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
Completed round-the-world trip Helsinki-Hameenlinna-London, then busy holiday season including an Achilles tendon injury from parkour, and our da shou Double 60 celebration.
Helsinki, Finland; Hameenlinna, Finland; London, UK, Scarborough, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario
Kiasma: Julia Varela (2016) X/5.000 from the series Hijacked, plasma screens crumpled and rendered useless. Inspired by terrorists erecting screens in Mosel to promote propaganda. Museum exhibition of Ars17 features contemporary artists on the digital revolution. (Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio, Helsinki, Finland) 20171201HAMK: Saturday lecture to master’s students scheduled in the luxury of space of a large classroom. Reorganized discussion into small groups, sitting around a table might have improved interactions. In a new building on the university campus. (HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171202Ahvenisto Lake: Winter swimming area kept clear of ice by air bubbling near shore. Steps down from public sauna are kept warm for health enthusiasts who want to warm up before plunging into the cold. In early evening, saw visitors headed towards the building, then a woman emerged in near freezing temperatures to enter the water. We walked a path around the lake, illuminated after the sunset before 3:30 p.m. (Ahvenisto Lake, Hameenlinna, Finland) 20171202Rosso: Our friendship is a continuing conversation since my first visit to Finland in 2003 (and meeting in California in 1999). This restaurant has been truly local for over 50 years, predating fast food chains. Neapolitan pizza with vegan cheese an indulgence leading to overconsumption. (Rosso, Sibeliuksenkatu, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171202Museo Militaria: Days before centenary of Finland’s independence, immersed in longer history of land controlled by Sweden, and then Russia until the revolution of 1917. Jaegers trained in Germany in the few years preceding, became core of white (anti-communist) army who defeated the red and Russian forces. History explains why Finnish engineering and telecommunications figure large in the society. (The Artillery, Engineers and Signals Museum of Finland, Vanhankaupunginkatu, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171203HAMK: Soft launch @daviding with @MinLii of Open Innovation Learning book in Finland, in advance of formal event in January. In conjunction with Open Data Hame meeting, led to practical questions about engaging greater participation supporting regional travel and tourism initiatives. (HAMK Häme University of Applied Sciences, Visamäentie, Hämeenlinna, Finland) 20171204Dipoli: International students on intercept lunch between other activities on campus. Completed renovation of Dipoli touted as first step in the new university campus plan. The granite interior was part of the original design from 1966 for the Student Union of the Helsinki University of Technology. Hope they got a good price when it was sold to Aalto University Properties a few years ago. (Dipoli, Otaniemi, Espoo, Finland) 201712015
Helsinki; Finland; London, England; Dublin, Ireland; Toronto, Ontario; Fairfield, Iowa
Mei Lin: Lunch to catch up on news with Satu in advance of teaching class at Metropolia tomorrow. Students are mid-career professionals interested in practical international experiences, as tighter university budgets mean fewer lecturers from abroad. Industrial Management program will move from historic Bulevardi building out to Leppävaara campus in 2018. Chinese cuisine from Chongqing region included cumin lamb, unusual. (Mei Lin, Lönnrotinkatu, Helsinki, Finland) 20161201Juttutupa: Meetup with some 2nd year students from the Systems Thinking 2 February class, and a few more from the 1st year of the master’s program in Creative Sustainability. Glad to hear that knowledge they gained was useful in subsequent studies, as they then explain concepts to other group team members who didn’t take this session of the intensive course. This restaurant a quieter place to talk, until an excellent band started playing after 8 p.m.. (Juttutupa, Säästöpankinranta, Helsinki, Finland) 20161201Metropolia U., Bulevardi campus: Lectured in Industrial Management master’s program, collaborating on generative pattern language writing for an hour, after 90 minutes of lecture. Students are mostly working professionals with practical experience, so we jointly felt our way through using the format for service systems thinking. We’ve come a long way since the program was initiated in 2006. (Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Bulevardi, Helsinki, Finland) 20161202Kiasma: Brian Eno (1999) Memory Flowers is 16 speakers facing upwards on stems, playing ambient music. First shown in 2000 in a solo show, brought out of storage for Kiasma Collection Exhibition. Emmi and J.P. came in late afternoon for the first Friday of the month free admission, well-timed to avoid the 5 pm crush at the coat check. (Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio, Helsinki, Finland) 20161202Vanha Kauppahalli: Buying salmon in the same way that Finns have since 1889 when the Old Market Hall opened. Also bought little fried vendace at the next stall, to be used in an appetizer. Saturday afternoon sees a lot of tourist visitors, many eating salmon soup facing out from the renovated stalls to become part of the scenery (Kalakauppa E. Eriksson, Vanha Kauppahalli, Eteläranta, Helsinki, Finland) 20161203Lapinlahdenkatu: Dinner with all Finnish ingredients (unless the salmon came from Norway). Discussed 2016 as a transitional year with lots of change, released now positively towards 2017. Missu the cat hid for most of the dinner, either not enjoying the streaming jazz, or suspicious that the catsitter would take him away. (Lapinlahdenkatu, Helsinki, Finland) 20161203Moomin Shop, Helsinki Airport T2: Looked at plush toy, saw “Design from Finland” but no country of manufacture. Phoned to wake up DY at 4 a.m. Toronto time to ask if 15cm 100% polyester figure was worth the money, she said no. Suggested Moomin shopping bags hanging outside, with tags saying Made in PRC, DY declined. On walk back to T1, noticed Moomin troll toys also available in the duty free shop. Not a motivated shopper today. (Moomin Store, Gates 26-27, Terminal 2, Helsinki Vantaa Airport) 20161205Niven’s: From online The Ecology of Systems Thinking group to meeting in person, PJ came for a coffee, talking while watching me eat a full English breakfast. Worked through jams of orange marmalade vanilla, raspberry rose, blood orange marmalade, pear. Discussed history of science within the systems thinking community and the variety of notable figures, up to current day theoreticians and practitioners. (Niven’s, King Cross Road, London, England) 20161206
Chicago, IL; Toronto, Ontario; Fairfield, IA; Des Moines, IA; Deadwood, SD; London, UK; Oxford, UK.
Jetway B24 at the end of the OHare universe. Arrival on commuter plan from Cedar Rapids, to discover gate at very end of airport, by fences with access road into terminals just on the other side. Fortunately, connection scheduled of 2 hours, and flight to Toronto leaves from Gate B14. (Chicago) 20140501Pine Hills Cemetery. Family and friends gathered to honour the life of Violet Ing. Lots of stories about the past and memories. (Scarborough, Ontario) 20140505PanAm Athletes Village under construction. Canary District, Cherry Street by Front Street, with unfinished apartments in the background. Roads are blocked to traffic while streetcar tracks are being put in, but construction workers at the end of day don’t pay much attention to a cyclist (Toronto) 20140507Corktown Commons playground ready for children. Aqua colored soft playground surfaces in quiet playground on a cool late Thursday afternoon. Road construction and unfinished apartment buildings mean families not yet nearby. View north to Adelaide overpass. (Toronto) 20140508Monday night family dinner out. Seating for 6, ordered for 8. Way too much good, leftovers predictable. (Markham) 20140512Alfresco dining in Iowa. Heartland tradition of thick burgers from local beef on Fridays, Curbside Grill by Chef Curtis by the Hy-Vee supermarket, over by the gas bar. Cooked to order slightly pink might not meet big city bylaws. Retreated to cafe for warmth in unexpectedly chilly May. (Fairfield, IA) 20140516Intercept for breakfast. Early morning, then two hours drive west in Iowa to meet in person, after months of teleconferences. Last minute plans on meetings in South Dakota over breakfast. (Des Moines) 20140519Deadwood History and Information Center. Learned that during the Gold Rush, Deadwood had the largest Chinatown outside of San Francisco. Historian said last building demolished some decades ago, leading to formation of historical society. (Deadwood, SD) 20140522Queue for platform 9-3/4. Everyone wants to join Harry Potter at Hogwarts at permanent installation at King’s Cross station. Renovations at station now all done. (London, England) 20140525Lounge at Egrove Park. Residence for executive education at Said Business School at Oxford U. is quite tranquil when not in session. Bedrooms are architecturally interesting, but luggage up and down stairs annoying. (Oxford) 20140529
Radcliffe Observatory, Green Templeton College on Flickr. Dinner for Oxford Futures Forum on oldest continually operating meteorological station on Britain. Chef reputed to get superior ratings after each course than professors (Oxford) 20140530
London was on the way home after the meeting in Hull, so we scheduled three days for some family touring.
Routing back from the ISSS 2011 meeting in Hull, Diana, Adam, Thuy and I stopped over for a few days in London. From King’s Cross, we rode the underground to go to the hotel in Earl’s Court. I might have checked the map more closely, as the West Kensington or West Brompton stations would have have been closer. Our luggage is on wheels, but we had a long walk.
Our sightseeing started around Pimlico, where we unexpectedly found a summer show of graduate works at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. The installation by Minji Lee was one of the more intriguing.
We budgeted a few hours to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum. The venue is mammoth, so we tried to be selective, wending our ways through the mazes of hall.
The plan for a London-Oxford-Hull research trip turned into a London-Oxford-London-Hull routing, albeit fruitful.
There can be a difference between vacation photos and travel photos. Seven days in the UK in five cities wasn’t a leisurely plan, and business called for a few more train rides than originally planned. For a coordinated series of research meetings, I arrived at Heathrow from Finland, and Gary arrived almost the same time from the U.S. We took the tube to Waterloo station, and dragged our luggage to our hotel along the scenic South Bank of the Thames, seeing Westminister Abbey across the river.
With the history of the Tavistock Institute at top of mind, we rode the tube up to Swiss Cottage to look at the Tavistock Clinic. The Institute and Clinic used to be colocated, but are now independent entities. On a late Sunday evening, the facilities were closed.
As a change from riding the London underground, we decided to return to the hotel on a double decker bus to see more of the city. We rode from Swiss Cottage on a path including Wellington Road, to Victoria Station.
The next day, I acted as scribe while Gary conducted an interview with Sir Richard Bowlby, on the ties between the research between by John Bowlby and cybernetics. Upon learning that the Bowlby archives are at the Wellcome Library, Gary and I decided to change our travel plans to reroute back through London for one day.
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) […]
