When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued Michael Fiola a Dell Latitude in November 2006, it set off a chain of events that would cost him his job, his friends and about a year of his life, as he fought criminal charges that he had downloaded child pornography onto the laptop. Last week, prosecutors dropped their year-old case after a state investigation of his computer determined there was insufficient evidence to prove he had downloaded the files.
An initial state investigation had come to the opposite conclusion, and authorities took a second look at Fiola's case only after he hired a forensic investigator to look at his laptop. What she found was scary, given the gravity of the charges against him: The Microsoft SMS (Systems Management Server) software used to keep his laptop up to date was not functional. Neither was its antivirus protection. And the laptop was crawling with malicious programs that were most likely responsible for the files on his PC.
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Wednesday, June 18
A Misconfigured Laptop, a Wrecked Life
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 11:55 PM EDT
Many communites may be lost forever due to Midwest flooding
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 05:52 PM EDT
Even if population hubs are spared, some fear entire communities may be lost forever, possibly wiping off the map names such as Columbus Junction, Fredonia, Palo and New Hartford. More>>>
Onlookers stand by as two year-old is beaten and stomped to death
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 03:15 PM EDT
The town of Turlock and much of the rest of the nation was shocked when a 27-year-old man beat and stomped his 2-year-old son to death on a rural road. But what was nearly as stunning for many people was that none of the motorists and their passengers who stopped and saw the attack tried to tackle the man. More>>>
Thanks to Bubba and Janet Reno, Elian Gonzalez joins Cuba's Young Communists Union
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 03:11 PM EDT
The Cuban boy at the center of an international custody battle eight years ago has joined Cuba's Young Communist Union. Communist youth newspaper Juventud Rebelde quotes Elian Gonzalez as saying he will never let down ex-President Fidel Castro and his brother Raul Castro, who succeeded Fidel earlier this year. More>>>
Boeing wins key round in Air Force tanker protest
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 02:17 PM EDT
GAO grants Boeing protest of $35B Air Force tanker contract award to Northrop, Airbus parent More>>>
For Your Afternoon Viewing Enjoyment: 1 minute and 35 seconds of painful faceplants
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 02:07 PM EDT
Malkin: Hey, Associated Press: You owe me at least $132,125
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 01:56 PM EDT
The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press’s heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious. Now, it’s time to turn the tables. If your blog or blog commenters have ever been quoted by the AP, listen up: It’s time to prepare a bill and demand payment. More>>>
Flashback: While Dodd and other senators answer questions concerning Countrywide and sweetheart loan deals, when does anyone plan to grill Obama on Rezko?
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 01:49 PM EDT
Tony Rezko was obviously in trouble. He was a defendant in at least a dozen lawsuits, federal investigators in Chicago were poking around, and his name was in newspaper articles about corruption and fraud. None of that stopped Mr. Rezko, a politically connected developer, and Senator Barack Obama from completing real estate deals a few years ago that resulted in the Obamas obtaining their dream house and the Rezkos buying an empty lot next door. More>>>
Bush Will Seek to End Offshore Oil Drilling Ban
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 01:47 PM EDT
President Bush, reversing a longstanding position, will call on Congress on Wednesday to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, according to White House officials who say Mr. Bush now wants to work with states to determine where drilling should occur. More>>>
No signs of water yet from Mars lander
by
Roland, the Gunslinger
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 01:30 PM EDT
Scientists think Phoenix's robotic arm just needs to dig a little deeper. 'This could be the tip of the iceberg,' one says. More>>>
Bitter Half Alert: Michelle Obama’s makeover and View debut
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 01:15 PM EDT
She’s baaaaaaack. On the front page of the NYTimes. On The View at 11:00am Eastern with Barbara Walter’s gabbling gals. But don’t you dare breathe a negative word about anything she says, you hear? You racists! You mean, wife-beating conservative Thuglicans! More>>>
Latest Newsbusters
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 12:40 PM EDT
Topics in this episode: --Barack Obama gets only a small bump in the polls after getting the nomination --CNN markets itself as the neutral news channel --The Obama campaign's new anti-rumor web site --800 rats in an Oregon house! --K-Mart sells sweatpants promoting abstinence
Bye Bye- F-18 Air Strike On Insurgent Rocket Team in Iraq
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 11:12 AM EDT
Here is part of the reason The Surge has been so effective... American Airpower. They bring mortars, we bring an F-18. But look at the bright side Islamists, you get your 72 virgins.
Baseball’s Most Fragile Weenieheads
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 10:00 AM EDT
And at the top of the list... Moises Alou, New York Mets Some say that Alou can’t stay on the field because he’s old. Others say that he can’t stay on the field because he falls a lot, which is what old people do. Whichever side you’re on, you have to agree that old people have no place in baseball or society. More>>>
Newsweek: Changing Your Lifestyle Can Change Your Genes
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 09:45 AM EDT
Here's some very good news: your genes are not your destiny. Earlier this week, my colleagues and I published the first study showing that improved nutrition, stress management techniques, walking, and psychosocial support actually changed the expression of over 500 genes in men with early-stage prostate cancer. This study was conducted at the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and the University of California, San Francisco in collaboration with Dr. Peter Carroll, Dr. Mark Magbanua, Dr. Chris Haqq, and others. More>>>
7 underground wonders of the world
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 09:41 AM EDT
What motivates humankind to burrow deep into the Earth? From London to Paris, Budapest to Moscow, the USA to Australia, here are seven of the most amazing examples in the world. Some were built for military defense or shelter, many are abandoned while others thrive. These amazing images feature tunnels, caverns, labyrinths from seven underground location around the world, following the acclaimed 7 Underwater Wonders and 7 Abandoned Wonders of the World from our 7 Wonders Series. More>>>
Paging John Murtha
by
Riley Jones
on Wed 18 Jun 2008 09:35 AM EDT
Haditha Watch: Charges dismissed against Lt. Col. Chessani Fight the smears. Call John “Cold-blooded” Murtha for comment: 202-225-2065. A military judge has dismissed charges against a Marine officer accused of failing to investigate the killings of 24 Iraqis. Col. Steven Folsom dismissed charges Tuesday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani after defense attorneys raised concerns that a four-star general overseeing the prosecution was improperly influenced by an investigator probing the November 2005 shootings by a Marine squad in Haditha. The charges were dismissed without prejudice… More>>> |
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