An update, care of that Imperialist writer of the First Imperialist Age, Rudyard Kipling:

"The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice
An humble and contrite heart.
Lord God of hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!"

I'll be back, I'm certain. By then, Mr. Bush's term will have grown shorter, if even a few days; by then, Canada may have a new Prime Minister, further to the right than any Prime Minister we've seen before; by then I'll be richer still, in pension and RRSP (+23.74% return in the last year!!!!), in age and in healing and in family (as always, in family).

And by then, maybe my updates will make just a little bit more sense.