I got my new passport -- it's pretty nice

[MindPilot]

It has a good heft to it; feels like a very fine quality book. The pages all have soft pastel scenes of America--overdone to the point that it looks like Stephen Colbert's set with the color turned down. But it's attractive enough that like a coffee table book, you just have to pick it up and look at the pictures.

Renewal was surprisingly fast and I didn't pay the expedite fee; I sent it in on Dec 31; the new one came today.

Can't wait until things come together so I can get some stamps in it!

[Warpy]

1. They only had a slow turnaround time while Stupid was in office

You needed to pay the extra fee to get it within a month instead of two or three.

I had to replace mine because it was stolen (don't worry, my credit is frozen solid, I hate debt). I think it's pretty attractive, too, nicer than my original back in the late 70s.

[mitchtv]

2. did your's have a chip in it?

mine did

[MindPilot]

5. Yeah, it's got the little symbol on the front

It looks like something from an apocalyptic scifi movie, the symbol is kinda creepy.

[arcadian]

3. Mine has the state seal on the pages.

[MindPilot]

8. That's what my old one had.

[galileoreloaded]

4. Toss it in the microwave for about 20 seconds, that way the passive RFID readers

at the post office, courthouses, and other federal facilities can't track ya.

[RC]

6. They can't track you anyway with this.

You can only read the chip from a few inches away.
Also the front cover has a medal shield in it, so the chip doesn't work when the passport is closed.

What is a passive reader anyway? The chip gets its power from the reader, so it can't be passive. Power the chip too hard and you run the risk of burning out the chip if you try to read it from too far away.

[MindPilot]

7. Cool! It's a makeshift tinfoil hat!

well, more of a tinfoil yarmulke...