BE ReRead. Chap 5 In Which Maxine Learns a Lot

[Mark Kohut]

We learn of the male dickheads who dominate tech companies.
Pynchon has the concept permeate: Benford's Law pops up
"wagging its dick"....Ice is described as an arrogant prick....
These males throw parties with naked chicks.

I continue to contrast with the female sensibilities, here Driscoll, who
sees the dicks as they are and is instantly simpatico with Maxine.

Maxine learns there is no randomness in this operation via Benford's Law;
it is manipulation by agents......hashslingerz is hiring big for its
"virtual corporation" ...ghost
vendors are mentioned...we are in the aetherial realm, of course, no
physical substance.
The constant latent fear of "virtual reality" here, I might say; no place
to stand; no solid ground anywhere.
The most extreme Luddite fear besides unemployment maybe?

Love the riff on online games. I knew folks who played solitaire online as
constant stress relief, at least.

Where some are learning Arabic...to do "big deals".....So Baby Bush can do
his daddy one better.

Chicken-killing ritual for a meat facial at the salon?? Kinda opposite the
hi-tech world. Old-fashioned
practices co-exist in hi tech NYC?

Maxine learns she is being followed; realizes at the end they must know
where she lives already.
No randomness here; seen and known as she discovers manipulated 'fraud"??

In a traditional mystery, what would the private dick be thinking to do
now?




Pop-ups, little "goombas" a mob-resonant joke (to pick up on the earlier
mob reference ) AND a character in a Mario Brothers video game.