As he returned to the China Club for a last cup of rice wine, Chang and his friends seemed like genteel revolutionaries ready to take on the modern world.
You could also force yourself to stop checking when you're in a social situation, like out to dinner with friends. (Last Saturday night, I shoved my phone way down into my purse where I couldn't see it).
You don't have to be a gangster to have a brush like this with your friends at the IRS. Late last year the Tax Court ruled against John Hewitt, founder of the Jackson Hewitt Tax Service chain.
These days, first dates are usually preceded by some serious Facebook and Google stalking, so that you know in advance what your date looks like while inebriated, who their closest friends are, and their last ten home addresses.