so how many of you have a passport?
I do! I do! And I also have an International Drivers Liscence (frightening, I know), although I keep both within a box at the bank and use my California's Drivers Liscence for indentification and travel. Neat factl Using an IDL keeps tickets and accidents from getting ammended to your national driving record, which is why my record is currently spotless and my monthly with 20th Century is only sixty bucks a month.
how many of you have visited another country?
I visited quite a few in the Navy, but my passport is still without a single stamp
how often do you encounter news stories?
Daily. I've added myself to a dozen news update sites, most European or Russian, to balance out what I get through CNN and the Wallstreet Journal. I'm also rather keen on Politics in general, so I realize I'll be standing out a bit in this queue
Post Script: I've always favoured Umberto Eco. I picked up "Kant's Platypus" to read on my flight from Singapore to Japan and thoroughly enjoyed it.