While CNN struggles to decide exactly who to blame for the California Wildfires (Could it be arson? Global Warming? The Governator?) I have a solution to future catastrophes like this.

In the town where I live, there are two creeks that feed into a river that eventually wends its way into Lake Travis in Austin. Neither these creeks nor the Pedernales River are controlled, and are prone to floods. The County prohibits anyone from building in the 100 year flood plain, lest their home be swept away.

Maybe, California ought to consider such a provision: Don't build houses where wildfires occur every 100 years. Then we wouldn't have to listen to this whining about how the government doesn't care about the people with multi-million dollar homes in fire country. (Isn't it amazing the Bush can hate the poor in Louisiana and the rich in California?)

Want to know why I won't be using Vista? Because Micro$oft treats me like a software pirate, even with software I own, and hardware I purchased. Case in point: James Bannan replaced the video card in his computer to work with DirectX 10, which didn't work on his old card. He got an email from Microsoft saying he would have to reactivate his legally purchased and already activated copy of Windoze. But, because his activation key was already in use, by him, he had to call Micro$oft to reactivate. Turns out, several software updates added up to a changed system, which to Micro$oft, means pirated software.

The problem with using device drivers as the basis for activation information is that a change in the driver model which has the result of changing the way that the hardware information is reported back to Windows can be enough to register as a physical hardware change.

For example, if you install and activate Vista using some Microsoft drivers downloaded from Windows Update (which is a very common practice) but then discover that a manufacturer driver gives better functionality (as is often the case for audio, video, storage and network drivers) you are running the risk that the drivers use different reporting models and will register as a physical change.

So what this essentially means is that keeping your drivers up-to-date is a potentially very risky process, with all changes monitored and changes weighted cumulatively.

. . .

Volume Activation 2.0 has not yet been cracked, but now it doesn’t need to be. There’s an official workaround for OEMs and the result is that anyone with a few minutes to spare can download a fully-functional pirated copy of Vista Ultimate (32-bit and 64-bit versions) which needs neither product key nor activation.

So pirates haven’t been slowed down at all, and the rest of us -- the legitimate purchasers -- are left to live with Windows Activation.

So, Bill, thanks for the new version, but no thanks. I am about to put more memory into my old XP system, and I'm glad it will continue to work after I've finished.

Pic from MacDesktops.net.

ALERT!

AP News has learned that--Horror of Horrors!--sexual misconduct is sweeping public schools!

No shit?

Hold on to your burkas, ladies, they don't mean you. They mean men!

Want proof do ya? Check out this link. And this one. Most of the perps in the CNN story are men.

Older men prowling for younger women don't have a cute nickname like "cougar." Nope. They're just pedophiles and sickos.

In another blow to personal responsibility, the Oregon Supreme Court has recently found that all previous owners of a used vehicle are responsible for damages caused by that vehicle.

Here's what happened: Company A bought a truck and used if for several years before selling it to company B. Shortly thereafter, company B sold it to company C. One day, the axle failed and the truck hit a car. The car owner sued all three companies, and won.

Geez! Who can I sue because people are stupid?