> I just got a new U.S. passport and it's filled with patriotic words and
> images that were never there before. ...
>
> It's really awful
The new ones also have an RFID (radio frequency identification) scheme. Really handy for some gov't purposes. They don't even have to say "papers, please"; while you're standing in line for the security or immigration check, your passport can already be radioing them the details they need to check their files on you.
To say the least, there is room for debate about whether this is actually a good idea, especially since the US are pressuring other gov'ts to adopt RFID technology.
Beyond debate, the existing scheme is insecure. Anyone with the right equipment can talk to your passport and use that data to track you. There are many papers on this. First one I found: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/02/low_cost_rfid_cloner/
There are wallets designed to prevent anyone who wants to from reading your RFID data. I do not know how effective they are or whether the various brands differ much. First ad I found: http://www.amazon.com/Travelon-RFID-Blocking-Passport-Case/dp/B001CZP0K2