiction, novel, post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, & series.

My only criticism of The Fifth Season, Book 1 of The Broken Earth series, was that, because its world is so thoroughly developed, the plot occasionally dragged just a bit. Since The Obelisk Gate is a little shorter and is more fast-paced, that criticism doesn’t apply here. We get to know Jemisin’s wonderfully flawed, complex characters and their motivations and intentions even more thoroughly as their struggles intensify, their relationships deepen, and more history of the world of The Stillness is revealed. I enjoyed The Obelisk Gate a wee bit more than The Fifth Season and would rate it 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed me to.

Have y’all read either of these books?  What’d you think?

4 thoughts on “Thoughts on 2 Books #8

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Tag Archives: Finland

Day 81 – Oscar at Our Summer House (Mökki)

Oscar at Mökki

Sorry for the radio silence everyone! Been on holiday at our Summer House in Finland in Rautalampi.. almost smack in the middle of Finland. So you can probably imagine how little of any source of technology worked there. We are finally back after one of the most gruelling trips back ever (thats for another time, believe you me). I thought I’d share a photo today that just makes me smile and laugh every time I see it! Oscar is slowling growing up, and as usual he was a hit everywhere he went. Here he is running through the house as the happy Boston Terrier puppy that he is 😀 Ah, I do love him, I do! ❤ Thank you Harvey for taking all the wonderful pics!!

Day 67 – Delicious Raspberries

Delicious Scandinavian Raspberries

Is it just me or does anyone else get seriously reminded of a good Scandinavian summer when they eat proper delicious raspberries? I just had the most wonderful batch and I swear it’s like I’m sitting back at home in Finland with the sound of water all around me and the hot sun on my skin! Ahhh, memories ❤ Nothing beats a Scandi summer!!

Day 46 – Juhannus in Finland

Finnair Juhannus Tickets

We could just about get tickets for us to come to Finland for Juhannus! And yes, we are bringing the dog 🙂 (that turned out to be another headache and a half… hope they let him on with his carrier!) A trip to mökki (our summer cottage) is SO overdue!!

Day 19 – Tom of Finland Stamps

Tom of Finland Stamps

I’m happy to see things moving forward in the world. And even though it’s not legal for gay people to marry yet in Finland, at least this is a small step in the direction of recognising a talented ionic gay Finnish artist 🙂 One day soon, one day 🙂 Oh, and can I say “M-mm-mmmmm!” I have a feeling traditional post cards might soon be back in ;P


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permission | The Community
The Anglican Church of Canada home page
Sites at the Anglican Church of CanadaFind a ChurchFrequently Asked QuestionsStaff Listing

Tag Archives: permission

On authorization

We are not encouraging anything outside of what is agreed order and right procedure in any diocese. But we do want to collect all that is available, all that the church is willing to share with us from parishes, dioceses, theological schools, conference and retreat centres, and religious houses. Continue reading

Posted in Liturgy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments


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Love your body this year

As you may have already read in this post, I’m a proud Tone It Up Girl since 2014. Every year they hold several challenges, each one under a different theme. The first one leading up to Valentine’s Day is all about LOVE! This is the challenge I first joined this amazing community full of gorgeous and radiant women. And it has remained my favorite up to now This year, it is especially important to me as I’m finally committing to my goals all the way! Continue reading “Love your body this year”


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sermon deliveryMaking sermons is a must for every minister especially that we use to preach. Whenever we preach, we make sermons.

Usually, veteran pastors don’t do sermon manuscripts. They simply know what they are to say and deliver. They usually practice with their minds.

On the other hand, there are pastors that use sermon manuscripts just like me. I find it hard to preach without sermon manuscripts. But it doesn’t mean that I can’t preach without it. In fact, I can. It is simply harder than when I have one.

Whether you have a sermon manuscripts or not, the tips below in making and delivering sermon is very much applicable. So I highly suggest that you take note of this.

Tips On How To Make  And Deliver a Better Sermon

Present the points in positive way – There are lots of ways in presenting your sermon. You can do a progressive presentation, regressive presentation, enumeration form of presentation, point by point presentation, etc. No matter how you present your sermon points, present it in a positive form.

I really find it to have better results than presenting the sermon points in a negative way. To give you an example, consider this point:

Original: Wearing indecent dress in the church is wrong.

Revised: Wear better dress in coming church.

Highlight the positive things – Once you start developing positive format of sentence, you will have a better chance of highlighting positive things in the passage rather than the negative.

Example: Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Highlighting “poor in spirit” will be more likely a negative presentation. But highlighting “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” will be more likely a positive presentation.

Be creative in making points – There are several ways in implementing creativeness in making points. It is best if you will apply simple mnemonics. You can do some acronym like KISS (Keep It Short and Simple) and PUSH (Pray Until Somethings Happens).

You can also try using simple words starting with the same letters. Or you can start your points with the same 2 or 3 three words before the points.

Use good sermon illustrations – Illustrations are hard to find. You will need to do a little research in order to find a good one. I already have compiled some illustrations that you may want to check out. In choosing a good illustration, kindly visit my article that talks about hunting a good sermon illustrations.

Be creative in delivering sermon and illustration – Once you got a good sermon illustration, you should accompany it with creativeness. Just a few days ago, my friend Ptr. Eric Ortega, a professional story teller, taught me a good way to tell a story which can also be extremely useful in telling a serrmon illustration. I will cover the “how’s” of telling a story later. I can assure you, it is very rewarding to learn some skills on being creative.

Focus on God and not on men – It’s always better to focus on God all the time. People will disappoint you but not God. People may fail you, but not God.

Delivering sermon can really be painful at times especially when people tries to control you on what you are going to preach instead of what God is telling you to preach. But guess what, all you have to do is to stick with God and everything will just be fine.

For God is our greatest encourager and encouragement.

Try to keep this 6 simple tips in mind while you make sermon manuscripts and deliver sermons. Apply it and you’ll find it very helpful.

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Happiness Starts With You

A reflection for Election Day:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town.
I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.

Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family.
My family and I could have made an impact on our town.
Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.”
~Rabbi Israel Salanter, Nineteenth Century Professor

While we all focus on casting ballots for the next US President, hoping he can “fix” our world and improve our lot, let’s remember that in the end, he’s just one person.  Even if we consider all our U.S. leaders — Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches combined — they are only 555 people.  They can’t make anything happen until and unless ALL of us take on our share of responsibility.

Change you, change the world.

Read more articles like this one in: Happiness, Practicing Happiness

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Unnamed Road, Kampala, Uganda
school short cut Kampala Central Region UG

Clarke Junior School is a Ugandan curriculum school with a difference. It develops life long learners thought our teaching philosophy – keep on inquiring, keep on discovering, keep on learning. We deliver the Ugandan curriculum by using effective global teaching and learning techniques.
Our lake side campus is purpose-built to aid learning, in a beautiful setting with views of lake Victoria.
Our head teacher Ms Katherine Tucker has extensive global education experience as a consultant and a teacher.


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The Campbell Conspiracy

The Campbell Conspiracy

Recently, Duncan Campbell published an article in Computer Weekly titled: Briton ran pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign that helped Trump deny Russian links [archive].  Mr. Campbell casts a wide net, pulling various people into his story of alleged pro-Kremlin conspiracy.  In this article, Forensicator will address Campbell’s sensational claims and theories about Forensicator’s identity, alliances, motives, and methods.  In short, Forensicator is not a GRU operative, not Adam Carter’s alter ego, and is not a pawn in Guccifer 2’s grand game of chess.

Forensicator is an anonymous online blogger who has written several reports which analyze various document dumps made by Guccifer 2.  Forensicator’s first report, Guccifer 2.0 NGP/VAN Metadata Analysis, was published July 9, 2017; Elizabeth Vos of Disobedient Media covered that report in an article titled, New Research Shows Guccifer 2.0 Files Were Copied Locally, Not Hacked.

The Forensicator’s first report went viral and has been covered widely by the legacy media, in alternative media, and in various social media venues.  Of particular note, a well-respected group of former US security professionals (the VIPS) published an article a few weeks later (July 24, 2017) in Consortium News, titled Intel Vets Challenge ‘Russia Hack’ Evidence.  The VIPS report was subsequently mentioned in an article published in The Nation, authored by Patrick Lawrence; that article (dated August 9, 2017) was titled A New Report Raises Big Questions About Last Year’s DNC Hack.  Lawrence’s article generated a lot of controversy which The Nation addressed in a follow up article (September 1, 2017) titled, A Leak or a Hack? A Forum on the VIPS Memo.  Recently (August 13, 2018), Patrick Lawrence published a one year retrospective, titled, ‘Too Big to Fail’: Russia-gate One Year After VIPS Showed a Leak, Not a Hack [Consortium News].

A journalist/blogger who goes by the pen name Adam Carter (@with_integrity on Twitter) runs a web site,, which follows research related to the anonymous persona Guccifer 2.  Guccifer 2 has been linked to Russia’s GRU spy agency by US intelligence agencies and was highlighted more recently (July 13, 2018) in a DOJ indictment.

It seems that Carter may have unknowingly locked horns with Duncan Campbell in November, 2017 when Carter published an article critical of Campbell’s reporting .  Campbell co-authored an article with James Risen that was published in the Intercept under the title CIA Director Met Advocate of Disputed DNC Hack Theory — at Trump’s Request.  A month/so later, Campbell would begin a nine month quest to strip Carter’s anonymity.

Although the majority of Campbell’s article dwells on Carter’s background, there is some discussion of Forensicator’s research.  It seems that Campbell wanted to weave Carter and Forensicator into an elaborate pro-Kremlin plot to spread disinformation.  Campbell tells us that an objective of this plot was to seed conspiracy theories that linked a particular document dump published by Guccifer 2 with a DNC staffer who met an untimely death on July 10, 2016.  Campbell speculates that Guccifer 2 “manipulated” and “tampered” with the data to achieve this desired effect.

Campbell further suggests (without support) that Forensicator might be a persona invented by Carter and that Carter and Forensicator went into action when they received a “tip-off file” (a Word document) from an unnamed third party that Campbell implies might be pro-Kremlin; perhaps linked to a Russian spy agency (the GRU).

Forensicator notes that this “tip-off file” is a publicly accessible document found on Carter’s web site.  It is clearly labeled as being for “technical review only”.  Forensicator and Carter both recall that this document was intended for technical review by a qualified independent third party.  Forensicator also points out that a clearly labeled publicly accessible document is an unlikely form of covert communication from a state-sponsored intelligence organization.

A quick comparison between this “tip-off file” and Forensicator’s final report shows us that this Word document is a working draft of the final report.  Campbell’s claim that neither Forensicator nor Carter wrote this document themselves is based upon the presence of a simple typo in a command line script found in Forensicator’s final blog.

In the discussion that follows, Forensicator goes to some trouble to demonstrate how that typo ended up in Forensicator’s blog.  It was a simple copy/paste error that had nothing to do with Forensicator’s alleged lack of technical skills.

Further, although Campbell suggests that Forensicator enhanced this “tip-off file” for “propaganda effect”, Forensicator demonstrates that as he continued to work on his final report, he in fact removed and changed text that might have been much more suggestive of an internal DNC leak.  Forensicator’s final report had a much lower “propaganda effect” than the draft document that Campbell calls the “tip-off file”.  Campbell’s claim is without merit.

Campbell tells us that a key component in the “Forensicator Fraud” was Guccifer 2’s decision to use an outdated version of a file archiving program, WinRAR.  It was the interaction between an outdated WinRAR zip file format and another zip file format (7zip) that led to Forensicator’s observation that the files in Guccifer 2’s final 7zip file had been written on the East Coast.

Forensicator tells us that hackers generally use cracked software and that these cracked programs are generally old and out-of-date.  In fact, there are indications in another document that Guccifer 2 published that showed that a cracked version of Office 2007 had been used (which is over 10 years old).  Guccifer 2’s decision to use an old cracked version of WinRAR was likely not a deliberate decision but rather a result of typical hacker behavior.  We do not know if Guccifer 2 is an actual hacker or not, but he generally acted like one.

Campbell’s conspiracy theory falls flat after Forensicator strips away the “tip-off file”, the typo in a command line, the use of an outdated version of WinRAR, and the alleged “propaganda effect”.

In a closing section, Forensicator addresses Campbell’s criticism of another report authored by Forensicator, Guccifer 2.0 CF Files Metadata Analysis.  Campbell takes exception with Forensicator’s conclusion, but can offer no counter-explanation other than Guccifer 2 must have “tampered” with the dates by subtracting one hour from them.  Campbell has no explanation for why Guccifer 2 would decide to tamper with the file dates in this way.

Forensicator points out that for the other Zip file that Forensicator analyzed Campbell took the opposite position that Guccifer 2 manipulated the metadata in a very specific and obscure fashion with a particular objective in mind.  Further, Campbell leaves out an important observation: The files were likely first written to a thumb drive.   Forensicator’s scenario incorporates that observation, Campbell ignores it altogether.

The Tip-off File

As Campbell relates events, in early June, 2017 an “anonymous source” (presumably GRU operatives behind Guccifer 2) sent a “tip-off file” [archive] to Adam Carter.  This tip-off file is a Word document which appears to be a rough draft of Forensicator’s final report, Guccifer 2.0 NGP/VAN Metadata Analysis, published a few weeks later.  The “tip-off file” is found on Adam’s site,   Per Campbell, this document was “rewritten for propaganda effect, [and] was published three weeks later [by the Forensicator]”.

The “tip-off file” was (and is) linked from this page [archive] on Carter’s web site.

That page is easy to find.  Forensicator just removed one level of directory from the link to the document that Campbell provided and found the page above.   In fact, that page can be located via a web search (emphasis added below).  It is publicly accessible.  How did Campbell and his technical team miss this?

Did Campbell notice this landing page that says the document is provided “for the purposes of technical review” and simply not mention it?  Campbell’s phrasing, ‘a tip-off file obtained in June 2017 by Leonard’s site from an “anonymous source”’, sounds very much like he was aware of this page on Adam’s site that says the document is from “anonymous source #3”.

We will come back to this page and the “tip-off file” and discuss them in a bit more detail.  In the meantime, we ask, does this look like a clandestine communication from a GRU operative?  Why is it publicly accessible?

Spoiler alert: What if the “anonymous source #3” is the Forensicator and this document was intended for review by an independent third party, prior to publication?

Campbell says this about the “tip-off file”.

campbell-tip-off-file-excerptWhat Campbell is talking about here is that Forensicator analyzed metadata (file dates, times, and sizes) in a 7zip file that Guccifer 2 had uploaded almost a year earlier.  Forensicator’s analysis “unlock[ed] information inside a tranche of files [a 7zip file] released by Guccifer 2.0”.  Campbell suggests, but does not clearly state, that the Russian operatives behind Guccifer 2 had cleverly “manipulated [the metadata] to “prove” that the documents could have been stolen by a Democratic National Committee (DNC) employee.

Before we go on: Forensicator made no claims about “leak vs. hack”, nor the actual source of the data that Guccifer 2 alleged had been taken from the DNC.  Forensicator clearly states this in Corrections and Clarifications.

The Forensicator Appears

Per Campbell, a short time later, a team of unidentified individuals (presumably Russian GRU operatives behind Guccifer 2), along with Adam Carter, “created” Forensicator.   Campbell is indefinite on what he means by “created”, but he seems to suggest that Forensicator is simply an anonymous online persona that Adam created out of whole cloth who continues to operate to this day; in fact, right now, as Forensicator types this article.

As Campbell relates the story, we know that Forensicator is an unskilled fake because these presumptive GRU agents sent along a bash script that had invalid syntax and Forensicator did not notice this before copying their broken script into his report.  The implication here is that the GRU agents did all of Forensicator’s homework and Forensicator was too careless and unskilled to spot an error that they had made.  Keep that thought; we will get back to this bit of wild speculation.

The Forensicator Fraud?

Campbell’s conspiracy thriller begins here.

Campbell is indefinite on what he means when he refers to the “Forensicator [‘s] fraud”.  Campbell’s fraud theory seems to hinge on the idea that Guccifer 2.0 (a team of presumptive GRU agents) had carefully “manipulated” metadata (mainly last modification timestamps within a particular arrangement of differing Zip file formats).  This was in preparation for the Forensicator, who would come along (as planned) ten (10) months later and then pretend to discover some unique clues in the metadata.

Presumably, the fraud here is that Forensicator (maybe really Adam, per Campbell) was lying in wait for the day that he would get the “go” signal in the form a Word document that Campbell calls the “tip-off file”.   As part of the operation, Forensicator posed as an independent analyst with some forensics skills, pretending to make a discovery that had been missed by others (for 10 months!) until the planned date of publication.  All Forensicator had to do is to take this draft report (the “tip-off file”) that his controllers had sent him and spice it up “for propaganda effect” [Campbell].

Unfortunately, Forensicator (per Campbell) didn’t notice a typo in a bash script — this will be Forensicator’s undoing (not).

The Bourne (Shell) Conspiracy

Let’s return to Campbell’s “proof” that the Forensicator is a creation of the GRU and a dull tool.  Recall that, per Campbell, the presence of a syntax error in a bash script that Forensicator posted “suggested that they did not write, understand, or test the script before they published. Someone else had sent the script, together with the fake conclusion they wanted discovered […].”

Before we dive in, the next few sections will add background.

Campbell refers to a “bash script”.  Bash is a command interpreter much like the Windows command line, except more powerful.  It originated on UNIX systems.  “Bash” is short for “Bourne-again shell” [Wikipedia].  Excerpts follow.

Paging Jane Doe

Campbell’s mention of the malformed bash script is reminiscent of a similar observation [archive] made (much earlier) by an anon blogger, Jane Doe.

As we can see below (emphasis added), Jane is no friend of the Forensicator.

Ms. Doe’s conclusions and observations (published a year earlier) are eerily similar to those of Mr. Campbell.  Did Doe’s report inspire Campbell’s discovery?  Was Campbell aware of Ms. Doe’s analysis, yet failed to give her credit?

Rushin’ to be Russian

Ms. Doe’s introduction refers to “error messages in Russian”.  These Russian error messages (written in Cyrillic) were found near the end of PDF’s published by journalists the same day (June 15, 2016) that Guccifer 2 appeared.  The PDF’s were derived from Guccifer 2’s very first document, the so-called “Trump opposition report”.  Guccifer 2 leaked this document to The Smoking Gun and Gawker prior to publishing this document and others on his blog site.

Forensicator analyzed those documents in detail in Did Guccifer 2 Plant his Russian Fingerprints?.  Forensicator also demonstrated that media outlets played a critical role in propagating the “Russian fingerprint” discovery; this is covered in Media Mishaps: Early Guccifer 2 Coverage.

Forensicator’s conclusion on Guccifer 2’s “Russian fingerprints” strongly differs from that of Ms. Doe.  Forensicator concludes that the process which embedded those Russian error messages into Guccifer 2’s document is far too complex to have been the result of carelessness, or an accident.  The evidence strongly suggests that Guccifer 2 planted the “Russian fingerprints” deliberately.  Guccifer 2’s motive for doing so is unclear (because the “Russian fingerprints” are self-incriminating; they loudly suggest that Guccifer 2 might be a Russian operative).

Never Assume a Conspiracy as the Reason when a Simple Typo will do

Hanlon’s Razor is more direct: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”

With the preliminaries out of the way, let’s address the body of Campbell’s claim.  Campbell asserts that the Forensicator did not write the script that was posted, because it has a garbled presentation.  Further (per Campbell), since Forensicator did not write the script then “someone else had sent this script“.  Campbell refers to this insert in the Guccifer 2.0 NGP/VAN Metadata Analysis report.

Let’s copy this out into a text file and see how it looks.

An astute bash programmer will notice that line 6 seems to be a very long line with unusual spacing and a misplaced line continuation (“\”) character.  What happened here is that newlines were removed by WordPress when the text was pasted into a text box.

Does this tell us that the Forensicator doesn’t know how to write a bash script, or more likely, that Forensicator is a careless user of  We can find the answer by turning to the draft Word document that Campbell calls the “tip-off file”.

It looks fine here and in fact bash will accept this and run it without complaint.

The history on this is that Forensicator’s blog is based on a free account.  Free accounts are bare bones and lack some writer friendly features.  Add to this set of circumstances that this blog is the Forensicator’s first ever blog and we have a recipe for disaster.

Initially, Forensicator pasted the script directly into the blog, but that didn’t work well because Forensicator couldn’t find a way to coax into interpreting the script as simple, unformatted text.  Forensicator decided to solve the problem with the use of a “text box”; he pasted the bash script into a text box without checking the result.  This led to the current situation where the line wrapping and formatting is wrong.

Forensicator notes that there have been a few sporadic reports of problems with the syntax of this text insert, but users were able to quickly fix the issue and use the script.  As we saw, Jane Doe wasn’t too happy when she ran into this glitch, but was able to fix it and ultimately replicate the Forensicator’s results.

There is no bash script conspiracy.  Forensicator wrote the script, but messed up the formatting when the text was copied into a text box.  Forensicator should probably fix this issue; he had no idea that this glitch would be used as “proof” to allege that the Forensicator is a GRU operative.

A simple formatting error in a bash script is not evidence or proof that Forensicator is an apparatchik of the GRU.

The Tip-off File: A Draft Review Document

Campbell asserts that a publicly accessible Word document found on Carter’s web site is a “tip-off file”; Campbell implies that it may have been sent from a nefarious Russian agent.  This claim is made without evidence or rationale.  No explanation is given on how and why a document passed from a covert source would end up on a publicly accessible web page on Adam’s site.

Recall that this document is linked from a page which says that the document is for “technical review only”.  It cautions the recipient not to disclose this document to “3rd parties.”  Why?  Because this is a pre-publication draft report, intended for internal review.  This is all counter to Campbell’s conspiracy theory.  Did he and his technical team ignore this evidence, which is at odds with their theory, or were they simply unaware of it?

When Forensicator first discovered the unique metadata properties in Guccifer 2’s ngpvan 7zip file, he shared his observations with Adam Carter, because Carter seemed to be the only researcher out there looking into Guccifer 2’s activities, using publicly available data.  Adam in turn referred Forensicator to Elizabeth Vos of Disobedient Media, whom Adam had worked with previously.

Forensicator recommended to both Adam and Ms. Vos that his report be vetted by an independent technical reviewer, prior to publication.  Forensicator made this recommendation both because he wanted confirmation of his methods and conclusions and also he realized that as an anon it is only reasonable for people to be skeptical of his work.  This “tip-off file (authored by Forensicator) was intended for independent pre-publication review.

Carter is hazy on the details of why this “tip-off  file” still remains on his site.  Given that the final report has long been published and reviewed by many, there is nothing inherently wrong with this draft being there.  However, its presence led Campbell to build an entire conspiracy theory around this draft review document.  Campbell’s misunderstanding could have been cleared up if he had asked Carter about the document, but it seems that Campbell felt it was a smoking gun that he would later use as the basis of a “scoop” in his article.

There is no “tip-off file” conspiracy.  The Word document that Campbell concludes must have been given to Forensicator via a nefarious Russian third party is instead what it appears to be: an early draft, written by Forensicator.  It is a work-in-progress draft of the final report.  This draft is publicly accessible on Carter’s web site.  The final version was published on Forensicator’s WordPress blog.  The draft document was intended for internal review by a qualified third party; it is not a “tip-off file”.

Propaganda Effect

Let’s return to what Campbell had to say about the “tip-off file” (emphasis added).

Campbell suggests that Forensicator took a document (the “tip-off file”) that (per Campbell) may have originated with some unnamed and unidentified GRU agents.  Forensicator, Campbell claims, spiced up the document for “propaganda effect” and subsequently published the result of his creative endeavor.

Let’s have a look at the first page from the original “tip-off file” (emphasis added).

Per Campbell’s theory, Forensicator did not write his own report; rather, it was given to Forensicator by some unnamed (pro-Kremlin) third party.  Further, Forensicator might not in fact be a real person, but rather a persona created by Adam Carter.  Campbell’s most damning claim: Forensicator has shown low technical skills because he did not fix a bash script that was mangled when pasted into a text box on his blog site.  Given all this, Campbell tells us that the only thing that Forensicator is capable of doing with this document is to “[rewrite it] for propaganda effect“.

Above, highlighted in yellow, are phrases that were changed or removed when going from this working draft on Carter’s site to the final report on Forensicator’s blog, summarized below.

  • There were many references to “DNC files” which were subsequently removed or summarized as “(alleged) DNC files”.  Initially, Forensicator took Guccifer 2 at his word that the files disclosed were from the DNC, presumably recently.  Upon closer inspection, Forensicator reached the same conclusion as Campbell, “[…] they were all stale, deadwood information, and of no relevance in 2016. All had been completed and closed before the previous presidential election in 2012.”  On that basis, Forensicator removed the direct references to “DNC files”.
  • When Forensicator initially reviewed the ngpvan.7z metadata, he saw a “Unix-like” file copy pattern for the files copied on 7/5/2016.  He saw that there were gaps in the copying timeline and that estimated transfer speeds indicated local copying.  Forensicator’s first working theory was that the time gaps might be explained by “think time”; Forensicator mentions this in his report along with the fact that the “think time” hypothesis was eventually discarded.
  • Forensicator went with the idea that Guccifer 2 was selecting his files for the ngpvan 7zip archive from a much larger (perhaps 10x larger) collection of data that had been taken.
  • Eventually, Forensicator’s decision to abandon the “think time” theory was vindicated by his study of another Zip file in Guccifer 2.0 CF Files Metadata Analysis.  When the “think time” theory was dropped, the idea of accessing the files interactively via a VPN running something like MacOS was also dropped.

There is no “propaganda effect” conspiracy.  Many of the changes made when going from the draft to the final report lowered its “propaganda effect”.  For example, the highlighted changes removed direct implications of “leak versus hack”, which would have had a much higher propaganda effect – if Forensicator’s goal was to stir the conspiracy pot.

WinRAR: Hackers Don’t Pay Retail

In Guccifer 2.0 NGP/VAN Metadata Analysis Forensicator noticed that the ngpvan 7zip file contained several RAR files.  The RAR files were recorded in an older (version 4) format, which became key to determining that the files were likely written on the East Coast.  Forensicator took the position that this obscure relationship  between differing Zip file formats ruled out the idea that Guccifer 2 wanted researchers to discover this key finding.  Thus, Forensicator concludes that Guccifer 2 did not plant this East Coast indication.

Campbell differs and says this was in fact Guccifer 2’s intent and Forensicator was “created” to discover and publish this obscure finding – with a plan to spread disinformation by fueling conspiracy theories.  Here is what Campbell said (emphasis added).

Campbell tells us that the Russian operatives behind Guccifer 2 deliberately chose an outdated version of WinRAR in order to work their magic.

As a practical matter, hackers and spies do not typically buy retail software. We saw the use of cracked software in Did Guccifer 2 Plant his Russian Fingerprints? where one of the Word documents doctored by Guccifer 2 showed Grizli777 as the Company name in its metadata.  One researcher [@_fl01] was quick to notice this.

It is unsurprising that Guccifer 2 would choose an old version of WinRAR, given his use of other cracked software and his hacker-like behavior.  Campbell’s conspiracy theory hinges on the assumption that Guccifer 2 deliberately chose this old version of WinRAR to establish the metadata pattern that would later be discovered by the Forensicator (per plan, as Campbell speculates).

Campbell questions Guccifer 2’s choice of both WinRAR and 7zip.  Interestingly, both programs are authored by Russian software developers.  For some researchers and analysts, this lineage might be seen as another “Russian fingerprint”.  The planting of “fingerprints” like this is consistent with Guccifer 2’s overall behavior.

Per Campbell, the Russians deliberately planned for the East Coast file copying finding to be discovered in combination with the last written dates of 7/5/2016.  This discovery would (per plan) feed a conspiracy theory where this batch of files would be linked to a DNC employee (who was killed five days later on 7/10/2016).

Forensicator questions the validity of Campbell’s theory, noting that the files chosen had a dubious link to the DNC.  Further, if disclosure of Forensicator’s analysis was the plan, why wasn’t this discovery published in a more timely fashion?  Forensicator made his discovery almost a year after Guccifer 2 dumped the ngpvan Zip file.  Forensicator’s discovery would have had a much higher impact if it came out before the 2016 election.

Mueller’s indictment tells us that gigabytes of DNC data were taken (by the GRU operatives who were also behind Guccifer 2) in late April, 2016 (emphasis added).

With all that relevant, current, DNC data to choose from why did Guccifer 2 select files that were in Campbell’s words, “stale, deadwood information, and of no relevance in 2016?”  It is unlikely that a DNC employee would take the risk to leak those irrelevant DNC files.

A question for Campbell to consider:  Why did Guccifer 2 uniformly leak harmless, innocuous data when (per the DOJ indictment) there were gigabytes of current, potentially damaging, data to choose from?

There is no WinRAR conspiracy.  Guccifer 2’s choice of an old version of WinRAR was typical hacker behavior.  Guccifer 2 likely used an old cracked version of WinRAR, because that is what hackers (or wannabe hackers) do.  This old version of WinRAR was not deliberately chosen to advance the GRU’s devious plan, as Campbell would like us to believe.

Why do Hackers, Leakers, and Spies Use Thumb Drives?

Forensicator studied the metadata of two Zip files that Guccifer released: ngpvan.7z and cf.7z. In both cases, there were indications that the files in those Zip files had been first copied to a thumb drive.  This is noteworthy, because a thumb drive must be physically inserted into a computer and then removed by someone who is on site (in order to access the data at a later time).

In the case of the ngpvan.7z Zip file, there is evidence that the files in that archive were written on the East Coast.  For cf.7z, a scenario exists where its component files were first written to a thumb drive in the Central Time Zone and then later the final archive was built on the East Coast.

Hackers, leakers, spies, and workers in a secure setting often use removable media such as thumb drives to “air-gap” a copy operation.   In Guccifer 2’s case, the motive may have been to avoid detection (which might result if the data were transferred over the Internet).

Guccifer 2 Ate My Homework

Campbell criticizes another report authored by Forensicator, Guccifer 2.0 CF Files Metadata Analysis.  That report analyzed the metadata in a large Zip file that Guccifer dumped in October, 2016 (a month after the ngpvan Zip file).  It goes by the name cf.7z because Guccifer 2 tried to convince us that the files were taken from the Clinton Foundation (hence, cf).  In fact, much of the data came from the DCCC;  some of this DCCC data was quite current (with indications that it may have been taken as late as June, 2016).

Forensicator noticed that there were files dated 7/5/2016, which is the same date as found in the ngpvan.7z Zip file (the data that we have discussed so far).  The times in cf.7z appeared to be one hour earlier than those in ngpvan.7z.  Of interest to the Forensicator was that after advancing the cf.7z times by one hour, the files filled in time gaps in the ngpvan.7z files.  This is illustrated in the chart below.

Above, the files in light blue are new files that are in cf.7z; the light green files are from the ngpvan.7z Zip file.  After adding +1 hour to the last modified time of the cf.7z files, we see that they fit like a glove.

This was an important finding, because as you may recall, Forensicator’s “think time” theory (used to explain the gaps in the ngpvan.7z timeline) had been discarded in favor of the idea that the files had been selected from a much (10x) larger collection of files.  The presence of additional 7/5/2016 dated files found in cf.7z supports Forensicator’s decision to drop the “think time” theory (lowering the “propaganda effect” of the final report).

Why are the cf.7z files one hour behind the ngpvan.7z files?  Forensicator offered a possible scenario: The file data originated in the Central Time Zone, where it was copied to a thumb drive.  This thumb drive was then transported to the East Coast, where the final cf.7z file was built.  Campbell dismisses this idea out of hand.   Below, are quips from Campbell’s article (emphasis added).

In response to Forensicator’s proposed scenario, Campbell suggests that Guccifer 2 decremented the hour value on those files for no apparent reason.  Further, Campbell ignores Forensicator’s observation that all the files in the cf.7z Zip file were likely first copied to a thumb drive.  Forensicator includes this observation in his scenario, while Campbell quietly ignores this important fact.

If Forensicator’s theory holds, it shows that those files were copied (by a person who was physically present) within the confines of the US (in this case the Central Time Zone).  Further, the final 7zip file was likely built on the East Coast.  It is those conclusions that probably make Campbell uncomfortable — they run counter to his well spun conspiracy theory.

Forensicator accepts that “tampering” is always a possibility when evaluating file metadata.  Before reaching such a conclusion, Forensicator looks for obvious inconsistencies, lack of correlation with other data, or a possible motive for tampering with the data.  In this case, simply decrementing the hour value serves no purpose.  Therefore, Forensicator looked for (and described) an alternative scenario.  Campbell provides us with no explanation as to why Guccifer 2 would want to tweak the hour value for this group of files.

Surprisingly, Campbell subscribes to the theory that for this set of files Guccifer 2 tampered with the dates for no stated purpose.  Yet, for the ngpvan.7z files ( Campbell tells us)  Guccifer 2 showed great care, skill, and planning to arrange the metadata in a way that it would lead to the conclusion that the files were leaked by an ill-fated DNC employee.

Campbell’s explain-it-away “tampering” claim is equivalent to the excuse, “Guccifer 2 ate my homework.”  Campbell provides no rationale on why Guccifer 2 decremented the hour value in the cf.7z files and seems to choose this explanation simply because he dismisses Forensicator’s scenario and can find no other suitable alternative.  Forensicator incorporates the likely use of a thumb drive into his proposed scenario;  Campbell leaves out this important finding.

Forensicator’s conclusions are summarized in the table below.

Closing Thought

Scottish Proverbs (James Kelly, 1771)


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