Helsinki, Finland; Frankfurt Airport, Germany; Toronto, Ontario; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; Whitby, Ontario
Helsinki, Finland; Frankfurt Airport, Germany; Toronto, Ontario; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; Whitby, Ontario
Hakaniemi Market: Fishmonger filets pike-perch (kasvatettu siika), as I requested a whitefish for soup tomorrow. She and a passing customer recommended against the hauki (pike) which has many small bones. The advice of a professional is preferred since I’m less proficient varieties of fish, particularly when they’re named in Finnish. (Ekströms Fiskebod, Hakaniemi Market, Helsinki, Finland) 20160201Post-lecture dinner: Warm hospitality following pattern of preparing dinner in AS’s kitchen, coming up to Chinese New Year. Old friends and new acquaintances numbered 13 around the table this time. Menu favourites included vegetarian ma po tofu and stick dried bean curd (foo jook) and reconstituted dried shitake mushrooms brought in suitcase from Toronto. Switched seats before dessert to talk to more people at the long table. (Töölö, Helsinki, Finland) 20160202Cafe Tin Tin Tango: Meeting venue popular with coffee up front, laundromat in the back. Fortunately, no clothes were being cleaned while we had our research discussion, so we could sit near a power outlet. Had kaneli pulla (cinnamon buns) with herbal teas. Wifi is available for free 30 minutes at a time, so camping out for the day is monitored by servers. Lavatory was practically Japanese in the economy of space. (Cafe Tin Tin Tango, Toolo, Helsinki, Finland) 20160203Local tax office: Arrived just before 4:15pm when doors are closed, while government employees continue serving visitors inside. Alternative to 35% withholding for non-residents to Finland is to get a tax card and be calculated on the progressive rate. When income is low, having a tax card could pre-empt having to file a tax return available only in the Finnish or Swedish language in the next year. (Vero Skatt, Fennia-kortteli, Helsinki, Finland) 20160203Museokatu laneway: Apartment windows look out over open parking behind five storey buildings with commercial businesses that face the street on the other side. View west doesn’t provide much sunlight, and dusk is relatively early at this northern latitude. Having a three-metre day, grading student work for tomorrow’s lecture. (Hellsten Parliament Apartments, Museokatu, Helsinki, Finland) 20160204Kiasma: Art is free on first Friday night of the month at the Kiasma. The exhibition of “Demonstrating Minds: Disagreements in Contemporary Art” may reflect the prevailing pessimistic mood in the country. The long slow ramp up to the second floor is a famous feature designed by architect Stephen Holl. (Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland) 20160205
Coventry, UK; Stratford upon Avon, UK; Toronto, Ontario; Las Vegas, NV.
Lady Godiva statue at Broadgate Coventry . 1949 work by Sir William Reid Dick at central Coventry in early evening. Few pedestrians, nice weather, but few attractions other than bars with karaoke (Coventry) 20140601Fountains at U. Warwick. Visiting @ireneclng at Intl Institute for Product and Service Innovation, students on bus unlikely to know building, so asked for math department next door. 30 minutes from Coventry (U Warwick) 20140602Stratford upon Avon canal basin on Flickr. Tour boats moored on a late Monday afternoon, as Stratford upon Avon visitors reorient towards the RSC theatre just beyond. Scenic route towards Heathrow for flight home tomorrow. (Stratford upon Avon) 20140602Stone Distillery equipment from 1863. Historic alcohol production facility, Badger Distillation Control Panel beside a Distilling Column now with stairs wrapped around it. Factory converted to offices. (Distillery District, Toronto) 20140606Cardboard Beach, David Pecault Square. nstallation by Los Carpinteros for Luminato Festival has visitors reclining on the shade. Corrugated cardboard is a good material for an event that runs one week. (Toronto) 20140609TTC track construction. Lining up streetcar rails on Queen Street just west of Leslie Street. Cause of traffic rerouting, but there isn’t much pavement right now. (Toronto) 20140612Underpass from Don River bike path. New tunnel from the Don River bike path westbound into Corktown Commons. A new way to get downtown without climbing a bridge over the river (Toronto) 20140614Watershed map of Toronto on Flickr. Sheet metal installation orienting five Toronto rivers, by Ferrucio Sardella. At the Evergreen Brick Works, on the banks of Mud Creek, off the Lower Don River. (Toronto) 20140614Stone bench at The Waterfront School. Quiet late afternoon by Harbourfront, classes will still be on for a few weeks. CN Tower and Canada Malting silos in background (Toronto) 20140617OCADU Great Hall ceiling lights. On summer, the second floor common space at 100 McCaul St. is dark and empty, but the style of the design school shows through in the non-rectilinear arrangement of ceiling lights (Toronto) 20140619Elephant Rock turnout, Valley of Fire State Park. Red sandstone formations in 100+ degree F heat. Entered state park from east side, honour payment in envelope, but then checked at west gate exit (Nevada) 20140627Opera at St. Marks Square. Inside the Venetian Hotel, singing after dish, but outside, sun doesn’t set for another 2.5 hours. American tourists prefer canals that don’t stink, in Las Vegas 20140628
Viva Vision, Fremont Street. Light show with music by Heart. Son and nephew didn’t know primal artist only Guitar Hero version. We have better sound in our basement. (Fremont Street, Las Vegas)
Las Vegas, NV; San Jose, CA; Alameda, CA; Palo Alto, CA; Vancouver, BC; Toronto, Ontario.
Opera Las Vegas Venetian. Encountered opera in St. Mark’s Square of the Venetian Hotel, Carnevale di Venezia. Arrived in time to hear the singing of Arrivederci. Since I’m not a fan of opera, the last few minutes was enough. (Las Vegas, NV) 20120503 1421Almaden chair sculptures. On walk outside IBM Almaden building with @jimspohrer, art installation of chairs with high backs and singing wires. Better to walk and talk on a warm spring day, than spend the hour in the office (San Jose, CA) 20120504 0957Oakland runway end. Marshes of Alameda at the northwest end of Oakland Airport, with Bay Bridge in the distance. Hotel room has view of jets way taking off, amidst waterfowl nesting below. Was impressed at nearby Victorian homes in Alameda, crossed a lot of bridges to reach hotel. (Alameda, CA) 20120505 0825SJSU fountain. Walked SJSU campus in anticipation of ISSS 2012 in July. Being there surfaces insights that viewing maps online doesn’t. Fountain at the intersection of Paseo de San Carlos and S. 7th St. is a landmark in the middle of campus (San Jose, California) 20120505 1543Palo Alto Farmers Market. Mammoth artichokes at California Avenue Farmer’s Market, with @warstrekkid nephew Kevin on an early Sunday morning. Practically everything seems organic, much sourced from Watsonville nearby. Troubles of the world seem so far away. (Palo Alto, California) 20120506 0913Seabus delay. Minor delay for Seabus southbound, as tugboat pulls crane past ferry dock. Not exactly the traffic congestion that I experience on the commute back home. (Vancouver, BC) 20120507 1216Seaplane commute. Some had a morning commute by seaplane from the Vancouver Coal Harbour Seaplane Base. I’ll be on the Seabus, later (Vancouver, BC) 20120517 0738Pine Hills Cemetery. Annual visit of the Low Kong Society to the Ing monument at Pine Hills Cemetery. Usual offering of scotch and burning hell money. I wonder what beverage might be spilled for a non-drinker. (Scarborough, ON) 20120520 1342Liquid Art Painted Van. Art by @kustaasaksi and @heliosdesignlab for #MolsonM_Art funding @Cdn_Art_Fdn installed on King St. E. parking lot. Theme extends to background mural. Story described in Strategy magazine. (Toronto) 20120523 1845Liquid Art Mural. Mural signed by @kustaasaksi as part of #MolsonM_Art funding @Cdn_Art_Fdn installation on King St. E. parking lot. Painted van was added after mural was complated. Story described in Strategy magazine. (Toronto) 20120523 1846
Airport Klezmer on Flickr. Lemon Bucket Orkestra group at baggage claim carrying tuba, guitar, clarinet, etc., starting playing klezmer exiting into arrivals hall at Pearson Airport Terminal 1. Not just one song, they played many. Audience included professional videographers (Toronto) 20120531 2115
Frankfurt, Germany; Hameenlinna, Finland; Takajarvi, Finland; Espoo, Finland; Vantaa, Finland; Vienna, Austria; Linz, Austria; Hull, UK; Chicago, IL; Evanston, IL; Las Vegas, NV.
Air Canada FRA. Boeing 777 arrived at Terminal B at Frankfurt, on a cloudy day. Flight delay at outset meant 3 hour connection became a 1 hour connection. Changing to Terminal A and then Gate 36 at the far end was a really long walk to Helsinki leg (20120407 0840) Frankfurt, GermanyIce and drainspouts, Hameenlinna. Field work more as art than science, as @minlii emerges a theme in thawing temperatures. Curated as a collage on Facebook photos (Hameenlinna, Finland) 20120408 1340Takajarvi docks well. Unexpected Easter snow after thaw. Docks still stacked up for the winter. Too early to prime the well head in the forest. Cottage will be more welcoming when the temperature rises. (Takajarvi, Finland) 20100409
TUAS party. Spring break for Aalto U. engineering students, jousting at party in Tuas house parking lot. Hot tub in background, naked engineers but no females participating. Sunny day, temperature above freezing isn’t like Daytona Beach. (Espoo, Finland) 20120410 1635Vantaa Design Gallery. An invitation to enjoy Finnish design at Helsinki Vantaa Airport leads to an installation of chairs designed by Finns, with biographies on display. Directions to “wear hearing protectors” a typically playful Finnish style, enabling greater enjoyment of design in “seizing the moment” (Vantaa) 20120411 1309Mariahilfer Vienna. Airline waylaid luggage, got suggestion to shop along Mariahilfer, outside the ring road. Found C&A. Browsing underwear led mindset shift, as American white briefs nowhere to be seen, nearest alternative in color with no fly. Luggage fortunately delivered later in the evening. so prior conception of foundation clothes can remain undisturbed (Vienna, Austria) 20120412 1901ArsElectronica BitFlow. Installation by Julius Popp, associated with myth of Ariadne’s thread in which chaos is vanquished by order. First exhibited in 2008, now at @ArsElectronica. (Linz, Austria) 20120418 1448ArsElectronica FabLab. 3D stylus, screen and visors still requires talent, to design to make in Fab Lab at Ars Electronica. Polygons have to be closed so that 3D printers will work. (Linz, Austria) 20120417 1604Mountains behind Salzburg. Approaching Salzburg from the east on the train, the mountains are impressive. Brief stop on the Railjet from Linz to Munich (Austria) 20120419 1058Blossoms UHull. Pink blossoms having a tough time flourishing in early British springtime, by the U. of Hull. More warmth and sunshine might help. (Hull, UK) 20120420 1251Ferens Gallery Upstairs. Second floor of the Ferens Art Gallery recently renovated, opens up with beautiful skylight. With @jmwilby, enjoyed the Precious Cargo exhibition of contemporary works by local artists more than the pre-21st century works in most of the galleries. (Hull, UK) 20120421 1307UIC view east. John Hancock tower in background behind Lecture Centre, on plaza outside Richard J. Daley Library. Beautiful spring day could make one forget that winters on the west coast of Lake Michigan can be bitter. Visited Annalenna for lunch (Chicago) 20120427 1241Kellogg Reunion 2012. Under tent on Deering Meadow, Kellogg School Class of 1982 convening as 30th year alumni. Noisy, with deejay calling people to make more noise encouraged us to decamp to private party earlier (Evanston, IL) 20120427 1722McCarran Airport gates, Immediately on arrival as Las Vegas Airport, there are slot machines nearby. Casinos don’t like cameras on their floors, but the attendants at the airport don’t seem to care (Las Vegas, NV) 20120429 1136SandsExpo breakfast. Feeding 8500 #ibmimpact attendees for breakfast in Las Vegas presents an industrial scale challenge. There’s disglamour in the Sands Expo self-service buffet and tables on the concrete floor. The style follows fast food protocols, unlike lunches served in ballrooms with carpets, and dinners hosted in onsite hotel restaurants. Maybe late Vegas evenings encourage rudimentary service early in the day. (Las Vegas, NV) 20120430 0759
Treasure Island Sirens. Almost trampled by Asian women tourists recoiling from the heat in performance of Sirens of Treasure Island on humid Las Vegas evening. Performers might have been more emotive if they weren’t lipsynching, and actually sang, instead. (Las Vegas, NV) 20120430 2032
Toronto, Ontario; Vancouver, BC; Las Vegas, Nevada.
Atrium of the North York Central Library, from the fourth floor (North York, Monday) 20110404 1515Aircraft labelled as TCA Trans-Canada Airlines, hopefully for nostalgia and not a recommissioning of 1960s-era equipment (YVR Vancouver) 20110409 1445Opening #ibmimpact playing Classical Gas, first guitar with string trio, then guitar rock band, then deejay scratching, finally with band playing on tablets. Venetian Resort, Las Vegas 20110411 0815Live demo on #ibmcloud responding to Twitter at #ibmimpact, so I got my tweet on the big screen. (Las Vegas Venetian Resort) 20110412 1200Trio playing at St. Mark’s Square at the Grand Canal at the Palazzo Resort. Lighting is all artificial, probably darker than outside right now (Las Vegas) 20110412 1845Last chance for gambling before leaving Nevada by air: slot machines at airport international terminal 2, attended by a cashier offering change. Presumably few people leave with bags of coins. (Las Vegas McCarran Airport) 20110416 1015Heavy Weather, a group of heavyweight Toronto musicians coming together for fun to play Weather Report jazz (The Rex, Toronto) 20110421 2200Sherbourne Commons, south of Queens Quay East, is still under construction in late April 2009. The ditch doesn’t have water flowing, and the sign for No Wading in the pool is superfluous (Toronto, Sunday) 20110424 1700Scarborough Beach boardwalk, April sunset. Boardwalk at Scarborough Beach, unseasonably warm evening, eye between two rain alerts. Walkers and cyclists out, light at 8:15 pm (Toronto, Wednesday) 20110427 2015
When was that building demolished? Front Street East at Church Street. Building demolished at one of the oldest intersections in Toronto. Front Street at Church Street would have been near the waterfront of the town of York, before landfill moved the shoreline blocks south (Toronto) 20110428 1815
Beyond city-building as urban planning is the idea of a Music City. This sees development of cultural life across a wide variety of arts, alongside economic benefits brought to the region. At the 119th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in March 2024, socio-cultural designer Adam Hogan and musician-designer Ziyan Hossain joined moderator Zaid Khan in conversation. […]
Having reached year 6 of an espoused 10-year journey, the Systems Changes Learning Circle is (again) convening monthly Dialogues on Social Innovation at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto. Starting up in 2019, the Circle was convening regularly in the Climate Ventures space at 192 Spadina Avenue. The pandemic interrupted in-person meetings, and the […]
EQ Lab runs Dialogic Drinks, “the kind of philosophical discussion you have in a coffee shop or bar”, twice per week. Wtih this group interested loosely in questions on leadership, I was invited to host an online session on March 12 (evening in Hong Kong and Singapore, really early in Toronto) and on March 14-15 […]
At the 118th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario in February 2024, behavioral scientist Cameron D. Norman and design strategist Tara Campbell were invitied for a conversation guided by Zaid Khan. The panelists are both alumni of the Strategic Foresight and Innovation program at OCADU. Some time ago, they had conducted a research project on evaluation […]
An article on “sciencing and philosophizing”, coauthored by Gary S. Metcalf and myself, has been published in the Journal of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, following the ISSS 2023 Kruger Park conference in South Africa, last July. There’s a version cacned on the Coevolving Commons. This article started in a series of conversations […]
For the January 2024 Systems Thinking Ontario session, educational game designer Scott DeJong and innovation designer Geoff Evamy Hill joined a conversation moderated by Zaid Khan. Mutual interests in the new field of educational design and games were at the core of the discussion. This was an opportunity for systems thinkers to expand their knowledge on […]
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 ›
Finding proper words to express system(s) change(s) can be a challenge. One alternative could be diachrony. The Oxford English dictionary provides two definitions for diachronic, the first one most generally related to time. (The second is linguistic method) diachronic ADJECTIVE Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “diachronic (adj.), sense 1,” July 2023, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/3691792233. For completeness, prochronic relates “to […]
The selection of readings in the “Introduction” to Systems Thinking: Selected Readings, volume 2, Penguin (1981), edited by Fred E. Emery, reflects a turn from 1969 when a general systems theory was more fully entertained, towards an urgency towards changes in the world that were present in 1981. Systems thinking was again emphasized in contrast […]
In reviewing the original introduction for Systems Thinking: Selected Readings in the 1969 Penguin paperback, there’s a few threads that I only recognize, many years later. The tables of contents (disambiguating various editions) were previously listed as 1969, 1981 Emery, System Thinking: Selected Readings. — begin paste — Introduction In the selection of papers for this […]
In a recording of the debate between Michael Quinn Patton and Michael C. Jackson on “Systems Concepts in Evaluation”, Patton referenced four concepts published in the “Principles for effective use of systems thinking in evaluation” (2018) by the Systems in Evaluation Topical Interest Group (SETIG) of the American Evaluation Society. The four concepts are: (i) […]
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 […]
