"Detroit Trip" - Day 8 - FORD PLANT & MUSEUM - 6/11

Huge place in Dearborn - not so much about cars as history.

Visited plant where Ford pickups are assembled then toured museum. Took all day.
General Notes


Lots of kids on tours running not quite wild but close. One docent shouted, "Where are your adults?" (This same docent tried to make Bob and I walk in a certain direction but we walked the other way.)  For some reason I didn't get mad at kids - I found them amusing, touching. Nowadays whenever I see kids I wonder about the world they will find.
 
 
 Many exhibits showed evolution from steam to electricity and conversion of energy to work. This made industrialization possible.  
It seemed that all phases in development of industrialization  made it possible for fewer workers to do more - which tends to reduce the number of consumers for the products made by fewer workers.      Efficiency is a double edge sword. We'd be in deep shit if it were not for growth. If growth plateaus out - well.. 
I could not get anyone to give me exact figures but it is obvious that new Ford truck plant gets more done with fewer people. I saw a number of robots in action. I also saw a number of tasks performed by humans that could be done 














Day 7 - Detroit Trip (with dogs and man in speedo) )

We were going to tour Edsel Ford's estate in Grosse Pointe but encountered a bunch of dogs being walked around grounds by happy people.  Bob said, "Those damn people must be crazy." Then he observed that such dog owners are certainly liberal - that conservative dog owners would just hire somebody to walk dogs.

Instead we went to Chrysler museum. Then we rode around downtown Detroit before returning to motel in Auburn Hills. (I forgot my camera for these last tours.) 

More General Notes....

Saw an old man Saturday  at Gilmore Museum and car show wearing short shorts  or speedo - I tried to take a picture but was afraid of attracting his attention. 

All older waitresses here sound like Marge Gunderson from movie Fargo. I like them."And here ya are, and it's a beautiful day." Younger waitresses (not all) tend to sound like valley girls - calling customers  "guys" and when you ask for something replying with vacant enthusiasm, "No problem." 

Got a little dark and sardonic at dog place - and though the feeling didn't altogether go away (it never does - can't speak for Bob) managed to recognize the people as fellow humans - with all that entails. 

Close in to downtown Detroit we passed through a wilderness of empty buildings as dangerous as jungle in Apocalypse Now. Heart of Darkness stuff. Expected to see tiger leap out- and somebody whisper "the horror, the horror." No part of Gastonia is as bad as this.

I had urge to enter jungle, find Kurtz (who might be managing corner boys dealing dope). Have also had urge to walk into forests through which we sometimes pass. I imagine the heavy growth on side of road thins out. Sunday coming toward Detroit, Bob saw two deer looking at us across verge. 

Art deco tower in downtown Detroit was one of several buildings that influenced Gotham Tower in Batman. 

In suburbs saw lots of empty office buildings. When woman at restaurant asked if we thought the South would rise again I said it had.   

Uninformed speculation - old industrial cities like Detroit deal mostly in manufactured stuff.  Cities like Charlotte that have moved away from manufacturing deal mostly in data. Maybe this is unreal stuff; maybe it is most real stuff there is. 

When we were passing through a residential neighborhood, a woman working in her yard stopped and stared. I take these looks to be appreciative, but maybe...


Going to this place, encountered...'


these...


and these...


which bothered this


and this 

Detroit Trip - Day 6

Visiting Gilmore car museum and car show at Hickory Corner Michigan. Side trips to Kalamazoo and downtown Battle creek  Divided into thee parts - people, cars, towns. This time I went for "art shots" - but many many more pictures.

General Notes which might or might not apply to this day or this trip (Major Notes and Captain Notes other places )..


Old couples touching, melancholy, nice. In the song Chicago there is a line "I saw a man he danced with his wife."  At Gilmore, one old man was attended by sick, fragile wife. At a tool display, another old man proudly announced "I have a wrench like that". His wife - amused, affectionate, said "Yes dear I am sure you have."


It seems that every Hampton Inn has a companion Cracker Barrel. Look for one find the other. Good  bit of road knowledge.

I am doing creative miss-hears, miss-reads. On one placard I saw the word "flame" when it was actually "fame" - changing meaning in an odd way.

This has been a trip of odors - horse shit and bourbon in blue grass country, toasting Wheaties in Battle Creek, cigars smoked by grand old boys outside at Gilmore with their Packards, Dusenburgs, Rolls. Also sitting here, having gotten up too early - there are whiffs of odors that are not there.

Tired at Mexican place Bob gives scary evil eye to aggressive waiter and I snap one word responses edging toward craziness. The waiter backs off.

At traffic`light in Kalamazoo I look toward pretty young woman in next car who is singing silently to some music that perhaps only she can hear. Seeing me she smiles, waves and drives off.

When I tell Karen about pleasant rumble BMW makes and how I would like WRX to be a little louder she says that rumble is the sound of  money.



Battle Creek once had a world famous colonic  clinic founded my Dr. Kellog.  In addition to enemas, they featured (according to movie Road to Wellville) electro stimulation of testicles and clitoral massages. Seen driving into Battle Creek is a sign "Full Blast Family Center".




SECTION Featuring people representations of people and dogs













SECTION - Cars Etc
























SECTION - Battle Creek and Kalamazoo