Honolulu (Waikiki): This and That

ByThe Skeptical Traveler

Alt text: A group of people standing in line outside a building on a sunny day. The building has a brown roof and is partially shaded by trees. The street in front of the building has a yellow line marking and is also shaded by tree shadows.

A nighttime scene of a building with a long line of people waiting outside. The building is illuminated, and there are trees in front of it. The street in the foreground is empty, and there are a few bicycles parked near the building.

The image shows the exterior of a restaurant named "Marukame Udon Tempura Musubi." The restaurant has a sign with its name prominently displayed in large letters. There are several people standing outside the restaurant, and the interior appears to be busy with more people inside. The restaurant has a traditional Japanese design with white fabric curtains hanging above the entrance. A Pepsi logo is also visible inside the restaurant.

Busy restaurant in Waikiki, very cheap and good food (but the 2 days I went there the washrooms weren’t accessible, there was a notice on the door to go to the nearby mall, I suppose this is how they keep costs down, however, very likely it was something temporary).

Alt text: A promotional poster for the S.W.A.T. Gun Club. The poster features a man wearing sunglasses and holding a gun. The text includes phrases such as "Real Guns," "Factory Ammo," "A Safe Shooting Environment," and "Excellent Customer Service." There is also Japanese text on the poster. At the bottom, there is a map showing the location of the S.W.A.T. Gun Club, with nearby landmarks and businesses labeled, including Royal Kuhio, DFS, Waikiki Trade Center, and Macy's.

Alt text: A promotional flyer for a shooting range in Hawaii, offering various discount coupons. The flyer is divided into sections labeled A, B, C, VIP, and SWAT, each listing different firearms available for shooting, along with their respective prices. The prices range from $19 to $115. The flyer includes images of the firearms and additional photos at the bottom showing people shooting and targets. Contact information and operating hours are provided at the bottom of the flyer. The flyer is primarily blue with yellow and white text.

Flyer that I was handed in while walking in Waikiki.

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. 

 Statue of King Kamehameha the Great Although the King Kamehameha the Great Statue isn’t an exact representation of how Kamehameha I looked—the sculptor gave him Roman-like facial features instead of Polynesian. At 8 1/2 feet tall, King Kamehameha holds a spear in his left hand to represent the kingdom’s will to keep harm at bay. His right hand is extended as a warm gesture of aloha. Located in front of the Ali’iolani Hale, the statue is one of many sacred structures located in historic Downtown Honolulu. Nearby is the Iolani Palace and Kawaiahao Church, so spend some time walking around the area!

I did not have time to go there to take the photo of the statue myself, but the king looked like that:

A framed portrait painting of a man with short white hair, wearing a red vest over a white shirt with puffy sleeves, a black collar, and a yellow bow tie. The portrait is hanging on a wall, and there is a small plaque beneath the frame.

The image shows the exterior of an ABC Stores location. The store has a blue and white sign with the store's name above the entrance. The entrance is open, revealing shelves stocked with various products inside. Outside the store, there are some items on display, including what appears to be a rack of woven mats or rugs. The building has a decorative pattern on the walls near the entrance, and there is a sidewalk in front of the store. The store is located in a building with multiple levels, and there are balconies visible on the upper floors. Trees and other greenery are also visible along the sidewalk.

Alt text: A recruitment poster titled "Building Your Career" features images of a retail store named "Island Gourmet." The poster advertises career opportunities for Sales Associates, Assistant Managers, and Deli Associates. It encourages applicants to "Learn, Grow, and Succeed" and lists various skills and benefits such as leadership, merchandising, business law, profitability, communication, inventory control, problem-solving, and more. The poster also mentions that no experience is necessary and that there are no layoffs. The company name "ABC" is mentioned at the bottom.

The image shows a job advertisement poster for ABC Stores. The poster highlights various benefits and opportunities for potential employees, including learning opportunities in leadership, buying, profitability, communication, inventory control, problem-solving, and more. It emphasizes "Excellent Benefits, Growth, Expansion, Opportunities" and a "History of NO LAYOFFS." The poster provides contact information for applying, including a phone number and an address in Honolulu, HI. It also mentions that applications can be submitted through their website.The ubiquitous ABC stores: ‘History of NO LAYOFFS’’; it is very good they mentioned this in a job ad.

 The image shows a can of Sambazon All Natural Amazon Energy drink. The can is predominantly black with purple and green accents. The top of the can is silver with a purple rim that has the word "ORGANIC" written on it. The front of the can features the Sambazon logo, which includes an image of a person wearing a headdress. The text on the can indicates that it is a "Jungle Love" flavor and highlights that it contains 140 calories, 80 mg of caffeine, and 4600 mg of antioxidants. The can is placed on a reflective surface.

The image shows a close-up of a can with a purple top. The can has text on it, which appears to be a description of the product. The text mentions ingredients such as guava and passion fruit, and it seems to be promoting the drink as a natural energy booster. The text is partially obscured and difficult to read in some areas. The can also has a QR code near the bottom.

For the guys, we’ve got maca and catuaba, two of South America’s most ‘uplifting’ love herbs. And for the ladies, we’ve added passionflower and damiana, stimulating herbs renowned for their pleasure enhancing qualities. It it’s an energy drink full of passion and fueled by nature that you’re looking for, Jungle Love™ is it.

How can it be for both guys and ladies? And I didn’t feel any effect. I tried to convince my wife to test it, but she never goes for this kind of experiments. I wanted to go back to the store and get my money back.

The image shows an orange bottle of "neuro SLEEP" drink. The bottle is labeled as non-carbonated and features the text "ZZZzzz in every bottle" and "No artificial colors or flavors." The bottle is placed on a surface, and there is a dish soap bottle and another container partially visible in the background.

The image shows the back of a bottle of NeuroSleep, a beverage. The text on the bottle highlights the benefits of the drink, stating that it provides restful sleep, relieves muscle cramps, supports relaxation, promotes a feeling of well-being, and supports healthy mental function. The text further explains that NeuroSleep is a tasty treat that helps support the body’s need for rest, containing ingredients like Melatonin, Magnesium, and L-Theanine. The slogan at the bottom reads, "Drink Smart Drink Neuro."

And this one didn’t help me sleep.

The image shows several small, clear glass bottles shaped like human skulls. They are displayed on a store shelf. The label on the shelf reads "Crystal Head Vodka 50 ml" with a price of "10.99".

Very expensive vodka in an ABC store (only because it was in a skull?!). The image shows an informational display titled "Hawaiian Warfare: Ancient Military Systems." The text describes how Hawaiians used to train for battle over a thousand years before European contact, with a focus on the importance of physical fitness, agility, and mental toughness. It mentions the use of various weapons and the significance of warfare in Hawaiian culture. Below the text, there is a simple illustration of two stick figures engaged in combat, labeled "Hawaiian Warriors."

The image contains a block of text describing the military systems and warfare of ancient Hawaiians. It explains that Hawaiians sailed to their islands nearly a thousand years before Columbus' time and developed elaborate preparations for war, including building temples and consulting gods for auspicious times to fight. The text details the warriors' weapons made of wood, stone, sharks' teeth, and bone, and their deployment in crescent formations. It also describes the rituals of sacrifices, prayers, and orations before battle. The text further narrates the intensity and brutality of the combat, with armies throwing spears and sling-stones, and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with daggers, clubs, and fists. The passage concludes by mentioning the victors' pursuit after the enemy's formation broke.

There was no one else to fight against (usually foreign invaders) so they fought against each other.

The image is a poster for the "iWATCH ARMY" program. The poster features a soldier in uniform, wearing a beret, standing in front of a building. The top of the poster has the text "iWATCH ARMY" with a background of stars and stripes. Below the title, it says "REPORT" and "KEEP US SAFE." The main text on the poster reads: "1 Simple Observation 1 Simple Report can lead to actions that may STOP a terrorist attack. THINK ABOUT THE POWER OF THAT. THE POWER OF iWATCH. See Something Say Something." At the bottom, there is a logo and the text "Always Ready, Always Alert" along with a website URL.

The image shows two police officers standing and talking to each other on the left side. On the right side, there is a message that reads, "If you SEE something SAY something." The background appears to be outdoors with trees and a vehicle visible.

Report suspicious activities.

The image shows a white sedan parked on the side of a street. The car has a logo and text on the side that reads "Kona" and "Electric." There is a white pickup truck parked in front of the sedan. In the background, there are buildings, a few people walking, and some trees.

The image shows a white Nissan Leaf electric car parked on the side of a street. The car is positioned in a shaded area with trees and other parked cars visible in the background. The front and side of the car are clearly visible.

My 1st Volt and my 2nd Leaf (I saw the 1st one in a showroom in Tokyo).

The image shows a receipt from ABC Store #72. The receipt includes the following details: - The store is open until 12:30 AM. - The website for the store is www.abcstores.com. - The items purchased include Kona Brew for $2.09 and a deposit/01 fee for $0.06. - The subtotal is $2.15. - There is a 4.712% tax amounting to $0.10, which is highlighted. - The total amount is $2.25. - The payment was made in cash, with the amount tendered being $2.25. - There is a transaction code at the bottom: 050 0J0C 00A 1C0H, along with a barcode.

What is this, 4.712% tax? Usually it is a round number or something that ends in ‘0’ or ‘5’, and three decimal digits (!?!), I’ve seen only two but never before three. I was puzzled so I had to find the answer. And as usual Wikipedia provided it: ‘4.0% is charged at retail with an additional 0.5% surcharge in the City and County of Honolulu (for a total of 4.5% on Oahu sales),…However, the state also allows “tax on tax” to be charged, which effectively means a customer can be billed as much as 4.166% (4.712% on Oahu).’

So for a price of $1000, the tax should be $47.12. 
1000 x 4.5/100 = 45
45 x 4.5/100 = 2.025  (the tax on tax)
45 + 2.025 = $47.02 (exact number is 47.025, but there isn’t such a price) that is different from $47.12, something is wrong here.

How did they come to the 4.712% tax?

Let’s try to use a formula:
A. How the sales tax should be calculated and that’s it = Price x 4.5/100
B. But, no they didn’t make it simple, we need to have tax on tax = SalesTax/100 x (Price x 4.5/100)
C. Total Tax that we should calculate = SalesTax x Price/100. We know SalesTax is 4.712%, but let’s calculate it:
C = A + B
SalesTax x Price/100 = Price x 4.5/100 +  SalesTax/100 x (Price x 4.5/100)
SalesTax x Price = Price x 4.5 +  SalesTax x (Price x 4.5/100)
SalesTax = 4.5 + SalesTax x 4.5/100
SalesTax = 4.5 + SalesTax x 0.045
SalesTax x (1 – 0.045) = 4.5
SalesTax x 0.955 = 4.5
SalesTax = 4.5/0.955.
SalesTax = 4.712%, yes this is how they calculated it

One Comment

  1. Whoa, dude! First time reader and I have to say that your posts are like a wild carnival ride. Half-feeling great and half-feeling pukey.

    Weird, but I like it!

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