title: Vilambaram

abstract: Vilambaram is a 1987 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Balachandra Menon and produced by K. G. Rajagopal. The film stars Balachandra Menon, Ambika, Saritha, Sukumari, Thilakan, Ashokan and Shari in the lead roles. The film has musical score by S. P. Venkatesh and lyrics by P. Bhaskaran.

text:
# Vilambaram

***Vilambaram*** is a 1987 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Balachandra Menon and produced by K. G. Rajagopal. The film stars Balachandra Menon, Ambika, Saritha, Sukumari, Thilakan, Ashokan and Shari in the lead roles. The film has musical score by S. P. Venkatesh and lyrics by P. Bhaskaran.

## Cast

## Soundtrack

The music was composed by S. P. Venkatesh.

| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | "Enthaanandam" | G. Venugopal, Janakidevi | P. Bhaskaran |  |
| 2 | "Thaarakale Ambiliye" | Janakidevi, Sindhu Premkumar, Kala | P. Bhaskaran |  |

## InfoBox

| Vilambaram | |
| --- | --- |
| Directed by | Balachandra Menon |
| Written by | Balachandra Menon |
| Screenplay by | Balachandra Menon |
| Produced by | K. G. Rajagopal |
| Starring | Balachandra Menon
Ambika
Saritha
Sukumari
Thilakan
Ashokan |
| Cinematography | Anandakuttan |
| Edited by | K. P. Hariharaputhran |
| Music by | S. P. Venkatesh |
| Production
company | GR International |
| Distributed by | GR International |
| Release date | * 12 February 1987 (1987-02-12) |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |


title: International child abduction in Brazil

abstract: International child abduction in Brazil comprises cases in which the removal of a child by one of the joint holders of custody or non-custodial or contested parents to Brazil in contravention of other laws of other countries and/or the desires of other custody claimants. The phenomenon of international child abduction is defined in international law and legislated on by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which entered into force in Brazil on January 1, 2000, and aims to trace abducted children, secure their prompt return to the country of habitual residence and organize or secure effective rights of access. In 2010 Brazil was accused by the US State Department of being non-compliant with the Hague Convention. The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), a nonprofit global organization that combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction, has a regional presence in Brazil.

text:
# International child abduction in Brazil

**International child abduction in Brazil** comprises cases in which the removal of a child by one of the joint holders of custody or non-custodial or contested parents to Brazil in contravention of other laws of other countries and/or the desires of other custody claimants. The phenomenon of international child abduction is defined in international law and legislated on by the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, which entered into force in Brazil on January 1, 2000, and aims to trace abducted children, secure their prompt return to the country of habitual residence and organize or secure effective rights of access. In 2010 Brazil was accused by the US State Department of being non-compliant with the Hague Convention.

The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), a nonprofit global organization that combats child sexual exploitation, child pornography, and child abduction, has a regional presence in Brazil.

## Brazilian non-compliance with the Hague Convention

**Articles 12 and 13**

Accusations that Brazil does not comply with the Hague Convention hinge on conflicting interpretations of Article 12 and Article 13 of the convention. According to Article 12, "The judicial or administrative authority, even where the proceedings have been commenced after the expiration of the period of one year \[...\] shall also order the return of the child, unless it is demonstrated that the child is now settled in its new environment," It is the second part of this article that is used as a defence in all Hague disputes in Brazil and one of the reasons why they are held up for so long. Brazilian federal courts routinely accept evidence from Brazilian abducting parents to the effect that the abducted child has become settled in his/her new environment and the U.S. State Department has claimed that Brazilian Courts erroneously treat Hague cases as custody disputes, unnecessarily delaying cases and demonstrating an unfair bias toward Brazilian citizens, especially mothers. In addition to this, Article 13 of the Convention states, "The judicial or administrative authority may also refuse to order the return of the child if it finds that the child objects to being returned and has attained an age and degree of maturity at which it is appropriate to take account of its views," while Article 13(b) states that children should not be returned to their habitual residence if "there is a grave risk that his or her return would expose the child to physical or psychological harm or otherwise place the child in an intolerable situation." Brazilian abducting parents often present evidence to the court in the form of statements from the abducted child to the effect that they wish to stay in Brazil. A 1999 report by Prof. Nigel Lowe of the Cardiff University Centre for International Family Law Studies in the U.K. raised concerns about children not being returned to their place of habitual residence because of a misunderstanding of what the term 'habitual residence' meant (i.e., rather than referring to restoration of the *status quo ante* the abduction, abducting parents argue that it refers to the *status quo* and they are more likely to be able to argue this point if they can delay the judicial process long enough). Lowe states, "courts need also to consider any undue parental influence on the child, either through deliberate indoctrination by the abducting parent or simply by the natural inclination of many children to support a present parent against an absent parent." The report stresses that abducted children's wishes should not override the spirit and the intent of the convention and implies that the part of Article 13 that affirm "The judicial or administrative authority may also refuse to order the return of the child if it finds that the child objects to being returned and has attained an age and degree of maturity at which it is appropriate to take account of its views." should be considered null and void by making that part of the Article not have any use, because for children to be considered to have the maturity to decide where they want to be they should have reached the age of 16 - the cut-off point for Hague Convention cases.

The slowness of the Brazilian judicial process and the checks and balances built into the post-military-dictatorship Constitution of Brazil as a means of safeguarding human rights also create a long appeals process which means that once a child is abducted to Brazil it is likely that he/she will remain there in cases that the judges feel that this is the best solution for the child until they reach the res judicata. The hierarchical position of international conventions in the Brazilian legal system is less than the Constitution of Brazil and can not contradict it, which means that in cases where it is alleged that the convention is contrary to a constitutional principle, the convention may not be applied in whole.

The U.S. Department of State 2008 Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention says: "Brazil continued to demonstrate patterns of noncompliance with the Convention in its judicial performance. The USCA notes several instances during FY 2007 in which Brazilian courts treated Convention cases as custody decisions, rather than applying the principles of wrongful removal or retention laid out in the Convention. In two cases, Brazilian judges refused returns to the United States, citing the "best interests of the child" in accordance with Article 227 of the Constitution of Brazil. These decisions contradict the convention, because the concept in the Brazilian legal system of "best Interests of the Child" is broader than the narrow concept described in the convention, as the Preamble of the Convention declares that the interest of children is attained through their return to their country of habitual residence. In addition, the USCA notes that judges in some cases continued to demonstrate a bias towards mothers and towards Brazilian citizens. Further, the judicial process is excessively lengthy, with cases going on well beyond the six weeks mandated by the convention."

The U.S. Department of State 2009 Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention states: "In FY 2008, Brazil demonstrated patterns of noncompliance with the Convention in the areas of Central Authority performance and judicial performance. The Brazilian courts continue to show a troubling trend of treating Convention cases as custody decisions, and often deny Convention applications upon finding that the children have become "adapted to Brazilian culture." It takes many months before a court receives a case to analyze and many more months before a court issues a decision. Brazil's courts exhibit widespread patterns of bias towards Brazilian mothers in Convention cases. Brazilian courts continue to be amenable to considering evidence relevant to custody determinations but not relevant to the criteria to be applied in a Convention case."

The U.S. Department of State 2010 Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention states: "During the reporting period, the United States experienced continued problems with Brazil's compliance with the Convention. As a result, the USCA finds Brazil not compliant with the Convention in FY 2009. Continued compliance failures result from significant delays within the Brazilian judiciary, which continued to handle applications for return under the Convention as routine custody cases. Article 16 of the Convention specifically prohibits judges from considering the merits of the custody dispute between the parents."

## Complaints by European countries

On October 19, 2010, the French MEP, Michele Striffler, tabled a question in the European Parliament on Brazil's refusal to abide by its international treaties in this regard: The Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, of 25 October 1980, known as the Hague Convention, seeks to guarantee the immediate return of children unlawfully removed or retained by one of their parents in a contracting State. It also seeks to ensure that the custody, visitation and accommodation rights of children in contracting States are respected. Under Article 3, the removal abroad of a child by a parent is considered unlawful when it takes place in violation of the custody rights granted to the other parent, or to any institution or body, under the laws of the State in which the child normally resided before being removed. Furthermore, the Hague Convention lays down a simple and swift procedure for resolving the removal of minors outside their country of usual residence, without exhaustive examination of the dispute between the parents. Rulings on the custody of such children can only be issued by a judge in the child's usual place of residence Moreover, a best practice guide has been drawn up by the Hague Permanent Office (responsible for monitoring implementation of the convention), to avoid disparities in the scope and level of services offered by the various central authorities entrusted with the task of enforcing the convention. Nevertheless, the legal systems in numerous States which have signed the Hague Convention (in particular the Brazilian legal authorities) continue to consider these cases as child custody disputes, in flagrant contravention of the letter and spirit of the convention, thereby significantly delaying the implementation of its provisions and the resolution of disputes. It should be borne in mind that these displaced children are the main victims in such situations. Their prolonged removal has serious psychological repercussions which may dramatically affect their future lives. There are many unresolved cases involving European children who have been taken to third countries which are signatories to the convention (particularly Brazil) and whose return is being obstructed by poor application of the convention. What measures does the Council intend to take to ensure that third countries, in particular Brazil, comply with the convention, with a view to putting an end to these unacceptable situations and securing the swift return of abducted children?

## The Brazilian Central Authority

The Special Secretariat for Human Rights (Portuguese:Secretaria Especial dos Direitos Humanos, or "SEDH"), which is part of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, has been designated as the Brazilian central authority as per Article 6 of the Hague Convention, making it responsible for the operation of the Convention in Brazil. Article 7 of the Convention states, "Central Authorities shall co-operate with each other and promote co-operation amongst the competent authorities in their respective States to secure the prompt return of children and to achieve the other objects of this Convention," and lists the measures that they are supposed to take in order to achieve these ends. SEDH is required, therefore, to discover the whereabouts of the abducted child and prevent further harm by taking provisional measures, to secure a voluntary return or to bring about an amicable resolution of the issues, to provide information of a general character as to the law of their State in connection with the application of the convention, to initiate or facilitate the institution of judicial or administrative proceedings with a view to obtaining the return of the child, to make arrangements for organizing rights of access. SEDH is also required to provide or facilitate the provision of legal aid and advice, including the participation of legal counsel and advisors, to provide such administrative arrangements as may be necessary and appropriate to secure the safe return of the child and to keep each other informed with respect to the operation of the Convention and, as far as possible, to eliminate any obstacles to its application.

SEDH is directed by Patricia de Teixera Lamego Soares, a law school graduate with a master's degree in International Affairs from George Washington University in the U.S. According to a March 2009 report, Patricia Soares is adamant about keeping a low profile personally and for parents involved in international abduction cases. She is described as working with a tight, highly focused team of five people and is "respected for the assurance with which she accomplishes delicate tasks and stays cool under pressure."

According to left-behind parents, though, SEDH has displayed major shortcomings in several areas(see cases below) while the U.S.State Department and the Lowe report argue that it is in Brazilian courts that there is a widespread pattern of bias in favor of Brazilian abducting parents in Convention cases (see section on Brazilian non-compliance with the Hague Convention), rather than there being any failings on the part of the SEDH. Brazilian family courts continue to show a willingness to consider evidence in order to determine custody but not relevant to the criteria to be applied in a Convention case, including looking at what solution is in the 'best interests' of the child. The US State Department's concerns about law enforcement performance are related to the judiciary's poor performance. Often, courts will determine that an abducted child should remain with the abducting parent in Brazil because he has 'adapted to Brazilian culture' or because of the length of time that has passed. Both of these reasons are based on logical fallacies and neither is admissible under the convention. Additionally, it is argued that in Brazil law enforcement appears to give lower priority to Convention cases because wrongful retention of a child is not a criminal offense under the Brazilian penal code.

The Coordinator of SEDH visited the US Department of State for a full week in November 2009 to review long-standing cases involving the abduction of US children. During this trip, she and Brazilian Embassy officials met with the parents of children kidnapped and taken to Brazil, NGOs, members of the US Congress and a federal judge who works on Hague Convention cases. The coordinator explained in detail resolutions made by the Brazilian Supreme Court and SEDH's outreach and education campaign to address Brazilian judges' lack of familiarity with the convention and the supreme court's resolutions.

## Role of corruption in child abduction in Brazil

Requests of Brazilian central authority, SEDH, to law enforcement agencies to locate missing children are rarely followed up on. According to Transparency International's 2009 report, Brazil ranked 75th out of 180 countries in terms of the degree of corruption that its own citizens ascribed to it. The country's low ranking was attributed to poor governance, weak institutions and excessive interference by private interests in the judicial process

The Brazilian judiciary is commonly viewed as unresponsive and has even been described as a 'black box' by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Poor citizens are often unable to obtain justice because they are unable to access legal services and this applies equally, if not more, to foreign parents fighting to have their children returned. Amnesty International claims that corruption continues to undermine access to justice in Brazil, reporting a 2009 corruption investigation in which federal police arrested the president of the Supreme Court of Espírito Santo, along with judges, lawyers and a member of the prosecution service, for alleged involvement in the selling of judicial decisions.

The US Department of State reports that the Brazilian legal system is 'complex and overburdened' and that state-level courts are often subject to political and economic influence. Although there are provisions in place to ensure the formal independence of judges, and the broad functional and structural autonomy is guaranteed by the constitution, a 2009 report by Freedom House relates that judicial reform in Brazil has been slower than in other countries in Latin America because the judiciary uses its formal independence to resist change and stop investigations into judicial corruption. The general image of the Brazilian judiciary is one of impunity and inefficiency. The National Justice Council (Portuguese:Conselho Nacional de Justiça) is currently the only external judicial control mechanism, but Transparency International suggests a potential lack of independence even in this body, since it is made up of judges. Many in Brazil perceive the NJC to be no more than window dressing since its decisions can be annulled by the judiciary itself. Relentless political corruption in Brazil is further aggravated by partial immunity protecting high-ranking public servants. Under Brazil's 1988 Constitution, only the Supreme Court has jurisdiction over the President, ministers, legislators and high court justices so the decision makers in the Brazilian judicial system are under no pressure to abide by international law.

Despite economic growth in terms of GDP in recent years, Brazil remains a country with extremes of wealth distribution and inequalities. According to a 2008 BBC report, the rich have benefited the most while the country's new-found wealth has not trickled down to the poor. It is to the richer sectors of Brazilian society that children are invariably abducted and it is in these sectors that abducting parents have access to the corrupt networks and are able to employ the jeitinho to greater effect. According to David L Levy of the Children's Rights Council, Brazil disregards Hague when it comes to its own nationals, especially well to do, well-connected ones. Legal experts in international Hague proceedings refer to this Brazilian practice as: "State Sponsored Child Abduction."

## Reciprocity

The Hague Conference on Private International Law reports the case of a Brazilian woman and a Swiss man, the parents of two children born in Brazil in 1997 and 1999 who separated in 2004, but all continued to live in Brazil. In May 2006 the father abducted the children to Switzerland. On 10 October 2006 the local court in Switzerland ordered that the children be returned to Brazil. On 18 December the Swiss court of appeal upheld this order. The father then issued a legal challenge with both the federal tribunal and the Swiss supreme court. The order to return the children to Brazil was upheld on the basis of the provisions of the Hague Convention.

On April 24, 2009, the US Embassy in Brazil issued the following message to the Brazilian government: "Brazil and the United States have an international agreement about how to handle wrongful retention and wrongful abduction of children from their original countries of residence: The Hague Convention of 1980. Both countries are obliged to make sure that this treaty is enforced. The wrongful removal and wrongful retention of children from their homes, and the forced separation of parent and child is unnecessary and cruel. The United States has facilitated the return of seven children to Brazil since the Hague treaty entered into force between our two countries. We call on the office of the Secretary of Human Rights to support the return of all children wrongfully removed and wrongfully retained."

## Parental alienation syndrome

The phenomenon of parental alienation syndrome (PAS) and patterns indicating a dynamic of parental alienation by the abducting parent have been reported by the left-behind parents of children abducted to Brazil. Parental alienation is a phenomenon in which the abducted child displays an antipathy towards the other parent and in which this antipathy is actively encouraged by the abducting parent. In June 2010 it was reported that a constitutional amendment incorporating parental alienation syndrome into the Brazilian legal code would have a bearing on child custody cases.

## Resolved cases of children abducted to Brazil

In 2001, a federal judge in Santos issued the first ever judgement in Brazil under the Hague Convention, calling for the return of a child to his habitual residence in Sweden. The child was born in Santos in September 1991 and the family lived in Brazil until January 1996. The couple separated in 1999 under Swedish law and this was their country of residence at the time. Joint custody was granted under Swedish legislation. In 2000, the mother and the 9-year-old child traveled to Brazil with the father's agreement. However, the mother retained the child in Brazil after the authorized travel period, ignoring the custody decision already established by the Swedish court. The father of the child filed a judicial return petition in the Brazilian courts under the convention, informing the Brazilian judge of the custody decision determined by the competent court in Sweden.

The Brazilian federal judge granted a verdict favorable to the return of the child to the country of his habitual residence (at the time of his removal), and the judgement stated that the retention of the child in Brazil by his mother was illegal, applying articles 3 and 4 of the convention. The child returned to Sweden on the same day that the federal judge issued the court order to return the child.

## Unresolved cases of children abducted to Brazil

According to a 2009 NY Times report, there are presently around fifty unsolved convention cases between the United States and Brazil.


title: Joost Hiltermann

abstract: Joost R. Hiltermann is a Dutch activist, journalist and writer. He is the Program Director, MENA for International Crisis Group. He was previously its chief operating officer.

text:
# Joost Hiltermann

**Joost R. Hiltermann** is a Dutch activist, journalist and writer. He is the Program Director, MENA for International Crisis Group. He was previously its chief operating officer.

## Education

Hiltermann earned an MA degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in 1980, and a PhD in Sociology from University of California, Santa Cruz in 1988.

## Published works

* *A Poisonous Affair: America, Iraq, and the Gassing of Halabja* Cambridge University Press (2007) ISBN 978-0521876865
* *Behind the Intifada: Labor and Women’s Movements in the Occupied Territories* Princeton University Press (1991)

## InfoBox

| Joost Hiltermann | |
| --- | --- |
| Born | Joost R. Hiltermann |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | journalist activist & writer |


title: Railway border crossings of Turkey

abstract: The following is a list of railway border crossings of Turkey.

text:
# Railway border crossings of Turkey

The following is a **list of railway border crossings of Turkey**.

| # | Name | In province | Open/closed since | To country | Counterpart | Status | Break-of-gauge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Uzunköprü | Edirne | 4 September 1953 | Greece | Pythion | Open (but no train runs since February 2011<br>due to the economic crisis in Greece) | No |
| 2 | Kapıkule | Edirne | 1 April 1988 | Bulgaria | Svilengrad | Open | No |
| 3 | İslahiye | Gaziantep | 4 September 1953 | Syria | Ekbez | Closed | No |
| 4 | Al-Rai | Kilis | 4 September 1953 | Syria | Akhtarin | Closed | No |
| 5 | Akyaka | Kars | 4 September 1953-11 July 1993 | Armenia | - | Closed | Yes |
| 6 | Nusaybin | Mardin | 4 September 1953 | Syria | Qamishli | Closed | No |
| 7 | Kapıköy | Van | 7 October 1971 | Iran | Razi | Open for freight only | No |
| 8 | Çıldır | Ardahan | 30 October 2017 | Georgia | Kartsakhi | Open for freight only | Yes |


title: Polygonia c-aureum

abstract: Polygonia c-aureum, the Asian comma, is a middle-size butterfly found in Japan, Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, and Indochina.

text:
# Polygonia c-aureum

***Polygonia c-aureum***, the **Asian comma**, is a middle-size butterfly found in Japan (from Hokkaidō to Tanegashima), Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, and Indochina.

## Appearance

It has a wingspan of 27 mm. Wings are orange with black dots. The undersides of the wings is mottled brown (tree bark like) with a shiny comma mark on the center of the hindwing. The main difference with other comma species is that it has blueish markings on the bottom of its hindwing.

## Ecology

*P. c-aureum* is common in suburban areas. It is not a threatened species. The larvae of the species feed on plants such as: *Humulus japonicus*, the Japanese hop.

* Kazuo Unno et al., *Hana-to chou-wo tanoshimu batafurai gāden nyūmon*, Nou-san-gyo-son bunka kyoukai, 15 June 1999, ISBN 4-540-98135-8

## InfoBox

| Asian comma | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | *Polygonia* |
| Species: | ***P. c-aureum*** |
| Binomial name | |
| ***Polygonia c-aureum***<br>(Linnaeus, 1758) | |
|
| Synonyms | |
| *Nymphalis c-aureum* | |


title: Polygonia

abstract:
Polygonia is a genus of butterflies with a conspicuous white mark on the underside of each hindwing, hence the common name comma. They also have conspicuous angular notches on the outer edges of their forewings, hence the other common name anglewing butterflies. The related genus Nymphalis also includes some anglewing species; Polygonia is sometimes classified as a subgenus of Nymphalis. Many members of Polygonia hibernate as adults. Species include:
  - Polygonia c-album – comma
  - Polygonia c-aureum – Asian comma
  - Polygonia comma – eastern comma
  - Polygonia egea – southern comma
  - Polygonia faunus – Faunus anglewing, Faunus comma, green comma
  - Polygonia g-argenteum Doubleday & Hewitson, 1846 – Mexican anglewing
  - Polygonia gigantea – giant comma
  - Polygonia gracilis – hoary comma
  - Polygonia haroldii Dewitz, 1877 – spotless anglewing
  - Polygonia interposita
  - Polygonia interrogationis – question mark
  - Polygonia oreas – oreas anglewing, oreas comma, sylvan anglewing
  - Polygonia progne – grey comma, gray comma
  - Polygonia satyrus – satyr anglewing, satyr comma
  - Polygonia undina
  - Polygonia zephyrus – zephyr comma

text:
# Polygonia

***Polygonia*** (from Greek πολύς - *polys*, "many" and γωνία - *gōnia*, "angle") is a genus of butterflies with a conspicuous white mark on the underside of each hindwing, hence the common name **comma**. They also have conspicuous angular notches on the outer edges of their forewings, hence the other common name anglewing butterflies. The related genus *Nymphalis* also includes some anglewing species; *Polygonia* is sometimes classified as a subgenus of *Nymphalis*.

Many members of *Polygonia* hibernate as adults. Species include:

## InfoBox

| *Polygonia* | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| *Polygonia c-album* | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Tribe: | Nymphalini |
| Genus: | *Polygonia*<br>Hübner, 1819 |
|
| Species | |
| See text | |


title: Ralf und Florian

abstract: Ralf und Florian is the third studio album by the German electronic band Kraftwerk. It was released in October 1973 on Philips. It saw the group moving toward their signature electronic sound. It reached #160 on the US Top 200 Albums Chart in 1975. Along with Kraftwerk's first two albums, Ralf und Florian to date has never been officially re-issued anywhere, nor has the band played any of its material live since the late '70s. However, the album remains an influential and sought-after work, and bootlegged copies were widely distributed in the 1990s on the Germanofon label. In 2008, Fact named it among the 20 greatest ambient albums ever made.

text:
# Ralf und Florian

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| *Tom Hull – on the Web* | B |

***Ralf und Florian*** (English title: ***Ralf and Florian***) is the third studio album by the German electronic band Kraftwerk. It was released in October 1973 on Philips. It saw the group moving toward their signature electronic sound. It reached #160 on the US Top 200 Albums Chart in 1975.

Along with Kraftwerk's first two albums, *Ralf und Florian* to date has never been officially re-issued anywhere, nor has the band played any of its material live since the late '70s. However, the album remains an influential and sought-after work, and bootlegged copies were widely distributed in the 1990s on the *Germanofon* label. In 2008, *Fact* named it among the 20 greatest ambient albums ever made.

## Background

As indicated by the title (and like their previous album), all the tracks were written, performed and produced by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider, with the sessions engineered by the influential Konrad "Conny" Plank. The album has a fuller and more polished sound quality than previous efforts, and this is clearly due to the use of a number of commercial recording studios in addition to Kraftwerk's own yet-to-be-named Kling Klang. The colour photograph on the back of the cover gives a vivid impression of the bohemian state of Kraftwerk's own facilities at the time   including egg-box trays pasted, nailed, or stuck on the walls as acoustic treatment.

*Fact* stated that the album's sound "sits halfway between LSD-fried Kraut prog and the refined minimal art of classic Kraftwerk." The album is still almost entirely instrumental (some wordless vocalising appears in "Tanzmusik", and "Ananas Symphonie" features the band's first use of a machine voice created by an early prototype vocoder, a sound which would later become a Kraftwerk trademark). Instrumentation begins to show more obvious use of synthesizers (Minimoog and EMS Synthi AKS), but most melodic and harmonic keyboard parts are performed on Farfisa electronic piano/organ. Flute and guitar are still much in evidence. The band was still without a drummer, and several tracks, particularly "Tanzmusik", make use of a preset organ rhythm machine. "Kristallo" features a striking rhythmic electronic bassline (actually created on the EMS synthesizer with the aid of the vocoder), however, in general the album is much gentler and less rhythmically precise than Kraftwerk's later electronic work.

## Release

The LP included a "musicomic" poster insert of cartoons by Emil Schult, who had been playing electric violin live with the band (although he does not feature on the album recordings). Schult remained a collaborator of Kraftwerk's. The cartoons illustrated each track on the album, as well as the city of Düsseldorf, with the caption "In Düsseldorf am Rhein, klingt es bald!", which translates literally in English as "In Düsseldorf on the Rhine, it will sound soon" (perhaps the phrase "the sound gets around" captures the snappy feel of the maxim better). This is a reference to Kraftwerk's Düsseldorf-based Kling Klang studio.

The album was a modest success in Germany. Drummer Wolfgang Flür was recruited to play with Ralf and Florian for a subsequent promotional TV appearance in Berlin, for the German ZDF TV arts show *Aspekte*. He became a member of the group thereafter.

No material from this album has been performed in the band's live set since 1976. Though the electronic sound of *Ralf und Florian* is more stylistically similar to *Autobahn* than it is to Kraftwerk's first two albums, the band is seemingly reluctant to consider the album a part of its canon   Schneider in later interviews referred to the first three Kraftwerk albums as "archaeology". The band hinted that the album may finally see a re-mastered CD release after issuing the boxed set *The Catalogue* in the autumn of 2009.

## Track listing

All music is composed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider

Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Elektrisches Roulette" ("Electric Roulette") | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Tongebirge" ("Mountain of Sound") | 2:50 |
| 3. | "Kristallo" ("Crystals") | 6:20 |
| 4. | "Heimatklänge" ("The Bells of Home") | 3:45 |

Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5. | "Tanzmusik" ("Dance Music") | 6:35 |
| 6. | "Ananas Symphonie" ("Pineapple Symphony") | 13:55 |
| Total length: | | 37:41 |

**Note:** The above English translations are taken from the American version of the album issued by Vertigo in 1975.

## Personnel

### Kraftwerk

### Additional personnel

* Emil Schult – "musicomix" poster design.
* Konrad "Conny" Plank – sound engineer.
* Barbara Niemöller – rear cover photo.
* Robert Franck – front cover photo.

## Charts

### Weekly charts

| Chart (1975) | Peak
position |
| --- | --- |
| US *Billboard* 200 | 160 |

## InfoBox

| Ralf und Florian | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Kraftwerk | |
| Released | October 1973 (1973-10) |
| Recorded | May – July 1973 |
| Studio |  |
| Genre |  |
| Length | 37:41 |
| Label |  |
| Producer |  |
| Kraftwerk chronology | |
| *Kraftwerk 2*
(1972) ***Ralf und Florian***
(1973) *Autobahn*
(1974) | |
|  | |
| Alternative cover | |
|  | |
| Cover for the UK edition | |
|  | |
|  | |


abstract: War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum is the twelfth studio album by experimental rock composer Zoogz Rift, released on March 31, 1990, by Musical Tragedies.

text:
# War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |

***War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum*** is the twelfth studio album by experimental rock composer Zoogz Rift, released on March 31, 1990, by Musical Tragedies.

## Track listing

All tracks are written by Zoogz Rift, except "Heavy, Brother, Heavy" by Bob Russell and Bobby Scott

Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Kasaba Kabeza (Drop the Facades)" | 19:36 |

Side two
| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Bowl of Gregmar" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "You Can Count on Us" | 4:03 |
| 3. | "Heavy, Brother, Heavy" (Hollies cover) | 5:54 |
| 4. | "War Zone" | 5:09 |

## Personnel

Adapted from the *War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum* liner notes.

Musicians * Roch Bordenave – trombone
* Tom Brown – drums, percussion, additional vocals
* Willie Lapin – bass guitar, additional vocals
* Marc Mylar tenor saxophone
* Jonathan "Mako" Sharkey – keyboards, additional vocals

Production and additional personnel

## Release history

| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Germany | 1990 | Musical Tragedies | LP | MT-095 |

## InfoBox

| War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Zoogz Rift | |
| Released | March 31, 1990 (1990-03-31) |
| Recorded | January 1990 (1990-01) |
| Studio | Low-Tech Studios
(Los Angeles, CA) |
| Genre | Experimental rock |
| Length | 39:15 |
| Label | Musical Tragedies |
| Producer | Zoogz Rift |
| Zoogz Rift chronology | |
| *Torment*
(1989) ***War Zone: Music for Obnoxious Yuppie Scum***
(1990) *Nutritionally Sound*
(1990) | |


title: The Men of Zanzibar

abstract: The Men of Zanzibar is a 1922 American silent mystery film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring William Russell, Ruth Renick and Claude Payton. The American consul in Zanzibar is informed that a fugitive American has just reached the African coast, and becomes suspicious of a newly arrived man from Boston, Massachusetts.

text:
# The Men of Zanzibar

***The Men of Zanzibar*** is a 1922 American silent mystery film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring William Russell, Ruth Renick and Claude Payton. The American consul in Zanzibar is informed that a fugitive American has just reached the African coast, and becomes suspicious of a newly arrived man from Boston, Massachusetts.

## Cast

## Bibliography

* Solomon, Aubrey. *The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography*. McFarland, 2011.

## InfoBox

| The Men of Zanzibar | |
| --- | --- |
| Directed by | Rowland V. Lee |
| Written by |  |
| Produced by | William Fox |
| Starring |  |
| Cinematography | David Abel |
| Production<br>company | Fox Film Corporation |
| Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
| Release date | * May 21, 1922 (1922-05-21) |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages |  |


title: Olle Bexell

abstract: Karl Olof Alfred "Olle" Bexel was a Swedish decathlete. He finished seventh at the 1936 Summer Olympics and won a European title in 1938. Bexell was Swedish champion in the pentathlon in 1938 and in the decathlon in 1935–38. He held the national decathlon record from 1937 to 1966.

text:
# Olle Bexell

**Karl Olof Alfred** "**Olle**" **Bexel** (14 June 1909 – 6 January 2003) was a Swedish decathlete. He finished seventh at the 1936 Summer Olympics and won a European title in 1938. Bexell was Swedish champion in the pentathlon in 1938 and in the decathlon in 1935–38. He held the national decathlon record from 1937 to 1966.

## InfoBox

Olle Bexell
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 14 June 1909
Luleå, Sweden |
| Died | 6 January 2003 (aged 93)
Uppsala, Sweden |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Decathlon |
| Club | IFK Luleå |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 6781 (1937) |
| Medal record      Representing  Sweden  European Championships  1938 Paris Decathlon | |


title: Gloniaceae

abstract: The Gloniaceae are a family of fungi in the order Mytilinidiales.

text:
# Gloniaceae

The **Gloniaceae** are a family of fungi in the order Mytilinidiales.

## InfoBox

| Gloniaceae | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| *Glonium stellatum* | |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Dothideomycetes |
| Subclass: | Pleosporomycetidae |
| Order: | Mytilinidiales |
| Family: | **Gloniaceae**
E.Boehm, C.L.Schoch & Spatafora (2009) |
|
| Genera | |
| *Cenococcum*
*Glonium*
*Psiloglonium* | |


title: Vincenta Da Ponte

abstract: Vincenta da Ponte was an Italian composer, singer and instrumentalist. She was a member of the coro, or music school, of Venice's Ospedale della Pietà during the tenure of it:Bonaventura Furlanetto as music director. Her origins are unknown, but her surname indicates that she was a member of a patrician family and not a foundling, as were most of the Ospidale's students; consequently, she would have been a tuition-paying student, or would have been awarded a scholarship. As a composer, Da Ponte is known only from an unpublished set of four dances included in a collection of monferrine and composed around 1775; the manuscript is held in the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello in Venice. Da Ponte is one of five composers known to have emerged from the coro of the Ospedale; the others include Anna Bon and the foundlings Agata, Michielina, and Santa della Pietà.

text:
# Vincenta Da Ponte

**Vincenta da Ponte** (*fl.* second half of the 18th century) was an Italian composer, singer and instrumentalist. She was a member of the *coro*, or music school, of Venice's Ospedale della Pietà during the tenure of it:Bonaventura Furlanetto as music director. Her origins are unknown, but her surname indicates that she was a member of a patrician family and not a foundling, as were most of the Ospidale's students; consequently, she would have been a tuition-paying student, or would have been awarded a scholarship.

As a composer, Da Ponte is known only from an unpublished set of four dances included in a collection of *monferrine* and composed around 1775; the manuscript is held in the Conservatorio di Musica Benedetto Marcello in Venice.

Da Ponte is one of five composers known to have emerged from the *coro* of the Ospedale; the others include Anna Bon and the foundlings Agata, Michielina, and Santa della Pietà.