Hawaiian Recordings

cd_hawaii-rose-ensembleI was browsing through Amazon the other day and came across a remarkable recording by an American group call The Rose Ensemble.  They have recorded a disc of Hawaiian vocal traditional music that spans over 300 years, most of which has not been recorded before.

Na Mele Hawaii is sung expressively and the attention to detail in the language would suggest that this group was from the Islands and not from St. Paul, Minnesota.

Listen to samples:

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Payroll Hawaii, Unique Aspects of Hawaii Payroll Law and Practice

The Hawaii State Agency that oversees the collection and reporting of State income taxes deducted from payroll checks is:

Department of Taxation

Withholding Tax

P.O. Box 3827

Honolulu, Hi 96812-3827

808-587-4242

http://www.state.hi.us/tax/tax.html

Hawaii requires that you use Hawaii form “HW-4, Employee’s Withholding Exemption and Status Certificate” instead of a Federal W-4 Form for Hawaii State Income Tax Withholding.

Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Hawaii cafeteria plans are: not taxable for income tax calculation; taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are: not taxable for income taxes; taxable for unemployment purposes.

In Hawaii supplemental wages are required to be aggregated for the state income tax withholding calculation.

You may not file your Hawaii State W-2s by magnetic media.

The Hawaii State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Unemployment Insurance Division

830 Punchbowl St.

Honolulu, HI 96813

808-586-8970

http://hawaii.gov/labor/

The state of Hawaii taxable wage base for unemployed purposes is wages up to $30, 200.

Hawaii has optional reporting of quarterly wages on magnetic media.

Unemployment records must be retained in Hawaii for a minimum period of five years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.

The Hawaii State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:

The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Enforcement Division

830 Punchbowl St., Rm. 340

Honolulu, HI 96813

808-586-8777

http://hawaii.gov/labor/wsd/index.shtml

The minimum wage in Hawaii is $6.25 per hour.

The general provision in Hawaii concerning paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer is one and one half times regular rate after 40-hour week.

Hawaii State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire. The employer must report the federally required elements of:

  • Employee’s name
  • Employee’s address
  • Employee’s social security number
  • Employer’s name
  • Employer’s address
  • Employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)

This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.
There is a $25.00 penalty for a late report in Hawaii.

The Hawaii new hire reporting agency can be reached at 808-692-7029.

Hawaii does allow compulsory direct deposit except for State employees hired after 7/1/1998.

Hawaii requires the following information on an employee’s pay stub:

  • Gross and Net Earnings
  • pay period dates
  • payment date
  • itemized deductions

Hawaii requires that employee be paid no less often than semimonthly; monthly if union contract or director of labor relations allows..

Hawaii requires that the lag time between the end of the pay period and the payment of wages to the employee not exceed seven days; up to 15 if the director of labor relations allows.

Hawaii payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay immediately or the next working day if immediately is impossible. The next regular payday if suspended due to a labor dispute or temporarily laid off.

Voluntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay by the next regular payday or by mail if employee requests it; immediately if one pay period’s notice is given.

Deceased employee’s wages up to $2000.00 must be paid to the surviving spouse or adult children (in that order) within 30 days. Conditions require an affidavit of relationship and a receipt.

Escheat laws in Hawaii require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.

The employer is further required in Hawaii to keep a record of the wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of five years.

Hawaii payroll law provides for a maximum tip credit against minimum wage of $0.25.

In Hawaii the payroll laws covering mandatory rest or meal breaks are only that minors under 16 must have a 30-minute meal period after five hours of work.

There is no provision in Hawaii law concerning record retention of wage and hour records therefor it is probably wise to follow FLSA guidelines.

The Hawaii agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:

Child Support Enforcement Agency

Department of the Attorney General

601 Kamokila Blvd., Ste 251

Kapolei, HI 96707

808-587-4250

http://hawaii.gov/ag/csea

.
Hawaii has the following provisions for child support deductions:

  • When to start Withholding? first pay period within 7 days of mailing
  • When to send Payment? Within 5 days of Payday.
  • When to send Termination Notice? Immediately
  • Maximum Administrative Fee? $2 per payment
  • Withholding Limits? Federal Rules under CCPA.

Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.

Charles J. Read, CPA has been in the payroll, accounting and tax business for 30 years, the last fifteen in private practice. Mr. Read is the author of How to Start a New Business.

For Professional Payroll services at a Budget Price go to http://www.PayrollonaBudget.com a Paperless Payroll Company.

Go to http://www.CustomPayroll.com For a full service payroll service bureau with CPA’s on staff.

See an excerpt of Mr. Reads interviews from William Shatners Heartbeat of America television show on the websites linked above.

Author: Charles Read
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin Guest Blogger

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7 Great Reasons to Buy a Hawaii Vacation Home

Have you ever considered buying a vacation home? If so, you might have thought of vacation spots close by where you could easily go for a long weekend or to spend the whole summer. And while this is not a bad idea, a much better idea is to buy a vacation home in Hawaii ! You are probably thinking that this is not an option because it would cost too much money, Hawaii is too far away, and other similar excuses. However, there are considerable benefits to buying a vacation home in Hawaii that you should consider because Hawaii is probably your number one destination for a vacation home if there were no other considerations like money. Consider the following tips and you will likely be clicking on links to Hawaii real estate so you can find your new vacation home!

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #1 Amazing Vacations

When you buy a vacation home in Hawaii you will have amazing vacations each and every time you visit the island. Additionally, there are many islands that make up Hawaii so you can explore on a regular basis and never have the same vacation twice. Not to mention the sun shines almost year round in Hawaii so you won’t be worried about rain affecting your vacation. Every time you head to Hawaii you will be sure to enjoy new experiences, meet new people, and truly enjoy the exotic islands.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #2 Additional Income

Buying a vacation home in Hawaii probably seems like the best way to spend money as quick as possible rather than the best way to make additional income, but when you make an investment in a vacation home in Hawaii you really will have the ability to make a considerable income. The reason for this is you can simply rent your vacation home out when you are not using it. Hawaii is a year round vacation hot spot for individuals all around the world so finding interested parties to rent your home will not be difficult at all. Additionally, individuals pay high rates to rent a Hawaiian vacation home for their vacation and you will benefit significantly from this. All you need to do is list your Hawaiian vacation home with a variety of Hawaiian vacation rental sites and not only will you enjoy your Hawaiian vacation home, but you will be able to share it with others as well.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #3 Vacation for Free

Not only will you be able to make an income from your Hawaiian vacation rental but the income you make will be more than sufficient to cover your monthly mortgage payment that is as long as you are diligent about renting the home out when it is not in use by you. As a result, you will be able to enjoy your vacation home in Hawaii whenever you want basically for free because the rental money will cover the major expense of this purchase.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #4 Frequent Flyer Miles

You might be worried about the price of plane tickets and having to buy one each time you want to head to your Hawaiian home. However, the more you travel the more miles you receive and will be able to enjoy discounted and free tickets from time to time. This makes traveling to your vacation home easy and more affordable.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home # 5 Escape

When you have a vacation home in Hawaii you have an escape from your regular life and the day to day activities you must deal with. Even if you had a vacation home close by you would still not be escaping from your real life because of the very fact that it is so close by. In fact, many individuals who buy vacation homes near their permanent homes never really get away because they don’t have to plan to do so. With a vacation home in Hawaii you must plan your vacation and then you will certainly escape and enjoy all of the wonders of the islands.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #6 Unbelievable Real Estate

When looking for vacation homes you will likely find high priced homes that are really nothing special. However, in Hawaii you will find amazing pieces of real estate that are reflective of the asking prices. Not to mention you can buy real estate right on the ocean if your heart desires, or else more inland. Regardless, with the islands all being surrounded by the beautiful Pacific no matter where you buy your Hawaii real estate you won’t be too far from the beach.

Reason for Hawaii Vacation Home #7 Sunsets

The sunsets alone are reason enough to choose to buy a Hawaii vacation home. Something about the setting of the sun in Hawaii makes you feel as if it is the only place on earth and it is so beautiful that your cares, worries, and stresses will all be forgotten during the majestic and colorful streaking of the sky as the sun is setting.

While these are some amazing reasons why you should buy a vacation home in Hawaii there are thousands more reasons just waiting for you to discover them on the islands. Go ahead and start looking at Hawaii real estate listings today and make an investment that will benefit you financially and vacationally as well!

Bill McKenzie is the reservations manager for Hawaiian Vacation Rentals, LLC, representing Wailua Bay View. We also specialize in Maui, Hawaii Car Rentals for your vacation in Hawaii.

Author: Bill McKenzie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

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Hawaii, The Paradise Of The Pacific

Hawaii is a state of United States comprising an archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the central Pacific Ocean. The erstwhile known as the Sandwich Islands, the Hawaiian Islands became the U.S. territory in 1900. The Hawaiian Islands include eight major islands including Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii and many islets.

A British explorer, Captain James Cook, discovered the Hawaiian Islands and named them as ‘the Sandwich Islands’. The Hawaiian Islands were united for the first time under a single ruler, King Kamehameha the Great.

Hawaii became the 50th state of United States in 1959. The state of hawaii is also known as “the Aloha State”. Aloha is acknowledgment that can be used as greeting. The state is the southernmost part of that country, situated 2500 miles from the mainland. HI is the abbreviation of Hawaii. Honolulu is the capital and the largest city of the state. Hawaiian and English are the official languages of the state.

Tourism is one of the cornerstones of Hawaiian economy. The tourism is the largest industry in Hawaii. Hawaii is sometimes called “the paradise of the Pacific” because of its exquisite beauty including abundant sunshine, lush green plants & gay flowers, palm-fringed, coral beaches with rolling white surf, and mesmerizing cloud-covered volcanic peaks rising to majestic heights.

The hawaii vacations, hawaii cruises and hawaii vacation packages are the hottest tourism deals. The hawaii beach vacation, hawaii honeymoon vacation, romantic hawaii vacation, hawaii family vacation and hawaii golf vacation are the most coveted vacation. The hawaii hotels are sheer manifestations of romantic luxuries.

The major attractions of hawaii include Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail, Haleakala National Park, Haleakala Wilderness, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes Wilderness, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Honolulu Engineer District Pacific Regional Visitor Center (PRVC), James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kona Historical Society, Lyman Museum and Mission House, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Pu`uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site, U S S Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Akaka Falls, Na Pali Coast, Satellite Image etc.

About Author: The author owns a website on hawaii vacation, offering volumes of info on hawaii cruise, hawaii vacation package, and also offers tips to take hawaii vacation, cheap hawaii vacation and discount hawaii vacation. The website also stocks info on hawaii hotel, hawaii vacation rental, hawaii vacation home etc. You can get useful information for cheap hawaii vacations [http://www.123cheaphawaiivacations.com] from his site.

Author: Sardool Sikandar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Hawaii, The Aloha State

Hawaii is one of the most beautiful states of the United States America in the central Pacific Ocean comprising the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Islands historically known as the Sandwich Islands were included in the U.S. territory in 1900. The Hawaiian Islands is an archipelago of the major eight islands including Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaii and many islets.

Hawaii was admitted as the 50th state of United States in Aug. 21, 1959. The name of the state of Hawaii possibly came from the native Hawaiian word “Owhyhee” meaning homeland. The state is nicknamed as “the Aloha State”. Aloha is acknowledgment that can be used as greeting.

The state of hawaii is situated 2500 miles from the mainland. Honolulu is the capital and the largest city of the state. Hawaiian and English are the official languages of the state. Hawaii is abbreviated as HI.

Hawaii has one of the most flourishing tourism industries. Hawaii is one of hottest tourist spots in the world. The state is blessed with the most exquisite aquatic sceneries. Hawaii is sometimes dubbed as “the paradise of the Pacific” because of its arresting natural beauty having sunny weather, emerald greenery & blithesome flowers, palm-fringed, coral beaches, and captivating cloud-covered volcanic peaks rising to majestic heights. Hawaii is the prefect destination offering extravagant facilities for surfing and other water recreations. None but only Hawaii could offer the perfect locations for the famous Baywatch series.

Hawaii is a real romantic wonderland. It offers highly romantic tourism opportunities. It attracts bulks of tourists from all parts of the Globe. The volumes of tourers visit to relish the state’s beauty and enjoy their vacation. The hawaii vacations, hawaii cruises and hawaii vacation packages are one of the most sizzling tourism deals.

Hawaii is the perfect destination for beach, honeymoon, romantic, surfing and golf vacation. The hawaii beach vacation, hawaii honeymoon vacation, romantic hawaii vacation, hawaii family vacation and hawaii golf vacation are strewn with the unspeakable romances.

The hawaii hotels are sheer manifestations of romantic luxuries. The hawaii hotel, honolulu hawaii hotel and maui hawaii hotel are widely known for their comforts and quality services. It’s too tough for the tourists to resist the “come-hither looks” of Hawaii.

About Author: The author owns a website on hawaii vacation, offering tons of info on hawaii cruise, hawaii vacation package, and also offers tips to take hawaii vacation, cheap hawaii vacation and discount hawaii vacation. The website also carries info on hawaii hotel, hawaii vacation rental, hawaii vacation home etc. Get more information about Hawaii Vacation Packages

Author: Sardool Sikandar
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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Hit and Run Hula

Bet you don’t get this at your local Apple Store: a group of Hula dancers staged a “Hit and Run Hula” at the San Francisco Apple Store this weekend.

The “Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu Dancers” had been touring various venues in SF, and once at the Apple Store, they spread out across the entrance and the glass staircase. Moments later, they were gone again, leaving the crowd to return to their perusal of expensive shiny objects.

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