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“THE GENERALISSIMO” INVADES, TAKES OVER CITY IN BLOODLESS (AND FUNNY) COUP. FILM TOMORROW AT 7 p.m. ON ‘PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION’

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By DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014) — After the massive thunderclaps of last night, THE PLANET greeted this morning’s sun with joy and poetics. It would be a perfect day for morning filming in beautiful, downtown Pittsfield. With director Dave Bubriski manning the hand-held, Planet Valenti Television — PV-TV put from mighty interesting and funny stuff “in the can.”

We introduced our new character, The Generalissimo Juan Carlos Jose Feliciano de la Vega Nostanda Lavanta in Nientes de la Santa Anna. We filmed The Generalissimo in front of and then inside city hall.

THE GENERALISSIMO: Meet your new leader, Pittsfield.

You can watch as His Excellency visits the city clerk’s office, where he inquires of the staff if he can get “a permit to dictate.” This will enable him to become dictator of Pittsfield. As it turns out, they don’t have the permit, but The Generalissimo eschews the niceties and legalities and simply pronounces himself dictator of Pittsfield, overthrowing the mayor.

He completes what he calls a “coop,” meaning “coup.” You see, The Generalissimo is still learning English. He then takes a hilarious walk down North Street, where he meets all sorts of people: passersby,  babies, shop owners, teens, seniors, a cop, and even Ernie the Hot Dog Man.

The rake of for raking The Suits over the coals. The Generalissimo means business.

Assuming we can book enough time in the studio for editing, these encounters will be shown tomorrow night for Episode 5 of PV-TV. You will also want to tune in, because, if His Excellency’s schedule permits, The Generalissimo shall be paying a live, in-studio visit to announce his plans for city government, as well as the fate of some of its former leaders. These include treasurer Sue Carmel, DPW maverick Bruce Collingwood, and, of course, The Empy Suit himself/itself. Rumors are flying, and we hear that their fates will not be pretty. Above all, we will hear His Excellency declare: “De Generalissimo, he love da peepul.”

These encounters — film, live, and whatnot — can be seen tomorrow beginning at 7 p.m. for the hour on Access Pittsfield Channel 16.

Planet Valenti Television: You’ve never seen anything like it on local access. Gone are the boring, talking heads in suits, looking all serious and stiff. In are fun, laughter, zaniness, things going awry (oh the joy of flying through the air without a safety net), and a heavy dose of information, data, and commentary about YOUR government. It’s ragged. It’s rough. It’s real.

As a phenomenon, PV-TV is slowly finding its audience. They are the curious, the disaffected, those who follow politics and government, those who appreciate a certain kind of “Uncle Floyd Show/Soupy Sales” humor, those who like to laugh, those who are afraid to laugh and take themselves too seriously, and an assorted collection of good folks collectively known as Mary Jane and Joe Kapanski.

Meanwhile, here is a hot link that will bring you episodes 1, 2, 3, and 4. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjP38gC2WQcYx71Cz0tjwoQ/feed

Feedback is always welcome.

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“Gentlemen, you can’t fight here. This is the War Room.”Peter Sellers at The President in Stanley Kubrick‘s Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb.”

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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Nota
Nota
9 years ago

To the Generaal: Did you get the moolah and the fancy tie clip?

MrG1188
MrG1188
9 years ago

I am blown away that you mention Uncle Floyd as an inspiration. The Uncle Floyd show was an all time favorite of mine. If you can be HALF as compelling and funny you will have something timeless like Bones Boy, Oogie, Netto, Looney Skip Rooney and the rest

chuck garivaltis
chuck garivaltis
9 years ago

Dan, We “get” it for sure. The problem is many of us are so discouraged and disappointed we don’t even vote. Here’s another example of what is wrong. Last week Taconic and Pittsfield High Schools faced off in a championship baseball game. Great kids, good coaches, and Taconic is still in the hunt for championship play. But here’s the rub. It was a big deal and back slappers were all over the place because two Pittsfield schools were playing at Wahconah Park.for the first time this year. This is a Pittsfield park maintained and paid for by Pittsfield taxpayers including parents of players. It should not be a once a year thrill for high school boys to play a game at Wahconah Park. Priority for Wahconah Park should be Pittsfield schools and that includes St. Joseph High School. Their parents are Pittsfield taxpayers.

Years ago 8th and 9th graders played baseball games there, as well as high schools and American Legion teams. There were night games to.And there were pro teams there to but good planning and a community that knew it was their money that paid for park upkeep for their kids made the system work.
No reason why we can’t get back to that. After all, here’s a legitimate, “It’s for the kids”.

Roman Knows
Roman Knows
Reply to  chuck garivaltis
9 years ago

Chuck as a 75 yr old expat I fully agree!

Rafael
Rafael
Reply to  chuck garivaltis
9 years ago

Excellent points, Chuck. Especially with little hope that an MLB minor league team will ever play there again, Wahconah Park should be used more and more for the people who actually live here, our kids.

InDaKnow
InDaKnow
9 years ago

Dan, I Think Bob Bitchum, AKA as the Man in The Bathtub, The Original PCTV Guru, Had it all Over you……

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
9 years ago

Ernie Jordan is a good guy just trying to make a living.

The Empty Suit was not happy about this. Maybe not enough tribute to the GOBs? Competes with his pet failures?

Good luck Erine! I’ll have another hotdog with the works!!!

PopKornSutton
PopKornSutton
9 years ago

Thank goodness for the Planet and now the PCTV gig. I actually look forward to reading and now watching the show. Great job Dan!

amandaWell
amandaWell
9 years ago

From what we hear, some Councilors are against the retroactive part of the pay raises. Don’t remember any squawking when any of the candidates took these jobs? Other than the recipients and a few Councilors, maybe, most, taxpayers aren’t for any kind of raises at this time, retroactive or not!

PopKornSutton
PopKornSutton
9 years ago

I find it amusing that the single most possibele reduction in the budget can only occur only by administration approval?