Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2011 October 25

= October 25 =

Globe and anchor insignia direction
my father had two nearly identical USMC globe and anchor pins, but the directions are reversed-- on one the eagle and anchor base face left,the other they face right. What is the significance of this?184.8.122.40 (talk) 13:28, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * As ever WP has an article, Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, but sadly it does not explain the significance, except to say that there are several versions of the emblem dependent on age of the pin and the rank of the wearer. There are some websites at the end of the article that may be able to help you (but I'll bet someone will be along with the answer here). It occurred to me that the emblems might be reversed to give some symmetry when they are worn simultaneously but on opposite sides of the body. Just a hunch. Richard Avery (talk) 14:30, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * They are most likely worn on the shoulders or sleeves, the eagle must face the same direction (usually forwards) on both sides. Roger (talk) 14:35, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Roger's response is exactly correct. The pins are worn in a matched pair to either side of the collar of some uniforms. (Note the collar devices in these images, for example.) As with the eagles on the shoulders of a U.S. colonel's uniform, the eagles of the USMC pins are always worn facing forward. TenOfAllTrades(talk) 14:44, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * I think the Marine term is inboard; i.e. the pins are worn on the collars with the eagles facing inboard. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 17:20, 25 October 2011 (UTC)

chain weapons?
I've seen and heard of lots of different chain weapons with stuff on the end, were just chains, nothing on the ends, everin common usage? Heck froze over (talk) 14:01, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * See chain weapon. It wouldn't be much use as a weapon without something on the end, unless it was heavy and unwieldy, which rather defeats the object. Even a chain whip needs something on the end apparently.--Shantavira|feed me 14:15, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * The draw back to using just a chain is that its kinetic energy will get spread out over the length of its contact on the opponent. Might be painful but for a weapon to be effective it has to cause significant injury.--Aspro (talk) 18:58, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Nevertheless, you could use chain weapons not as a striking weapon but as a strangling one. I read somewhere that the rather innocuous-looking nunchaku is an illegal weapon in many parts of the world because it is feared it may be used that way. I can't confirm whether that's true or not, though. --Belchman (talk) 10:08, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

As well as the obvious article to read (Flail (weapon), can I also suggest Flail tank. --Dweller (talk) 11:24, 26 October 2011 (UTC

I looked at the chain weapon articles, but not the (Flail (weapon) article. I asked because i didn't see anything on just regular chains. Heck froze over (talk) 13:08, 26 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Moving away from the medieval military for a moment, I believe that lengths of chain were a weapon of choice for 1960s and 1970s Mod and Skinhead gangs in the UK. The are several descriptions of the use of a chain in fights in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. I would imagine that ease of concealment, combined with painful (and non-lethal) results, were factors in its popularity. Alansplodge (talk) 13:12, 26 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I found a reference in this account of the 1958 Notting Hill race riots; one defendant before the Magistrate was charged with "...having an offensive weapon - a length of cycle chain" (page 4 of 8). Alansplodge (talk) 13:18, 26 October 2011 (UTC)


 * The bicycle chain is a good case in point to show why plain chains are not useful war weapons. A mod/rocker who came to blows over their philosophical differences, would be hard pressed in a court of law (many months later) to show any unhealed flesh wounds – (if they could bring a prosecution without first dyeing from embarrassment of being thought of as  a big soft pussy). The police would also only (realistically) be able to charge them with a low-level possession of an offensive weapon.  Painful as it may have been at the time, neither would have had the benefit of the anaesthesia that over-comes opponents during  mortal combat. A situation where physical pain often releases even more adrenalin which further  blocks the awareness of pain. War battles last several hours,  one does want an opponent that one felled a few hours back,  to recover enough, to have a second go at you -and as you may  be very fatigued by then,  he  might well be successful. Nobody in mortal combat thinks about [Marquess of Queensberry Rules|Queensberry]]. They are more likely to hold in mind W. C. Fields--Aspro (talk) 21:42, 26 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Bicycle chain was used by some on night patrol in Vietnam, according to the classic 365 days by Ronald Glasser DS Belgium (talk) 23:28, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

plant food
So, I have a very small cutting from a deciduous tree that I am hoping to grow, my plan is to use my botanokinetic powers (which are admittedly very limited) keep the leaves photosynthesising long enough for the cutting to grow roots and thus survive, however this may take some time and I worry about keeping the plant alive long enough, and want to give it a helping hand. I thought, I could add a little sugar or some such to the water it is growing in, to ensure it gets enough nutrients to grow, but then I thought, doing that might well reduce the water potential enough that the plant can no longer draw enough up and thus dry out.

What I want to know then, is what effect adding impurities to the water around this struggling plant will have over the next week or so. 148.197.81.179 (talk) 15:39, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * I advise doing some reading. The instructions I've seen say that cuttings should be made when a tree is entering a dormant state.  If you cut off a branch while it is actively growing, it will just die, apparently. Looie496 (talk) 15:49, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * First, trim the cutting down to about 3 inches with a couple of leaves left. Get some hormone rooting powder and dip the woody end into it. Then you put the cutting into a small pot of cutting compost. Get a transparent plastic bag and breathe into it. Now put the pot and plant into the plastic bag and tie the bag up so it's more or less airtight. Put it on a windowsill for a few months. You could put the cutting into plain water. The roots will grow anyway, given a week or so. --TammyMoet (talk) 16:42, 25 October 2011 (UTC)

And if I want it to then grow so it is fresh and green and healthy come January..? 148.197.80.214 (talk) 18:46, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Give it light but not direct sunlight. It might help googling for how to propagate your particular tree. This site might help give you some basic tips. --Aspro (talk) 18:50, 25 October 2011 (UTC)


 * Ah just reread your original question, you have a deciduous tree. If you are in the Northern hemisphere, it will properly be dormant and won't be green - but it should be healthy. If you are in the Southern hemisphere, what I said will result in a green baby plant in January. I wouldn't suggest trying to cheat Nature by forcing it to hang on to its leaves, rather you should be looking at working with Nature according to the rhythm of the seasons. --TammyMoet (talk) 09:54, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

facial parts
What is the name of the cleft below the nose and above the center of the upper lip? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.173.161.214 (talk) 21:56, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * It's called philtrum. --Belchman (talk) 22:05, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Ucipital mapillary? Oops, wrong movie, wrong body party.  See Suspicion (film). μηδείς (talk) 00:40, 26 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Please, type jokes between "small" tags. --Belchman (talk) 10:13, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

Bounce Tv Kick READ
There was this movie,where a girl named Kennedy Ross stole this guys song,and he got payback.What is the name of this movie? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.178.176.128 (talk) 23:17, 25 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Ganked --Colapeninsula (talk) 09:01, 26 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks dude.~Tailsman67~ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.178.176.128 (talk) 13:50, 26 October 2011 (UTC)