This was supposed to be a comment on kettledrum's post, but it got a little long:

Condoms and gloves made of latex are used for the purpose of protecting oneself against humans, and more specifically their waste. They also provide a barrier to real interaction by 2 people: while touching someone with latex gloves feels real, it's not skin-to-skin contact.

There seems to be a disconnect between the two people involved in an interaction where latex is involved because both sides feel that they're making a human connection when technically that's not the case. This emphasizes the disconnect in human relationships that I think is evident in both Underworld and GR. In both books characters go about searching for love (both romantic and platonic) in ways that they seem to think will ultimately bring them what they want, but that end up just leaving them feeling isolated though they are surrounded by people.

I am really enjoying the cultural references that Delillo makes in this book. Since they are rather recent and deal with material I am familiar with, it is much easier to relate. I find myself wanting to research the references rather than just blow them off as I tended to do while reading Gravity's Rainbow. Like "Cocksucker Blues," for instance, which is a real documentary about the Rolling Stone's 1972 tour. This is two years before the setting of this section of the book, which Acey comments on. The Stones deemed the content inappropriate and didn't want it to be released, but the director did, so it is only allowed to be shown when the director is physically present. It's also the name of a single that Mick Jagger released. Since "Cocksucker Blues" is the name of Part 4, I am interested to see the connection in the rest of the section.