> This was a strange episode. Partially because of Dennis Dugan, but
> mainly because it was just another painful casualty of the post season
> 2 overkill.

> In article
> <2e2db601-7ac0-4bc3-83f1-dfca5f7f5e43@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com>,
> onethousandflushes@yahoo.com wrote:
>

>> This was a strange episode. Partially because of Dennis Dugan, but
>> mainly because it was just another painful casualty of the post season
>> 2 overkill.

>
> I never understood this episode. Why would a technology company
> look for abandoned houses to put data processing equipment? They
> could just as well used industrial buildings that they could
> secure, and the additional power and data cables wouldn't look
> out of place. And what is the deal with having a computer
> that collects data on people. Today, this is common place.
> Just think of your credit and medical records, let alone what
> some marketing companies know about you. The thought that this
> was somehow illegal astounds me. Anyone know if there was a story
> behind the story that I was too young to understand at the time? ...

> It should have been illegal then, and it sure should be illegal now with the
> proliferation of computers and databases. The episode pointed out how a few
> people with the right access can change all kinds of personal information,
> destroying credit ratings, prompting IRS audits etc etc etc. You have no way
> of knowing how many databases your personal information is in, let alone how
> accurate or inaccurate much of it might be.

>> It should have been illegal then, and it sure should be illegal now with the
>> proliferation of computers and databases. The episode pointed out how a few
>> people with the right access can change all kinds of personal information,
>> destroying credit ratings, prompting IRS audits etc etc etc. You have no way
>> of knowing how many databases your personal information is in, let alone how
>> accurate or inaccurate much of it might be.

>
> That's exactly right, and that's why autonomy is a concept worth
> killing for.

>But keeping everything secret allows those who are guilty to escape
>punishment. For example, I enjoy better insurance rates because I
>have a better driving record, and I enjoy lower interest rates because
>I pay my bills on time. I don't see how that is something to kill over.

> A local tv station has been repeating Rockford. Actually, the episodes
> aren't too badly chopped up and they retain the teaser before the
> opening theme; the entire theme is played as well.
>
> "House on Willis Avenue" was playing this afternoon so I had to watch it
> again. This episode is always among my top 10 favorites, some of the
> best writing Stephen J. Cannell ever did for television.
>
> The best part of the script is the recurrent theme of people not saying
> what should be said, attempting to distract by speaking gibberish that
> they really don't expect the other person to listen to. A conversation
> Jim ISN'T having with his father (Jim looking for his wallet while his
> Rocky complains that Jim won't take him hunting or fishing) is neatly
> echoed at the end of the first half in the motel room scene with Richie
> talking nonsense about the case while Jim tries to think of reasons to
> flee the country to Mexico... for the fishing. Richie's character, of
> course, does nothing but babble. He's inexperienced and insecure, thinks
> he's hiding it. Sometimes his babbling turns into berating others into
> finally giving him the information just to make him shut up. ...

>I never understood this episode. Why would a technology company
>look for abandoned houses to put data processing equipment? They
>could just as well used industrial buildings that they could
>secure, and the additional power and data cables wouldn't look
>out of place.

>Can't wait to find out how it concludes (as if I haven't seen it 20 times).