The Absurdity of Binary

By Cathy Holt from Columbia, South America

"Binary" is used in several ways in our culture these days...let's consider this:

On my newsletter "Gifted ND" for neuro-divergent, Lilian wrote this week about "The Absurdity of Binary."

We live in a society obsessed with measuring value by output. With this in mind what then is the ultimate output?

It’s not products, inventions, or even AI.

It’s HUMANS...

She then goes down the rabbit hole that proves the most valued humans are obviously females. But then she finally gets to the point about Binary.

Flipping Dysfunction into Function

Binary thinking is mathematically dysfunctional because it artificially limits infinite possibilities to exactly two options.

In any complex situation, there are countless potential approaches, solutions, and outcomes. But binary systems force everything into either/or categories: win or lose, right or wrong, superior or inferior, employed or homeless.

This creates artificial scarcity where abundance naturally exists.

The Math of 2D vs Reality

Reality = Multi-dimensional = Infinite possibilities

Binary thinking = 2 Finite Choices, pre-selected by others

Reality (Infinity) - Binary = Loss of 2 (crappy) options with everything else still allowed.

Multidimensional intelligence uses more perspectives which generates more novel solutions, more combinations of different approaches, and more entirely new directions to explore options. Simply because they have greater access to the full spectrum of possibilities.

When someone is trapped in binary thinking approaches and approach the same problem, they can only choose between the two predetermined options they’ve been given. They cannot see/perceive/comprehend that other possibilities even exist.

Binary systems start and become increasingly more controlling because they don’t present the two best options. They limit it down to the two options that serve the system while “pretending” it is a choice. Most eventually end with monopoly or no choice at all.

There are more details. But I like the idea of 3D vs 2D. I'm going to stop here for now.

An old photo to share

Here I am, 3-1/2 years old, and there's this squirming wiggly little baby that my parents are always holding. But this day they say, lets let her hold her and take her photo! Mary Beth and I weren't at all sure about things, but we did our best. In  Dallas Texas, 1946.

Is this real life in 2025?

 

From Phoenix AZ

What do you feel about all this? It makes me sad.

Great respect for a spiritual leader who believes and practices peace.

A picnic table waaay up there flung by flood waters of the Haw River in North Carolina (near Durham). Posted to Facebook on July 16, so it occurred the week before, when several days of flash floods happened (about the same time as New Jersey, New York City, Texas 2nd or 3rd version).

I won't say anything about the flooding in western North Carolina last fall.

I'm watching daily the fires in Colorado and Arizona and Utah and New Mexico on an app called "Watch Duty." My son in southwestern CO is dealing with lots of smoke where he lives...but fortunately no fires.

And the good news for today?

Meet 5 month old Cal and his mom, Alice. They were staff at the chiropractor's office this week. Did I mention how much better my neck is feeling? Now I do have to treat it by lying on a rolled up hand towel daily. There's nothing harder for me to do than lie still doing nothing. So I checked out an audio book!

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And a note: and don't miss the update at the end!!

Posted information from the Writer's Almanac - usually something I would believe to be factual. However July 16 is the birth anniversary of 2 people that are listed.

First is the woman whose religion I was raised in, so I do know her publications.

Birth anniversary of:

"religious leader and writer Mary Baker Eddy, born in Bow, New Hampshire (1821). As a child, she suffered from a spinal ailment and spent much of her life preoccupied by issues of health.

...She turned to the New Testament and was suddenly healed, which led her to discover what she later called Christian Science, or the "superiority of spiritual over physical power."

In 1875, she set down her principles in a voluminous work called "Science and Health, WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES", and in 1876 founded the Christian Science Association."

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Then the Writer's Almanac posted:

"It's the birthday of playwright Tony Kushner, born in New York City (1956). He's best known for his two-part play Angels in America (1991). He has written many plays since then, including ... 'The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES' (2009)."

WHAT?

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I don't know Kushner's plays, but Mary Baker Eddy's book was "SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES." (See photo below)

Boy oh boy, did they mangle that one! (but keep reading to the comment update!)

Later that day my son, Marty, commented to my Facebook post with this photo.

Wikipedia says this:

The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures is a 2009 play by American playwright Tony Kushner. The title was inspired by George Bernard Shaw's The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism and Mary Baker Eddy's Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

Plot: 

The play looks at the life of a 20th-century thinker, retired longshoreman Gus Marcantonio, who is feeling confused and defeated by the 21st century. In summer 2007, his sister, who has been staying with him for a year, invites Gus's three children (who in turn bring along spouses, ex-spouses, lovers and more) to a most unusual family reunion in their Brooklyn brownstone

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So actually anybody could write a key to the scriptures.

It reminds me of how sitting on our community porch I'll usually be surrounded by talk of how the current climate crisis events of floods, fires etc. were all forecast in the Bible, and where and how. I usually just get up and leave. I've studied the Bible, with and without Mrs. Eddy's "Key to the Scriptures," and I'll prefer to not discuss it with my neighbors. Somehow science is still very important to me.

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Medical issues float around this body. It just changes focus like the days with storms, or dry hot, or hot  humid. I'm so glad I can see specialists as well as have a general practitioner to hopefully orchestrate all the others.

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Don't miss today's reminisce about the first man to step on the surface of the moon, July 20, 1969. Yesterday's Pages.

From different parts of the world

  

My son traveled to Denmark to find this little friend.

Clay figures in a museum - Denmark

Another son took a trip to the Caribbean and saw this critter.

Dr. Jane Goodall, who I just learned, has prosopagnosia, which makes it difficult to recognize familiar faces.

In January 2025, Dr. Goodall was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. You can imagine which President awarded it to her.

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Today's quote:

Everything turns in circles and spirals with the cosmic heart until infinity. Everything has a vibration that spirals inward or outward — and everything turns together in the same direction at the same time. This vibration keeps going: it becomes born and expands or closes and destructs — only to repeat the cycle again in opposite current. 

Like a lotus, it opens or closes, dies and is born again. Such is also the story of the sun and moon, of me and you. Nothing truly dies. All energy simply transforms.
—Suzy Kassem  --

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An old photo:

Ceramic sculptures by Susan Wilkerson in Black Mountain at Red House Gallery

Sharing with Saturday's Critters!

And today is the 71st anniversary of Tolkien's publication of the Fellowship of the Ring, in the Lord of the Ring series. See this post to commemorate it.

Water can be in a good place

 

And old stone wall looks over Lake Tomahawk with some flowers.

North Carolina skies at the apartment complex.

Yesterday when I opened the windows at 6:30 am to the cooler air (70 degrees) I heard and saw two Canada geese flying from east to west. Probably just going out for breakfast, as Lake Tomahawk is east of me, where most of the geese congregate daily.

Another summer view of Lake Tomahawk.

Sharing with Skywatch Friday and Sepia Saturday

Sepia Saturday shows an Alaskan fisherman, in some kind of Alaska Task Force Master File of the National Parks

Today's quote:

Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle. -Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

An old photo:

The city of Asheville receives its water from Burnett Reservoir, the formation of which inundated the original location of this little church. 

Burnett Reservoir, near Asheville NC.

An old photo of Black Mountain:

On Cherry Street, Black Mountain, no date. I'm guessing it's looking down hill since the top end of the street would have had the buildings on State St. Thus the railroad tracks are at the far end where trees and bushes are on the other side.

Another old photo:

Myself and my husband, Doug on the USS Constitution in the 60s.

Beauty and love (and Good Trouble)

 

My neighbor's planters with abundant flowers!

Summertime at Lake Tomahawk, 2025

An unframed version of wedding photo of Michelle and Russ Heym, April, 2000. 

Some of the wonderful people at my son Marty Heym and Barbara Baker's wedding in May, 2019. Barbara is in the great white hat. Marty on far right with bow tie. I know Beverly Baker is in center with the black lace dress. But the rest of the folks are unknown to me.

Hiking in Colorado, 2025, here Kendra uses 2 poles on rocky trail.

I love this with Kendra stretching her hair out while by her left elbow Zora has her tongue hanging out. They made it to this wonderful flower-flung place of rest!

Family portrait with Zora dog, Kendra and Tai Rogers, 2025 July.

Today's quote:

We cannot have harmony and balance in our lives if we forget to include the Earth and natural rhythms in our lives.

An old photo:

Myself as bridesmaid for my friend Rosie, in 1962. (Dress was pale blue chiffon which I never wore again.)

Today there will be demonstrations of "good trouble" as taught by Congressman John Lewis.

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Personal update!
I found it!

In a file folder between "Pets papers" and "Pottery," was one called "Papers - Important." And there was my original birth certificate. I received it from my parents when I got my first passport in 1963.

I do hope that will serve, it has numbers and a seal of Texas.

Joy

 

This painting really should show who the artist is…but unfortunately. whoever next tweaked it has thought their smart saying was more important.  It certainly is important, but not for people who look like this. These ladies already know just what fun they are still having!

So today’s laugh is that I’m filling out some application papers (carefully with my shaky writing) and I list what I have to find to send with them. I have most of the i.d documents, but where is the birth certificate? So I start looking. I don’t even bother with the desk. Nope, it would be too easy. Last big place for papers is a file drawer. Nope, at least not on first glance through.  Next the old drawers which I’ve stored old checks and lots of computer disks (I can record CD’s but who would bother these days?) Nope.

But a big wow. On the bottom of the drawer with all those blank CD’s of whatever format, I find 3 envelopes with US Savings Bonds. Wow. I went to the bank the next day to cash them in.  I would hope 40 + years means they’ve a bit of interest. They were a wonderful surprise, which I'll share with my sons.

I fix dinner, and look at least one more place.

And tucked in among books are a bunch of old photos…which haven’t been scanned yet. But as I start to do so, the printer wants to update, so that’s what’s happening first. And I’m eating a bite at a time while writing this and waiting for the computer/printer to be done.

I tried just taking photos of the old photos…but they all kept having reflections, so the scanner is the way to go…after all that’s a feature that I was glad to get on this printer!

Of course I’ll show you a few! They aren’t the best of the batches, sort of the seconds, but I couldn’t throw them away. Now of course I’m glad.

In 1946 my little sister was born. Here I must have just stepped out of the house to have our photo taken, as I still have a nice hairbow in place. They never stayed there long if I remember right. I'm perhaps having my 4th birthday here.

Little sister is probably about 6 months old here. Isn't that "go-cart" a great little device for her to sit and be rolled around in?

Of course I know better than to expect the laws to change in the next 16 months. But then I expect Congress to be a majority of law abiding thinking not-automaton human beings, who can start to disassemble the disasters which will have happened in the meantime.

Many people unfortunately will have suffered due to the tRump regime where the rich were the only people that were benefiting.

But one form of resistance is laughter. Let's see if we can find the joys that are now available in our lives.

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Today's quote:

Writing is thinking on paper. -William Zinsser, writer and editor (1922-2015)

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Another old photo to share:

My father leaning over his parents, with me in the middle. Names: George Rogers Jr, George Rogers Sr., Barbara Rogers, and Ada Swasey Rogers.