Planet Valenti

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY JULY 30, 2011) — Pittsfield voters, surrender now. It’s over. You have no chance. You have been maimed, stamped, filed, marginalized, indexed, ignored, and crushed. The GOBs want it that way, and by your low participation in the political process, they got it […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2011) — We present, verbatim, the first item from the desk of Sen. Ben Downing. THE PLANET likes the way Downing sends these briefings on a regular basis. Sure, they’re self-serving. Sure, you don’t find out the nitty gritty. However, as […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, JULY 29 (GAMES OF JULY 28), 2011) — After three tough games against the Rockland Boulders, the Pittsfield Colonials could have just packed their bags and gone home. Thankfully, prior to Game 2 of the day/night doubleheader, they didn’t pack away their bats. Buoyed by an eight-run second inning […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI Arts (PITTSFIELD, Mass., THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2011) — QUESTION: Can the interpretation of a derivative work of an extrapolation of actual events match the power of the reality of the events themselves? Can Art top “real life”? ANSWER: It has to, or what you end up with is not Art […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2011) — Since we are not running for political office, and since we are not the new clerk magistrate for Central Berkshire District Court, THE PLANET can speak the hidden thoughts not only of ourselves but of others. With that, isn’t […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011) — The greatest misstatement of fact in the debt-ceiling discussion, made worse by acceptance and repetition, is that “the United State has never defaulted on its financial obligations.” In fact, the “full faith and credit of the U.S.” has been […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, JULY 24, 2011) — THE PLANET would like to extend our condolences to Jane Fitzpatrick, daughters Nancy and Anne, plus the entire family on the loss of the family patriach, Jack. THE PLANET feels this loss on many levels, the deepest of which […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011) — The two dominant stories of late, the heat and the debt ceiling crisis, at first seem unrelated. There are, however, X degrees of separation between any two issues or events. “X” in this case = “frazzled.” The heat wave […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, Friday, July 22, 2011) — Today, THE PLANET shares  a cornucopia of items that form our horn of plenty under summer’s azure sky. * OK, OK, IT’s HOT — Enough, already, with the over-the-top coverage of the heat. Today’s Boring Broadsheet followed lockstep with […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary The Courts are ‘Funny’ that Way (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, July 21, 2011) — THE PLANET, being open minded as all good journalists and writers must be, has few “nevers” in our orbit. Like “always,” the word “never” is an absolute term, allowing for no exceptions. We do […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Game of July 20, 2011) — Though the Quebec Capitales came into Wahconah Park Wednesday seeking blood against their archival Pittsfield Colonials to pull off a four-game sweep, Chad Paronto and the Pittsfield offense had other ideas, as the Colonials ran away with a 10-1 victory before 708 […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary Man on the Moon: July 20, 1969 (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 20, 2011) — Today marks the 42nd anniversay of Man on the Moon. Neil Armstrong planted his lunar boots into green cheese and botched his lines with the first words. THE PLANET vividly remembers the”one, small […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., July 19, 2011) — After a 2-0 loss Monday night, all the Pittsfield Colonials were looking for Tuesday afternoon were clean innings early in order to help build a lead against the Can-Am League’s first-half champion Quebec Capitales. For Miguel Flores, that plan didn’t exactly pan out, as […]

By CHAD COOPER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, Mass., July 19, 2011, Game of July 18) —  The Pittsfield Colonials and Quebec Capitales saw both of their starting pitchers toss phenomenal ball throughout their Monday night contest in the Capitales’ 2-0 win. The Capitales got a pair of runs in the fifth inning on a throwing […]

By JOSH CUTLER PLANET VALENTI Sports (PITTSFIELD, July 18, 2011, Game of July 17) — Returning home late after a big 4-2 victory Saturday night against Rockland, one might expect the Pittsfield Colonials to come back to the Berkshires looking a little road weary for Sunday afternoon’s matinee. Even if they weren’t tired, the Quebec Capitales […]

ISRAEL’S KNESSET PASSES ‘DISGRACEFUL NEW LAW’ By LARA FRIEDMAN Special to PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (EDITOR’s NOTE): THE PLANET, which values the larger view as much as we do putting the local yokels under the pin and tweezers, presents this guest contribution from Lara Friedman, director of policy and government relations for American for […]