the problem was: ActivePython does not install debug libraries, so you must link with release libraries in your project. but if you run the debug version, you're linking against debug libraries which conflict with the ones linked to by python.
"fixed" by running the release version. basically, it's not possible to debug with ActivePython due to ActiveState not including debug libs. grr -- https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
