Toronto, Ontario
Heartland: Annual Superbowl party hosts serve traditional BBQ burgers and frankfurters. This year was not as cold as some years. Some friendly faces from previous years, some new faces expanding the circle. (Heartland, Mississauga, Ontario) 20180204UToronto iSchool: Service Systems facilitation-presentation by UToronto iSchool graduate students. Getting closer to the current edge of research, so the variety of sources is lower. Citing people whom I know well. (UToronto iSchool, Bissell Building) 20170207UToronto iSchool: Generative pattern language presentation-facilitation by UToronto iSchool graduate students. Started with an example of context-problem-solution, and showed how Christopher Alexander evolved the definitions over time. Citing research up to the bleeding edge at recent conferences. (UToronto iSchool, Bissell Building) 20180207Glorious Chinese Cuisine: Family lunch order becomes complicated, as Special A BBQ Duck and Special C Tilipia comes with 6 + 5 dim sum items, but not choices are acceptable. Waitress came back multiple times, new on the job. Weekday event scheduled because weekends are so busy. (Glorious Chinese Cuisine, Denison Street, Markham, Ontario) 20170208St. Michael’s Family Practice: Medical checkup says no weight gain in the 45 days since cast for Achilles tendon injury was put on. Many years since my last full physical exam, high cholesterol runs in the family, blood pressure is up. Looking forward to behaviour change, made some appointments at clinics, could take 6 months before results. (St. Michael’s Hospital, Family Practice Unit, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20170209UToronto iSchool: After wrapping up my last lecture of the course, DY saw a poster for Valentine’s Day iTea for iSchool faculty, staff and students, and opted to hang out for 15 minutes in the classroom we just vacated. Picking out some candy into take out cartons, the scrum ran through supply quickly. We don’t usually celebrate February 14. (UToronto iSchool, Bissell Building) 20180214Martin Family Centre: Southern exposure into ambulatory care centre, Donnelly wing (renamed from Queen wing in 2013, dating back to 1928) to the west and south, and the Bond wing dating back to 1892 to the east. Construction in the heart of downtown Toronto has to deal with major legacy constraints. (St. Michale’s Hospital, Martin Family Centre for Outpatient Services, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario). 20180215Martin Family Centre: Right ankle to be in cast for 2 more weeks, says Dr. Khoshbin. Removed two wedges, foot will be level with ground. Good progress on Achilles tendon healing, but little response to squeezing lower calf leading to an autonomic reflex. Inside the house I should walk without crutches, outside the house, I should use crutches. After 6 weeks with foot pointed down, the cast should now support the foot pointing up into normal position. I will sleep with the cast on for a few more days, and then switch to wearing it for daytime only. Textbook recovery following Fowler Kennedy protocol from Western University. (St. Michael’s Hospital, Martin Family Centre for Outpatient Services, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20180215Regency Resto: Indian buffet to celebrate AKY’s offer of admission to UToronto Ph.D. program, not Chinese New Year dinner. Also on waitlist for another department, and waiting for responses from other universities, funding may be negotiable. (Regency Restaurant, Little India, Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20180216Open Innovation Learning: Presentation is ready, and softcopy book arrived in time for official launch tomorrow night. The printed paper isn’t that expensive, but the ePub is the way to go. The physicality of 690 A4 pages may be easier on the eyes, but the volume is heavy to hold. http://openinnovationlearning.com . (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20180220OCADU: Friendly audience for book launch of Open Innovation Learning @OCADU Auditorium, special session of Systems Thinking Ontario. Demystifies the breadth and depth of research written over 3 years of doctoral studies, stretching back from the 1886 Berne Convention on copyright, to IBM years 1993-2011. Publication is open access reference work, best medium is ePub http://openinnovationlearning.com . Photo courtesy of Chris R. Chapman, @DerailleurAgile (OCADU Auditorium, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20`180221OCADU: Sketchnoting @playthink of book launch for Open Innovation Learning at Systems Thinking Ontario. Key ideas captured in real time over a 55-minute lecture given for the first time. https://twitter.com/playthink/status/966521254642683904 Open access book at http://openinnovationlearning.com . (OCADU Auditorium, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20180221OCADU: Systems Thinking Ontario panel with Tim Lloyd @perelgut following book launch presentation of Open Innovation Learning. Audience members extending the theory building to make sense in application area relevant to themselves. Open access book at http//openinnovationlearning.com . (Photo courtesy of Noah Ing). (OCADU Auditorium, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20170222OCADU: Signing postcard for @petri at book launch for Open Innovation Learning. Open access book is free at http://openinnovationlearning.com , so the traditional momento from an author book signing is modified for the 21st century. A physical book can be published on demand, but it’s better to save some trees! (OCADU Auditorium, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20180222OCADU: Physical publication, cover by @celinalaurette “Escape from Plato’s Cave” a reality at book launch for Open Innovation Learning at Systems Thinking Ontario. She’s a graduate of the design program at OCADU, so reception was like a homecoming. More practical medium is the open access ePub at openinnovationlearning.com . (Photo courtesy of Noah Ing). (OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20180222SystemsThinkingTO: Dialogue mapping @DerailleurAgile exercise, Compendium software still works well. Reviewed the full meaning of wicked problems, and some of the history with Horst Rittel, West Churchman and Christopher Alexander. (SystemsThinkingTO, King Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20180222The Theatre Centre: Installation @TheatreCentre@gxcentrik Gabrielle Lasporte Modern Batik brightens up interior. Relaxed cafe/bar with theatre-goers awaiting entry, in the former 1908 Carnegie Library building. (The Theatre Centre, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20180225The Theatre Centre: Conclusion of #NoForeigners Derek Chan @Aprillx@fuGENTheatre@HongKongExile closing performance. Inventive production with shadow puppets in front of five monitors voiced by live actors, last moments sees real humans in front of the big screen come out of the dark. Full house, with a bright winter Sunday outside. (The Theatre Centre, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20180225Sumac Creek Health Centre: Paul Shields (2017) “Comfort” and “Reason” paintings featured in quiet corner of a neighbourhood facility of St. Michael’s Hospital. Minor procedure with a way-overqualified surgeon as a followup to a family practice physical checkup a few weeks ago. In the Canadian medical system, an unexciting visit is welcomed. (Sumac Creek Medical Centre, St. Michael’s Hospital, Regent Park Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario) 20180226
Cineplex Eglinton: Experimented with Black Panther in a 2D IMAX conventional room. Enjoyed the movie, but can’t say that the image quality was noticeably better than on a regular screen. Seat was about 1/3 from the front, dead center, so screen filled field of view. For a 4pm Tuesday movie, there were less than 20 customers, so viewers may have targeted the 7pm 3D version. (Cineplex Eglinton Town Centre, Lebovic Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20180227
Researching the philosophical foundations of systems theory to understand the meanings of “causal texture, contextualism, contextural” from the Tavistock legacy led to philosopher Stephen C. Pepper. The philosophical lineage and contributions of Pepper were the focus for the January online meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario. A deep reading of Pepper’s work (over a month!) was […]
The first Systems Thinking Ontario session for 2023 is scheduled for January 9, on “Root Metaphors and World Hypotheses”. This is philosophical content, for which a guided tour and discussion will be better than attempting a solo reading of the World Hypotheses wiki on the Open Learning Commons. Upon announcing the session on social media, […]
The October online meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario presented an opportunity for an update on progress made by the Systems Changes Learning Circle by 2022. A slide deck had been prepared an in-person seminar at the Universitat de Barcelona Graduate Programmes in Business, organized by Ryan C. Armstrong, one week earlier. Our regular monthly meeting, […]
Just before starting a trip to Spain, I received an invitation from Ryan C. Armstrong at the Universitat de Barcelona Business School to give some lectures. The students in the bachelor’s programme in international business had a short mention of systems thinking in the first lecture of the operationa management class. With that brief entry, […]
While the adaptive cycle and panarchical connections reflect the possiblity of movement from one stable state to another, it’s possible to get “stuck” in a disfavoured trap. Social ecological systems involve both natural systems and human systems. After widespread recognition of the 2002 Panarchy book, reflections in 2010 revealed further development of the theory and […]
In order to appreciate the influence of resilience science and panarchy on ongoing research into systems changes, revisiting foundational works sometimes resurfaces insights. In the 2002 Panarchy book, Chapter 15 provides a summary of findings. In the course of the project hat led to this volume, we identified twelve conclusions (Table 15-1) in our search for […]
In conversation, @zeynep with @ezraklein reveal authentic #SystemsThinking in (i) appreciating that “science” is constructed by human collectives, (ii) the west orients towards individual outcomes rather than population levels; and (iii) there’s an over-emphasis on problems of the moment, and…Read more ›
In the question-answer period after the lecture, #TimIngold proposes art as a discipline of inquiry, rather than ethnography. This refers to his thinking On Human Correspondence. — begin paste — [75m26s question] I am curious to know what art, or…Read more ›
How might our society show value for the long term, over the short term? Could we think about taxation over time, asks @carlotaprzperez in an interview: 92% for 1 day; 80% within 1 month; 50%-60% tax for 1 year; zero tax for 10 years.Read more ›
For the @ArchFoundation, #TimIngold distinguishes outcome-oriented making from process-oriented growing, revisiting #MartinHeidegger “Building Dwelling Thinking”. Organisms are made; artefacts grow. The distinction seems obvious, until you stop to ask what assumptions it contains, about the inside and outside of things…Read more ›
In web conference, #HermanDaly says #EcologicalEconomics used to get attacked from the right, now it's from the left. Panel @revkin @jon_d_erickson @ktkish @sophiesanniti #TimCrowshaw #KatieHorner livestreamed #sustainwhat .Read more ›
Complementing the idea of a @longnow , @nfergus provokes the challenge of a #shortthen as the online social media platforms distract the larger perspectives on history.Read more ›
An online version of a special issue of Paunch (1980) on "Root Metaphor: The Live Thought of Stephen C. Pepper" has been preserved on the internet Archive
Attributed to Hippocrates is the use of the term kairos in observational methodology, and the presentation of significant findings. Just to be scholarly, Hippocrates is generally reported as a institution, rather than a person. Although Hippocrates is generally accepted as the father of medicine, few have recognized, or even realized, the extent to which he […]
Autopoiesis, as coined by Humberto Maturana, is in the contextualist root metaphor of Stephen C. Pepper, rather than the organismic root metaphor, say #HowardMancing and #JenniferMarstonWilliam .
