BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY SEPT. 6, 2021) — A hurricane touched down in West Stockbridge Thursday night in the town hall gym. You probably didn’t hear it. That’s how local government likes it when they commit legal larceny. Hurricane Amy also goes by the alternate title of […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Third of Three Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION SEPT. 3-5, 2021) — THE PLANET concludes this week’s series with an opening observation. We wrote these three columns as part of a field experiment we’ve been conducting. Our theory involves memory, remembrance, history, nostalgia, wistfulness, and […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Second of Three Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY SEPT. 1, 2021) — That the white-washed story of the Alamo (literally, white washed) on March 6, 1936 turned out to be farcical and a presage to America’s present culture wars doesn’t suggest that the nineteenth century ethos translates […]
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, […]
