Bear's Blog New Zealand (Beta)

I thought I've seen them all.

In old high school days, students who didn't want attend their tests/exams usually fake a false fire alarm. It was quite annoying - you have to get out of the building even there is a storm outside.

University students tend to be more "creative". We got bomb threats, death threats, deliberate power cuts and today, "white powder" in Auckland University.

I'm very convinced that those people would dear to do it in real if they have access to the real material, but thanks to god, they don't.

still about Auckland Uni.

First, the uni fired its head of Architecture & Planning, an Ivory league professor Peggy Deamer early this year. I understand that there was a misalignment of some sort of "vision of the future" between Deamer and the Faculty, or more precise, head of the faculty, who teaches music sort of things.

Another thing is a recent news item. Auckland University is planning to limit all undergraduate entries from as early as 2009 in order to create an "elitist institution".

I come from a lower-middle class family, partially living on support of Work and Income, attended an extremely poor high school which its annual budget is constantly on cut, and its full of "lower class people". I can imagine that if I was born two or three years later, this univeristy will definitely close its door on me.

But now at least I'm in. Only thing I'm unsure is, whether I should be glad that I got in this future "elitist university", or I should regret that I'm now in the same boat with racists who have the power to control my acdemic and personal future?

Don't know.

Another point that really interested me is that, the Vice-chancellor who was sort of behind this idea, was also the man who turned down the plea from Architecture and Planning School students to intervene the mismanagement of the faculty and "atmosphere of fear" across faculty staffs .

Emmmm... does Mr Vice-chancellor really wants a elitist university before he leaves the job, or somthing else?

Windows Vista OEM reactivation

There are rumours that people won't get their OEM Windows Vista reactivated when they upgraded their motherboard. M$ considers a new motherboard means a "new computer", and a separated license is required.

I own a Home Premium OEM, and was quite worried about that, too; but actually that rumour was quite untrue.

My family need a spare lower end computer so I upgraded my computer to retire the old platform. Only things I took from my original computer with Vista OEM license were CPU and graphic card ... and monitor if that counts as a significant part.

The reactivation process was actually quite painless. You just need to call Microsoft and tell them you upgraded your computer and need activate your computer again. Only question asked was some thing like "how many computers this copy is running on."(Yes, they don't even bother whether your vista is oem or retail version), sure, ONE(I'm not lying, the spare lower end computer uses xp).

Then get your activation code.

I guess the key is, you only answer what they asked, and don't volunteer any information about your upgrade, especially the motherboard bit.