Summer jazz at the Distillery District, in Washington DC while at the annual systems conference, and then Toronto Jazz Festival
Toronto, Ontario; Washintton, DC
Distillery District:Arrived in time for second set with @marigoldjazz jazz-funk collective, based in Toronto. Song titled Folk Song, style in the broad range of the Bourbon Street North Festival. Took the short bike ride over the Don River for exercise, a musical break for lunchtime. (Distillery District, Mill Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240603
Distillery District:: After rainy morning, warm and bright lunchtime concert by @MarigoldBandOfficial. Rows of bench seats down front, shaded tables to the west. Part of the Bourbon Street North festival running daytimes for the first half of June. (Distillery District, Mill Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240603
Maple Leaf Lounge, U.S. transborder, Pearson International Airport: Found a bright window with a view of the CN Tower, way in the distance. Low stress transfer to airport today, took Lyft to UP Express on a Saturday. Extra early I’m the lounge, enjoying the food, seemingly low on wheat products, there must be a lot of gluten sensitive travelers. (Maple Leaf Lounge, U.S. transborder, Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20240608
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport:: Walkway between DCA Terminal 1 and 2 has photographs of USO activities on the south wall, and artwork to the north. Bill Renc (2019) Moonlight White House is one of the pieces in the Springtime in Washington exhibition. Saturday night at the airport is rather quiet, as was the Metro ride until we crossed the Potomac River, and saw rainbow wrist bands and painted skin for Pride weekend. (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, District of Columbia) 20240608
Third Street Art Garden:: Sunday morning walk through the NoMa district, encountered large mural behind chain link fence. Redevelopment of former industrial lands means many condominium towers where occupants need more open spaces. Unfortunate choice of artificial grass to cover grounds, shade trees would be nice in the muggy summer. (Third Street Art Garden, NoMa district, Washington, DC) 20240609
Eastern Market:: Sunday morning lineup for lunch counter in historical public market first opened in 1873, then renovated after a fire in 2007. In the Capitol Hill district, the single corridor offerings of meat and cheese seems to attract local residents. Outside the building, temporary stalls under a permanent awning has merchants hawking local fruit and vegetables. (Eastern Market, 7th Street SE, Capitol Hill district, Washington, DC) 20240609
Hirshhorn Museum: In the modern art collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Giacomo Ball (1918-1925 / reconstructed 1968) Futurist Flowers, made of wood and paint. Collected in the Josephn H. Hirschhorn Bequest in 1981. Gallery focuses mostly on the acquisitions of a single benefactor, spanning modern years, and not into the contemporary 21st century. (Hirschhorn Museum, Smithsonian Institute, Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC) 20240609Open Gov Hub: Late Sunday afternoon welcome by president #MicheleFriend to 68th Annual Meeting of the @ISSSMeeting International Society for the System Sciences. First fully hybrid convening, about the same number of attendees in person and online. Conference officially starts on Monday morning, preconference session was already running all day. (Open Gov Hub, 13th Avenue NW, Washington, DC) 20240609Family Ethiopian Restaurant: With foodies online recommending local Ethiopian cuisine as outstanding, we chose to not join the conference crowd for pub fare. We asked for least spicy dishes, and were advised towards alicha wot lamb, asa tibs tilipia, and platter with 4 veggie choices. Flavourful seasoning easy on the stomach, friendly and attentive service in modest decor. (Family Ethiopian Restaurant, 9th Street NW, Washington, DC) 20240609Open Gov Hub: Presented Resequencing Systems Thinking: Systems Changes Learning at Year 6 of 10 at @ISSSMeeting the 68th Annual Meeting of the #InternationalSocietyForTheSystemsSciences. Reduced slides from 4-hour lecture at UHull last month to about 1/3 for the 30 minute slot in session on Research into General Systems Theory. Friendly in-person audience asked questions, online observers can find the slides and papers at https://coevolving.com/commons/publications . (Open Gov Hub, 13th Street NW, Washington, DC) 20240610
Tonic at Quigleys:: Patio outside east side of restaurant #JazzOnTheRocksDC Tuesday night jam, started with drums, bass, and vocals, then sax and guitar showed up. Welcoming musicians rotating on and off. Casual change of pace by GWU campus, away from downtown full conference day, when we can put our brains to rest (Tonic at Quigley’s, G Street West, Washington, DC) 20240611
Open Gov Hub: Relational Science session @ISSSMeeting led by @JudithLRosen in-person + online, had 3 ex-presidents, 2 ex-VPs, and 3 SIG chairs active in conversation. Prerequisite deep knowledge of systems theory had a series of casual visitors drop in, listen for a few minutes, and then wander off to other rooms. When mathematical biology intercepts questions of information, consciousness. and non-Western philosophy, there’s few alternative venues for inquiry. (Open Gov Hub, 13th Street NW, Washington, DC) 20240612Open Gov Hub: Systemic inquiry convened by #InternationalFederationForSystemsResearch and #ForumForDemocracy, kicked off by #RayIson. Plenary and table group discussions on organizations (out of many) changing the institutional landscape. Enlarged group in between #InternationalSocietyForTheSystemsSciences meeting finished yesterday, and #AmericanSocietyForCybernetics running into next week. (Open Gov Hub, 13th Street NW, Washington DC) 20240614
Chinese-American Museum DC:: Chinese Buddhist Art: statue Ruping Liu “Guanyin Bodhisattva of Compassion”; banner paintings depicting deities and sages in Buddhist, Daoist and Confucianist pantheons and the suffering; and statue Ruping Liu, “Maitrea, Buddha of the Future-. On third of fourth floor, more religious and cultural of the old country, than the story on the first floor of the 1882 Chinese railway workers finally receiving recognition. Building only opens a few days per week, hope that exhibitions will be enriched on subsequent visits. (Chinese-American Museum DC, 16th Street NW, Washington, DC) 20240613
College Street at Euclid Avenue:: Spontaneous couples @TOLitleItaly dancing to @micheldequevedo Michel Dequevedo Quartet featuring @ericstlaurent Eric St. Laurent on guitar. . Unsure whether the drummer was making a joke when he said one dancer was his sister. In the next tune, his father visiting from Mexico joined the band to sing. (Taste of Little Italy, College Street at Euclid Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240615
Distillery District:: Last day of Bourbon Street North at Distillery District, with @AlisonYoungSax Band, with @alexisbaro7494 trumpet solo on I Don’t Know. Large weekend crowd appreciating the traditional jazz feel, with bead necklaces thrown from stage emulating Mardi Gras throws. Chosen instrumentation gives a different feel, with string bass, wind instruments and drums as acoustic, and only the piano synthesized for performance practicalities. (Distillery District, Mill Street, Toronto, Ontairo) 20240616
Very Fair Seafood Cuisine: Early dinner for Father’s Day, including 2 lb lobster. Disappointed at limited menu choices, and lack of English-speaking staff. Sons played mahjong with grandfather earlier in the afternoon, he still enjoys the game. (Very Fair Seafood Cuisine, Milliken Boulevard, Scaroborough, Ontario) 20240616Galata Turkish Restaurant: Double date, they’re no longer considered newlyweds after a year of marriage. We attended their wedding, this was a better time to have a real conversation. Dinner split between those who enjoy spicy food, and those who don’t. (Galata Turkish Restaurant, Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240619
Village of Yorkville Park: Late Sunday afternoon @TorontoJazzFest concert with @moodsetmusic, @alexa.belgrave keyboards, @jacqteh vocals, @calebklager bass, @daereiznekcam drums, and #ParkerWeiss sitting in on trumpet. Song “Who do you love” is their first single. Fenced-in area was quite full, a cheer from the students at the rear portrays some previous exposure to the band. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240623
Village of Yorkville Park: Monday afternoon @TorontoJazzFest concert @homzya on violin, leading Aline’s Étoile Magique with @michael_vibes vibes, @MaritoMarques drums, @danielrfortin bass, and @isthisthomas guitar. The style of the song Caraway is influenced by Jean-Luc Ponty, although violin and vibraphone is a unique combination. Weekday audience is smaller than on weekends, more casual street bands playing on the sidewalks. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240624
Victoria University Quadrangle: Tuesday afternoon @torontojazzfest trio with @laolanopiano23 piano, solo by #RobertoRiveron bass and drummer #AmhedMitchel. Part of the Cuban night program on the TD Main Stage. Relaxed audience lounging on a cloudy day. (Victoria University Quadrangle, Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, Ontario) 20240625
Village of Yorkville Park: Tuesday evening @torontojazzfest concert led by @SanahKadoura on drums, @luisdenizsax sax, @ewenfarncombe keyboards, #AndrewStewart bass, @MonekaTara vocals. Song “The Geminis” from the album Duality. Music gets cultural crossover with Arabic language, but only one audience member recognized the call for a dance. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240625
Village of Yorkville Park: Outro by #Bellbird of Bluff, #AllisonBurik alto sax, #ClaireDevlin tenor sax, #EliDavidovici bass, #MiliHong drums, arriving at @torontojazzfest earlier in the day from Calgary. Switching from alto sax to bass clarinet produced tones that otherwise might have thought as synthesizer. Unusual to hear a band without guitar or keyboards. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240629
Village of Yorkville Park: Closing show of tour by @AnthonyFDrums Quartet, playing The Valley, with sax solo by @Daynasound, #MichaelRagonese on piano, @luca_alemanno on bass. Sunday night ends @torontojazzfest for 2024. Hometown musician from Richmond Hill, now based in Los Angeles. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240630
Busy May with art university graduate exhibition, travel to UK seeing Edinburgh, Hull, Manchester, London, returning home for wedding in Lefroy, annual cemetery visits with family, and spending time with extended family in from Chicago.
Toronto, Ontario; Edinburgh, Scotland; Hull, UK; Manchester, UK; London, UK; Lefroy, Ontario
OCAD University: Afternoon showing #SusanWood (2024) Intangible Spaces of nylon organza, polyester plastic brim wire, hanging from ceiling. Inspired by the Japanese concept of Ma, where space between the body and garment are left as a place of energy and spirit. Installation deserves to be featured under better conditions, but #GradEx is a comprehensive event. (OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240503
OCAD University:: Sound installation #methaOz (2024) Body & Authority with swooshing sounds of the everyday and industrial objects suspended from nails. A reflection of diverse ways in which authority figures exert power and influence over bodies and behaviours. Cached in an alcove amongst the multitude of #GradEx works. (OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240503
Gardiner Expressway: Stressful Lyft ride, as we blew through the expected 120 minute arrival, and the 90 minute Pearson baggage check, to check in at the 60 minute unofficial baggage minimum. Traffic was stopped dead on Lakeshore Boulevard westbound after Parliament Street for an excruciating long time. Getting to Union Pearson Express would not have been any better, maybe next time we’ll take TTC bus to Bloor-Danforth line, giving up convenience for more predictable travel. (Gardiner Expressway westbound, Toronto, Ontario) 20240508Modern One: Vortex sculpture #AnishKapoor (1983) Untittled is black pigment on cement, polystyrene and gesso. Whirling energy references Hindu references to masculine and feminine. Gallery is relatively small, with Modern Two across the street temporarily closed for a new exhibition. (National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One, Belford Road, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20250509
Modern One:: Walkthrough of #DoHoSuh (2016) Corridor-4 Wielandstr 18 + Hub 3rd Floor Union Whart + Corridor-3 Wielandstr 18, made of polyester fabric and stainless steel. Gallery was relatively quiet on a Thursday morning. Part of the Tracing Time exhibition, most of the other works were framed wall hangings of threads embedded in cotton paper. (National Galleries of Scotland: Modern One, Belford Road, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20240509
Library of Mistakes: Making acquaintances #DavidMalllery @SRUC with #RussellNapier @EdinburghLoM, understanding mutual research interests. Resource on business history to better understand financial markets, specifically decisions under uncertainty not only by individuals but collective movements and impacts. Unscheduled visit with the keeper coincided with the conclusion of a 1.5 day intensive class, he was cheerful despite exhaustion. (Library of Mistakes, Melville Street Lane, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20240509
Bell’s Brae Bridge, Dean Village:: A placid view of the Waters of Leith, towards Dean Village, down a steep hill the big hill from New Town. Some fellow visitors out enjoying the sunshine, the neighbourhood is really residential and doesn’t offer tourist features. In town for only two days, not enough time for a walk to follow the path downstream. (Bell’s Brae Bridge, Dean Village, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20240509
Talbot Rice Gallery: Sculpture two stories high #KirstyRussell (2024) Runners and Vents, repurposes the velvet from the artist’s grandparents’ home. Embroidered symbols on the fabric represent the ducts or channels of lost wax casting that are usually discarded when the bronze is cast. Part of a show from 10 emerging Scottish-based resident artists. (Talbot Rice Gallery, University of Edinburgh, South Bridge, Edinburgh) 20240510
Waverley Railway Station:: The monument honouring author Sir Walter Scott is directly north of the railway trench into Waverley Station, the second largest rail depot in Britain. Replacing a series of stations from the 1846s, the current structure was built on Princes Street in New Town, and the Old Town uphill, between 1892 and 1902. The tracks are less obvious from Princes Street, since citizens of the late 19th century wanted the trains concealed, and smoke practically out of sight. (Waverley Railway Station, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20240510
Waverley Railway Station: The Victorian glass dome over the Booking Hall (now Travel Centre) was installed for the reconstruction of the railway station in 1897. Not obvious from the inside is the 2013 refurbishment of glass and iron, complemented by a exterior steel frame with mesh covering to protect the 13 acres of glass roofs. The non-linearity of platform numbering reflects the British tradition of incrementalism that often confuses the modern visitor. (Waverley Railway Station, Edinburgh, Scotland) 20240511
Northumberland on LNER: Comfortable ride at table seats on train from Edinburgh to York transferring to Selby, and finally bus to Hull. We enjoyed meal deals from a station convenience store, including Plant Kitchen Hoisin No Duck, and Tanpopo Chicken Katsu, a major step up from sandwiches still at a modest price. Lots of green pastures for the entire journey, with brief glimpses of the North Sea. (Northumberland, London North Eastern Railway, UK) 20250511
People’s Memorial: Silver-coloured globe on the pedestrian mall is covered with names, with a fuller description around the base. The Hull Blitz of WWII in 1941 damaged 95% of the houses, making the city the second-most bombed in Britain. Warm and bright spring day, with few pedestrains in Old Town. (People’s Memorial, Paragon Street, Hull, UK) 20240512
Queen Victoria Square: View spinning around Queen Victoria Square, starting from the west with Hull City Hall, the back of the Queen Victoria statue facing east, Ferens Art Gallery to the south, and then the Punch Hotel to the southwest. The ornate Punch Hotel, first opened in 1846, has a history of a series of landlords, a mysterious death, a murder, and the apprehension of multiple criminals. (Queen Victoria Square, Carr Road, Hull, UK) 20240512
Ferens Art Gallery: Tall into second floor of atrium @JASONWILSHERMIL (2020) Jason and his Argonaut substitutes the artist’s wheelchair with sheep that he saw in Dorset. The inflatable sculpture is powered by a small engine in the back. In galleries further along, the Are We There Yet exhibition has more inflatable works, with hearing protectors for those bothered by fans. (Fernes Art Gallery, Queen Victoria Square, Carr Road, Hull, UK) 20240512Drypool Bridge: Rolling lift bridge of Bascule design first open in 1961 was repainted by Sarah Daniels (2017) Venn Multiple Perspectives. Inspired by logic relations mathematician John Veen, born in Drypool ward in 1934. Pedestrians don’t benefit as drivers travelling from west to east do, in viewing an optical illusion. (Drypool Bridge, over the River Hull, UK) 20240512University of Hull Art Gallery: Painting + sculpture #PaulGHughes (2000) Black Square with Elemental Cross + Cross Crate. an artist who came to Hull for art school, and stayed active in arts and education. Counter Points @HARI_HullArts exhibition on many other crosses in mostly monochromatics. Most of gallery is specialized in British art 1890-1940. (Hull University Art Gallery, Cottingham Road, Hull, UK) 20240513University of Hull: Breakout groups discussing ideas on “Resequencing Systems Thinking: Practising, Theorizing and Philosophizing as Systems Changes Learning”. in an Expert Led Event for the Centre for Systems Studies. About 100 slides covered over 4 hours., in four segments. Recorded audio, and will synch with slides after returning home. (Hul University Business School, Cottingham Road, Hull UK) 20240513Ambiante Tapas Hull: Enjoying Spanish-style cuisine while dodging the variety of dietary restrictions discouraging sharing. Exchanged experiences at systems conferences, cultivating of students and community gardens, and stories about eldercare. New possibilities still in progress, taking longer than expected. (Ambiante Tapas Hull, Humber Street, Hull, UK) 20240513York Railway Station: Maintaining flexibility in booking trains, the opportunity to meet the longtime friend of a friend came up a few days ago. Between Hull and Manchester, we managed a 3-hour window to meet for an extended lunch meeting at the pub at the station. We may be able to coordinate research interests in the near future. (The Duke of York, York Railway Station, UK) 20240514
Hebden Bridge Railway Station: Transfer time of 18 minutes off a train from York bound for Blackpool, onto another bound for Manchester Victoria. The last leg has been a route served since 1841. Cone-shaped flooring at the end of the platform warns pedestrians not to descend to track level, a style different than putting up a fence. (Hebden Bridge Railway Station, West Yorkshire, UK) 20240514
Manchester Victoria Station: Arrival at northern (and less popular) railway station in Manchester, a 10-minute walk from the hotel we have reserved. The air rights over the tracks were acquired for construction of Manchester Arena in 1995, the largest venue in the UK at that time. Outside the station, the neighbourhood is showing a lot of modern construction in progress, and sections appear to be going under gentrification. (Manchester Victoria Station, UK) 20240514
Manchester Art Gallery: Viewing art and talking with #KeekokLee, research fellow of philosophy still scribbling after 25 years of retirement. Discussed challlenges of explaining processual philosophy that may be obvious among Chinese scholars, but counter-intuitive to Westerners. Standing in front of panels Wai Yin Society + Julie Mosley (2019) Crossing the Borders, based on oral histories of first generation Chinese immigrants to the Manchester area. (Manchester Art Gallery, Mosley Street, Manchester, UK) 20240515The Whitworth: In retrospective John Lyons (1960) Self Portrait with Jumbie Bird and Alter Ego, as part of the Carnivalesque exhibition. Spacious venue on university campus, with some galleries currently closed for new shows. Took a break in cafe with #KeekokLee to discuss more fine points of Classical Chinese philosophy. (The Whitworth, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK) 20240515
Stafford Railway Station: Transfer point for split fare from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, with lifts to overhead footbridge, and covered platforms sheltering this rainy day. Large bicycle parking area suggests that locals might be commuting to other places regularly. Heard that an earlier train on a similar route was cancelled due to person on the tracks, maybe unfortunately not sufficiently newsworthy for tv broadcast. (Stafford Railway Station, Staffordshire, UK) 20240516
Gerrard Street, London Chinatown: Paper lanterns at sunset with friends, after a Malaysian dinner, and before Chinese buns and tea for dessert. We’ve been in London but not in years, whereas our friends don’t get into the central city lights so often. The crowds we’ve encountered are denser than the other places we’ve visited on this trip, and bustle seems faster than back home (Gerrard Street, Chinatown, London, UK) 20240516
Farrington Street southbound, approaching Blackfriars Bridge: Riding on the upper floor of a double decker bus in London gives a privileged view of the city. Much preferred over the underground, as crowds contained in metal boxes, riding escalators down and up. Bright spring day, carrying umbrellas for anticipated evening rain. (Farrington Street, London, UK) 20240517
Blackfriars Bridge and South Bank of the Thames River: Descending from the South Blackfriars bus stop, the Thames flows eastward downriver. A little further east, St. Pauls Cathedral is a landmark. Our destination of the Tate Modern was a short walk away. (Blackfriars Bridge, London, UK) 20240517
Tate Modern: In a small end room, Jannis Kounelis (1999) Coal Sculpture with Wall of Coloured Glass invokes the Industrial Revolution. At the left, lumps of naturally occuring glass-like materials are strung together. To the right, the paraffin lamp alludes to the ore mined. (Tate Modern, Bankside, London, UK) 20240517
Tate Modern: Abstract wall-based composition Leonardo Drew (2016) Number 185 has long slats and logs protruding from a central grid, suggesting the force of nature disrupting the construcdted world. Wood was weathered and painted black to make them appear salvaged. Cycles of decay and regeneration, tensions between order and chaos with implicit reference to African American history. (Tate Modern, Bankside, London) 20240517Tate Modern: Found and discarded materials from Ghent-based Pascale Marthine Tayou (2014) Bend Skin Contrevents. A moped hidden in the centre of sculpture, covered by woven baskets, calabashes and gourds. Mopeds in Cameroon are knows as “bend skins” are used to transport cargo. An exploration of mobility, economics, and the environment. (Tate Modern, Bankside, London, UK) 20240517Tate Britain: Walking and talking with #AndyWilkins through galleries of paintings and sculptures, discussing alternative framings of systems changes. Suggested that health systems might be more precisely expressed as health ecosystems, following a contextual world theory of threads alongside threads, rather than an organicist world theory of part into wholes. We will continue dialogue about whether it’s better to try fixing issues in Western philosophy rooted in structuralism, or try yinyang as Classical Chinese philosophy rooted in processualism. In front of Zeinab Saleh (2024) First Morning + (2024) Water Has Memory, both acrylic paintings tracing both fleeting movement and suspended time. (Tate Britain, Millbank, London, UK) 20240517
Paddington Station: Making connection from Hammersmith-Circle line to Elizabeth line takes path through main hall with regional train platforms. Initially going east for destination to the west would have routed via Farringdon station, but our entry at Euston Square with big suitcases was challenged by only a lift to the westbound platform. Usual pattern of taking Piccadilly line to Heathrow has had this new option since opening in 2022, slower but cheaper than Heathrow Express. (Paddington Station, London, UK) 20240518
Three Feathers Terrace: Family dressed up for the wedding of the son of a classmate of DY from Seneca College. The provided folding fans were welcomed on the warm spring day. We recognized a few faces, much older now, that we last saw the wedding of the groom’s parents over 30 years ago. (Three Feathers Terrace, Lefroy, Ontario) 20240519
Three Feathers Terrace: Wedding party, after the formal nuptials and photographs have been done, ready to enter the banquet. Our family was honoured to be invited, we’re continuing relationships that were made before the children were born and grew up. After dinner, the DJ selected music that had both young and old on the dance floor, the event seemed practically flawless. (Three Feathers Terrace, Lefroy, Ontario) 20240519
Three Feathers Terrace: Wedding party, after the formal nuptials and photographs have been done, ready to enter the banquet. Our family was honoured to be invited, we’re continuing relationships that were made before the children were born and grew up. After dinner, the DJ selected music that had both young and old on the dance floor, the event seemed practically flawless. (Three Feathers Terrace, Lefroy, Ontario) 20240519
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Annual cemetery visit saw more intensive gardening this year, as grandfather requested the overgrown perennial day lilies be cut back. In addition, the shrub was overgrown, and needed to be cut back. Flowers not yet in bloom were pulled out, to be relocated for a residential home. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario) 20240520
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: With impatiens annual plants replacing the perennials, we burned hell money and lit incense sticks. Leisurely lunch on a sunny day included roast duck, bbq pork, noodles, green beans, sushi, inari and tangerines. We missed the Lowkong Society event the day before due to attending a wedding, so we visited on the Victoria Day holiday. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario) 20240520Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Following the practice of my mother, the extended visit to the Ing side also included a quck stop to respec the maternal lineage of the Lee family. Planted an impatiens annual, and lit incense. Lee site is two roads south and little bit further east of the Ing site. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto, Ontario) 20240520
Pine Hills Cemetery: At second cemetery of the day, removing more overgrown perennial day lilies, to be replanted at home residence. Ground in front of gravestone is a shallow, with a hard surface. Shade from trees to the south provided some relief from sun in the late afternoon. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Toronto, Ontario) 2040520
Pine Hills Cemetery: After overgrown perennial day lilies removed, added annual impatiens plants. Burned hell money and lit incense. It’s been 10 years since my son’s paternal grandmother passed, they were old enough to remember her. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Toronto, Ontario) 2040520Delta Hotels Toronto: Hanging out on the 46th floor club lounge for the afternoon, watching planes landing, and boats shuttling over from the island. Respite from the many well-wishers for husband CC being honoured today with a lifetime achievement award. Time flies since we first met in 1980, with their children now over 50 years in age, with children of their own. (Delta Hotels Toronto, Lower Simcoe Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240524
Ricardas: Opportunity to share family wedding photos, at the Farewell Sequin and Sneaker Ball of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry annual meeting. Shook hands with many luminaries of the profession, later seen on stage accepting awards. Fortunate coincidence to have extended family come in from Chicago, while we’re locals to this city. (Ricarda’s Event Venue, Peter Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240526
Ricardas: An opportunity to visit with extended family visiting from Chicago. Honoured to attend as guests of the 2024 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Busy crowd in the front atrium at the farewell event for the conference. Outgoing president had cheerleaders wearing North Carolinap colors. (Ricarda’s Event Venue, Peter Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240525
Distillery District : Snippet of @RobertLeeMusic bass, @AllisonAu sax, @jayyooguitar192 guitar, @andrewmccarthy8195 drums, from first public performance of Daffodil. Afternoon performance on the Trinity Stage as part of the Bourbon Street North Festival. Arrived to the performance as the rain stopped, with an attendant squeegeeing the benches. (Distillery District, Mill Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240527
Power Plant Gallery: Embassy exhibition inspired by features of historical American consular offices by Terence Gower. To the left, (2024) Facade (Transparent) is suspended stainless steel and aircraft cable, following an unrealized 1958 Cold War design directive for the ample use of glass and transparency,. To the right, (2012) Baghdad Screen of pleated cedar veneer plywood based on the roof form the 1960 ambassador’s residence. (Power Plant Gallery, Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240530
Power Plant Gallery: Witness exhibition by June Clark, room with (1997) Harlem Quilt of 300 photographs of street life, transferred onto scraps from a thrift store, each individually lit by a single light bulb. Community portraits are a tribute to the people who called the neighbourhood home, forming memories of that time. Toronto-based artist who immigrated from New York, returning temporarily after 28 years for an artists residency. (Power Plant Gallery, Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240530
Return from visiting family in Vancouver BC, clan events and eldercare appointments
Vancouver, BC; Toronto, Ontario
Motoretta Gelato: Lazy Easter Monday, after Lebanese lunch including zataar, wandered down towards harbour waterfront. Gelato flavours of Earl Grey vanilla and mascarpone espresso; vegan dark chocolate. NTA now styles Vancouverite wearing shorts on optimism of sun, we Easterners are still bundled up for the temperature drop. (Motoretta Gelato, West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240401
Pendulum Gallery: Suspended from a glass ceiling, Alan Storey (1987) Broken Column is commonly mislabelled as a pendulum as it doesn’t have a clock. Aluminum metal duct of 3500 pounds has a slot on the north side, originally designed with a fan that would move warm air from the roof to ground level. Electric motor drives the duct over a stationary plinth, “sympathetic with the alpha waves our brains produce when we’re resting with our eyes closed”, in a movement that is both relaxing and terrifying when seated in a chair by the nearby tables. (Pendulum Gallery, West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240401
YVR Vancouver International Airport: Started journey home before sunrise, passing by Reg Davidson (2016) The Blind Halibut Fisherman, beside a bentwood box where the Haida would store ceremonial gear. From City Centre Station, Skytrain on Canada Line was uneventful. Unusual alert on x-ray scan meant body patdown, second pass through scanners, and report taking down name and profession. (YVR Vancouver International Airport) 20240402Fortune Seafood Restaurant: Late afternoon lab visit followed by early evening dinner. Vancouver crab was on special, as was jumbo shrimp, neither for allergic me. Grouper-tofu casserole as usual, and water spinach, enough leftovers for tomorrow. Free soup borth to start, sweet soup to finish. (Fortune Seafood Restaurant, Midland Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240403Brookfield Place: Indoor atrium has real butterfly boxes that would offer refurge from poor weather and predators, but fake butterflies. Narrow entry slots invite lepidoptera, rather than round holes for birds. Sunny spring day illuminates display encouraging pollinator gardens during April as Earth Month. (Brookfield Place, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240406Dim Sum King: Family congregating at the spring festival banquet of the Lowkong Society, before the 10 courses started. We may now have a reputation as a karaoke group, choosing songs that bridge boomer and millennial generations. if the full immediate family comes out, we may have to book more than one table of 10. (Dim Sum King Seafood Restaurant, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20230413Theatre Passe Muraille: Panel @beyondWallsTPM hosted by @21sungelas with social entrepreneur @vanessalingyu and journalist @annhui on set of @SilkBathTO #WokingPhoenix. Discussed Chinese-Canadian “chop suey” cooking in its own legitimacy, now better in small town Canada than in the big cities. Common ties through food in lineages of Chinese heritage, even for those not brought up in Chinese restaurants. (Theatre Passe Muraille, Ryerson Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240414Service Canada Centre Scarborough Town Centre: In-person visit, suggested after telephone call inquiry about not receiving letter about Canadian Dental Care qualifying for over-87 years of age in December 2023. One of multiple eldercare errands in the neighbourhood, the time required for the beneficiary to answer questions seems less than time it takes for the customer service to figure out the case on the computer. Helpful Service Canada agent explained she could handle everything except Canada Revenue Agency, and the public-facing websites are actually partitioned. (Service Canada Centre, Town Centre Court, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240417
Woodside Square: Paused by dinosaur display outside mall, on the way to trying a different lunch spot after a short doctor’s appointment. Hand-pulled noodles were genuinely superior to the usual, but even slight spiciness varies too far away from Cantonese cuisine preferences. Will have to revert from counter service formats, to restaurants with full service. (Woodside Square, Sandhurst Circle, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240425
More work than play for first part of month, in anticipation of trip to Vancouver to visit family.
Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC
Mr. Congee Bridlewood Mall: Followng late afternoon appointments, opted for a casual Cantonese meal at a mall storefront. Congee, beef brisket lo mein, turnip cake and barbeque pork rice at modest prices, whole duck cost a little more. Selection is small, save for the seafood set menus the would suit a grander occasion. (Mr. Congee Bridlewood Mall, Warden Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240313Zhang Liang Spicy Hotpot: Pre-theatre casual dinner, each diner selecting own ingredients from the open refrigerator shelves to be given to kitchen to make soup. Unlike our experience in China where only malatang means numbing spicy soup, our Cantonese palates could opt for the non-spicy mushroom broth. Some have had more experience estimating the quantity of inputs, to the amount one can eat. (Zhang Liang Spciy Hotpot, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240320Hugh’s Room Live: Songwriter session with @danhillmusic and @lily_frost, with stories about composing, performing, the music business, and challenges of returning to live performing after long interruption. Small venue in former church, pews in the balcony gave a better view than on ground floor. Gladly accepted free tickets offered by an acquaintance on 3 hours notice, I was a fan even before Dan Hill performed at Ontario Place Forum in 1978. (Hugh’s Room Live, Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240322Maple Leaf Lounge, Domestic, YYZ: Early for flight to Vancouver, adding salad to the meatballs and rice. Six day visit, mostly to visit DY’s mother. Planning on staying mostly in Eastern Time, up before sunrise at 7:00am. (Maple Leaf Lounge (Domestic), Pearson Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20240327Denny’s Test Kitchen: Brunch next door to Canadian headquarters of international restaurant chain, with menu items under consideration request feedback for inclusion into regular menus. Bridging east coast body time with west coast mealtimes, we’re jet lagged with the 3-hour time zone change. Discussed the Broadway Plan for rental housing in the neighbourhood, designed to encourage low rise construction while protecting affordability for long-time residents. (Denny’s Test Kitchen, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Emily Carr University of Art and Design: Bob (Tahitan-Tlingit) + Stan Bevan (Tahitan-Tlingit and Tsimshian) + Lyonei Grant (Maori and Pakeha) 2023 “Pacific Song of Ancestors”. Carving may be tradition of natives of British Columbia, but features on this art work aren’t limited to the province. Art university demonstrates is forward-looking ways. (Emily Carr University of Art and Design, East 1st Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Libby Leshgold Gallery: Scaffold 17 feet in height with prose-poem on Tyvek banners, Hazel Meyer (2024) Weeping Concrete fills the open space of the gallery. Sculptural installation can be used as stage, had two public performances in February 2024. We hadn’t seen a similar 2022 work in the Bentway in Toronto, underneath the Gardiner Expressway. (Libby Leshgold Gallery, East 1st Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Emily Carr University of Art + Design: Suspending on wires from ceiling, Kevin Orloski (2024) Freedom is an epoxy resin artwork symbolizing the American Sign Language expression by Shannon Anderson. Nearing the end of the academic year, students works are on display. On a regular school day, we enjoy the energy on campus. (Emily Carr University of Art + Design, E. 1st Avenue, Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Canton-Sardine: Behind wall, a maze Xiangmei Su (2024) Here————There weaves threads around up stairs and beyond blind alleys. The artist lives been cultures, immigrating from Changshu, China to study visual art at UBC in Vancouver. Installation is found in the basement of the Sun Wah Centre used as a Chinatown community space by BCA, very quiet on a regular workday. (Canton-Sardine, Sun Wah Centre, Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Yohachi Sushi: Leisurely dinner catching up on more than 5 years since we’ve seen each other. They’re more retired than us, all of us are in the sandwich generation of taking care of elders, and having adult children with busy lives. Conversation ran overtime, so that we waited for the late Seabus schedule of 30 minutes rather daytime 15 minute crossings. (Yohachi Sushi Japanese Restaurant, Esplanade West, North Vancouver, BC) 20240328
Richmond Public Market: This two-level shopping centre built in 1994 is not a tourist attraction, instead serving the local Chinese community. Near the south end of the Richmond-Brighouse skytrain station, it has the old Chinatown feeling of chaos and bricolage. Immediate neighbourhood is dense with apartment towers, could be a hub for nearby residents who don’t drive in the suburbs. (Richmond Public Market, Westminister Highway, Richmond, BC) 20240329
Garry Point Park: Sun came out for a slow stroll from the southwest shore of Richmond, westward where the Fraser River meets the Pacific Ocean, curving back eastward. Since the City of Richmond averages 1 metre below sea level, the dykes have gradually been built up to be taller. The Akebono Cherry Blossom Trees attracted many visitors at the easten edge of the park, we oped to walk and talk in the quieter areas. (Garry Point Park, Seventh Avenue, Richmond, BC) 20240329Simon K. Y. Lee Seniors Home: Visiting DY’s mother has been a central purpose for this spring trip to Vancouver. We’ve been visiting daily in the afternoons. Elders don’t necessarily get so much variety in their meals, so she’s been enjoying the fresh fruit we bring. (Simon K. Y. Lee Seniors Home, Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240329David Lam Park: The Blossoms After Dark event drew a lot of people to a large park, with a relatively small number of features. We had dinner in Yaletown before sunset, and then followed crowds trampling the grass before finding the stairs to the upper level attractions. Relying on many espoused expert photographers is a losing game in difficult lighting conditions. (David Lam Park, Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC) 20240329Wesbrook Village: Honoured to receive an inscribed (2022) translation of Zhuangzi at lunch with Richard John Lynn + Sonja Arntzen, both professors emerita now residing near UBC. After 19 years of retirement, academic leisure means research continues for only 6 hours per day. We exchanged life stories on how early university studies don’t present linear career paths. (Neptune Chinese Kitchen, Westbrook Village, Vancouver, BC) 20240330Belkin Art Gallery: Hard to align foreground sculpture Elizabeth Zvonar (2006) Timing is Everything, with two mirrors facing each other with astrological birth charts of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. In background, mounted on wall, Elizabeth Zvonar (2013) Face inkjet print. Part of the Aporia (Notes to a Medium) exhibition, including works that contend with systems of belief and perception. (Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, Main Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC) 20240330Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen: Local foodie with travel experience guided us to Nepalese restaurant for dinner. Food is available not spicy, we started with vegan momos with jhol sauce, and chicken momos fried. Big appetizers meant we took main course leftovers back to the apartment. (Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen, Davie Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240330Simon K.Y. Lee Seniors Care Home: Arrived with pork siu mai and beef balls just as DY’s mother was coming out for lunch, so the staff brought a portable table to the vestibule. Had to chop down the dim sum into smaller pieces, because regular meals are now pureed. We might have slowed down serving, she really gobbles down the food. (Simon K.Y. Lee Seniors Home, Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240331Chinatown Storytelling Centre: A reproduction of the Yucho Chow Studio, a Chinese Canadian professional photographer serving marginalized communities from 1908 to 1949. This cultural history centre, opened in 2021, has a digital improvement enabling self-portraits to be sent as postcards. The tracing of family heritages are mostly centered on British Columbians, although we recognized the names of historians and writers from across Canada. (Chinatown Storytelling Centre, East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC) 20240331
Dunbar neighbourhood: Afternoon tea with family extended into homecooked meal, graciously early for body clocks still on Eastern Time. Exchanged details and compared experiences on recent trips to Asia. In-person time is so much more valuable than onine messaging. (Dunbar neighbourhood, Vancouver, BC) 20240331
Chinese New Year celebrations, both public and family, extended over two weekends, due to busy social schedules.
Toronto, Ontario
Collision Gallery: Two pieces in the 2024 To Love series #AnellaSchabler @greenisch.tint in memory of her Korean grandmother: The Portrait is a traditional Korean knot made of red crochet yarn, The Reflection is a reminder of dishware and sculpted cabbage in the making of kimchi. Part of the @DesignTO Youth: Touchbase exhibition. (Collision Gallery, Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240210
Chinatown Centre: Songs to welcome Lunar New Year with @SanthaTsang on the afternoon stage. Not only selections in Chinese dialects, I heard some Abba was I was leaving. Attendees scattered around the mall in crowds around calligraphy and other crafts. (Chinatown Centre, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240210
Don Valley Auto Centre: Unanticipated guided tour of vintage 1920s Supertest gas pump in the waiting room of our local garage. Gas jockey would manually pump fuel into the glass measuring vessel on top, and then transfer to vehicle. Also in the back room, shown a more utilitarian compact pump that could be installed in a sidewalk location. (Don Valley Auto Centre, Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240213May Yan Seafood Restaurant: Since Chinese New Year runs 15 days from new moon to full moon, we deferred our family lunch on weekend after Super Bowl and a son’s birthday. Double lobster and braised duck arrived after we finished the steamed bean curd and scallops in black bean sauce, and while still working through beef bricket bean curd hotpot, eggplant ground pork hotpot, sweet and sour fish fillets, mustard greens with conpoy scallop sauce, and king mushroom with pea leaves. Hand-picked order successfully achieved greater variety than the prescribed set menus. (May Yan Seafood Restaurant, Sheppard Avenue East, Scabrorough, Ontario) 20240217Mon Sheong Court: Third son turning over winning hand in first round of mahjong, still learning the rules of the game. Grandfather then easily won the next three hands, with second son taking the last, as fourth son and grandfather blocked each other waiting for the same tiles to turn up. This new experience was described as more dynamic than poker, where the skill is in everyone counting cards visible to all. (Mon Sheong Court, McNicoll Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240217
Zhong Hua Men Archway: Six days before full moon ending Chinese New Year season, Lion Dance celebrating the Chinatown East neighbourhood around Gerrard Street East and Broadview Aveue. Drumming was preceded by photographs with local politicians, police officers, and children who enjoy posing for pictures. Parade proceeded east and then south, spitting out lettuce to spread wealth and good fortune at small businesses, maybe dodging the adjoining cannabis shops. (Zhong Hua Men Archway, Hamilton Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240218
Centre for Social Innovation Annex: Book Launch for Strategy to Action by @kdemming interviewed by @tonyasurman at Six Degrees event @csitoronto. History of coming from Trinidad to work at @sigeneration, and then getting two endorsements for PhD to enter @OISEUofT. Most challenging question could be: what is the strategy for raising your child (who was present). (Centre for Social Innovation Annex, Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240229
Hibernated with work for most of January, with more activity towards the end of month with warmer termperatures.
Toronto, Ontario
Scarborough Hospital Birchmount Emergency Room: HKI fell backwards on the top of the up escalator, on top of DY. Her side hurt, so five hours in the ER uptown for X-rays, plus a CT scan of her head. Released after blood pressure came down from a spike, to a higher-than-normal level. Got a doctor’s certificate to take a few days off, but she’s determined to go to work tomorrow. (Scarborough Hospital Emergency Room, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240101Architecture and Design Gallery: In lower level of building, Asinnajaq + Tiffany Shaw (2022) Nuna is printed fabric draped over maple dowels in a structure like a home with fewer walls, so that the occupant could read a book or watch a screen, and the sunshine and brush of wind aren’t blocked. A steel hearth Asinnajaq + Ludovic Boney + Tiffany Shaw (2022) Qulliqu has a neon flame. In the background, larger than life projection of aboriginal women in conversations. (Architecture and Design Gallery, Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landsccape and Design, University of Toronto, Spadina Circle, Toronto, Ontario) 20240110The Royal Chinese Restaurant: Interior view of neon lobster and fish in front window is reflected in the side mirror, below typical strips promoting Chinese menu specialties. The darkness of early evening outside, into the parking lot of the strip plaza, doesn’t reveal the rush hour traffic beyond. Lanterns hanging from the ceiling more reflect a diaspora consistent with a restaurant with 40-year heritage, not of contemporary immigration. (The Royal Chinese Restaurant, Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240124The Royal Chinese Restaurant: Steam rising off a grouper tofu casserole, minutes after pork belly had arrived. Chinese restautant is further west than Agincourt proper, in a strip mall with fast food options of Japanese, Indian and Mexican cuisines. A 4:30pm dinner is early even for seniors, but after completing appointments and errands, stopping by the apartment would have just led to winter undressing and redressing. (The Royal Chinese Restaurant, Sheppard Avenue East, Scarborough, Ontario) 20240124The Sidekick: Talkback following premiere of @gaston_poon (2024) short film Sunshine Kitchen, at #FullHausProductions monthly community Living Room Sessions. Ten minutes with three characters left the audience wanting to continue to the next chapter. Inspired by frequently observing a Asian man in his neighbourhood, and then surmising him as precariously-housed, with a richer back story. (The Sidekick, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20240125C’est What: Casual social gathering of the Systems Thinking TO group led by @DerailleurAgile with pre-pandemic meetings, complemented by Systems Changes Learning Circle members. Updates on learning since 2019 on rhythms, textures and propensity, and how ideas might be expressed for audiences in augle development. Some appreciators of varieties of beers, with non-drinkers scattered within. (C’est What, Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20240126Stackt Market: Walls labelled by @franceshilaryhahn (2024) This Side, That Side with two classic beach identical beach chairs for @DesignTOFest. Designed as interactive, the difference comes from the person expressing a preference. Somehow feels wrong to sit on an art object as fragile as summer furniture. (Stackt Market, Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontariio) 20240127Stackt Market: Exiting market complex of shipping containers, the 120-foot Tunnel of Lights is on the south edge by the railway tracks. Looking eastward, the CN Tower was illuminated at dusk. Feature was installed for the Christmas season, not yet removed at the quieter time in January. (Stackt Market, Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240127Circular Living Lab: Waste wood can be converted to biochar, and used to increase soil heath, while sequestering carbon to mitigate climate change. Otherwise salvaged 40,000 board feet of old growth lumber in deconstruction of 9 bedroom, 31 room, 9850 sq ft house in Erin Ontario. Exhibition in downtown Toronto is on the site of a planned material reuse project of the former Wellington Destructor, a century-old garbage incinerator that will become a community space. (Circular Living Lab, Niagara Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240128
The Bentway: Skating trail busy on Sunday afternoon, ice seems firm at 3 degrees Celsius. Couples and individuals weaving around parents guiding children with skate aids. Colourful green, blue, violet, and magenta paracord of Yi Zhou and Carlos Portillo (2023) The Gateway installation may better evoke the Northern Lights after the sun goes down. (The Bentway, Fort York Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario) 20240128
As the book on Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0 was taking shape in March 2023, I was invited not only to serve as an editor, but also to contribute as an author. The edited volume is the final deliverable for the In4act project centered at the KTU School of Economics and Business in Kaunas, Lithuania […]
Beyond city-building as urban planning is the idea of a Music City. This sees development of cultural life across a wide variety of arts, alongside economic benefits brought to the region. At the 119th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in March 2024, socio-cultural designer Adam Hogan and musician-designer Ziyan Hossain joined moderator Zaid Khan in conversation. […]
Having reached year 6 of an espoused 10-year journey, the Systems Changes Learning Circle is (again) convening monthly Dialogues on Social Innovation at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. Starting up in 2019, the Circle was convening regularly in the Climate Ventures space at 192 Spadina Avenue. The pandemic interrupted in-person meetings, and the […]
EQ Lab runs Dialogic Drinks, “the kind of philosophical discussion you have in a coffee shop or bar”, twice per week. Wtih this group interested loosely in questions on leadership, I was invited to host an online session on March 12 (evening in Hong Kong and Singapore, really early in Toronto) and on March 14-15 […]
At the 118th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in February 2024, behavioral scientist Cameron D. Norman and design strategist Tara Campbell were invitied for a conversation guided by Zaid Khan. The panelists are both alumni of the Strategic Foresight and Innovation program at OCADU. Some time ago, they had conducted a research project on evaluation […]
An article on “sciencing and philosophizing”, coauthored by Gary S. Metcalf and myself, has been published in the Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, following the ISSS 2023 Kruger Park conference in South Africa, last July. There’s a version cacned on the Coevolving Commons. This article started in a series of conversations […]
David L. Hawk (American management theorist, architect, and systems scientist) has been hosting a weekly television show broadcast on Bold Brave Tv from the New York area on Wednesdays 6pm ET, remotely from his home in Iowa. Live, callers can join…Read more ›
Following the first day lecture on Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1 for the Global University for Sustainability, Keekok Lee continued on a second day on some topics: * Anatomy as structure; physiology as function (and process); * Process ontology, and thing ontology; * Qi ju as qi-in-concentrating mode, and qi san as qi-in-dissipsating mode; and […]
The philosophy of science underlying Classical Chinese Medicine, in this lecture by Keekok Lee, provides insights into ways in which systems change may be approached, in a process ontology in contrast to the thing ontology underlying Western BioMedicine. Read more ›
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 ›
In trying to place the World Hypotheses work of Stephen C. Pepper (with multiple root metaphors), Nicholas Rescher provides a helpful positioning. — begin paste — Philosophical perspectivism maintains that substantive philosophical positions can be maintained only from a “perspective” of some sort. But what sort? Clearly different sorts of perspectives can be conceived of, […]
Finding proper words to express system(s) change(s) can be a challenge. One alternative could be diachrony. The Oxford English dictionary provides two definitions for diachronic, the first one most generally related to time. (The second is linguistic method) diachronic ADJECTIVE Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “diachronic (adj.), sense 1,” July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3691792233. For completeness, prochronic relates “to […]
The selection of readings in the “Introduction” to Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2, Penguin (1981), edited by Fred E. Emery, reflects a turn from 1969 when a general systems theory was more fully entertained, towards an urgency towards changes in the world that were present in 1981. Systems thinking was again emphasized in contrast […]
In reviewing the original introduction for Systems Thinking: Selected Readings in the 1969 Penguin paperback, there’s a few threads that I only recognize, many years later. The tables of contents (disambiguating various editions) were previously listed as 1969, 1981 Emery, System Thinking: Selected Readings. — begin paste — Introduction In the selection of papers for this […]
In a recording of the debate between Michael Quinn Patton and Michael C. Jackson on “Systems Concepts in Evaluation”, Patton referenced four concepts published in the “Principles for effective use of systems thinking in evaluation” (2018) by the Systems in Evaluation Topical Interest Group (SETIG) of the American Evaluation Society. The four concepts are: (i) […]
