Clear autumn near home in Toronto, extended with a family vacation within Canada to Vancouver, where the Covid rates are more favourable
Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC
Chester Hill Lookout: Cool autumn morning shows leaves starting change colours in view northwest towards Beltline Trail and Moore Park. In the foreground, Evergreen Brick Works should be quiet on a weekday, and the Don Valley Parkway is below capacity for morning rush. Overlook had a few clusters of neighbours presumably enjoying the clear weather. (Chester Hill Lookout, Chester Hill Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20201001Grange Park: Grass around #HenryMoore 1966-1969 Two Large Forms, contrasts with the hard sidewalk at the original installation of 1974 on the southwest sidewalk of McCaul Street and Dundas Street. In summer 2017, the sculpture was moved onto the Grange property. To the east, the Sharp Centre for Design at OCADU was first opened in 2004. (Grange Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20201005Former Bayview Avenue onramp from River Street: The entry between Queen Street and King Street descended onto Bayview Avenue before 2011, after which the Flood Protection Landform routed traffic south towards the new Corktown Commons. Parkette seems temporary, with fences and construction machines at the bottom of the slope. The green space should eventually get a name when redevelopment is completed. (River Street, between Queen Street and King Street, Corktown, Toronto, Ontario) 20201017Clarence Square: Cut tree trunk with branch, light showing through hollows in two dimensions, closed on the bottom. In a park by busy streets, did planners or city workers design to leave a small point of interest next to the mature tree? Dog run to the south, many pedestrians with canines happy to see each other. (Clarence Square, Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20201021Logan Avenue, south of Queen Street East: Unnamed laneway eastbound to Morse Street, blocked for paving. In parallel, local neighbours promoting Laneway Park-ing project for greening the public street behind commercial buildings leading to residential right-of-ways. We’re on the west side of Logan Avenue, where redevelopment at the end of the street transformed our laneway. (Laneway south of Queen Street East, from Logan Avenue to Morse Street, Riverside, Toronto, Ontario) 20201022Toronto Pearson Airport: Maple Leaf Lounge isn’t the same, in the pandemic. On way to Vancouver, may visit family, if they can bear the social isolation count below 6 in BC. (Maple Leaf Lounge, Domestic, Toronto Pearson Airport, Ontario) 20201023Twin Falls Bridge: The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge was closed, so we walked further downwards to the fixed crossing to the south. Long wooden stairs down, and boardwalk planks meant steadier balance. No real photo opportunities in the canyon, we followed the paths well above the flowing water below. (Twin Falls Bridge, Lynn Valley Ecology Centre, North Vancouver, BC) 20201025Lighthouse Park: Practically as far west in continental Canada as possible. Hike to the overlook of the Port Atkinson Lighthouse was posted as 10 minutes down, and 25 minutes back up to the parking lot. Pedestrian route through old growth forest, thick trunk hemlock trees with more than 500 rings. (Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver, BC) 20201025Lord Strathcona School: Strolling with Chinatown memories back to the 1960s, remembering the elementary school for KY, TW and DI. Sons getting history of the family, first-hand accounts of growing up in the neighbourhood. Population was practically all Chinese in those days, houses nearby are now gentrified. (Lord Strathcona School, East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC) 20201025Strathcona: Walked from front of building to the east side, to appreciate the multi-level unit that was home to a family of 9. Decades later, everyone has now moved out of the neighbourhood, most with families of their own. Recalling the places called home, within a few blocks of each other, and the distances walking to school. (718 Campbell Avenue, Vancouver, BC) 20201020Simon K.Y. Lee Senior Care Home: Window visit with DY’s mother, as we aren’t the designated family visitor for the month to the eldercare facility. She recognized us through the glass, and was happy to see us. Helpful staff at the centre said that she knew we were coming from Toronto, as we had phoned ahead to make arrangements. (Simon K.Y. Lee Senior Care Home, Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC) 20201026Kitsilano: Reminiscing back to July 1984, when DY moved into my apartment, followed in the next month as an uncommitted girlfriend leaving Vancouver for an uncertain future in Toronto. I had lived in the apartment with the big picture window since November 1982, as a graduate student at UBC. The building looks much the same today, although the West 4th Avenue commercial strip has since densified. (1960 Waterloo Street, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC) 20201026Vancouver Art Gallery: Alienated by the Euro-Canadian style of the period, #EmilyCarr (1935) “A Rushing Sea of Undergrowth” adopted the expressive power of the forest in a deliberately limited palette of greens and blues. In later reflection, she said that she was interested in the abstraction of #LawrenHarris, but chose to retain her vision of being of nature, rather than next to it. Part of the exhibition of “Rapture, Rhythm and the Tree of Life”. (Vancouver Art Gallery, Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC) 20201027Vancouver Art Gallery: Showing “nothing”, #ZhuJinshi (1977) “The Tao of Rice Paper II” sees folds of sheets hanging over bamboo in a floor-to-ceiling installation. The artist sees abstract as really from Western philosophy and aesthetics, not from the Tao of Chinese philosophy. Part of the “Common Language exhibition. (Vancouver Art Gallery, Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC) 20201027Richmond Art Gallery: Serigraph #GuXiong 1993 “Cafeteria #3” originally shown in the 1994 exhibition The Basement, reflecting the experience of working as a new immigrant working in the UBC cafeteria. Originally from Chongqing, now a professor of Fine Arts at UBC. Gallery just reopened with show celebrating 40th anniversary. (Richmond Art Gallery, Minoru Gate, Richmond, BC) 20201028Gulf of Georgia Cannery: Just outside the National Historic Site, a working fishing boat maintaining its nets. Inside was a rather complete history of British Columbia canning from pre-European days, through the World Wars, to the 1970s when production ended. Full-scale model of canning production line, with progress demonstrating technological advances. (Gulf of Georgia Cannery National History Site, Fourth Street, Steveston, BC) 20201028UBC Belkin Gallery: Musical score background, with wood-burning fire ring and tripod stools, #TaniaWillard (2018) “Surrounded / Surrounding”. Leather seats have words etched into the leather. The Sounding exhibition is a combination of visual and aural installation, we observed mostly artifacts and social distancing sensibilities. (Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC) 20201029Seymour’s Pub: Trio #WinstonMatsushita, #WynstonMinckler, #ToddStewart in casual north shore venue. Pianist had studied jazz at UToronto, moved back home to Vancouver. Small group of music enthusiasts separated from clientele more interested in big screen sports or socializing. (Seymour’s Pub and Grill, Lillooet Road, North Vancouver, BC) 20201029Tightrope Impro Theatre: Concluding award in Gorilla Theatre show @TightropeImpro, counting bananas over forfeits for directors of each scene. Five performers in protective face masks, our family were front and centre at a table socially distanced from other audience attendees. Walking through Chinatown to arrive at venue revealed the district has become popular with hipsters, filling restaurants both inside, and on outside patios. (Tightrope Impro Theatre, East Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC) 20201030Kitsilano Beach: Volleyball courts full on a sunny day, next to English Bay, with the mountains of the north shore as background. Leisurely stroll west to Elsje Point, and then west to Point Grey Park. Bright days like this leads visitors to forget the grey days from November through March. (Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver, BC) 20201031
A trip to the office across Queen Street is better on a bicycle.
Sometimes instead of driving to the headquarters all of the way up in Markham, I can just bike across Queen Street to the local office. It’s pretty flat, except for a slight rise over the Don River, which marks the beginning of the public art in Riverside.
It’s an indicator when the New York Times publishes that “Queen Street East is the new Queen Street West”. The area is called South Riverdale, and we’re either at the eastern edge of “Riverside”, or the western edge of “Leslieville“. Besides the explosion of restaurants down the street from us, I’ve noticed two other signs of gentrification in our neighbour.
Exploring the possibility of a renewed Systems Thinking TO, #ChrisChapman convened a ST/TO: One More Pass Through the Loop session. The last in-person event met in 2019, and then the Covid pandemic interrupted a regeneration. The group put post-it notes up on the whiteboard as reflections on features of prior success, and prospects when many […]
Overhead lamp shades strung over the narrow passage may now be weathered by years of cold winters. Live-work spaces of the Artscape Distillery Studios were vacated in 2021 at the end of the 20-year lease from Cityscape Development. East end of lane terminates with white facade of The Gooderham Condos. (Case Goods Lane, Distillery District, […]
Surrealist #ChristianButterfield (2024) Cold No. 6 - Up Up Higher is acrylic and collage on canvas. Order and disorder are in contrast with sculpted geometric shapes and colours, with newspaper clippings reflecting the oversaturation of media. Vulnerability and reflection is evoked in the declarations of consumer culture, societal pressure, and/or interpersonal strains. (Corkin Gallery, Tank […]
Last day of advance poll for Canada federal election. Queue winding upstairs to second floor was a 30 minute wait, poll for surname in last half of alphabet had DY finished 15 minutes earlier. Unexpected crowd at 4:00pm, voters must have already made up their minds. (Jimmy Simpson Recreation Centre, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) […]
Bridge across Portage River in 49-acre park on a chilly spring day. Had picnic lunch with windbreak under covered shelter. Unproductive visit to city centre, discovered Kalamazoo was practically vacant on Easter Sunday afternoon. (Milham Park, East Kilgore Road, Kalamazoo, Michigan) 20250420
White tablecloth dinner of Afghan cuisine, close to home for international family from grad school days. One retired, while the other is slowly moving out of business. Catching up on kids now adults with their own children, in Hawaii and Delaware. (Kabul House, Dempster Street, Evanston, Illinois) 20250419
Fourth floor Fernanda Laguna (2018) I Love It is two panels of acrylic on canvas with cutouts. Feminst artist has cofounded galleries, publishing house, and art education program in Argentina. Works are part of the Descending the Staircase exhibition series. (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20240419
Freshly made deep dish Chicago-style pizza, made with soy cheese and seitan pepperoni. I used to enjoy this specialty in grad school, but gave up dairy 30-some years ago. I managed two slices as DY ate around the crust, leaving more than enough for a picnic on the drive back to Toronto, and a lunch […]
Late afternoon lunch in vegan restaurant with attitude. Followed overhead thread of light over bar, across to west wall. Ordered deep dish Chicago style pizza, kitchen prep time estimated at 35-45 minutes. (Kitchen 17, West Diversey Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20250419
Visiting home of CMN, lifelong career shifts from tennis pro, to high energy physicist, strategy professor, now jazz pianist. First met him as a graduate school advisor 45 years ago, when I entered my master's degree program. I recall a day biking the 20 miles up from Evanston to the prior bigger house, and then […]
Two years after submitting an academic manuscript and responding to double-blind reviews, “Rethinking work, with the pandemic disruption” has now been published in the International Journal of Organization Theory and Behavior (IJOTB) as earlycite. The article has a DOI (Document Object Identifier), and should be streamed with an official volume and issue number soon. The […]
The 128th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario was convened in person. The classroom was filled with current students, alumni, our regular participants, and a few curious newcomers. Moderated by Zaid Khan, the conversation was sparked by Stephen Davies and myself (David Ing) on the evolving styles in learning systems thinking. Stephen has been leading SFIN-6011 […]
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 […]
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 2024, WordPress Studio was released, making installation on a local computer simpler. The instructions were modified from MacOS to Ubuntu Linux, by Daniel Kossmann, “How to install WordPress Studio in Ubuntu Linux” | Jun 15, 2024 at https://www.danielkossmann.com/how-to-install-wordpress-studio-ubuntu-linux/ I already had NVM installed, but in Terminal, with the result “command not found”. In the […]
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 […]
