who's left and who's leaving

“Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Don’t use semicolons. They are trasvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.
And I realize some of you may be having trouble deciding whether I am kidding or not. So from now on I will tell you when I’m kidding.
For instance, join the National Guard or the Marines and teach democracy. I’m kidding.

- Kurt Vonnegut (A Man Without a County)