While the dregs of right-wingnuttery over at Free Republic, I spotted a call for freepers.  It seems the North Dakota Senate has passed legislation allowing a teenage girl to go to a doctor without parental permission. (More after the jump)

Over the three-plus years I’ve been a member of this community, I’ve seen Kossacks come to the aid of a good number of people in need.  Well, the granddaughter of a first cousin of mine (only-child here; she’s like a sister) is definitely in need.  Jennifer Nelson is a 16-year-old from Midland, SD, who has suffered from cystic fibrosis since birth.  Jenn is bright, assertive, and extraordinarily good-humored regardless of the fact that the girl is now in real danger.  Indeed, while she was still able this fall, she was routinely on the A-Honor Roll in her high school.   See Link

I've just spent the past two hours watching Al-Jazeera's new English-language satellite news service.  Color me impressed!  Production values are superb, technology state-of-the-art, and the English flawless, not least because they've managed to poach some of BBC's and ITV's better people.   Al-Jazeera in English  
More after the jump.

Found this on a thread over at Think Progress.

Battle Hymn of the Republicans

(Please remember that the original Battle Hymn of the Republic was written by a Blue Stater for the Republic only)

Lyrics after the jump.

I know it's a hopelessly-skewed right-wing poll, but Vote.com's question of the day is "Do you think Representative Tom DeLay is guilty?"  Right now, it stands at 87%No, 13%Yes.  We've gotta do something!  Surely there are enough of us to scare the bejeezuz out of the wingnuts over there!  Freep! Freep! Freep!  

As many as 200,000 insurgents are probably operating in Iraq, which, if true, would outnumber US forces in the country.  I found this tidbit yesterday in an AFP report at Turkish Press.Com. Further search finds the same story in the 4 Jan online edition of The Times (UK). This confirms what sources of mine with contacts in Iraq here in Oman tell me. These people have been saying the insurgency has been growing very quickly for months now. Typically, of course, this is not being picked up by mainstream media sources in the US...  Here is the report: