Previous episodes:

250 years of history

mathematics and science, philosophy and religion

Dutch history

to the heavens and back

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus received his baccalaureate degree in theology in 1497 at the Collège de Montaigu in Paris, where he studied under the mentorship of Jan Standonck, after being mentored at Deventer by the German humanist Alexander Hegius.  It seems we have strayed far from mathematics, but we shall return.  This was the time of “men for all seasons.”

In four states there were referenda about whether we GLBT people deserved to be treated equally with other humans…and the answer we received is that we did not.

We should be planning a way forward instead of casting the endless supply of recriminations, searching who to blame.  But people expect to see blame, so they usually miss the opportunities to look for that path forward.

ENDA, fairness in housing and public accommodations, and hate crimes protection are much more important, if only because they would benefit all GLBT people, not just the ones in relationships.  In my two decades of working on these issues, we have not made substantial progress.  It’s too easy to write these issues off as GLBT issues and tell us to wait until there is a better time.

And so we wait.  And we wait.  Just like we waited last year and the year before that and the year before that and every year I can remember since I came out.  And even before that.

Maybe while we are waiting, something could be done.

Muse in the Morning

State of the Onion II

Art Link Purple with Beading Thursday is Queersday Long away and far ago when I was young and naive wearing purple on Thursday meant one was most likely queer as it was called at the time Though I didn’t truly know couldn’t really comprehend what it entailed to be queer I still didn’t wear purple on Thursdays or any day For that I am yet ashamed The power of fear is great –Robyn Elaine Serven –March 16, 2006

Muse in the Morning

State of the Onion I

Art Link Pencil and Wax Words The words take control demand to be written I help guide them dress them up slim them down searching for clarity, brevity, emotion hopefully all three I’m not sure where they come from perhaps from the pains and joys of my life The words are the blood in the vessels of my mind just as feelings are the blood feeding my soul Is there any separation between me and the words? –Robyn Elaine Serven –January 10, 2006

Muse in the Morning

Words

Lurking Blueprint A notion and intention initially Ideas congeal words emerge slide into place some locked some fit to be tumbled pliantly capable of movement until unity forms Structural collapse conceptual disintegration and verbal desertion are neighbors skulking on the other side of walls too thin –Robyn Elaine Serven –March 18, 2008

Muse in the Morning

Not very random poem

The Lure of the Gold Entitlement Shouldn’t entitlement be an increasing function? Should not our children be entitled to more freedom liberty, joy and happiness than we were? Shouldn’t their children if they have any deserve still more? Or do you speak of material things? Do you look to me as the reason you don’t have more? –Robyn Elaine Serven –March 14, 2008

Muse in the Morning

Random Poem

Art Link Silky Pillow No Exit Mornings step into afternoons step into evenings stumble into nights then blessed darkness interrupted by brief glimpses of that other world called dreams and then I wake into another morning Breakfast becomes a class becomes grading and a meeting I step into more grading and another class and another becomes grading and then too few hours of sleep Step by weary step I plod towards a break any break in the madness of constant awareness I place one foot in front of the other as I limp towards collapse –Robyn Elaine Serven –March 8, 2006

Previous episodes:

250 years of history

mathematics and science, philosophy and religion

Dutch history

We left off at Erasmus Reinhold, creator of the Prutenic Tables, based on the work of Nicolaus Copernicus, which were used to create the Gregorian calendar.

Reinhold’s Master of Arts degree in astronomy and astrophysics was earned at Wittenberg in 1535, as a student of Jacob Milich.

Not much is known of Milich.  Plenty is known about his academic supervisors.

Coming down to the last few days before the election, we have seen the hatred and ignorance from the right with respect to marriage equality and equal rights in general…and California’s Proposition 8, Florida’s Proposition 2 and Arizona’s Proposition 102 in particular.  And we have heard from the supporters or equal rights, even though there may seem to have been few of them amongst our political leaders.

One group hasn’t been heard from so much:  the children.

I’m not talking about GLBT kids, though some of them may be.  The right wing…and even some people supposedly on the left…like to talk about the purpose of marriage being the protection of the family…and by their definition that generally means having children.

Are we hearing the voices of those children?  Do we even acknowledge that they are there.  Maybe we should listen to their voices, or at least see their words.

Muse in the Morning

Random Poem

Art Link Self-portrait, most days Talking Teaching Blues (Boomer edition) Run run run and run some more I don’t remember what I’m running for I work so long from 8 to 8 then up next dawn so I won’t be late Work work work it’ll be over soon if only I could sleep to noon It’s nice to know as I wipe my spittle that all we teachers just work so little Sixty hours a week so you could grow For this you hate us? We need to know. What did we do to deserve your slap work so hard and get paid crap? –Robyn Elaine Serven –April 18, 2006

Muse in the Morning

Random Poem

Splitting the Binary Can you learn? They asked me if I hunted or fished choose one What did I kill for fun? I gave my answer eight years later I killed their comfort in dead seriousness Can you learn? Too often the answer was disappointing There was danger in proving that human life could exist could endure could survive could even thrive in between There probably still is Can you learn? It is not too late Can you learn? It is never too late Can you learn? –Robyn Elaine Serven –December 14, 2007