Planet Valenti

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 2012) — The day is finally upon us, when THE PLANET Editorial Board and Packed-Suitcase Marching & Chowder Society (PEBAPSMCS) announces the fruits of its most stimulating deliberations in deciding our First Annual Turkey of the Year Award (TOYA). We approach this with […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 2012) — Early this morning, THE PLANET heard from one of our correspondent, who reacted in disbelief to a story posted by link from another reader. The story told of the ungodly perks won by teachers in the Buffalo, N.Y. school […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 2012) — At the council meeting last night, our Right Honorable Good Friends set the new tax rates, nearly six months after approving the budget. Are you sitting down for this: For both residential property owners and the commercial-industrial-business sector, taxes […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 26, 2012) — Due to the many entries and the repeated pleas for multiple nominations, THE PLANET will add a second-place prize to our Turkey of the Year Contest. Our second-place finisher will be treated to a free lunch (there IS such […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 2012) — Here is, as promised, is the announcement of THE PLANET‘s first annual Turkey of the Year Award. You will nominate the winner.  We will decide who wins this dubiously coveted honor. Here are the rules: (1) Select someone in […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, NOV. 20, 2012) — When the business keeps losing money, when its product continues to decline in quality, when its customers lose confidence in its line, and when all this occurs in a recession, you would never see the employees of that business […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 19, 2012) — You want to read the fate of such towns that continue down the path of Pittsfield? Pull up a chair and read of the fate of San Bernardino. That’s what’s coming down the pike for Pittsfield, Mass. Case in point […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, NOV. 16, 2012) —  Unbelievable as it would have appeared on Oct. 10, the city council took the spoiled lemons from Oct. 9’s no-confidence debacle and found a way to make it worse. The council didn’t make lemonade. It took the fruit and tried […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2012) — At the city council meeting Tuesday night, our Right Honorable Good Friends took a sad song and made it sadder. They did this, Jude, with (mostly) good intentions. Of course, we all know about good intentions and roads. In […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 14, 2012) — City council meetings are a lot like watching a baseball game on TV: there’s a lot of inaction, routine action, and boredom, every now and then punctuated by engaging action. The good plays come in bursts, the way light […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, NOV. 13, 2012) — CAUTION: TODAY’S PLANET CONTAINS EXPLOSIVE AND SUBVERSIVE MATERIAL. THE CITY AND THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT DO NOT WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THE REPORT CONTAINED AT FULL LENGTH IN OUR COLUMN. READ IT AS YOU WILL. IT’S LENGTHY, BUT […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY, NOV. 12, 2012) — “On Veteran’s Day, put out your flags, cheer the marchers at parades, and go to tributes. But when you wake up the next day, Nov. 12, remember that it’s still Veteran’s Day for our veterans — and it will […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, FRIDAY, NOV. 9, 2012) — Why did Mitt Romney lose the elections. The Monday Morning Quarterbacks, operating as they always do with the benefit of Williamsesque hindsight, have plenty of good reasons: Paul Ryan, 47%, loss of the Hispanic vote over his immigration policy, […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY +1, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7, 2012) — We won’t belabor the point, but We The People — their electors, at any rate — have re-elected Barack Obama President of the United States. One could see it coming, despite a credible effort by Mitt […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, ELECTION DAY, NOV. 6, 2012) — Get out and vote, for the right reasons, or stay away and don’t vote, again, as a strategic decision. Don’t vote because you “have to.” Don’t NOT vote because you’re too lazy. Whatever you do today, Election Day, […]

By DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY NOV. 5, 2012) — Tomorrow, We The People go to the polls and pretend to elect the next president. The winner will pretend to govern us. That’s the way of the ballot box exercise in these here Joonited Sticks of Americant. Big Money […]