[Critique Group 1] Leonard's comments on Cleora's sub

Mon Aug 30 13:40:52 EDT 2021

I certainly mourn the good old days of goodproducts and good service.  

The examples are interesting. 

However, the bible  story takes up most of the space  and begs the question, 

“Is this a sermon, a rant, or  commentary. 

At one point you seem to be saying you know  what God must be feeling or thinking.  

Another sub thesis is that Man is just evil and perhaps he deserves what hegets. 

If this is so, I agree with that, 

though you lose the sympathy of much of your audience by using thebiblical   examples  you use.   You have two  typos, I think when using the ampersen  symbol. 

They are underlined and put in bold print onyour text. 

Cleora sub for August 21

378 words

Do It My Way

By C. S. Boyd

As I journey through life, I have experiencesthat, I believe, help me to understand God better. One of these has been myfrustration with the ability of the typical care giver.

According to the Bible, in the beginning, aftercreating man, God gave them a very simple set of instructions. He had planted aTree of Life and a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden ofEden. The instructions regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evilwere simple. Don't look at it, don't touch it, and don't eat of the fruit fromit.

Those familiar with the story in the firstchapter of Genesis know Adam and Eve disobeyed these orders. Thus evil enteredthe world and we find ourselves in the mess we have today.

Sometime after that, mankind became so evil thatGod instructed Noah to build an ark. He gave Noah detailed instructions on howto build this boat. Believers generally accept that if the instructions had notbeen followed to the letter, the eight souls inside would not have survived.Over time, God has provided information about what He wanted done and how to doit. These are rules that are possible to be done by any individual. I’mnot saying they are always easy, but they are doable. Hedoesn’t require things that are outside the ability of human beingsto perform.

Now, in this last age,  we have a set of instructions that include some, but not all of the past orders God hasgiven. There are those that look back over the past and insist that things Godrequired in the past, but hasn’t mentioned in this last age, arebinding today. Some come up with ideas they feel are better and/or moreconvenient than the plan God has outlined.

Several years of trying to find good care giverswho will help me do the things I need to do my way, has brought me to theconclusion that maybe I know a little about how God feels when people go theirown way. Maybe what God is looking for is people that will do what He says, the

way He wants it done.

2/28/21 at 2:32pm

[]223 words

gone are the days

I recall a similar statement by my parents whenI was growing up. They mourned the passing of a quality product &service for cheaper poorer quality items

in my lifetime I have seen the disappearance ofa sacker taking your groceries out to the car for you, loading them in the car,and saying thank you, ma'am, come again.

the filling station attendant that hurried outto put gas in your tank, wash the windshield, check the oil and air in tires.Again, after taking your payment, thank you ma'am, come again.

that was also when gas was 25 cents a gallon.

When you bought a product, it was rare, almostunheard of, that it didn't work.

if it didn't, you could take it back to thestore and they would replace it.

you also had 3 or more months to do so.

Products like appliances worked for decades notmonths and could be repaired when they did break down.

When you bought a product, everything you neededto use it was included. If there were consumables, you could go back to thestore and buy more when they ran out.

at this point, it may be necessary to invent newthings to be discontinued. I wonder what the new "Good Ol Days" themillennial generation will morn?

3/3/21 at 10:34am

183 words

Alaska

By C. S. Boyd

One of the items in my Bucket List is to visitAlaska. The land of the midnight sun. At parts of the year, the night is up to4 hours long and is more like a dusk or dawn. A stream of liquid will freezeand land as a stick that brakes into little cylinders on hitting the ground.Don't visit in the summer, is the warning, mosquitoes are the size of hummingbirds. I hear the northern lights are amazing. But, for me, the most amazingthing to see and take a helicopter ride to the peak of would be the glaciers.Several years ago, I heard this quick trip was priced at $2,000 which I wouldcheerfully pay for the experience. Now, 20 years later I'm sure it is a lotmore. I guess I'll never get to go, and at this point, my vision hasdeteriorated enough that the experience would not be what I longed for. But,alas, the closest I may get at this point, is my dentist whose last name isLaska.

revised 3/8/21 at 9:02pm

Alaska

By C. S. Boyd

One of the items in my Bucket List is to visitAlaska--The land of the midnight sun. At parts of the year, the night is up tofour hours long and is more like a dusk or dawn.

A stream of liquid will freeze and land as astick that breaks into little cylinders on hitting the ground. Don't visit inApril or May, is the warning--mosquitoes are the size of humming birds. Theyhave Chinooks, a toronado on its side, with winds up to 60 mph at the end ofWinter. There are herds of buffalo, caribou & moose. Tours on horses or4-wheelers. I hear the northern lights are amazing. But, for me, the mostamazing thing to see and take a helicopter ride to the peak of would be theglaciers. Several years ago, I heard this quick trip was priced at $2,000 whichI would cheerfully pay for the experience. Now, 20 years later I'm sure it is alot more. I guess I'll never get to go, and at this point, my vision hasdeteriorated enough that the experience would not be what I longed for. But,alas, the closest I may get at this point, is my dentist whose last name isLaska.

3/12/21 at 1:30pm

dr bombay was the original doctor prescribingdrugs that caused side effects

3/20/21 at 7:56pm

What Is the Worst Sin?

by c. s. boyd

I never cease to be amazed, confounded, andinfuriated by the stupidity of people. They pay no attention to what they aredoing, do not respect the rights & property of others, and waste moretime doing things the wrong less efficient way than it would take to do itright the first time simply because they don't think about what they are doing.

You may have heard some people say, "If Godis such a loving God, how could he let that happen?"

Good question. when you get right down to it, Hecould have prevented this whole mess by simply not planting that tree of theknowledge of good and evil.

I think most people would say murder is theworst thing a person could do. If someone steals, rapes, embezzles, etc., itwill hurt the victim, and may seriously alter the person's life, but whilethere is life, there is a chance of recovery.

But, what do you suppose God considers the worstsin. Since any sin results in death, one might conclude that God sees all sinas equally the worst. Considering man’s activities from the beginningto present we can see that for all our technological advances, man reallyhasn't changed over the millenniums. He still doesn't pay attention to what ishappening around him, and he still doesn't consider the consequences of what heis about to do.

So, what does all this mean. God gave a simplecommand. Don't look at the tree, don't touch it, don't eat of it. Eve firstthen Adam did it anyway.

He told Noah to build an ark, and load hisfamily and select animals on it. Noah did and he, his family, and a sampling ofcreatures were preserved.

He told Abraham to leave the land where he wasand go to a land God would give his descendent. And, he did.

He told Abraham later that he would have a sonthru whom the world would be blessed.

Sarai scoffed, Abraham and Sarah took mattersinto their own hands and tried to fulfill the promise themselves instead ofwaiting on God. Look over to the middle east to see what kind of mess thatmade.

There are hundreds of religions where man hascome up with what he considers a better, more convenient and enjoyable way toworship and serve God. But, God has told us what and how he wants to be served.What does all this have in common? Maybe what God wants is people that do whatHe wants in the way He wants it done, Presumptuous people are on the list ofthose that will not enter heaven.

So, perhaps the worst sin of all, is not obeyingGod. Each generation has had a slightly different set of rules. Just trust Him,and obey is the key. I sure wish I could get care givers to follow that simplerule. I think I'm starting to understand how God feels. some have turned God'skingship into the type of manarchy England has

4/8/21 at 6:13am

tempting

desire for love

time in memorial

there is no way to make it work

lost love

4/9/21 at 5:06am

Tiny Feet

by sly duck

click

scurry, scurry, scurry

what is that noise I hear?

Tiny feet patter back and forth.

Oh, dear.

4/11/21 at 1:41am

102 words

16 lines

Salty Water

by c. s. boyd

Crystal water spreads across the land.

As small as 950 square miles but as large as3,300 square miles.

embracing 10 islands

Strengthened by the sun.

16 to 35 feet deep

Roughly 75 miles across.

You can't drink it.

What use is it?

A home for birds and brine shrimp, shore birds,and waterfowl, including the largest staging population of Wilson's pahlarope.

Provides mineral extraction, recreation, andharvest of brine shrimp.

Great Salt Lake in Northern Utah.

The largest inland body in the westernhemisphere.

It has a city named after it.

Got salt? Make lemonade.

4/17/21 at 1:38pm

acrostic BIO

by c. s. boyd

Contest winner

Loves learning, hates school

easily annoyed

organized

retired computer geek

animal lover

Short for her weight

Bird owner - or is that the other way around?

only one left that has known her all her life

younger at heart than body

dismal poet  [ducks are her delight]

4/19/21 at 5:07pm

[]Amazing Man

by C. S. Boyd

We flew a rocket to the moon, and a man set footon its surface.

A helicopter hitched a ride to Mars, and flewaround.

A module flew to Pluto and took pictures.

We now have expensive trash left behind on twoextra-terrestrial surfaces, and flying around the universe.

Man is amazing in what he can achieve.

Why can't he achieve peace on his own world?

4/26/21 at 9:36pm

story idea

[]The Script

police officer has a fanatical record forassessing a situation because he reads about it in a magic script each night.

4/26/21 at 10:03pm

191 words

[]My Neighborhood

by c. s. boyd

The street is new.

So, now I am blue.

The speed bumps are gone,

and so is my lawn.

I have a new driveway entry,

but I don't need a sentry.

They replaced our sewer and water lines while itwas warm.

Is that why they didn't break during the storm?

The neighbors on the corners are black,

but they give us no flack.

Across the street is a female minister,

that seems a bit sinister.

Caddy-corner  to me is a Muslim that luredaway my ducks.

,That really sucks.

next door is a new owner with a big dog for a guard.

He barks and growls at me and those who jog pastthe yard.

past that, I don't know except for the one whoat midnight

plays his jungle music at top volume for thestreet light.

Some of our foundations are cracked.

That's an unfortunate fact.

My neighbor's sister, for her fiancécarries a torch,

So, UPS leaves her wedding presents on my porch.

All in all it's a good place.

To live until the end of the race.

5/2/21 at 10:48am

story idea

[]Who Was the Thief?

essay about the thief on the cross

he knew who Jesus was. His faith wasn't shakenby seeing Him on the cross beside Him.

He must have attended the meetings where Jesusspoke and perhaps assembles with John the Baptist as well.

So he very likely had been baptized.

I started reading the Bible daily when I was 14years old. As a result, many of the things I was taught, or perhapsmisunderstood in Bible class, have been corrected. Each time I read throughthis historical record, I see something I didn't notice before.This last time,while reading through the gospels, it dawned on me that the thief on the crosspossibly, even very likely, was baptised. I invite the reader to follow alongwith me as I reason this out. All scriptures are from the NASB (New AmericanStandard Bible.)

Crusifiction is a brutal form of capitalpunishment, and I find it interesting that the three men carried on a briefconversation. The first thief tried to temp Jesus into abandoning His missionby appealing to His pride. He wanted Jesus to prove He was the Son of God bybringing Himself down from the cross and he and the other thief with Him. Hemight have been in the audience and heard Jesus proclaiming that the Kingdom ofGod was at hand. He might have been there when John the Baptist identifiedJesus as the coming massia. Or, he may have just been picking up the jeers ofthe crowd that shouted up to Jesus the same challenge claiming that if He wastruly the massia, save Himself and they would believe.

But, the other thief is different. It is clearthat he not only belives that Jesus is the expected savior, his faith is notshaken by finding Him on the cross. Let's hear what he has to say.

and John the Baptist  teachin

5/8/21 at 3:00pm

[]Leadership

Most people will say that an elected officialdeserves respect even when they don't act professionally, or according to theway others think they should behave. Would that this idea were followed in oursociety, But, as we all know, it usually isn't. The lack of respect that isgiven to any of our US Presidents is a good example.

Some people think The office of President,regardless of whether it is for a government, corporation, or organization, isa position of absolute power. Perhaps they see themselves as a sergeant in themilitary where they can browbeat and bully the people under them.

There is a unwritten rule in the military."Never give an order you know will not be obeyed." To do so, causesthe one in charge to lose credibility, and it sets up a pattern where more andmore orders will not be obeyed.

It would do well for any leader of anorganization to understand that they serve at the pleasure of the membership.They are not elected to be dictators, tyrants, or monarchs.

Being President isn't the same thing as being adictator, tyrant, or monarch. Elected officials need to keep in mind that theyserve at the pleasure of those who elected them, and they have not been given alicense to bully or disrespect the members.

In Sunday night’s meeting, one personconfused herself with being a dictator. One or two people considered themselvesbody guards, two were under the mistaken impression that they were welcomeattendees with equal status to all other members, and one or more people weredisregarded as non-persons and totally ignored.

Everyone witnessed the breakdown of properprocedure to the shame and embarrassment of all.

5/11/21 at 7:56pm

[]Ramps are Scary Places

A hand with long skinny fingers reach up frombelow and grab your foot or cane and try to pull you off. No, not really, butsometimes it seems that way when a ramp without rales or any kind of guards isbordered by shrubs, vines, or other ornamental plants. While this isn't so muchof a problem for sighted scooter and wheelchair users, it can be a problem forblind and visually impaired. One misstep and you can find yourself on theground beside the ramp. I really wish all ramps had a guard rail. Another issueis a door that opens out to scrape or knock you off when you get to the top. Then,there is that speedy plunge downward on those short 45 degree angle ramps.

5/14/21 at 11:13pm

496 words

[]Worthy of Their Hire

by C. S. Boyd

What is equal pay for the same work. If twopeople make a product with the same material and workmanship, but one makes itin 15 minutes and the other requires 30 minutes, is it equal work? If twopeople make the same type of item in the same amount of time, but one person'sitem is not as well made, should both be paid the same?

We hear much these days about some groups notbeing paid as much as others for the same work. Our first response is likelythat people should receive the same pay for doing the same work. I would haveagreed a few years ago, but now I wonder. I've been using care givers for 20plus years, and I find that they mostly receive the same pay for showing up,they do not all provide the same work for that pay. Some put their mind totheir work and try their best to do as much as they can. Others take 3 shiftsto do the work another does in one shift. Some will be careful to do the jobright, others will make careless mistakes, and then the care receiver has topay for the time it takes for them to correct the error.

I find that when men serve as care givers, theyapproach the job as a number of tasks to be completed as well and as quickly aspossible. Most women approach the job more like a "ladies" dayout" and the tasks are just something to help pass the time rather than animportant job to be done. They waste a lot of time and usually do not completeeverything that may be on the list. In my experience, the male care givers areworth more and should be paid more than the female workers.

Salaries pay people for the job, but leaves theworker open to employers that add more and more work without fair compensation.Hourly pay allows workers to not do their best work while still getting paidfor doing the job. Maybe the long centuries of women staying at home to carefor children and the house has left them with the mental idea that one or twotasks completed in a day is good enough, and men had a job to get done and puttheir mind and body to work to complete it as soon as possible. What we need isa system that rewards people for doing the best work they can as efficiently aspossible.

Many women, I'm know, do the same quality ofwork as a man in the same job, but there are enough that don't to set thestandard of pay for all. The same is true with other groups that struggle forequal opportunity in the work place. The ones that sluff off and perform poorly,set the low standard of opportunity for all.

5/16/21 at 8:01pm

[]idea - essay about people not focusing andtaking the time to do a good job by focusing on the story of Job.

God has promised he will not let circumstancesbe more than we can bear.

Job got everything back 2 fold. Children he willsee again in heaven.

5/18/21 at 1:26pm

[]time for another tea party

on 12/17/1773 colonists rebelled against unfairtaxes by tossing a shipment of tea in the harbor.

The "no taxation without representation: isin the constitution to prevent the government from levying unfair taxes.

maybe it's time for another tea party. Ourincome is taxed when we are paid. Our income is taxed again when we spend themoney we earned. Twenty[five percent of the utility bill is miscellaneous taxesof unknown origin. I had a grocery delivery the other day. I was trying to geta receipt for my purchase. Finally, the agent read off the items. When I addedthe up, the total was seven cents less than what she told me. Another phonecalled revealed that the missing seven cents was a tax on the fees I had beencharged on the order.

If we buy property, we pay tax when we buy it,then a tax each year while we own it. A few years ago, they started taxingservices. For example, if you hire someone to mow your yard, you have to pay aservice tax.

I've heard a Rumer that now that we have GPS onour cars, they are considering charging a tax for driving on the roads.

Food is not supposed to be taxed. Recently therewas a tax on my grocery purchase. It turns out the state decided to levy a taxon items that come in plastic. I'm not sure exactly how this works since almosteverything we buy these days comes in a plastic container, but this is gettingridiculous.

To arms, citizens. It's time for anotherrebellion.

5/20/21 at 3:42pm

[]Now They Tell Me

I have never been so cold. The pain isunrelenting. What to do. Can I take aspirin? What if I take an allergymedication. Victims were advised to take Tylenol.

I want to get up and get a blanket, but I am socold. Would it be okay to take a baby aspirin from a bottle just on the bedside lamp?

What about taking an allergy and cold relieftablet. Would that help the pain?

Would that negate the vaccine?

I have heard that no one that has had thevaccine has ended up in the hospital even if they get covid.

It should have been a good idea. I take anantihistamine, I get an Afghan from the closet I turn the electric blanket onthree. My hands are shaking so much I can hardly type. I am so cold. Will itever end? Will anything I've done give me relief?

Uncontrolled shaking. I find it hard to type. Myfingers miss the keys. I am so cold. retrieving an Afghan from the closet andsetting the electric blanket on the third setting.

I snuggle down underneath the heavy covers. Ifeel a little warmth. I wake up indicating that I finally went to sleep anddidn't die. I feel better. Is it over? After being awake a little while I havea slight headache.

The pharmacist said 24 hours. By afternoon I'mfeeling better. I join the Wednesday night conference call. The doctor hasn'tcome in yet. One person says what I heard about no one receiving the vaccinebeing in the hospital is a lie. Since starting, 500 people who received thevaccine have caught covid and 5 of them died.

Now they tell me. It does seem I will survive,though.

5/30/21 at 9:07pm

writerspartyline at bluegrasspals.com

58 words - prompt powerful

[]Race Track

by Sly Duck

The machine and I are one.

Its powerful engine throbs beneath me.

I make the last curve and speed out of the turn.

Opening it up on the straightaway, I rocketacross the finish line.

Darn, my nemesis made it there before me.

"No worries, Grandma," he says,"you'll get it next time.

7/25/21 story idea story about girl staying in ahouse that is haunted on a dare. lights that travel through house are from atrain going by at night. chair is rocking because the train and traffic vibratethe floor. doors open because the latch is broken.

7/30/21 at 1:04pm - story idea wait on the LordAbraham, king Saul

8/12/21 at 2:14am

13 foreign phrases that are rooted insuperstition

German

tell someone off

Go quickly to the coo coo

in Germany it is bad luck to say the devils nameout loud in Germany, but coo coo is fair game as a substitute.

the coo coo has a habit of hiding its eggs inother bird's nest which has given it an association with the Devil.

Turkish

You planted a fig tree in my home.

In Turkey, it's considered bad luck to handsomeone a knife or pair of scissors directly. You’re supposed to putit on a table or floor first. If someone violates this rule - which can betaken as a sign of aggression - you can get back at them by planting a fig treein front of their house which is considered bad luck, hence the expression.

2. German

Shards of glass bring luck.

loud clanging and shattering noises are thoughtto drive off evil spirits, and bring good luck. This belief is manifested inmany rituals in Germany.

For example, on the evening before a weddingmany ceremonies will include a holteriveravin, which involves porcelain andceramics being shattered in front of the couple in order to secure a happyfuture for them.

not everything that breaks brings good luck,however, breaking a mirror can get you 7 years of bad luck because yourreflection is thought to represent your soul. When the mirror breaks, so doesthe soul of the person who's reflected. The soul takes 7 years to healaccording to this German superstition.

3. French

One misfortune never comes alone.

it means that when you have a problem, youshould expect more troubles to come.

like the English expression when it rains itpours.

This idea may have originated in Latin poetrywherein a common theme that misfortunes are linked together and are oftenbrought about by the same root cause.

4. Spanish

don't get married or board a ship on a Tuesday.

Tuesday the 13th is the Spanish equivalent ofour Friday the 13th.

This expression is basically suggesting youavoid doing anything risky or important like get married or travel on aTuesday.

In Spanish speaking countries, Tuesday isconsidered a day of bad luck especially if it fell the 13th day of the month.

5/ Italian

Spilling oil and salt brings bad luck.

Since ancient Roman times, salt and oil havebeen considered resources of great importance and value, luxury items, or evenrare commodities.

Soldiers for example, were paid with salt hencethe word salario or salary .

and many foods were and still are preserved withoil and salt even in more esoteric terms, salt is of considerable importance incertain magical practices like alchemy salt symbolizes the earth. It's alsothought to be effective in keeping evil or disruptive entities at bay accordingto a proverb moreover it is said that the devil would always offer disheswithout salt wasting oil or salt is therefore supposed to bring bad (or back?)luck, but in the case of salt you can always protect yourself by immediatelythrowing 3 pinches of salt behind your left shoulder.

6. Swedish

Pepper pepper touch wood

similar to how we say knock on wood in English.

Swedish say this to avoid jinxing themselves.The idea is that you sprinkle pepper on your metaphorical lug to protect itfrom evil forces.

often only the first part of the expression issaid

7. Portuguese

To start with the right/left foot.

In Portuguese, to start something with the rightfoot brings good luck while to start something with the left foot suggests badluck.

In other words, if you have a bad day you couldsay I woke up on the left foot.

If you have a job interview, your friend mighttell you to

enter with the right foot.

8. Indonesian

God forbid.

this is used almost exactly like its Englishequivalent especially in situations where you might feel compelled to cancelout any bad omens.

9. Russian

Don't show on yourself.

This phrase is generally used in the veryspecific context of discussing another person illnesses or wounds.

When speaking of another person health issuesyou should never indicate them with gestures on your own body. The superstitiongoes doing so will predispose you to the same wounds or illnesses.10. polish

Grab a button.

In Poland, it's believed chimney sweepers luckand if you ever happen to see one walking down the street, you should immediatelygrab a button affixed to your clothes. If you happen to be caught sandsbuttons, well too bad for you11. Chinese

Giving a clock.

.In China, it's considered very rude and verybad luck to give someone a clock as a gift. That's because the expression forgiving a clock  sounds very similar to the expression for attend afuneral/bid farewell to someone on their deathbed .

So, giving your friend a clock is sort of apassive aggressive way maybe even aggressive way to say that their time is up,and you'd like to see them Croke.

12. Greek

Touch red.

In Greece, according to Greek superstition,accidentally parroting each other is a sign that two people are about to getinto a fight and that in order to prevent an argument the two much touchsomething red right away.

13. Pilipino

knock knock

This is a common expression Filipinos use whenknocking on someone’s door, but it's not as straight forward as itsounds.

The word tau"  means person which is away of letting the people inside know that the person knocking is in fact humanand not an evil spirit or supernatural creature.

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