One month ago, I pledged that I would try Windows Vista on my new PC for a month before deciding whether I would keep it or revert back to Windows XP as my primary desktop OS. The verdict? I’m sticking with Vista, begrudgingly.

Labor’s hegemony was an aberration matched only once in Australian history by a similarly brief period of conservative rule in 1969 and 1970. Projecting recent trends forward would see the defeat of the Bligh Government in Queensland next year, the Rann Government in early 2010 and the Rees Government in NSW in early 2011.

Peter Beattie as a politician was sly, manipulative and cunning, but he also had the brilliant knack of being able to lead public opinion. He had the capacity to quickly change the terms of a public debate. His legendary ability to apologise for problems of the day was might have enraged the political class, but it went down a treat with the voters.

Labor’s longest-serving premier, Mike Rann, is in deep trouble in South Australia, where the ALP’s primary vote has been overtaken by the state Liberals, leaving tied after preferences. Labor’s primary vote in Queensland dropped five percentage points to 38 per cent, against 41 per cent for the newly merged Liberal National Party.

After announcing its first event for “end users,” the Linux Foundation has begun to promote “individual memberships.” Available now for $50 a year, memberships include a T-shirt, quarterly newsletter, and the “ability to run for and vote for a Linux Foundation board seat,” says the organization.

A pig has turned on a woman who tried to look after it, effectively holding her hostage on a property in northern New South Wales. Sixty-three-year-old Caroline Hayes says she has been unable to leave her house to use the farm’s outdoor toilet at times because the white pig is aggressive towards her.

These days the bachelor is a symbolic one, chosen for the event. But in the past the troop of drummers known as “Nalako” used to roam the streets looking for men they thought should do the decent thing and marry.

Who says female leads have to be smart, sassy and sensible? It’s a PC world these days but luckily, Hollywood still has a sense of humour. With ditzy chicks, such as Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) and Cher Horowitz (Clueless) leading the way, the Hollywood bimbo is still alive and kicking in cinemas today.

The show opened big, giving The CW its highest-rated premiere ever in its target audience, women 18-34 audience, as well as adults 18-34 and 18-49. The series dipped in week two but then started to tick back up last week, when it posted a 3.3 rating/10 share with women 18-34 and 3.3 million viewers; “90210″ also has added a third more viewers once full live-plus-seven DVR numbers are factored in.

Neil LaBute’s “Lakeview Terrace” is a film about a black cop who makes life hell for an interracial couple who move in next door. It will inspire strong reactions among its viewers, including outrage. It is intended to. LaBute often creates painful situations that challenge a character’s sense of decency. This time he does it within the structure of a thriller, but the questions are there all the same.