BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 30, 2021) — Those old enough to remember the 1950s can identify three icons that became cultural myths: Marilyn, Elvis, and Davy Crockett. What kid didn’t fall under Disney’s spell and want to heroically fight the Mexicans with […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 27-9, 2021) — The Great “Debate” over the ruination of Springside Park in favor of a tiny minority of thrill-crazed bike tricksters (aka The Great “Done Deal”) is about to take an unexpected turn. Come on down, Article 97. What […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 25, 2021) — On Afghanistan, THE PLANET thought of T.S. Eliot’s lines: We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time. Twenty years […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 23, 2021) — Once in a while the management at the Berkshire Eagle “gets it.” For example, their recent article actually questioning the organizational chaos in downtown Pittsfield, where insane traffic patterns have put small businesses out of business, driven respectable people away, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 20-22, 2021) — Time for THE PLANET to clean out the files. What Campaign? — Wondering about silence and absence: Silence on the alleged “campaign trail” and absence of electoral talk. For those who don’t know, Pittsfield is electing 11 […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 18, 2021) — THE PLANET supported and still does the President’s decision to rip the Band-Air off and quit Afghanistan. Obama and Trump said they would do it but didn’t. Someone had to have the balls. It turned out to be Biden. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 16, 2021) — Now for something completely different. THE PLANET has been receiving requests for an appearance by The Generalissimo. Well, THE PLANET heard you! They said of Francisco Franco of Spain, “Too much General. Not enough “issimo.” They say of our […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 8/14/21: On July 28, 2021 Pittsfield Police Department patrol officers responded to a residence in Pittsfield for a reported home invasion. A subsequent investigation revealed that two men forced their way into a home with a firearm. The suspects assaulted a man at the residence […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 11, 2021) — One of THE PLANET‘s most astute commentators, The 5th Dentist, Monday shared 11 essential questions regarding the proposed mountain-bike pump track a private developer wants to place in the middle of Springside Park. The Suits got so nervous they […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 9, 2021) — Now that the Pittsfield Conservation Commission has correctly decided to review the proposed cement/asphalt monstrosity called a mountain bike pump track, it’s time to examine other aspects of this impending project. You may wonder why THE PLANET has expended so […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY [ED. NOTE: For a few hours this afternoon, Friday, our techies took our main server down for updates and an “oil change.” We share this for those who wondered about not being able to log on during that time.] (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION AUG. 6-8, […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second in a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY AUG. 4, 2021) — THE PLANET hopes y’all realize now that Linda Tyer is no longer Tyertown. Sure, she still holds the formal title. She still has her name on the corner-office door. She still brings down her […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of a Two-Part Series (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY AUG. 2, 2021) — THE PLANET begins today’s column with these two nuggets : The first is from the website mylife.com: Deanna Ruffer’s birthday is 07/27/1954 and is 67 years old. Previous to Deanna’s current city of Pittsfield, […]
PLANET VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JULY 28, 2021) — We thought today to give everyone a break from reading, seriousness, and all that up-tight stuff. Instead, THE PLANET shares some random photos. In honor of Modeste Mussorgsky, Maurice Ravel, and the late, great Dr. Mort Wayne, we call it […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, JULY 28, 2021) — The best Olympics ever was conducted last year. Yeah, there wasn’t one. The games have become an excuse for nationalism and sponsor’s cash. This year, officials in Tokyo, Japan, decided to push ahead with the faux games. In what THE […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JULY 26, 2021) — On THE PLANET today, War. There has never been … there can never be … a “just war.” The closest humanity can come to that mythic and proverbial creation is when a lesser evil must oppose a greater one, World […]
