Archive:New Draft of the Week

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The New Draft of the Week is a chance to highlight a recently created Citizendium article that has just started down the road of becoming a Citizendium masterpiece.
It is chosen each week by vote in a manner similar to that of its sister project, the Article of the Week.

Add New Nominees Here

To add a new nominee or vote for an existing nominee, click edit for this section and follow the instructions


Table of Nominees
Nominated article Vote
Score
Supporters Specialist supporters Date created
Developing Article Clean Air Act (U.S.) 1 Milton Beychok; 2009-06-27
Developing Article Euler angles 2 Milton Beychok; Meg Ireland; 2009-07-10
Developing Article The Dead Weather 1 Drew R. Smith 2009-07-15
Developing Article The Sporting Life (album) 1 Meg Ireland 2009-07-21
Developing Article Screaming Lord Sutch 1 Howard C. Berkowitz 2009-07-24

If you want to see how these nominees will look on the CZ home page (if selected as a winner), scroll down a little bit.

Recently created pages are listed on Special:NewPages.

Transclusion of the above nominees (to be done by an Administrator)

View Current Transcluded Nominees (after they have been transcluded by an Administrator)

The next New Draft of the Week will be the article with the most votes at 1 AM UTC on Thursday, 30 July 2009. I did the honors this time. Milton Beychok 04:31, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

Nominated article Supporters Specialist supporters Dates Score
Developing Article Clean Air Act (U.S.): A law enacted by the U.S. Congress that defines the responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for protecting and improving the nation's air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. [e]

(PD) Photo: Jon Sullivan, www.pdphoto.org
Poor air quality over Los Angeles (August, 2003)
See also: National Ambient Air Quality Standards

The Clean Air Act is a law enacted by the U.S. Congress that defines the responsibilities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for protecting and improving the nation's air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. The latest major amendments were enacted as the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (Public Law 101–549).

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 were preceded by various other pieces of legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress dating back to the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955.

Implementation of the Act

In the same year that Congress created the Clean Air Act of 1970 (see History section below), Congress also created the U.S. EPA and gave it the primary role in carrying out the law. Since 1970, the U.S. EPA has been responsible for a variety of programs to reduce air pollution nationwide.

However, the environmental regulatory agencies of the states, Indian tribes and local governments do a lot of the work to meet the Act's requirements. Those agencies work with industrial and commercial companies to reduce air pollution. They also review and approve permit applications for construction and operation of industrial plants and commercial facilities involving sources of air pollution. They are able to develop solutions for pollution problems that require special understanding of local industries, geography, housing, and travel patterns, as well as other factors. State, local, and tribal governments also monitor air quality, inspect facilities under their jurisdictions and enforce Clean Air Act regulations.[1]

States must also develop State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that outline how each state will control air pollution under the Clean Air Act. An SIP is a collection of the regulations, programs and policies that a state will use to clean up polluted areas. In developing their SIPs, the states must involve the public and industries through hearings and opportunities to comment on the development of each state plan.[1]

Contents of the Act

Legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress since 1990 has made several minor changes in the Act. The current version, including amendments through February 24, 2004, is available on the Internet.[2] This is a listing of its major parts:

  • Title I - Air Pollution Prevention and Control
    • Part A - Air Quality and Emission Limitations (CAA § 101-131; USC § 7401-7431 )
    • Part B - Ozone Protection (replaced by Title VI)
    • Part C - Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Air Quality (CAA § 160-169b; USC § 7470-7492)
    • Part D - Plan Requirements for Nonattainment Areas (CAA § 171-193; USC § 7501-7515)
  • Title II - Emission Standards for Moving Sources
    • Part A - Motor Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards (CAA § 201-219; USC § 7521-7554)
    • Part B - Aircraft Emission Standards (CAA § 231-234; USC § 7571-7574)
    • Part C - Clean Fuel Vehicles (CAA § 241-250; USC § 7581-7590)
  • Title III - General (CAA § 301-328; USC § 7601-7627)
  • Title IV - Acid Deposition Control (CAA § 401-416; USC § 7651-7651o)
  • Title V - Permits (CAA § 501-507; USC § 7661-7661f )
  • Title VI - Stratospheric Ozone Protection (CAA § 601-618; USC § 7671-7671q )

Key elements of the act

The U.S. EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. To achieve this mission, EPA implemented a variety of programs under the Clean Air Act that focus on:

  • Reducing outdoor ambient concentrations of air pollutants that cause smog, haze, acid rain, and other problems
  • Reducing emissions of toxic air pollutants that are known to, or are suspected of, causing cancer or other serious health effects
  • Phasing out production and use of chemicals that destroy stratospheric ozone.

The above programs have required the development of specific regulations by the U.S. EPA and the state, tribal and local governments to limit the emissions of air pollutants from mobile sources (like automotive vehicles and airplanes) and stationary sources (like petroleum refineries, petrochemical and chemical manufacturing plants, power plants, and gas or petrol stations).

More specifics concerning each of the above programs are available on the Internet.[3]

What the Clean Air Act has accomplished

The implementation of the Clean Air Act has accomplished very significant reductions in the emission of air pollutants during the period of 1970 – 2008. The reductions were accomplished despite even larger increases in activities, during that same period, that produce air pollutants as measured by the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), consumption of energy, and usage of automobiles. The details of that accomplishment are presented in the two tables below:[1][4]


Air pollutant emission reductions
(1970 – 2008)
Pollutant Emissions Reductions
Criteria air pollutants More than 50%
Toxic air pollutants Nearly 70%
Automobile emissions More than 90%
           
Activities that produce air pollutants
(1970 – 2008)
Factors Increases
Gross Domestic Product 200 %
Energy consumption 50%
Automobile usage Almost 200%

History

In October 1948, a cloud of air pollution formed above the industrial town of Donora, Pennsylvania and lingered for five days. It caused sickness in 6,000 of the town's 14,000 people and the death of 20 people. Four years later, in 1952, over 3,000 people died in what became known as London's "Killer Fog".[1][4] Events like those led to the enactment of several federal and state laws which established funding for the study and the cleanup of air pollution. But there was no comprehensive federal response to address air pollution until Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1970 and created the U.S. EPA.

In 1990, Congress amended and greatly expanded the Clean Air Act, providing EPA even broader authority to implement and enforce regulations reducing air pollutant emissions. The 1990 Amendments also placed an increased emphasis on more cost-effective approaches to reduce air pollution.

The principal milestones in the evolution of the Clean Air Act are:[4][5][6]

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was the first federal legislation that involved air pollution. It funded research of air pollution and state assistance resources.

Clean Air Act of 1963

The Clean Air Act of 1963 was the first federal legislation regarding air pollution control. It established a federal program within the U.S. Public Health Service and authorized research into techniques for monitoring and controlling air pollution. It included grants to the states for developing state and local air pollution control programs.

In 1966, the Clean Air Act was extended to add the authority for grants to maintain state and local programs rather than just develop them.

Air Quality Act of 1967

In 1967, an Air Quality Act was enacted in order to expand federal government activities. In accordance with this law, enforcement proceedings were initiated in areas subject to interstate air pollution transport. As part of these proceedings, the federal government for the first time conducted extensive ambient monitoring studies and stationary source inspections.

The Air Quality Act of 1967 also authorized expanded studies of air pollutant emission inventories, ambient monitoring techniques, and control techniques.

Clean Air Act 1970

The enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1970 constituted a major change of the federal government's role in air pollution control. It authorized the development of comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from stationary industrial sources and from mobile sources.

Four major regulatory programs involving stationary sources were initiated:

It also authorized requirements for the control of automotive vehicle emissions (i.e., mobile sources). Furthermore, the authority to enforce air quality standards and air pollution emission controls was substantially expanded.

As mentioned above, the EPA was created at about the same time in order to implement the various requirements included in the Clean Air Act of 1970.

1977 Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1970

The 1977 Amendments established major review requirements to ensure the attainment and maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

It codified provisions for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. It also codified requirements pertaining to air pollution sources in geographical areas called "non-attainment areas" because they had not attained on or more of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1970

Another set of major amendments to the Clean Air Act were enacted in 1990 that substantially increased the authority and responsibility of the federal government. New regulatory programs were authorized for:

  • Control of acid deposition (acid rain)
  • Established the requirements for stationary source operating permits
  • Established a program to control 189 toxic air pollutants, including those previously regulated by the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS)

The provisions for attainment and maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards were significantly modified and expanded. Other revisions involved stratospheric ozone protection, increased enforcement authority, and expanded research programs.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Understanding the Clean Air Act (From the U.S. EPA website)
  2. The Clean Air Act (As Amended Through P.L. 108–201, February 24, 2004)
  3. Key Elements of the Clean Air Act (From the U.S. EPA website)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Air Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow (Part 1, prepared for the U.S. EPA by John Bachmann, 2008)
  5. Air Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow (Part 2, prepared for the U.S. EPA by John Bachmann, 2008)
  6. History of the Clean Air Act (From the U.S. EPA website)
 (Read more...)
Milton Beychok; 1


Developing Article Euler angles: three rotation angles that describe any rotation of a 3-dimensional object. [e]

PD Image
Figure 1. Euler angles. From left to right: initial configuration, after rotation over angle α, after rotation over angle β, and after rotation over angle γ.

In physics, mathematics, and engineering, Euler angles are three rotation angles, often denoted by 0 ≤ α ≤ 2π, 0 ≤ β ≤ π, and 0 ≤ γ ≤ 2π, although the notation φ, θ, ψ is also common. Any rotation of a 3-dimensional object can be performed by three consecutive rotations over the three Euler angles.

Different conventions are in use: a rotation can be active (the object is rotated, the system of axes is fixed in space), or passive (the object is fixed in space, the axes are rotated).

Also the choice of rotation axes may vary; an active convention common in quantum mechanical applications is the z-y′-z′ convention. Attach a system of Cartesian coordinate axes to the body that is to be rotated (the coordinate frame is fixed to the body and is rotated simultaneously with it); in the figure the body-fixed frame is shown in red and labeled by lowercase letters. First rotate around z, then around the new body-fixed y-axis, y′, and finally around z′. Another convention often used is the z-x′-z′ convention, where instead of over the new y-axis the second rotation is over the new x-axis. Also the z-y-x convention is used (and will be discussed below).

The right-hand screw rule is practically always followed: the rotation axis is a directed line and a positive rotation is as a cork screw driven into the positive direction of the axis. In older literature left-handed Cartesian coordinate frames appear sometimes, but in modern literature right-handed frames are used exclusively.

Euler angles are used in many different branches of physics and engineering. The present article is written from the point of view of molecular physics, where the objects to be rotated are molecules and applications are often of quantum mechanical nature.

The angles are named after the 18th century mathematician Leonhard Euler who introduced in 1765 two of the three for an axially symmetric body where the third angle, γ, does not play a role.[1]

Geometric discussion

In Figure 1 the space-fixed (laboratory) axes are labeled by capital X, Y, and Z and are shown in black. The body to be rotated is not shown, but a system of axes fixed to it is shown in red. One may use any convenient orthonormal frame as a body-fixed frame. Often the body-fixed axes are principal axes, that means that they are eigenvectors of the inertia tensor of the body. Also symmetry axes, when present, may be used. When the body has symmetry axes, the principal axes often coincide with these.

PD Image
Figure 2. Rotation of r to r′. On the left around z-axis over α (φ increases), on the right around y-axis over β (φ decreases). Both rotation axes point toward the reader.

The z-y′-z′ convention will be followed. Initially, the two frames coincide, and the path to a final arbitrary orientation of the body—and its frame—is depicted on Figure 1. The first rotation is around the z-axis, which coincides with the Z-axis. The x- and y-axis move in a plane perpendicular to the z-axis over an angle α. The second rotation is in a plane through the origin perpendicular to the y′-axis. The angle is β. The present convention has the practical advantage that the z′-axis has the usual spherical polar coordinates α ≡ φ (longitude angle) and β ≡ θ (colatitude angle) with respect to the space-fixed frame.[2] The final rotation is in a plane perpendicular to the z′-axis over an angle γ. From geometric considerations follows that any orientation of the body-fixed frame in space may be obtained.

Write for the rotation matrix that describes a rotation around the unit vector over an angle . Clearly the three consecutive Euler rotations correspond to rotations around the unit vectors along the body-fixed axes z, y′, and z′ over angles α β, and γ, respectively. Because a matrix acts on a column vector to its right, the order in the matrix product is as in the leftmost term in the following equation. It will be shown that the corresponding matrix product can be written in reverse order (but around fixed, unprimed, axes z, y, z), that is,

Note that the third column contains the Cartesian coordinates with respect to the space-fixed frame of expressed in sines and cosines of spherical polar angles. The first and second column contain by definition expressions for the Cartesian coordinates of and , respectively, but evidently these are not solely in terms of spherical polar angles, γ also enters.

Before proving the first equality in the above equation (reversal of order), we derive the matrix for a rotation around the z-axis, see the left drawing in Figure 2. The rotated vector has components

We used here the relations well-known from trigonometry for the sine and cosine of a sum angle. The derivation of the matrix for a rotation around the y-axis proceeds along the same lines. Note, however, that the angle of a vector with the x-axis decreases by a rotation around the positive y-axis (see right-hand drawing in Figure 2).

To prove the first equality (reversal of the order in the angles), a property of rotation matrices is used. A rotation (orthogonal 3×3) matrix A, transforming a rotation axis, gives rise to the following similarity equation,

where the superscript T indicates the transpose of the matrix. For rotation matrices the transposed matrix is equal to the inverse of the matrix. From this similarity relation follows that

so that

Also

so that

where it is used that rotations around the same axis commute, that is,

and the required result is proved.

Algebraic treatment

In the proof that any rotation can be written as three consecutive rotations, an appeal was made to the geometric insight of the reader. The same result can be proved more rigorously by algebraic means. To that end the notation is somewhat shortened:

Theorem

A proper rotation matrix R can be factorized thus

which is referred to as the Euler z-y-x parametrization, or also as

the Euler z-y-z parametrization.

Proof

First the Euler z-y-x-parametrization will be proved by an algorithm for the factorization of a given matrix R ≡ (r1, r2, r3). Second the z-y-z parametrization will be proved; this parametrization is—as shown above—equivalent to the z′-y′-z parametrization with angles in reverse order.

:A Fortran subroutine based on the algorithm is given on the code page.

To prove the z-y-x parametrization we consider the matrix product

The columns of the matrix product are for ease of reference designated by a1, a2, and a3. Note that the multiplication by

on the right does not affect the first column, so that a1 = r1 (the first column of R). Solve and from the first column of R (which is known),

This is possible. First solve for from

Then solve for from the two equations:

The angles and determine fully the vectors a2 and a3.

Since a1, a2 and a3 are the columns of a proper rotation matrix they form an orthonormal right-handed system. The plane spanned by a2 and a3 is orthogonal to and hence the plane contains and . Thus the latter two vectors are a linear combination of the first two,

Since are known orthonormal vectors, we can compute

These equations give with .

The angle ω1 gives the matrix with

This gives the required z-y-x factorization of the arbitrary proper orthogonal matrix R.

The proof of the Euler z-y-z parametrization is obtained by a small modification of the previous proof. We start by retrieving the spherical polar coordinates and of the unit vector , the third column [the rightmost multiplication by Rz1) does not affect r3]. Then consider

or, The equation for R can be written as

which proves the Euler z-y-z parametrization. Clearly, this factorization is equal to the one given in the previous section, with

Note

  1. Translation by Ian Bruce of L. Euler, Theoria Motus Corporum Solidorum Seu Rigidorum (Theory of the motion of solid or rigid bodies), Rostock (1765), pdf page 11. Later Euler returned to the angles and gave an alternative derivation, see Translation by Johan Sten of Formulae generales pro translatione quacunque corporum rigidorum (General formulas for the translation of arbitrary rigid bodies), Novi Commentarii academiae scientiarum Petropolitanae, vol. 20, (1776), pp. 189-207
  2. In the z-x′-z′ convention the first two Euler angles are not equal to spherical polar angles, in consequence the (m, m′) Wigner D-matrix-element carries the complex phase exp[iπ(mm′)/2]. This phase is absent in the z-y′-z′ convention
 (Read more...)
Milton Beychok; Meg Ireland 2


Developing Article The Dead Weather: An American Alternative Rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. [e]

The Dead Weather is a "a death-rattle blues quartet" formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009. Formed by Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs, the band is comprised of VV (Alison Mosshart) of the Kills, on guitar and vocals; Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, on guitar and organ; Little Jack (Jack Lawrence) of the Raconteurs and the Greenhornes, on bass; and Jack White on drums and vocals. The band was revealed, and performed for the first time, at the opening of Third Man Records' Nashville headquarters on March 11, 2009, immediately before releasing their debut single "Hang You from the Heavens".

Band members

Jack White

Jack White formed the White Stripes in 1997, and they went on to have a string of critically acclaimed albums, with their third, White Blood Cells, catapulting them to international stardom. In 2005, White became a founding member of the rock band the Raconteurs. In 2009, he became a founding member of his third group, the Dead Weather. Jack White plays drums, and provides vocals for the Dead Weather.

Alison Mosshart

"VV" Alison Mosshart started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock outfit Discount, which disbanded in 2000. She then co-founded the Kills with British guitarist Jamie Hince in 2000. Alison Mosshart plays guitar and provides vocals for the Dead Weather. (Read more...)

Drew R. Smith 1


Developing Article The Sporting Life (album): A 1994 studio album recorded by Diamanda Galás and John Paul Jones. [e]
This article may be deleted soon.
To oppose or discuss a nomination, please go to CZ:Proposed for deletion and follow the instructions.

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Category:Articles for deletion.



The Sporting Life
Image:SportingLifealbum1994.jpg
Type Studio album
Artist Diamanda Galás and John Paul Jones
Release Date 6 September 1994 (US),
1 October 1994 (UK)
Recorded 1994 at AIR Studios, London.
Mastered at Metropolis Mastering, London.
Genre Alternative rock, experimental rock
Language English
Length 55 minutes 4 seconds
Label Mute Records
Catalogue Mute 61672 (US),
Mute STUMM 127 (UK)
Producer John Paul Jones
Engineer Richard Evans

The Sporting Life (album)|The Sporting Life is an album by avant-garde singer Diamanda Galás and multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones, released on 6 September 1994, on Mute Records. It is Galás' sixth studio album, produced by Jones.

Overview

The record was a notable shift in musical style from what was previously produced with Galás. The album's subject material incorporated various lyrical themes such as lust, revenge, violence, murder, betrayal, and death, mixed with sarcasm and dark humour. Galás' previous work centred around the theme of AIDS and subsequent deaths from it, after her brother and some of her friends succumbed to the disease.[1] This album was a change in direction, albeit a much more commercially accessible one, with the additional input of former Led Zeppelin bass player and keyboardist John Paul Jones on songwriting, performance and production duties. Jones was working on a live project with Heart (band)|Heart at the time of this collaboration. When interviewed about his involvement Jones explained:

I was immediately impressed with her voice, and the power and the emotion. Our backgrounds are very similar. We both played in our fathers' bands when we were starting out, and we're both great fans of classical music, jazz, blues, Mediterranean music and Arabic music. A mutual friend suggested that we should work together, and I think she wanted to do a Rock music

—rock record.[2]

Jones had previously been introduced to Galás' body of work in 1983 via his wife Maureen, who brought home and played a 1982 compact disc containing 'Wild Women with Steak Knives (The Homicidal Love Song for Solo Scream)'.[3] Galás intimated in an interview with online magazine Convulsion that she wanted to explore other facets of life outside of the AIDS epidemic, such as 'sick relationships.'[4] The 'sporting life' is street hustler slang for the place where affection is a commodity, where the only love that's not for sale is obsessive and destructive love.[5]

Writing and composition

After an initial evening meeting in London where they both agreed to work together, the album was composed both in New York (disambiguation)|New York (Galás) and in England (Jones). Demo tapes were exchanged, with Jones providing compositional ideas on an 8 string bass, while Galás added organ and lyrics to them. This continued until they were both satisfied with the material and a rehearsal arranged.[6] The recording process took three weeks in London, in which Thomas laid down drum tracks in the third and final week. With mixing, the entire project took two months in total.[7] Galás described the project as a collection of homicidal love songs:

I think that if you get together and decide to do an album called Homicidal Love Songs, which is what I originally wanted to call it, you've got to have a sense of humor. What makes this album possible in terms of lyrics is real life experience. Every single song, and John [Paul Jones] knows it, too, has a particular person in mind with whom I have had various provocations and entanglements.[8]

On the recording, Galás utilises both Hammond B3 organ and piano. The drummer used for the album was Pete Thomas, from Elvis Costello's backing band the Attractions. Due to his commitments with The Attractions, former Heart drummer Denny Fongheiser performed in place of Thomas for subsequent live appearances.[9] Galás has a 3½ octave vocal range which she uses to full effect on the album. Jones commented that 'With a voice like Diamanda's, a guitar would simply be a cosmetic device.'[10] The album opens with 'Skótoseme' which is Greek for 'kill me', on which Galás meshes her frantic, operatic voice with Jones' funky bass lines. A merging of heavy rock and Ancient Greek tragedy. The song 'Do You Take This Man?' mocks wedding vows by comparing romance to imprisonment, where the only solution is submission. Galás' haunting cover of Percy Sledge's soul classic 'Dark End of the Street,' reminds lovers that death is not far away. The title track 'The Sporting Life' meanwhile, tells the tale of a group of prostitutes who stalk and kill a man for fun. Death laments melt into Hammond-driven Cajun dance music on 'You're Mine'. 'Last Man Down', is a wailing blues drenched song about isolation and despair, with lap steel guitar embellishment.

Release and critical reception

Image:Thesportinglifepromo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A screenshot from the music video, depicting Diamanda Galás and John Paul Jones. Alternate cover picture outtakes with Galás and Jones in a convertible, with Jones driving, appeared in a 1994 issue of Musician (magazine)|Musician magazine. One of these images was used for the CD single cover of 'Do You Take This Man?' A video was filmed for the single and was completed on 29 July 1994, with director Jon Reiss. It featured Galás in various scenes throughout New York, with Jones playing an eight string bass guitar, and released on 22 August 1994 prior to the album launch. Jones also used 4, 5, and 6 string basses plus a lap steel guitar, while the pair toured throughout October 1994 - January 1995 to promote the album, with concerts billed as 'An Evening of Homicidal Love Songs.'[11] This was Jones' first full tour since Led Zeppelin's 1980 Tour Over Europe 1980|Over Europe tour.[12]

The album was released to mixed reviews. Entertainment Weekly offered the most positive with a B+ rating: '... Led Zeppelin bassist Jones and Pete Thomas join the demonic diva to form a power-mad trio on Galas' most rocking album yet ...'[13] while Musician magazine went further: '... At times, The Sporting Life sounds like the best album Led Zeppelin never made, with Galas' acrobatic, banshee-giving-birth caterwaul subbing for Jimmy Page feedback in a newfangled power trio ...'[14] Bomb (magazine)|Bomb arts magazine described it as: '... An expanse where divisions between what is electronic and what is "natural" smear, where the instrument is only as good as its ability to scalp you ...' [15]

Track list

Album information

1994 Vinyl listing:

  • Side One:
  1. 'Skótoseme' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones) – 6:27
  2. 'Do You Take This Man?' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones) – 6:09
  3. 'The Dark End of the Street' (Chips Moman, Dan Penn) – 2:43
  4. 'You're Man' (Diamanda Galás) – 5:10
  5. 'Tony' (Diamanda Galás) – 5:37
  • Side Two:
  1. 'Devil's Rodeo' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones, Pete Thomas) – 5:37
  2. 'The Sporting Life' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones) – 5:45
  3. 'Baby's Insane' (Diamanda Galás) – 4:39
  4. 'Last Man Down' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones) - 4:50
  5. 'Hex' (Diamanda Galás, John Paul Jones) - 8:04

Chart positions

Album

Chart (1994) Peak position
US Billboard The 200 Albums Chart

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1994 'Do You Take This Man?' US Billboard Hot 100 Chart

Credits

Personnel
  • Musicians:
    • Diamanda Galás – vocals, keyboards
    • John Paul Jones – bass guitar, electric guitars, keyboards, piano, bass pedals, producer
    • Pete Thomas - drums, percussion
  • Production:
    • Richard Evans – engineer, mixing
    • Tim Young - mastering engineer
    • Patricia Mooney - art direction
    • Catherine McGann - photography

Notes

  1. Darnielle, John. Dallas Music: She Can't be Serious, Dallas Observer, Village Voice Media, 25 December 2003. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  2. Strauss, Neil. The Pop Life, The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 9 November 1994. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  3. Words by Arthur Durkee: Master of the Low End of the Street. Arthur Durkee (November 1994). Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  4. Wilcock, Jane (24 October 1994). "Diamanda Galas: The Sporting Life". Convulsion (4): 16. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  5. Words by Arthur Durkee: Master of the Low End of the Street. Arthur Durkee (November 1994). Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  6. Worley, Gail (April 2002). "Getting the Led Out: An Interview with Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones". Ink 19. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  7. Wilcock, Jane (24 October 1994). "Diamanda Galas: The Sporting Life". Convulsion (4): 16. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  8. Strauss, Neil. The Pop Life, The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 9 November 1994. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  9. Pareles, Jon. Pop Review: A Singer Who Doesn't Play That Nice Girl Next Door, The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 12 November 1994. Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  10. Barclay, Michael (May 2004). "Diamanda Galas: Diva of the Dispossessed". Exclaim! Canada. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  11. Augusto, Troy J (7 December 1994). "Theater Review: Diamanda Galas and John Paul Jones". Variety. ISSN 0042-2738. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  12. John Paul Jones interview. Electric Magic (October 1997). Retrieved on 2009-04-20.
  13. McDonnell, Evelyn (23 September 1994). "Music Capsule Review: The Sporting Life". Entertainment Weekly: 70. ISSN 0042-2738. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  14. (November 1994) "Review: The Sporting Life". Musician: 88. ISSN 0733-5253. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
  15. Albo, Michael (Fall 1994). "Diamanda Galas and John Paul Jones". Bomb (49): 88. ISSN 0743-3204. Retrieved on 2009-06-05.
 (Read more...)
Meg Ireland 1

Current Winner (to be selected and implemented by an Administrator)

To change, click edit and follow the instructions, or see documentation at {{Featured Article}}.


Nimitz at Guam, 1945

Chester William Nimitz (1885-1955) was Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC) in World War II, Chief of Naval Operations, and Fleet Admiral. As overall commander of the Central Pacific forces during World War Two he was responsible for the U.S. advance through the Marshalls, Marianas, and the initial assaults on the Japanese home islands at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Following the war, he served as the Chief of Naval Operations before retiring in 1948. In retirement, he served for a time as a United Nations good will ambassador.

Early career

As a high school student, he had hoped for an Army career but could not get an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He subsequently was admitted to the United States Naval Academy. He graduated seventh of 114 in the Class of 1905.

At Annapolis, the yearbook described him as a man "of cheerful yesterdays and confident tomorrows." Shortly after being commissioned an ensign, which, as opposed to the commission at Academy graduation today, required sea duty, he became an especially young destroyer commander. In 1907, however, he ran the USS Decatur aground, normally a career-ending event.[1]

Submarines and technology

Returning to the U.S., he qualified in submarines. As leading-edge technology, this molded him as a naval officer: he was always comfortable with adopting appropriate new technology, such as radar, communications intelligence, aircraft carriers and the submarine as a strategic weapon. [2] One author commented that “radar became essential at sea and aloft; Nimitz considered it [radar] as revolutionary as the steam engine. . . Information technology made the Orange [War] Plan work better.”[3]

As a young officer, he received a Silver Lifesaving Medal for rescuing a crewman washed overboard from his boat, and moved into command of the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla in 1912. In 1913, he worked on building the diesel engines for the tanker USS Maumee, and then sent to Germany and Belgium to study diesel design, which remained a specialty throughout his career. In World War I, he was assigned as Chief of Staff to the commander of US submarines in the Atlantic, Admiral S. S. Robinson.

In September 1918, he came ashore to duty in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and was a member of the Board of Submarine Design. His first sea duty in big ships came in 1919 when he had one year's duty as Executive Officer of the battleship USS South Carolina. After that, he was assigned to Pearl Harbor where he directed building of the submarine base, and then commanded Submarine Division 14 (COMSUBDIV Fourteen).

Naval War College and Midcareer

In 1922, he was assigned as a student at the U.S. Naval War College. While there, he studied under Clarence Williams one of the authors of the basic Pacific Fleet war plan that formed the basis for operations in WWII.[4] After graduation, he returned to work with Admiral Robinson, then Commander of Battle Forces, and then Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet. During that time, he introduced the circular cruising formation to the fleet, first based on a battleship and then on the early aircraft carrier, USS Langley, in 1924. [5]

For the new Reserve Officers Training Program program, he became, the first Professor of Naval Science and Tactics for the Unit at the University of California at Berkeley. Throughout the remainder of his life he retained a close association with the University.

Nimitz returned to sea duty, commanding a submarine division, and then a support ship. His first major surface command, in 1933, was the [[cruiser#heavy heavy cruiser]] USS Augusta, flagship of the Asiatic Fleet.

His next shore duty, in 1935, was Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, a traditional name for the Navy office in charge of personnel. During his time there, he came to the notice of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Promoted to rear admiral, he commanded a cruiser division and then a battleship division, returning to the Bureau of Navigation in 1939.

Second World War

During the Second World War, Nimitz shared command of the Pacific theater of operations with Douglas MacArthur, who headed the Southwest Pacific Area. As opposed to MacArthur's towering ego and imperious manner, Nimitz was a relaxed man who inspired loyalty. When he relieved Admiral Husband Kimmel after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nimitz made a point of keeping Kimmel's staff and making only gradual changes, rather than seeking blame. He took command at Pearl Harbor on December 20, 1941, being sworn in on the deck of the submarine USS Grayling (SS-209). That deck was symbolic of his identification, first and foremost, as a submariner—and being one of the few undamaged vessels left in Pearl.[6] Beyond the morale-building effect of retaining staff, he immediately pointed out positives, such as the U.S. aircraft carriers and submarine base being undamaged.

It has been wryly suggested that he had two enemies, the Japanese and MacArthur. Nimitz chose a less glorious command style than his approximate Japanese counterpart, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Nimitz preferred to stay on shore with full radio communications than to be at sea with the fleet as Yamamoto did. Nimitz's ability to direct operations without the need for radio silence was a strategic advantage. Yamamoto, on the other hand, because of radio silence was not able to keep situational awareness at the Battle of Midway.

Taking the offensive

Chief of Naval Operations Ernest J. King gave Nimitz the initial orders to hold the Hawaii-Midway and Hawaii-Samoa lines of communication while conducting raids if necessary during the necessary period of defense.[7] U.S. planners recognized that it would take about two years before the U.S. navy was in a position to advance in force towards Japan. On February 1, 1942, the first offensive action taken by the United States Navy was a carrier air strike on Japanese facilities at Kwajalein, the main Japanese base in the region.[8]

Far earlier than Yamamoto expected, Nimitz took the offensive to the Japanese in the Doolittle Raid, the Battle of the Coral Sea, and, in what is generally believed to be the turning point of World War II in the Pacific, the Battle of Midway.

He visited Midway in May 1942 and was personally involved in the intelligence preparation for the high-risk Midway operation. He was also involved in concentrating forces for the battle, including patching together the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-5), which had been damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Pearl Harbor naval base had estimated three months for repairs, but through a maximum effort repair she was turned around in three days.[9]

Besides logistics and concentration of forces, he made extensive use of deception.[10] After the Battle of the Coral Sea, in which the Japanese believed they sank two, not one, carriers, he sent USS Hornet and USS Enterprise toward the Solomon Islands, to suggest to the Japanese that the American carriers were in the South Pacific, far from Midway. Adding to this, he had a cruiser, in the South Pacific, transmit radio signals that seemed to be from the surviving carriers. [11]

Building the command team

While Nimitz kept Kimmel's staff at Pearl Harbor, he replaced senior officers that did not meet the needs of the time.

Vice Admiral Robert Ghormley had commanded the Southwest Pacific fleet, but, in Nimitz's opinion, was tired and lost confidence. Nimitz, on visiting Ghormley, was shocked at his health; Nimitz always made time for his own fitness and relaxation.[12] Ghormley was replaced by Admiral William Halsey.

Nimitz developed a concept of having one battle fleet but two command staffs. When the fleet was under the command of Halsey, it was designated United States Third Fleet, while Spruance and his staff planned the next operation. When Spruance took command, the combat organization was designated United States Fifth Fleet, with Halsey and his staff preparing for the next campaign.

Accelerating in 1943

When he gave a speech on 1 March 1943, saying the preparations for strategic bombardment of Japan had started, the Japanese took it seriously, and it became an impetus to their plans for suicide tactics. "Nimitz's reputation in Japan was spotless. As of that date, the Americans had not been caught in a single lie or misrepresentation about the Pacific War. If Nimitz said something was so, the Japanese were inclined to believe him."[13]

Yamamoto

He authorized a mission, with Joint Chiefs of Staff and Presidential approval, to shoot down his counterpart, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, on 18 April 1943. Knowledge of Yamamoto's route came from cryptanalysis, and it was a careful balance between risking the Japanese learning of that American intelligence source, and the loss of a commander critical to Japan.

Marshall Islands

Operation Flintlock was the main campaign against the Marshall Islands. Shore bombardment began in December 1943, principally against Kwajalein and surrounding islands. The priorities in 1943, Mille, Maloelap, and Wotje in the Ratak chain, and in the Ralik chain, Jaluit, Kwajalein, and Eniwetok. Jaluit was a seaplane base, all of the other Ratak sites were airfields, and the Ralik locations were anchorages for naval ships. [14] Kwajalein was taken faster than had been expected, and it was under control by February.

He accelerated Operation Catchpole, the invasion of Eniwetok, had been scheduled for May, but the operation was accelerated to mid-February.[15]

Beginning of the end

Winning the Battle of Saipan in June-July 1944, followed by the fall of Prime Minister General Hideki Tojo's government, had created a peace faction in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The Japanese began to use kamikaze tactics seriously in the Philippines campaign of late 1944. They were sufficiently effective that Nimitz and Halsey insisted on strict secrecy to avoid encouraging the enemy to concentrate on this method. [16]

On 19 December 1944, he was advanced to the newly created rank of Fleet Admiral.

The end

As the war progressed, he moved his operational headquarters to Guam in January 1945.

On 2 September 1945, he was the United States signatory to the surrender terms aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay.

Postwar military

Nimitz hauled down his flag at Pearl Harbor on November 26, 1945, and on December 15 he relieved Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King as Chief of Naval Operations. Nimitz served in this post for a term of two years. The unquestionably abrasive King had wanted Nimitz to replace him, but the new Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, despised King and did not want a potential protege. Nimitz, somewhat hurt by the controversy, insisted, but accepted a compromise two-year appointment. Forrestal found Nimitz to have a very different personality than King, but Forrestal's damage had been done.[17]

After a request by the defense counsel of German Admiral Karl Doenitz, he sent a statement to the Trial of the Major War Criminals, explaining that United States submarine operations were conducted in a manner very similar to that of Germany. This may well have saved Doenitz from a death sentence for abandoning victims at sea, and was the only tu quoque defense accepted by the Tribunal.

On 1 January 1948, he reported as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy in the Western Sea Frontier, a make-work job that did take him back to his beloved California.

After retirement

In March of 1949, he was nominated as Plebiscite Administrator for Kashmir under the United Nations. When that did not materialize he asked to be relieved and accepted an assignment as a roving goodwill ambassador of the United nations, to explain to the public the major issues confronting the U.N. In 1951, President Truman appointed him as Chairman of the nine-man commission on International Security and Industrial Rights. This commission never got underway because Congress never passed appropriate legislation.[1]

He was a regent of the University of California and did much to restore goodwill with Japan by raising funds to restore the battleship IJN Mikasa, Admiral Heihachiro Togo's flagship at the Battle of Tsushima Strait in 1905.

Naval memorials

Nimitz-class U.S. aircraft carriers, the current generation of nuclear-power carriers, are named after him.

At the Admiral Nimitz Historical Center in his home town of Fredericksburg, Texas, there is not only a building of his artifacts, but a "Japanese Garden of Peace, built with donations from the very Japanese he fought, in Nimitz's honor and memory."[18]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, Naval Historical Center, United States Navy
  2. Ricky J. Nussio (Academic Year 2000-2001), Sherman and Nimitz: Executing Modern Information Operations, School of Advanced Military Studies, Command and General Staff College, pp. 39-40, 56
  3. Edward S. Miller, War Plan Orange: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897-1945 (Anapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2007), pp. 349-350, quoted in Nussio, pp. 39
  4. Miller, p. 2
  5. E. B. Potter, Nimitz, U.S. Naval Institute, pp. 139-142
  6. Layton, Edwin T.; Roger Pineau & John Costello (1985), And I Was There, William Morris, p. 354
  7. Ernest J. King and Walter M. Whitehill, Fleet Admiral King: A Naval Record, pp. 144-145, quoted in Layton, p. 355
  8. Commanding Officer, USS Enterprise (CV-6) (7 February 1942), Report of action on February 1, 1942 (Zone Minus Twelve) against Marshall Island Group
  9. Layton, pp. 421-432
  10. Nussio, pp. 28-29
  11. Potter, p. 108, quoted in Nussio, pp. 28
  12. "World Battlefronts: A Question of Balance", Time, 26 February 1945
  13. Edwin P. Hoyt (1983), The Kamikazes, Burford Books, ISBN 1580800319, pp. 185-186
  14. , PART III: The Marshalls: Quickening the Pace; Chapter 1 Flintlock Plans and Preparations GETTING ON WITH THE WAR, History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in the Second World War, U.S. Marine Corps Historical Center Branch, pp. 117-119
  15. , PART III: The Marshalls: Quickening the Pace; Chapter 5: The CATCHPOLE Operation CATCHPOLE AND THE LESSER MARSHALLS, History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations in the Second World War, U.S. Marine Corps Historical Center Branch, pp. 117-119
  16. Hoyt, p. 147
  17. Michael T. Isenberg (1993), Shield of the Republic: The United States Navy in an Era of Cold War and Violent Peace, vol. Volume I, 1945-1962, St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0312099118, pp. 84-85
  18. Linda DuVal (Aug 13, 2000), "Nimitz Center can fascinate any visitor", Gazette, The (Colorado Springs)
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