Summer arrived in Toronto, with the month ending in travel to BC and Oregon.
Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC; Corvallis, Oregon
Massey-Harris Building: Well-restored 5-storey office building constructed in 1883, last surviving structure of the manufacturing complex for agricultural machinery. Next to a park, converted in 2003 into soft and hard lofts. Plaque on the side dedicates “to the memory of those members of the staffs of the offices and factories of Massey-Harris Company Limited and of their subsidiary companies, who gave their lives on the active service in His Majesty’s Forces or in the Allied Armies, in the Great War 1914-1918”. (Massey-Harris Building, King Street West, Liberty Village, Toronto, Ontario) 20190603Dundas West Fest: From eastern end of @DundasWestFest, walked west through crowds on closed thoroughfare for almost an hour, by kiosks of local breweries, food specialities, kids play areas and live music. Summer in Toronto has really arrived, lots of people in shorts and sandals. Universities are out, but primary and secondary schools are not yet finished for the year. A reminder of a Toronto neighbourhood for residents more than tourists, biked there and biked back. (Dundas Street West of Ossington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190609Elgin Theatre: Bows @ComeFromAwayTO performance, I enjoyed but had unexpected anxieties from 9/11 memories of being across the Hudson River from the Twin Towers, at Palisades NY in 2001. My #4 son would have been 8 years old then, it’s hard to relate how the USA changed that day, and hasn’t been the same since. On the Tuesday morning we were teaching a class; on the Thursday, I drove to Albany, rode a train to Buffalo, and picked up a rental car to Toronto. I remember the ordinariness of the restaurant lunch with my spouse on that bright Friday afternoon. (Elgin Theatre, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190611Best Buy Bay-Dundas: More than satisfied @BestBuyCanada with staff Darren and Mark assessing our wants, then offering a deal that was irresistible. Coming off a disappointment with a delivery from an online retailer, we received professional opinions on merits and demerits of alternative brands, and then inventory availability across the chain. Serious shopping in person, with knowledgeable staff in retail stores, can still be rewarding. We had biked over, and enlisted another son to drive over with the microvan for a pickup. (Best Buy, Bay and Dundas, Toronto, Ontario) 20190614Perfect Chinese Restaurant: Weekend busy, so dim sum on a Saturday to convene for Father’s Day. For a change, the grandfather is staying in town, and everyone else is in-and-out. Sons added guest from the Lowkong clan, there’s is another generation in the neighbourhood that meets more frequently than the regular formal events. (Perfect Chinese Restaurant, Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20190615Lalibela: Hosting @mikewittenstein in the multicultural Toronto experience with Ethiopian dinner, eating with our hands. Restaurant reservation was miscommunicated, manager graciously asked other customers to shift to accommodate our group. Our sons might not remember the time we visited Mike in Atlanta, as they were children en route to Disney World. (Lalibela Cuisine, Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190615MPI WEC: Experience design the main thrust of @mikewittenstein presentation @MPI WEC. Leaders want strategy execution, but attendees (customers) expect full-on experiences. Agenda tailored to Getting Better Meeting Outcomes, hands-on table breakouts applying methods with team observers, and then journey mapping. The last time I saw this friend formally present is pushing 2 decades. (Meeting Professionals International, World Education Conference, Metro Toronto Convention Centre South, Bremner Blvd., Toronto, Ontario) 20190616Heartland neighbourhood: Backyard celebration of #FrancescaSing bachelor’s degree in sociology from Carleton University. Our family has known her family before she was conceived. Strong ties with friends endure. (Heartland neighbourhood, Mississauga, Ontario) 20190616Paramount Front Street: Convening long time friends, one flying 950 miles, the other driving 50 miles, to sync up on ideas over Middle Eastern small dishes. Discussed the progression from Adaptive Enterprise thinking on Reason-for-Being as shifting towards stories as easier for people to express. Timing coincided with Raptors celebration parade, but getting to selected venue still required creative routing around the crowds. (Paramount Middle Eastern Kitchen, Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190619Toronto Jazz Festival: Sax solo @LesterMcLean @TorontoJazzFest @Occhipintimusic @louis_simao @themarkmclean in mid-afternoon gig with Bloor Street closed for pedestrians. Crowd-pleasing set, later walked out with wireless mic to move barricades and allow audience closer to dance. Biking cross town encountered Pride Toronto parade, many blocks through crowds, dismounted. (Toronto Jazz Festival, TD Side Stage, Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190623Simon KY Lee Home: Short visit for DY with mother on fly-though loose connection at YVR. Shared dim sum, strawberries and peach. Short walk around the courtyard to enjoy the bright summer day on the west coast. Then Canada Line back to the airport, and we’re continuing our journey southbound. (Simon KY Lee Senior Care Home, Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC) 20190626Howland Plaza: Stuart Jacobson (2002) The Heart of the Valley basalt and marble sculpture, on a park green strip, high on the west bank of the Willamette River. Low energy day, recovering after a 23-hour day of travel leading to insufficient sleep. Arrived wearing shorts on the previous year, unpacked long pants and umbrella for today. (Howland Plaza, Riverside Park, First Street, Corvallis, Oregon) 20190627CH2M Alumni Centre: Welcome desk @ISSSMeeting @OSUAlumniCenter on first day, registration packages ready for attendees. Bright, open venue evokes the spirit of optimism in the American Pacific Northwest. Seeing many familiar faces, plus some earlier in their systems thinking experiences. (CH2M Hill Alumni Centre, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon) 20190628CH2M Alumni Centre: Poster @ISSSMeeting @OSUAlumniCenter @MarcoCataffo @snousala @daviding Data Standards for Computational Ecology: Constraining soft sub-systems to increase internal complexity for community resilience. http://creativesystemic.com/posters/ Research in progress, not the final publication. Third author is the courier to the conference. (CH2M Hill Alumni Centre, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon) 20190629CH2M Alumni Centre: Workshop @ISSSMeeting @OSUAlumniCenter with @bortseb on Open Learning Commons and Digital Life Collective @tech_we_trust. Team of stewards convened for official launch of open source tools for collaboration, towards the promise of learning journeys for which artifacts endure. Relaxed pace through http://isss2019.daviding.wiki.openlearning.cc/view/introduction-to-the-open-learning-commons-and-the-digital-life-collective (CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon) 20190630
CH2M Alumni Centre: Workshop @ISSSMeeting @OSUAlumniCenter with @wardcunningham @michaelwmehaffy on Federated Wiki and Pattern Language. A few attendees claimed personal sites on wiki.openlearning.cc . From start.fed.wiki , readers got comfortable with cursor keys and moving around #FederatedWiki. Then, from mehaffy.fed.wiki.org , recent history on advancing #PatternLanguage. Loose agenda at http://isss2019.daviding.wiki.openlearning.cc/view/introduction-to-federated-wiki-and-pattern-language . (CH2M Hill Alumni Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon) 20190630
Family time, empty nest, short trip to conference nearby, friends at home.
Toronto, Ontario; Waterloo, Ontario.
TIFF Bell Lightbox: Post-show hilmaafklint_thefilm Q-A with HalinaDyrschka, Viewed film as guest of @KellyOkamura, arriving on bike just before lights went down. Story of legitimation of Swedish abstract artist from 1906, predating Kandinski. Works were willed to her family after her passing, with conditions to keep secret for 20 years, and not sell. (Bell Lightbox, King Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190503Janes Walk, Front Street East at Parliament Street: Past and present @JanesWalkTO led by @JohnLorinc “A Meandering History of the Lower Don”. Site of first parliament for Upper Canada, burned down in 1813 by American nail forces. Reconstructed but then disastrous fire in 1824, derelict until the 1838 third York jail in 1838. Building demolished in 1887, became gasification works with a rail spur for the Consumer Gas Company, until the early 1960s. Today, the historic location is a car wash and car rental parking lot, pending redevelopment. (Front Street East at Parliament Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504Janes Walk, Distillery Lane: On land @JanesWalkTO led by @JohnLorinc “A Meandering History of the Lower Don” that was Ashbridges Bay Marsh before landfill. Cherry Street would have been part of the Don River delta, before the waterway was channelled further east, with an unnatural 90-degree turn as the Keating Channel in the late 1890s. The combination of industrial waste and human excrement combined into public health hazard, corrected with conversion into a massive industrial district from 1912-1922. Today, the Gooderham and Worts site has been redeveloped into the Distillery District. (Distillery Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504Janes Walk, Cherry Street Lift Bridge: Crossing over @JanesWalkTO led by @JohnLorinc “A Meandering History of the Lower Don” smaller bascule lift bridge spanning the canalized mouth of the Don River flowing westward. Down the pier, dredging cranes are clearing the sediment in the Keating Channel, preempting potential river backups and flooding. The industrial precinct to the south will be transformed over the next 20 years, as the river will be naturalized. (Cherry Street Lift Bridge, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504Janes Walk, Villiers Street at Don Roadway: Wet grass @JanesWalkTO led by @JohnLorinc “A Meandering History of the Lower Don” on land that will become a new shallower southbound channel emptying into wetland. Keating Channel will remain as the deeper westbound channel, with new promenades at water’s edge, while the Gardiner Expressway is moved further north. The Don River was never straight lines, these engineering projects aim to renaturalize the landscape to preempt flooding. (Distillery Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504Cineplex Yonge Dundas: Family viewing of #AvengersEndgame in IMAX 3D, in a full showing, 9 days after its opening. We normally prefer IMAX 2D in a full-size screen, but reserved seats were sold out. The movie seemed shorter than its 3h01m running time, tying up the 21-episode series that we’ve followed for some years. (Cineplex Yonge Dundas, Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504Sushi Style: After movie, indulged in late night sushi party tray. We were the only guests dining in, a steady stream of pickups and delivery people coming through the door. The assortment of fish was fresh and traditional, without fusion creativity that wouldn’t be seen in Japan. We chose to not partake before the 3h01m film that tests bladder capacity. (Sushi Style, Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190504CSI Spadina: Gathering as #SystemsThinking Peer Circle @climatecsi @csiTO, working out yet another approach in the Systems Changes program. Providing a one-page map helps connecting ideas that don’t always follow linearly. Challenging balance between theoretical validity, plain language understanding and resonance. The groups is open, with the curious and the immersed. (Climate Ventures, Centre for Social Innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190506AGO: Step-up pedestal @agoToronto @jkarah (2018) “Slipper progress, Low tide”, part of “Water in two colours” show. Made of brass elevator panel, silver-plated tube, aluminum duct, concrete, and LED. Found objects transformed with new spatial and narrative connections. Heard many foreign languages spoken in the gallery, spring weather drawing tourists. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190508Pearson Terminal 3: Smiles and excitement for sons #4, 3, and 2, on pending departure for flight to Hong Kong, where they’ll intercept son #1 for connection to Bangkok. The flight from Toronto is now leaving late, within 5 minutes of scheduled flight from San Francisco. My guess is that the HKG-BKK flight will be delayed to arrive after midnight, or Cathay Pacific will be paying for hotel rooms overnight due to missed connection. Empty nesters at home expecting quiet for 2 weeks. (Toronto Pearson Airport) 20190510Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Bright sunny day for tomb sweeping honouring grandmother and grandfather, spades to clear accumulated debris and trowels to plant new flowers. Schedule of intercepts, coming from other commitments, followed by other gatherings. Appreciated vegetarian options from the usual barbeque meat-heavy choices. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario) 20190519Pine Hills Cemetery: Lowkong Society gathering at the Ng Wu Ing Eng monument for annual honouring of relatives who immigrated from China. Clear weather on the Victoria Day weekend. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20190519Adelaide Courtyard: Installation #StaceySpiegel (1991) Synthetic Eden, in courtyard hidden behind One Financial Place at Yonge Street and Adelaide Street, large decal looming above on 20 Victoria Street. Discovered on leisurely bike exploration on Victoria Day Monday, when both business people and tourists were not prowling the sidewalks. Art isn’t obvious from Adelaide Street, behind a maze of frosted glass walls. Location is not to be confused with the Richmond-Adelaide Square Courtyard, a few blocks further west on the other side of Bay Street. (Adelaide Courtyard, 87 Yonge Street and 20 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190520Former Seagram Museum: Friendly security guard escorted us to view decorative barrels now empty, historical architecture formerly housing CIGI 2003-2014. Door with Seagram crest says established 1857, predating this distillery building from 1878. The Centre for International Governance Innovation has moved to a modernist campus next door, and Shopify Plus moved in. I had been in some academic events in the great hall, it’s now rows of desks with computers. (Former Seagram Museum, Erb Street, Waterloo, Ontario) 20180522CANSEE 2019: Learning from @ktkish and son Logan @CANSEE_org covering @DaveMallery varying #DrSeuss on “Oh, The Things You CAN’T Think” on how #EcologicalEconomics could learn from a deeper appreciation of SystemsTheory. Citing #HowardTOdum, #KennethBoulding, #NicholasGeorgescuRoegen and #IlyaProgogine sparked recollections from @DavidLHawk who had met three of the four. While much of #EcologicalEconomics has swung towards the nonmaterial, #IndustrialEcology is largely material. (Canadian Society for Ecological Economics 2019 meeting, Centre for International Governance Innovation campus, Erb Street, Waterloo, Ontario) 20190523CANSEE 2019: Workshop with @davidlhawk @CANSEE_org on Systems Changes, Environmental Deterioration. Two position presentations, attendees introduced selves, then had open discussion aiming to synthesize the ideas. Leisurely pace encouraging us to think together, as compared to the time-constrained agendas in other sessions. Notetaker will produce summary in a few weeks. (Canadian Society for Ecological Economic, CIGI Campus, Erb Street, Waterloo, Ontario) 20190524Riverside neighbourhood: Brunch extending into afternoon with @davidlhawk #SystemsThinking discussion in back yard with wonderful weather. Mutual sensemaking on negotiated order applied to building 4-storey house without architectural drawings near Salina, Iowa. Steered discussion towards 40th anniversary of publication of Regulation of Environmental Deterioration, towards new chapter on It’s Too Early, It’s Too Late, Now What. Looking forward to some continuing the discussion when we might convene on a midwest road trip. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20190526Buddhas Restaurant: Extended family dinner celebrating nephew’s acceptance as visiting scholar at Cambridge U. in the fall, before he departs on summer of international conferences and visiting home. Discussion migrated from sharing recent news, towards “what is history and philosophy of science”, and its relevance to today’s world. Wide variety of vegan dishes, better shared as a group. (Buddha’s Restaurant, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190526SystemsThinkingTO: Selecting #PatternLanguage cards at #SystemsThinkingTO, first @GroupWorksDeck then #LiberatingVoices, each followed by generative conversation. Artifacts decentered discussion on good/bad meetings and loving/hating our cities, leading to deeper learning about acquaintances. Games night tries alternative ways of learning about #SystemsThinking. (SystemsThinkingTO, LoyaltyOne, King Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190529
Lower Don Trail: Alongside path, @DuaneLinklater (2017) Monsters for Beauty, Permanence and Individuality installation, 14 cast concrete gargoyles replicating those found on Toronto buildings. A little further along, found the Middle Mill plaque, marking location of paper factory for news publishers 1939-1989. Climbed out of valley on steep grade on Beechwood Drive, needed a pause for a rest at the top. (Lower Don Trail, Toronto, Ontario) 20190530
End of a 23-day visit in Shanghai, readjusting to Eastern Time with the many lecture, meetup, friends and family distractions of Toronto.
Shanghai, P.R. China; Toronto
Tongji U. College of Design and Innovation: Photo day for Creative Systemic Research Platform, first as the whole team, and then with smaller groups for images that might be used in digital enhancement. Scheduled in a small overlap of travel schedules with people coming in and out of town. In a design school, there’s a professional photography studio, and multiple professional photographers, resources to which I’m unaccustomed. (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, Fuxin Road, Yangpu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190402Tongji U. College of Design and Innovation: Ph.D. students for Quantitative Methods in Design course requested a reprise visit after formal classes ended last week, to discuss with Professor Yi Heng CHENG, who has been travelling. Having experienced the intensive 3-week course, with two full days of group work preparing for presentation, students said they learned a lot, and actually asked Professor Susu Nousala if the session be longer. The formal course is only one step on the journey for graduate studies, ongoing conversations with the faculty can continue for a lifetime. (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, Fuxin Road, Yangpu district, Shanghai, PR China) 20190402 Rockbund Art Museum: Tobias Rehberger (2018) “Free Coffee Free Parking Freedom” installation from fifth floor @Rockbund, as part of “If You Don’t Use Your Eyes To See, You Will Use Them To Cry”. Signage embodies an information paradox, where availability without charge may encourage an unrestrained liberty to consume or get more. Our visit coincided with the museum opening for the day, so a rapid visit of 30 minutes with no crowds. (Rockbund Art Museum, Huqiu Rd, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190403PVG Terminal 2: Lineup with baggage x-ray is standard not only to enter airport terminal, but also railway station, and even municipal metro. Travel time from French Concession to PVG was 55 minutes with a reserved taxi driver. Another hour added for the building queue, checking in luggage, clearing exit border security, and hand luggage x-ray scan. After 23 days away, looking forward to a return to normalcy at home, after a 12-hour time zone change. (Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Terminal 2, PR China) 20190404Ngoc Yen: Dinner amongst systems sciences research colleagues, organized on 5 hours notice with JR passing through for onward flight tomorrow. Discussed current projects and plans for upcoming conferences, we’ll end up spending more time together outside of Toronto than at home. Unexpected quality Vietnamese food in a suburban industrial district. (Pho Ngoc Yen Restaurant, Kamato Road, Mississauga, Ontario) 20190409Westin Harbour Castle: Open source culture @RedHat says @realmikecardy includes (i) collaboration; (ii) transparency (both access and the ability to act); (iii) shared problems are solved faster; and (iv) working together creates standardization. Red Hat Day on Microservices, Containers, APIs and Integration extends long tradition towards open organizations, consistent with my research on http://openinnovationlearning.com/ (Westin Harbour Castle, Queen’s Quay, Toronto, Ontario) 20190411Woodbine Beach: Big red chair is double-sized, not so functional for relaxing when facing away from the bay. Bright, sunny day attracts pedestrians onto the boardwalk, but it’s still cold enough to wear full-finger gloves on the bicycle. (Woodbine Beach, Toronto, Ontario) 20190413Bill Boyle Artport Gallery: Chair, side table and lamp @HarbourfrontTO brought together as Oscar Kwong (2018-2019) Companions, in mundane functionality and rationality. Drawings on the wall suggest alternative interactions by human beings with the inanimate objects. Part of The View from Here exhibition. (Bill Boyle Artport Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Queen’s Quay West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190419Bill Boyle Artport Gallery: Inside a glass case @HarbourfrontCentre, Auli Rautiainen (2018) Mutation Series is kiln-formed glass that doesn’t show the gloss or fluidity normally associated with the material. Part of the Nordic Glass exhibition, curators must be rotating the collection over time. (Bill Boyle Artport Gallery, Harbourfront Centre, Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190419Innis Town Hall: Marquis event with #LucySuchman on Apparatuses of Recognition @JHIevents @UofTInfoFaculty Situational awareness criticizing the core doctrine of command and control with (i) the training situation; (ii) remote control to separate the soldier from the combat; and (iii) autonomous weapon systems. Video replay at https://www.facebook.com/iSchoolToronto/videos/342667976597711/ . (Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190422Toronto Red Hat Users Group: Understanding evolution of technology via #WojciechSerafin #RHUG #RedHat, with initial pledge to use the term Containers rather than the popular label of Docker. Appreciating implementations of the Open Container Initiative on Linux, with Buildah, Skopeo and Podman. A hint of the future with Quarkus as Kubernetes Native Java. Taking personal responsibility for continuing learning, the world changes. (Toronto Red Hat Users Group, Arctiq, Britain Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190423Toronto Reference Library: Second day @changepaths @Challengfactory @fernlebo #TheTalentRevolution book launched @torontolibrary, where the authors often met. Five drivers shaping a revolution the world of work: (i) demographics of longevity, with baby boomers; (ii) career ownership, shift in power between employees and employers; (iii) freelance economy, gig mobility; (iv) platform environments, B2B and B2C; (v) AI and robotics, in potential freed up in human impact. Employers have been slow to respond to the changes. (Toronto Reference Library, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190424SystemsThinkingTO: Productivity challenge says #BrianWatson @ConestogaC with low GDP per capita growth and part time employment percentage increasing. High rate of youth unemployment in the midst of a national labour shortage. Compared a race of four individuals on a relay, compared with a systems approach of a rugby team responding to obstructions by passing the ball to win. (Systems Thinking TO, Loyalty One, King Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190425 Royal Ontario Museum: Dinosaur @ROMtoronto called Zuul (face like the monster from 1984 Ghostbusters film), species Destroyer of Shins (crurivastator) with a sledgehammer-like tail. Bony armour, four horns on the skull, preserved skin. Discovered in northern Montana, in badlands near the Alberta border. Galleries are good venue for walking and talking with a friend, closing out a busy week. (Royal Ontario Museum, Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20190426George Brown College Waterfront Campus: From 7th floor @GBCollege, statue facing away from Toronto Harbour Eastern Channel. Full Saturday Google GDG Cloud Toronto meetup, with hands-on lab to earn GCP Essential badge. (George Brown College Waterfront Campus, Dockside Drive, Toronto, Ontario) 20190427Lowkong Society: Spring festival dinner for the family clan featuring dancers and singers with the food. Waited until courses 6 and 7 for dishes within vegan constraints, others at the table were nearly full by then. (Dim Sum King, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190428
Month of intensive lectures and research meetings, in Toronto and then in Shanghai, with social breaks on local excursions to clear minds.
Toronto, Ontario; Shanghai, PR China
Hugh’s Room Live: Tribute to #JoniMitchell @MiaSheard @HughsRoomLive #TaniaGill #ErnieToller @WordsByRGM @ChrisGartner @joelschwartz Songs Are Like Tattoos. Guests rotating on and off stage, first night of two. Brought by millennial son who recognized one song, introduced to interpretations of both popular and obscure repertoire. (Hugh’s Room Live, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190301China Visa Centre: Procedures changed with online submissions done in advance including digital photo. One line to validate passport and take another picture; second line to review documents and take fingerprints; third line now requires payment in advance rather than at pickup in 3 days. Appointments are scheduled by hour, there’s less of a lineup showing up on the half hour. (China Visa Centre, University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20180304OCADU SFI: Energetic students in lecture for Understanding Systems and Systemic Design Class @OCADU_SFI Master in Design program. Presented new content for Systems Changes research program, focused on errors and breakdowns. Brought more slides than the time slot allowed, offering to follow up with diligent student to greater depth. (OCADU, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190307OCADU SFI: Abbreviated outline of @SystemicToolkit by @redesign @OCADU_SFI master’s program, covering enough templates to get students started, with deepening later. I presented in the first half of the afternoon, following a timeboxed version of #SystemsChanges, same slides as yesterday, slightly different emphases today. Great opportunities to see what’s new with others. Hung out to guide students on team projects. (OCADU Strategic Foresight and Innovation program, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190308Scotiabank Theatre: Scheduled family time to enjoy Imax screening of Captain Marvel. RDI prebooked seats well back in the room, the screen is large that fast action would be even harder to follow when sitting up front. Nostalgia for the 1990s seems to be rising, which feels familiar for us who remember the period first-hand. (Scotiabank Theatre, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190309Blaze Pizza: Vegan cheese for everyone, but separate orders for meat, vegan and gluten-free preferences. Quick and easy snack across the street from movie theatre, most of us hadn’t tried this made-to-order single serving sized chain restaurant. A small luxury that we can easily repeat. (Blaze Pizza, John Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190309Pearson Airport T1: Happy to retain lifetime million-mile privileges for priority services for shorter queues. My travels have reduced over the past year, and even less often without DY. This trip to Shanghai is not only to places with which I’m familiar, but also reduction of stress through a few more Western conveniences available in China. (Terminal 1, Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20190311Xiang Shan Lu: Beginning of 23-day stay starts with alleyway leading to rear entrance, up 5 floors to an apartment that should server better than a hotel room. The Former French Concession has a history as an expat enclave. Short street has Former Sun Yat Sen Residence at its east end, and then Fuxing Park beyond. (Xiang Shan Lu, Huangpu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190312Tongji U. College of Design and Innovation: Professor Yi Heng Cheng inscribes copies of the Chinese translation of @ClubOfRome book Come On, for Ph.D. students in the Quantitative Methods course. Class exercise will have participants working in teams to define research questions on carbon credit approaches, considering data that may be available, and how it might be used. Intensive course led by Susu Nousala has multiple instructors to give a broader range of perspectives, and more voices to hear. (Tongji University College of Design and Innovation, Siping Road, Yangpu district, Shanghai, PR China) 20180313More Than Eat: Food hall has multiple culinary outlets in a casual dining style attracting both expats and trendy locals. We had pizza from a certified Neapolitan oven, atmosphere more like new world than old city in Shanghai. After work occasion to relax with colleagues. (More Than Eat, Julu Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20190314Tongji Huangpu School of Design and Innovation: Lecturing on “Systems Changes: Culture and family over time” in innovation class for high school students. Reviewed my family history from my grandfather through to our sons, to illustrate marriage systems, family systems, and education systems. Teams then asked to think about activities that grandparents would have done that aren’t done today; the systems in which those prior behaviours would have been natural; and changes in today’s systems to enable those behaviours again. Underscored behavioural and ecological approaches to students, by suggesting a few members might want to visit other tables to gain intelligence. (Tongji Huangpu School of Design and Innovation, Sichuan Middle Road, Huangpu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190315Julu Road: Private uses spilling over into public space, bed covers drying on clotheslines tied between trees on the boulevard of a city street. Even in an urban environment, the Chinese tend to take action first, and worry about consequences later. Sight is remarkable only to foreigners not yet fully immersed into local societal conventions. (Julu Road east of Shaanxi South Road, Former French Concession, Shanghai, PR China) 20190316Xintiandi Style: Children attracted to #PenzoCAO (2019) “Time Traveller” at #XintiandiDesignFestival, sitting in bamboo chairs inside red crystal-like walls. The circular part is hinged, and rotates. Installation is one of many in the courtyard of a high-end fashion mall, shoppers are complemented by foreign tour groups crowding in the restaurants to the north. (Xintiandi Style, Madang Road, Xintiandi, Shanghai, PR China) 20190317Laoximen Tea Plaza: One of largest tea distribution centres in the city, where we asked about luobuma tea, and were told it’s not considered to be a Chinese tea. Merchants used smartphone to translate Chinese messages into English. Followed suggestion to visit a herb store, and we were offered the bluish dogbane on the first try. (Laoximen Tea Plaza, Shanghai, PR China) 20190317Fuxing Park: Card players attract observers, on the plaza facing south over the pond to the waterside pavilion. The park is a welcome green space in a city where stone and concrete roads don’t have grass, and spring hasn’t seen the trees sprout leaves, as yet. Bright and clear day. (Fuxing Park, Shanghai, PR China) 20190319Design Square: Last year’s overabundance of dockless bicycles has been curtailed, so sidewalks are more easily passable. The university is replacing the plants outside the entry with new ones, rather than cultivating survivors from winter. Morning rain left the air clean, spring temperatures are definitely welcomed. (Design Square, Tongji University, Siping Road, Yangpu district, Shanghai, PR China) 20190320Xiangming Junior High School: Blaring rock music and bright large screen video at 7:55 a.m., with students running around in circles behind the entry gate with a guard attending. Julu Road is otherwise a quiet two-lane residential street, so the commotion is a daily event somewhat more mundane than changing of the guard. Morning walk was for an early taxi pickup, anticipating a full date with students at the university. (Xiangming Junior High School, Julu Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20190321Ruijin Hospital: A bust of Fu Peibin (1912-1989), a Belgian-trained surgeon who became the president of Ruijin Hospital, after returning for the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The green field, and maybe the fountain, originate as part of the original 1907 Sainte Marie Hospital from 1907. Today, the facility is affiliated with the School of Medicine of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Discovered on a short lunchtime walk around the neighbourhood. (Ruijin Hospital, Ruijin Er Lu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190322Park Hyatt: Sunset view north from the 91st floor in Pudong, with the Oriental Pearl Tower, Huangpu River and the Bund beyond. We opted to be seated for tea, wine and whisky, rather than waiting in a long queue and paying the admission fee for the observation level a few floors higher. The small table for 3 grew to 4 and then 5, as friends of our new acquaintance from Shenzhen came to visit. (Park Hyatt, World Financial Centre, Shanghai, PR China) 20190323Residence (1946) of Zhou Enlai: Modest office with desk and bed for Zhou Enlai, on his stay in Shanghai from Nanjing, during post-war China in the uneasy ceasefire between the Chinese Communist Party and Kuomintang. Other rooms in the building are similarly furnished sparsely. In a separate building to the east is the former CPC Delegation Office for Shanghai, with history circa 1946 in both Chinese and English language. Admission is free for visitors with identification, foreigners provide fingerprints. (Former residence (1946) of Zhou Enlai, Sinan Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20190324Xiangyang Park: Still too early for cherry blossoms, this fountain is the north end of the park with a French-style boulevard. Opened by the Conseil Municipal of the French Concession in 1942, it was named Lan Weina Park or Dumet Park in 1939, then Taishan Park in 1943 and Linsen Park in 1945, before taking the current name in 1950. Some badminton players put up a net a little further south. (Xiangyang Park, Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20190325Tai Feng Yuan Ruijin Road: Second purchase of luobuma 罗布麻, from a neighbourhood store, yields larger green leaves priced slightly cheaper, as compared to prior smaller brown shrivels at a higher price from the main street. While luobuma is not available in North America, this traditional herb that reduces hypertension seems easy to find in Shanghai. Will the lightly dried green leaves have more antioxidants, leading to greater efficacy than the macerated brown leaves? (Tai Feng Yuan, Ruijin 2nd Road, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190326Luobuma 罗布麻 leaves: Not available in North American, luobuma 罗布麻 is a traditional Chinese treatment for hypertension that appears easy to acquire in Shanghai. The package on the left was purchased on the major shopping street (Huaihai Middle Road), and the package on the right from a small neighbourhood store (Ruijin Road). The left resembles black tea; the right appears less processed as a green tea. Does the conventional wisdom of green tea preserving more antioxidants than black tea transfer over to other types of herbs? (Former French Concession, Shanghai, PR China) 20190326IAPM: Super-luxury shopping mall on the main street in the Former French Concession is grand beyond practically all of its peers in the New World. Merchandise selection is way beyond my means. My visits are primarily to shop at the City Supermarket one level down to buy soymilk, strangely not readily available in neighbourhood stores. (IAPM, Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai, PR China) 20190327Nene: Seven hungry diners consumed eight thin crust Lazio-style pizzas, arriving late through rainy traffic. Appreciated why the group knows the place as Davide’s, as the energetic host welcomed us individually, and ensured that we were well-served. We ordered the black crust with activated charcoal that serves as a natural alkaline that might neutralize heartburn from tomatoes (or cured meat that I’m not eating anymore), but I can’t say that I noticed a difference. (Nene, Yongfu Road, Former French Concession, Shanghai, PR China) 20180238Tianzifang: Shikumen (stone warehouse gate) transformed into a warren of alleys with shops, food stalls and restaurants. Complex still has residents, at least one with the sense of humour for a pink panther in the window. Not in a shopping mood, the lanes were walkable on the afternoon before the weekend begins. (Tianzifan, Taikang Lu, Shanghai, PR China) 20190329Wukang Road at Anfu Road: City crews throwing plants onto flower bed, as spring temperatures appear more frequently. Leisurely vegan Saturday lunch, then walked up street to cafe. Having been given bad seating and then told that cheesecake and souffle were out, we decamped for a better venue up the street. Meeting new team member first time in China, lots of orientation. (Wukang Road at Anfu Road, Former French Concession, Shanghai, PR China) 20180330Tank Shanghai: Team bonding experience at new private gallery opened just last week, on site of five former oil storage tanks for Longhua Airport (1922-1966). One tank closed for private showing, vicinity populated with fashion models and the well-dressed overflowing from terminals of the West Bund Art Center. Queue to enter the Teamlab installation a good opportunity to discuss our background contexts. (Tank Shanghai, Longteng Avenue, West Bund, Shanghai, PR China) 20190331
Tank Shanghai: Teamlab (2019) combines immersive digital works of (i) “Flowers and People, Cannot be Controlled but Live Together, Transcending Boundaries – A Whole Year per Hour” from the floor upwards, and (ii) “Transcending Boundaries” of waterfall light descending inside the tank. Show is titled “Universe of Water Particles in the Tank”. Visitors moving slowly, or resting on the floor or against walls, are sensed interactively to change the display. ((Tank Shanghai, Longteng Avenue, West Bund, Shanghai, PR China) 20190331Yuyuan Teahouse: Afternoon break in 200-year-old mid-lake pavilion included zhong, quail eggs, kumquats, sesame peanut blocks, preserved plums. Following afternoon visiting two art museums, the snack re-energized us into discussing philosophy, following the tradition of those frequenting Chinese teahouses. (Yuyuan Tea House, Yu Garden, Shanghai, PR China) 20190331
Reduced exercise outside with a cold and snowy February, with excursions out of the house to warm places with family, friends and colleagues.
Toronto, Ontario
Heartland: Annual Superbowl party, a tradition running back decades to years when our children were toddlers. Some familiar faces, and we’re drawing in new friends every year. Arrived in time to watch the backyard barbeque operating in above-freezing temperatures. (Heartland, Mississauga, Ontario) 20190203
Mozilla: Kickoff meeting for #P2P #DWeb Toronto, hosted by @dcwalk_, group comfortable in the couches @mocotoOH. Presentations on #FederatedWiki #FriefunkLeverkusen #Fediverse drew conversations on building smaller communities of interest, with privileges and responsibilities of conscious governance. (Peer-to-peer and Decentralized Web Toronto, Mozilla, Adelaide Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190207
Royal Myanmar: Dinner with @StallmanRM @FSF inviting the activists @CivicTechTO to gain some insight into discussions on privacy concerns @QuaysideToronto, We outlined but didn’t delve into the complexity of three levels of government involved in @WaterfrontTO. #RichardStallman enjoys diverse cuisines in the variety of cities he visits, with commutes to obscure locations a minor inconvenience. (Royal Myanmar, Horner Avenue, Etobicoke, Ontario) 20190208 CC-BY David Ing 2019
Lalibela: Ethiopian lunch means eating without cutlery, and using fingers. Relaxed Saturday family gathering, relaxing and catching up on everyone’s work week. The grilled tibs are always memorable. Breaking up whole grilled fish with bare hands gives a caveman feel. (Lalibela, Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190209
Riverside neighbourhood: A single candle on a cake is sufficient. The family consumed third and then fourth servings of a wonderful homemade vegan banana cake, with frosting less sweet than commercial offerings. A little later, the house was quiet with everyone taking naps to recover from hectic work lives. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20190209
OCADU sLab: Formal welcome #SystemsThinking Ontario @redesign. #PatternLanguage legacy via former 1970s-era Berkeley students of #ChristopherAlexander, deeper reading of 1967 Systems Generating Systems http://coevolving.com/commons/20190211-systems-changes-learning-alexander-legacy sparked thinking of attendees. (Systems Thinking Ontario, Strategic Innovation Lab, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190211
The Rex: Displaced #DesignWithDialogue on What Matters led by @redesign turned into #DineWithDialogue with live jazz channelling attendees to listen more intently in small groups. University building was unexpectedly locked down completely for statutory holiday. We can handle the unexpected, moving one block north. (The Rex, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20180218
CSI Annex: Pitch night #AgentsOfChange @ClimateCSI @csiTO winners @BIOPolynet $10000, @spentgoods $6000, @app_feedback $4000, selected by judges based on 5-minutes presentations over finalists @FreeGeekToronto and @freshrents. Thirteen 90-second standup speeches were voted on by the audience of 300 attendees. Event attracted many non-CSI members, as a great way to generate interest. (Centre for Social Innovation Annex, Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190222
SystemsThinkingTO: Frustrations in law firms @KarenSkinner @DavidFSkinner @GimbalCanada leading to lean improvement. Exercise in drawing a pig, first try is free form, second try following a long page of text specifications, third try following a sketch. Instead of words, easier to follow a map or modify a standard template. Not everything needs to be a specialized art. (Systems Thinking TO, Loyalty One, King Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190225
January in Toronto has lots of intellectual offerings and artistic exhibitions to attract the curious out of warm homes, through cold and snow.
Toronto, Ontario
Centennial Park Conservatory: Carp in pool inside greenhouse enjoy a peaceful existence, while the winter temperature outside is colder than seasonal average. The flora and fauna are available 365 days per year to the citizens of the city. This venue is physically smaller than the location downtown, but the scent of flowers is noticed here. (Centennial Park Conservatory, Elmcrest Road, Etobicoke, Ontario) 20190101
Atlantic Avenue: Bent guard rail is ugly, cars won’t pass. There’s a set of stairs for pedestrians eastbound down into the ravine, behind the backyards on houses on Hertle Avenue. This height differential is probably associated with the lost Ashbridges Creek, that became buried as the Midway Sewer circa 1913-1915. This residential street runs just 1-½ short blocks east of Greenwood Avenue before the big drop. (Atlantic Avenue, Greenwood-Coxwell neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20190105
Dumpling House: Long overdue lunch to catch up on news of family and friends, both positive and negative. Discussed wellbeing, responsibilities, and current priorities on personal projects. Good variety of choices on the menu, a challenge sharing across vegan, keto and low-carb diets. (Dumpling House, Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190107
Systems Thinking Ontario: Wrapped up meeting @OCADsLab on chartering a #SystemsChanges program with multi-year horizons, as a change from previous #SystemsThinking Ontario meetings that were episodic. General agreement towards moving forward, lots of details to be worked out. (OCADU Strategic Innovation Lab, 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190114
Rotman School: It’s always about the apps, more than better architecture or technology, says @JohnChen with @KelleherJc @PubPolicy_Munk @RotmanEvents on the success of turnaround at Sybase. Four part interview, on moving from Hong Kong to American universities, rise in Silicon Valley, coming into Blackberry, and the technology industry today. (Rotman School of Management, St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190115
Bahen Centre: Graduate seminar by Adrian K. Yee on The Rise of Nazi Mathematics 1893-1945. A guest at the Department of Mathematics, visiting cross-campus from the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Disclaimer on critical perspective of Germans espousing theories as superior to Jewish and French thought, well-documented by credible researchers. First indications with Felix Klein 1893 lecture at Northwestern University in USA, through to influence over journal Deutsche Mathematik that now may be in university libraries only in censored form. (Department of Mathematics, Bahen Centre, St. George Street, University of Toronto) 20190117
Onsite Gallery: Panel @LisaDeanneSmith #DaveandJenn @hermeticferns @maryannecasasanta @rouzbeh92 #FelixKalmenson on Collaboration as Process @ONSITEatOCADU for winter How to Breathe Forever exhibition. Reflections on listening to each other and world in today’s Internet noise, working with material. Learning to slow down, getting away from production driven by commerce or grants. Symbiogenesis in shifting landsacpes of socio-political contexts. Allowing conscious attention, laughing at the irony of disruptions. (Onsite Gallery, OCADU, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190119
Onsite Gallery: Polymer clay pieces @ONSITEatOCADU #DaveandJenn @hermeticferns (2017) The Wellspring, (2017) No Horizons, (2017) For Actaeon The Flower, (2017) The House Guest. Dimmed interior feels warm, in contrast to the severe cold temperature warning outside. (Onsite Gallery, OCADU, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190119
World Sew Centre: Had zipper heads replaced while I watched, as my winter coat was opening up on walks during the severe cold temperature warning. Previously had brought in wife’s coat to buy an exact match for a broken zipper, and was advised by the clerk that the teeth were fine, so just the zipper heads would be a cheaper and immediate fix. Trust the judgement of the shopkeeper. (World Sew Centre, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20190119
Xpace Cultural Centre: In solo show @arezustudio (2019) Fortune Flavors the Bold @xpacecc, artist fills room with good luck symbols inspired by growing up with a mother who immigrated from Hong Kong. Second generation children typically lose their heritage language, so the appreciation of the distant culture comes only indirectly. Sign at the door welcomes visitors in, provided shoes are removed, which mirrors a custom in Chinese homes. (Xpace Cultural Centre, Lansdowne Avenue, Brockton Village, Toronto, Ontario) 20190126
CSI 192: In era of big data, semantic web gives meaning @andrewiliadis @DecimalUOIT @UOITCDMS speaker series. From seminal work of #JohnSowa and #DougLenat, semantics solves many varieties of data described in heterogeneous ways, with controlled vocabularies of preferred tags. Schemas, graphs, ontologies now in the age of social media and search engines. (Centre for Social Innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190128
CSI 192: Despite campaigns to disconnect from Facebook, @karppi @DecimalUOIT @UOITCDMS speaker series says that most people are still online. Facebook is still the most popular social platform, and continues to grow in less developed countries. Community now framed in terms of engagement, continuing to encourage bonds that dissuade users from leaving. (Centre for Social Innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190128
Bissell Building: Vision by @smgrimes for prior @SemaphoreTO research cluster launched in 2012, amalgamating into @kmdi established 1996 @UofTInfoFaculty. Renewed energy for design-oriented research and research-oriented design with more public discussion on people’s issues with technology, including the marginalized. This generation of researchers share philosophical roots in critical theory. (Bissell Building, Faculty of Information, St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190129
SystemsThinkingTO: New Year, New Direction, after two years with looser agenda, @DerailleurAgile seeking more defined path. Reviewing quantitative statistics for SystemssThinkingTO meetup over past year, didn’t give much insight. Facilitated attendees, building up responses first by individuals, then in pairs, and then fours. Responses mapped out with a dialogue map generated discussion towards converging a program for the rest of the year. (SystemsThinkingTO, LoyaltyOne, King Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20190130
The idea of managers being proactive only dates back to 1964, as classes of functions described by Abraham Zaleznik: homeostatic, mediative, and proactive. Predispositions may or may not be altered through educational development.
Fit the people around an organization; or an organization around the people? Working backwards, say @MitroffCrisis + #HaroldLinstone, from current concrete choices to uncertain futures, surfaces strategic assumptions in a collective decision, better than starting with an abstract scorecard to rank candidates.
Should we do, or not-do? Russell Ackoff, over many years, wrote about (negative) potential consequences: There are two possible types of decision-making mistakes, which are not equally easy to identify. (1) Errors of commission: doing something that should not have been done. (2) Errors of omission: not doing something that should have been done. For […]
The final publication of the October 2016 Relating Systems Thinking and Design Symposium workshop "Some Future Paths for Design Professionals: DesignX and Systemic Design" was published as “Systemic Design Agendas in Education and Design Research” in FormAkademisk, following 2 years of rewrites, reviews and revisions.
Federated wiki is deployed on a node.js server, an environment which has become available on some cPanel shared hosting providers. Here are some instructions written while restoring a wiki site originally installed in 2014-2015 on a cloud provider.
Reading The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis, reminded me of a PhD course at UBC with Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, before they were recognized as Nobel prize candidates.
Before judging democratic systems over authoritarian, examine the functioning of governments through its diplomats, where plutocracy has an alternative in meritocracy, says @mahbubani_k @longnow @asiasocietysfx. [1:19:30] … when people compare the American government with the Chinese government, they say: “This…Read more ›
The story of #JosephNeedham by @simonwwriter, about the scholar behind the 27-volume Science and Civilisation in China starting in 1954 and continuing after his death in 1995. Arriving in China in 1942, Needham discovered gunpowder, printing and the magnetic compass…Read more ›
Talk at @gtalug on Let’s Learn Tech Online @torontolibrary with @p2pu @CiscoNetAcad @TorontoESS. Linux Unhatched online course conducted in groups of 8 to 12, meetings twice per week in person. Non-technical facilitator encourages peers to work out understanding together. Found…Read more ›
The WordPress O2 plugin with P2-Breathe theme results in a Facebook-like or Twitter-like streaming interface. The idea was first presented in 2013, evolving from the P2 theme in 2009 (originally launched as Prologue in 2008) when hosted on wordpress.com. “Beau…Read more ›
Talk at the Centre for Human Ecology, Glasgow, announced at http://www.che.ac.uk/tim-ingold-talks-about-the-sustainability-of-everything-10th-sept-2016/ Video posted at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncLv9Gk7XrI and https://vimeo.com/182572764 This digest was created by editing the text transcript generated by Youtube. View the video yourself for a more authentic reproduction. Lapses, grammatical…Read more ›
In deciphering Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Five Phases) thinking, #Kaptchuk (1983) has a footnote and then an appendix that clarifies the way forward for appreciating foundations of Chinese medicine favouring the former.
The field theory in psychology by #KurtLewin 1943 derives from classical field theory (viz. electromagnetism and gravitation), predating quantum field theory (viz. subatomic particles). For psychology, Lewin wrote in 1943 how history (and a subjective view of the future) matters. It is correct that field theory emphasizes the importance of the fact that any event […]
Many who cite #KurtLewin haven't read the original 1947/1951 writings, say @strategybuild @ToddBridgman @kgbphd with the "refreezing" part of "unfreezing → changing → refreezing" emerging in a subsequent career of an idea that can be traced genealogically and archaeologically.
Human organizations may learn from wolves, with groups of 2 to 6 taking down elk, and cooperative expert groups of 9 to 13+ taking down larger bison. #DanielMacNulty, #AimeeTallian #DanielRStahler #DouglasWSmith (2014).
Meeting effectiveness is reduced after 7 people are involved, say @BainInsights consultants #Blenko, #Mankins, #Rogers. Follow the Rule of Seven for meetings. Who should come to a meeting is always a sensitive issue, and the basic precept is often “The more the merrier.” But more is rarely better when it comes to making decisions. Our […]
