Jonah, I was trying to stay reasonably positive – or at least non unduly negative – this happy morn, but honestly, the final moments of that video with the celebrity O-bots doing their unison pledge…

I pledge to be a servant to our President and to all mankind because together we can, together we are, and together we will be the change that we seek.

The second half is presumably just the lyrics of the commemorative all-star inauguration anthem by Denise Rich, produced by Quincy Jones, etc. But the first bit sounds most unrepublican.

I had cause to write to President Bush a few weeks ago, and, being a foreigner an’ all, wasn’t sure how to sign off, so my plan was to reprise how I’d wrapped up the last time I wrote to the Queen – “I remain Your Majesty’s most lowly and unworthy subject”, or some such – and my assistant said briskly, “This is America. Maybe you should just put ‘Sincerely’.”

Not if the O-bots’ neo-monarchical prostrations catch on…