Mini post

Today's program included a visit to a fair in Dortmund. Kaj had time to burn, and lured me to accompany him with promises of Ferraris. My collection of twenty two Ferraris could certainly need updating so I had agreed to go. We spent well over three hours walking in the eight halls of Westfalenhalle. We saw minituare trains, toy cars, boats and airplanes. The product development was almost unbelievable. If making artificial grass stand vertically with the help of electricity isn't proof of the inevitability of product development in a capitalistic system, I don't know what is. Many other details of the mini-machines had clearly ran away from their buyers, makers and sellers. It seemed that if real machines have a detail, the miniature ones must have it, too. Like a safety belt is much needed in a car that stands in a vitrine only to be looked at.

Most visitors, by the way, were boys, although the average age was probably higher than 55 years of age. Boys will be boys. I sensed even a little bit of bitterness at one stand. The men there had built exquisite mini trucks, which were set near enough to be touched. To avoid that, there was a sign
"Our cars are like little girls, you can admire them, but you can't touch them."
Another stand had found a better way to preserve their exhibition piece in one piece:
"Please, look only with your eyes."
Well put.

Today's saldo: three new Ferraris for my collection and a debt of €20 to Kaj.