BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 18, 2017) – Health care, not the sexiest topic, doesn’t need to be decked out in Victoria’s Secret to be of vital interest to every living American — even some dead ones. First, three general points need to be made: There’s no […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Tonight at 6:30 p.m. all new episode PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION! (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE MONDAY OCT. 15, 2017) — Time for THE PLANET to begin cleaning out the tickle file with the following items. Each deserves lengthier treatment and may receive it, but for now, let’s bring them out truncated. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 13-15, 2017) — Time for THE PLANET to cool down the sizzling drink. Our recent columns detailing the scandal and corruption straightjacketing the city of Pittsfield have stirred up the settlements from the glass bottom, and we have received new […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 10, 2017) — Since we’ve been looking at vehicular and roadway romances in the city of Pittsfield, how about giving our heroic, do-nothing public officials their own avenues. They name school buildings after the undeserving, so why not streets? Tyer Terrace — This […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ED. NOTE — Breaking news for the Pittsfield Fire Department. Sources tell us that it will be hiring its first female fire fighter. The newbie currently volunteers in that capacity for the Lenox FD. THE PLANET finds that supremely and deliciously ironic given the tonic of our […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION OCT. 8-10, 2017) — At 1:20 a.m. Sept. 10 in the Fenn Street parking lot adjacent to the building that houses Lach’s Lounge, a 32-year-old Pittsfield man was shot multiple times. Judging by the cold bullet casings littering the ground and earwitness testimony, the gunman […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY OCT. 7, 2017) — In the glorified Trashcan that has become the city of Pittsfield, a tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear is heard by everyone. Conversely, gunfire, gangs, drug activity, and scumbags with firearms can engage in mayhem […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 4, 2017) — The only silence you hear in the bedraggled city of Pittsfield comes from when the mayor, police chief, council president, and school committee chairwoman in that rank refuse to officially speak to the public through the press following yet […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY OCT. 4, 2017) — Our series on the Berkshire Museum‘s art sale put several planned topics on hold. Today we thought THE PLANET would handle them, albeit briefly. Then, on Sunday evening in Las Vegas, Stephen Paddock broke a window on the 32nd […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ED NOTE 10-2-17 — THE PLANET shall be back tomorrow with a column on the mass murder in Las Vegas. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY OCT. 2, 2017) — Sources close to Ground Zero inside the imploding Berkshire Museum (BM) tell THE PLANET that the “deeply conflicted” Board of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Four of a Series; Editor’s Note: THE PLANET is extending this series one more installment. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 29-OCT. 1, 2017) — THE PLANET heard again from our inside source at the Berkshire Museum (BM), Sunny. He/she relayed how our series has been received by […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THURSDAY SEPT. 28, 2017) — Bad politics (like there’s some other kind). That’s the two-word explanation for the disaster happening at the Berkshire Museum (BM) by its own suicidal hand. The BM’s crass plan to sell its treasures to the highest bidder — works of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of a Four-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY SEPT. 27, 2017) — The avalanche of outrage over the Berkshire Museum‘s (BM) proposed sale of artwork — significant works by important artists, including two large, “marquee” canvasses by Norman Rockwell — descended so swiftly upon the hapless director […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY This is the first of a four-part series on the Berkshire Museum’s proposed sale of artwork. Also a program note: PLANET VALENTI TELEVISION comes back tonight at 6:30 p.m. with all new episodes. PV-TV’s shush kabob tonight skewers trash cans, gymnasiums at city hall, and the museum. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY EDITOR’S NOTE: Today’s column on the Tyler Street trash cans was already warming in the hopper when THE PLANET heard the plaintive requests to address the Berkshire Museum’s planned sale of 40 works of art. Beginning tomorrow and running every day of the week, we shall present our […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, SEPT. 22-24, 2017) — In his first address to the United Nations’ General Assembly, President Donald Trump told world leaders that North Korea will be “totally destroyed” if it attacks America or any of its allies. There’s no wiggle room in […]
