Tag: Science

Seasoned Educator

May 9, 2026

That’s what Mrs. Jackson was when she was my teacher in the first and second grades. I’m not sure how much seasoning she had, but she looked older than my Mom and Dad. They were in their thirties, and I thought she must be somewhere between them and my grandparents.

My third-grade teacher was about my parents’ age. Most of my teachers through grade school and junior high were in that range between my parents and their folks, at least until 7th-grade gym. That was the coach’s first year out of college. After the first quarter, he and my Dad had a conversation.

He gave me the first “D” I ever received on a grade card. It was the only grade below a “B” that I saw on any report. When my father saw it, he asked me a lot of questions. Was I always in class and dressed out? Did I follow instructions, and did I try my best?

I told him that my grade was low because I could not do as many sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, or run as fast as my classmates. The next morning, when he dropped me off at school, he parked and went inside to talk to the coach. Next quarter, my grade was a “B” for both quarters.

In high school, I continued to have seasoned teachers, and in my freshman year, I thought that our Spanish teacher had a little too much seasoning for my classmate Vern and I. We were in the Spanish III class as freshmen. Our class was the first to have had Spanish since fifth grade.

The administration said that we had the equivalent of the first two high school classes. She disagreed and told us that if we did not pass the first test, she would make us take the first class even if we had to wait until the following year. The scores on our first test were tied with two seniors. We all had 98%.

After that, we had no more trouble with our instructor. Another first-time teacher came along in my sophomore year. She taught my favorite subject, chemistry, and she was a hot, newly graduated blond female. Not at all seasoned in the least. She was an enjoyable, fresh face for this teenage boy. I found out that you can be seasoned at some things without being very old. One of my classmates asked if we had to heat glass tubing before we bent it. I thought that was a dumb question because of my experience.

Experience is the best teacher is a saying I’ve heard forever. My business experience proved to me that my education was a very useful thing. When I began to work in an office, I did not rely on secretaries to type purchase orders or sales documents for me; I could do that myself.

In college, my typing and shorthand from high school enabled me to take notes fast and type them as well. I still have those notes in my files for reference in my writing when I need them.

When I had the opportunity to become a sales service specialist, it was necessary to use algebraic equations to determine drive speeds, ratios, belt and chain lengths, as well as numerous other things like torque and horsepower required for machinery. When someone says they never use those skills, they probably haven’t thought about all the ways mathematics, reading, and writing have to be used in our technological world.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Will the Cubs win the World Series in 2015?

June 18, 2025

(This column was written and not published before the end of the 2015 World Series. I have recently added the last part.)

Some say no. This opposes the thoughtful consideration given to this subject almost 40 years ago by Bob Gale, the writer of “Back to the Future Part 2.” He had this be the fact that caught Marty McFly’s attention and led him to make the disastrous move of buying the Gray’s Sports Almanac that Old Biff took to Young Biff in the Time Machine. If you have not seen this classic trilogy of Science Fiction, you must watch it to understand why today’s date is so important. Even Christians in Springfield may enjoy these PG-rated films if your family is old enough to handle the occasional curse words.

There is much speculation on this event because this is the first time in over 100 years the Chicago Cubs are poised to possibly be in the World Series in that fateful year mentioned in a movie almost three decades ago. Do you believe this will happen? They are facing the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. As the record stands today the Cubs are down by three going into tonight’s game.

If the Cubs win, it may be the one of the few predictions that the movie had correct. We do not have flying cars; hoverboards or holographic billboards and businesses still use fax machines. We also still have bullying as was depicted in the 80’s, but most of it takes place on the internet. The internet, home computers and cell phones aren’t even mentioned by Marty or Doc even though Marty’s kids use video sets like ones currently on the market. The wall of video is possible, but still prohibitively expensive for most except technically savvy.

“Back to the Future” is no different from “1984”, and “2001 A Space Odessey” in missing how our technology would change. What seems like a good invention to someone writing a story may not turn out to be practical or convenient and we all know that convenience rules in our culture. That is why we have the microwave oven even though it was not envisioned before its invention. Many had ideas of food being replaced by pills or synthesizing machines. They did not, however, plan for a machine that just cooks food quicker.

Hopefully Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale will not hold it against the Cubbies if this year becomes The Mets’ next chance to win the series.  Let’s also hope it will not disrupt the time/space continuum by eliminating the Cubs before they even make it to the World Series. One can only hope.

That was then. This is now. Are you a Sci-Fi fan like me? I’ve been reading and watching this genre for most of my life. When Apollo Eleven crew Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldren walked on the moon, I found the difference between their rocket and all the ones seen in Movies and TV shows before then almost laughable.

The space shuttle was another science fact that was not expected by the fiction writers until the eighties. Today there are many stories and books that speculate with our society being destroyed by what is considered as the most probable problems. America’s enemies have also changed how these stories are written.

I can’t wait to see the stories published about a president that tries to overthrow our constitution and become a king, emperor, or dictator. These stories were common in the fifties. They were written about communists infiltrating our political system. Who knew it would just be good old American stupidity that causes our economy and government to almost be destroyed.

©Copyright 2025 by Charles Kensinger