Zoocap

New York City is a place where all cultures seem to collide, or collaborate, or simply find a place to exist. There was a belief at one time about a melting pot, and that everyone would eventually blend into one identity. That idea is still far off, it would seem, and though there are certainly ways of getting along in the world, there are also vast differences between cultures. These are often as interesting as the similarities, and both are worthy of celebration. One of the great things about the city, however, is that it’s possible to meet people who see the world very differently, and there are thousands of people who see it differently than them, and it goes on and on.

This can make for a very heady experience, and can even be a bit overwhelming. Having a lovely room in one of the New York City hotels and a list of good restaurants, then, are essential for any survival kit here, along with a great dose of terrible curiosity, and some ideas on what you might want to see. Cuban culture does have many representatives in the city, in all the boroughs, and there are record stores and botanicas in the city where you can find objects and music that might be hard to find anywhere else.

There is also the excellent Cuban Art Space with a wonderful collection of contemporary works by artists who are living in Cuba. The isolation of that island has never been total, and their communication with Manhattan island has always been there in one form or another. Seeing the museum here is one way to trace a long series of connections that ring backwards and forwards like the roots of an Iroko tree. The museum began in 1999, and is part of a project by the Center for Cuban Studies

One of the doctrines to be instated by the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, FCPA is the policy of Know Your Customer.  This is a set of procedures that outline the ways to go about completing a thorough investigation into the background of a potential client, customer, or business associate. This investigation will “weed out” potential criminal activity and provide a corporation or a financial institution the information necessary to assess the character and the ethics of an entity or an individual with whom they are considering becoming involved.  These are not just policies and procedures to follow, this is the law. In the United States, when a company does follow this and the procedures with due diligence, and a corporation, foreign official, or customer that they are involved with becomes convicted of a crime of corruption, they themselves will be held criminally responsible as well. When one is investigating anything, there are red flags when an aspect is amiss.

When the figures are inconsistent, that is a red flag. When business or financial transactions are inexplicable, that is a red flag.  As stated before, this is not just a duty or a part of one’s job, it is federal law to make note of such red flags, and to take the proper steps in not only discovering the truth, but reporting the findings to the proper agencies of investigation and enforcement.  On the practical level it is just good business sense to not involve one’s self or the corporation in criminal activity.  One risks not only losing their company, but imprisonment as well. On the ethical level , it is just not right to continue doing business with those who fund the activities of terrorists or with leaders whose corrupt actions have a detrimental effect on the people of their country.  And on the legal level, should one be truly innocent in criminal activity, having the proof to back up oneself will be the defense in either an investigation or in the court proceedings that follow.

Money laundering, embezzlement and fraud are acts of corruption not relegated to the business world alone, but throughout many governments in the world as well.  Corruption spreads when countries do not have in place anti-corruption or anti-money laundering policies.  In regions of Africa the development has been slow, development meaning the access to the necessities of life for the people of the country.  The global economy has been affected in bay ways as well as good ways by liberalization, and the corruption running through the international corporations that is so widespread in the developed countries of the world, is due in part to this phenomenon.  Contracts between the companies of a country and the country’s government are meant to provide services and goods to the citizens of that country.

When the anti-corruption policies are not being enforced, the grounds for corruption become incredibly fertile.  This has two effects, one is simply that the needs of people are not being met with sufficient services.  And two, that in turn puts a strain on a government’s resources.  Much as in the case of the health insurance crisis in the United States.  The citizens are not provided with the medical services necessary for a society to remain healthy.  Often times those who become ill and cannot afford to see a physician end up in the emergency room of hospitals where they can not be turned away.  The bills are expensive, the patient can not afford to pay them, and the government and the other citizens become strained with costs.  This ultimately affect the economy of the entire United States.

This has the effect in the corporate world in that just a few companies become those with all the wealth and the power.  The balance becomes skewed.  The gap between those that have and those that have not becomes wider, and just opens up the doors for new opportunities for corruption to take place through fraud, embezzlement and bribery.  This happens with the companies themselves, and between the companies and the governments they have become more powerful than.

During the 1930′s in the United States, many laundromats were owned by the gangsters in the Mafia.  They made large sums of money, cash, participating in illegal practices such as boot-legging, prostitution, gambling and extortion, and they needed a way to make the money appear “clean”, to appear to have been made legitimately.  They needed to separate their cash from the crimes that they were committing.  Hence the term, money laundering.  Their laundromats were just one of many businesses that were legitimate.  In this way they were able to account the earnings gained from illicit means, claiming their monies came from the business.  One great factor about laundromats, is that they are cash based businesses.  There is yet to be a washer or a dryer equipped with an ATM or credit card machine.  This was a giant opportunity for these gangsters, such as Al Capone, who owned many such businesses.  It was Al Capone’s finances that had him convicted and sent to prison in 1931, not the other crimes, but for tax evasion.

One of the myths behind this American gangster, is that Capone’s conviction is what prompted the activity known today as laundering money.   Transactions take place which literally clean the money made during a crime, launder it.  So in the end it looks to have been made through legal acquisition.  The deals and transfers obscure the source.  Capone had not been taking care of this previous to his conviction, and this sent the gangsters to researching ways that the same conviction did not happen to them.   It was such an obvious way to get caught.

An accountant was hired by the mob, Meyer Lansky.  He found that unless he could come up with a way to hide his assets, he would soon face the same fate as Capone.  Within one year, he discovered Swiss banks and the benefits of hiding his money in them.  He became well versed in the practice of hiding money and is known to this day as one of the most influential and successful launderers in history.  By utilizing the facilities offered by the banks of Switzerland, he created the very first technique, loan back.  His ill gotten gains were disguised as loans.  He later declared them as revenue, and on top of it all, received a ‘legal’ tax deduction.  The term is a relatively current one, first written in newspapers in the U.S. in regards to the 1973 Watergate scandal.  Now it is a global concern, one that is being fought every day, in all countries of the world.

My younger brother, Seth, who was eight years old at the time, told my that he encountered something really scary when he was attending a Halloween party being held at one of his friends backyard. Before he would tell me anymore, he took me to our backyard, it was night of course, and made me sit next to our built-in-Grill and outdoor sinks. He looked all around before he proceeded with his story.

He remembers there was almost a full-moon that night, it was really big and high up in the night sky.  He said that at the house where he was attending the party, there was a path right behind the house leading to the woods. He decided to check it out. He started on the path when he heard a strange noise. It was loud and sounded like a deep growl. He stopped in his tracks, frozen cold with fear. He tried to stare deep into the woods where he thought the noise came from. He startled when he saw a stick-like figure leaning against a tree. He told me, which seem really unbelievable, that the stick figure broke a branch and went down on all fours. I wanted to ask him to explain that, but he shushed me. He said he kept walking down the path, when he saw it’s head. It was like a wolfs head, all furry and oval shaped. It didn’t notice him, it was looking the other way. He couldn’t make out the body, but what he could see was frightening, big claws. He said it smelled awful. But, that didn’t stop him from reaching into his pocket to get his cellphone out to take a photo. He took a picture which scared the wolf-creature away. He heard a twig break, and another and another. Then he felt something breathing down his neck. He didn’t want to look back as he was running so fast to get out of there and ran all the way back to the party.

He told all the party goer about what happened, but the photo didn’t turn out well, and no one believed him, until a stick-like figure appeared on the path just outside the house. Everyone frozen, his clothes were torn to shreds and he was breathing hard. He said everyone started screaming which made the man run back into the woods. I laughed when he finished his story. He looked disappointed in me. But, really, I told him. A werewolf?

Nearly five million Americans have a hot tub in their home. But with so many different kinds if you are in the market for one it can seem like you need to learn a foreign language before you can buy one. Here are some tips.

Spa and hot tubs are terms usually used interchangeably. They are not two different products, just two terms to describe the same thing.

Traditional hot tubs however have a wood base and are meant for soaking in benches. Spa are usually not made from natural materials and have complex seating arrangements, jets and all the fancy stuff that comes to mind when thinking about owning a spa or hot tub.

There is also the term Jacuzzi, except Jacuzzi is actually a trademarked term. That’s like calling all tissues Kleenex, regardless of the brand. Roy Jacuzzi is an actual person who in 1968 invented a hot tub that had jets. Roy Jacuzzi invented the modern hot tub.

Hot tubs first came into fashion during the 1960s in the state of California. But not just anywhere in California, they were popularized in the California wine country.

There are four different types of hot tubs, they are those that are inflatable or the plastic spa, the most popular above ground made of acrylic spas, the old fashioned wooden hot

tubs and in ground spas. In ground spas can also be a part of a pool as well.

Inflatable ones are great for people who are not sure if they are into the whole spa thing or are for those people who are on a budget. If you are in the market for a luxury one, look no further that the website of Steven Barbarich, choosehottubsdirect.com, the site offers luxury hot tubs and spas at wholesale prices.

No matter what kind you choose, they are all sure to be equally relaxing!

In searching for the world’s best hotels, Goa ranks highly in the minds and hearts of travelers.  With a vibrant metropolis that caters to new-world technologies and old-world Indian charm, grace, and tradition, along with gorgeous natural treasures, there are many worlds to explore here.  The hotel should be at the center of the journey, as a place to call home at the end of the day, and a place to hide away from the world in the lap of luxury.  Goa is able to cater to every tourist, with outstanding sights, amazing food, and enticing experiences that are just outside the door.

The tradition of cooking here is extensive and extremely complex, with generations and generations passing down recipes and arguments about the best methods for preparing those same recipes.  With all the different staples of grains, spices, and fruits and vegetables, there is perhaps no other food more iconic than the mango in Goa.  With many different varieties to choose from, the mango is at the heart of many recipes.  Served simply raw, or in a chutney, or used to flavor a sauce, or even eaten on the streets (although use caution here, because they can leave extremely persistent and embarrassing stains), there are as many ways to prepare mangoes as there are varieties.

Last year saw very unfavorable climate conditions for Goa’s mango growing season, however.  The rainfall extended the warm period, cutting short the cold days necessary to make the fruit flower.  This has lead to perhaps a 75% decrease in mango cultivation.  The numbers are still not out, because the harvest continues well into the year, but prices are already rising considerably.  It may not be the best year for casual mango consumption.  The change in price, and the extensive news reports about mangos here, only serve to highlight its importance in the local cuisine and culture.  It should be noted, too, that it was imported to Brail in the 18th century by the Portuguese, and the popularity of the mango in Latin American culture is nearly if not equal to Indian culture.

In the last few years West African drug smugglers have been recruiting women from Singapore to smuggle drugs to countries overseas. Women are becoming among the many, arrested for the drug runs, as couriers. They enter the foreign countries under the pretext that they are meeting up with friends for a holiday. And the women believe the stories they tell. Persuaded by men from West Africa, who seduced them with the ideas of travel, money and love, more than fifteen women have been arrested for carrying drugs across borders in the last 4 months. Between the years of 2003-2007, only eight were caught. The Central Narcotics Bureau issued a statement warning women against these men promising what they not only can’t deliver, but what they will eventually let them take the fall for. Two women arrested three months ago are facing the death penalty. The syndicates are comprised for the most part, of men between the ages of twenty and thirty. They state during their luxury travel throughout Singapore, that they are successful car salesmen or businessmen. They meet the women in bars and clubs, or via chat lines or love lines on the Internet. They befriend the women and then put their lives at risk. Offered vacations and travel, many of these hardworking women simply don’t say no.

And many do not say no, because of the promise of love and friendship. Or cash. The women are usually asked by their new ‘friends’ or ‘lovers’ to travel from Singapore and pick up a drug stash in a different country. Then they are instructed to fly to a third and final destination. These drug kingpins are smuggling cocaine and heroin. Trouble is that many women eventually get stopped in such airports as those in Great Britain, Australia, China and Japan. One women, arrested in the Melbourne airport was carrying for her ‘boyfriend’ she had met three years prior. He told her that he was in the business of exporting electronic parts. Parts. After he was deported from Singapore back to Nigeria, he set up a ‘vacation’ in Bangkok. He suggested to her to that it was a good idea to swallow sixty four, rubber-wrapped pellets of cocaine and to smuggle them into Melbourne. This woman is now serving jail time, up to ten years of imprisonment. And her ‘lover’ remains at large. No doubt launching more operations on unsuspecting, hard working women of Singapore.

Elections in various countries have gained much press in the last few years. Here and now, perhaps come and gone depending on the time differences, people around the world are voting tonight for a common idea and purpose, the global election, to save the planet. The acknowledgment that no matter cultural and societal differences, the earth needs our help. In much the same way as the last presidential election was covered by the press, this has gained momentum from the time the idea was conceived by the World Wildlife Foundation, in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The symbolic act of simply switching off the lights for one hour, just sitting and looking at the sky…well, coming from America, that idea is so foreign, and so necessary on a multitude of levels. In the luxury hotels of Singapore, lights will go dark, and what is offered only serves to re-enforce. To re-enforce that there is much more to do than sit around a hotel room watching American Idol. Music concerts are planned for tonight, the Esplanade is having a party, people will experience a bit of what life was like before technology took over simple human contact.

This is the first time in history, that all the people of the world will vote in one election. All nationalities, all races must agree, regardless of spiritual or religious beliefs, regardless of ideas of wars on terror and wars based on cultural differences, this is one challenge that affects all people equally, the war against global warming. A topic raised that the conference on Global Climate Change in Copenhagen earlier this year. People of this world can and must make their voices heard…and perhaps the best way to be heard is to just be quiet. Just turn out the light. For one hour. In Sydney 2 years ago, businesses and residential homes, did just that. Turned out the lights for one hour. It went from there with the Opera House, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and the Times Square infamous Coca Cola sign, all going dark. Fifty million people took part that year. Today, March 28th, 2009 that goal is one billion. This does not matter where you are from, what your social or economic status is or who you hold to be God…it’s is just simply a vote to cast to say “I care”. I care about my life and those I love, the plants, the oceans, the hillsides, and the small man farming in some faraway location. One hour, for one day…cast your vote. Just simply switch that light. Off.

The ‘invasion’ of music occurred more than forty years ago. Not a lot of time in the history of the world, but creating history non the less. And so much so in such a short amount of time. The Beatles walked off their plane in Manhattan’s Kennedy airport, and they took not only New York and the United States by storm, but the rest of the world as well. Looking back it seems that music was kept secret and with British Invasion that secret was shouted from high atop those buildings in NY and from and to the hearts of everyone. None of this was lost on the tiny island of Singapore, a country crying out to this day for a voice that ends oppression. The voice of creativity. And while it is ironically funny that the first things to go in public programs, schools and the society programs in general, are the arts…it’s fitting. As what is worth more to fight for than the voice of the human heart? So bring it on governments of the world, give the artists fodder for inspiration, as nothing has stopped you in the past and nothing will stop the future the artists will create.

Using a cliche, the country of Singapore, a very oppressed culture, has ‘stepped up to the plate”. Singapore, or the residents concerned with this type of conundrum, built the Esplanade and continue to inspire and encourage and expose society to the value and the power of music. Ten years ago the Mosaic Music Festival, set amongst the downtown area and close to many options for stay at the best Singapore hotels, began and has since become one of the most attended and respected festivals in the world. For the members of the audience and for those on stage. Steeped in jazz, the festival offers up to the public the opportunity to witness and experience some performances by truly legendary masters of the craft…on stage by the way, with ‘up-starts’, those wanting and needing to carry on the work and to offer up their own interpretation. For who can sit and listen to Gil Evans or to Miles Davis or Jimmy Peggie or Nina Simone and not be moved. Music has traditionally been known to create harmony and to relieve the pain of life in societies for all of history. TheMosaic Festival runs every year for ten days, beginning March 11 th and offers up a variety of stages and international artists and music. This is an event that should not be missed should one happen to be in the neighborhood.

When an individual decides to get a tattoo, he or she will likely choose a design from a tattoo flash, or a medium in which a tattoo is designed and displayed on paper. Though tattoo artists display many pieces of flash in their shops, it can also be found on the internet. With millions of designs out in the world, this can make it fairly easy for an individual to find the perfect piece of body art. Should an individual not find the design he or she is looking for or have something more personal in mind, it is sometimes possible to make a design of one’s own. However, it is essential to discuss the viability of the design’s applications with a professional and reputable tattoo artist.

Flash can consist of anything from religious tattoos to Celtic tattoos in a number of shapes, colors and sizes. It is not uncommon for flash to also come with a stencil for application to the skin. This allows a tattoo artist to simply follow the lines of the design rather than apply them freehand. When it comes to purchasing flash, one needs to invest in designs of good quality as it will affect the final quality of the tattoo. While some designs only come in black and white, others delineate areas of color and shading.