Modeling
😎
Michael C. Jackson’s Critical Systems Thinking and the Management of Complexity ticked all the boxes to become a major source for one of my life’s guiding concepts. When you’re trying to improve a situation, it helps to think of it as a system. Then you can change key elements of the system to change its outcomes. The problem is systems are hard to see clearly and often hard to change, so we look for another system to help us do that, a systems thinking methodology. Rather than picking one methodology that may have limited scope, Jackson surveyed ten of the most significant and placed them within a framework, a system of systems methodologies, that indicates where each might be most useful. The book scratches my itch for comprehensiveness, historical context, critical analysis, and practicality. Jackson’s own approach, Critical Systems Practice, is a multimethodology that guides the user in applying the others within a unified but flexible process. Mastering such an approach sounds like a lifetime endeavor, but the journey promises a trove of systems insight.
Spirituality
🤔
Dan Allender’s Sabbath pushed me to consider how I could treat the day as a weekly chance for true renewal. I had mixed feelings about this book, since on the one hand I like Allender’s deep and creative thinking, and the idea of a whole day each week devoted to a glorious enjoyment of life has appeal, yet on the other hand it could become its own kind of burden. Given that this book is in a series called The Ancient Practices, I was hoping for more of a biblical and historical look at the practice, when what we got was mostly Allender’s own conception of the Sabbath colored by the intense way he evidently likes to live. So it left me still looking for the biblical and historical survey, but in any case Allender’s perspective is rich food for thought.
Movies
😎
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings had an evocative setting that sparked my imagination. The plot had some interesting twists and an engaging character (by which, of course, I mean Katy), but it was the visuals that truly caught my eye and got me researching Chinese legendary creatures and wondering what would be involved in creating my own aesthetic. I had never heard of Shang-Chi, but I’m glad Marvel added him to the lineup.
People
👷♂️
I helped Jeremy’s family move. They’re farther away now, but I like their new place, and Jeremy still works close enough to be convenient for getting together. I was mainly there to shepherd the computers. My recovering leg didn’t exactly appreciate the stairs, but overall I found the move less strenuous than I was expecting, and I got to know their friends better. It even got me invited to a Fourth of July gathering. I stayed to help as long as I could, until the long drive was turning me into a sleepy road hazard.
