Stillness

A tranquil breeze blows in from the north. Sweet scents of flower blossoms drift by. The surrounding nature is in no hurry. A small creek gently flows through a valley of ancient trees. The crisp, clear water replenishes the local foliage and creatures with the essential source for life. Large branches loom overhead, sheltering the small, sprouting plant life and animals below. A protecting feeling, much like a warm cozy home, permeates throughout the area. Intermittent bird songs play throughout the environment, resembling a natural symphony.

All around, autumn leaves tumble graciously down from their branches, like miniature ballerinas twirling to the earth. Wild birds rustle in the piles of brown and discarded leaves in search of seeds. The dry foliage crunches and breaks by the titter tatter of small feet as critters of all sorts rummage and scour for treasures hidden under the vegetation. Occasionally, a puffy tailed squirrel will peak out and cleverly scurry around in search of a meal. More rarely, a deer will delicately happen by to visit a grazing meadow.

The tall azure sky, with patches of soft white clouds and the glowing sun, shines magnificently upon the valleys below. Every direction, to the edges of the land which the eye can see, stretches only the meadows and woodland areas. Nothing of a town or city, or even a car can be found. No honk of a horn, not the droning of traffic, nor the incessant murmuring of city life can be perceived. The true escape from the bustling of people and technology is finally found in these remote and small pockets of raw, untainted habitats.

It often takes days to reach this sublime scene. But serenity is worth the effort. With the activities of the human realm shed off and left behind, the mind becomes as calm and undisturbed, much like the surrounding landscape. A few regenerative days enveloped in the embrace of hundred year old trees, pristine and soothing rivers recharges the mind and spirit. Stillness brings true bliss.

A few quotes to ponder.

People often tend to seek outwards for redemption or fulfillment of something lacking in their life. In fact, this method of achieving happiness is artificial and short-lived. Many of us have already learned the wisdom but there are always those people that continue to be trapped making the same mistakes.

Yet human sentimentality is responsible for these failings. In all our pursuits for affection, attention, comfort, or any other emotionally driven desires to affect or control others, we have lost sight that true liberation begins from within.

The following are some quotes which remind me of this truth:

"If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere." -Francois de la Rochefoucauld

"Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have." -Doris Mortman

"It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere." -Agnes Repplier

"He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe."
-Marcus Aurelius

"Some people say they haven't yet found themselves. But the self is not something on finds; it is something one creates." -Thomas Szasz

The palest ink is greater than the strongest mind.

The axiom in this post's title rings true and relates an insightful perspective on effective and enduring communication. While people spend much of their life connecting with others through talking, the verbal exchanges we share are hardly ever recorded, and thus are forgotten through the passage of time. Even the wisest sage would not be able to share his or her knowledge fruitfully to future posterity without the help of written words.

At its best, the written words of humankind is certainly the chief technological feat which has enabled the development of civilizations, documented the precious knowledge of the ages, and facilitated the teaching of and enabling of the youth throughout history, to strive for their highest achievements.

Recorded words has had so much effect in advancing and molding the world, that the old adage, "the pen is mightier than the sword", certainly holds its weight in gold.

For home use, there are a few things that some people may overlook when setting up their wireless router. The following are some steps for computer users to secure their wireless home network:

1. Remember to change your default password for the administrator and user accounts in the wireless router. Many typical brands like D-Link or Linksys have default passwords such as "admin" or even no password at all.

2. Turn off or change the default SSID. Similar to the previous point, the default SSID (network name broadcast) of a Linksys wireless router is normally "linksys" and a D-Link, its model name. For most home users, changing it to something unique but not directly identifiable to your home is recommended. For a few households who have savvy computer users at home, SSID broadcast can be turned off.

3. Turn on the wireless security encryption. Most home wireless router devices have wireless security encryption options including WEP, WPA and WPA2. At a minimum, WEP should be turned on. But since this encryption method has been broken and considered weak, WPA or its newer and more secure format WPA2, should be used.

Be aware that some older wireless adapters might not be able to connect to or have compatibility issues with wireless networks using the newer WPA or WPA2 encryption.

The wireless security encryption usually uses one key which all the devices share within a network. If someone outside the network tries to connect without the proper key, they will not be able to send or receive data properly on the wireless network, therefore denied use of the wireless home network.

A tip for advanced home computer users:
The next step is normally not recommended for general users as it is more technical.

4. Using MAC filtering. This is a great way to make a network secure from unauthorized wireless clients. An advanced home user can set the specific MAC address of the devices such as laptops and desktops he wishes to have connected to the router. All other devices without authorized MAC addresses listed in the wireless router will not be able to connect at all.

**Important note: Be aware that the MAC filtering is not a 100% fail-safe solution. Advanced computer users who know how to change their MAC addresses can still spoof (fool the wireless router) their way into your network. Generally for home use, this isn't a big concern.

Economic Philosophies

The role of government is to maintain economic and social stability and uphold the laws and rules of the land. While this idea has taken many forms throughout the centuries of this nation's history, one this is certain: the government is not perfect, but it does try to adapt to the changing times. However, while governments cannot change their policies on a dime, it does gradually transform itself over long periods of time. The concepts related to how much intervention government should play on the development or stability on the economy has been a experiment through the decades. In the Great Depression, for instance, the US government tried to let the economy correct itself out of the mess that some of the businesses had created. In this case, the government waited for "the invisible hand" of the market to fix its own problems. In the end, this was not to be, as those who wanted to help were too few, and those who were greedy maintained their old ways. Those who have do not necessarily care for the have-nots unless the world of the haves will truly crumble as a consequence. Having power and money is not contingent upon learning proper morals or ethics, even though it would be a benefit to the world if this was so. Coming back to the topic, it is seen that current government policies are more aggressive in stepping in to stabilize a failing economy, rather than using the failed laissez-faire philosophy practiced during the Great Depression. It is too early and also difficult to determine which methodology is the better of the two. Nevertheless, with the right intention and attention, I believe that a balanced and "dynamic" approach is required for a government to effectively oversee today's internationally mixed economy.

The Game

It is true that governments tend to help large business entities, as they have more money and more clout to affect the direction of legislatures and policy-makers. Whether we like it or not, the world spins along with those who have the most authority. Although this is considered a bad thing for the regular Joe citizen, there is some good attributes to this predicament as well. First, those in authority and with money wish to maintain their power and wealth. As such, they will use generally use selfish methods to achieve that goal. However, if the "peons" of the world decide in mass that they do not wish to play the "game" any longer, those in command will have to resort to new methods to resolve the state of affairs. The masses do have power, but the masses have been dumbed down and brainwashed to think they should be happy, content, and live their lives the way that the world has been currently structured. Freedom and the human condition has no rigid boundaries; the earlier we can individually break through and "see" this reality, the earlier real change can occur.

Government's Role in Economic Development

I believe that government should play a supervising role in regards to economic development. In terms of supervising, I mean that the government should not exceedingly interfere with the free market dynamics of our capitalistic economy. It should however oversee and regulate commerce to create a fair and balanced environment for businesses and organizations to thrive. Without oversight, businesses can become domineering, especially if one corporation is much larger compared to the rest of the industry competition. Examples of these types of monopolies are utility companies or corporations that specialize in a particular niche market. A proper government should preside over the economy similar to a teacher keeps an eye on his or her students. A good government gives guidance and support, and lets the economy have enough freedom to learn and grow. There is always the possibility of some bad apples in the economy and as such, those corrupt companies should be reprimanded. However, they should be given a chance to change, not only for fairness and equality, but also for setting a positive example for the economy as a whole. Thus, with the right mix of non-interference and oversight, a government’s role as a controller for the entire state of an economy can work purposefully and assume a valuable role.