Tony Soprano … Actor James Gandolfini Dies of Massive Heat Attack At 51 in Italy, RIP

Actor James Gandolfini, better known for his role as Tony Soprano, suffered a massive heart attack and is dead at age 51. Gandolfini was in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily. How very sad, Gandolfini was one of my favorite actors. Maybe because for many years I lived in New Jersey and pretty much knew every location where they shot scenes of The Soprano’s. Gandolfini rose to stardom in 1999 when he was cast as Tony Soprano and won 3 Emmy awards as the troubled and flawed crime boss during the show’s six season run.

As stated at IMDb, New Jersey-born James Gandolfini began acting in the New York theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire” with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. James’ breakthrough role was his portrayal of Virgil the hitman in Tony Scott’s True Romance. James Gandolfini also stared in some of my favorite movies, Crimson Tide, A Civil Action, The Mexican, The Last Castle, but will always be known for his role as Tony Soprano.

More at Deadline Hollywood.

James Gandolfini,  (September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) … Rest in Peace

James Gandolfini, the New Jersey-bred actor who delighted audiences as mob boss Tony Soprano in “The Sopranos” has died following a massive heart attack in Italy, a source told the Daily News.

“Everyone is in tears,” the source close to the 51-year-old TV tough guy said.

A press-shy celeb who got his start as a character actor and became famous relatively late in his career — thanks to his breakout role on “The Sopranos,” Gandolfini has largely avoided the spotlight since the last season of the beloved show aired in 2007.

Entertainment community mourns James Gandolfini.

Wiki:  Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey. His mother, Santa, a high school lunch lady, was born in the USA, of Italian ancestry, and raised in Naples, Italy. His father, James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a native of Borgotaro, Italy, was a bricklayer, cement mason, and later the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School, New Jersey. James, Sr., also earned a Purple Heart in World War II. His parents were devout Roman Catholics and spoke Italian at home. Due to such influence, Gandolfini had a strong sense of being Italian, and regularly visited Italy.

NY Times Obit.

Mr. Gandolfini’s death was confirmed by HBO. He was traveling in Rome, where he was on vacation and was scheduled to attend the Taormina Film Festival. A cause of death was not immediately announced; a press representative for HBO said that Mr. Gandolfini may have died from a heart attack, though other news reports said he died from a stroke.

Mr. Gandolfini, who grew up in Park Ridge, in Bergen County, N.J., came to embody the resilience of the Garden State on “The Sopranos,” a television drama that made its debut in 1999 and ran for six seasons on HBO.

In its pilot episode, viewers were introduced to the richly complicated life of Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob kingpin who is suffering from panic attacks and begins seeing a therapist. Over 86 episodes, audiences followed Mr. Gandolfini in the role as he was tormented by his mother (played by Nancy Marchand), his wife (Edie Falco), rival mobsters, the occasional surreal dream sequence and, in 2007, a famously ambiguous series finale which left millions of viewers wondering whether or not Tony Soprano had met his fate at the table of a diner.

Sadly, it appears that there will be no Soprano’s movie now. I was kind of hoping that the cast would get back together as the show ended far too soon. We are only left with the final scene of The Soprano’s.

Final Scene of HBO’s The Soprano’s

IRS to pay $70M in Employee Bonuses Despite an Obama Administration Directive to Cancel Discretionary Bonuses

The rules do not apply to the IRS …

And the hits keep on coming from the IRS. According to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa the IRS  is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts enacted this year. Sequestration has caused many government agencies and departments to furlough employees, but not the IRS, they get bonuses. Of course this probably has nothing to do with the fact that the IRS is in charge of enforcing Obamacare and they get special treatment. Of course this bonus payout comes in the wake of the IRS targeting scandal of conservative organizations and the lavish, out of control wasteful spending of tax payer dollars on conventions where they seemed to have lost the receipts.

The Internal Revenue Service is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts enacted this year, according to a GOP senator.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa says his office has learned that the IRS is executing an agreement with the employees’ union on Wednesday to pay the bonuses. Grassley says the bonuses should be canceled under an April directive from the White House budget office.

The directive was written by Danny Werfel, a former budget official who has since been appointed acting IRS commissioner.

“The IRS always claims to be short on resources,” Grassley said. “But it appears to have $70 million for union bonuses. And it appears to be making an extra effort to give the bonuses despite opportunities to renegotiate with the union and federal instruction to cease discretionary bonuses during sequestration.”

The IRS said it is negotiating with the union over the matter but did not dispute Grassley’s claim that the bonuses are imminent.

 

Reversal of Fortune … Left-Wing Former Weather Underground Terrorist Bill Ayers Gives Obama a Failing Grade and Says Should “Absolutely” Be Tried For “War Crimes”

Add domestic terrorist Bill Ayers to the long list to those who have ‘Lost that Lovin’ Feeling’ for Obama.

From Real Clear Politics  (VIDEO)… Left-wing domestic terrorist and Obama supporter says that President Barack Hussein Obama should “absolutely” be tried for “war crimes.” Go figure. In an interview with RCP’s Tom Bevan and Charlie Stone during ‘Morning Commute,’ Ayers noted how Obama is no better than former Presidents Johnson and Nixon. Ayers gave Obama a failing grade and stated he had blood on his hands. Really, just how bad is it for Obama when his buddy Bill Ayers gives the Obamamessiah a failing grade?  Hmm, more individuals making the Obama, Nixon comparison. This is beginning to become a trend.

The Washington Times reports the following:

Former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers says that while he still likes President Obama personally, he deserves “a failing grade” on the presidency and should be tried for war crimes.

“With all due respect, you hold Johnson with disdain. You hold Bush and Nixon with disdain. But isn’t Barack Obama — as the sole authority for drone use — engaged in terrorist activity?” RealClearPolitics’ Charlie Stone asked Mr. Ayers on today’s broadcast of “Morning Commute.”

“Absolutely, absolutely,” Mr. Ayers replied.

“Do you think Barack Obama should be put on trial for war crimes?”

“Absolutely,” the activist answered. “Every president in this century should be on trial for war crimes. Every one of them goes into an office dripping with blood, and adds to it. And yes I think that these are war crimes, that these are acts of terror.”

OK, who sees the obvious hypocrisy here? Obama is guilty of many things, war crimes, not so sure. But that can be debatable. However, who thinks that Ayers should be pointing the “bloody” finger at anyone? Ayers actually having the audacity to claim anyone has blood on their hands. Really, does Ayers have amnesia? As we are reminded by the PJ Tatler, isn’t Ayers a former domestic terrorist who bombed the Pentagon? A bombing that he has no regrets for.

Ok, the every president has blood on his hands remark is debatable, but it’s a bit amusing that an unrepentant radical views Obama as a war criminal.  After all, it’s coming from a guy who set off a bomb in the Pentagon.  Yet, he’s an authority on what’s ethical and moral within the realm of international relations?

EXIT QUESTION … According to the LEFT, does this make Bill Ayers a racists?

PC Police Have Gone Too Far … New NYC Bill Would Prevent Police from Describing a Suspect or Face Being Sued for Profiling

The “PC” police completely lose their minds … Why don’t we just handcuff the police, it would seem they were just blindfolded.

The police are supposed to protect and serve, Justice is supposed to be blind. In NYC they are looking to pass a bill that would prevent police from accurately describing a suspect by age, gender, color or disability or face being sued for profiling. Unbelievable. So the police are supposed to protect and serve us while being blindfolded. How is this political correctness supposed to help catch a criminal? Are we to understand that a teen, dark complexion Hispanic man with one arm robs a gas station and the police are going to put out a BOLO for all males? Oops, not supposed to reference gender. Or a blonde, white girl in her 40′s  abducts a baby and the police are supposed to be looking for all woman? This is beyond absurd. It is already illegal to racially profile; however, how is not properly describing a suspect of a crime a benefit to everyone? Get this, from the morons proposing the bill … “They have said police are free, under the bill, to chase leads that include descriptions but cannot stop and frisk people based solely on those descriptions.” Because why would anyone want to stop, frisk and question a suspect that specifically fits the description of the individual who committed the crime? For the LEFT, it would seem that preventing the police form doing their jobs is more important that protecting the public.

Cops might as well wear blindfolds if the City Council passes a bill that would let them use little more than the color of a suspect’s clothing in descriptions — or risk being sued for profiling, according to this provocative new ad (pictured) from the NYPD captains union.

The ad asks, “How effective is a police officer with a blindfold on?”

And the answer is not very, says the NYPD Captains Endowment Association, which is fighting the measure, claiming it would handcuff cops and send crime rates soaring.

Union President Roy Richter — who is seen in the ad wearing a blindfold in Times Square — told The Post the bill is dangerous because “it will ban cops from identifying a suspect’s age, gender, color or disability.

Haven’t these politicians seen ‘The Fugitive’? It was the one armed man who committed the crime. Has this country lost its mind?

Daily Commentary – Wednesday, June 19, 2013 – Taliban Has Agreed to Peace Talks with the US on Afghanistan

• The Taliban is opening an office in the Gulf nation of Qatar to facilitate direct peace talks with Afghanistan and the United States

Daily Commentary – Wednesday, June 19, 2013 Download

19 Year Old Adrienne Salinas Missing Since 6/15/13 in Tempe, Az, Disappeared on Way to Visit Boyfriend (Update: Car Found Two Blocks From her Home)

19 year old Adrienne Salinas has been missing since Saturday morning, June 15, 2013 .  Salinas left her Tempe apartment near Gateway Community College at 3 a.m. and told her roommates she was going to drive to her boyfriend’s home in Scottsdale. She never made it. As reported at AZ Central, Salinas sent her boyfriend a text at 4:47 a.m. saying she was on her way, but never arrived and her cellphone was turned off at 5:07 a.m. Her car was reported to be in an accident at Ash and Rio Salado Parkway shortly after she left her apartment and it was found a block way, with front end damage and two flat tires.

Description:

• Adrienne is Hispanic
• 5 feet, 6 inches tall
• brown hair and brown eyes
• She has a tattoo of a sun on her left neck/ear area.

Facebook – Missing

VIDEO

UPDATE I: Tempe police searching for missing woman Adrienne Salinas.

Police are searching for a 19-year-old woman who went missing after a night of drinking.

Crews spent Monday night searching the bottom of Tempe Town Lake for Gateway Community College student Adrienne Salinas.

Officers said they have no specific reason to believe her body is in the water, but they searched it with sonar to make sure.

UPDATE II: Missing Tempe teen called cab before she disappeared.

Anyone with information about Salinas’ disappearance or her location is asked to call Tempe police at (480) 350-8311.

The Dana Pretzer Show – Tuesday, June 18, 2013 – With Special Guests Joel Brodsky, Robin Sax and Mary Papenfuss

LISTEN TO THE DANA PRETZER SHOW ON SCARED MONKEYS RADIO AT 9PM ET

Dana welcomes special guests:

• Attorney Joel Brodsky and Former DA Robin Sax on OJ’s claim of ineffective counsel
• Author Mary Papenfuss on her new book Killer Dads

LISTEN TONIGHT LIVE AT 9 PM ET

The Dana Pretzer Show – Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Download Podcast

Scotland Yard Says It Will Reopen New Investigation into the Disappearance of Missing Madeleine McCann

After a two year of review, Scotland Yard says it will reopen a new investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Madeleine McCann went missing on May 3, 2007 while on vacation with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal. As reported by Radar Online, Scotland Yard had closed the case back in 2008. But after tireless pressure from the McCann family and their supporters, Birtish Prime Minister David Cameron asked the Metropolitan Police to launch a probe. Is it possible that Maddy McCain could still be alive? Is it possible after all this time and so many initial mistakes in this case by Portuguese authorities that a resolution can come to this missing person’s case?

Missing Maddy McCain

After a two-year review, Scotland Yard says it will reopen and fully fund a new investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who vanished from her family’s vacation apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, in 2007.

That review comes after the intervention of British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose spokeswoman on Monday reiterated renewed support for the once-widely reported case, according to Britain’s Sky News.

“The Home Office remains committed to supporting the search for Madeleine McCann,” says the rep.

Losing the Youth Vote … Obama’s Job Approval Falls 17 Points With those Age18 to 29 … Scandals, Scandals, Scandals

It finally appears that Barack Obama has lost that loving feeling of the youth vote.

Yesterday we reported that Barack Obama’s job approval in a recent CNN poll fell to 45%. However, further looking into the numbers revealed an even more glaring loss of support. Obama’s approval rating fell 17 points to 48% with those who are age 18 to 29. So what’s the reason for the drastic drop with the youth? Could it be that they finally realize that they will be paying a disproportionate share for Obamacare? Could it be that they realize they have a mountain of college debt and no job? Probably not as they have had a time to digest these fiascos under Obama. Most likely it is because they realize that Barack Obama was not the one they had been waiting for and was no different that any other lying president. The scandals are starting to even affect the young. The IRS scandal and NSA are probably highest on the list of the multiple scandals.  Obama stated as a candidate he would stop wire tapping and spying on legal Americans (VIDEO); however, the youth have recently learned a much different story. Today’s youth are more wired in to the internet, Facebook and social media than any other age group. Now they realize that the president who said they would not be spied on is doing the unthinkable, spying on them. It’s time for today’s youth to grow up and understand, the “One” they had been waiting for, was not. It’s always difficult for the idealistic young to realize that their hero is nothing more than Richard Nixon.

Have all the scandals become too much even for today’s youth? They appear to have lost trust in Obama, I guess they no longer believe, in Obama, they trust.

Even more surprising: The overall decline in his approval rating was partially fueled by a plunge in support from younger Americans, a huge base of Obama’s support.

Last month, nearly two-thirds of those in the 18-29 age group gave the president a thumbs up. His approval rating among that bracket fell 17 points in Monday’s poll and now stands at 48%.

“One explanation may be that younger Americans are more likely to feel they are personally affected by the surveillance programs,” said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “More than half of all senior citizens, for example, think that the government has not collected their personal information, and since older Americans are less likely to use the Internet, they may be right. Among younger Americans, two-thirds believe that the federal government has gathered their personal data.”

More Analysis from CNN: Obama overseas, poll numbers under water

This administration has gotten pretty good at riding the ebbs and flows of poll numbers,” said chief national correspondent for The New York Times Magazine Mark Leibovich. “In the second term it’s easier to sort of, not shrug it off,  but certainly to ride it out a little bit.”

“The president’s trend line on his popularity, and the level of trust that Americans have for him, is going down, right as many Americans feel the economy is starting to recover, and their perception’s about the economy’s starting to go up,” said CNN contributor and former senior adviser to Mitt Romney Kevin Madden.

 The Week has 3 reasons why Obama, White House an Dems should be concerned.

• Obama’s base is wavering
• The trust problem could grow
• GOP attacks are starting to stick

Daily Commentary – Tuesday, June 18, 2013 – Preview of Tonight’s Dana Pretzer Show with Joel Brodsky, Robin Sax and Mary Papenfuss

• Don’t miss tonight’s show with former Drew Peterson attorney, Joel Brodsky and former DA Robin Sax discussing OJ Simpson’s case and Mary Papenfus discussing her new book

Daily Commentary – Tuesday, June 18, 2013 Download