We hoped to pass our four hour flight to Beijing watching the lengthy motion picture, The Good Shepherd, starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie. Headphones in place, I toyed with the remote, unable to adjust the volume. Growing quickly frustrated, I started beating on the buttons of the remote, informing Gene that “mine is broken,” as I watched the movie begin without sound. Gene, who removed his headphones to come to my aid, heard the repeated ding ding of the stewardess call button as I pounded on the remote. “Asshole, you’re hitting the call button!” Gene shouted. Within the matter of seconds, a stewardess appeared before us, peering down the aisle for the location of the call light. Relieved that my last click of the button had turned the call light off, I sat quietly in
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