BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 23, 2020) — With COVID raging, THE PLANET hunkers down with Ovid … and Pericles, Sir Kenneth clark, and Strat-O-Matic — what eclecticism. Reports stream into the FORTRESS, and we present today some thoughts and samplings. BORING-ER — “Everyone here is working […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 20-2, 2020) — As the pandemic continues in what appears to be the end of the beginning and approach its middle phase with more suffering ahead, the local narratives get more strident. It’s ironic that at a time when the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY MARCH 17, 2020) — As Kenneth Clark brilliantly outlined in his epoch TV series Civilization, the word “civilization,” while hard to define, nonetheless can be characterized by five traits: reason, justice, and an appreciation of beauty, especially physical beauty. In addition, two more […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 16, 2020) — First THE PLANET has information from a reliable source that Fairview Hospital has its first case of COVID-19. We have contacted BHS for confirmation. As of press time, we did not hear back. We hope the hospital doesn’t try to […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 13-5, 2020) — Who does Kufflinks Kerwood think he is? Before we answer, a quick note on the mayor’s press conference yesterday. The Lovely Linda was especially incoherent in getting out late word about COVID-19. You may have heard about […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY ADD 1 WEDNESDAY MARCH 11, 2020 shortly after 1 p.m. — THE PLANET received the following information from a high-level source with information relating to BMC’s handling of the initial coronavirus patient. In the interests of the public, we share it here as a supplement to our […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 9, 2020) — All coronavirus, all the time. That’s the new motto of every media outlet looking to score quick-hit circulation. They raised the panic level to a slow boil, and THE PLANET hopes it stays there. As New Orleans proved after […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION MARCH 6-8, 2020) — Roll call, Doctor, partial and not in order if you will: Beacon Cinema — Money loser. $2.3 million debt forgiven. Spice Restaurant — Failed. Hotel On North — In the red 10 months of the year. Too […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (ADD 1 WEDNESDAY MARCH 4, 2020) — While THE PLANET traverses the country — the East Coast, anyhow — we shall keep this brief. One word. SuperTuesday. One more word: Biden. Uncle Joe completed his climb up off the mat, showing impressive staying power in a Tuesday […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 29-MARCH 1, 2020) — As political correctness grips social conduct, self-righteous arbiters have withdrawn an increasing number of words from circulation. We’ll be lucky to end up with any language at all. There’s the “n” word (“nigger”), the “r” word […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 26, 2020) — Move over Houdini. Step aside David Blaine. Retire, David Copperfield. There’s a new magic act taking Pittsfield by storm: The Amazing Tyer-o: Then you saw her, now you don’t. Tyer-o has lately been astounding man, woman, and child with her […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY FEB. 24, 2020) — The ascendancy of Democrat latecomer Mike Bloomberg has put stop-and-frisk back into the searchlights. As mayor of NYC, Bloomberg authorized the policy for his city’s police. The move helped clean up a decaying city — or don’t you remember […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 21-23, 2020) — The debate Wednesday night narrowed the Democratic nominating field to Bernie and Mike. After Super Tuesday voting on March 3, with 14 states calling, that order will be reversed — not the first and certainly not the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, WEDNESDAY FEB. 19, 2020) — Parking stands as Pittsfield’s greatest unsolved mystery. Since Henry Ford’s folly first floundered the Shire City streets, city “leaders” have wondered in hand-wringing angst about parking. Throw in how the city mismanages snow, and you have Bigfoot with the […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY FEB. 17, 2020) — On this President’s Day, THE PLANET asks about “patriotism.” As a child who grew up in the halcyonic Fifties and who “came of age” — a term subject to many definitions — by the mid-Sixties, we loved America, or […]
BY DAN VALENTI PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION FEB. 14-16, 2020) — Want to make nearly $100 an hour? Then get a job plowing snow, or not with plow up, for the City of Pittsfield. “Strange days, indeed. Most peculiar, momma.” “Strange.” What else do you call paying snowplow […]
