 O'Rielly starts to talk about "venus dames" unprompted and acting strangely. Why?
Well, ma'am, O'Rielly searched every cranny where even a three-tailed mouse of Venus could have stowed away. "Venus dames," O'Rielly said dreamily, "don't boss anything, do they?" Earth dames wound up by flying the Venus ones back where they come from and serving notice if one ever set foot on Earth again there wouldn't be enough left of Venus to find with an electron microscope. "No Venus dames allowed within fifty miles of their port. Any dame caught trying to leave Venus thrown to the tigers for supper. Only tried to clear your mind about Venus dames so you could put your brain on your control mess.
 It's the effect that Venus women have on Earth men. The woman's presence changes his focus.
 He's out of sorts from working on the controls. The heat got to him.  He's had an experience with them in the past, and wants to discuss is with Callahan.  It's the effect that Venus women have on Earth men. The woman's presence changes his focus.  He's embarrassed about the controls malfunction and is trying to change the subject