Life | Dominik Mayer – Products, Asia, Productivity

In a famous test of human character, Reader’s Digest intentionally left 1,100 wallets around the world. Each wallet contained the equivalent of $50 in local currency, plus a name and phone number. In Britain 65% of the wallets were returned, in the USA the figure was nearly 70%, while Norway stole the “honesty prize” with 100% returns.

I thought the button said 300 RMB (about 30 Euro) but then I realized that I had just ordered the payout of the tenfold amount. Pressing cancel couldn’t stop it anymore and I can’t pay it in again. Not good.

Yesterday I forgot my glasses at home. The last time this had happened in driving school. I said we better get them but the instructor thought it’d be alright.

They seem to like uniforms here. For me, they all look the same, a bit unreal, like carnival and it’s hard to say if the person in the uniform is a policeman, a parking lot attendant or the member of a private security company. Yesterday we tried to register at the local police station which was very hard to find because it looks like that:

On my way home from school I went through the old Chinese streets when a ranting man walked towards me. One minute later I think I saw the reason for his anger: A truck and a digger that seemed to tear down one of the old houses or clear away the debris. There was so much police around. Twenty persons or more. And a crowd of Chinese people watching. One of them made some signs with his hands as if he wanted me to take a picture. The others looked at me as if I was very welcome and they were eager to find out what I’d do. I thought why not, stepped back a bit and took this picture before a policeman made me leave:

One exam next Thursday, two more the Friday after next, then two days to clear out the apartment and I’ll be gone. Is there any time for a farewell party?

Randy Pausch gave another lecture. It’s about time management and contains many interesting things.

My favorite part starts at 1:19:17. Check it out.

A Swedish feminist group called “Bara Bröst” (“bare breasts” or “just breasts”) chalked up their first success for the right to bath topless in swimming pools. According to The Local, the employees of a pool in northern Sweden decided not to act if women tried to bath semi-naked. There’s also an older, more detailed article about the group.

German news site Spiegel Online summarizes the comments asking why feminists have been fighting for a ban on pictures of naked women in the past.

I don’t want to write on my semester thesis, don’t want to study for the exams, don’t want to clear out my appartment and don’t want to go to China. Although I have to admit that the images Jan and Michael took look quite good.

1. About half of the way from Freising to Frankfurt/Hahn is covered with construction sites.
2. Most parts of the Autobahn have a speed limit.
3. Swabia is a very hilly region.
4. Nicotine gums help a smoker to smoke less, and the fellow travellers to avoid health hazards.
5. Don’t eat pizza at Frankfurt/Hahn.
6. While landing, the pilot has to turn off the cabin lights to comply with safety regulations.
7. Flygbussarna bring you from Stockholm-Skavsta Airport to the city. No idea if everyone finally got a place.
8. There still are subways on a sunday at 2:40 am.
9. Fried spaghetti with barbecue spice taste good… despite a massive amount of salt.