Active month starting off the new year with family time, a full exploration of New Orleans, and back to Toronto to begin teaching, arriving at the date for cataract surgery.
Toronto, Ontario; New Orleans, Louisiana
Pizzaiolo Avenue Road: Lunch out on New Year’s Day reduces choices in restaurants. With Chinese food served three meals per day in the retirement home, pizza is a change for those who have lived in Canada for decades. Deal for two medium pies is convenient for ordering toppings on the second as vegan. (Pizzaiolo, Avenue Road, Nortown, Toronto, Ontario) 20250101Centennial Park Conservatory: Show house with poinsettia plants is one of three greenhouses, beside the tropical house in the centre, and cactus house at the other end. Enjoyed the garden maintained by the City of Toronto, open 365 days per year. Walked 5 laps around the greenery. (Centennial Park Conservatory, Elmcrest Road, Etobicoke, Ontario) 20250101Mr. Ed’s PoBoy Shop: Switching from ET to CT, early dinner before sunset in the French Quarter. Oyster platter full of fries, large catfish poboy, and jambalaya spicier than DY normally likes. Emphasis on fried food and paucity of green vegetables noted, we’ll have to keep an eye out for healthy vegan options. (Mr. Ed’s PoBoy Shop, Iberville Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250110
Mr. Ed’s PoBoy Shop: Fun neighbourhood feel in the most casual branch of a well-known restaurant group known for its oysters. We declined to sit by the window with the wintry wind at the door, and bar stools are too spirited for us. Located on a quieter street in the French Quarter, tourists may not have found this place opened 3 months ago. (Mr. Ed’s PoBoy Shop, Iberville Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250110
Bourbon Street: Strolling through clubbing district on Friday 7:30pm, only a few bars are close enough to have loud music duelling loudly to attract customers. Foot traffic seemed light, maybe a combination of chilly temperatures, and the early hour. We started walking from Canal Street to the west, where memorials to the vehicle attack on crowds are still fresh, through to a dark Jackson Square. (Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250110
Mahogany Jazz Hall: From the street outside the renowned jazz club, we caught a few minutes of the Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet near the end of the early evening set. In the first few hours after arriving in the city, we had opted to wander around Bourbon Street to get a feel or the district. The apartment building where we are staying is literally wrapped around this music venue. (Mahogany Jazz Hall, Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250110
Canal Street, south of Bourbon Street: One week after the vehicle attack on pedestrains, a memorial for each of the victims has been placed on the east sidewalk by the curb. A large truck has been placed at the entry to Bourbon Street, blocking traffic. Waiting on the median for a streetcar, we could see mourners paying respects. (Canal Street, south of Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111Canal Street, north of Harrah Casino streetcar stop: Watched streetcar 47 Canal Street to Cemeteries pivot from southbound to northbound, pausing beside the 48 Canal Street to City Park before leaving. We were waiting for streetcar 49 Union Pacific Terminal to Riverfront for 15 minutes, and then checked the RTA map forecasting more than another 30 minute wait. We instead walked the Riverfront alongside the Mississippi River to the French Market district. (Harrah Casino streetcar stop, Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111
Jackson Square: Cold shade on St. Peter St., but warming sun down Chartres Street, as Glory Land Brass Band winds down a set facing The Cabildo. Music was reflected all the way over to Decatur Street towards the Waterfront. This style of jazz seems better heard outdoors, from a tradition before electronic amplification was invented. (Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111
Blue Nile: Doors to the club were open to the cold, with driving groove inviting visitors to listen to the George Brown Band. The trombonist was leading the bassist, pianist and drummer, with the trumpeter stepping in on this tune. All of the seats in the venue were already taken, my legs were too tired to last another set. (Blue Nile, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111
Frenchmen Art Bazaar: Market for handmade and artistic works doesn’t open until 6pm, showing that Frenchman Street doesn’t come alive until evenings. A little farther north than the jazz clubs, it’s not the recorded music that draws in visitors. Families with children noticeable in the district. (Frenchmen Art Bazaar, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111
Frenchmen Art Bazaar: Holdover from holiday season theme has throne in jungle lit up with shooting stars. DY had to wait her turn, until a father removed his child. Evening finished with a walk back through Bourbon Street, noisier with more partiers on Saturday night. (Frenchmen Street Bazaar, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250111The Presbytere: Second floor of norh wing of museum focuses on history of Mardi Gras, and the regalia associated with its parades. The Krewe du Vieux continues the Carnaval tradition of parody and irreverence mocking both local and international foibles. First floor was less joyous, with a review of living with hurricanes, especially learning from the failure of levees with Hurricane Katrina in in August 2005. (The Presbytere, Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112Louis Armstrong Park: Walking northwest on Dumaine Street out of the French Quarter into Treme, Tivoli Gardens was the inspiration for the eastern extension of Congo Square. Lagoons are crossed on foot over multiple bridges. Green space was largely unoccupied on a cold January day. (Louis Armstrong Park, North Rampart Street at Dumaine Street, Treme, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
Hunters Field: Walked northeast under I-10 overhead freeway for some blocks to track down a traditional parade in Treme, with tractors pulling floats up front, and a brass band following with the second line of pedestrians joining the festivities. We could see the flashing lights of police escorts ahead of slow-moving vehicles from blocks away, directing traffic away from the mess. Event had started late due to the rain, we stood at intersection maybe 2 hours along the route, with another hour to continue. (Hunters Field, North Claiborne Avenue at St. Bernard Avenue, Treme, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
Hunters Field: In the pause after the first float onboard krewes offered throws to the spectators, many strings of beads were just left on the ground to be picked up. After Epiphany, the Twelfth Night of January 6 passes in New Orleans, the Carnaval season begins, many weeks towards a crescendo on Mardi Gras. On the home stretch for the parade, we noticed groups dressed in matching colours, increasing the crowd joining the parade to its end. (Hunters Field, North Claiborne Avenue at St. Bernard Avenue, Treme, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
Hunters Field: Had found the listing for a second line parade with Dumaine Street Ladies Auxiliary, and so expected a brass band. The revelling pedestrians joined as dancers swamped the crowd, so we could barely hear the musicians, let alone identify them. After seeing the tubas pass, the police cars closed off the end of the procession. (Hunters Field, North Claiborne Avenue at St. Bernard Avenue, Treme, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
The Maison: Late afternoon on Frenchmen Street, discovered the Cigar Box Serenaders playing interesting tunes, so we stopped in for dinner. Musical instruments are all homemade from upcycled materials, including a guitar with neck added to a cigar box, electric bass made of a dresser drawer, and drums including the floor bass with a turned over plastic garbage can. Repertoire is wide-ranging, including a surf rock and Scott Joplin. (The Maison, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
Cafe Negril: Expected Tri-Fi to be a piano-drums-bass, arrived to hear organ-drums-guitar-saxophone. Keyboardist was dancing on foot pedals for low notes, to free up left hand. Live performances are different from recordings, audiences sometimes like improvisation on top of familiar tunes. (Cafe Negril, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250112
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans: Small wooden maquette of bleachers on the floor projects a large shadow with #ChristopherCozier (2024) It Had Already Been Decided. Reflection on privilege and power of watching others, with histories of colonialization, spectacle and resource extraction. Outdoor sculpture has been produced at full scale cross town. (Contemporary Arts Center, Camp Street, New Orleans) 20250113
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans: Subtle hiss suggesting a methane gas leak #HannahChalew (2024) Orphan Well Gamma Garden investigates impact of oil and gas pipelines. Salvaged wellhead repurposed as nourishing fountain for living plants. Plasticane mixes shredded reclaimed plastic with waste sugarcane fibrous waste. (Contemporary Arts Center, Camp Street, New Orleans) 20250113
Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans: Room-filling #JeannetteEhlers 2020/2024 We’re Magic, We’re Real #2 rotating ball with ominous sounds. Planet of synthetic afro hair examines identity in African diaspora. Makeshift universe of reflective emergency blankets. (Contemporary Arts Center, Camp Street, New Orleans) 20250113
Ogden Museum of Southern Art: Painting by Louisiana native Dickie Landry (1996) [Ogden] Red Split is in the permanent collection in New Orleans. After teaching in a rural school for 2 years, moved to New York in 1969 as a musician, then becoming a photographer influenced by abstract expressionism. Established as a saxophonist and composer, he moved back to Louisiana in 1995. (Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Camp Street, New Orleans) 20250113New Orleans Museum of Art: Installed on wall on second floor, #LeonardoDrew (2016) Number 59S sculpture resembles debris. Gridded surfaces and protruding tree limbs and branches come from memories of landfill adjacent to childhood public housing project. History of harsh, crowded environments of American inner cities. (New Orleans Museum of Art, Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250114New Orleans Museum of Art: Staged together (i) #JoyceLin (2022) Ghostwood Chair and Table, with (ii) #MarcelWanders (2017) Born, Raised, and Protected Chandelier. Driftwood was shaped by water, desaturated by sun, darkened by fire. Light fixture references a cloud, but barbed wire nests fragile glass eggs. (New Orleans Museum of Art, Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250114Cafe du Monde City Park: Beignets and cafe au lait with chicory at midday, in the more spacious branch a 30-minute streetcar ride north. We visited the more famous location in the French Market, opting against the mob under the dark tent. Eating the French donut leaves powdered sugar on clothes. (Cafe Du Monde City Park, Dreyfous Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250114Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden: Unlikely to close to safety, Coosje van Bruggen + Claes Oldenburg 1999 Corridor Pin, Blue looms overhead. Pop art renders banal objects in disproportion to evoke humour and wonder, reminding us of the everyday. Multiple copies of the sculpture were produced, set in alternate geographies. (Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20240114
The Spotted Cat: Caught last set of a 4-hour afternoon slot by #ChrisChristy Band, playing original contemporary tunes in a town with many traditional sounds. Seating in small venue was full on a Tuesday afternoon. Might have arrived earlier, but another unsuccessful wait for an waterfront streetcar delayed starting another trek across the French Quarter. (The Spotted Cat Music Club, Frenchmen Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 202141116
Bird Island Preserve, Audubon Park: Thousands of Black Bellied Whistling Ducks exhibited sociable behaviour with noisy wheezy sounds. The mostly non-migratory species unusually nests in trees, and enjoys Louisiana weather. We only strolled on the east side of the large park, on the way to Tulane University. (Bird Island Preserve, Audubon Park, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115
Academic Quad, Tulane University: The Bead Three sculpture, installed in 2020, is a trio of 21-foot steel rods, where students toss their Carnaval throws especially during Mardi Gras season. This installation replaced the former Bead Tree that was struck by lightning and then infested with termites. Happened onto campus near noontime class change, with student travelling many directions. (Academic Quad, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115Chill Out Cafe: Mixed some academic exchange with prior scheduled vacation, lunch with some faculty from #TaylorCenter for #SocialInnovation and #DesignThinking. Outlined the 10-year journey of the #SystemsChanges Learning Circle, and teaching at #OCADU. Learned about Tulane U. program after 10-years. new emphasis on building collaborative capacity. (Chill Out Cafe, Burdette Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane: Illuminated by windowed ceiling, Clarissa Tossin (2024) We Are Stardust has blue chiffon fabric hanging in parallel. Celestial shapes populate each translucent sheet bearing the national flag of a country. Conundrum of nation states claiming of-world territories, and private companies commercializing. Background Clarissa Tossin (2022) Future Georgraphy: The Five Galaxies of Stephen’s Quintet. (Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane, St Charles Avenue New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115Lafayette Cemetery No. 1: Commissioned in 1832, the most famous residents interred in this non-denominational necropolis are the Mayfair Witches, created by Anne Rice in _The Witching Hour_. This graveyard is closed to vistors for repair work and maintenance, levelling sidewalks and removing trees. Movies filmed here include Interview with a Vampire (1994) and Double Jeopardy (1999). (Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, Washington Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115
Jon Cleary | When You Get Back | Chickee Wah Wah | 2025-01-15:: Coming off a jazz cruise, Jon Cleary filled the room with his solo piano and singing. New Orleans isn’t just about jazz, as we’ve been exploring musicians playing funk. Appreciative audience filled room on a rainy Wednesday night, as we took a short streetcar and bus ride out of the more popular Bourbon Street district. (Chickee Wah Wah, Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250115
Congo Square: Off the southwest edge of Louis Armstrong Park, Sheleen Jones (2010) New Orleans Marching Brass Band depicts trombonist, saxophonist, trumpeter, snare drummer, bass drummer, and tubaist, as part of the Roots of Music Cultural Garden. The Black Code of 1724 established Sunday as a nonworking day, but it wasn’t until 1817 that Congo Square was declared as a place where Africans could dance and be merry. In 1940, this is where the first jazz festival was held. (Congo Square, North Rampart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250116
St Roch Cemetery No. 1 ~ Campo Santo: Further northeast than most tourists would go, this Catholic cemetery and chapel was built on a 1874 promise by a priest if the congregation was spared the yellow feature outbreak. Vaults positioned above ground, due to the high water table in the region. Visitation of the chapel is available on the first Friday of the month. (St Roch Cemetery No. 1 ~ Campo Santo, St. Roch Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250116
St Roch Market: Originally built in 1838 as a city market in the New Marigny neighbourhood, and renovated in 1875 and 1950s, the building became a supermarket and then Chinese restaurant. Damaged with Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures in 2005, the mayor campaigned for state and federal funding to restore the building. In 2014, the city leased the building to a private business modernizing into a multi-tenant food hall. (St Roch Market, South Claude Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250116
30°/-90°: Soul-jazz trio with #Organami with #AaronWalker drums, #MattGalloway guitar, #TrisDuncan organ. Wearing a Maple Leafs shirt and originating from Toronto, the drummer discovered two couples in audience also visiting from up north. This was the fourth music club on Frenchman Street that we visited, arriving in time to hear two full sets. (30°/-90°, 520 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250116
St. Peters Street: Walking back from Frenchman Street through Jackson Square, heard brass band and saw crowd walking north. Caught up to find wedding couple dancing with the Jaywalkers Second Line Band, celebrating with music. Unclear how many people were part of the procession, and how many chose to follow the group to Pat O’Brien’s pub. (St. Peter Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250116
Historic New Orleans Collection: On 1985 acquisition Francois Fleischbein (1837) Free Woman of Color, local conservator determined funny lace collar and now were not original, and painted over without authorization. In 2016, another conservator examined and discovered collar and bow had been overpainted rather than removed. In 2017, a new conservator uncovered these features to restore to original appearance. (Historic New Orleans Collection – Seignouret-Brulatour building, 520 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117Historic New Orleans Collection: Reproduction (1927) Green Dragon Brand Dry Pack Shrimp crate label was a product of the Chinese-owned Quong Sun Company founded in 1873, with Chinatown around Tulane Avenue and South Rampart Street. In 1926 the company moved to St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, eventually changing its name to Gulf Food Products. In the 1930s, many other Chinese businesses relocated along Bourbon Street, when it was an immigrant district. (Historic New Orleans Collection – Seignouret-Brulatour building, 520 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117
Historic New Orleans Collection: Aeolian electric player pipe organ was installed in the 1920s by tobacco magnate William Ratcliffe for home entertainment. Restored and updated with MIDI controller by the Holtkamp Organ Company. Guests would ride the electric elevator to the third floor to hear the pipes in the walls of in this Seignouret-Brulatour Building. (Historic New Orleans Collection – Seignouret-Brulatour building, 520 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117
Historic New Orleans Collection: Historic New Orleans Collection: Cafe had King Cake available by the slice, a tradition during Carnaval season leading up to Mardi Gras some weeks away. Reminiscent of cinnamon roll pastry, this style had French cream cheese filling. No baby figure was found in our segment, bakeries only started producing 7 days ago, at Twelfth Night. (Historic New Orleans Collection – Seignouret-Brulatour building, 520 Royal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117The Cabildo: Dark style of George Rodrigue (1973) Sugar Bridge over Coulée (Straub’s Coulée) emerged over three years. Found contrast between Texas with wide open spaces and large sky, compared to Cajun landscape as closed, dark, with very small sky. An early work in the Before the Blue Dog exhibition. (The Cabildo, Louisiana State Museum, Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117The Cabildo: The first in the Blue Dog series, George Rodrigue (1984) Watchdog, remembering his mother’s story about loup-garou, a werewolf-like creature of Cajun folktales. Starting from a photograph of his deceased dog Tiffany, the colour blue suggests moonlight streaming from above. For the next 25 years, this imagery would become the focus of his studio practice. (The Cabildo, Louisiana State Museum, Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana) 20250117OCADU Graduate Programs: Guest lecture by @redesign while in town, for a @OCADU_SFI class he originated, now led by @XformbyDesign. Reviewed current community around @RSDSymposium, with history back to two systems thinking classes becoming one. Content-full day for students on the second week of class. (OCADU Graduate Programs, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20250122Pape Village: First family dinner of the year accidentally formal, falling on Lunar New Year’s Day. Catching up on stories of January visits to India, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand. May become the new regular periodic venue, since home remodelling of kitchen and dining room are done. (Pape Village, Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20250129
Kensington Eye Institute: Highly efficient cataract procedure seemed less involved than some dental surgery I’ve had. Put into chair, with simultaneous application of drops in eyes, blood pressure cuff, and IV into back of hand. Wheeled into operating room, with doctor and anesthesiologist for less than 10 minutes, then wheeled out to waiting room for pick up release. (Kensington Eye Institute, College Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20250131
Toronto, Ontario; Markham, Ontario
Ignite Gallery: Coinciding with #GradEx108 opening, #HarmonyMcNish (2023) Nomadic Homestead is recognized as a Sculpture & Innovation outstanding talent for a month. Trailer with single bed was constructed with a no-blueprint approach similar to settler-built architecture, including salvaged materials such as a washing machine door and hydro pole arms. Second floor venue buzzing with visitors. (Ignite Gallery, OCADU,l Mc;Caul Street, Toronto) 20220503OCAD University: Amongst the many #GradEx108 works, #emmyytranpaints (2023) Across the Way acrylic on canvas caught my eye. Landscape of a ferry ride out west, recollection of ocean, mountain and sky, with wind blowing on the top deck. Overwhelmed by the flood of art and design in a wide variety of techniques and materials across 6 floors, plus the party outside in the park to the south. (OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20230503Milliken Square: Burst of greenery in interior hallway of strip mall with difficult-to-find entry door. Focused entirely on Chinese clientele, many units still vacant from failed businesses during the pandemic shutdown. Signage outside suggested taking a peek, a brief exploration after my father’s appointment across the parking lot. (Milliken Square Shopping centre, Milliken Boulevard, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230509Costco Scarborough: Not a trip to outer space, but an assessment in a soundproof chamber in a hearing centre. Tympanometry test found eardrums moving as normal. Speech discrimination excellent in right ear and good in left, but tone testing showed moderate to severe slope in hearing loss. A hearing aid would mostly increase volume to make listening easier, but the patient declined for now. (Costco Hearing Centre, Warden Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230510Waterfront Innovation Centre: Open house @WaterfrontTO featuring model of Play Garden planned as a desetination venue on Villiers Island, west of Cherry Street where Commissioners Street ends. Scheduled to start construction February 2024 and open in spring 2026, foreground shows Fireboat Splash Zone, Black Bear Campsite, and Learning Centre. Arrived late to see panel with seated audience, I took the liberty of wandering around displays while listening. (Waterfront Innovation Centre, Queen Quay’s East, Toronto, Ontario) 20230512
Varley Art Gallery of Markham: Lion dance at opening of Longing Belonging & 100 Years exhibition extending the #LongTimeNoSee community works from Spadina Chinatown downtown in 2021. Recognition of 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada, and the Williams Treaties (1923) surrendering lands by seven First Nations in Southern Ontario. Photographic installations inside extended participation to Scarborough and Markham ethnic Chinese Canadians, and newer immigrants. (Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Main Street, Unionville, Ontario) 20220513
Varley Art Gallery of Markham: Kwoi Gin (2023) Finding Beauty Among Ashes of Ancestors Pain and Sorrow, reflecting the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act on family history. In the middle of the room, person items within a caged bed, evoking claustrophic isolation experienced by Chinese sojourners. Three walls with images of elderly mother’ preparing food, head tax snapsots, and poetry etched into walls of the Canadian Immigration Detainment building. (Varley Art Gallery of Markham, Main Street, Unionville, Ontario) 20231513Dim Sum King: Spring Festival dinner with the Lowkong Society started with karaoke before the meal was served. During dinner, more karaoke was invited from the audience, drawing a variety of Cantoneese and English lanugage selections. Our family joined in, both with less-than-harmonious vocals and hiphop dancing. (Dim Sum King, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20220513Cherry Street South Bridge: Touring southbound on bike lane on new Port Lands bridge, got a friendly wave from a three-wheel cyclist northbound. At late afternoon, the two-wheeled vehicles are almost as popular as four-wheeled over the divider. Construction still has temporary winding route north and south of the bridge. (Cherry Street South Bridge, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20230516Lambert Lounge: After first round with #DesignWithDialogue question, @redesign suggested getting up to stretch. Led to @playthink capturing proceedings on wall poster sheet, while participants wandered around room thinking about questions related to question by #HumbertoMaturana about How We Live Together. First in-person meeting since January 2020, next month may schedule not on Wednesdays, anticipating some other past regular attendees. (Lambert Lounge, OCADU, McCaul Street, Toronto) 20230517Mount Pleasant Cemetery: First of four stops across two cemeteries for family qingming tomb sweeping on Victoria Day. Plants from previous years in good shape, we added three flowers, and dug an extra hole for an found potted plant left by another unidentified extended family member. We noticed that grandmother’s final date was finally chiselled into the tombstone, Uncle had said he would handle that. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Time pressure on family qingming tomb sweeping, with only one of four sons in town on holiday weekend. To burn hell money, we forgot to bring a lighter, and were fortunate that another Chinese family leaving nearby were generous in lending us a box of matches. Dad completed pouring out three cups of spirits, we took the picture, and then remembered to bring out the BBQ meat from the car for a quick lunch. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Added a plant to the gravesite for the Lee side of the family, tomb doesn’t look to have been visited by anyone this year. Lit incense and burned hell money. In the rush to leave, DY singed her finger on the hot can, before it cooled. (Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20220522
Pine Hills Cemetery: By the monument on high ground at the north end of the cemetery, the elders of the Lowkong Society gathered to remember ancestors. Planted flowers, read a proclamation, distributed oranges. Our family has been regular attendees since our sons were children, we noticed new directional signs added by grounds management. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230522
Mount Pleasant Cemetery: Reading honoring ancestors by the clan elders of the Lowkong Society, on Victoria Day. Briefer ceremony this year, with flowers planted and oranges distributed. Good turnout with favourable weather. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20220522Pine Hills Cemetery: As the clan ceremonies wound down just east of mom’s plot, we started digging a hole to put in new plants for this year. The large number of worms in the earth suggests a fertile ecosystem. More leisurely grazing on lunch, as the last of four stops for qingming tomb sweeping day. (Pine Hills Cemetery, Birchmount Road, Scarborough, Ontario) 20230522Thorncliffe Park Community Hub: After getting booster Covid-19 shots, DY strikes the manner legs pose popular in Korea, to lower herself into the frame of childrens’ illustrations that must have been completed to pass the time up to the 15-minute wait for release. She mentioned to the nurse that her last shot hurt, and was given an ice pack to relieve symptoms. Late afternoon weekday visit, yet no wait, and the patient’s option for either Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. (Thornecliffe Park Community Hub, Overlea Boulevard, East York, Ontario) 20230523Chinatown Centre: Looking through window into second floor exhibition space, @badasscrybb solo exhibition including couch in front of old television reminds me of growing up in a 1970s pre-digital era with optimism. Opening reception of from:future to:past saw hallway busy with visitors, entry into the small unit beyond a welcome mat surrounded with shoes removed, following Asian manners inside. Arts bringing grassroots community together in Spadina Chinatown. (Chinatown Centre, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20230525Bosnian Islamic Association: Nikah Islamic wedding ceremony conducted following afternoon prayers. Gathering included some familiar faces in the local systems thinking community, including an individual who wasn’t specifically invited, but happened to come to his local mosque to pray. Honoured to be included in the traditions of another culture. (Bosnian Islamic Association, N. Queen Street, Etobicoke, Ontario) 20230527
Beaches Lodge: For @Doors_OpenTO, official meeting of #Freemasons are not in progress, so visitors were permitted to view the large chambers. Cabinet with three doors shows the tools of the craft: (i) entered apprentice, of 24-inch gauge, common gavel and chisel; (ii) fellowcraft of square, level and plumb; and (iii) master mason of skirret, pencil and compasses. Spoke with a member with 4 years experience, this lodge has about 90 members, with 30 regularly attending meetings. (Beaches Lodge, Millwood Road, East York, Ontario) 20230528
Back to school, teaching and learning at 2 universities.
Toronto, Ontario
Scrap Metal Gallery: Installation @ernatmack (2019) Wither, billow, waist? hanging at #ScrapMetalGallery has a feeling of lightness, with translucent fabrics. Some other pieces in the show are made of heavy moving blankets. Dark, rainy day outside, art lovers come as individuals or duos for a destination visit. (Scrap Metal Gallery, Dublin Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190111OCADU Graduate Programs: Overview of #SystemicDesign toolkit by @redesign @OCADU_SFI class. Second lecture of term started with current thinking from the #SystemsChanges Learning Circle http://coevolving.com/commons/20200115-ocadu-systems-changes-different-from . Immersive approach to recasting language and reifying #SystemsThinking leads students to get more comfortable with ambiguity. Group had collectively decided to reschedule evening class to afternoon, so weeks following shouldn’t be dark outside. (OCADU Graduate Programs, 205 Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20200115OCADU Graduate Programs: Friday morning class on #SystemsThinking @OCADU_SFI runs in parallel with late Wednesday session. Presented same slides http://coevolving.com/commons/20200115-ocadu-systems-changes-different-from , pacing content in synch. Larger group, larger room, interactions with part-time graduate students is a little different from full-time colleagues. These students have a long day, likely before homework over the weekend. (OCADU Graduate Programs, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20200117Systems Thinking Ontario: Topic of “Inferring Systems Thinking” at the 75th monthly meeting of #SystemsThinking Ontario, reviewing and reflecting on the titles, readings and discussions beginning in 2013. https://wiki.st-on.org/2020-01-20 If we’ve met that many times, what could we surmise that we’ve discussed, and what might be missing? Not everyone attended every session, but we shared collective wisdom. Some input gathered for future sessions. (Systems Thinking Ontario, Strategic Innovation Lab, OCADU, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20200120Climate Ventures: Tight queuing for podium for 16 Earth Tech companies @ClimateCSI inauguration social. Accelerator https://climateventures.org/earthtech/ have an intensive 6 months. #BarnabeGeis posed if the darkness currently perceived is a womb, where there’s light in the birth ahead. Not-yet-elevator stories about each startup, introducing to partners, advisors and allies. (Climate Ventures, Centre for Social Innovation, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20190121Koffler Centre of the Arts: Exhibiting “the chrysanthemum has opened twelve times”, @artkarentam, conversing with #ShellieZhang @KofflerArts. Talk began with inspiration of formal photograph of grandfather, leading to exploration of history of staged images sent back to families in Toisan. In addition to photos, installation of portrait studio settings and backgrounds.constructed in collaboration with father and mother. (Koffler Centre of the Arts, Shaw Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20190126
PyData PyLadies Toronto: Joint @PyDataTO @PyLadiesToronto meeting including @sereprz on Improving Law Interpretability with NLP. Unsupervised Machine Learning, using spaCy on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act data. Extract burdens (obligations), identify subjects, cluster subject (looking for homogenous groups in vector space. Used GLoVe (global vectors for word representation), with dimensionality reduction for sparse data. K-means clustering and evaluation through TD-IDF. Understood presentation, as a result of taking Big Data classes at Ryerson Chang School. (PyData Toronto, PyLadies Toronto, Intelliware, Adelaide Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20200129
The “Understanding Systems” SFIN-6011 course is a requirement in the master’s program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU. For winter 2025, the class is now led by Stephen Davies, breaking the incremental evolving of content since 2008. While still on faculty at OCADU, the original course designer Peter H. Jones is now a Distinguished […]
In the 1970s, five ways of knowing were established by C. West Churchman in The Design of Inquiring Systtems. In the 1990s, his student Ian Mitroff carried on the tradition and extended that work in The Unbounded Mind. Now in the 2020s, the technology of Generative AI opens up opportunties to query or request responses […]
For readers with an interest deeper than the 15-minute presentation given in August, the Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Socio-Technical Perspectives in Information Systems (STPIS 2024) have now been formally publishied. The invited paper on “Reifying Socio-Technical and Socio-Ecological Perspectives for Systems Changes: From rearranging objects to repacing rhythms” was reviewed by the […]
The 125th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario coincided with the closing day for the RSD13-RSDX online program. As a regular systems convening group, we’ve had monthly meetings since January 2013. Zaid Khan moderated a discussion including me (David Ing), Tim Lloyd, Allenna Leonard, and Kelly Okamura. We recollected starting as a spinoff from Design with […]
The International Society for General Systems Research formed circa 1956 became the International Society for the Systems Sciences in 1988. In 1985, Bela H. Banathy organized the annual meeting on the theme of “Systems Inquiring”. Proceedings normally are published in the year following. In 1987, John A. Dillon summarized Banathy’s perspective in the yearbook, General […]
For five immersive days, a team of six researchers had the opporunity to collaborate on ideas on rhythmic shifts (mostly based on Systems Changes Learning) and anticipatory systems (in the legacy of Robert Rosen). The 2024 Banathy Conversation was organized by the Creative Systemic Research Platform Institute, facilitated by Susu Nousala, Gary S. Metcalf, and […]
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 ›
The appreciation of change is different in Western philosophy than in classical Chinese philosophy. JeeLoo Lin published a concise contrast on differences. Let me parse the Introduction to the journal article, that is so clearly written. The Chinese theory of time is built into a language that is tenseless. The Yijing (Book of Changes) there […]
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 […]
