IVIV (8): Call Your Mother, by the Way

[Dave Monroe]

"'Call your mother, by the way.'" (IV, Ch. 8, p. 112)


"shot with grease on the lens, like some girlie magazine"

Cf. ...

"vintage hand-painted silk ties" (IV, Ch. 5, p. 63)

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0909&msg=141829

"... look at the forms of capitalist expression. Pornographies:
pornographies of love, erotic love, Christian love, boy-and-his-dog,
pornographies of sunsets, pornographies of killing, and pornographies
of deduction--ahhh, that sign, when we guess the murderer--" (GR, Pt.
I, p.155)

http://www.thomaspynchon.com/gravitys-rainbow/extra/love.html

And see as well, e.g., ...

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0010&msg=50144


"Gilroy's the one with the life"

Sportello, Gilroy

Doc's brother, "the one with the life" 112; in Doc's dream, 205; promoted, 352

http://inherent-vice.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=S#gilroy


"the San Joaquin"

The San Joaquin Valley (pronounced /ˌsæn hwɑːˈkiːn/) refers to the
area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in Stockton. Although most of the valley
is rural, it does contain urban cities and suburbs such as Fresno,
Bakersfield, Visalia, Stockton, Tulare, Turlock, Hanford, Modesto,
Madera, and Merced.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_Valley


Elmina

The girl's name Elmina \e-lmi-na, el-mina\ is of Old German origin,
and its meaning is "will helmet, protection". Diminutive of
Wilhelmina.

Elmina has 5 variant forms: Almeena, Almena, Almina, Elmeena and Elmena.

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Elmina


Pacoima

Pacoima is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of
Los Angeles, California.

It is bordered by the Los Angeles districts of Mission Hills on the
west, Arleta on the south, Sun Valley on the southeast, Lake View
Terrace on the northeast, and by the city of San Fernando on the
north. Major thoroughfares include San Fernando Road, Van Nuys
Boulevard, and Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The Golden State and Ronald
Reagan freeways run through the district.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacoima,_Los_Angeles,_California


"Leo Sportello and Elmina Breeze"

Badgered by Who's Who to supply a biographical note, he considers
inventing a life, indicating that he was born in Mexico, that his
parents were Irving Pynchon and Guadalupe Ibarguengotia and that he
was ''named Exotic Dancers Man of the Year in 1957'' and ''regional
coordinator for the March of Edsel Owners on Washington (MEOW) in
1961.''

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/04/books/pynchon-s-letters-nudge-his-mask.html


"The World's Largest Outdoor Rummy Game"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rummy
http://www.pagat.com/rummy/rummy.html


Ripon

Ripon is a city located in San Joaquin County, California....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripon,_California


"a fortified product known as Midnight Special"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortified_wine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-end_fortified_wine

"Midnight Special" is a traditional folk song thought to have
originated among prisoners in the American South. The title comes from
the refrain which refers to the Midnight Special and its "ever-loving
light" (sometimes "ever-living light").

    Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me,
    Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-loving light on me. (Traditional)

The song is historically performed in the country-blues style from the
viewpoint of the prisoner. The song has been covered by many different
artists....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_Special_(song)


"a W.C. Fields routine"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._C._Fields
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001211/

Fields’s screen character was often fond of alcohol and this trait has
become part of the Fields legend. In his younger days as a juggler,
Fields himself never drank, because he didn’t want to impair his
functions while performing. The loneliness of his constant touring and
traveling, however, compelled Fields to keep liquor on hand for fellow
performers, so he could invite them to his dressing room for
companionship and cocktails. Only then did Fields cultivate a fondness
for alcohol....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._C._Fields#Fields_and_alcohol

"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” --W.C. Fields

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/wcfields108730.html


"Grandpa Breeze's concept of baby-sitting"

Grandpa Stefanowski used to give us a shot of brandy and a Blatz,
maybe let us take a drag off his pipe; Grandma'd make us coffee and
let us play with matches; red meat, starches and Eskimo Pies abounded,
but also, radishes, so ...