By Eddie Barclay
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — On the wood coffee table in front of me is the television remote control. Made of plastic, the front is a matte silver, while the under side is a glossy black. Buttons dot the front, a dark grey rubber molded into various shapes including circles, ovals, and rectangles. Imprinted on the front of these is white lettering and numbering to denote the specific function. Three oval shaped buttons, forming a horizontal line about two inches from the front, are colored red, green, and blue from left to right. There is a small, perfectly round red button with a faded white print of the international symbol for power. On the bottom quarter of the remote is a black silhouette of a crown surrounded by a thin circle. The under side has four small legs on which the remote can rest. Running down the middle for about three inches is a rectangular strip of Velcro placed slightly off-center. At the bottom is a slightly loose rectangular piece of plastic with a clip on the top. When removed, two Duracell brand AAA batteries are revealed. On the front face, a rectangular smoky glass plate is embedded into the plastic.
