Articles written by Tad Wesley - Page 2

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About me - Tad Wesley

I graduated from Indiana State University with a BS in Economics and Political Science in 2001, but of course my current line of work has nothing to do with that at all. I actually work in the Home Equity lending department of a regional bank in our area.

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Politics, News & Issues > Politics in Africa Ending poverty in Africa: 5 of 25
Poverty in Africa is a major problem, and it's roots run deep. One of the primary reasons that Africa is the poorest continent in the world is based on it's colonial history. The national boundaries of Africa's countries were designed specifically to generate unrest. Lines were deliberately drawn that split allied ethnic grou... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games An introduction to war-gaming: 1 of 5
"War-gaming" is a very broad and diverse subject, and there are many variations and sub-types. The following is a general overview of the various types and how they differ.War gaming essentially is any game in which some sort of battle or campaign is fought out in an abstract way. Probably the best known war game is "The Game... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Environmental Awareness Determining the Earth's capacity to sustain population growth: 6 of 28
The problem with the world's population is not a problem of simple numbers. If the problem were simply one of numbers, there wouldn't even BE a problem. The United States grows enough food every year to feed the entire world, and that is despite the fact that we subsidize many of our farmers, paying them to not farm some of t... More..
Entertainment > Music Genres, Trends & Scenes Best rock song ever...: 9 of 39
The problem with any question like "What's the best _ ever" is that it's totally subjective. This is no different, and in this case, it's even worse because "Rock song" is a very vague category that includes music written over the last 60+ years, most of which have probably never been heard by most of the people giving answer... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Should the US continue to honor Columbus Day?: 6 of 25
It is indeed true that Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colon is his proper name, why does everyone have to "Americanize" it?) never actually stepped foot on any part of what is not the United States of America. It is also true that Colon did not even REALIZE he had found a "new world", but an alternate route to the resource r... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Dungeons and Dragons tips: How to choose feats: 2 of 8
One of the absolute greatest features about the most recent edition of the D&D rules (both 3.0 and 3.5), has been the introduction of the Feat system. In the past, many times your characters often took on a definite "cookie cutter" feel to them. In other words, my 4th level human fighter was just like almost every other 4th l... More..
Sports & Recreation > College Football Why there are male cheerleaders in college football, but not in the NFL: 2 of 8
Actually, the premise is not correct. There are male cheerleaders in the NFL. I know of at least 1 of the 32 teams that employ them, the Baltimore Ravens. I'm pretty sure there is at least one or two others in the NFL as well, but I know the Ravens have had male cheerleaders for a number of reasons.Still, they are clearly mor... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement Does it really pay to save for retirement?: 9 of 31
There is a quotation widely attributed to Albert Einstein to the effect that "Compound interest is the most powerful force in the universe". Now, there is disagreement about whether or not he actually said that officially, but the point is that compound interest is indeed a very powerful tool. Most kids have heard the story o... More..
Autos > Engine Repair How the combustion engine works: 3 of 9
As a former Chemistry student, I find that the best way to understand the workings of an internal combustion engine is to start with the chemical reaction that is taking place, and show how the engine serves to facilitate the reaction, and then to make use of the reaction to create power.The basic reaction that occurs with a ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Role Playing & War Games Gaming conventions: Tips for attending Gen Con: 2 of 6
Gen Con is, in short, the biggest gaming event in the world. It is held annually in a number of locations, but the original and biggest of these is in Indianapolis, IN, USA. This is really convenient for me, because I live in Indiana, so I go every year, and this year is no exception. Before it moved to Indianapolis, it was h... More..