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. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY [ED. NOTE: COMMENTS ARE NOW ENABLED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE BULKED UP BACKSTAGE ON THE PLANET] (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 23-5, 2023) — While THE PLANET is dusting, let’s gather the odds and ends. How Stupid Is He? — A day […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JUNE 21, 2023) — Backers cite historical balancing as a rationale for DEI offices. They claim to be helping “underrepresented and historically excluded identities.” The evidence suggests otherwise, as we have previously shown. The quote, taken from Picklefield’s DEI page on the city’s […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY PLANET VALENTI ARTS (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JUNE 19, 2023) — Periodically, THE PLANET like to run arts reviews, the justification of which can be found, minimally, in the break it allows us (and we hope our readers) from the gravitational tugs of a fevered world penetrating […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Pittsfield Mayoral Candidates Discuss Issues in Planet Valenti Debate (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JUNE 16-8, 2023) — Now that the jacks have all gone back to their boxes (nod to Jimi) and Kalinowski is running for mayor, THE PLANET’s Right Honorable Good Friends on the city […]
