It's Friday and I've got a chip on my shoulder....

....well actually in my pocket. You see, I received my new passport today complete with RFID chip. It arrived by U.S. Mail, The Official Courier of Important Documents, in about 3 weeks time. Much better than I had been expecting given the reports I had heard.

One thing that bugged me a bit was the quality of my photograph. Silly sure, but I, with great detail took a fair amount of time to create the perfect mugshot. Lighting, non-gesture and scale, all perfect. The resulting image in my OFFICIAL AMERICAN DOCUMENT was no better than a mid-nineties color Xerox. High tech shit from the DHS. Then there's that pesky little chip inside. You know the one with all my sensitive data delivered via the same service that is crushing me with stuff that heads right to the recycling bin. Now that is security. Here's a coupon for anything in the store, a catalog of scantily clad women, a missing child on the back of a pizza coupon and my OFFICIAL AMERICAN DOCUMENT. Now that's service. Is this the mark of the beast? I think not given a few references to God splattered about the pages of my shiny new blue book.

Now listen, I don't think I'm paranoid but that's up for debate. I am not in short supply of tinfoil, though, and enjoy the opportunity to create some chaos for satellite imagery watching me from above. But a chip, from my government on my person, fuck you. Your papers please! Reeks of stories from my father-in-law. Surely they (insert scary timpani audio) could find us with all the other devices we carry these days but I feel this is an ugly path to take.

I'll sleep better knowing my children are under the watchful eye of them.

This blog created on an iPhone from an undisclosed location known only to The Watchers and me.