As you may know, Hawaii’s Internet retail tax bill, 1405, has been passed by the House and Senate and the Governor’s approval is now pending. As far as I have heard, Governor Linda Lingle has yet to veto the bill. If she doesn’t veto by July 15th it will likely become law. If the law passes–and it’s likely to because the state budget has a serious shortfall–Hawaii residents will have to pay 4.2% General Excise Tax on all online purchases. This additional tax will add significantly to already stretched household budgets. Email your opinion on the proposed tax directly to the Governor before July 15, 2009 (governor.lingle@hawaii.gov).
Category Archives: Culture
Maui’s Phillie Shane Victorino Spotted at Westin Pasadena
I don’t much about baseball, but I know a professional athlete when I see one. Young, lean and muscular, they stand out in any crowd. Maui’s beloved Shane Victorino, now a major league baseball player with the Philadelphia Phillies was in LA the past few days for the 3-day match up between the Phillies and the Dodgers. I spotted him in the lobby bar of the Westin hotel in Pasadena, Calif, along with a few other players, who were also staying at the hotel.
The tip off came that this athlete was Victorino when a big contingent of locals from Maui and Oahu showed up to meet him and wish him luck. If you know any locals, you know that they are super easy to spot (and hear) from a distance on the Mainland. Their big smiles, pidgin and plastic ABC and Safeway grocery bags instead of luggage give them away.
Other Phillie players in the lobby lounge were also hanging out with family and friends. Turns out the Phillies beat the Dodgers in the 3-game series.
Cell Phone Replaces Some Boarding Passes
Boarding passes may soon be a thing of the past. American Airlines has just started allowing passengers using select airports to board with their cell phone, instead of a boarding pass.
The new system works using a 2D bar code (like that used by the US Post Office) that contains all the passenger’s flight information. Wave it at the scanner before boarding, and the agent will see all the information a paper boarding pass would contain.
But not all airports, including those in Hawaii, are yet equipped with the new 2D scanner technology. I recently checked in for the OGG-DFW flight and was presented this list of check-in options:
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To Complete Check-In:
Select how you would like to receive your boarding pass from the following options:
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When I clicked Learn More, this note appeared:
| Why is the “Email for use on Cell Phone or other Mobile Device” not available for my itinerary? | |
| A: | To qualify for this boarding pass option, the itinerary must only contain a single passenger and depart and connect through an airport that has the capability to scan 2D barcodes on mobile phones at the TSA security check point. Those airports are currently Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Orange County/John Wayne (SNA), Atlanta (ATL), Las Vegas (LAS), and Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP). If the itinerary contains a return flight within 24 hours, the itinerary may also not be eligible. |