31:4 (88-89): Phrase Animee, King Sq. C., Poland-3, 485,

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31.4 Joanna and I

31.4.1 Introduction

I met Joanna in February, 1989, but by March I was still thinking about Theodora and Marena. I made a note in my diary about being finished with Anne Johnston (too skaterbrained) and Anna (too demanding and clingy). I was concerned about the circle of friends I would be exposing myself to. Anne's friends seemed to be loosers into drugs. Anna's friends were Polish right-wing, anti-communists.

31.4.2 Joanna and I in New York

Joanna and I then went to New York together, which solidified our relationship.

31.4.3 Joanna and I in Niagara

31.5 Trips, Spring, 1989: New York, Niagara Falls

31.5.1 Introduction

In the Spring of 1989, Joanna and I went on several trips which solidified our relationship.

31.5.2 New York City, March, 1989

In late March, 1989, Joanna and I flew down to New York for a holiday. The American Film Institute project was still on my mind. We visited the site, but within a few days my mind was off of it, and I could enjoy New York.

World Trade Centre
We went up the WTC.

Rockefeller Centre

31.5.3 Niagara Falls, April, 1989

Later in the Spring of 1989, Joanna and I drove with Bern and _____ down to see Niagara Falls.

31.6 Completion of Phrase Animee

31.6.1 Introduction

31.6.2 Phrase Animee Test Phase Completed

With Phrase Animee completed and going outside of my office for review, it was time to add a copyright screen at the beginning of the program. This was done in January, 1989, and is seen at right.

Phrase Animee Support Documentation Completed

This was the third through seven of eleven steps, as shown below:

Summary of Steps in
the Development of
"Phrase Animee"
1984 - 1994

Chronicle Chapter and Dates:	Steps of DAVID FLETCHER and ASSOCIATES as the Developer:	Steps by Ministry of Education in approving development and releasing funds:	Other Events of this Period:
27 1984, 1985	Step 1 of 11: Preliminary research and initial proposals	.	HAC, CUEW, Milliken text
28 1986	.	Ministry response as to how this could successfully become a fundable proposal	.
28 Spring, 1986	Step 2 of 11: Writing of draft proposals detailing the project, and negotiating with the Ministry to revise and cost the project	.	.
29 Spring, 1986	.	Assessment of proposals and requesting revisions.	.
28 Summer, 1986	Step 3 of 11: Finalizing of proposal through negotiations, detailing all aspect of the software, manuals, schedules, and other deliverables, as well as the final budget for the project.	.	.
28 11 August, 1986	.	Completion of negotiations leading to approval in principal of final proposal, including budget.	"Home as Hazard".
29 Fall, 1986	Step 4 of 11: Work on Stage 1A (preliminary design stage according to Schedule D) while waiting for Ministry to prepare contract for signing.	.	Milliken "Introducing Canada".
29 5 December, 1986	.	Signing of contract. This represents official start of development (called by Ministry "Stage 1A")	Milliken.
29 6 December, 1986	Step 5 of 11: Submission of all deliverables to complete "Stage 1A" or preliminary design, including all basic aspects of the program and initial graphics.	.	broke up with Doris, went to Europe
29, December, 1986 to 10 February, 1987	.	Approval of 1A, release of 1A funds, and permission to proceed to 1B.	Poland.
29 1987	Step 6 of 11: Continued development of complete program, graphics, (called by Ministry "Stage 1B") according to Schedule E. These are delivered on 29 May, 1987	.	conferred with M.A.
29, June, 1987	.	Approval of 1B, release of 1B funds, and permission to proceed to "Stage 2: Prototype" on 23 June, 1987.	KSC.
29, 30, June, 1987 to June, 1988	Step 7 of 11: Work to complete the Prototype (called by Ministry "Stage 2") including final programming, preliminary evaluation, and field-test proposal (by Lynette Gillis). Submitted to Ministry June 1988.	.	met Joanna, AFI, KSC.
30, 31, June, 1988 to March, 1989	.	Ministry assessing the Stage 2 Prototype, leading to approval of Stage 2 and release of Stage 2 funds, March, 1989. Permission granted to proceed to Stage 3 (as laid out in Schedule G) with demands for certain revisions.	Ministry's lengthy delay drained my financial resources, led to my applying to FEUT, Alexandria Library competition.
31, March to April, 1989	Step 8 of 11: Stage 3, including required revisions, writing of teachers' manual, Documentation and all deliverables completed and submitted April 1989.	.	Alexandria Library entry.
32 April, 1989 to December, 1989	.	Start of in-school testing and independent evaluation. Positive report by independent evaluator, Susan Murphy, delivered to Ministry on 6 September, 1989. Ministry assessing the report, leading to demands for certain revisions, December, 1989.	FEUT.
32, December, 1989 to February, 1990	Step 9 of 11: All required revisions completed and Phrase Animee re-submitted February, 1990.	.	FEUT.
32 33 February to December, 1990	.	Ministry assessing the Stage 3 deliverables, including the independent evaluator's report, leading to requests for further revisions on December, 1990.	FEUT, California, KSC, Poland.
33, December, 1990 to January, 1991	Step 10 of 11: Required revisions and submitted January 1991.	.	KSC.
33 January to March, 1991	.	Ministry passes on Phrase Animee to TVOntario for testing. Ministry assessing Phrase Animee, including the TVOntario report, leading to requests for further revisions on March, 1991.	KSC.
33, March to April, 1991	Step 11 of 11: Final revisions, finalizing of Teachers' manual, and finalization of documentation, submitted to Ministry April, 1991.	.	KSC.
33 34 June, 1991 to June, 1992	.	Ministry assessing revisions to completed project, leading to final approval, inclusion of Phrase Animee in OESS catalog, and release of final funds, June 1992.	Poland, KSC joins OSSTF, Ed.D, Ecozoic Curriculum.
35 Fall, 1992	.	Ministry distributing Phrase Animee to all Ontario schools.	Teaching at TSS, TDSB.

31.7 Teaching at King Square Collegiate

31.7.1 Introduction

Since 1983, I taught art part-time at a local independent high school called King Square Collegiate, located at 461 King St. West. This involved creating my own OAC level courses. I used this opportunity to write some of my own curriculum.

31.7.2 Teaching at KSC

Teachig at KSC involved creating my own OAC level courses. I used this opportunity to write some of my own curriculum.

31.7.3 Curriculum Writing

31.7.4 Arts Junior

At this time, I also did some preliminary work on starting a new school. This was to be done with a fellow King Square Collegiate teacher, and be focused on teaching art to elementary school level students on Saturdays. On of the graphics I created for the school is shown below:

31.8 My Art During This Period, 1988 to 1989

31.8.1 Introduction

See my Art CV

31.8.2 Manifestos

There are two manifestos for this period:

31.8.2 Abstracts

31.9 Renovation Work on 485 Manning Ave. (..of ..)

31.9.1 Introduction and Context Within Whole Project

Date:	Tasks performed this period
, 1979	purchase, moving in
April, 1980	breaking concrete in backyard
May, 1980	digging hole
26 May, 1980	removing excavated soil, concrete
31 May, 1980	pouring footing
4 June, 1980	concrete block foundation wall
20 June, 1980	concrete columns on East side of garage
3 July, 1980	brick around garage columns
7 July, 1980	West concrete block wall on garage
early August, 1982	structure of addition and roof completed.
August, 1982	enclosure of addtion completed room.
Fall, 1982	upstairs apartment completed.
1983	major work on downstairs apartment.
1984	completion of grade-level living room and basement.
1986	Completion of the downstairs and moving upstairs.
1995	new roof, new skylights.
1996	new bathroom on second floor.
2002	new bathroom in basement.
2005	completion of basement bathroom
30 July, 2005	fire on roof
Fall, 2005	repairs by HOPE contracting
2006	covered workspace in backyard, studio in garage, finishing touch-up to whole house
late August, 2006	showings, and sale 30 Aug.

31.9.2

At this time, most of the work was done on 485 Manning Avenue, and I was spending as much time on renovation-type work on other people's homes --mainly friends. I had originally done such work to learn how to do it. Not because I wanted to continue doing it, but because to design something it is better if one knows how all the systems one is designing actually work. The situation of doing work for friends reminded me of the expression: "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." When I was a teenager and knew nothing, I was not asked to do repairs. If I had become an experienced expert in something, I would be a professional and personal friends would not ask me to do such things. But between these two extremes lies a grey zone in which one has a little knowledge. For years I had been living in this grey zone. I had done a little plumbing, a little electrical, a little of this, a little of that --a little of everything. So when a friend had a plumbing, or electrical, or whatever problem they asked me. It seemed that learning about house renovating became an open invitation for my friends to ask me to help them with everything.

31.10 Union Organizing

31.10.1 Introduction

31.11 Fletchers During This Period

31.11.1 Introduction

31.12 Zeitgeist: Politics and Society, 1989 to 1989

31.12.1 Introduction

31.12.2 Old Struggles Continue: Afghanistan, Cambodia, and Lebanon

Two great military invasions which had begun with the decade, came to an end with the decade. The Soviet presence in Afghanistan was recognized as untenable as ambushes on vulnerable convoys by skilled and dedicated gurilla fighters increased. By February, 1989, the Red Army had left, throwing the country into civil war and leading to the communist government being overthrown by the Pakistan-supported Taliban, rather than the American-supported Mujahadeen.

Cambodia
The second invasion to come to an end was the Vietnamese presence in Cambodia, which had been there since ousing Pol Pot in 1979. Cambodia was then also thrown back into civil war.

Lebanon
Civil war continued in Lebanon, destroying what had been the most prosperous and cultured country in the Middle East. Christian East Beirut (with their Phalange), fought Moslem West Beirut --with the additional interferance of Syrian and Palistinian factions.

Northern Ireland
Shootings and bombings continue.

31.12.3 Nationalist Demonstrations Against USSR

At this time, there were cracks developing in the Iron Curtain. There were an increasing number of public demonstrations in Soviet satelite states against the rule of the USSR.

Defections from Iron Curtain
Olympic gold medalist gymnast Nadia Comaneci defects from Romania because of the intolerable hard-line regime of Ceaucescu. With Gorbachev's easing up on the Soviet apparatus of terror, nationalists in many Soviet republics and satelite states demonstrated for independence. In Bakou, Azerbaijan; Czechoslovakia's anti-communist dissidents were led by Vaclav Havel; demonstrations in Bulgaria; and in Hungary, Nagy's 1956 execution by the USSR was remembered and the border with Austria was opened up.

31.12.4 Environmental Disasters

Exxon "Valdez" Oil Spill
On 23 March, 1989, the Exxon "Valdez" spilled 10.8 million of its 53 million gallons of Northern Alaska crude oil (bound for Long Beach, California) into the Alaskan panhandle. The oil spill was one of the most publicized and studied environmental tragedies in history. The drunk captain, Joseph Hazelwood, was blamed.

31.12.5 Tianamen Square
Taking advantage of a state visit by Gorbachev, socialist and pro-democracy students and workers in Beijing camp out in Tianamen Square. They erect a statue of the "Goddess of Democracy" and sing "The Internationale". The too-soft Zhao Ziyang is ousted and replaced by the hard-liner Den Xaio Ping. On 4 June, 1989, tanks invaded the square killing thousands of unarmed young people. Chinese governments traditionally do not tolerate any factionalism or internal division. In 1889, more than 20 million Chinese had been killed during the government repression of a dissident movement.

31.12.6 Snowbirds Disaster
On 3 September, 1989, two jets of the Canadian Air Force display team, the "Snowbirds" collided and crashed into Lake Ontario during the CNE airshow.

31.13 Culture, Books, Films, and TV: 1988 to 1989

31.13.1 Introduction

31.13.2 Books Read

Amongst the books that I read during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

31.13.3 Films Viewed

Amongst the films that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

31.13.4 TV Viewed

Amongst the television programmes that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

31.13.5 Other Social / Cultural Influences

Amongst the television programmes that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

"Caravan"

31.14 Solidarnosc
and Preparing
for Poland
(Trip in
Summer, 1989)

31.14.1 Introduction

31.14.2 Solidarnosc

My work with Solidarnosc (dating back to 1971) continued during the period leading up to the events of Spring, 1989. See chapter 30, section 6)

A New Wave of Solidarnosc Strikes and a New Government

In 1987 Solidarnosc again started to organize strikes, and by 1988 these grew in size and frequency. Rather than meeting the strikes with repression, they were tolerated. The economic downturn which followed the widespread strikes, forced the PZPR government to resign and be replaced by an interim Council of Ministers. This new government included several non-PZPR members, although it remained communist-dominated. Meanwhile, thoughout the summer of 1988, the still-powerful (and Soviet supported) Committee for Defence of the Country (KOK) began preparations for the re-introduction of martial law. They wanted to crush Solidarnosc as had been done in 1980. This was avoided by the intervention of the new Minister of the Interior, General Czeslaw Kiszczak. He proposed negotiations directly with Solidarnosc, with the intention of ending the strikes and leading to the legalization of Solidarnosc. These "Round Table" negotiations between Kiszczak and Walensa took until the Sring of 1989, but upon ratification on 5 April, they accomplished agreements to re-legalise Solidarnosc and to hold free elections in June to the Sejm (Lower House of the Parliament) where 35% of seats were to be contested freely.

Solidarnosc Legalized and Wins Election

In the 4 and 18 June, 1989, partially-democratic elections, Solidarnosc swept the board in all of seats it was allowed to contest. It subsequently formed a coalition government with two smaller parties, with Tadeusz Mazowiecki becoming the first non-communist Prime Minister of a Warsaw Pact country. The government was almost immediately faced with a further deepening of the recession, which it addressed by introducing radical market reforms. The latter were seen to be outrageous by other Communist block countries.

Preparing for My Third Trip to Poland, Summer, 1989 (3 of 8)

Just as my second trip had been to a different Poland compared to my first trip, as I prepared for my next trip I realized that this trip too would be to a completely new Poland with a new Solidarnosc-dominated government. Former political prisoners were now running the country. I could work completely in the open, and not in the shadows as before.
On 29 December, 1989, the Sejm adopted an act to amend the constitution which provided for fundamental changes in the political, social and economic system.

1990 Lech Walesa is elected President.

31.15 Chess During This Period

31.16

31.16 Summary, Conclusions,
Connections, Goals,
Omissions, and Regrets

31.16.1 Introduction

Perhaps like every end-of-chapter, the end of this chapter was associated with a crossroad. I decided to go this way and not that way. The starting point of the next chapter, and the rest of my life, will reflect the decision made at that crossroad. I am going on a certain path because I chose to go in that direction. I will never know what would have happened if I'd chosen another path.

In the case of this chapter 31, the decision I made in the spring of 1989 was to give up on my software development career, also effectively give up on my architectural education, and make my one focus education. I decided to go to the Faculty of Education. Would the business side of software developing have gone better if I'd taken on more contracts and expanded my employee base? Would my architectural studies have lead successfully to my graduating and acquiring a position of employment in the architectural field? By going to FEUT and taking on full-time teaching there was no hope to do these other things as well.

31.16.2 Summary

31.16.3 Conclusions

31.16.4 Connections

31.16.5 Goals

Any consideration of specific goals, should be seen in the light of my mission statements.

See: Mission Statements

31.16.6 Omissions and Regrets

The bulk of this chronicle concerns things actually happened. Things that were planned, experienced, written, won, acquired, painted, accomplished, etc. are documented, discussed, and anyalysed. This last section concerns those which were only desired, thought of, considered, not completed, lost, and perhaps regretted.

Giving up on software development was easy and painless, but it was very painful for me to give up architecture.