¹ Bitch
"... Blair Bitch" An obvious reference ot the one of these two New Yorker cartoons---I'm not sure which though...

        

Though just as obviously the Blair Witch Project. Or not.

² Bush
"... Bush Baby" is just so sweet and helpless. See...

                 

so how could I not include it? Here is some info about the cute, primitive Presid... thing.

Left-Mr K's skull; Middle-a reconstruction; Right-Not Picard! No!! No!!!

¹ ....
"That with music loud and long" always seems to get left out---my memory of this poem is almost word-perfect but for this one line. I suspect that there is some deep psychological reason for me not wanting to dwell on the long or loud aspects of my performance! Maybe it's fear??.

²whatever
"...belle dame sans ...whatever" Didn't Keats write something like this?
The translation is, of course, "the beautiful lady who wouldn't say thank you," or whatever.

There are a few actual poetical quotations in this essay, not to mention a plagiarists hell of allusions to and illusions of them!

¹ Asymptotic
"... preferably asymptotic taxes" Real progressive taxes: taxes that stop those bastards at the top getting to have that third yacht while there are people around having to get that third minimum wage job.

¹ Reuters removed the article after a time so:
                   LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A group supporting natural breasts staged a small street protest in Hollywood on Wednesday against a U.S. military policy offering free breast implants to female soldiers.

The group, led by porn star and former California gubernatorial candidate Mary Carey, said the military should spend its money on "bullets, not boobs."

"I think girls should have natural boobs and natural beauty," Carey said after unveiling her own breasts in the protest at an Army recruiting office on Sunset Boulevard.

"Women should be happy with their bodies and what they're blessed with," the 24-year-old star of 37 porn films said.

Her words and deeds drew cheers from a small group of men who had gathered to watch the event. Passing cars sounded their horns in response to a sign that read "Honk if you love natural breasts."

Carey, who wore green camouflage shorts and bikini top, assured all that her own breasts were real.

The protest was organized by porn impresario Mark Kulkis, president of Kick Ass Pictures, the company for whom Carey stars.

It follows recent news stories about the military offering free plastic surgery, including breast enhancements, to soldiers and their families so military doctors can practice their skills.

Kulkis said he opposed military breast implants because they are an unwise expenditure of tax money and because he does not like fake breasts.

"We support our military 100 percent. Part of the reason we're protesting is that we think these tax dollars would be much better spent on essentials (for soldiers)," Kulkis said.

"I'm personally opposed to boob jobs, but more so when they use our tax dollars for them," he said. "It's an issue near and dear to my heart."

Kulkis' porno films come with a promise that none of his female stars have breast implants

He and Carey presented a $500 check to Jennifer Zandstra of Commerce, Texas, who was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army two weeks ago and answered a Kick Ass announcement seeking military women opposed to breast implants.

"Thank you for coming up here and thank you most of all for keeping your real breasts," Kulkis told Zandstra.

Carey invited her to star in her next film, "Mary Carey Rules: No. 6," but Zandstra, now a college student, politely said, "No, thank you."

A military spokesman for the recruiting office where the protest took place said he had no comment.

²
Is it an innie (this is a still from the film) ... or an outie (this from the poster).

 Jessica Pittman pointed me to a rather fun page of medi[æ/e]val links: http://www.usa-people-search.com/content-medieval-times.aspx. Rather oddly it's at a USA people search site!

¹ England
"... always being an England"

Here are the lyrics and the tune.

 ² "... though their version obviously ruined a rather good joke." Just in case it didn't for you---"Unræd" is a pun on the literal translation of Æthelræd's name, "noble counsel", with un-ræd, meaning "no counsel". BTW Æthelræd also appears as "EÐELRED", presumably just to be awkward---he seems to have been like that!