I, too, interpreted it as Doug's humor. If I recall correctly, I thought of "state-of-the-rat" as a reference not just to tech level but to the "rat-race" -- or, to use Lisa Douglas' of Green Acres phrase regarding Oliver's big-city job, "racing with the rats."
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Big Brother is watching you. And damn, you are so bloody BORING.
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Big Brother is watching you. And damn, you are so bloody BORING.