So. The new passport arrived. It took a week and £72, so not too bad, I guess. This time the accompanying photograph means I don't look like a softly-spoken, writer-not-a-fighter, but more like a ninja-trained, internationally-wanted spy with amnesia problems international man of paperwork with a wry sense of humour. Which is nice.

I've been reading about proposed changes to the ID systems in the UK and US and I have to admit that getting a new passport now was as much about non-conforming to the threat of a new, useless ID card for at least ten years as much as replacing my old one (with eighteen months left to run on it) which was getting a bit crumpled and torn.

Rudolph Giuliani, (Mr. 9/11) is talking about introducing even tighter restrictions for tourists, with special ID cards issued when they enter the country. Sounds more like political flag-waving than any coherent policy as I carry my passport with me at all times when in the US and that should be more than enough. (I also ticked the 'No' box on the form that asks me if I intend to sabotage anything or commit criminal acts...). Equally I place my finger in that control at US Customs and look a camera in the eye, so that's yet another database I'm on. No major problem with that - or with the idea that a passport should have a fingerprint on it as well - but I can't help noticing that while it's S-O-P at US airports, neither the UK or US administrations like the idea of finger-printing Americans on their arrival here. Is it a case of 'do as we say, not do as we do?' or just as likely that tourists here already put off by the £1=$2 exchange rate when visiting our shores wouldn't take too kindly to longer queues?

Either way, I'm off to LA and Vancouver in just over a month. Once flights are booked. Which I should go and check up on now.

Do I have anything to declare? Just my genius.