BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, JAN. 13-15) — As we count down to Inauguration Day,  let THE PLANET share a couple program notes.

Valenti 2×4 011317First, beginning this week, look for the print version of PLANET VALENTI to debut in Pittsfield’s finest weekly, The Berkshire Courier. Each week, we shall deliver fresh content to a growing readership that has figured out if you want local news and commentary designed to keep you barefoot and perpetually dumb, stay clear of The Boring Broadsheet. The Rutberg Rag has failed to bring the paper once known as The Berkshire Eagle into relevance. From its well-conceived but poorly executed redesign to the dreary moors of the shrinking news hole, The BB — of RR, if you prefer — continues to fail the community. Instead of a crusading daily, Pittsfield is stuck with an sycophantic house organ.

The Courier, on the other hand, publishes a lively, eminently readable newspaper now made more vital with the arrival of THE PLANET. We shall bring our journalistic and writing values with us:

1. A writer’s first obligation is to the truth
2. The first loyalty of any newspaper is to citizens, not politicians or The Suits.
3. Journalists must remain apart from and independent of the people and events they cover.
4. Readers must be given a forum for public criticism
5. The free marketplace of ideas welcomes legitimate opposing viewpoints.
6. News and commentary must be comprehensive (otherwise, switch to TV), balanced, proportional, and fearless.

Look for The Berkshire Courier, a free weekly, at news stands, stores, and other locations throughout Pittsfield.

Second, for those of you who turned to Ch. 16 at 7 p.m. last night and didn’t find PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION, be aware of our new time slots. Beginning immediately, PV-TV can be seen in its first run at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evenings. Re-airing of the show will be Monday 12:30 a.m., Wednesday 6:30 a.m., and Thursday 12:30 p.m.

The move reminds THE PLANET of a remark made by Terry Kinnas on the upcoming show, which will air 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17. In a discussion of the disastrous stranglehold the liberal loons have on Pittsfield politics, Terry mentioned that Pittsfield Community Television is, too, another arm of the Loyalists to the Status Quo.

THE PLANET Called It for Trump

Alone among local media and ahead of most national and international outlets, THE PLANET had Donald Trump winning and by the eerily correct electoral margin.

THE PLANET has been refining our proprietary polling method since first learning about the inner workings of polls in graduate and post-graduate work in Syracuse, beginning in 1975. The most difficult and intense course we ever took in 20+ years of formal education, our course on polling included a sub-course, “Statistical Package for the Social Sciences” (SPSS), showing us not only how to gather and crunch data but how to read the data supporting any poll. Since Carter-Ford in 1976, we have never been wrong in a presidential race.

We’ve been asked for our methodology, including tempting offers to rent it, but what is ours remains ours, since we never fancied being the next superstar pollster. Besides, our services to campaigns of that order will only come mercenarily, should it come at all. We have no interest providing in-kind contributions to office bids that control hundreds of millions of dollars … or two cents.

Thus, the Nov. 9 results that stunned the world came as no surprise to THE PLANET. On the heels of Trump’s victory, many expected us to gloat and rub it in but got the opposite. Trump’s win came with the rush of sobriety imposed upon us by the realization of the awesome responsibility that lies with the new Commander in Chief.

Trump ran to win. Now he must govern. One has to be subdued. To be otherwise shows you just don’t “get it.” We speak here of the traitorous troublemakers who, even before the new president takes the oath, plot to thwart his efforts. We speak not only of national figures in the Democratic Party but also the local loons who gave us an autarchic “Four Freedoms” rally replete with despotism, oppression, and tyranny. “Four Freedoms” indeed, eh Frank Farkas?

For those keeping score at home, Farkas chickened out on an invitation to join the PV-TV panel in our post-mortem of the fascistic event for which he was chief sponsor.

With that, THE PLANET opens The Comment Line.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

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“When dictatorship becomes a fact, revolution becomes a right.” — Victor Hugo

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

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