UNTIL NEXT TIME

Hawaii sparks White House near-coup

During a Sunday tour of Honolulu Zoo a few hours before boarding Air Force One back to Washington, D.C., the first family was asked if they were ready for their return to the White House. “;No,”; they all responded, led by President Barack Obama.

“;Let's stay,”; first lady Michelle Obama added. “;We'll all stay. Are we all in? I'm trying to mount a coup.”;

Alas, duty calls. We look forward to the family's return to the islands no later than the next Yuletide.

BRAIN TEASE

Keeping up with the Asimovs

So you think you're pretty smart? If so, how have you been stacking up each day with “;Isaac Asimov's Super Quiz,”; which runs in the Today section? Do you consistently ace out at the freshman level; the graduate level; the Ph.D. level? Yesterday's quiz, for example, was about female first names. Did you know what is the most populous U.S. city named after a woman? That was a “;Ph.D.”; question, and the answer is “;Charlotte.”; It's a fun daily quiz, if you haven't tried it, and you might learn something in the process.

REALLY, RUSH?

Talk show host praises system he opposes

Hawaii's health care gave conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh what he said was “;the best that the world has to offer. Based on what happened here to me, I don't think there's one thing wrong with the American health care system. It is working just fine, just dandy.”; Left unsaid by the vacationing Limbaugh, who spent a few days in Queen's Medical Center last week after experiencing chest pains, is that Hawaii's health care system includes mandatory employer-based health insurance, a core model for the health care reform that has passed both the House and Senate in different versions. Is it true that Limbaugh concluded during his Hawaii visit that America has a very balmy winter?