Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Richard Thomas

September 13, 2025

Do you remember this actor? The first time I saw him was when he first appeared in “The Homecoming.” This was the movie pilot for “The Waltons” TV series. Thomas played the part of John-Boy. I bring him up because he is coming to Springfield, MO as Mark Twain in “Mark Twain Tonight.”

September seventeenth is the date for the performance at The Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts at Missouri State University. If you are not familiar with “Mark Twain Tonight” it was written by Hal Holbrook. He was the only one who portrayed Mister Twain in this one-man show. Until now.

Thomas has been cast to perform this one man play. He appears as Samuel Langhorn Clemens also known as author, speaker, and humorist Mark Twain. Twain is one of my favorite authors. His story telling style was unique and is now widely imitated.

Hal Holbrook brought Twain to life for us in the twentieth century and now Richard is doing the same thing through the collection of Twain’s own words that Holbrook wrote into his show. His humor is often caustic and satirical. Our new generations love that.

The Twain costume is hilarious. We see a man whose appearance was never perfect. An actor must work hard to appear this disheveled on stage. It fits the character, who was a real man. We need to emulate Uncle Sam in this manner. Maybe not in everything he did.

Thomas’s acting career began in 1956 on “As the World Turns” and “The Guiding Light.” He was five at the time. He was on another soap opera called “From These Roots” starting at that time until he was ten when this live series was ended. In 1964 to 1965 he was on another soap called “A Flame in the Wind.”

Until 1971 when he scored the roll of John Boy in the Waltons pilot movie “The Homecoming” he had guest roles on several prime-time series. His big break began the following year and lasted until 1978 when his career took him to other projects.

Some of my other favorite appearances he was in during this time were “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” “The Christmas Box,” “The Christmas Secret,” three Walton TV-Movies where he reprised his role as John-Boy, and two other Walton movies where he narrated the films as the same character.

Movies and other guest spots on TV kept him busy between his plays and other acting opportunities. He has narrated over 300 audio books. His talents are recognized around the world.

We will welcome him to the Ozarks this month and hope that he can check out some of our sights. As with most celebrities, he probably will not have the time, especially with appearances on local media programs to promote his play. Welcome to Springfield, Mr. Thomas.

A Marvel fan

September 12, 2025

The anchor and weather prognosticator were discussing a story they had aired about the casting of Reed Richards in an upcoming Fantastic Four movie. As I sat and watched these two young Marvel comics fans, I wondered if they realized how old these magazines are.

Marvel Comics #1 was first published in October of 1939 by Timely Publications. This book included The Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner. Captain America first appeared in March of 1941. The man we know as Stan Lee was with Marvel from the beginning and took over leadership of Timely in 1941.

The name was changed to Marvel Comics Group in 1961. In November, the Fantastic Four first appeared. Reed Richards as Mr. Fantastic, Sue and Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm make up the team. Spiderman appeared for the first time in 1962.

My favorite mag was the Amazing Spider-Man. It debuted in 1963. I had been reading the stories about Peter Parker and grabbed the new comic the minute I saw it. He was a teenage science nerd. In the third grade, I was also a science geek. I did not want to be bitten by a radioactive spider. I just wanted strength, clinging ability, and Spidey sense.

The Hulk was a character that I did not particularly care for. I think it was the idea that Dr. David Banner became angry and morphed into the green monster. This may be the reason that, when I grew up, I no longer liked the color green. Maybe it was all the green Marvel villains that turned me off as well.

When Matthew Murdock was introduced as The Daredevil, he became a favorite as well. The comic book world was changed by Stan Lee after he took the lead of Marvel Magazines. He’s also the creator of Iron Man. Heroes became a mainstay of the industry, and the popularity of the cartoon-type books bottomed out except for young children.

I was never an X-Men, Silver Surfer, or Nick Fury Fan. Captain America was more like Superman than I had thought a Marvel Hero Would Be. Thor, the Sub-Mariner, and Doctor Strange were other characters that I was not fond of.

Let’s get back to The Fantastic Four. I always thought that Ben Grimm should have had the nickname Rocky instead of The Thing. I enjoyed the fights with Johnny as The Torch and Ben. If they had lived in my home, it would have been Sue and Johnny who would have had fights.

I felt like Reed Richards and Sue Storm took entirely too long to become engaged. I found it enthralling to have a married team as part of a group of superheroes. Without them, I am not sure that Pixar ever would have made The Incredibles the way they did. The family concept seemed to me to stem from The Fantastic Four.

Are you a fan of comics or graphic novels? What is your favorite magazine, character, or publisher? Do you have any stories you would like to share? Comment below, and if you do not want your comments shared with everyone, tell me, and I will read and respond, but not share with other readers. This is my site, and I can do that.

Don’t overpay

September 9, 2025

This is a line from a celebrity spokesperson on a commercial for an insurance plan. Some of you will deny that this is insurance. Insurance is a word that is defined as “a practice or arrangement by which a company or government agency provides a guarantee of compensation for specified loss, damage, illness, or death in return for payment of a premium.”

An alternate definition is “a thing providing protection against a possible eventuality.” Using this idea, I would like to present an alternative idea to some of the “Insurance” that is currently being sold. Life, automobile, or health insurance is not needed by everyone. Those of us without financial resources to pay for responsibilities brought on by circumstance need these policies.

The full quote from the commercial is “Don’t overpay for anything.” This line is written by someone other than the actress who speaks the line. An advertising copywriter penned this phrase. I am not sure when it was first used. Probably hundreds of years ago.

I do not like to pay more for something than it is worth. What makes a service or product cost what the provider wants to charge you? Our current economic philosophy is called “supply and demand.” This means that what is being offered is worth more if the supply is lower or the demand is higher.

Demand is artificially created or increased by advertising. We purchased a new HVAC system last year. This year, we are having a new roof installed. We called some of the companies that advertise on television for both. We chose the best rates from companies that rely on word of mouth.

Friends from church recommended the heating and air company. Their price was eleven thousand less than one of the companies that hawk their services on TV. Our roof will be over five thousand dollars less than another advertiser. I have also dealt with a plumbing company for years that recently announced drain cleaning at $100 discount. I find that interesting since my last service cost over $100 more since they began running ads.

If they provide quality work or products, why do they need to pay to let customers know how good they are? Look for businesses that friends and neighbors recommend. What makes me think that we will have a superb roof installed? Three neighbors in the last two years are satisfied and have no complaints.

Back to the insurance type advertising. What about the local family that bought the service on the recommendation of their utility company and is still trying to find the money to repair their home, when the fine print in the contract allowed them to deny the repairs because of work that was done before the contract was signed? You must have someone do an inspection at your cost to ensure the agreement is valid.

Cancel these plans and put the money in a savings account that draws interest. This includes all the home repair, automobile service, or other groups that make their money by promising things they have no intention of doing. If you have paid for these services and found out after paying for them that your claim does not qualify, contact me. I want to let the unsuspecting consumer know what can happen to them.

Come home

September 7, 2025

I just listened to the song “The Cross” and I am thinking that we should go home to the empty tomb. The cross is a symbol of death. The tomb is a place of finality. The empty tomb is our reminder of eternity and life.

Come home to the risen Jesus. God incarnate, who wants you to rest in Him. Jesus’ words during His ministry on Earth were words of encouragement. He spoke of love not condemnation. He asked us to be better than we ever had been before. We are taught to be kind and considerate of others.

Judgement is reserved for the Father. (Matthew 7:1) Jesus’ ministry is forgiveness and service. He gave those instructions to us, His followers. Let’s walk in His light, (1 John 1:7) not sit on our fears and expect others to do the job for us. The empty tomb is a reminder of life.

Do not let anyone tell you that anything is beyond you. He has not asked you to be afraid. We are to be brave and courageous. (Joshua 1:9) I heard a saying about suicide. “It is a final solution to a temporary problem.” Our country is not going to hell in a handbasket.

You may be going to hell. Unless you have decided to come home to the empty tomb. Jehovah came to this Earth because we needed a Savior. (John 1:14) He was the ultimate sacrifice. Understand that the Hebrew system of sacrifices was created to show that it was a waste of time and resources.

When Jesus was being tried, convicted, and executed for being the King of the Jews, they were sacrificing lambs for Passover. (Matthew 26:2) That is why resurrection Sunday traditionally falls after this Jewish celebration. Joseph and Nicodemus placed the dead body in Joseph’s new tomb. (Matthew 27:57-60, John 19:38-42)

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning are the three days that are the sign of Jonah. This is the only example that Jesus would give the Sanhedrin. (Matthew 12:38-40) Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and on the third day he was puked up on the shore. Why do you think the Ninevites repented?

A bleached white Hebrew wanders their streets screaming that Jehovah will destroy them. (Jonah 2:10-3:6) Of course they believed him. If he had not spent the last three days in the fish no one would have noticed another crazy Jew. If Jesus had not spent three days in the tomb and come out of it, you and I would be locked in ours for eternity.

Come home to the empty tomb. Leave your grave clothes behind and become a new creature. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is what the Christ has done for you. It is not a new story. That is why I have given you the scripture references so that you can check my reasoning with the Bible. By the way, BIBLE is an acronym. Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Don’t leave here without it.

Living in a dumpster

September 5, 2025

I have a granddaughter who can be very creative in her expressions. She isn’t the only one. All my children and grandchildren have developed expressive ways. Some are musical, artistic, or technically endowed. This young lady was having trouble with a school assignment and said that she would fail the class and end up living in a dumpster behind a convenience store.

Many of us have unfounded self-doubts. I never had this problem while in school. My difficulty was in overestimating my abilities as far as schoolwork was concerned. Instructors and the way they grade subjectively confuse some students. Other teachers play games with testing, hoping to trick students.

I gave myself two assignments, which were in literature or other writing classes, to learn what they wanted. Math, science, and other more objective subjects were easier. The answers were correct or incorrect. Writing is not that way. Everyone has their opinion of what you say and how you say it.

My two self-imposed assignments for creative assignments like term papers or essays were to determine if the instructor wanted technically perfect work or more creative, idealistic projects. Sometimes I discovered that they wanted both. It took one or two grades to make this decision.

I appreciate your opinion; however, it will not change the way I express myself. Like my columns or not. That is your choice. My decision is to say what I want, not for your approval. Most of my motivation is from what Jehovah tells me. I don’t take polls to determine what to say.

I know some of you are also creative people. You may write, paint, or create other artistic works. Where we find our inspiration and ideas for what we produce is a question that those who want to do the same may have trouble with.

As I did for this column, my thoughts come from real life. I accept this as a way that God uses to inspire me. I do not believe that I am naturally creative. You may not agree with or like what I say. It does come from my head. I hope that you give credit for anything good I say to Him and not me.

There is a file on my computer with dozens of columns that I have started, and I add to from time to time. This piece began over a year ago. Many changes have been made during that time. I do not remember exactly where I wanted to go when I wrote the first words. Some day I may use this same phrase or some of the others she and the other grandkids use for another creation. Who knows if I can remember where those ideas came from?

I hope my future generations learn this from me. The conversation that sparked this column had several phrases that my wife read to me when our daughter explained the situation with her freshman. I hope that when she sees this piece and the fiction story that will come later, she will see how these simple ideas can become something more. Good ideas can be found all around us.

The rich, young ruler

September 3, 2025

I’ve written two previous columns about characters in the New Testament. These were about Barnabas whose name was Joseph, and the other Josephs that are mentioned. Today I want to discuss what we know about this young man and his questions for Jesus. (Matthew 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23)

What I am going to tell you is not 100% affirmed in our scriptures. The three gospels that tell of Jesus’ encounter with the man give us a small amount of information. We are told he is young.

He asks Jesus what he must do to reach Heaven. Obeying the commandments is the answer. He tells us he is a committed Jew when he says he has kept these from his youth. He is told he has only one thing left to do. He should sell everything he owns and give it to the poor and follow the Savior. He left dejected because he was very wealthy.

I take this to mean that he is someone in authority. Hence, we refer to this man as the rich young ruler. We do not ever hear of him again in the gospels. Or do we? Remember Joseph of Arimathea? He is wealthy and a leader of the Jews with the clout to be given the body of the Messiah.

He is assisted in the burial by Nikodemus, another Jewish leader that became a follower of Jesus. This is a guess that these two men may be the same. The gospel writers may not have included this because it was well known in their day. They also knew that Bar-Nabas name was Joseph as well.

Bar-Nabas was the Son of Encouragement, and this led him to donate the proceeds from the sale of some property. That means he was wealthy enough to have something to earn money with. He was active enough with the Apostles to bring Saul to them and tell of the conversion on the road to Damascus.

Many scholars believe that Joseph or Bar-Nabas, was the writer of the book of Hebrews. This author spoke with authority and can be easily seen as one with a Hebrew background and a reputation in the community. He might have been described as a rich young ruler that the Jerusalem residents knew about. It is not hard for me to believe that these two Joseph’s are the same man and could have been the one who asked Jesus what he needed to do to reach heaven.

I’m not going to tell you that this must be accepted as truth, or you are not a Christian. Often, we accept other doctrines with little or no Biblical proof. One that some object to is the concept of the rapture of the saints at the second coming. There is also some that refuse to accept the concept of a future coming again of Christ.

In my opinion the scriptures tell us that we must accept that Jesus is Jehovah in human form or incarnate. Our belief in His life, death, and resurrection is also given as necessary in the New Testament. These are the requisite beliefs for salvation. Think, pray, and study about these three men and see what Jesus tells you.

Laborers

September 1, 2025

All my life, the first Monday of September has been celebrated as Labor Day. 1894 was the first year that this national holiday was officially celebrated here. Other countries celebrate workers as well. May 1st is recognized by many nations as the day to honor those who make their countries great.

I’m not into the whole Make America Great Again movement. Firstly, America is great. It began great. It has had its share of both good and bad times. When the original Europeans came here, they worked with the natives to settle the land. It was later generations that came into conflict with those who were here first.

We’ve treated some of the emigrants badly. We enslaved individuals of other races. During World War II, we incarcerated many Japanese Americans and discriminated against German Americans because they came from countries with which we were at war. We have discriminated against Jews and Arabs. That is not right.

Many of these hard-working folks came to the United States because they needed a chance. Then, after they had put in time, money, and labor, all that was taken from them, and they no longer thought that this country was great. Some of them still love this nation.

Donald Trump has decided that our constitutional guarantee of citizenship, just because you are born here, is not a good idea. Yes, this was put into place after slaves were set free. Children should not be penalized because they had no choice in being born here. Fortunately for us, what he thinks is not necessarily the law. That is what happens in a monarchy. We have no kings.

Labor can be manual or mental. Most of my career, I worked with my hands. Using a pencil or pen on paper, then typing on a computer keyboard. I went home brain weary and had physical strength to work around the house, provided I did not have to think. Much like politicians.

For years, we attended the Labor Day Parade. Neither of us ever worked for a union shop. Our daughters marched with groups that were performing at the parades. The fascinating thing about this celebration was the picnic in the park. The parade was a lot of vehicles from companies.

Everything from eighteen-wheelers to trash trucks, the Highland Dairy antique milk truck, and just about any type of wheeled device with a logo on it. The labor unions are in force, and during election years, a lot of Democrats are campaigning. I don’t think I ever saw a Republican there.

It doesn’t matter what your job is or whether you are labor or management. If you work for a living, then Labor Day is to honor you. I worked for about fifty years and still consider myself a worker, even though I now do not get paid for what I do. Volunteers also need to be recognized. They accomplish a lot in our country as well. Happy Labor Day.

What jobs would you want?

August 30, 2025

Police, fire, teaching, medicine, general business, and manufacturing. Some of these are ones that children think of when they are asked what they want to be. These and many others are the jobs that some of us have spent our lives involved in.

As we approach Labor Day, I would like to give you a short history of my work experience. My first real job was as a fry cook at Dog ‘N Suds in Springfield, MO. I also learned how to take orders, prepare sandwiches, change and fill fountain tanks, pull drinks, and do anything else that needed to be done.

Thanks to that experience, I was allowed to be a closing manager. About a year and a half later, I was offered a job working at Zenith Radio Corporation, working on the final line while building televisions. It was a very interesting job.

I installed five screws and hung the tuner. That’s all. I tried to help the guy before me and the one after me until the supervisor told me to do my job and no one else’s. My Mother had been worried that I might decide to stay and drop out of school. I told her I never wanted to work in a factory again.

When school started, I took a job at the local Denny’s Restaurant. This was after I had tried my hand at selling fire alarms door-to-door. My intention was to leave town next fall when I started Journalism school at the University of Missouri. I thought that I would look for a job when I arrived in Colombia.

I ended up transferring to Southwest Baptist in Bolivar, MO, and did not return to the workforce until February of my senior year. Then I returned to food service by joining the opening staff at the first Wendy’s in my hometown. When I graduated, I was offered a chance to enter their management trainee program, and I accepted it.

Cindy and I got married, and two weeks later, we moved to Joplin. We opened the first store there, and by September, I had left them and gone to work as an assistant manager at a local convenience store. Then Cindy’s boss offered me a job as marketing director.

My job and Cindy’s ended six months later. I learned a new set of skills while marketing new products and helping organize a new division of the business. Opportunities were short on supply in our new town. We packed up after a week and returned to the third-largest city in Missouri.

I applied for unemployment and was approved, and had two weeks to wait for the payments to start. The unemployment office referred me to an interview for a sales job at five dollars a week less than their payments would be. I had to take it. I was selling pet supplies, which were new for me.

I read everything I could on the pets and products, and in three months, I became the store manager for a different store with the same company. A few months later, I was moved to a position at the wholesale warehouse owned by the same man. My next promotion with them was to a purchasing agent. This launched me on a completely new career track.

A few months later, I moved to a new company as a P.A. After changing jobs every few months, I wanted stability. I stayed there twenty-five years and moved to office manager, outside sales, and finally operations manager. After waiting four years for another promotion, I decided to take a buyer’s job at one of my customers.

A few months later, I was advanced to purchasing supervisor. It was the best job I ever had. It ended in less than five years, and I spent three years drawing unemployment and working temp jobs. I finally found a job as a purchasing manager and ended my career with that manufacturer a few years later.

My careers spanned four decades, and then I began a new one as a writer. You get to witness this firsthand as I write columns and books and see where my talents and interests can take me. I hope you enjoy this ride as much as I have all of mine. I can’t wait to see if this one is a roller coaster or something less intense.

The Man with the Twisted Lip

August 28, 2025

We’ve discussed romantic comedies and science fiction in previous columns. Today we are going to look at the mystery genres. I say this in the plural because what was once known as mysteries is now so much more. Just as all the other types of stories have morphed into additional groups there are now dozens, if not hundreds of ways to tell a suspenseful tale.

We have thrillers, murder mysteries, suspense, romantic mysteries, locked door dramas, and so many more. When I think of this genre, I think of certain classic authors. Agatha Christie, P.D. James, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe, etc. One of my problems with modern mystery fiction is that most writers only know how to solve murders.

Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes solved mysteries and murders. My favorite is “The Man with the Twisted Lip.” If you have never read it, I will not spoil it for you. Get a copy and read it.

The funny thing about this story is that it begins as an investigation to find a missing man. His wife saw him in a window in a bad part of London. She is prevented from entering the building and as the investigation proceeds, she discovers that he does not work where he told her that he did.

A man is arrested in conjunction with the disappearance. Holmes solves the case by washing the prisoner’s face. The solution is that this wealthy man made himself up as a poor beggar and earned his money as a professional pan handler. This was not illegal even in that day. It was not a profession accepted by society.

Today we have schools where you can take classes on how to put the touch on others. Did you know that the person who you see at the airport with the sad story that all their money and ticket were just stolen, and they have no way to get home may have taken this training.

Shortly after I saw a report on television about these seminars, I had a lady walk up to me at a gas station. She had run out of gas and was on her way to Kansas City. I asked about her car, and she was vague. She needed ten or twenty dollars because there was a problem with her credit card. I was with my wife and offered to use a gas can I had in my trunk and take her to her car and bring her back to the station and pay for her gas. When I turned to finish filling my tank, she disappeared.

She had not come from the convenience store, and I was already suspicious. On the report I saw you were told to park away from the station and accept only cash. This type of farse is like the online and phone scams that we hear about on local TV.

Then there is the man that handed his sign off to a lady and walked into the Wal-Mart parking lot as my wife and I went inside. When we came out, we drove past an expensive conversion van and recognized the man inside watching television while sitting at a table having a meal with others.

The woman that had taken his place was walking back to the van and as we went by the intersection, someone else was holding the same sign. These were professional panhandlers. No homeless people here. This has been happening for hundreds of years.

How do we stop it? Give contributions to organizations that help the homeless or indigent. Do not give anything to someone you do not know. Don’t even give them food. We have seen full fast food bags left on the curb. If you want to find a person or group that you are familiar with that needs assistance, take that route.

When a local charity sent buses to pick up the beggars on the streets to take them to jobs, within three months they discontinued the program. One time a guy held a sign that said, “Will strip for food.” I’m sure that guy doesn’t need any help except psychiatrics.

That Offends Me

August 26, 2025

Those with Jewish heritage are fighting those who hate Jews to keep the history of the holocaust in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Some say that the historical fact of the execution of thousands of Jews and others cannot be proven. Holocaust survivors say that they remember these events. In one hundred years, will this be removed from history books?

Black Lives Matter protesters want Confederate flags and statues removed. They do not want to be reminded of the fact that their ancestors were owned by other Americans. This is viewed as a black against white issue. The fact is that some Caucasian Americans are among the activists you see in the news clips.

Another fact that some want to be removed from history is the stories of slave owners like William and Henry Ellison. They are slave owners who were of African American heritage. That’s no big deal. You are talking about only two blacks who owned slaves. Check out the book “Black Slaveowners” by Larry Koger. He uses historical records that still exist to show the number of former slaves and freemen who purchased and used their own slaves to establish businesses that were profitable to them.

This does not make slavery or racial prejudice acceptable. It does separate those of us who have never owned slaves or accepted racial disparities from anyone of any race who currently has racial prejudices. Oh, by the way, crimes are committed inside racially identical groups. That means whites kill whites, blacks kill blacks, and Asians kill Asians. Therefore, I believe all lives matter. That includes blacks. I believe it is an act of racial prejudice to use this BLM slogan. Does that offend you? I am sorry. It is my opinion. In this country, I am allowed to express it.

Let’s step away from race and look at other forms of bigotry. A person who kills or injures someone else because they are in some way like another person who did injury to one who is like them in any way is acting on prejudice. Was that confusing? I’ll give you two examples. A white person who attacks a black person they do not know just because they are black. A person who attacks a police officer because of the uniform they are wearing. I know you have many examples you can share of this type of bigotry.

What is the solution? Treat everyone the way you want to be treated. Do not accept or reject anyone because of pre-conceived ideas that you have been taught or created for yourself. If I want a society free of bigotry and prejudice, I must work every day to dispel it from my own mind.