BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 5-7, 2021) — THE PLANET closes the week sweet and simply. It’s Super Bowl weekend. You might expect us to get all serious with warnings about super spreader events, but you’d be wrong. THE PLANET believes in freedom and recognizes […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 3, 2021) — Here is the full text of the mayor’s 2021 “State of the City” address, presented without comment. THE PLANET reserves comments to you, our readers. We have taken it unedited and as presented from the city’s website. ———- ooo […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY. FEB. 1, 2021) — One of the areas Syracuse Joe Biden and the Democrats hammered President Trump was Trump’s handing of the pandemic. Biden called it “dismal” and promised to hit Day One with a plan ready to go and go smoothly. The […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JAN. 29-31, 2021) — One of the great surprises from doing THE PLANET, this being the 2,199th column published in this series (about two million words), has been allowing people to express themselves freely and fully. With the restrictions now placed […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 27, 2021) — From time to rare time, it becomes necessary to pull the plug on a commentator. Fortunately, it doesn’t happen often. Most people respect the power of broadcasting their words. Other? Not so good. THE PLANET believes in the secular […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 1-25-21 — THE PLANET shares this release from the Pittsfield Police Department (updated): Earlier today, 28 year old Pittsfield resident Patrick Sheerin was arrested and charged with five counts of armed robbery. Sheerin’s charges stem from four incidents in Pittsfield and one in Lenox that […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1, 1/22/21 — To lighten the tone but also so that we will not be remiss, THE PLANET shares a way to get rich fast. Take our picks to the nearest legal sports book and put your life savings these selection for the conference championship games. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 20, 2021) — Today’s Inauguration Day. Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away that day engendered optimism and the belief in a fresh start, a day that welcomed We The People as leaders joined from both sides of the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JAN. 18, 2021) — We precede our Monday column with information THE PLANET just learned from reliable sources. Ward 2 city councilor Kevin Morandi and Ward 4’s Chris Connell will not be seeking re-election when all council seats open for the municipal elections […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JAN. 15-7, 2021) — Now that the NFL is into the divisional round of the playoffs and the world is back where it should be on Tom Brady GOAT Standard Time, we must be approaching Jan. 20. The “uh-oh” day dawns. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Editor’s fair warning: This column contains content that might “offend” some people. Be advised. Open minds and engaged intellects should have no problem. (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 13, 2021) — Lots to digest this week from the doing on Capitol Hill, both sides of the aisle. […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY JAN. 11, 2021) — Who woulda thunk that Donald Trump — developer, magnate, magnet, shyster, tycoon, typhoon, icon, con man, human volcano, walking archetype, precedent of the United States of America — would go down as a great teacher of constitutional government? That’s […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JAN. 8-10, 2021) — These days in fractured America, nothing is as it seems and everything seems like nothing. Politically, both wings of the two-party body politick have proven equally capable of mob violence, although the left does it with more […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY Part Two of Two (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY JAN. 6, 2021) — Today THE PLANET concludes our series on the Mazzeo’s/Methuselah COVID Controversy with the response from Pittsfield’s director of public health, Gina Armstrong, followed by a redirect from for city council president and mayoral candidate Melissa […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY First of Two Parts (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY Jan. 4, 2021) — THE PLANET recently heard from former city council president and mayoral candidate Melissa Mazzeo regarding the COVID-19 outbreak that involved several Pittsfield restaurants. Mazzeo and husband Tony own Mazzeo’s restaurant Restaurant at the former Yellow […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION, JAN. 2-4, 2021) — As we transitioned from last year to this, THE PLANET heard a lot of talk about what a bad year it’s been. And yes it has, if that’s the object of your focus. Our gaze, as we […]
