Truman 1.4

         
The Truman Show is a movie about a man who tries to find himself in a life scripted for him since birth. Watching The Truman Show for the first time the other night, I began to see how most of us in society are puppets or prisoners in some fashion or another. We go about our daily lives performing tasks we learned from the moment we could speak and walk. Our way of thinking is skewed because we are brainwashed to see things the way others want you to perceive them. Our parents, our employers, advertisers and let us not forget big brother, our government with its no good politicians push their own agendas.

Our minds are bound by the information given to us. Instead of exploring the world outside ourselves, we are chained to the lives which have been given to us. Women, for example, were taught to believe that the only jobs they could obtain were housewives, cashiers or seamstresses in a man’s world.  Now they have jobs as CEOs of corporations. They own their own businesses and they manage as single parents in families. Even now as an employee of the City of New York, I know I am bound by the rules and regulations that are forced upon me. These rules inhibit me from helping people because if I don’t enforce them, I could lose my job.

The Truman Show is a reflection of Plato's Allegory of the Cave.  Both Truman and the captives are prisoners in their own world; a world that was made for them.  When one day, they realize that there is another world outside the world they know. In Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners only know life presented to them by the shadows on the wall. When one prisoner was freed from his chains, he left the cave and saw the sun, sand and trees.  He was awed by the magnificence of the landscape so he ventured back into the cave to tell the other captives to come with him. However, they thought he was crazy so he left them in the cave because he knew there was a better world outside. 

Like the freed prisoner in Allegory of the Cave, Truman also believed that there was a better world outside.


     

HERO 1.2

        Awoken at five o'clock in the morning by a thunderous roar to find that the sun is just starting to rise, that there is not a cloud in the sky. I then realize it was the rumbling from a dream that woke me. Starting the day off early by jumping into a cold shower as it is an extremely hot and humid morning. Ready to go to work  i leave my abode. Crossing that thresshold which was my safe haven into the realm of uncertainty. The road that i take on my journey begins by traveling on the iron horse.
          HereI cross the thresshold as i descend into a dark subterrain where every morning lurks the unknown. Species of the human race who push into one another craming themselves in like sardines in a can. The selfish, inconsiderate who look the other way; like what happened to me this day, where an elderly woman who inevitable needed a seat. I in turn attempting to give her mine had been intentionally taken up as i vacated the seat. An extremely arrogant mid thirtyish female who happened to get in my face with her attitude when i told her that the seat i got up from was for this elderly woman. She didn't seem to care basically telling me too bad; " i am in this seat now ". Becoming infuriated I grabbed ahold of her arms, picked her up from the seat so the elderly woman was able to sit. The rest of the human race applauded after seeing what had transpired, and that thirthy something year old female, she didnt say another word. She actually stood by the doors waiting; evidently embarrassed or humiliated and exited the iron horse as it pulled into the station.
              Arriving at my destination; the jobsite, being the restoration and reconstruction of a stone behemonth high above the concrete jungle below. Every morning a discussion is held with the men as to what  the day's  workload will be. This morning was no different than any other except we were short on man power. My brother; Brian, who also worked with me on this project was alright working alone and went on to perform his work. The day had progressed along beautifully repairing the behemonths frame, removing decayed sections in preparation for its new parts to maintain character and stability. The next few minutes although were very harrowing. That thunderous roar that awoke me just happened again, but i am wide awake now and wondering were it occured. My brother then just yells out for help. Immediately i spring into action and over to where he was working. The platform he was on while being suspended had given way on the one end. Brian was now dangling on that same end. I rushed for rope, secured it and sent over two lines; one for myself and the ot other for the platform. I propelled over the side of  stone behemoth and tied the platform off with the other line. My brother then grabbed a hold of me and tied in. We propelled down about forty feet to safety. Hearts still racing ,adrenaline still pumping i now realize what that thunderous roar was. It was a premonition of what was to pass,but didn't have the final outcome because i was awoken prior.
            Standing up for others when they need it shows your integrity. Being respected for it is priceless and heartfelt.  Acting spontaneously and saving my brother s life was the real reward for me. I still have him around to cherish, to talk with and laugh aloud just as we did when we returned to my abode. We drank and remanist about the past and the future never alone.
               

Tecnology

             The different types of technologies that i have to interact with everyday do have an impact on my life today, but i dont believe that would be the case for each piece of technology which i have. Technology has advanced us in ways most of us would not have imagined and i believe i wouldn't be able to get by without the use of my television or phone.
              First , i have 2 cell phones; one being my personnel phone the other which is for work has a direct connect radio. I also have 2 computers one being my laptop and the other the agency network. To start off, at work the computer and the phone are basically glued to my hip for the majority of the day. Here i am required to have them per the protocal and procedures of the agency which i am employed by. The phone or radio give me instant access to the employees under my direction. The computer and its vast data base permit me to obtain required and personnel infromation at the touch. These types of technologies are in essence a blessing to have especially when an immediate response is required for either party. A case in point would be when a few years ago the agency was notified of a of a building vibrating. This is considered a priority and i had to dispatch an inspector already in the field immediately The dirct connect phone was used. the inspector arrived on scene moments later. He then had to relay back to me for immediate assistance as that vibration was due to work at the job site next door, which was in the excavation stage. this excavation caused a serious crack in the building next door and we had to vacate the structure due to a possible collapse. The agency's computer was  used to retrieve pertainant information, to send emails to other agencies to halt mass transit that was nearby, to have construction equipment and material delivered expediately. Here i could not have completed these tasks efficiently without the use of technology which makes me dependant upon it.