Combat arms, published by Nexon, is a free to play (FTP) First Person Shooter game released on July 10^th, 2008.  Though their concept of a FTP team-based shooter is nothing new, the robust features and low system requirements make this appeal to a lot more people. 

After 2 hours of shooting, fragging, and purchasing new weapons, our team came away pleasantly surprised.  Combat Arms’ core is nothing like a game of a stature as Call of Duty 4 was- it lacks the diversity of squad-based action nor next-generation tactics or health generation and bullet-penetration.  Many would be surprised that this actually helps the game feel like a throwback to games such as Counter Strike. 

It was easy to quickly select and join a server, and only took about 2 minutes from the time I launched the game to the time that I had maneuvered throughout the games simple menu into a pre-made server. 

With everyone online mostly utilizing rifles such as the M16, many of the battles in the games’ unique environments are interesting.  It requires precision and stability to complete feats including headshots or laying down a line of perfect shots for a second as you wipe out your enemy, but once you’re being attacked by users armed with anti-tank warfare, you know it’s time to upgrade.

A collection of high-powered and wide variety of weaponry is essential to any good shooter, and Combat Arms’ doesn’t disappoint at all.  The guns are modeled, designed, and sound excellent with sounds of the burst stalls the victim with fear.  The guns’ sounds feel so realistic, and it seems as though the character you control is right beside you with its realism.

Furthermore, the selection of weaponry that the user can obtain is widespread.  Your character in the game can carry one primary weapon, along with one secondary and one melee weapon, alongside the user’s grenades.  Each weapon has its traits, much of it in regards to distance, instead of power, although that also comes into play often.  This would allow for easy tactical decisions if characters did not have the option to purchase a backpack to hold two additional primary weapons at the same time.

Although some users will stray off into 1on1 firefights, the game encourages players to use teamwork to their advantage through radar and how areas are designed, and it is eminent in many levels.  Many of the stages you battle through, you must use teamwork to get to the other team’s base with ease, as much of the time there will be enemies guarding their base, making it impassible by one.

Thrown weaponry and anti-tank missiles help the odds against multiple enemies, as each has its own abilities.  For example, the smoke grenade is helpful for cover, while gas grenades cover an area where users will quickly flee.  The only downsides to these thrown weapons are their disappointing blast radiuses, as well as the lack of grenades that could be primed, along with the annoying visible trip mines.     

At release, Nexon primed its first downloaders with approximately 9,000 credits, which is surprisingly enough to purchase about half of the game’s usable guns, while modifying scopes, buying a backpack and new armor- but all of this could only be used for one single day.  Hopefully soon Nexon will make the change and reduce the prices, although users can purchase weapons for longer than a single day, for significant discounts.  As of now, weapons cost about 1,000 credits per day, and an average player will make a mere 100 credits per day.

While the variety and fantastic weaponry stand out, the character models and animations are not impressive.  The animations are jerky, and few in number in many situations.  It’s difficult to tell if your enemy is taking damage until they fall to the ground defeated, due to the lack of wound animations.  Especially in close-quarters combat, planned ambushes can go terribly wrong as it may seem as though you are hitting them, although you may not be any close, and there’s no visible way to tell.

There is nothing in Combat Arms that is anything new in terms of graphics, as the environments and character models look sub-par compared to other games of today.  Though these don’t damage the user, some maps have steam pipes that will release steam into the users face, temporarily obscuring their vision, whilst bullet holes will glow for the first few moments before they fade, and weapons will reflect light depending on their defining aspects.  But with this sub-par graphics, come extremely low system specifications, so the game can be ran on an older PC and still hold a strong 60 FPS (frames per second).

All-in-all, this game looks very strong from the beginning, despite its graphical issues.  Although this scours the game now, updates are coming weekly on many aspects of the game, so you can expect most bugs to be solved in minimal time.  The Gameplay is more than adequate, and the planned community features that Nexon is planning to release will make this game one to get- and it’s free.

Expect stage 2 of the review, Analysis, coming soon within this month. 

Set to release on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 on: November 11^th, 2008

Set to release on windows-based PCs winter 2008

A game being anticipated by gamers everywhere, this fixture is thought to recreate the “first-person” genre.

This unique game will focus on interaction and interference between the player, who controls the only character, Faith, and the games unique environments.  This game will “convey the strain and physical contact with the environment”, says the senior producer of DICE, Owen O’Brian.  This game looks like it will devour gamers who are fans of unique games (Portal, to name one), including myself, through its freedom of movement that has never been seen in this genre of gaming. 

The game’s movements and tricks that the character can pull off are inspired by the popular art forms and sports of Parkour and Free running, which are very popular in many cities.  Through these acts, they integrate and tie the camera movement with all of the character’s actions.  The camera spins and reacts to the actions of the main character.

What makes this game so different, is that even in the first person view, you can still seen the arms, legs, and even the torso of the controlled character.  This could be a hit or miss, depending on whether the camera is jolting around the whole time, which could make the game’s camera ghastly.  If DICE can successfully create a camera system that is an achievement that hasn’t been seen before, this game will be accepted by many.  The viewpoint will allow the player to see the tasks as though they were doing them themselves, being able to perceive the feelings they would acquire from doing this.

Within the game, the heavy focus is on the movement of Faith.  The user needs to maintain the momentum through a series of chained moves which are accomplished through simple control schemes.  For example, the “up” control will allow Faith to jump or traverse over objects, and to vault and climb over obstacles, while “down” will make the character slide or perform a somersault.  These context sensitive, simplified controls will let the game flow smoothly. 

Moving at high speeds while maneuvering through, over, and below objects can be difficult, so DIC decided to integrate sets of options that include the “Runner Vision” and “Reaction Time” features, which can be toggled on or off through the options menu.

“Runner Vision” provides the player with a depiction of how an actual runner would see the objective, and highlights the objects that are key to the player’s success.  As the game progresses, the number of visual hints gradually decreases.

The aspect of “Reaction Time” allows the runner to plan ahead of where they are currently located, without losing momentum.  This feature pauses the movement of all characters, and permits you to plan your destination.

Although these features can be easily toggled on and off through the games simple options menu, I doubt many “hardcore” gamers will b e using these elements, as it may taint the experience for many of them (including myself).  These options will decrease the level of difficulty within the game.

Weapons, a key factor to any first person game of that respective genre, as many gamers, including myself would agree.  Although “Mirror’s Edge” contains this aspect, O’Brien notes that the useable guns are not the focal point of the game.  “This is an action-adventure. We’re not positioning this as a shooter.  The focus isn’t on the gun, it’s on the person.”  He also states that any type of combat is secondary, and weapons will just reduce the speed of Faith.  Although O’Brien stands firm in this decision, this could lead to growing pains for many gamers.

Besides an immersive story mode, this game will retain its replay value, with included hidden “messenger bags.”  Also, a sort of online play will be available on all platforms; including leaderboards ranking users’ times and some sort of Ghost Data (think Mario Kart ghost data).

Overall, this game is remarkably exciting.  It will be interesting to see if DICE’s take on a first person action-adventure when the focus is not on the combat, much as the Battlefield series was, which was widely encircled around combat.  A unique, simple control scheme mixed with intense Gameplay and accomplishments in a game is always something to look forward to.

Maoist rebels have claimed responsibility for the murder of Saraswati and four of his followers, yet extremist Hindus have blamed Christians for the murder. The arrest of the two Christians would appear to justify the allegations of the Hindu reactionaries, yet this is still not the case.

While not denying the arrest of these two so-called Christians, the two are also closely connected with the Maoist rebels – a connection which demonstrates more correctly where the blame for Saraswati’s murder should lie.

However, should the blame rest entirely on the shoulders of the two arrested men and not with any other Maoist rebel whatsoever, then the blame would rest on these two men alone and not with Christianity itself. The actions of these two men, if indeed they are guilty of the allegations, is characteristic of behaviour that is not that of true Christianity, but is rather that of ungodliness – as is demonstrated in the behaviour of the godless thugs and terrorists who are currently persecuting Christians and others throughout India.

Should these two men be proven guilty of the murder of Saraswati and his four disciples, it will in no way justify the actions of extremist Hindus involved in assaults, rape, murders, threats, the burning of homes and Christian owned buildings, etc. If these two men are guilty they should face the consequences of their actions as outlined in Indian law, as should each and every Hindu who has participated in criminal behaviour over the last couple of months.

Reports from India indicate that a third person has also been arrested – most likely a Maoist with no interest in Christianity.

I have been giving theoretical physics a thorough and systematic going over and I think I’ve come up with a unified solution that incorporates gravity and all the particles.

I'm thankful for the work of:

• Issac Newton
• Albert Einstein
• R. Buckminster Fuller
• Max Plank
• Richard Feynman
• and a broad array of experimental physicists

Giants whose shoulders I stand on.

Each row in this model is a set of particles.  Everything is ultimately composed of distance and time.

I am creating a new taxonomy because the existing names do not consistently define the particles of the system.

When

Where

How

What

Why

How Much

System Schema

The structure of the schema is three dimensional and composed of three shells:

Inner Tetrahedral Intrashell:

Middle Octahedral Intershell:

Outer Icosahedral Boundary Shell:

The edges, vertexes and connections between the shells are all significant in revealing the dependecy of the particles upon one another.

This is the best I can do for a two dimensional representation:

Who

Network Schema

Many, but not all, of your negotiations will be conducted while you are seated. When you sit you adopt a posture that's halfway between the extremes of lying down and standing up. When you sit down with someone, you signal your social availability to them. Sitting with someone means you are accessible to them; you can see, touch and hear each other. This sitting together can be informal, as when you talk to your friends or when you eat breakfast together with your family, or formal, as when you sit with your boss to be told whether or not you've got a pay rise this year. What you intend to do when you sit together and the way that you intend to do it influence the seating arrangement that you choose. For example, the corner seating arrangement is the most informal. In this, you're close to the other person, you can see and touch them as well as being able to see their papers or notes. While sitting side by side is less informal, it is usually seen as a seating arrangement that is co_operative. It is easy, for example, to compare or exchange written material in this position. But when you're in _competition with or unsure about someone, then you almost always choose to sit opposite to them. You do this so that you can see and watch what they're doing. Many of your formal _negotiations will adopt this 'sitting opposite' seating arrangement. The opposing teams will face each other across a rectangular table with the team leaders seated opposite to each other. But in really big negotiations — such as those between several opposing groups — the people present are often limited to the representatives of those groups and are seated in a large circle or at a circular table. What happens at these negotiations is often controlled by a chairperson — who has to act impartially — and speakers may even have to get up to go to a stand or podium to make their case.

But you don't have to use rectangular tables, nor do you have to abide by the 'sitting opposite' arrangement. For example, you and the other side can sit at a round table or even at no table at all, and you don't have to sit in opposition to each other — you can mix the two teams up by sitting them adjacent to each other. Whatever you decide to do about the seating arrangements for your negotiation it is worth making sure that:

• the seats that you use are comfortable
• the people on your team that you need to check or consult with are seated near you
• the person from the other side with whom you have the most conflict or difficulty is seated near to or opposite to you — so that you can make eye contact with them you can make eye contact with the key people in both your team and theirs.

Time can treat us harshly as we grow old but we still see the beauty that surrounds us…

2008 D L Ennis, All rights reserved.

NOTE: Permission for the use of my images is granted for personal websites and blogs (THAT MEANS NO ADDS AND NO SELLING OF ANY KIND) but is to include a link back to this site and proper credit given to me, D L Ennis. Link to be used...(Visual Thoughts http://dlennis.wordpress.com/)

NOTE: Commercial use, and the creation of prints, must be purchased! For more information you can contact me here.

Bill Walton, is the son of Gloria Anne (née Hickey) and William Theodore "Ted" Walton. At the age of 17, he played for the United States men's national basketball team at the 1970 FIBA World Championship.

Bill Walton played college basketball for John Wooden at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1971 to 1974, winning the national title in 1972 over Florida State and again in 1973 with an 87-66 win over Memphis State in which the big redhead from San Diego made an impressive 21 of 22 field goal attempts and scored 44 points. Some regard this as the greatest ever offensive performance in American college basketball. The Walton-led 1971-72 UCLA basketball team had a record of 30-0, in the process winning its games by an average margin of more than 30points. Bill Walton was the backbone of 2 consecutive 30-0 seasons and was also part of UCLA's NCAA record 88 game winning streak. Coincidentally, Bruins last loss was to Notre Dame and Austin Carr. Bill Walton admits the loss to Notre Dame (coached by Digger Phelps) to end the 88-game streak still bothers him more than any other loss in his career.

Bill Walton was the 1973 recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. Bill Walton also received the USBWA College Player of the Year and Naismith College Player of the Year as the top college basketball player in the country 3 years in a row while attending UCLA, at the same time earning Academic All-American honours 3 times. Some college basketball historians rate Bill Walton as the greatest who ever played the game at the college level. In Bill Walton's senior year of 1973-74 the school's streak 88-consecutive wins was snapped by Notre Dame, and its record 7 consecutive national titles was broken when North Carolina State defeated the Bruins 80-77 in double overtime in the NCAA semi-finals. With Bill Walton's graduation in 1974 and legendary Bruin coach John Wooden's retirement after UCLA's 1975 national title, the unprecedented UCLA dynasty came to an end.

Bill Walton was drafted number 1 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and was hailed as the savior of the franchise. Bill Walton's 1st 2 seasons were marred by injury (at different times he broke his nose, foot, wrist and leg) and the Blazers missed the playoffs both years. It was not until the 1976-77 season that he was healthy enough to play 65 games and, spurred by new head coach Jack Ramsay, the Trail Blazers became the Cinderella team of the NBA. Bill Walton led the NBA in both rebounds per game and blocked shots per game that season and he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game but did not participate due to an injury. Bill Walton was named to the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 2nd Team for his regular season accomplishments. In the postseason, Bill Walton led Portland to a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals (famously outplaying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during the series)and went on to help the Trail Blazers to the NBA title over the favoured Philadelphia 76ers despite losing the 1st 2 games of the series. Bill Walton was named the Finals MVP.

The following year, the Blazers won 50 of their 1st 60 games before Bill Walton suffered a broken foot in what turned out to be the 1st in a string of foot and ankle injuries that cut short his career. Bill Walton nonetheless won the league MVP that season (1978) and the Sporting News NBA MVP, as well. Bill Walton played in his only All-Star Game in 1978 and was named to both the NBA's 1st All-Defensive Team and the All-NBA 1st Team. Bill Walton returned to action for the playoffs but was reinjured in the 2nd game of a series against the Seattle SuperSonics. Without Bill Walton to lead them, Portland lost the series to Seattle in 6 games. As it turned out, Bill Walton would never play for the Trail Blazers again. During the offseason, Bill Walton demanded to be traded, citing unethical and incompetent treatment of his and other players' injuries by the Blazers' front office. Bill Walton did not get his wish and sat out the 1978-79 season in protest, signing with the San Diego Clippers when he became a free agent in 1979.

Bill Walton spent several seasons alternating between the court and the disabled list with his hometown San Diego Clippers. After the 1984-85 campaign, Bill Walton called on 2 of the league's premier teams, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. After several players on the Celtics said they liked the idea of having Bill Walton as a teammate backing up Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. One anecdote that particularly illustrates Bill Walton's decision to choose the Celtics over the Lakers is about Larry Bird, who happened to be in Red Auerbach's office when Bill Walton called and said that if Bill Walton felt healthy enough to play that it was good enough for him, as opposed to Lakers GM Jerry West, who was hedging his interest in Bill Walton pending a doctor's report. Boston acquired Bill Walton by sending popular forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers along with a 1st-round draft pick. Providing a reliable backup to Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, Bill Walton received the NBA 6th Man Award that season en route to the NBA Championship, becoming the only player to have ever won an NBA Finals MVP, 6th Man Award, and regular season MVP.

Bill Walton injured himself again the following season, but returned for the 1987 playoffs. Bill Walton spent the 1987-88 season on the injured list. Bill Walton attempted a comeback in February 1990, but injury intervened and he retired from the game. Bill Walton's ankle problems became so severe years later that he had both his ankles surgically fused. Bill Walton's saga of injury and failed rehabs was connected to the use of pain killers by the doctor who was assigned to his case. Bill Walton has said repeatedly in his broadcasts that he is just as much to blame for taking the medication as the doctor was for giving it to him. Yet his experience with injuries and the circumstances surrounding them have come to serve as a warning for professional athletes who undergo major injury as well as being an interesting case study for medical ethics. Bill Walton's injuries, along with his 1978-1979 year-long protest, gave him an unpleasant, if not odd, record. Bill Walton holds the record for the most games missed during an NBA playing career, when taking into account the number of years he was officially listed as a player on a team roster.

Bill Walton was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and had his number 32 retired by the Blazers in 1989. In 1996, he was named as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of all time.

Since his retirement as a player, Bill Walton has overcome a severe stuttering problem to become a successful and controversial NBA colour commentator for NBC
(1990-2002), Los Angeles Clippers (1990-2002) and ABC/ESPN (since 2002).

Bill Walton's trademark catchphrases include, "That's a terrible call! Terrible," "Where in the world is [x]?" (for a player who has disappeared from a game), "What is a foul?", "Dial a violation," "He couldn't even inbound the ball!", "Throw it down, big man! Throw it down!", and "Basketball is a game played by men competing for the ultimate prize". In addition after a predominantly one-handed player makes a basket going to his strong hand Walton will summarize the action and then say, "He's left-handed by the way Marv" or "Someone should tell player x that player y is left-handed and promises to be so for the remainder of the game," intimating that perhaps the defender should defend that side of the player. Walton typically is paired up with Steve "Snapper" Jones for NBA games due to him and Jones having a point-counterpoint banter during games. Despite their frequent on-air argumentative banter they are actually good friends as was evidenced in Bill Walton's short lived 2003 TV series Bill Walton's Long Strange Trip.

In addition, his commentary during games is notable for his frequent use of hyperbole. In one instance where Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs had a pass deflected out of bounds by a defender, Bill Walton stated, "Tony Parker just made the worst pass in the history of Western civilization!" Often this is done to intentional or perhaps unintentional comedic effect. Bill Walton also is rumoured to have challenged Marv Albert to a wrestling cage match and was considered "out of line" for the provocation. During one game he announced, Bill Walton stated, "I am the hero, I am #1, I can go in there and shake and bake all those youngins and teach them some real basketball so they can stop their complaining".

Bill Walton currently resides in his hometown of San Diego with his wife Lori. Bill Walton and his 1st wife, Susie, have 4 sons they are, Adam, Nathan, Luke, and Chris. Luke, although not as tall as his father, played collegiately for the University of Arizona and now plays for the Lakers as a forward. Another of Bill Walton's sons, Chris, played for San Diego State University. Nate, his middle son, played basketball at Princeton University but then entered the corporate world and earned his MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. (Bill Walton himself attended Stanford Law School for 2 years but never graduated.) Nate was also on the ballot for the 2003 California Recall Election, receiving 1,697 votes. Bill Walton's other son, Adam, also played NCAA basketball at LSU.

Bill Walton is also a well-known fan of the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Neil Young, Phish, and Bob Dylan. Bill Walton has attended more than 650 Grateful Dead concerts, including traveling with the band to Egypt for its famous 1978 performance before the Pyramids, quotes Dead lyrics in TV and radio interviews, and was once invited to play on-stage with the group. To fellow Deadheads, Bill Walton is fondly known as "Grateful Red" and the "Big Red Deadhead". In the video for "Touch of Grey", Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is wearing a Celtics jacket that was given to him by Bill Walton. In 2001, Bill Walton was officially inducted into The Grateful Dead Hall of Honour.

Bill Walton expounds upon his music interests on his own satellite radio show, One More Saturday Night (named after the Dead song "One More Saturday Night"), heard during late prime time on Sirius Radio's Jam On channel. Bill Walton has stated in his online introduction to his radio show column that he enjoys going to concerts alone because then he has fewer things in between him and reaching the omega point that all concert goers seek at shows.

Bill Walton still has a committed relationship with the Celtics, if not professionally, as a fan. Despite the area where he grew up, and the team his son Luke plays for, Bill Walton is careful to point out, "Even though I grew up in the heart of Laker country, the Celtics were always MY team". Bill Walton also keeps a picture of the floor of the old Boston Garden in his kitchen.

In June 2008, he was asked by ESPN to predict the outcome of the NBA finals matchup between the Celtics and the Lakers, their 1st meeting in the finals since 1987, his 2nd and final as player for Boston. Bill Walton predicted the Celtics would take the series in 6 games, a prediction that came true on 17th of that month.

Bill Walton is mentioned in the comedy film Airplane! In one scene, a boy is invited into the cockpit of a jetliner, and claims that the co-pilot (played by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) is in fact Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar, playing in character, denies being the basketball star, insisting instead that he is merely Roger Murdock, the plane's co-pilot. The boy then states that he thinks Kareem is great, but that his father thinks the Lakers "don't work hard on defense" and that Kareem "doesn't try... except during the playoffs". This causes Abdul-Jabbar to snarl "The hell I don't!", followed by "Tell your old man to drag Bill Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes".

Bill Walton has also been impersonated by Frank Caliendo on several occasions. Caliendo (in Bill Walton character) proclaims, "Unbelievable! I remember being in Berkeley. I could smell colours, I could feel sounds! Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf? I mean, watching a guy 6 foot 10, I don't know where he's from, I don't know what country he's about! But I will tell you what, watching him shoot from the outside is unbelievable! Fred Roberts look out! World B. Free! I don't care who you are! I mean, Howard Eisley, does it matter?! I don't think so! This is what basketball is all about! Luke, come to the dark side, I AM YOUR FATHER!"

Bill Walton also has cameo appearances in the films Celtic Pride, Little Nicky and Semi-Pro.

Bill Walton is a playable character in the 2003 video game NBA Street Volume 2.

Bill Walton has had a life long problem with his speech and communication skills.

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ADA_

Lots is going on, yes.

1. Before i even begin to start, I want to say the hugest thank you to two people in the Bloggie Worldie who are amazing. Simply. Angel and Glugster, thank you for our divine pressies and for your love. Your support of us means so much. Cam adores her bunny-wabbit. Yes, it's a Wabbit and it has a jingle bell. Smile. Thank you.

2. Yes, tis true. The Shath has come to an end. As of Friday, SheBee is moving to her SIL. Sad, but life is like that. I mean, who isn't, right? Of course 'snot fair but hey, life ain't fair loveys. And hells, it could be worse!

3. And no, we didn't fight or throw things. As SheBee said, we knew it wouldn't be forever, but damn it seemed to go fast. There was no drama, so sorry, there's no gossip on that score.

4. We're fine, thanks for asking.

5. I have a lot of work to catch up on, and as such am changing a few schedules and making a few arrangements.

6. I had a divine weekend with Cam. She is the heart of the Earth and the dancing jelly bean of all knowing.

7. And yes, our geyser exploded. JOYS!!!!

8. And yes, I think the flat-ghosts are clearly peeved wahah.

9. As for you - Cow_grrrl, Exmi, Megsie, NotKay, Bee, JGG, Nik, SH, Anen, Larcy... thank you. You know very well why. Thank you.

10. Oh, yes, Larcy turns a year tomorrow (finally hehe4). Birthday package wrapped and to be hand delivered later this month, you lucky lil sausage! Please insert self into return suitcase. You know the drill. =)

So, catch you soon Bloggie world. Catch you soon.

Oh, wait. One last thing. You are fucking amazing. Thank you.

Man kann nicht immer die Arbeit derer schätzen, die man als Person sehr mag.

Encho_451

Стъкло....

Модел фотоапарат : nikon D70

Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone. While there has been dispute of his birth year (some claim he was born in 1919), the social security index, his family, and his gravestone state that he was born in 1917.

Robert Merrill was born to tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife Lillian, née Balaban, immigrants from Warsaw, Poland. Lillian claimed to have had an operatic and concert career in Poland (a fact denied by her son in his biographies) and encouraged her son to have early voice training: he had a tendency to stutter, which disappeared when singing. Robert Merrill was inspired to pursue professional singing lessons when he saw the baritone Richard Bonelli singing Count Di Luna in a performance of Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera, and paid for them with money earned as a semi-professional pitcher.

In his early radio appearances as a crooner he was sometimes billed as Merrill Miller. While singing at bar mitzvahs and weddings and Borscht Belt resorts, he met an agent, Moe Gale, who found him work at Radio City Music Hall and with the NBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. With Arturo Toscanini conducting, he eventually sang in 2 of the famous maestro's NBC broadcasts of famous operas, La traviata (with Licia Albanese, in 1946), and Un ballo in maschera (with Herva Nelli, in 1954). Both of those broadcasts were eventually released on both LP and CD.

Robert Merrill's 1944 operatic debut was in Verdi's Aida at Newark, New Jersey, with the famous tenor Giovanni Martinelli, then at the end of his long stage career.

Robert Merrill, who had continued his vocal studies under Samuel Margolis made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1945, as Germont in La Traviata. Also in 1945, Robert Merrill recorded a 78rpm record set with Jeanette MacDonald featuring selections from the operetta Up In Central Park; MacDonald and Robert Merrill did 2 duets together on this album. In 1952, his role in the musical comedy film Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick led to conflict with Sir Rudolf Bing and a brief departure from the Met in 1951. Robert Merrill sang many different baritone roles, becoming, after the on-stage death of Leonard Warren in 1960, the Met's principal baritone. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he appeared under the direction of Alfredo Antonini in performances of arias from the Italian operatic repertoire for the open air Italian Night concert series at Lewisohn Stadium in New York City. Robert Merrill was described by Time as "one of the Met's best baritones". The tenor-baritone duet "Au fond du temple saint" from the opera The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet, which he recorded with Jussi Bjorling, was always top of listener's polls for the BBC's Your Hundred Best Tunes. It was also No 1. in ABC's "The Classic 100 Opera", a poll in which Australians voted for the one moment in opera they could not live without. It is regarded as one of the most perfect tenor/baritone performances of all time. Robert Merrill also continued to perform on radio and television, in nightclubs and recitals. Robert Merrill retired from the Met in 1976. For many years, he led services, often in Borscht Belt hotels, on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

In honour of Robert Merrill's vast influence on American vocal music, on 16 February,1981 he was awarded the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Glee Club Award of Merit. Beginning in 1964, this award "established to bring a declaration of appreciation to an individual each year that has made a significant contribution to the world of music and helped to create a climate in which our talents may find valid expression."

Relatively late in his singing career, Robert Merrill also became known for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium. Robert Merrill 1st sang the national anthem to open the 1969 baseball season, and it became a tradition for the Yankees to bring him back each year on Opening Day and special occasions. Robert Merrill sang at various Old Timer's Days (wearing his own pinstriped Yankee uniform with the number "1 1/2" on the back) and the emotional pre-game ceremony for Thurman Munson at Yankee Stadium on 3 August, 1979, the day after the catcher's death in a plane crash. A recorded Robert Merrill version is sometimes used at Yankee Stadium today. Robert Merrill preferred a traditional approach to the song devoid of additional ornamentation, as he explained to Newsday in 2000, "When you sing the anthem, there's a legitimacy to it. I'm extremely bothered by these different interpretations of it." Robert Merrill received the National Medal of Arts in 1993.

Robert Merrill married soprano Roberta Peters in 1952. They parted amicably; he had 2children, a son David and a daughter Lizanne, with his second wife, Marion, née Machno, a pianist. Robert Merrill liked to play golf and was a member of the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, for many years.

Robert Merrill wrote 2 books of memoirs, Once More from the Beginning (1965) and Between Acts (1976), and he co-authored a novel, The Divas (1978). Robert Merrill toured all over the world with his arranger and conductor, the world famous Angelo DiPippo who wrote most of his act and performed at concert halls throughout the world. Robert Merrill always donated his time on the Cerebral Palsy telethon with Dennis James.

The opera show "La Traviata" inspired Robert to become an opera singer, this meant fighting his stuttering problems. Robert Merrill found that while he was singing his speech disorder would go away.

Robert Merrill's epitaph states:

Like a bursting celestial star, he showered his family and the world with love, joy, and beauty.

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Note: Muslims believe  that Jesus peace be upon him according to the Holy Quran is a wonderful, humble, generous messenger of God who came down and revealed God's words to his people, the people of Israel. As a Muslim, I don't believe that any of the stuff that I will present from Bible is really the true word of GOD!, I think that Prophet Jesus peace be upon him is INNOCENT from what the Bible claims about him from nonsense and hateful teachings.  But the thing is that Christians still believe that the bible is a word of God, so they must believe what the bible says about their Lord.

So let us read what the bible says about the “biblical” Jesus:

The Biblical Jesus Wasn't a Great Example of How To Talk To One's Mother !!

The Biblical Jesus is not a very good role model to follow when it comes to knowing how to speak to your mother. Look how he talks to his mother...

John 2:3-4

3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

This is definitely no way to speak to your mother. "Why do you involve me?" how can a respectable role model say such a thing to his mother?

Donald Arthur (D. A.) Carson says.

The form of address, gynai ('Dear Woman'), though thoroughly courteous, is not normally an endearing term, nor the form of address preffered by a son addressing a much loved mother. (D.A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to John, Commentary on John 2:1-11, p. 170)

One might argue back that Jesus' statement to his mother was not rude. However, as D.A. Carson indirectly admits, Jesus could (and should if he is the perfect example to follow) have chosen his words better when speaking to his mother.

Jesus elsewhere says...

Matthew 12:47-49

47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

    48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.

New Testament scholar Craig L. Blomberg says in his commentary.

“Jesus does not directly address his family but does implicitly rebuke them. They deserve no preferential treatment. Human kinship does not take priority over spiritual kinship, and Jesus is busy ministering to crowds that include his spiritual family. On calling disciples his brothers, cf. Heb 2:11; also cf. Matthew 28:10. The 'will of God', as through out Matthew, means obedience to God's commands by following Jesus. Matthew does say what Mary thought of her unusual son at this point in his career, but the most natural reading of Mark 3:21 would include her among those who thought he was 'out of his mind'. His brothers are singularly unimpressed and in no way yet his supporters (cf. John 7:1-5). Given the strong family ties in ancient Palestine, Jesus' attitude here would have proved as shocking as in 8:22 and 10:37. (Craig L. Blomberg, The New American Commentary, Commentary on Matthew 12:48-50, pp. 208-209, added emphasis is mine)

It appears that even Jesus' mother and disciples had a problem with his attitude (to the extent that they thought he was out of his mind!).

The Biblical Jesus Didn't Know How To Preach Properly !!

Jesus wasn't a good preacher..

Matthew 23:33

33"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?

Luke 11:40

40You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

Matthew 16:23 

23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

What kind of perfect role model is this to follow? You go around insulting people while you preach, while at the same time you tell people to show love to their enemies? Even go as far as calling one of your disciples 'Satan'? Jesus couldn't be more patient and hold his tongue?

Jesus even got a bit physical at times...

John 2:15

13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

What authority did Jesus have to do such a thing? This story seems to teach us that vigilantism is okay at times.

Jesus also had a problem trying to communicate his teachings clearly. See this article.

The Biblical Jesus Told his Disciples to Take a Donkey and Colt Without the Owner's Permission !!

Matthew 21:1-3

1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."

I don't think that Jesus' orders were ethical at this point. You must ask the owner for permission to borrow something from him or at least buy it or rent it off from him. Some will argue that Jesus needed the donkey to fulfill a prophecy. But why would God want Jesus to commit a sin in order to fulfill a prophecy?

The Biblical Jesus Didn't Make it a Sin To Call Non Christians 'Fools' !!

Jesus made it clear that one cannot call his brother (spiritual brother) a fool...

Matthew 5:22

22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

yet he called people "fools" himself !!

Matthew 23:17

17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?

So it seems that Jesus made it a big deal for one to call his Christian brother a fool, while we don't see the same warning or condemnation if one were to do it with a non-Christian.

The Biblical Jesus Was a Curse !!

The Bible says that Jesus became a curse...

Galatians 3:13

13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Now that's not a nice thing to be, now is it?

The Biblical Jesus Says He Speaks In Parables To Disbelievers So They Purposely Don't Understand What He Says !!

 In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4, verses 10-12 we read:

10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.  11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:  12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

No comment !!!

The Biblical Jesus Accused God of Abandoning Him !!

Jesus allegedly said on the cross...

Matthew 27:46

46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"?which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

How can a righteous Prophet speak to his Lord in such a way? How can he accuse God of forsaking him, especially when God has promised to not forsake those who truly seek him (Psalm 9:10) and are faithful (Psalm 37:28)?

The Biblical Jesus Called People Both Dogs And Pigs!!

The Biblical Jesus said...

 Matthew 7:6

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Matthew 15:26

26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

The Jews used to use the word 'dogs' as a derogatory term in order to refer to the gentiles. Christians argue back that Jesus only used this term because it was common language at that time and so that the woman would have known what Jesus was speaking about.

This is a lame excuse. Jesus should have come and abolished this silly practice of referring to Gentiles as 'dogs'. If he wanted to communicate to the lady regarding Gentiles, he could have simply said 'Gentiles' and she would have known. He didn't have that to use that term and continue allowing this silly and offensive practice to live on.

The Biblical Jesus Refused to Heal a Sick Child Until His Mother Pressured Him !!

The following incident is related to the story above...

Matthew 15:22-28

22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

    23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

    24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

    25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

    26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

    27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

    28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

I would expect that a 'God incarnate' person who is ultimately merciful wouldn't think twice before helping a sick child, especially since he has the power to do so, It seems that Jesus in the corrupted book of the new testament changed his views ONLY because the woman begged him.  I wonder if the woman never did this and instead answered him inappropriately after he called her and all gentiles as "dogs" !!

The Biblical Jesus Taught Us to Love Satan !!

Jesus taught us to love our enemies...

Matthew 5:44-45

44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Satan happens to be our enemy...

1 Peter 5:8

8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Therefore, according to Jesus we should love Satan.

The Biblical Jesus Purposely Goes Out To Be Tempted By The Devil !!

When one reads the story of Jesus' temptation in Matthew Chapter 4 you will see that this could have a negative influence on a person. For the story shows that Jesus purposely went out seeking the devil and put himself in a tight situation in which the devil is trying to tempt him.

This could influence people to purposely go out to bad places (e.g. parties, bars) and challenge themselves not to commit sin there so that they may 'over come' and 'defeat' the devil. This is putting oneself in danger. Instead he should teach us to avoid the devil as much as possible and if we are to ever encounter him, then we resist him. Not to go out on purpose to seek the devil and then try to resist him.

The Biblical Jesus Orders His Followers To Buy Swords If You Don’t Have !!

In the NT, we read about Jesus commanding his followers to buy swords: "He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. (Luke 22:36)" 

Ok, maybe Jesus ordered his followers to buy swords to keep them for self-defense situations only, which I am certain that this was the case.  But buying the swords by itself is a very bad idea from the "Prince of Peace" as the Bible calls him.  Imagine if every Christian in the world today owns a gun in his/her home.  Imagine how dangerous the society will be.  You can't expect every Christian to be as good as Jesus if you know what I mean!  Owning guns would certainly make the job of the government's law enforcement a lot harder!

The Biblical Jesus Ordered The Killings Of Enemies And Apostates:

Luke 19:27

“But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me"

I thought he was saying “love your enemies” ?! Why now he wants to kill them?! So love them and kill them at the same time, how beautiful is that ?!

Mark 6:10-11

10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.  11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

I guarantee most of you have never heard Christians come preaching this to you! And I don't blame them! Jesus makes a very threatening warning to those who don't accept him, that their fate will be even WORST than Sodom and Gomorrah. In case anyone is wondering about Sodom and Gomorrah, they were two cities that were completely wiped off the face of this planet for committing heinous sins. As we see Jesus is saying those who don't accept him will even get a worst punishment than that!

So What happened to the peaceful tolerant Jesus who loves everybody?

The biblical Jesus brings corruption and destruction to earth!!

We also read about Jesus bringing corruption and destruction to earth rather than peace:

Matthew 10:34

"Do not suppose that I [Jesus] have come to bring peace to the earth.  I DID NOT come to bring peace, but a sword”.

You may argue back by saying “Jesus’ message isn’t peaceful, that what he meant”.

Does the text say that ?! what the text says” I did not come to bring peace”.. it’s very clear !!

 So in Jesus' own words, he did not come down to preach peace !!

And he continues in Matthew, Verse 35:

For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

So Jesus came to separate families, tell me, when family members get separated, do they love one another?!

 You might say” Jesus said: love your enemies”, but at the same time he’s saying I come to divide families !!!!

read this ..

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26)

How can Christians claim Islam is a hateful religion while Christianity is the opposite when Jesus commands his followers to hate his father, mother, wife, and children, and people, and all his family, and his own life?

The biblical Jesus is not respecting the life of innocent animals !!

Jesus not respecting the life of the innocent animals, which again takes away his "perfection" from him:

Matthew 8:32

"He [Jesus] said to them, 'Go!' so they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.  "

1 Samuel 15:2-3
2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

The biblical Jesus ordered to kill innocent boys and women !!

Let us look at Numbers 31:17

"Now kill all the boys [innocent kids]. And kill every woman who has slept with a man, but save for yourselves every girl who has never slept with a man." 

What ?!!!

Numbers 31:35-40

"[From the captives of war] 32,000 women who had never slept with a man.......of which the tribute for the LORD was 32 [virgin women]."

Why kill the innocent children?  Why kill all of the non-virgin women?  Back then, it was only men who fought men in wars.  Women rarely fought in battle fields.   So what crime did the innocent children and the non-virgin women do?

Revelation 2:22-23

" So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.   I will strike her children dead.  Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

It doesn’t matter that Jesus murdered the children of a prostitute. The Old Testament upholds the killing of Babylonian babies just because the Babylonians enslaved the Israelites. Here is the passage:

Psalm 137:8-9

"O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us- he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. " 

And also we read :

Isaiah 13:16

" Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword.  Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished.  "

Ezekiel 9:5

And the Lord said, "Go through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have you pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women.

There is no justification for holding the children responsible for the crimes of elders. Children are not responsible for the crimes of their parents (Deu. 24:16), so Jesus is guilty for killing innocent children.

Now our Christians friends will argue back and ask us Muslims to understand the context and reasons why God did such a thing. However, when we tell Christians to do the same thing when it comes to analyzing certain Qur'anic verses and hadiths (saying of prophet Muhammed) they don't want to do it. So why should us Muslims?

*And for the people who will say, “No, don’t quote from the old testament” listen to what Jesus said in the new testament :

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law (the Old Testament) or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke or a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law (the Old Testament) until everything is accomplished.  (Matthew 5:17-18)"

The Biblical Jesus Didn't Let One Disciple To Attend His Father's Funeral Or The Other To Bid His Family Farewell !!

Following is a conversation that Jesus had with his disciples...

Luke 9:59-62

59He said to another man, "Follow me."
      But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

    60Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

    61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

    62Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

This is a very insensitive thing to do. Look at the cold-hearted reply Jesus gave to that man "Let the dead bury their own dead"! We are talking about a man's father here! How can Jesus reply back to him that way?

Also, Jesus didn't let that man go back and bid his family farewell. That person's family was probably worried sick wondering where he went.

Jesus did not even allow these people to take a break for around an hour to attend to very urgent family issues. He showed no open mindedness or mercy to these people. He did not bother trying to understand the situation that they were in.

Truly, I am very unimpressed.

The Biblical Jesus Prioritized Himself Over the Poor !!

We read...

Mark 14:3-8

    3While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

    4Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly.

    6"Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.

Indeed this is very strange. Those people who rebuked the woman were right. How can she break a whole jar of very expensive perfume just in order to apply it on Jesus? She could have sold it and gave much money to poor as her critics rightly argued.