SEED WISDOM FROM THE FARM
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE-ESSEX, THE WEEKEND EDITION, AUG. 3-5, 2018) — Welcome to early August, a month where nature begins to prepare for fall and winter. As the month passes, you will see the plants and trees seemingly lose energy. Actually, in their wisdom and efficiency, they are transferring their life-force and vitality back to their roots to be used as a storehouse of flourishing survival after the first hard frost.
While picking fat, fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, the plants’ brilliance struck THE PLANET. Plants have the daunting problem of procreation without mobility. Rooted in the ground, they can’t choose propagation in the manner of that free movement allows. They solve this problem brilliantly with fruit, which can be seen as nothing more than an attractive seed package meant to lure mobile creatures such as bees, animals, birds, and humans. We consume the fruit and in doing so distribute the seeds, ensuring future generations. It’s ingenious. Watch a dandelion, for instance, turn into a seed globe. The first wind does the job of sending the seeds aloft, only for some of them to find home in the ground.
It reminds us that every problem has a solution. We humans too easily become overwhelmed with the stresses and circumstances of daily life. People let us down. Injustice suppresses freedom. Illness strikes. Before you know it, one can easily find oneself in a maze of confusion, doubt, stress, and anger.
We need to be more like plants in seeking our answers. The seed-scattering phenomenon is awareness. When we can wake up from the sleep that disinterest, apathy, and loss of hope can induce, we can begin to hear that inner voice, the “gut,” that broadcasts 24/7 what “the next right step” in life should be.
All we have to do is slow down, get quiet, dare to listen, and resolve to act.
Thank you, breakfast on the stem, for your valuable life lesson. With that, we turn the talking stick over to you. Feel free to comment on any subject, but keep it as intelligent and on message as you can. Have a great weekend, everyone.
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You throw like an old woman tossing a hot biscuit” — Baseball great Lefty O’Doul to actor Gary Cooper, trying to teach Cooper how to fake looking like Lou Gerhig for his portrayal of Gehirg in the film, Pride of the Yankees.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
The Usual Disclaimer.
Is this summer going to go down as the hottest in Berkshire county ever? I cannot remember a warmer one.
My wish Dan is that Donald Trump would read your thoughts today.Im always amazed tha the republican parties number one idea is to cut taxes for the people with the most money.It never changes.The democrats are problem solvers often wrong or to early to the game but at least trying to solve.When did cutting taxes for corporation and the wealthy 1 % become a Idea?
BUFFOON, only those who actually pay income tax get an income tax cut.
TSC
The idea behind tax cuts for corporations and business owners is it produces more discretionary income. A good business owner wanting to grow (or to accommodate growth) will invest that money in products, services, and people, mainly, employees. The much-mocked “trickle down” does word … under the right conditions. I agree on the overall point that taxes are too high, everywhere. They are “necessary,” in good part, to fund all the government corruption. And believe me, Pittsfield at the city level is pushing for the league lead in that category.
Trickle down does not work.
What you are describing, Dan, is the beautiful and organized world God created as described in the book of Genesis. Not as the result of a “big bang,” but an organized, efficient Garden of Eden designed by a great creator God. Enjoy!
Well, whatever the cause, GIGI, we can agree on the beauty, the organization, and the intelligence of the natural world.
Heat is the motivator for misery, especially in a depressed working city like Pittsfield and crummy North Adams for instance,fortunately for Plants, all they need is a little wind and water,humans have to live and wind and water doesn’t pay the bills.
Liberals are saying the hot weather this summer is global warming although they were really quiet about one of the coldest winters we had this past year. I think this is just mother nature really ticked off. This is high humidity not necessarily high heat….not too many 90 plus days this summer.
Banning plastic bags and making Al Gore really rich are all that I ever saw the left do for their concern about our hotter climate during the summers. Nothing practical was ever done like helping the poor to afford air conditioners and help with the energy costs. So instead of dealing with warmer summers in a PRACTICAL way we had ideas that were meant to fail since it has been proven that we can do nothing to lower the temperatures even if we did everything the left wanted us to do it would only lower the temperature by a degree.
Scientists say we have global warming from the use of fossil fuels.Regressive Trump republicans or the party do not believe this to be the problem.One has facts the other is hope.
Al Gore was extremely wealthy prior to politics.
Wrong. Gobal warming scientists are in agreement that global warming is a combination of natural plus man made factors. Man does contribute but they are not sure how much.
Pretty much that’s how it is, NIB, but my take on the weather is that it’s … weather. When it’s hot, I enjoy it. When it’s cold, I enjoy it. Sun? Rain? Snow? I enjoy it. The only weather I don’t enjoy is death-and-destruct weather (hurricanes, earthquakes, nd the like). Other than that, it’s weather. Neutral weather, there as an ink blot test to see if we’re bellyachers (“It’s too hot … too cold … too dry … too wet) or if we’re cool (as in Maynard G. Krebs).
Dan, earthquakes aren’t weather. They’re geological.
PAUL
Good point, but you should know that geologists — those cats that have love affairs with rocks, stones, and tectonic plates — consider the forces inside the planet as well as the causes of continental and plate shift as “weather.” They see the internal and elemental forces going on inside the earth almost in the same way we see the “weather” that takes place on the surface. Of course, none of this can be written in stone (!).
🙂
We all know that Trump causes earthquakes
Progressives never mention the fact that in the last 100 years the average global temperature has climbed a massive 3/10th of a degree Fahrenheit.
One of the greenhouse gases is methane. Termites produce more methane than humans do. Maybe we should kill all the termites.
Then CIA director Brennan, an Obama appointee and progressive, once lied to the America people and said that global warming is a huge threat to national security. It’s no such thing.
Global warming, at least the human contribution to it, would be better handled by having a common sense approach to reducing pollution, esp. in major metropolitan areas where residents have to where a mask so they can breathe properly.
The other thing progressives don’t mention is increase in population increases the need for fossil fuels which leads to more CO2 production. In 1900 world population was 1.65 billion. Today it’s almost 8 billion. That alone could account for the human contribution to global warming.
All the progressives whined when Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement. What they don’t mention is it would only produce a total temperature reduction of 0.048°C (0.086°F) by 2100, and that if every single country followed it to a tee. That’s 4/100th of a degree Celsius! The numbers for the Kyoto protocol were similar.
Is global warming real? Sure. Are these radical progressive ideas the best way to handle it? Not even close.
I agree NIB. Banning plastic bans will not help the weather. Practical stuff like checking on the elderly during these very humid days especially when the elderly poor do not have air conditioning is very practical. Government paid for alerts to check on the elderly during these heat waves would be sensible. All I ever see is keep animals out of cars which is good advice and needed, but let’s not forget the elderly needing to be kept cool too. We know the wealthy Dems in this area have central air and climate controlled houses and estates so they are fine.
Pat, hasn’t the earth been warming up since the last ice age? 🙂
the climate has been changing since the day the Earth formed. Pete Arlos can vouch for that.
Mika on Morning Joe calling President Trump mentally deteriorating. Isn’t this elderly abuse? If this was said about anyone else over 70, the same people calling white people racists and everyone else women haters would be all over Mika’s comment for being elderly abuse.
It’s her opinion.Remember the antics trump displayed shaking like a wild man imitating the man with an affliction?
Mika is 100 percent correct and many psychologists both in this country and around the world are on the record as agreeing with her. The guy is 72 years old and has the brain of a four year old. Right now he is a bigger threat to American democracy than Putin is.
Even many high ranking republicans like Comey, Mueller, Cohen, Gray, Flynn and Trumps daughter think the guy if off the wall. Even Hannity says it in private.
Pat, please pray along with the rest of the republicans that they can find medication to bring him under control before more people suffer.
Only low IQ dusty would quote low IQ Mika. You suffer from TDS. Don’t make the rest of us suffer with your fake information posts.
Oh it is true dude. Why are you in such denial? Are there any other cults you are caught up in?
Booooommmmmm!!!!!!!
Dusty, you have serious issues and show signs of schizophrenia. You should get help right away. And please tell us all you don’t own a gun.
Yes, please get some professional help Dusty.
Dusty, your head just explode there book boom?
Mom as Dad was a brillant Secratary of State she is a brilliant grad of Williams
Pat, Mika got all upset because Trump mentioned her plastic surgery once. Yet all she’s done is bash him and tell lies about him. Libtards can dish it out but can’t take it. Maybe she needs to retire to a safe zone and make love to an emotional support animal.
Mika has serious issues no doubt. I can’t stand that show.
Yet you tune in diligently.
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
Many believe as I do is he does very bizzar things,you love it I believe hes deranged
Nice article, Dan. When will man learn to just leave nature alone instead of constantly trying to control it?
Thanks, NIB. I agree. Leave it the alone.
It’s the global warming cult people who think they have control of Earth’s thermostat.
August is the most stressful month. There are no holidays, either state or national. Perhaps one of the gubernatorial or legislative candidates could propose a state holiday. We state workers would be eternally grateful and would deliver our appreciation on election day.
Would you settle for a “tax holiday”? August 11th and 12th were just designated tax free holidays in Mass. (exceptions apply)
Good time to replace that piece of shit mower you curse every Saturday
Home Depot and Carrs have the snow blowers out but watch out for vendors who have jacked up the original price.
Are they made in U S? If so don’t want it because of the jack up I’m steel tariffs. Maybe the dopes over at the health department can lax shoveling fines and regulations, ala the Orange dynamite T Rump.
Screw MA retailers, they cut a deal to keep the sales tax high to delay a minimum wage increase
August is a 3-4 week holiday for teachers.
TM
You’re on to something. We need to come up with a state holiday (only Massachusetts, s in Patriot’s Day) for overworked, underpaid public workers, especially teachers. I’m thinking something along the lines of the new Indigenous People’s Day. Any ideas?
The paid holiday was invented in Pittsfield back in 1791.
Either Trump is A liar or the people that support him proves that the American Educational System is failing.
Your English, grammar & spelling are proof positive that the education system is failing.
I voted for him.
Funny, U
The problem we have, well one of them is the military budget. As long as there are threats our government will keep funding the machine and also will make damn sure there are wars to fight to not lose funding.
Things were just fine with Iran until Macho Boy reneged on the treaty. And we were getting along just fine with Canada, Mexico, Turkey and Germany until Trump whipped it out and started pissing all over everybody. The man is UNSTABLE. Pathologically unstable and a risk to mankind.
TDS
So you agree with me. Well that is a step in the right direction. Call it what you want, deranged or unstable, they are both pretty much the same. Trump likes them both because it makes him look like an unpredictable bad-ass.
No. You suffer from TDS.
Inspirational Dan. The audacity of hope.
MAGA (most arrogant goon alive).Trump is mirroring WWF boss Vince McMahon its frightening.
Vince s wife works for Trump. You never hear her name so maybe a no show job.
The lovely Linda Tyer is the best Mayor of Pittsfield EVER! I hope she runs for re-election in 2019!
Donald Trump is the worst U.S. Prez EVER! I hope he is impeached and convicted out of office before 2020!
Down with Donald!
I’d be happy to buy you a one-way plane ticket to Venezuela – where Socialism reigns. You may want to pack some canned goods, as it’s tough to find food.
Donald Trump rips babies from their immigrant mothers’ arms and puts them in cages!
Jonathan you have been brainwashed by the lying liberal media. The same thing with illegal immigrant children was happening during the Obama years, but the Obama loving media kept it quiet.
Pat you say “the same thing was happening”. So you admit that Trump is taking little children away from their parents and putting them in cages? Good for you. Even Ivanka, Trumps little princess, says it all made her very sad. boo hoo for her Some of the mothers of lost children got sad too, so I hear.
One more example of Trump stomping through the berry patch not caring who gets hurt while he throws his childish hissy fit.
Unstable is the word say it again unstable
Not unstable Dusty. He was following the LAW. Also DNA testing to protect children from people who may or may not have been their parents. President Trump is thinking very clearly thank you very much. The problem is with the media and the far left who ARE showing serious signs of mental confusion. Just look at Jim Acosta as an example or Mika from Good Morning Joe.
Speaking of brainwashing I see Trump working you angry white guys into another term.Sure are alot of you .Trump seems unhealthy mentally and his suits are huge.
Melle, you belong in a cage.
Donald Trump reports to President Putin!
Donald Trump is Putin’s puppet!
Mr. Melle we thank you for your constant disinformation. You are a true comrade.
Wrong Jonathan. Obama was Putin’s puppet.
Speaking of socialism. This is the end result of countries that put their faith in socialism. Wake up America before it’s too late!!!
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/08/01/venezuelan-president-to-congress-our-economic-policies-have-failed-comrades?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily-Newsletter__PM-Final%202018-08-01&utm_term=TheBlaze%20Daily%20PM%20-%20last%20270%20days
If your a watcher of Fox new you know that this years word to repeat is socialist from Rush Limbaugh,Glenn Beck to Sean Hannity ,to Trump rally so that its repeated so often it will flow from the lips of the lemming.Much like lock her up.
No the word to use in each and every post is regressive. It adds so much validity to your point. It clearly demonstrates the ability to parrot and march in lock step with MSNBC.
Do you even realize that you do exactly what you accuse others of doing except with another network?
Just sayin
MSNBC does not use the regressive word to brainwash,progressive are savvy
Non sense,is this Fritzy?
Donald Trump = Adolf Hitler
Donald Trump called neo-nazi’s “fine people”!
Stop Goodwinning yourself
America’s pot capital – Massachusetts! So sad.
http://dailycaller.com/2018/08/03/us-pot-capital-massachusetts/
That explains so much about the behavior in this state. Scary too that it has exploded among the young since it has been proven that young people’s mental development is influenced by pot. Andrea Harrington is so worried about protecting the 25 and under crowd from tough sentencing since according to her their brains are not fully developed at that age, but she is okay with giving them unlimited access to pot.
Lighter sentencing should not apply to brain development because telling the difference between right and wrong is basic. Pot, however, has been shown to cause issues for young people in regard to mental development.
Pot is much like alcohol in that 1) Nothing good comes from overindulgence, 2) Whereas smoking a joint every now and then isn’t likely to do much harm, few can keep it under control and become pot heads with little aim or direction in life, 3) It becomes their No. 1 priority in life, leaving the most important facets of their life neglected and unintended.
I’ve know alot of potheads in my life. They all had one thing in common, they were all losers.
True. For every person who can keep the pot as a once in a while thing, there are far too many who make it a way of life. Now society is encouraging it. This will not end well.
Yup, I remember that…had a big barbecue to celebrate
Better than the acid Trump seems to be dropping
I know it’s terrible what President Trump is doing to this economy….lots of jobs, higher GDP…..what is this guy on? The only solution is to quickly elect socialists in November to destroy this good economy so everybody can be happy with big government. Even better, we can start calling each other comrades. Comrade Elizabeth Warren wants us all to be socialists now. We need to turn this country into Venezuela and quickly.
California and Massachusetts are two of the most successful states in America,figure it out regressives
People are leaving California in droves because it’s too costly to live there what with the off the charts taxation and lots of crime.
“SACRAMENTO — California, with its beautiful weather and long coastline, has for decades been one of the most popular places to live in the country.
The Mays family, Shannon, Jason, Jackson and Katie, have lived in Vacaville for almost 20 years.
“We left the Bay Area to come to Vacaville because of crowding and crime and costs of housing,” Shannon said.
“When we moved up here to Vacaville, to Solano County, we loved it at first. Like the first 10 years were great,” Jason said.
But now, they’re moving again and leaving California.
“If you had told me even a year ago, ‘Oh, you’re moving to Oklahoma,’ I would have thought you were crazy,” Shannon said.
Shannon’s sister Shantel Wion and her family are also moving.
Both families say the high cost of living, traffic and increasing government regulation has created a life they can no longer afford.”
Not the utopian dream that the far left would have us believe.
On July 30th, Dan mentioned the lack of reporting by the BB concerning the death of an 11 yr. girl, the subsequent death of her father and also the $10,000 missing from PHS.
And just a few days later in today’s paper there is a lengthy story about the girl and her father. How surprising!
Could Dan’s mere mention have prompted the BB to finally tell us more about the story after all this time?
If so, perhaps now we will learn more about the missing PHS money!
Looks like the BB reads PlanetValenti!
What an amazing coincidence!!
Definitely a result of the comment in Dans Planet.
By the way beware of Trump like disinformation you may see floating around regarding the DA office election. Seems like some candidates are going for the ” too blind to see” vote.
well it is an anniversary, probably takes the Eagle a month or two to prepare an article that isn’t just a press release from the tax leeches anyway
Wilson – I don’t believe this lengthy story was compiled in a few days. It was probably on file and for some reason withheld. The question is why?
Some stories need revisiting by the Berkshire Eagle.PCBS and Allendales toxic dump under 400 student is the biggest most ignored child abuse stories in America.Im the only person keeping this educational sin alive.
These are krolls,Whites Moons,Rivers and Marchettis kids .It has been established that Tyer ,McCandless Yon Behnke Taylor Curtis wont do anything.Allendale school is nationally known as a elementary school in Pittsfield Ma. Sitting inches above a toxic Superint chemical dump.Yon should have a update on air quality readings at the school.
SPIDEY
Yes, THE BB reads THE PLANET, and often gets stories and leads from us. The Hannah Nazareth story in THE BB was no coincidence. That’s all I can say.
Fritz continues to show us that the U S Educational system is at an all time low.
Sarcasm, dummkopf.
Is it possible that the education system just did not have much to work with in this case?
I heard that Facebook doesn’t let dusty post unless he wears a bag on his head.
Excuse me? Are you making fun of my leprosy now? This is a new low for you Mr 12 gauge.
I think I am appalled by your insensitivity.
So sorry. I think it’s eating your brain
Pat please tell us if your healthcare is provided by the socialist state of ma.Not one person has every complained about it.If you are employed at any college,state program,you have socialized medicine and and your a faker for Trump.If your kids go to public school your s a faker for Trump.If you engage in ma. Retirement system your a faker for Trump
California is not the model state you try to depict it as being School Committee. It’s great for the wealthy and Hollywood types who can afford the skyrocketing taxes which is the only group of people actually moving into the state. The lower and middle class are being priced out. Very similar to what is being done here in Massachusetts or should I say taxachusetts. The only people who will be able to afford to live here soon are the very people that progressives say they don’t like…..the wealthy.
“Despite negative net domestic migration, California is continuing to attract new residents, individuals coming to California are primarily concentrated in high-wage occupations, which enable them to better absorb the state’s high cost of living. The majority of California’s outbound migrants tend to earn less than $30,000 annually. . .
Migration trends also show that the middle class is being priced out of the state. . . High housing costs have made California an increasingly difficult place for lower-income residents with less education to maintain their quality of life, while many middle-income residents are having trouble moving from renting to homeownership. . .
It appears that California’s high cost of living and housing costs, particularly for middle- and lower-income residents, play a large role in decisions to move into or out of the state. This is in contrast to Texas, which has been able to accommodate workers at all income levels. On net, over 423,000 residents who earn less than $30,000 left the Golden State, while Texas experienced a net increase of 358,000 in that same income bracket.”
Massachusetts is doing the same thing….kick out the poor because they just can’t handle our upscale lifestyle what with their low incomes and even lower education. If this were to spread across the country would the poor be segregated into one area?
So Pat, what is your utopian state? Where would you go if you had plenty of money and no family? Is there one I cannot find 100 bad things about? Or are all those pretty Red states heaven on earth?
My utopian state is keeping government under control and manageable which means not letting it become big government. Free speech is a must. Being able to improve your situation in life if that is what you want to do. This country was fine for me, and I don’t have a lot of money, until the Obama years turned many people on the left into extremists.
We agree,its always about the wealthy and corporations not wanting to participated in the cost of running a state so they ,….corporations flee to low cost labor states or countries where nothing is good in terms of life.I do believe Pat that things progressives bring for thought make you uncomfortable.Living wages,education,union representation at the bargaining table, healthcare and enviromental issues and lifestyles make you long for Alabama,Louisiana, Missippi where nothing changes.Austin Texas is young,progressive and growing.
Progressive socialism makes me very nervous and it should make everyone feel that way because it fails terribly wherever it has taken root. It starts out wonderful at first until the inevitable flaws show up which are covered up by those who have a stake in making it work (usually the rich and powerful).
The socialist paradise is working wonderfully for the very wealthy in California not so much for everyone else.
Pat, your party has control of the house, the senate, the courts and the presidency. I do not understand why you find the need to bitch so much. Isn’t Trump giving you everything he said he would? I just don’t get where you are coming from. Obama is no longer president and Trump has destroyed just about everything Obama did and made it his and your way. What more is it that you want T5rump to do for you?
Yes its true,Yon has 8% of Pittsfield students learn at a chemical dump site inside the Allendale building.Another 8% have been assigned to Krolls Crosby mold school.This is Yons responsibility and Taylor worries McCandless and Behnke dont earn enough money mold and chemical are part of 800 elementary school life that Yon and Behnke provide
Some of the wealthier kids find themselves at Stearns. Pays to know people.
So I have always heard.
Unfortunately it’s school choice but you have to choose to know someone.
Quite the rude moment at Sheriff Bowler’s annual picnic yesterday when candidate for DA Andrea Harrington showed up uninvited. She grabbed Congressman Richard Neal for a photo op, then got into it with a former State Police Lt. over her lack of experience and suitability to even be employed in the DA’s office. She called former DA Capeless a certain breed of dog. Astonished onlookers declared there has never been a gate-crashing politician let alone someone so poorly behaved in the history of the picnic. She left shortly after when no one would talk to her. I’m sorry. You do not go where you are not invited. It’s just basic manners.
Wasn’t bowler supposed to refrain from Politics. The non- political Sheriiff? I’m voting for Harringtonl.
The whole point is that it was a picnic for Sheriff’s department and friends, it wasn’t political. Harrington made it so.
The Sheriff’s picnic not political? Please.
She is definitely not ready for prime time. Maybe she should start small with something like library board or selectman and learn something before she tries to break into the big leagues.
Typical machine dirty politics and disinformation
Sounds like Harrington took Dan’s advice to become aggressive!
who is that picnic for anyway?
She’s walking Pittsfield South with Kroll Marchetti, no shot if two incompetent councilors who cant add endorse you. She needs to move to ward 4 to win.Ward 4 will not vote Richmond elite over experience
What a difference one person in the Mayors Office or Councilor at Large can make.
If Gaetani was elected Mayor, there would be no new Taconic H S and had hebeen elected Council at Large,there would not be 150 million in updates at the sewer and water plant!
The real tragedy is the people who beat him, Tyered and Persip. Neither of them could hold a stick to GMan as he would pulverize them before they said one word.
Let’s hope everyone realizes how important city elections are? We must keep this example in mind so that we never make this kind of mistake again.
Russia’s attack of Syrian Hospital is atrocious.
Any doubts about Berkshire district attorney candidate Andrea Harrington’s negative income reporting, employment status, and her $20,000.00 outstanding I.R.S. tax obligation should be reassured there’s proof; I extracted same from her 2017 State Ethics filing. Any assetstion to the contrary I absolutely false.
She’s also been reprimanded on several occasions by the Mass. Office of Campaign and Politcal Finance (OCPF) because of her faulty reporting methods.
Let me know if you proof!