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Do you remember the names and contact information for every supervisor you've ever worked for? How about the names of everyone present at your birth? A proposed passport questionnaire asks these questions and others that are equally unexpected. Be prepared to list out the addresses of every place you've ever lived from birth until now, every school you've attended and where your mother received pre-natal or post-natal medical care. You'll also be asked for the names, job descriptions, and contact information for every job in your repertoire. The new form, DS-5513, would only be used in cases when passport applicants cannot provide "sufficient proof of citizenship or identity," the State Department says. Critics claim the new questionnaire is discriminatory, whether towards elderly travelers who would be expected to list 65 years worth of supervisors, or towards people of different religious and geographical backgrounds. Some questions (ie. "List your mother's residence one year before your birth; List your mother's residence at the time of your birth; List your mother's residence one year after your birth") hint at racial profiling towards illegal immigrants, while others (ie. "Was there any religious or institutional recording of your birth or event occuring around the time of birth? Example: baptism, circumcision, confirmation—at birth?—or any other religious ceremony. Please provide details including the name, location of the institution, and date.) beg the question as to why these topics are appropriate to deem someone worthy of obtaining travel documents. Perhaps the strangest thing is the part where they ask you to describe the circumstances of your own birth, "including the names (as well as the address and phone number if available) of persons present or in attendance at the time of your birth." As one anonymous reader commented on BoingBoing.com's article, "Circumstances of my birth? How would I know, I wasn't there until the very end!" What's even more laughable is the fact that the State Department suggests the form shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to complete. Given the amount of detail they're asking for, it would probably take me a few hours to compile all of this information, and I keep fairly accurate records of my former employers and addresses. What about someone who is adopted or moved around a lot as a child and no longer has parents around to verify old addresses? And every single job? Even the three month ice-cream-scooping gig from four summers ago at a place that probably went under by now? Come on. What do you think about this newly proposed passport questionnaire? Does this seem too personal or are deep, thought provoking questions the way to go? MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: The Antarctica One Is Really Cool Should you need a passport to visit Canada? The Family Travel Handbook

The Justice Department has given Google the green light to purchase ITA Software, a Cambridge, Mass-based company that organizes airline data and controls the reservation systems of most major US airlines and online fare-comparison sites such as Kayak, TripAdvisor, and Hotwire. Google announced their intentions to acquire the company last July. Antitrust regulators reviewed the deal, and approved the $700 million acquisition provided that Google comply with certain conditions. Google will be required to license the software to other companies, and cannot access any proprietary data or technology that exist in the ITA system. Google has stated that they will honor ITA's existing contracts and extend them into 2016. This acquisition may very well revolutionize the way we search for airfares. If all goes according to plan, type "flights to somewhere sunny for under $500 in May" and your search results will give you exact flight times, prices, and quick links to airlines and travel websites where you can buy a ticket. Although ITA does not sell tickets and this is unlikely to change under Google's direction, other online fare-comparison sites—such as Kayak, HipMunk and Bing—may be hurt by the merger. What do you think? Is this good for travelers? What would you like to see in a travel search engine or fare comparision site? — Madeline Grimes MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: The threat of rising airfares Is google killing the Great American Road Trip? What's the best day to buy a plane ticket?

When navigating a foreign country, you have a lot to consider. Certain cultural traits, customs, body language—and the local language. We try our best not to commit cultural crimes, but it's hard! Sometimes what we think is an innocent gesture is actually completely offensive, or a Tango misstep in Buenos Aires can leave you dancing solo. But there's something about a non-native speaker trying to talk with the locals, especially if slang is attempted, that really brings out the blunders—and quite a bit of laughter. While traveling in Central and South America, I said "despacio, por favor" (slowly, please) more times than I'd like to admit while attempting conversations with locals. I was routinely (but politely) laughed at for my accent, especially in Argentina, whose accent is much different than the Central American Spanish I studied in school. One particularly bad language snafu of mine was in Quepos, Costa Rica. I just got back to my hostel from hiking nearby Manuel Antonio National Park and I desperately needed a shower. Unfortunately, I finished my bar of soap the day before so I decided to run into town and restock. When I walked into the pharmacy, I asked the pharmacist—while mock lathering my arm, for emphasis—"¿Ud. tiene sopa?" Turns out, I asked the pharmacist if she had any soup, not soap! Needless to say, she died laughing. "No, no tengo sopa," she responded, "No, no I don't have soup." A bar of soap, for the record, is jabón. Another language faux pas of mine was on a bus in Mendoza, Argentina. I kept on confusing cambio, which means when something changes, like the temperature, with moneda, which means coins—or what we Americans think of as change. So when I asked the driver if he had change so I could buy my bus ticket with a larger bill (I later learned there were ticket kiosks on the bus... another gaffe) he thought I was asking him if he could change me as a person. He was confused. My colleague here at Budget Travel, Laura Michonski, frequently confused "J'ai fini," which means, "I'm done" with "Je suis finis," which means, "My life is over" while traveling in Paris. In restaurants, waiters would ask, "Are you still working on this?" and she'd respond, "No, my life is over." Now it's your turn, what's the biggest language faux pas you've committed while traveling? Tell us below! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL Vote now in our Readers' Choice Awards! What is your favorite travel book? What do you collect on your travels?

Planning a scenic drive down California's Highway 1 in the near future? You may want to start making alternate plans—unless you like mud, road closures, and hours-long detours. After a series of three mudslides rocked the coast, Monterey County is still reeling. About two weeks ago, at Rocky Creek, entire hunks of the roadway plummeted into the Pacific. Local news sources are reporting that the road in this area will be closed for about four more weeks to accommodate lengthy repairs. More recently, 38 miles south of Big Sur in Alder Creek, tons of debris fell onto the highway below. Crews from the Department of Transportation are currently clearing the way. This comes on the heels of a similar mudslide, which caused road closures near Limekiln State Park last week. The Monterey County Weekly reports that the disaster has effectively put travel into and out of the Big Sur area on indefinite hold. Restaurants, bars, and shops that usually count on tourist dollars have been forced to depend on locals for the bulk of their business. For updates on road conditions and closings, check the California Department of Transportation website or call (800) 427-7623. And remember to vote for your favorite domestic scenic drive in our annual Readers' Choice Awards. The Pacific Coast Highway is currently in the lead! MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL: The Best Drive in the American Southwest World's Most Beautiful Waterfalls How to Score Tickets to the London 2012 Olympics