HAPPY THANKSGIVING, WHEREIN WE WELCOME LIFE’s TOTALITY
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, NOV. 23 AND BEYOND, 2016) — There are times when we must surrender, though not in defeat. THE PLANET speaks of the triumph of life’s end, that sum of all our days awaiting each one of us as victory in demise, a fall giving way to a rise. It is an occurrence that makes its way to us when it will and how. What else can we do but watch and learn, to be the steadying hand when we can and when we reach the limits, abide?
Abide.
So it is on this Thanksgiving eve and beyond. We give thanks for life itself and the many gifts we need not list. We give thanks to each and every one of you, dear readers, who have made way for a gander, a comment, a contemplation, a thought. Enjoy the day.
Enjoy the days while you yet can.
There is not time for anything else.
——– 000 ——–
Death is a brother,
not an Other,
a relative we welcome at the gate,
an immortal delivering a mortal fate
on terms we cannot set.
And in that warm greeting we give thanks for Life —
fleeting, receding —
not pleading for more, for less.
Those are not its terms.
It has written a Book we cannot write nor would,
nor can we edit or revise. Pages turn and comes our power.
The review is in our hands:
The beginning a support
on which our baby steps stand —
The ending that we devise.
We give thanks in the end
for loved ones and friends
with every breath in dearest kinship,
Brother Death.
— DAN VALENTI, In media res
———————————————————————————————–
“I am thankful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.” — Henry David Thoreau
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The views expressed in the comment section or opinions published within the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not those of PLANET VALENTI or endorsed in any way by PLANET VALENTI; this website reserves the right to remove any comment that violates its Rules of Conduct, and it is not liable for the consequences of any posted comment as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and PLANET VALENTI’s terms of service.
Dan, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and well said. Life is short. Time flies. Shot happens. How will Pittsfield fare over the next 5 days?
I will be with the Trump’s this Thanksgiving and Twitting with the idiots.
Just watched Sturgeon show and learned that Walmart where it currently stands went from 200 k in property tax to 24 k by bringing in lawyers at making changes to what they are busness wise.
Why wasn’t this Huge News anywhere.This town is one big secret , led by newspaper and radio.Most important the secrets are held by Mayors and councilors…Yon Behnke Curtis and Mccandless….They are all lying.
.
It was reported. 1/11/2012
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/walmart-tax-break-upsets-city-council,284412
Pittsfield tax payers cannot catch a break. No one…NO ONE is looking out for them. Why in the hell we even have a city government is beyond me. We are being devoured by the parasites many of whom we elected to watch over us.
This did actually occur in the past and I wonder how many other large business chased the same deal but we never heard about it.
Hate to say I told you so, but i did, when Walmart first proposed its Pittsfield store and bragged about how much they would pay in taxes… I said then that they did the same in North Adams, and before it was built, but after it was approved, they said they had taken advantage of the state’s tax classification system for businesses and would pay a fraction of taxes it had originally stated. At least Pittsfield hasn’t approved this fraudulent development yet. Make it a condition of approval that they have to pay full tax freight and not claim their special exemption, otherwise, tell them to pound sand. Big Y, Stop & Shop, Price Chopper, Price Rite, Aldi’s, all pay full taxes. And they are the ones that will suffer from this new superstore, just as the markets in North Adams did… and which caused Price Chopper to ultimately shutter its store there.
Do we know for sure these other big stores pay full freight? It is not like any one in city hall would volunteer the information if they were not. Why would one be eligible and not another?
I thought only senior citizens on a fixed income had to pay the full tax rate.
The democrats make the tax laws in this state……so you can give thanks to them
This story was well reported by ALL local media when its impact was felt by the city of North Adams. In fact, it was discussed here on this blog often when the latest Super Walmart proposal was made public. Don’t ever think you’re getting breaking news on the Sturgeon show. He wouldn’t know real news if it bit him on the…..
Large companies typically appeal their assessments. It is standard operating procedure. if the taxes are reduced on appeal, then as we learned yesterday, it is potentially out of the City’s hands.
Yon should bet the Nobel Peace Prize.
Get…
Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!
Congrats to Flip FlopTrump, and Thanksgiving to All.
Happy Thanksgiving Dan. The Dude Abides.
Beatutifully said, DV. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone on this site…those I agree with and especially those I don’t.
“beautifully” (sorry)
Happy Thanksgiving !!!
TAXING TYER, Thanks you for your ever increasing taxes. Linda Tyer’s Thanksgiving mantra is: You give to me; and I take from you, everything, all things, and more taxes.
She is especially thankful for her obedient Tax Monsters, John Krol, Pete (huh ha anything you say boss) White, Peter Marchetti, Tully, Caccamo, Amuso ( It’s all for the children), and the rest of the RAT (Raise All Taxes) Pack. Why should they worry? They pay themselves enough for being on the council and school committee to pay their taxes which in turn recycles back to their salaries. Boss Tweed had nothing on this bunch.
The lovely Linda Tyer raised your taxes by about 5% this fiscal year, but it is no different than before.
I love to read about Pittsfield politics on Dan Valenti’s daily blog!
It is funny to me read how predictable Pittsfield politics always is, while Dan Valenti complains about the same old [poop]:
* 5% annual tax increases, with an overpriced, underperforming public school district,
* a declining population with job loss, with an aging residential population,
* a 70% near poverty rate, with all K-6 students entitled to free school meals,
* entrenched vested interests served by a one political party group of insiders and political hacks,
* GE’s move to Boston while the Berkshires are still polluted with Jack Welch’s PCBs,
* the third-rate rag without a conscience known as The Berkshire Eagle aka the Boring Broadsheet,
* billionaire Donald Trump’s rise to power to bring a new world order lead by the disenfranchised middle class,
* Mary Jane and Joseph Kapanski always getting screwed by the system,
* special tax breaks for an out-of-town millionaire movie theater owner, while the lovely Mayor lives in a gated community home with her wealthy boyfriend,
* Sabic moving to Houston, Texas, Best Buy closing at the Berkshire Mall, Saint Joseph’s Catholic High School closing after 120 years,
* PEDA business park in its 19th year of operation still with zero business tenants, with a controversial proposed Super Wal-Mart to be built on a toxic waste site that needs at least $12 million in remediation,
* dangerous downtown Pittsfield with hundreds of not-for-profits, social services agencies, welfare caseloads, drugs, violent crime, shootings, murders, etcetera,
* the Good Old Boys aka The Berkshire Brigades and other insiders who run the show in Pittsfield politics.
Dan Valenti bitches and moans about all of these problems, but Pittsfield politics goes in one direction: A never-ending downward spiral! Nothing ever changes in Pittsfield no matter how much we complain. However, keep up your good work, and please have a Happy Thanksgiving holiday!
– Jonathan Melle
Dan
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and to all who comment here making “The Planet “informative and educational.
Talk about a Thanksgiving downer. The NCAA pompous asses say Notre Dame must vacate 21 football wins from 2012-2013. The infraction was a student female trainer, who went on to law school, aided 8 players with coursework. Apparently the worse of this dreadful rule breaking was she continued to help one year after graduating.
Now this is the very same NCAA that has allowed many Division 1 gridiron powerhouses to become farm clubs for pro football. Football players matriculate to these schools not for an education but to hone football skills and mature a little. Then they are gone in a year or two and you see them Sunday afternoons playing for the pros.
Now we have a school like Notre Dame where all, including football players, must meet educational standards to gain admission, and in most cases the goal is to receive a diploma – and not in basket weaving. Yet NCAA poo-pahs attack and embarrass this school for players who were receiving help in their coursework.
Is there more to the story? There may be. But of this I’m sure, Notre Dame and Coach Kelley should not have been the target of this kind of scrutiny.
There has to be a better way to insure integrity of college sports.
You are misrepresenting the facts of ND’s own internal investigation and the suspension of several players for academic fraud.
This is not a case of tutoring, or getting help- this is the school acknowledging that there was academic fraud and made to vacate wins that used players who maintained their academic eligibility fraudulently.
This is the same ND where a student photographer died during a windstorm, that hid the sexual assault investigation of a football player, and earlier this year 5 football players were driving around high with a gun in the car.
I don’t know what pedestal you have ND on, but touchdown Jesus is probably aghast at the conduct in South Bend.
Kenneth, we know the frequency you’ve been trasnsmiting at.
Sounds like a Michigan guy!
I’m with you Chuck. NCAA is hypocritical. ND should have been allowed to handle this as an internal affair.
Happy thanksgiving all on the Planet.
Another property raise?You’re pulling my leg City Council.
Tyer will not get re-elected and I feel strongly she will resign.As I watch councilor White you feel anyone who runs against him will do well.Caccamo has a very calming effect in his ward having put his ward to sleep. He does not understand budgets and energy level is at the lowest level in Pittsfield history.Marchetti is and has been completely over rated as a financial guy.
I think the most interesting point about Pittsfields budgets are that almost no one is against budgets.I think it because if you use your real name in public or on this site you must be very conscious of your impact on your niece nephew brothers friends son impact.This will not change.Why does Mrs Behnke not have anybody ask why she has 9 people doing her job and why did she get a 30 k raise.
That’s true. She runs a 10 woman office. Nine, 9!!, staffers to handle school finance$. Administrative Bloat with capital B.
@BostonGlobe @BostonGlobe Hampshire College should have put up more flags.If the school is getting any federal funds those funds should be cut off. Massachusetts also should be cut off of federal funds until they fly the flag again.
why should Massachusetts be cut off of federal funding Hampshire College is a private institution. I fly a flag, pay my taxes and should not suffer because of a few a-holes who are like snowflakes – different and unique, and just like everyone else.
should they get cut off of federal funding, including federal student aid or federally guaranteed loans at that College? yes.
should I suffer because I live in a State with such idiots? no.
It would be huge government overreach to require any institution or individual, public or private, to fly any flag
Before the Fascist Liberal PC Gender confused Nazis took over public education , each and every classroom had the stars and stripes and we said a pledge at the start of each day of learning.
Now the children are no longer educated, on how to think, but instead indoctrinated, on how to act behave and cower down to the PC norms of the leftist progressives.
It is fascist to idolize a flag. And actually my children have educational opportunities that I never had. They do not go to Pittsfield schools.
It’s not fascist to love your country.
It’s fascist to be indoctrinated to hate it, through mis-education and revisionist history.
So true. Changing the school textbooks and not teaching history that should be taught are some of the “tricks” being used by the progressives to promote the idea that we are all divided along lines of race even now.
In the company where I work we all get along. We have many races and political ideologies working side by side and we get along fine. That is what Americans do. We don’t need to be lectured by the PC police and told that we hate each other. It’s just not true.
probably the looney tunes flag
It may be a lot of things but it has nothing to do with fascism. The first step in understanding fascism is learning the Latin root and the weapon the name of this political religion is named for.
Whether or not I have a flag (which I happen to fly where I live) is a personal decision. The right to make personal decisions is what makes America great and why I love my land. I love it because we have the right to disagree and be different.
Shakey, I don’t want you nor your ilk telling me what my children can think, do, nor say.
The current POS liberal adminsTRAITORS are not only overpaid and under worked but are pushing a ideological agenda to the children. It’s time to stop them and hand them all a broom for their next employment.
I don’t want to tell you or your little vermin what to think, and you can’t tell me what to think, and that’s spacious skies and amber waves of grain.
Go back to chewing on your window sill.
Even the teachers are starting to get fed up with the liberals and indoctrination Shaky.
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/11/24/teachers-union-leaders-devastated-that-so-many-members-voted-trump/
I see you are a typical liberal who resorts to insults and slurs when confronted with facts. I won’t insult your little “darlings”, I’m sure they’ll turn out to be good liberals who do what they are told.
I’m now watching Mccandless sell bs to people on the school committee who want to buy.The school committee never agitate to keep the administration honest.They invite this behavior.
We need a puke bucket to watch the pittsfield school committee listen to curtis. Curtis is introducing a new plan to improve.
Taxpayer hire teachers to teach.Curtis can’t teach co he wants to teach teachers so he can fail them.Mccandless has no idea what Curtis is doing but supports him 100 %
Curtis and principles are hired to blame teachers.This school system lives in a fantasy world and needs rebuilding from the top down.Disruptive students are allowed to ruin schools.
Lady Boots for Congress.
Miss Vito how right you are – Trump is indeed a Flip Flopper, as well as a Fraud, a Phony, and like a typical politican, all talk and no action- sort of like Crooked Hillary. He has already flopped or flipped on the wall, clinton, and obama care and water boarding. He damn well better go after the illegals littering this country. Maybe they will be hiding in a safe space at BCC – I hear the college pres wrote a safe spaces letter to the snowflakes. Is it true Dan? And why all the stupid signs around town pointing to the college?
Infastructure promise to rebuild America has already soured into tax incentives to rip off america.Like I said about Trump if he does what he said about drain the swamp and rebuild america…….that would be good but you just new he would trust corporations.The swamp is now in charge of Trump….its already over.Corp Tax Cuts…Government Programs to tax incentives to build things nobody wants…..
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Barry
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Be thankful for what you have, there are always some less fortunate. Think of them when you pass by the bell ringers from the Salvation Army.
God bless all, hope you are warm safe and happy, and have a hearty meal.
Christmas: the white man’s fairytale holiday
troll
You do realize the Bible is fiction, don’t you?
I’ll be having Turkey at Midnight, a tradition in the family. Trump is such a phony, look at the promises he’s reneged on already. But the phoniest one is of the name calling to some of the people he now wants to join him? If someone called me the names he has said to some of them, I’d tell him to eat crow. You know if any of his policies fail at he’ll blame it on the same ones he has hired and dissed in the primary. The Man’s a fraud and a flip flop, just like M Vito said above.
The word is it will cost over seven million dollars to protect him and his family over the Holidays.The other word is, he will have 24 hr. protection of all of his Familiy’s and entities, Trump Tower et al four the next four years, costing hundreds of millions to the taxpayer.
In reality, this could be the most disasterous Administration in the History of the United States, internally and overseas. Could the statement Making America Great Again,really mean, make our Military Great Again, if you know what I mean?
Nothing could be worse than the H-Beast, even Satan himself.
P.S. When she dies, heaven won’t take her, and Hell is afraid she’ll take over
And didn’t DV write Trump’s TV spots or speeches and serve as a campaign consultant? Look Im not saying that’s wrong in fact I think it’s kinda cool that we have that local connection to the president.
But have to say I think his election spells disaster to the country and the world.
I dont want to leave on that glum note however, Happy Thanksgiving to all.
disaster indeed just a matter of time and not much
Yes, Happy T Taking to all…Like people have said, Trump will have three different sets of kids from three different Mothers in the White House. New Yorkers didn’t vote for him, what does that say?
If you look at a voting map of new York state, it’s ALL RED, except the cesspool cities. The sewer dwellers are in the majority and that does say it all.
H, enjoy your midnight turkey. Trump hasn’t even been sworn in yet and you are already running around yelling ” the sky is falling”.
Good grief, grow up and let the process that has served us well for many years play out.
Paul doesn’t make sense, not disagreeing with either one of you, except the fact that many voter’s for Trump did just that because of certain subjects that he talked about and is now backing off. Paul you’re not.very grown up yourself,. Everyone can state an opinion, H is not far to far from the truth,have a great Midnight Brunch. You to Paul.
Dilly, please learn how to write in english.
English is not my first language, sorry.
Exactly DD Voted Trump and already my reason that I voted has been squashed. he said he would prosecute Clinton, he doesn’t even have Authority to do so.
Didn’t say Trump wouldn’t get the chance, he’s the Prez, but seems he’s developing a pattern of backing off on campaign……rhetoric. have a nice Thanksgiving, go Lions!
And Boyz!
Simply voted Trump because he wasn’t Hillary. Last time I checked he’s still not Hillary. Don’t care if wall is built, want the laws that are already on books enforced. FBI is still investigating Hillary. Trump has too much to do, in a very short time to get involved in the investigation. Happy Thanksgiving, Go Redskins!
Skins have 0 chance today….0….Eat up!
Planet Picks..Lions Cowbpys. Big!
Way to go Amanda, lioms2.5 won by 3, GO Boyz and Thanx to Planet.
Planet’s sports department delivers in first game, hope your right about Cowboys.
I am headed over to Walmart.
Don’t be the fool that tries to take that Easy Bake oven out of my hands!
I wouldn’t dream of it. I’ll be making a mad dash for candy and other goodies.
Mayor Tyer and Joe Curtis….Behnke….mccanless yon and council are Thankful that taxpayers don’t Care about a dog and pony goverment.
Joe Curtis has no idea what he is doing and yon Taylor and Elias have no idea what he’s talking about.Curtis Rush were terrible principles.
Trump will be great for this country from what I’ve seen and heard and he’s not even president yet. He is already trying to save jobs in one company. This will endear him to people in this country who elected him for just that reason…JOBS. He is hiring lots of women now and even Ben Carson may get a position. The diversity has just started, but don’t hold your breath waiting for the progressives to praise him. They are still mad that their candidate didn’t win.
Everyone wants him to succeed on job search common core and tax cuts and even this Democrat want to control border crossings to be hired illegally.I also want him to talk like his mother would want him to.
When he does something praise worthy, I’ll be first in line to applaud him.
Fair enough.
trumps new cabinet,,,,the billionaires boys club.
An airplane was about to crash..
There were five passengers on board, but only four parachutes.
The first passenger said, “I am President Obama, the chosen one and the smartest man in American history. The world needs me, I can’t afford to die.”
So he took the first parachute and left the plane.
The second passenger, Tony Abbot said, “I am the Prime Minister of Australia. The people of Australia don’t want me to die. They need me.”
He took the second parachute and jumped out of the plane.
The third passenger, John Kerry said, “I’m a Senator, Secretary of State and a decorated war hero from the Army of the United States of America.”
I didn’t write this but thought it was funny………………….
He grabbed the parachute next to him and jumped.
The fourth passenger, ex-President George W Bush said to the fifth passenger, a 10-year-old schoolgirl; “I have lived a full life and served my country the best I could. I will sacrifice my life and let you have the last parachute.”
The little girl said “That’s okay, Mr President. There’s a parachute left for you…, America’s smartest man just took my schoolbag.”
Very clever but I don’t believe you didn’t create this yourself. You seem to be a very creative man.
I can’t wait to see how Caccamo the green candidate along with white Kroll and amuso Marchetti vote on Walmart when none of them would let their children go to Allendale school if giving the chance.How green is Kroll on buying food there.Amuso says business won’t go there but a food store will.Here is the vote…..The children of Allendale can go to school all day on the swamp then eat food from the grocery store across the street.
Drain the Swamp….Silver Lake.
Did everyone see that 3 businesses have been closed to make room for a medical pot dispensary here in Pittsfield? Actually there will eventually be 5 pot dispensaries throughout the city. The Salvation Army, a muffler store, and a Billiards store are on the chopping block to make more room for all the pot the city needs to grow. Their leases will not be offered to them. They are being kicked out to make room for the pot.
Now we know that not every other person in this area needs pot for a medical condition so this is all recreational weed that will be flowing throughout the city causing all kinds of havoc. If anyone was in doubt that the city is going seriously downhill, this should confirm it. Will there be a retail store attached also selling pot cookies and other pot related food? I personally think the whole thing is just so SEEDY and will drag down a community into the gutter. Pittsfield is going to pot literally.
Ask marijuana Attorney Andrea Francesco Nuciforo Junior for legal advice on opening up your not-for-profit pot shop!
You do realize that private property owners can make their own decisions.
From what I hear pot is and has been readily available to any man, woman or child who wanted it since 1970. The only reason it is now legally available (for medical purposes) is because it will become a major revenue source for the government. They are taxing every sale and will be raising that tax every couple of years.
I do hope the Salvation Army store finds a new place soon. Many senior citizens on fixed incomes desperately need this place. Perhaps the mayor will use her substantial power to assist them.
So government is now in the business of getting people hooked on pot to keep the money flowing? Yes, people can get hooked on pot just like they can on alcohol or other substances. Stoned people wandering the streets of our cities doesn’t seem like good sense to me unless of course these same stoned people vote Democrat. Is it a way to keep the population under control and mellowed out?
Newsflash, weed is not addictive for most people.
Good point. It is like alcohol. Most can handle it responsibly. Some can’t. The plant yields an incredibly versatile product.
There is no such thing as restoring Peace and Democracy in other Countries, when we don’t have it here in our own Country. Of course we don’t want to live in Communism or anything like Germany with or Russia, and we don’t want War. This is in reference to a Reagan Documentary on CNN defending Granada. The U S needs to clean up it’s own problems, job and crime here in Pittsfield. Listen to the scanner when it isn’t covert, could have sworn someone for shot in the butt lasnt night,hadn’t seen it in the news yet.
Mad Trapper loves the butts
Did this happen at one of the upscale establishments on North St?
Very little of the crime in Pittsfield is allowed out to the press. The image of the city as a tourist mecca must be preserved no matter how dangerous it may actually be.
However bad you may think it is, it is ten times worse and the fact that they hide it confirms that it is really bad. Why do you think the mayor moved as far from the center of the city as it is possible to get?
PD publishes a daily log.
a scrubbed log
There are a couple of significant observations here. First, this notion of Pittsfield as a tourist trap. It will be that, but only a couple months out of the year and even that for folks with money. Locals have been priced out of whatever enjoyments and repasts the city can offer. Second, we point out that the mayor, like anyone else, can live where they choose. As the key public officer from a teetering city, however, it did send a message when she moved to outer West Street.
Pot is not legal to buy for recreational reasons under 1 once.You can’t smoke and drive or drink and drive legally.I just learned from pat that conservatives don’t drink or smoke.Pat give it up ,your now in charge and I hope you drain the swamp,create jobs for Democrats and build that dopey wall that is the answer to every capitalistic for profit at any cost wall…the higher the wall the greatness of America returns to that period of time even DV HAS not pinpointed.
Hey, Mexico learned from us, it wasn’t to long ago that it was a our criminals who would be able to find immunity into Mexico. Trump is playing the not in my backyard card. Trump will cash big time in Cuba, he’ll find a way, after all he is the King of Hedge.