I was very amused when I read the section with the Argentinians. I thought the "Gaucho Marx" comment was hilarious and the name U.S.S. John E. Badass sated my desire for some cheap humor.

I loved use of Spanish. Previously, when Pynchon used German and Russian, I felt lost (especially because I don't have that companion book). Finally, I am relieved that I at least can understand SOME of the foreign language represented in GR. I really appreciate Pynchon's knowledge of languages now; he describes the Argentine Spanish both descriptively accurately and artistically: "The conversation i