Currently Viewing Posts Tagged SystemsThinking

2024/07 Moments July 2024

July 31, 2024 daviding

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Summer festivals and music incubator shows in Toronto, all within biking distance.

Toronto, Ontario

Princess of Wales Theatre: Family viewing of the North American touring company of the musical Wicked, more than 20 years after ithe show premiered on Broadway. Three nights earlier, sons had a home viewing of the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie, for which the parent did not need a refresher. The twists in the story in the second act require in-person watching, unless we want to wait for the movies coming part 1 in November 2024 and part 2 in 2025. (Princess of Wales Threatre, King Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240706

The Yorkville Rock:: Vista from atop the 650-ton tectonic puzzle outside the TTC Bay subway station exit, sees pedestrians on Cumberland Street potentially drawn to the afternoon jazz @BloorYorkville #SummerMusicInThePark. Loose set by five players billed as the #BrendanCassidy Quartet, some stepping off the tiny riser when solos are taken. Tables and chair have been set in front of the stage, but wiser listeners have placed themselves in the shade beyond the icicle curtain or by the tree planters. (The Yorkville Rock, Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240707

Nathan Phillips Square:: Weekend crowds outside City Hall for @TasteMiddleEast, featuring entertainment on stage. Ensemble stepping to the drumbeats, next coming down into the audience seeking willing partners for belly-dancing. Tents set up to the east, selling handicrafts and ethnic cuisine. (Nathan Phillips Square, Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240707

OCADU Graduate Programs: In the Visual Analytics Lab, #SystemsThinking Ontario presentation by #MorganBath + Travis Erickson on synthesis map of “The Weight of Tomato Waste”. Output from Understanding System course was related to larger foresight project on Circular Economy. Audience of former SFI students, but some newcomers to the in-person meetings. (OCADU Graduate Programs, Richmond Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20240708

McGill Parkette:: After-work @DowntownYonge #PlayTheParks @sleepyjeansings duet on “Once Held My Heart” with two guitars. Style is described as spaghetti western infused Americana may be more imagined than anchored, with performers originating from Welland, Ontario. Full band would have included drums and bass, but the stripped down version let emotions and humour flow. (McGill Parkette, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240709

West Meadowvale: Afternoon visit as newborn is now 3 months old, joining his older brother. He’s surprisingly heavy, and/or I’m no longer practiced in holding babies. Rare Satruday where we behave like normal couples, not working. (Meadownvale West, Mississauga, Ontario) 20240713

Village of Yorkville Park: Sunday afternoon @BloorYorkville with electric violinist @realdrdraw and the Strange Parade #ColinJamesGibson guitar, #MichaelMcDonnell bass, #JeffAntoineCote drums. Catchy rhythms with concrete building to the south probably broadcast the music into Rosedale, onstage dancing had passersby stopping on sidewalk. First set ended with a few raindrops starting, I biked home through the downpour. (Village of Yorkville Park, Cumberland Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240714

Trinity Square Park: Noontime @EuniceKeitan #PlayIntheParks extended version of “Donde Estas” with @HowleySounds on lead guitar and pedal beatbox for @DowntownYonge . Song in English is inspired by Latin neighbour couple fighting. Enjoying duet performance with minimal production, she programmed loops of voice and guitar into an effects box at her feet, for other tunes. (Trinity Square Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20240718

Trinity Square Park:: Second take of “Donde Estas” @EuniceKeitan with @HowleySounds on lead guitar and pedal beatbox for @DowntownYonge . In second set, repeated for live recording of #PlayIntheParks 2024 summer compilation. Only the song title in Spanish, lyrics in English inspired by Latin neighbour couple fighting. (Trinity Square Park, Toronto, Ontario) 20240718

East Lynn Park:: Dusk show @TheDannyBIA #TheDannyLovesMusic with @JerryLeger and #TheSituation on stage. Children playing in dry splash zone to the southeast, some adults inside the licensed beverage area to the southwest, all watching the band raised to the north. Neighbourhood is rather far east in the old City of Toronto, not so much a destination for audiences from the downtown core. (East Lynn Park, Danforth Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20240719

Gerrard Street East:: Saturday night #FestivalOfSouthAsia @gerrardindiabaz after 9pm, rock bank performing song where audience is singing along. Not understanding the words myself, I’m not the target audience. Large crowd including children and grandparents (Gerrard Street East at Hiawatha Road, Little India, Toronto, Ontario) 20240720

Woodbine Park:: Disco party #BoomShakaLakas around 10pm @beachesjazz program. Theme of music from the 1990s has audience standing and swaying. Losing count of number of public music performances in this city. (Woodbine Park, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20240720

Bloordale Village: Dusk solo piano and electric keys by @johnkameelfarah on main stage @bigonbloorfest . Concert pianist was born in Brampton, song as mix of Bach and own composition dedicated to Sudan, linking music to issues away from the first world. Modern music with classical roots is out of the usual for a city street festival. (Emerson Avenue at Bloor Street West, Bloordale Village, Toronto, Ontario) 20240721

The Beacher Cafe: Rhythm section view of hard working Strange Parade #JeffAntoineCote drums, #MichaelMcDonnell bass, #ColinJamesGibson guitar, backing electric violinist @realdrdraw at @beachesjazz Streetfest. Large crowd in the darkness, little girls dancing up front. Walked from Woodbine Avenue eastbound past Glen Manor Drive declining the many juke box cover bands with middle-aged mothers were singing along. (The Beacher Cafe, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20240727

College Park Courtyard: College Park Courtyard: First live performance by @GhaliaElKurdi of “Love Ain’t Over” @downtownyonge . Her genre is house, electronic music produced in a studio, so for this show she brought a backup band. Opening act dj had set suspended with drops of rain, main act got three songs in before serious rain shut down the program. (College Park Courtyard, Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20240731

2022/12 Moments December 2022

January 2, 2023 daviding

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December was full of birthday, wedding, seasonal holiday events, and then family congregated in town to share time together.

Toronto, Ontario; Mississauga, Ontario

The Second City Torontp — The Second City Toronto: Intermission at early Saturday show in new venue, with bumpers on television screens recalling the history of The Second City performers in previous theatres. Six cast members in extended skits involve longer stories than improv shows we’ve recently seen. Ladies may be uncomfortable in east unisex washroom with toilets and urinals; the west facilities have one room with toilets and urinals alongside another room with toilets only. (The Second City, 1 York Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221203

One York Street: On elevated walkway, just west of bridge northbound to Scotiabank Arena, Banksy (2010) Guard with Baloon Dog was installed in 2017 as part of PATH route. After an early show at The Second City, the family took a scenic stroll, unsuccessfully making all of the right turns to stay inside. Our sons are more familiar with the current nightlife spots than the parents. (One York Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221203

John M. Kelly Library: Big splash of colour with @GinaRorai (2007) Are You There, painting 72″ x 60″ visible as soon as the door in the third floor stairway is flung open. The work of the Toronto-based artist probably gets scant attention by hundreds of students who pass by every day. The art is part of the Donovan Collection, the benefactor a professor at the university. (John M. Kelly Library, St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto) 20221206

Centre for Social Innovation Annex: Arrived @csiTO Holiday Gathering around 7pm, the live art station for community painting had already been in progress for 2 hours. When we left at 9:30pm, unclear whether more contributions had improved aesthetics. Vegan chili, bread bar and non-dairy cheese, speeches, dance performance, conversation in a room with loud music. (Centre for Social Innovation Annex, Bathurst Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20221208

Bliss Chinese Cuisine: Entrance of bride MY and groom JL in traditional Chinese attire, followed by dancing lions and drummers, halfway through banquet. City hall wedding in the morning, gathering with family and friends in the afternoon to share festivities. Event was put on the calendar only 5 weeks prior, lots of support gained by the circle of friends. (Bliss Chinese Cuisine, Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario) 20221210

Mustard Seed: In downstairs atrium, Christmas Tree to celebrate the season. Short visit with DY on Movie + Pizza program, not really a participant. Afternoon walk around the neighbourhood, near freezing temperature clear of snow. (Fontbonne Ministries, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221220

On The Rocks: Reunion of the #SystemsThinking TO meetup founded by @DerailleurAgile, that I joined 2018-2020. The group went on hiatus, just before pandemic shutdowns, and meetings in person have since become the exception. The planned place for tonight was the after-meeting drinks venue Betty’s on King, but its impending shutdown has attracted swarms, leading a staff member to suggest walking south and west. (On The Rocks, Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221220

Riverside neighbourhood: Holiday plans disrupted by flight delays from Vancouver. Drove to Pearson for pickups, 1:00 a.m. arrival came home at 5:00 a.m. after waiting for luggage was fruitless; 3:00 a.m. arrival is still at airport at 1:00 p.m. to file claim for lost luggage. Chinese beef stew for Dec. 23 dinner has become Dec. 24 lunch, if we can coordinate time zone shifts. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20221224

Gautama: The lights are still bright in Little India on December 24 evening, so Indian buffet was a nice change of pace for a family meal. None of us refilled our plates as much as we used to, and the appreciation of vegetables is higher. Easy access in the local neighbourhood was appreciated, with temperatures still below seasonal norms. (Gautama, Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221224

Dragon Pearl York Mills: Reservations for 11, lunch choices included turkey, although Asian specialties seemed more popular. Opportunity for grandfather to meet up with family now mostly scattered across Toronto, extended through grandsons marriages. Many trips out to the serving queues, with notable repeat visits to stations for sashimi and for duck. (Dragon Pearl Buffet, York Mills Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225

Woodbine Beach: Brightly coloured lounge chairs facing Lake Ontario, but cold winter winds discouraged a long stay. Educating a newcomer to Canada on dressing tips in a 35-degree switch drop from Vietnam last week, includes the use of a hood when a toque isn’t desirable. Winter fences have led to an off-leash area where dogs are overjoyed to be playing together, while their masters are calling for them. (Woodbine Beach, Lake Shore Boulevard East, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225

Riverdale Farm: The sheep in the paddocks on Residence Road don’t recognize Christmas Day, so the City of Toronto Parks employees treat this as a regular day. With the sun setting, the sheep’s started bleating together, and moving towards the west fence. Attentions may have be drawn to movements over in the horses being moved indoors for the evenings, with an expectation by the sheep for equal privileges. (Riverdale Farm, Winchester Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221225

Scotiabank Arena: Family arrived into 9 seats, just in time to rise for the singing of O Canada. Boxing Day afternoon game between Toronto Marlies and Belleville Senators. Many more sports fans came with children, later waving to the roaming cameras to get their faces on the big screen. (Scotiabank Arena, Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221226

Tim Hortons Airport Road: One 10-pack of Timbits, please! Waiting near the airport, as one of our holiday visitors is seeking the luggage that wasn’t unloaded off the plane 3 days ago, deadheading back westward. I’m not a frequent customer of this Canadian institution, as I don’t drink coffee, and would buy donuts for others to enjoy. (Tim Hortons, Airport Road, Toronto, Ontario) 20221227

Gristmill Lane: Spiky illuminated art installation named The Snow Family resembling the uniqueness of snowflakes on Gristmill Lane. Winter Village market on December 27 was busy with visitors on the Boxing Day observance, when most other venues were still closed for holidays. Tourist-oriented kiosks welcomed customers, regular businesses and galleries had locked doors. (Gristmill Lane, Distillery District, Toronto, Ontario) 20221227

Service Canada Gerrard Square: The good news is that Service Canada treats every individual the same; the bad news is that on the first working day after Christmas, the line can be long. Assisted newcomer with S-1 (not an SW-1) visa obtain a Social Insurance Number, as Government of Canada has improved privileges for students, allowing off-campus work while still enrolled in school. Waited 4 hours standing in line to be assigned a chair in the queue, then 30 minutes to see an official; next time, there’s an online booking system for a timed appointment. (Service Canada, Gerrard Square, Toronto, Ontario) 20221228

Art Gallery of Ontario: In the #EdPien (2022) Present: Past/Future exhibition, furniture installation has signs encouraging visitors to sit and become immersed. Secondhand items were sourced from individuals in Toronto, reminiscent of the repurposing of found objects from 13 elderly members of San Agustin suburb of Havana, Cuba who were recorded and interviewed. Showing newcomer from Vietnam how Canadians share time together indoors despite the season, when inclement conditions make outdoor cafes impractical. (Art Gallery of Ontario, Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario) 20221228

Upper Cornell: Invited for holiday season hotpot with my father’s friend’s family. One pot cooking meat, with the other pot vegan, as I wasn’t the only plant-based diner at the table. Convening family from Montreal, they reported travel past vehicles still in the ditch on the 401, from recent inclement weather. (Upper Cornell, Markham, Ontaro) 20221229

36 Lisgar Street: Moderating the White Elephant Holiday Potluck, with attendees contributing gifts to the pool. Each then drew a sequence to choose an unwrapped gift, or steal the gift of a prior selector. Good opportunities for catching up with friends, starting at 4pm and running through 11pm. (36 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Ontario) 20221230

Systems Theory, Systems Philosophy, Systems Methodology via Bela H. Banathy (1985)
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 […]
CSRP Institute 2024 Banathy Conversation, Lugano
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 […]
Book Launch — Seeing: A Field Guide to the Patterns and Processes of Nature, Culture, and Consciousness | Lynn Rasmussen + Laura Civitello | ST-ON | 2024-09-09
Systems Processes Theory has been under development for many decades, led by Len Troncale, a past president of the International Society for the Ssytems Sciences. Many have found getting a grip on the science to be a demanding task, both in scope and in depth. Over many decades, Lynn Rasmussen was a collaborator, refining and […]
Reifying Socio-Technical and Socio-Ecological Perspectives for Systems Changes | STPIS | 2024-08-16
The Socio-Technical Systems (STS) perspective, dating back to the studies of Eric L. Trist and Fred E. Emery, was on the reading list of organizational behaviour classes in my undergraduate and master’s degree programs. It wasn’t until 15 years later, when I got involved with the systems sciences and David L. Hawk, that the Socio-Ecological […]
What Can Systems Thinkers Learn From Civic Tech? | Dorothy Eng + Curtis McCord | 2024-05-18
Civic Tech can be described as projects using technology “for the public good“. Civic Tech may be related to, but different from Gov Tech. For the May 2024 Systems Thinking Onrtario, we had two knowledgeable guests in conversation. Dorothy Eng, executive director of Code for Canada since 2021, related her professional journey from engineering to […]
Resequencing Systems Thinking | U. Hull Centre for Systems Studies | 2024-05-13
On my May trip through the UK, I accepted an offer to lead an Expert-Led Session at the University of Hull. I had previously been a Research Fellow of the Centre for Systems Studies, but haven’t travelled to the Hull for some years. As we worked out the arrangements, I found out that the seminar […]

What to Do When It’s Too Late | David L. Hawk | 2024
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 ›
2021/06/17 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 2
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 […]
2021/06/16 Keekok Lee | Philosophy of Chinese Medicine 1
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 ›
2021/02/02 To Understand This Era, You Need to Think in Systems | Zeynep Tufekci with Ezra Klein | New York Times
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 ›
2019/04/09 Art as a discipline of inquiry | Tim Ingold (web video)
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 ›
2019/10/16 | “Bubbles, Golden Ages, and Tech Revolutions” | Carlota Perez
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 ›

Notion of Change in the Yijing | JeeLoo Lin 2017
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 […]
World Hypotheses (Stephen C. Pepper) as a pluralist philosophy [Rescher, 1994]
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, […]
The Nature and Application of the Daodejing | Ames and Hall (2003)
Ames and Hall (2003) provide some tips for those studyng the DaoDeJing.
Diachronic, diachrony
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 […]
Introduction, “Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2”, edited by F. E. Emery (1981)
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 […]
Introduction, “Systems Thinking: Selected Readings”, edited by F. E. Emery (1969)
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 […]

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