http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/ en Copyright 2009 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:09:53 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Intellect, Emotions, and a Will.” But … what does that mean? What do these questions mean as it relates to other questions? I wondered how these questions have led to other questions and what those questions would be. How has man approached these paradoxes in the past, and how did the answers shape periods of time, philosophies, works of literature and art, and relationships in society. How did man address this mystery … What is man? I was quickly drawn to Shakespeare’s tragic play Hamlet. Talking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet asks: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Again we are reminded of our creation in the image of God and our relationship to dust. The more I pondered this, the more I read, the more I realized how many books, how many paintings, how many works of music, operas, and ballets beg the question. How man’s exploration in science, mathematics, and technology, how his architectural endeavors and even his leisure time can be shaped by the answer to these questions … What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? The Psalmist writes: When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings [c] and crowned him with glory and honor. One of my favorite primary sources of The Renaissance was a speech written by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola called The Oration on the Dignity of Man. In this 15th century piece, the author refers to this same Psalm in addressing the question about man and the result of his origins, that the origins (image or visage as he calls it) begets. Listen to how Lord Byron echoes the sentiments of Mirandola and Shakespeare in his dramatic poem Manfred, “How beautiful is all this visible world! How glorious in its action and itself! But we, who name ourselves its sovereigns, we, Half dust, half deity, alike unfit To sink or soar …” Despite the many questions raised by this … and there are many, I find encouragement and optimism as I return to the words of the Psalmist For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well… ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/11/image_of_god_out_of_the_dust.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/11/image_of_god_out_of_the_dust.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:09:53 -0500 Over the last couple of weeks I have been feeling sick in addition to a bout with the flu. The last time I felt well was when I was teaching at the Wisconsin Wilderness Campus and running the nearby trails. Being under the weather caused me to reminisce about the experience. I want to thank Mark and Dana, Seth and Suzanne, Paul and Abigail, Alyssa Travis, and the students of WWC for making the week one we will never forget. Below is a list of highlights for our family from our week: The community atmosphere and spirit The Autumn foliage Digging for worms in the compost pile Fishing with Seth Fisher and our children learning to bait their hooks and cast their lines My children kayaking while tethered to the shore of Lake Owen Gazing at the stars and seeing the Milky Way Seeing a badger at Mirror Lake State Park near Wisconsin Dells Jumping into the cube pit The eerie cry of the loons Watching the morning mist roll off the lake Famous Dave’s night at dinner Thursday tea time Rollerblading in the side gym Running each day with students, several of whom set personal distance records Rock Lake Trail, Ojibwa Trail, Birkebeiner Trail Game of spoons Family night and milk shakes Manly Monday and American Eagle 1,2,3 Dining with the students and the deep conversations Learning alongside and being inspired by the students and staff at WWC http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/11/a_wisconsin_state_of_mind.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/11/a_wisconsin_state_of_mind.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:20:29 -0500 iChristian: How Technology Impacts a Biblical Worldview conference. The novel was appropriate for the questions technology poses. We had to contend with the questions What is a human? Can a person be a human with android qualities? Can the idea of death make us more aware of our humanity? Does technology dehumanize us? Is electronic or virtual beauty any less beautiful than beauty produced by a living person? Can it be more beautiful? Our next meeting will be on November 21. We will be reading and discussing The Abolition of Man by CS Lewis. You’re invited! ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/do_androids_dream_of_electric.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/do_androids_dream_of_electric.html Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:45:05 -0500 I drove across the corn fields of Kansas thinking about how vast the prairies must have seemed to all the families on the Oregon Trail. The storms in the distance were sobering as I tried to think of being in one of them with no protection. As I entered the state of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains began appearing in the distance I thought of Lewis and Clarke and their first discovery of the mountains. Whoa, how overwhelmed they must have been. I was overwhelmed driving up into them and I had already lived in them for years. I replied to her that when we travelled to and from Wisconsin I would also be looking out the window with new lenses due to the same conversations in class. Since fall break extended our weekend for travelling home, we decided to go around the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and through Ontario, Canada. Here are some of our traveling highlights. Each of these enhanced our understanding of the diverse topography and culture of the US and Canada. If you ever have a chance to take the same course, we highly recommend it! Northeast Wisconsin – isolated and beautifully wild, incredible foliage, cheese curds, driving through snow squalls in early October, and seeing a snow plow for railways Rural Michigan – getting gas alongside a motorcade of four-wheelers, colorful foliage Upper Peninsula, Michigan – fall foliage on the left and expansive Lake Michigan on the right … absolutely stunning, picturesque lighthouses dotting the shoreline Norway, Michigan – Leif Erikson Appreciation Day (instead of Columbus Day) and the Viking ship to welcome visitors Mackinaw City, Michigan – the bridge connecting the two parts of Michigan … an engineering marvel. Frankenmuth, Michigan – Bavarian culture and architecture, Oktoberfest, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland Thanksgiving Day in Canada- Enjoy the holiday, eh? Niagara Falls, Ontario – being soaked by the mist, the thunderous noise, tremendous power Upstate New York and Pennsylvania – foliage, foliage, foliage! Home, sweet Home- Journey’s End, at last ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/leif_erikson_appreciation_day.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/leif_erikson_appreciation_day.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:36:05 -0500 Last year I titled my fall break blog “Reflections on To Autumn by John Keats”. Last year I spent fall break admiring the changing colors in around the tri-state area of Philadelphia. This year the poem was intensified as we spent the last several days in upstate Wisconsin. On Wednesday, I spent the afternoon circling the trails around Lake Hildebrand and Rock Lake, trail systems several miles from campus, with Mark Jalovick and six of the WWC students. As we ran the trails, we couldn’t help but celebrate God’s creation and artistry. I am amazed by the multi-faceted explosion of the colors that seem to have peaked in just a few days. The sun, glistening off leaves, enhanced the experience. I was reminded of Keat’s poem and thought it needed an encore reference. SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run; To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease, For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells. http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/an_encore_of_to_autumn_by_john.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/an_encore_of_to_autumn_by_john.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:49:47 -0500 I arrived with my family at our Wisconsin Wilderness Campus in Cable, Wisconsin on Sunday. On my previous visit, I missed the chance to run a historic course, sticking instead to the Telemark and Rock Lake Trails. The Birkebeiner is a world-renowned 50K ski race celebrating the rescue of a Norwegian prince in the early 13th century. Last year the director of the campus, Mark Jalovick, a multi-year finisher, insisted that I run the famous cross country ski trail. Within minutes of arriving this year, Mark invited me to run part of the trail as he rode his mountain bike. I consented without anticipating how challenging and exhausting the constant undulation of the trail would be, especially the grade. I was pleased to have run on a piece of Nordic history and tried to imagine the many students who skied the famous course. Mark, thank you! Ja, Vi Elsker Dette Landet http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/the_american_birkebeiner_ready.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/the_american_birkebeiner_ready.html Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:19:24 -0500 Chicago. How fitting! Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler; Stormy, husky, brawling, City of the Big Shoulders They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I have seen your painted women under the gas lamps luring the farm boys. And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to kill again. And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the faces of women and children I have seen the marks of wanton hunger. And having answered so I turn once more to those who sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the little soft cities; Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning as a savage pitted against the wilderness, Bareheaded, Shoveling, Wrecking, Planning, Building, breaking, rebuilding, Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with white teeth, Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young man laughs, Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has never lost a battle, Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse. and under his ribs the heart of the people, Laughing! Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/chicago.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/10/chicago.html Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:41:11 -0500 Literature Lord of the Flies by William Golding Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Blink by Malcolm Gladwell A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt Imperial Woman by Pearl Buck Music A New Law by Derek Webb Dust in the Wind by Kansas Society by Eddie Vedder I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2 It’s My Life by Bon Jovi Imagine by John Lennon Film Dark Knight Dead Poets Society Return of the Jedi Mona Lisa Smile Lion King Gattaca Armageddon Art The Scream by Edvard Munch Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonorotti Untitled by Mark Rothko Ben Franklin Drawing Lightning from the Sky by Benjamin West Seven Deadly Sins by Jerome Bosch The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein Bicycle Wheel by Marcel Duchamp ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/the_big_questions_in_life.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/the_big_questions_in_life.html Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:49:29 -0500 Last year several social studies majors and my wife and I began a book club that started as an over-the-Christmas-break read of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau. After Moreau we read The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck, followed by Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and then Slaughterhouse Five also by Vonnegut. We finished the semester with a reading of Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. By May we decided to be more proactive with our book list in order to give a greater number of people an opportunity to read the books and join us. Over the summer I spoke with the pastor of our church about using the basement to host these discussions and making these discussions available to the congregation. He was delighted. We decided that Saturday evenings would be the best time to meet. On September 26 we will commence with our 2009-2010 book clubs. All are welcomed, and a pasta dinner will be provided by the Palladinos. We will be meeting in our church (Newtown Community Church on route 413, across from St. Mary’s Medical Center) at 5:30 p.m. We will be discussing The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The Social Studies Committee produced book marks listing the choices for the next nine months. Each discussion will be on a Saturday night at our church, dates to be determined. Here is the list: September – The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson October – Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? by Philip K. Dick November – The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis December – Into the Wild by John Krakauer January – The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling February - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway March – The Call of the Wild by Jack London April – The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane May - Oedipus Rex by Sophocles We are looking forward to this time of fellowship and dialogue around these books which raise many worldview questions. http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/the_20092010_community_book_cl.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/the_20092010_community_book_cl.html Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:34:44 -0500 Some of the Highlights of World Civilizations II Summer Session 2 was again a rewarding experience as I got to spend time with thoughtful students. Daily we spent time after class furthering our discussions and voluntarily gathered in the evenings for three film and discussion nights. The films included Contact (Scientific Revolution – Copernicus, Galileo, Newton), Swing Kids (Germany on the Eve of WWII – Mann, Bonhoeffer), and Conspiracy (Holocaust, Eugenics – Nietzsche, Dejaurnette, Nazism, ). Here is a sampling of the students’ favorite questions and discussions in their own words. In the parentheses following each quote, I placed the question, the time period, and/or the primary source that inspired the discussion I liked the discussion on running/hiking on the trail. It made me realize that I depend too much on technology. It made me want to spend at least a day in nature away from some of the technology that controls my life. That discussion along with the question, “does man control machines, or do machines control man?” made me reevaluate my dependence on technology. I want to take the challenge posed in class of spending a week or a month without television, music, computer, or a cell phone. These discussions made me realize that I am missing out on the wonders of nature because I am always in front of the television or talking to people on my computer. These discussions made me want to go outside and talk to people in real life or just appreciate the beauty God created. (The Documentary called The Runner, Romantic Poetry by Wordsworth, Shelly, Byron, Keats; Industrial Revolution) The discussion regarding DNA and genetic engineering made me think about the ethical boundaries I have in place and why. (Frankenstein by Shelley) The processing question that interested me that most was the introduction of cultures. First of all it challenges one to analyze ones’ own culture at a much deeper level than one is accustomed to doing. One must analyze the intricacies of why someone does things and his motivation behind what they do. An individual must analyze how his culture has formed some of his biases. (Christopher Columbus: Viewpoints - Hero or Villain; Collision at Cajamarca by Jared Diamond from Guns, Germs, and Steel) I was intrigued by the question on Bill Gates and limiting the amount of money that we are allowed to make. It was hard for me because I know that my logic and reason conflict with my heart and emotions. (Atlas Shrugged by Rand; Wealth of Nations by Smith; Das Kapital by Marx; Utopian Socialism by Owen) Single-handedly, I enjoyed the connectivity history presents. No event in history happens without a cause and effect. These historic figures should not be forgotten. Though they may have died hundreds of years ago, they somehow have an impact upon us even in the 21st century. (The philosophy of the interdisciplinary approach to studying the past and present) The car changed the way roads were made. Asphalt or milled stone was utilized and perfected to meet the demands of the automobile. This led to the demand for and development of the interstates. People can now avoid an experience of small-town culture and customs. Towns and cities are now shaped by the layouts of roads. Cars have revolutionized courting and have spread families out across states and nations. It has impacted the arcitectural designs of homes. It has caused a demand in steel, rubber, and oil … Thus the car, which is widely used in our daily functions, has transformed the American culture and our perception ... The history of the car should not be overlooked as it has strongly influenced our way of life in these numerous ways. (Industrial Revolution; Factory System; 19th Century Economics; Geography to Nowhere by Kunstler) http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/from_the_summer_archives_some.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/09/from_the_summer_archives_some.html Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:29:41 -0500 It is an honor to be asked to speak with you this evening on this topic of jazz, food, and redemption. Furthermore, it is an honor that has come with trepidation … especially having to be a prelude to Ruth Naomi Floyd. Wow! She is a blessing and after seeing her in concert in 2007, my wife and I have been bragging on her behalf ever since. But what really made me anxious for this evening is ... I am not a musician. I can’t read music or play an instrument, and trust me you don’t want to hear me sing. I did not grow up in a family that exposed me to musical styles such as classical, baroque, blues, or jazz. And if you would have told me 20 years ago that someday I would be speaking on this topic I would I have said that you have obviously confused me with someone else. I’m sorry to say that when I was a student at PBU, if Ruth Floyd had been giving a concert in our chapel, I would have not have been remotely interested in attending. You can read more about Ruth and listen to some samples of her music on her website at: http://www.ruthnaomifloyd.com/. You will not be disappointed. ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/08/growing_into_my_taste_for_musi.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/08/growing_into_my_taste_for_musi.html Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:59:57 -0500 I have been quoted as saying, “Food around the table loosens lips for dialogue.” Growing up in an Italian family, the preeminence of the dinner table was obvious. Last week we hosted a number of former social studies majors and some of their friends that my wife and I have become acquainted with from the university. As they began arriving to send off our friend to Austria, it dawned on me how awesome our conversation that evening was going to be. I excitedly waited for everyone to come to the table. Before we asked for the Lord’s blessing, I stood silently for a moment and then exclaimed how fortunate my wife and I are that we can engage with men and women with such character, depth, kindness, and intellectual curiosity. They each thanked us as they left many hours later. However, we emphatically thanked them for their blessing upon our house. http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/08/the_dinner_table.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/08/the_dinner_table.html Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:09:04 -0500 It has been a while since I wrote about running. During the spring I experienced several setbacks with an injury and at times just being too busy. However, as the end of the semester drew near my weekly mileage was on the rise. This was a positive sign due to the runs I committed to during the first half of the summer. Memorial Day weekend was the first memorial run. Several years ago somel of my Virginia running friends and I conjured up a “fun run” on the Appalachian Trail near Charlottesville. We were attempting multiple ascents up a pair of ridges called The Priest and Three Ridges. In 15 hours we completed 2 ascents up each peak, 40 miles, and 16,000+ feet of elevation gained and lost. It was a great time of fellowship and encouraging one another in the ways the Lord has been working in our lives. Furthermore, the views were outstanding!! We also met and chatted with several through-hikers (people hiking the entire 2,000+ mile AT). I enjoy listening to their stories and learning their trail names. My favorites that weekend were Prairie Dog and his friend Angry Beaver. Between ascents, we enjoyed soaking/swimming in the Tye River with our wives and children. The second memorial run, The Equinox, was held on the weekend of the Solstice (long story). Bucks County Road Runners hosted the event at Tyler State Park in Lower Bucks County, about 15 minutes from campus. The park boasts over 10 miles of bike trail and is very hilly. A runner could complete any distance as the race was a actually a series of races that are competed in the BCRR winter race series with names like the Polar Bear 8 miler, Covered Bridge 5k, Eenie Meenie half-marathon, and Jingle Bell 5.3 miler among others. I finished all the races but one (the Tyler Challenge 9.3 miler) due to a wedding I had to attend. In all, I ran 40.7 miles in the rain and got to see Tyler State Park from just about every angle and loop imaginable. The third memorial run took place in Washington DC last weekend. I accepted an invitation to attend the DCLA youth rally to represent the University at an information booth. Our accommodations were located several blocks from the White House. So … on Saturday morning I decided to tour the memorials and the monuments. I started out running toward the Capitol Building and toured its grounds. Then as I ran down the opposite side of the mall I stopped in a sculpture garden that displayed pieces by Rodin, Giacometti, and de Kooning. From there I swung around the tidal basin, stopping at the Jefferson Memorial, the George Mason Memorial, and the FDR Memorial. After these stops I journeyed onto the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. During the last leg of the run I ran around the Washington Memorial, then to the White House, and back to the hotel. I am hoping to compete again by the end of the summer (it has been over a year). Other runs I am planning this summer include my annual birthday run (a fun run where I run a mile for each year of my life) and possibly several Appalachian Trail runs (at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in PA, the Susquehanna River and Peters Mountain in PA, and the Delaware Water Gap in NJ). See you on the Trail! http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/memorial_running.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/memorial_running.html Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:19:56 -0500 This summer, I taught both World Civilizations I and II. I enjoy the discussions with the students especially within the extended classroom setting that summer session and our new J-term offer. Being together for long periods of time brings the students closer together in fewer classes. Part of the final exams are three short essays evaluating the conversations, the primary source readings, and the time periods studied. Here is a sampling of the students’ favorites in their own words. In the parentheses following each quote, I placed the question, the time period, or the primary source that inspired the discussion: “…whether we would want to live in anarchy or tyranny if we only had these two to choose from.” (Spartan Education by Plutarch; Pericles’ Funeral Oration by Thucydides) “…a Christian’s place within the political system.” (Conversion of Emperor Constantine; The History of a Dangerous Idea by Mark Kurlansky, chapter one) “…how we looked at the Great Pyramids in Egypt and then speculated on what their civilization would be like based on the buildings … we determined that they were engineers, mathematicians, dreamers, artists, concerned about the afterlife, and they had an understanding of anatomy.” (Building the Pyramids by Herodotus) “…why does man create/need heroes? It made me ask whether these things are natural and innate?, How should I respond?, What does this reveal about humanity?, About God?” (The Iliad, Death of Hector by Homer) “…the impact of architecture on society … I did not realize the significant part it played in history.” (Analysis of Greek architecture and the idea of beauty in buildings; Documentary called The Greeks from the PBS Empire Series) “…the discussion on written language. I never thought of its advent as a form of technology and wrestled with its impact in shaping the world and how we perceive it.” (The birth of writing in Sumer) I had a great time with World Civilization I and II, and I’m grateful for the students I was learning with. In the near future I will post some the highlights on the second class. http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/the_top_discussions_and_intrig.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/the_top_discussions_and_intrig.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:48:02 -0500 For Thine is Life is For Thine is the This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper.]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/a_conversation_between_ludwig.html http://blogs.targetx.com/pbu/ChrisPalladino/2009/07/a_conversation_between_ludwig.html Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:04:48 -0500