DEMOCRACY NOW

New elections chief gets vote of confidence

Let's hope Scott Nago hits the ground running as interim chief of Hawaii's elections office. The 35-year-old Punahou School and University of Hawaii-Manoa alum is a veteran election worker who faces the urgent tasks of overseeing a special election and acquiring voting machines, all while coping with stiff budget cuts. He has the support of all four county clerks and years of experience counting Hawaii's ballots.

Fair, transparent and efficient elections are the bedrock of democracy, and it's essential that Nago get the state elections office back on the right track.

IT'S EASY

How to say “;2010”;

A century ago, Americans had no problem in changing from saying “;nineteen-ought-nine”; to saying, after the New Year, “;nineteen-ten.”;

However, now they must abandon saying “;two-thousand-nine”; in reference to the present, move past “;two-thousand-ten,”; and go straight to saying the much easier and faster, “;twenty-ten.”;

Rolls off the tongue. Get used to it.

WHAT A RUSH

Queen's Medical Center loves celebrities

It doesn't have—or deserve—the notoriety of other celebrity havens. You know, the ones where the well-heeled get away from it all to destress, detox or otherwise escape in the interest of health. But Queen's Medical Center seems to find itself in the spotlight when visiting celebs suddenly and unexpectedly take ill in Hawaii.

That's where political commentator Rush Limbaugh was rushed Wednesday after complaining of chest pains; he was “;resting comfortably”; there yesterday. The conservative radio host had been spotted earlier in the week golfing at Waialae Country Club.

The episode brought to mind Kelsey “;Frasier”; Grammer's stay at Queen's in June 2008. The TV star was hospitalized after suffering a mild heart attack, and after mending, thanked the Queen's staff for taking good care of him.