The operating system on my computer is Windows 2000 Pro with service pack 4. The popular free firewall software, ZoneAlarm, recently abandoned support for this operating system - meaning, if I want to continue using ZoneAlarm, I can no longer upgrade to a version newer than what I've already installed. Fair enough.

In any case, every couple of months, I get this niggly popup window telling me that a "new/improved" version of ZoneAlarm is available. And, this popup window gives me only two options - "upgrade now" or "ask me later." So, I went to their online forum to see if there was an option for making the popup window "go away permanently." I was able to find this option there. But while reading in the forum, I came across a topic area discussing the abandonment of support for the Windows 2000 operating system. And some of the things said about Windows 2000 kinda rubbed me the wrong way. So, I replied with my own opinion.

Within an hour, this posted opinion disappeared from where I posted it. However, it reappeared in the "off-topic" area. So, I posted a query to the original topic I posted to ... asking why my post was moved. And, another hour or so later, both that post and my moved post were deleted from their forum - entirely.

But (grin), I captured my post with Adobe Acrobat before it was deleted from their "off-topic" area. You'll find it here:

http://AlecWest.com/ZoneAlarmTopic.pdf (3.8 megs)

And, I can assure you that this post will NOT be deleted (grin). Of course, if word of this blog post gets back to ZoneLabs.com, my forum account might be deleted as well, hehehe. Ces la vie. All I was doing was posting an opinion to a forum ... a forum I assumed was mature enough to accept a little criticism. Guess I was wrong. Oh, well.

P.S. - Just for giggles, I made one more post to the ZoneAlarm forum. The topic title was "ZoneAlarm forum censorship." I said nothing other than giving a link to this blog and saying the topic was mentioned there. 45 minutes later, it, too, was deleted (grin). Ah, gee whiz, hehe. Oddly, however, they did not delete my forum account ... at least, not yet. Perhaps this means that forum membership allows people like me to visit ... as long as they don't think "out loud" too much. Ya think?

P.P.S. - I suppose I should have added the following thought to my forum post. But, it didn't occur to me then - and I did want to keep my forum post as brief as possible. Anyhoo, here goes.

Microsoft has extended support for Windows 2000 but only until July 13, 2010. After that, support ends. But eventually, support will end for Windows XP (I heard 2014) ... then later, Vista ... and later, Windows 7. Now, multiple choice quiz:

When support ends for these Windows operating systems, which of them can be successfully reinstalled?

(A) Windows 2000 Pro, service pack 4.
(B) Windows XP, home and pro versions.
(C) Windows Vista, any version.
(D) Windows 7, any version.

P.P.P.S. - On April 29th, there was a new development in the ZoneAlarm forum. My deleted post was brought back from the dead and can now be seen in the Off-Topic area where ZoneAlarm moved it. One catch, though. In the graphic below, you'll notice a "green mark" over the folder icon for my post. This means that my post has been marked as "read-only" so no one can respond to my opinion. Considering the number of people who HAVE read it (117), I'll bet that someone has an opinion about my opinion. But, why encourage people to agree (grin). See graphic below:

In the movie, "Patton," George C. Scott related a tale about a conqueror who paraded before his fallen enemy's people. But as he paraded in front of the masses, one of the conqueror's slaves approached him and whispered in his ear - "All fame is fleeting." This wisdom is not lost in the entertainment business. To stay on top, performers have to keep parading in front of an audience. Once they stop parading - and if they stop for a long period - people tend to forget about them. And when that happens, they become "has-beens" who find it difficult to re-ignite their faltering careers.

Rush Limbaugh has had an interesting history as a commentator in broadcasting. Initially, his radio show became so popular it transitioned to TV. His first book was a bonafide best-seller. But his second book sold so poorly that, by the end of his TV period, he had to give it away as a freebie in exchange for subscription to his newsletter.

Bottom line? Rush Limbaugh was a "fad" - and his time in the limelight has come and gone. Right now, he's left only with a loyal niche of followers who are "just enough" to keep his radio program on the air. And no one knows this better than Rush Limbaugh himself.

This recent criticism of Obama is clearly an attempt by Rush to use the media as a free advertising tool. It's an attempt to re-jumpstart his faltering career. And who knows ... it just might work.

Whenever our economy hits a bump in the road, it brings the finger-pointers out of the woodwork. Rush is certainly not the only one - just perhaps the most well-known finger-pointer. Whether or not he succeeds in hurting the Obama administration is hard to say. It all depends on how many people are willing to listen to him and take him seriously.

But, I find myself wondering whether Rush's current media posturing is really related to his contempt for Obama's policies ... or whether it's related to his realization that he needs to force-feed himself into the media spotlight to keep his broadcasting career (what's left of it) viable. Fame is fleeting, after all.

Before beginning, let me say that I'm debating whether or not to put up my prior blog entries as-is. I tend to be an open-minded person and will be re-reading what I've written in the past. Who knows - I may have changed my mind on some of the topics I've touched upon (grin).

Recently, a Pew survey indicated that more and more Americans are saying they have no religion. I'm not so certain that this is true. It depends entirely on how one defines the word "religion." My favorite definition is definition #6 from the Dictionary.reference.com site: "something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience."

I was baptized in a Presbyterian Church. And while growing up, I attended a Methodist Church. My mom and stepdad were both staunch Presbyterians - but my mom convinced my stepdad to make an exception in my case since the nearest Presbyterian Church was over a hundred miles away from the small town where I grew up. In my teen years, I was a fellowship leader in Methodist Youth Fellowship. And with others under my wing, we went door to door - spreading the good news of salvation. But when I graduated from high school and attended college, something happened.

I began listening to the lectures of the late Alan Watts (died in 1971). For 20 years, he was an Anglican Priest. Then, as he said in his own words, "I woke up from the dream." He devoted the rest of his life to studying "comparative" religion and devoted numerous lectures to the topic - broadcast on some of the more "hip" FM stations during the late 1960s and early 1970s. A number of radio stations still broadcast his lectures even today. And, his lectures have also found their way onto the Internet. Google his name and you'll see what I mean.

In any event, I did not "abandon" Christianity. I moved "beyond" it. Watts helped me see a truth I'd ignored all my young life. There are over 400 organized religions in the world. And in each of these religions, there are wise men and women who have professed belief for many years. More importantly, these beliefs convey an exclusivity. Devout followers, therefore, are incapable of admitting one possibility - that they could be wrong. Most faiths demand absolute adherence to their own dogma. For example, my stepdad sat down with me one day and said, quote, "Son, there are only two types of people in this world - religiously speaking. You've got your Presbyterians - and you've got your people going to Hell." And he meant it - sincerely.

In short, when a lot of "wise" people believe in such varied systems of belief, who am I to say that one is "better" than another - or that "any" of these beliefs are even valid? So, like Watts, I chose to investigate various systems of belief. And from them, I established my own individual set of beliefs that cannot be associated with any organized faith or church.

This is why I somewhat disagree with the findings of the Pew survey. I don't think Americans are abandoning religion. Rather, they are moving beyond dogma they would "define" as religion to establish their own individualized set(s) of beliefs. What we're witnessing now, in my opinion, is merely the beginning of the end of the "flock" mentality. It's not that people are abandoning a given set of beliefs. It's more likely that they're abandoning the need to have their beliefs defined, directed, or supervised by a specific dogma, sect, or clerical leader (ie., a preacher).

So ... what do I believe? My belief system is very simple ... and based more on "gut" philosophy than on any kind of dogma. Simply put, because I perceive symmetry in the world, I find it impossible to ignore the machinations behind it. Symmetry is either the work of an intelligent force ... or possibly even the work of an intelligent designer. Insofar as an afterlife is concerned, I believe one exists. But this belief, again, is not based on dogma. Rather, it's based more on physics. It is a scientific fact that all human brainwave activities (our thoughts and feelings) have an electrical charge associated with them. And the basic law of physics suggests that neither energy nor matter can be created or destroyed - only changed in form. So when our bodies "die," the electrical charges that make up our thoughts and feelings continue on in some manner. The "how" is speculative. But, since these charges can't be destroyed, they can only be changed in form. Reincarnation? Perhaps. I'd like to think that our thoughts and feelings rejoin a river of common consciousness - to be tapped into by others. So while our bodies may die, our thoughts and feelings (our "souls" perhaps) live on forever.

What do I NOT believe in? If an intelligent designer exists, I believe the designer's power and knowledge would be so great that the designer would have no need or desire for "human" worship as a price for acceptance or favor. A father's love of his children should be unconditional. But the love of the Christian God seems more like the "conditional" love of a benevolent despot for his subjects - conditional on their obedience - or conditional on their desire to praise the despot and "beg" for his pleasure (aka prayer).

I used to believe in Santa Claus, the "tooth fairy," and even the Easter bunny. But eventually, I grew up and became a rational adult. Likewise, I no longer believe in angels fluttering about in clouds, playing harps, and praising any kind of God. And I certainly don't believe in any grand cosmic poobah sitting on a golden throne "up there" (wherever "up there" may be). This does NOT mean, however, that I consider the Bible (or any other "holy" text) without value. Beyond the historical value of these texts, there is a lot of accumulated wisdom to be found in them. For example, consider this passage from the Bible - 1 Corinthians, 13:11 - "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

Off pulpit.

P.S. If you're wondering about the title of this blog entry, it comes from the song "Eastern Intrigue" by Todd Rundgren. In it, he explores the multitude of religious beliefs in a somewhat humorous and sarcastic manner - and asks the question, "Will the real God please stand up?" Listen to it if you can find it. It's a hoot (grin). Or, you can click HERE to check out the lyrics.