Saturday, January 26, 2013
Beautiful Warrior
Wow.
It's hard to believe that I haven't posted anything since Chanukah. Things have not been good. Reporting and exposing public (and police in particular police) corruption and inefficiency has its consequences. This would include trespassing in my apartment, a refusal on the part of Buffalo Police detectives to investigate it. This would also include cybercrimes and unlawful surveillance, I believe. I have seen cars inexplicably parked on an empty street directly across from a park in direct view of my front window.
On January 12, 2013, a Saturday night. I saw a car parked for about half an hour, lights on an people standing next to it. I hard four pops which sounded a hell of a lot like shots fired. Not at my window, but definitely in plain view of it. I saw blooms of smoke after each pop. I did not call 911 at all. It would have been an exercise in futility IMO. If they bothered to respond the response time would have been horrible.
This article I wrote (offline) in July has sparked a great deal of controversy with people even posting their troubles with dirty Buffalo cops, one person writing under her name on a social media site. I can't go into details but B'H that there are other law enforcement agencies to investigate and expose police corruption. So what did I do that night of possible "shots fired"? My response will seem odd to most but it was a great comfort to me. I sat on the arm of my sofa with the mini blinds completely opened and sat there listening to my Ipod--Luciano Pavarotti singing Nessum Dorma. I played it until the car drove off. I am Italian American FYI as if I haven't mentioned it:) Nessum Dorma was perfect and very comforting for this dark night and threat (I believe it was a warming). Nessum Dorm...ah, so perfect for this night. In fact, I made a music video of it recently featuring my two betta fish. That is, my crown tail betta fish and veil betta.
These are gorgeous fish, the aquatic version of a peacock. They are glorious fish with personality and intelligence. Their technical name is Betta Splendens. Literally, Beautiful Warrior. Sadly these glorious fish are often housed in tiny fish bowls as their alternative name is Siamese fighting fish. These fish are indeed beautiful but they have a flaw: they are extremely aggressive towards their own species and any fish that resembles them. Go to any pet shop and you'll see betta fish in tiny little cups, often with a small amount of water in these cups. People buy them, but often house them in tiny, unheated 1/2 bowls. Some put them in vases. I have mine in 2.5 gallon heated tanks and they seem very happy.
My halfmoon betta is so feisty! He flares at everything--other fish in a tank near his (I need to put something between the two)--his reflection in the glass and even his own reflection in the water above him.
But watch the beautiful finnage as he passes, fleetingly, across the LED light. I haven't named him yet, though I have had him since about September. What name for such a fish? I am thinking of Maccabi. I think that is a good name for a beautiful warrior. My slowing moving but favorite of all four bettas is my blue veil tail. I've named him Sapphire. Yes. I made a video part twilight with fleetingly glimpses of my beautiful warrior, and my blue Sapphire.
In honor of them. They survived living in tiny cups, escaping the fate of many bettas--languishing in tiny cups at pet stores or going to bad homes.
So on this night of apparent "shots fired" I listened to the music, in plainview of the car. In the window. From the haunting beginning "No one will sleep" to the equally haunting voice of women in the distance singing, (Il nome suo nessun saprà!... e noi dovrem, ahime, morir! mori) No one will know his name and we must, alas, die. To the utterly victorious Vanish, o night! Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win! Vincero! Vincero! VINCERO!
Inspired by the music of generations and generations of great Italian music I was able to be brave. I will win this battle bli nader. B'H for honest law enforcement officers and agencies who take their oaths seriously and sincerely. Again, I cannot say that the apparent shots fired was for me but under the current circumstances (and have been shot in 2003 as a non-lethal warning by someone who did possess a real gun) it is a very real possibility... But...VINCERO!!!
Since I enjoy and find much inspiration in song, colors, and symbolism I did a quick search of fish symbolism. Here is the first response I got "In Aramaic (the language of the Talmud), the word Nun means "fish," a symbol of activity and life" I like that:) My inspirational fish:
"that's really scary but hopefully will blow over soon"