BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 14, 2024) — Half a league onward into our break, THE PLANET has decided to extend our leave. Why? You know the punch line: “Because we can.” Our next post will be Wednesday Sept. 6, after Labor Day. Can you hold out […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 28-30) — The NFL camps have opened, baseball heads into its dog days, and THE PLANET moves off the map. Changes, as well as magic, is afoot. As we said on Wednesday’s post, starting with this entry, THE PLANET goes […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 2023) — THE PLANET opens today with important housekeeping news. THE WEEKEND EDITION, which normally posts late Thursday night, shall be published earlier, in the late morning or early afternoon. The following week, we shall be on our shutdown. Like the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 24, 2023) — One of THE PLANET‘s most prolific and valued commentators, Kindergarten, praised the interview conducted on WAMC with our Right Honorable Good Friend, councilor-at-large Earl Persip. Parsnip. Dumpster. Kindergarten criticized THE PLANET for using nicknames. Disrespectful, (s)he said. Of course […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 21-3, 2023) — Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere — St. Thomas Aquinas (To contemplate and to give to others the fruit of your contemplation). That’s what THE PLANET has done for almost 3,000 columns. There are again that many if […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 JULY 20 9 A.M. — THE PLANET received this from the Pittsfield Police Department: On Thursday July 20, 2023 just before 2:00am Pittsfield Police Department (PPD) officers were dispatched to The Berkshire Crossing Parking Lot located at 555 Hubbard Avenue for a report of a […]
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 17, 2023) — THE PLANET‘s good friend and candidate Craig Gaetani had a choice to make before July 28: the corner office or Ward 6? In front of the PLANET VALENTI VIDEO (PVV) cameras, Gaetani made his choice at the tail end of the broadcast. You can watch it below. It […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 14-6, 2023) — While THE PLANET wiles away the hours sipping the perfect martini at Wheatleigh, we have good news to report — in addition to two olives, that is. The Picklefield City Council has improved 100%! In July, they […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 12, 2023) — THE PLANET knew that at some point, we would agree with congresswoman Ilhan Omar. She is cosponsor of an attachment to one of Syracuse Joe’s most disastrous decisions to date. He wants to send cluster bombs to the president […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 10, 2023) — When THE PLANET ran our three-part series last week on the special council meeting, we ended each with the same quote, the epigram we place at the terminus of each column. It’s a quote from the great H.L. Mencken: […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Three of a Three-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JuLY7-9, 2023) — THE PLANET begins The Weekend Edition in this fast-reeling summer with this, received from the Pittsfield Police Department: It’s bad enough that the driver struck and seriously injured this person, of course, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Three Parts — In this series, which will run this week, THE PLANET looks at Friday’s (6/30) special meeting of the city council. We examine what happened, the implications, and other aspects of the conditions arising from councilor Charles Kronick’s charter objections from the previous meeting. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Three Parts — In this series, which will run this week, THE PLANET looks at Monday’s (6/30) special meeting of the city council. We examine what happened, the implications, and other aspects of the conditions arising from councilor Charles Kronick’s charter objections from the previous meeting. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 FRIDAY MORNING, 6/30 — This morning, THE PLANET received this statement from Ward 2 city councilor Charles Kronick. Sir Chaz clarifies what occurred Tuesday with his charter objection. He also fills us in on what took place during the short recess during the meeting. We […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 27, 2023) — She comes from a family of 16 children. Does that explain it? THE PLANET can’t say. ———- ooo ———- Is Karen Kalinowsky is running for mayor not to win the office but to flip off Peter Marchetti, what a source […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 26, 2023) — THE PLANET invited councilor-at-large Karen Kalinowski to be a guest for a one-hour, unscripted filmed discussion. The purpose of the broadcast would be to give Kalinowski a platform for her mayoral candidacy. We sent the invitation Saturday evening, June 24. […]
