Enjoying summer with Toronto Jazz, then road trip to Iowa and Chicago.
Toronto, Ontario; South Bend, Indiana; Salina, Iowa; Coralville, Iowa; Dixon, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Mount Clemens, Michigan
Jennifer Kateryna Koval’s’kyj Park: View south towards Eastern Channel sees cyclists and pedestrians dangling legs dockside, alongside doormen checking entry into Rebel nightclub early on Saturday evening. Beyond, large ship docked for business next quay down at the Port of Toronto, while sailboat and jetski are recreational north of Ward’s Island. Enjoying weather of 28 degrees C, while many other places in the world are sweltering. (Jennifer Kateryna Koval’s’kyj Park, Polson Street, Port Lands, Toronto, Ontario) 20220702Victoria University Quad: Quintet @AmandaTosoff piano @torontojazzfest featuring @ecbarlow vocals, with @allisonaumusic sax, @Raj_maha bass, @Morjazzum drums. Working their way across Canadian jazz festivals, Amanda as leader, having spent 7 years backing Emilie-Claire. Album released in January 2021, this has been first opportunity to tour. (Victoria College Quadrangle, University of Toronto) 20220703Village of Yorkville Park: World jazz #Avataar @torontojazzfest @sundarmusic sax, @TedQuinlan guitar, , #EwenFarcombe keys, @justingraybass, #MaxSenitt drums, #FelicityWilliams vocals, #RaviNaimpally tablas. Juno 2022 awardee for jazz, music composed during pandemic. Sundar commented on long difficult piece for band, with Ted having played only a few times, and Ewen on his first time. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20220703Snite Museum of Art: Tensegrity theme with @KennethSnelson (1982) Maquette for Mozart I in foreground, background #JosefAlberts (1960) Study for Homage to the Square (Compliant), (1961) Study for Homage to the Square (Slate and Sky), (1961) Study for Homage to the Square (Gutentag IV, 1961). Smaller contemporary art collection on the second floor of the museum, some galleries already closed for move to a new building. Short detour to U. Notre Dame on the drive westward to Iowa. (Snite Museum of Art, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana) 20220707Salina, Iowa: Inspecting crops in backyard garden, only a few cherries tomatoes ripe enough for a taste, today. Heavy metal fences are overkill in deterring predators, they happened to be on hand for corralling horses. It’s been 5 years since we last visited, a deck was since constructed fully around the house. (Salina, Iowa) 2022070Costco Coralville: This branch of the wholesale chain is unusual in offering covered parking alongside the building. Welcomed in the heat of summer, and in the snows of winter, the 142,000 sq. ft. store was opened in 2012, after conversion from a former distribution center for Amana Refrigeration. Volume purchases of grocery-store-like items at multi-week frequencies reflects the capability for growing your own food in a rural community, plus the inconvenience of driving far from home to shop for other merchandise. (Costco Wholesale, Heartland Drive, Coralville, Iowa) 20220709Salina, Iowa: Relaxed dinner and conversation in the formal diningroom, catching up on 5 years passed. Contrasting life in rural Iowa in the light of recent societal issues in the United States, as compared to orderly urban Toronto. Beef followed the traditional local style, while preparation of fish and green beans raised debates on techniques preferred in the kitchen. (Salina, Iowa) 20220709Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home: Momentary stop to view statue of Ronald Reagan, alongside the home where he lived from 9 years old for 3 years. Many signs in the small town pointed to this attraction, closed for the evening. Routing from Fairfield Iowa to Elmhurst Illinois, brief stop for dinner took us off the highway. (Reagan Boyhood Home, Hennepin Avenue, Dixon, Illinois) 20220711E Randolph Street at N. Columbus Drive: On @chiarchitecture walking tour, looking north to @studiogang skyscapers Aqua (2009) tower with irregularly shaped balconies, and Vista (2020) blue-green three towers with 83rd floor void space so that wind effects more safely blow through. Excellent docent Bill covered Must See Chicago route in 90 minutes, more walking than other focused tours. First in a series of guided excursions of the Windy City. (E. Randolph Street at N. Columbus Drive, Chicago, Illinois) 20220712
Millennium Park: Every 15 minutes, the subject of Jaume Plensa (2004) Crown Fountain purses his or her lips, and water sprouts out from the tower into the reflecting pool. Walked by, on tour by the Chicago Architectural Center. (Millennium Park, East Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois) 20220712
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Kinetic #NickCave (2020) Spinner Garden @mcachicago retrospective exhibition forOTHERmore made from metallic garden ornaments suspended from ceiling, some motorized to slowly rotate. Galleries include Soundsuits, that we had previously viewed at Anderson Collection at Stanford U. in 2017. Tuesday evening music program in courtyard outside the building was so crowded, we opted to focus on visual arts. (Museum of Contemporary Art, E. Chicago Street, Chicago, Illinois) 20220712
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Kinetic #NickCave (2020) Spinner Garden, part of retrospective exhibition forOTHERmore made from metallic garden ornaments suspended from ceiling, some motorized to slowly rotate. (Museum of Contemporary Art, E. Chicago Street, Chicago, Illinois) 20220712
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago: Time with futility by Gregory Bae (2017) 24-7, 365 #5, as the function of a treadmill isn’t achieved with a tire not getting exercise. (Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220712
Garfield Park Conservatory: In the Fern Room, babbling stream from the waterfall, flows into the pond with carp accustomed to human visitors (Garfield Park Conservatory, North Central Park Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220713
S. R. Crown Hall: Building for the College of Architecture, Illinois Institute of Technology, designed by Mies van der Rohe,. A few student projects still on view over summer break, in the large open space, following the modernist style of roof and floors in invisibility supported by steel frames, rather than pillars. (S. R. Crown Hall, Illinois Institute of Technology, South State Street, Chicago, Illinois) 20200713
DePaul Art Museum: Along 2 walls, Amber Ginsburg and Aaron Hughes (2022) Tea Project, from the 780 porcelain Styrofoam teacups cast for each individual currently or previously imprisoned in Guantánamo camp. Detainees were allowed only Styrofoam cups, on which they inscribed Arabic poems and flowers. Serious topic comes with debriefing notes from the university, if the exhibition of Remaking the Exceptional, Tea, Torture, and Reparations becomes overwhelming. (DePaul Art Museum, West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220713Amitabul: Catching up on family news, since the last visit to town 5 years ago. We first met as foster relatives for a foreign student starting graduate school in the USA 42 years ago. Vegan Korean dinner an unusual choice, with healthy dishes not normally found in our homes. (Amitabul, North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220713Carbide and Carbon Building: Vaulted ceiling and transom window facing east, on the @chiarchitecture Art Deco tour led by docent Jeff. Patterns of abstract and geometric forms characterize the building completed in 1925. Discovered that, in Chicago, the Art Deco movment in architecture only spanned 8 years, before the depression halted new skyscrapers for 21 years. (Carbide and Building, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220714
Chicago Motor Club building: Landmark early Art Deco architecture, opened in 1928, from elevated rear window with classic car, to mural map of highways before they were formally named. (Hampton Inn Chicago Downtown North Loop, East Wacker Place, Chicago, Illinois) 20220914
Inland Steel Building: Access to lobby on @chiarchitecture Mid-Century Modern Skyscapers tour, with #RichardLippold (1956) Radiant I sculpture, wires stretched over a pool in foreground, and #AnishKapoor (2000) Blood Mirror concave reflector by the elevators in the background. Architects consider building to be the ultimate in modernist style, completed in 1958 as the first skyscraper after 21 years. Brushed aluminum exterior contrasts to black preferred by Mies van der Rohe. (Inland Steel Building, Munroe Street, Chicago, Illiinois) 20220714
Dimo’s Pizza Wicker Park: Vegan and cheese pizza available by the slice, in a spacious yet minimal diningroom with a Bohemian clientele and funky decor. (Dimo’s Pizza Wicker Park, North Damen Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) 20220714
Cranbrook Japanese Garden: Traditional vermillion bridge arch over small waterfall, at the east edge of Kingswood Lake. Placid stroll around the shoreline, with only a small family and dog walker, late on a cloudy afternoon. Arrived after the main house closed for the day, at the end of a journey from Chicago retarded nearly 2 hours by driving rain and road construction. (Cranbrook Japanese Garden, Cranbrook Road, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) 20220715Mount Clemens: Relaxing over appetizers in back yard, before heading back inside for main course. Last time we visited, our eldest sons were still in preschool. A few hours of conversation only begin to catch up on reconnecting over 30 years. (Mount Clemens, Michigan) 20220715Cranbrook Art Museum: A Tiger’s Stripes exhibition @CranbrookArtMus @tyrrellwinston, two paintings and sculpture. On left, (2022) Hard to Kill a Spartan; on right (2022) Fab 5, both aluminum panels with auto paint. On floor, (2022) Chamberlain’s Dance a twisting of bleachers from the athletic field. (Cranbrook Art Museum, Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) 20220716
Cranbrook Art Museum: Scenography recreated in gallery for @TundeOlaniran (2022) Made a Universe, from bedroom to multidimensional car, to bedroom, 30-minute video production shows in theatre at the end of the hall. (Cranbrook Art Museum, Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) 20220716
Grange Park: At the end of curved wall stream, water sculpture #WilliamPye (2017) Aquaverde has seven stainless steel cups catching flow. To the northeast, @agotoronto curved staircase in the four-story south wing of tinted titanium-and-glass redesigned by Frank Gehry, above The Grange that was the original 1871 gallery. More action on the east side of the park with the playground and picnic tables. (Grange Park, Beverley Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20220729
Summer with family in Toronto; visiting research friends on a driving loop through the U.S. Midwest
Toronto, Ontario; Indianapolis, Indiana; Peoria, Illinois; Salina, Iowa; Madison, Wisconsin; Lake Forest, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois
AGO: Resting spot @agotoronto Pablo Picasso (1928) “Seated Woman” in permanent collection since 1964. Free admission on Wednesday nights means larger crowds, and summer tourists fill the whole facility. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20170801Robarts Library: South-facing view of city, as I’m reading history of science during a slow holiday weekend. “In 1982, [Eric Trist] wanted to create at York University a Centre for Action Learning but faced resistance from the University Senate”. Richard Trahair, (2017) “Behavior, Technology, and Organizational Development: Eric Trist and the Tavistock Institute” p. 289. (Robarts Library, 11th floor, University of Toronto). 20180805Congee Queen: Family from Vancouver visiting in town, so got generations together for lunch to catch up on news. Restaurant name underscopes the extent of the menu, as the table filled up with food. Hungry sons, no leftovers. (Congee Queen, Agincourt Mall, Scarborough, Ontario) 20180806Yen Ching: Mixed research agenda with social, at intercept dinner after driving 11 protracted hours from Toronto. Discussed release of paper on “Calvin Pava’s Legacy: Sociotechnical Systems Design for the ‘Digital Coal Mines’”, and histories leading up to its writing. Spouses had parallel conversation on less academic pursuits. (Yen Ching Restaurant, E. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN) 20180808Peoria Riverfront Museum: Seward Johnson (2014) “Return Visit” 31-foot painted bronze dwarfs spouse referring to her own book. A contemporary common man receives the 1854 Gettysburg Address delivered by Abraham Lincoln in Peoria in 1854, relevant still today. We only had a short visit around the grounds, and the Caterpillar Visitor Center next door, en route from Indianapolis IN to Fairfield IA, not enough time to see the exhibits inside. (Peoria Riverfront Museum, Washington Street, Peoria, Illinois) 20180809Salina: Twilight dinner around the fire, visiting with extended family representing three generations of farmers. The meal featured home grown beef, tomatoes, cantaloupe, plus dessert of marshmallows heated over open flames to make smores. Stories of the house where today’s elders grew up, and the multiple barns nearby eventually knocked down by storms. (Salina, Iowa) 20180810
Madison Heights, Michigan; Benton Harbor, Michigan; Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Salina, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Rock Island, Illinois; Windsor, Ontario; Scarborough, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario
Madison Heights, Michigan; Benton Harbor, Michigan; Mount Pleasant, Iowa; Salina, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Rock Island, Illinois; Windsor, Ontario; Scarborough, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario
168 Asian Mart: Michigan evening for Chinese groceries before driving to Iowa in the morning. Korean-style rice grown in the U.S. is something we don’t see back home. The vegetables and sauces are much the same as everywhere. (168 Asian Mart, John R Road, Madison Heights, Michigan) 20160502Asian Grille Buffet: Changing pattern from Midwest Chinese restaurants to buffets, driving westbound across Michigan towards Iowa. On last trip westbound, found price at buffet same or lower than custom orders for lunch. Trading off on driving, expecting food coma. (Asian Grill Buffet, Benton Harbor, Michigan) 20160503Jefferson Street, Mount Pleasant, Iowa: Quiet Tuesday evening in town with population less than 9000 in Iowa. Over dinner in local Chinese restaurant, discussed conveniences not available, e.g. no taxis, so farmers drive tractors if a car isn’t available. Drove through campus of Iowa Wesleyan University, less than 600 students on 60 acres. (Jefferson Street, Mount Pleasant, Iowa) 20160504Salina, Iowa: Family dog watching out picture window onto rolling landscape of fields and roads in farm country. Temperature has swung from winter to summer within 3 days, rush to planting will be underway with forecasts for clear weather. (Salina, Iowa) 20160405Salina, Iowa: Warm and dry May day scheduled for planting on the farm. We went to the field to learn about agriculture in practice. Terrain was rolling hills, so the six row planter was steered according to the way water will flow on the ground. Moving around a little dirt surfaced a green bean buried under a little soil. We’re just tourists from the city. (Salina, Iowa) 20160506
Six row planter in Iowa: Learned about how soybeans are put into the ground with a John Deere six row planter. Smaller tractors can follow the contour of the landscape, whereas the larger 30-row planters would have problems turning around. This machinery is less computerized, relying on the experience of the farmer to a greater degree. (Salina, Iowa) 20160506
Digging into philosophies underlying the systems sciences, pragmatism seems to have been a strong historical foundation for some research streams. In ongoing discussions, Gary Metcalf and I have been approaching pragmatism from two directions. Gary has been tracking from mid-1800s forward, listening to the audiobook The Metaphysical Club, with a history of figures living through […]
The ties between systems thinking and pragmatism are apparently strong, but the breadth in the philosophy of pragmatism can be confusing. Within the tradition, one of the threads is called nonrelativistic pragmatism, proposed by systems luminaries C. West Churchman with Russell L. Ackoff, descending from the work of philosopher Edgar A. Singer, Jr. A concise […]
A luminary in the systems movement, C. West Churchman, showed some respect for Chinese philosophy, with the I Ching (Yi Jing) in particular. Deborah Hammond was encouraged by West Churchman into joining and becoming a historian of the systems movement. In her 2003 book, Hammond wrote of her conversations with Churchman, back into his days […]
The 1969 publication of Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, edited by Fred E. Emery as a Penguin Modern Management paperback, can be regarded as a milestone. The articles date from the 1940s to the 1960s, when the first wave of systems thinking was on the rise. For the June session of Systems Thinking Ontario, we stepped […]
Within the Systems Thinking Ontario community, we were fortunate to have Nenad Rava step up to explain how the Sustainable Development Goals came to be, and relate them to systems change. This May session of Systems Thinking Ontario was a quick follow-on for the March edition on Ecological Limits to Development: Living with the SDGs. […]
The book Ecological Limits to Development: Living with the Sustainable Development Goals, published in 2002 by Routledge, was released as open access in 2023 by Taylor-Francis for readers who don’t have access to a university library. For the March edition of Systems Thinking Ontario, we were honoured to celebrate the release with editor-coauthors Kaitlin Kish […]
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 ›
For the @ArchFoundation, #TimIngold distinguishes outcome-oriented making from process-oriented growing, revisiting #MartinHeidegger “Building Dwelling Thinking”. Organisms are made; artefacts grow. The distinction seems obvious, until you stop to ask what assumptions it contains, about the inside and outside of things…Read more ›
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) […]
How might the quality of an action research initiative be evaluated? — begin paste — We have linked our five validity criteria (outcome, process, democratic, catalytic, and dialogic) to the goals of action research. Most traditions of action research agree on the following goals: (a) the generation of new knowledge, (b) the achievement of action-oriented […]
After 90 minutes on phone and online chat with WesternUnion, the existence of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland is denied, so I can’t send money from Canada. TicinoTurismo should be unhappy. The IT developers at Western Union should be dissatisfied that customer support agents aren’t sending them legitimate bug reports I initially tried the […]
