I drive a Ford Focus that gets 35 mpg and I've never had to search for parking. Even in downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul. There is always somewhere to park, it just depends how much you're willing to pay for it.

This car might be interesting or useful for a very tiny part of the population, but I would think a scooter (of the variety that is extremely popular in European cities like Madrid) would be more efficient and practical, and could park in even more places. To me the smart car seems like nothing more than a novelty... it fills no niches that other cheaper, smaller, more duel-efficient vehicles like mopeds and scooters don't already occupy.

Pawlenty has screwed Minnesota over enough. Please, no more!

As a FTM transsexual I am hesitant to even bother reading the letters in this letter section... they will be full, I'm sure, of people who think they know more than the most educated medical professionals in the field, who loudly and stupidly proclaim that Beatie is a woman (while neglecting to similarly flaunt their lack of medical or psychological degrees that might give them the expertise to make such idiotic statements).

It just goes to show that in as far as trans people are concerned, the public's complete lack of education in this area is probably more harmful to us and our well-being than anything else. Not only is it difficult for us to even realize what is wrong with us (or more accurately, our bodies) and seek help to begin with, but when we do, perfectly 'liberal' and 'tolerant' people go into Neanderthal-mode and accuse us of being self-mutilating freaks! Goodness, I didn't know that taking a hormone prescription identical to the amount of hormones that one half the human population produces naturally was freakish or self-destructive. I hope that people who so strongly opposed surgery to remove such useless and cosmetic things as breasts and uteruses stand up against the surgical removal of the appendix and the 'mutilation' of human flesh occurring during ear piercings and tattooings.

These people need to get a life, or an education. A simple trip to Wikipedia would clear up many of their prejudiced misconceptions about trans people, but they are apparently too intellectually lazy to bother. Their loss, I suppose, since stupid is as stupid does.

More to the issue, I have been extremely ambivalent about Beatie's case... I have no desire to ever get pregnant, and in fact experience a distinct sense of revulsion at the thought. Fatherhood is at the heart of what it means, for me, to be a man, but getting pregnant is not part of that. Yet, Beatie can make his own choices and no one can doubt his courage for doing so. I'd like to lash out at him for exposing so much of the freakish hatred against trans people, but I can't blame him for showing us what was already there. Perhaps the most I hope for is that reasonable people will see and realize the stupidity of the bigoted comments here, and will have a greater respect for the discrimination and hatred that we trans people face on a daily basis.

When I refer to "the law" in a biblical context I am of course referring to the Torah or the religious law laid down in the Hebrew bible. Not, rule of law in general, or laws in general. That should probably answer every instance you have raised since you apparently think I am referring to American law when in fact I am referring to the Torah, as any biblical scholar does.

They weren't even a little subtle, were they?

What, is this 'news' network run by 13 year olds? Who apparently lack the class to refrain from such childish tactics, and certainly lack the skill to pull it off well. I haven't seen such badly photoshopped pictures since my friend Tim tried to convince me that his face would look good with Lindsay Lohan's hair.