In 1776, why didn't soldiers use bows and arrows instead of muskets? October 22, 2010 Dear Cecil: I watched a rerun of The Patriot over the weekend and was once again reminded of how absurd the "volley trading" European style of warfare was (at least to me). — Ted C., Richmond, Virginia Cecil replies: This question teeters on that fine line, familiar to us here at the Straight Dope, between intriguing and ludicrous. In February 1776, concerned about a shortage of gunpowder, Franklin proposed in a letter to General Charles Lee that the colonists arm themselves with bows and arrows, calling them "good weapons, not wisely laid aside." 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The longbow might have lasted longer, except for one thing: using it effectively required extraordinary strength and skill. Fearsome as it was, the longbow didn't automatically trump the musket the way it had the crossbow. By Franklin's day it's doubtful anyone in the colonies knew how to make a longbow or could have used it. — Cecil Adams NEW: THE STRAIGHT DOPE PODCAST! Bellesiles, Michael A. Black, Jeremy.
Quote/Counterquote People Search - Find People with MyLife™ Data Recovery Software, Solutions, Tutorials, Forum - ZAR Data Recovery releases two new features, tackles Web browsers & application crashes | Soluto Blog Today we are releasing a new major version. This is very exciting for us, as we move from only helping you out with your boot to helping you out with more PC frustrations. Our first new feature helps you lighten your web browser by disabling toolbars & add-ons that are riding on it. It has become very common for non-techie PC users to get bombarded with crappy toolbars and other add-ons installed by applications and websites that build on users’ inability to disable them. Even techie users get annoyed by that, either for themselves or for the people they support. Soluto now lets you see which toolbars & add-ons are installed, whether they are needed, and if they’re not, we help you to quickly remove them. The second feature is the one I’m most excited about. These are events where an application stops working and you get the infamous “Send Error Report” window. If you have Soluto installed, you can expect the new version to automatically show up in the upcoming 24 hours.
13 Free Software Alternatives to Save You Money One of the ways that you can save a little more money is to look for free alternatives to software products. Outfitting your computer with the software applications that you need can start to become expensive. The good news, though, is that there are free options that can help you accomplish a number of tasks. Here are some thoughts on free software alternatives. One of the most widely known alternatives is OpenOffice. Another cool option is Google Documents. You want to be able to protect your computer from malware. Looking for some help backing up files and providing storage on your computer? If you are looking for helping syncing up, Syncpilicity and Dropbox are good choices. It’s not just Windows vs. You can also give Jolicloud, another Linux offering a try. There’s a whole world of free software alternatives out there. What are your favorite free software programs? Tagged as: Frugal Living
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