BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 5-7, 2021) — THE PLANET has been on this earth for 14 U.S. presidents and 00 Pittsfield mayors. How do we discuss so many? The question was put to us recently at a small gathering of a secret society meeting […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MARCH 3, 2021) — Spend. That’s the word on THE PLANET today. Spend spend spend. Spend, spend, spend, spend. spendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspendspend. In 2020, the federal government spent $4 trillion to provide economic relief from the hardships caused by the COVID-19 virus. This year, a […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, DATE, 2021) — While the dynamic, inclusive, diverse vibrancy of Pittsfield continues to dazzle your senses and the B.S. continues like sausage-making from the Tyer Administration about the wonder of it all, THE PLANET thought you might be interested in a more objective, third-party […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 26-28, 2021) — In our previous column, THE PLANET presented a hot link to the statement of the Pittsfield Police Advisory Review Board (PARB). In it, the board announced it signed on to the state’s new regulations regarding policing with […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part 1 of 2 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEST, WEDNESDAY FEB. 24, 2021) — You may have missed it while you were in hospital for removal of tire tracks on your backside from the Tyer Administration’s bond-refinancing bus that ran over you (see THE PLANET‘s previous column). The […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEST, MONDAY FEB. 22, 2021) — “History repeats itself,” observed that noted vaudevillian comic, Karl Marx. “The first time is tragedy. The second time is farce.” Here’s are a few more profundities: “Injuns? Why there’s no injuns in these parts” — Gen. George Armstrong […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE WEST, MONDAY FEB. 15, 2021) — THE PLANET enters week two of our vacation, whistling down the road of life. We shall make this quick-hit then turn to you for comments. Something happened this week. It’ll come to us in a moment. Oh yeah, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 FEB. 11, 2021 — Through miracle of high tech (satellites, e-patches) + low-tech (paper clips, bailing wire), THE PLANET can post this brief message to y’all. We’re enjoying our time, and a wild one it is (in literal but exhilarating sense). Glad to see folks […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 5-7, 2021) — THE PLANET closes the week sweet and simply. It’s Super Bowl weekend. You might expect us to get all serious with warnings about super spreader events, but you’d be wrong. THE PLANET believes in freedom and recognizes […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 3, 2021) — Here is the full text of the mayor’s 2021 “State of the City” address, presented without comment. THE PLANET reserves comments to you, our readers. We have taken it unedited and as presented from the city’s website. ———- ooo […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY. FEB. 1, 2021) — One of the areas Syracuse Joe Biden and the Democrats hammered President Trump was Trump’s handing of the pandemic. Biden called it “dismal” and promised to hit Day One with a plan ready to go and go smoothly. The […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JAN. 29-31, 2021) — One of the great surprises from doing THE PLANET, this being the 2,199th column published in this series (about two million words), has been allowing people to express themselves freely and fully. With the restrictions now placed […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 27, 2021) — From time to rare time, it becomes necessary to pull the plug on a commentator. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen often. Most people respect the power of broadcasting their words. Other? Not so good. THE PLANET believes in the secular […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 1-25-21 — THE PLANET shares this release from the Pittsfield Police Department (updated): Earlier today, 28 year old Pittsfield resident Patrick Sheerin was arrested and charged with five counts of armed robbery. Sheerin’s charges stem from four incidents in Pittsfield and one in Lenox that […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 1/22/21 — To lighten the tone but also so that we will not be remiss, THE PLANET shares a way to get rich fast. Take our picks to the nearest legal sports book and put your life savings these selection for the conference championship games. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 20, 2021) — Today’s Inauguration Day. Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away that day engendered optimism and the belief in a fresh start, a day that welcomed We The People as leaders joined from both sides of the […]
