For centuries, people around the world knew that chewing on the bark of certain willow trees could ease the pain of a toothache or a migraine. By the mid-19th century, scientists in France and Germany had isolated the chemical, salicylic acid, responsible for willow bark’s analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities, but it proved too harsh on the stomach to be of…
Welcome to the Class of 2014. Kamana Beamer Assistant Professor of Hawaiian Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa Age: 37 Kamana Beamer says there were two defining moments in his life. The first was his parents’ divorce when he was 6 months old. The son of singer-songwriter Kapono Beamer, famous for “Honolulu City Lights,” is also the grandson of Hawaiian educator Nona…
It’s sometimes easy to believe the famous saying: Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door. But when the market is already full of mousetraps, and your R&D is better than your marketing, that knock on your door may never come. Oceanit didn’t wait. The Fort Street Mall-based engineering firm developed the InteliSocket, a clever…
Geothermal (November 2013 issue) Your report on geothermal energy failed to make some very important points about why geothermal would improve the quality of life for all of us in Hawaii. • Geothermal is used worldwide and can be applied to Hawaii. According to the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), there are several regions worldwide with geothermal…
2014 appears to be a crucial year for the Neighbor Islands. The future of agriculture is being passionately debated, tourism is at a crossroads, and the sources of county revenue are up in the air. Hawaii Business interviewed the three Neighbor Island mayors separately and arranged their answers by topic. Maui County Mayor, Alan Arakawa | Photo: David Croxford GMOs and Agriculture…
Why do families end up homeless? One big reason is they have no savings, so when a crisis hits – getting laid off or paying a big bill – they don’t have a couple thousand dollars in the bank to eke their way through. The rent goes unpaid and the family ends up on the street. Hawaii’s high cost of…
Friday, 11:45 a.m. Cake Couture, Aina Haina Photo by Rae Huo Carmen Emerson-Bass, baker/owner of Cake Couture, applies the finishing touches to a batch of red velvet cupcakes, the bakery’s most popular flavor. The company specializes in cupcakes, but also makes brownies, whoopie pies, snow balls and other treats. Cake Couture celebrated its seventh anniversary in February. Categories: Media, Parting Shot
Question: What are the best retirement plans for the self-employed? Answer: If you are self-employed or have a side business in addition to another job, the best retirement-savings options are solo 401(k) plans (either Roth or regular) or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP). Both plans allow tax-deductible contributions that grow tax deferred until you withdraw the money. If you…
The best political candidate in the world might get nowhere without a team of marketing, direct-mail, advertising, polling and other professionals to help refine the message and effectively deliver it to voters. It’s an election year and Alan Tang is acting like a football coach. He’s putting in longer hours, obsessing over tried-and-true plays and guiding his star player. For…
It may seem incongruent to have a smartphone app about ancient Hawaiian fishponds. But, if you think about it, both apps and fishponds are technological achievements of their time. Marrying them makes it easier for people to learn about an ancient practice that’s being preserved. “Loko Ia,” which means fishpond in Hawaiian, is a new iPhone app created by a team of…
If “opera” brings to mind a tuxedo or a black dress and pearls, Hawaii Opera Theatre has a date for you: opening nights on Fridays. But if you feel younger or edgier than black tie, new executive director Simon Crookall suggests you try HOT Tuesdays – the nights when hip professionals can mix at a pre-party at the Honolulu Club before…
Sometimes, we’re so used to thinking of Hawaii as an economic and political backwater that we forget the Islands have a key role to play in the Pacific Basin. For example, the Northeast Asia Economic Forum is an international organization working to advance peace and economic development in a volatile region that includes China, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia and…