InCredits

Nominated for a single Emmy in its short three season stint, Wonder Woman – which premiered in 1976 – was the third attempt by the major networks to bring the popular comic book character to TV. Created as the result of a collaboration between the multi-talented William M. Marston and DC Comics publisher Maxwell Gaines, Wonder Woman made her world premiere in a 1941 comic book. The final product of Gaines’ request for a female comic book hero, Marston never lived to see his creation become a television star (he died prematurely from skin cancer in 1947), but his legacy lives on through the Wonder Woman franchise which continues to entertain worldwide audiences to this day…

Wonder Woman follows the exploits of the Amazonian princess, Diana, who leaves her Paradise Island home in order to bring justice to the world of men. Athletic and intelligent, Diana Prince (as she’s known to the outside world) also possesses special powers that are brought about when she whirls around to transform into Wonder Woman. Her magic belt gives her added strength, her metallic bracelets deflect bullets, and her tiara doubles as a boomerang… In addition, she’s aided by a magic golden lasso which forces her captives to tell the truth! Season 1 of Wonder Woman takes place during the era of World War II where the Allies enlist the help of the female superhero to defeat the Nazis, while Seasons 2 and 3 take place in modern day times (1977-1978)…

The Wonder Woman (Season 1) DVD features a number of exciting episodes including the series premiere “Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther” in which Col. Steve Trevor – the same man who crash-landed on Wonder Woman’s home island, and thus prompted her to enter the world of men – is accused of sabotaging a series of missions under his command. Charged with treason and espionage, Trevor can only have his name cleared by Wonder Woman who uncovers a vast conspiracy by Nazi sympathizers… Other notable episodes from Season 1 include “The Pluto File” in which Wonder Woman must apprehend an Irish-born spy who steals an American-made machine that controls earthquakes, and “Formula 407″ in which Wonder Woman travels to Mexico in order to recover a secret formula stolen by the Nazis…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Wonder Woman (Season 1) DVD:

Episode 1 (Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther) Air Date: 04-21-1976
Episode 2 (Fausta: The Nazi Wonder Woman) Air Date: 04-28-1976
Episode 3 (Beauty on Parade) Air Date: 10-13-1976
Episode 4 (The Feminum Mystique: Part 1) Air Date: 11-06-1976
Episode 5 (The Feminum Mystique: Part 2) Air Date: 11-08-1976
Episode 6 (Wonder Woman vs. Gargantua!) Air Date: 12-18-1976
Episode 7 (The Pluto File) Air Date: 12-25-1976
Episode 8 (Last of the Two Dollar Bills) Air Date: 01-08-1977
Episode 9 (Judgment from Outer Space: Part 1) Air Date: 01-15-1977
Episode 10 (Judgment from Outer Space: Part 2) Air Date: 01-17-1977
Episode 11 (Formula 407) Air Date: 01-22-1977
Episode 12 (The Bushwackers) Air Date: 01-29-1977
Episode 13 (Wonder Woman in Hollywood) Air Date: 02-16-1977

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Wonder Woman (DVD).

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack. The movie recounts their brutal acts, but much more important, their Jewish ambivalence toward these acts. Some general reflections are in order.

First, Golda Meir, former Israeli Prime Minister, once said to Egyptian President Anwar Saddat just before Israeli-Egyptian peace talks: “We can forgive you Arabs for killing our sons. But we will never forgive you for making us kill yours.” That is the crux of the movie. Five Israelis volunteer to avenge the murder of their fellow Israelis, but some of them quickly begin to feel a sense of moral repugnance at having to take the life of another human being, even an enemy. Munich presents us with their differing views of retribution, allowing us to make up our own minds while we watch their human struggles at what they are called upon to do. You can see them develop as moral actors who are confronted with their consciences before each and every murder. In a movie review last December in the New York Times, Manohla Dargis opines: “they are never more human than when faced with the killing of another person.”

Second, the Talmud talks a lot about “an eye for an eye,’ and there are those who use this phrase as a justification for all acts of revenge. In fact, the modern State of Israel was created precisely so that we Jews would always have a homeland with an army, so that no one ever again could spill the blood of Jews with impunity. Before the Hoocaust (Shoah), Jewish blood was cheap and could be shed by Nazis and Arabs without their worrying about being hunted down and punished. Now, thank God, that is no longer true. The enemies of the Jewish State now know that they will be hunted down and held accountable for each and every murderous action or suicide bombing anywhere in the world. Now that we have the State of Israel, Jewish blood is no longer cheap. But please note, the Rabbis of the Talmud never interpreted this text as meaning precise retributive justice, rather they understood the punishment for blinding someone to be a monetary one instead. Many pages in the Talmud explicate how exactly we estimate the value of an eye or a leg or a limb that is destroyed by an enemy, and what needs to be done to rectify the damage. Interpreting this text in a much different way, Rev. Martin Luther King once said: “a world which carries out literally the doctrine of ‘an eye for an eye’ will lead to a world with no eyes, and no vision.” And of course he is right.

Finally, at our Passover seder, during the recitation of the Ten Plagues, we dip out ten drops of wine from our cups. We do this to echo this Rabbinic conversation between God and the Heavenly Angels who were singing and dancing after the Egyptians were killed at the Red Sea: “God: why are you rejoicing? Angels: because the Egyptian enemies of the Israelites have been killed, that is why we are singinging dancing. God: But how can you rejoice? These Egyptians too are My creatures!” And so, we spill out sweet wine, in memory of our enemies, for they too are God’s creations. We are the only people I know that marks the death of enemies with a special ritual. No other nation in the world is as sensitive as we Jews are to the pain that we are sometimes forced to inflict on those who would try to destroy us, and to the value of human life. I have a friend who is extremely close with the Head of the Israeli Air Force. The general said to my friend last week that many of his pilots categorically refuse to kill innocent civilians, rather they must have irrefutable evidence that their bombs will fall on adult combatants or they will stay home. Whatever your opinions on this may be, you cannot help but be impressed as I am by the moral vigor with which they approach their military service.

I cannot help but wonderwhere are others with this same attitude and respect for human life? Where are the other mothers and fathers whose sons feel the same ambiguity as our Israelis do? How long will it take before Israel can talk with neighbors who will share their concerns about the fragility and the sacredness of human life? I believe that there must be a sense of “fear and trembling” when we talk about the killing of another human being, and it is this precise feeling which comes across loudly and clearly in Spielberg’s movie. Go see it and decide for yourself. It is a hard movie to watch, and well worth it.

Dr. Mel Glazer is a Grief Recovery Specialist working in private practice with grievers all across America. You can visit his website at http://www.yourgriefmatters.com. Dr. Glazer has been a Rabbi, Author, and Speaker for over thirty years, he is recognized as a pioneer in the art of using our life-losses to help us learn life-lessons.

We only uncover what is truly important about ourselves by how we respond to the losses in our lives, and so each loss becomes our cherished teacher. Some examples of loss include:the death of a loved one, or a less-than-loved-one; divorce; serious physical, mental or emotional illness; financial distress; the end of a serious relationship; when a child leaves home for college; and even the death of a pet. Each loss creates a grief reaction, and we must be able to complete our relationship with our loss before we can move past it. He is widely published: When Death Visits A Jewish Home: 99 Actions For Mourners (2006), and his upcoming book, And God Created Hope: How Our Favorite Bible Stories Lead Us From Mourning To Morning (2007).

Don’t Forget Superman: Christopher Reeve

Christopher Reeve died in October of 2004. He had suffered from paralysis due to an accident some years back. He fell from a horse and fractured his neck.

After the accident, our Superman focused on spinal cord injuries. He decided that a cure would come too late for him but that others could be cured and would then be able to regain their lost physical abilities.

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation supports medical research. You can remember Christopher by supporting his foundation which funds research for spinal cord injury victims. Read tributes to Reeve and about the foundation at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3732310.stm.

Christopher Reeve’s wife, Dana, was and still is a Superwoman. Her devotion to Christopher during his illness is an example to all womanhood.

When I was a boy paralysis was common because of poliomyelitis. Many families had a member who was crippled by the disease. “Generally, conditions that affect the brain and spinal cord result in upper motor neurone paralysis. Some common examples are stroke, tumours, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and severe trauma or injury to the head, neck or back.” See http://www.brainandspine.org.uk/information/publications/brain_and_spine_booklets/paralysis_the_loss_of_muscle_power/what_are_the.html.

Will Christopher Reeve’s dream come true? Will spinal cord injuries be curable in the future? I asked my son who knows about such things and he said:

The near solution is through biomedical science and engineering. Signals generated from the brain or nerves above the level of the injury will bypass the injury and allow near-normal function by prosthesis.

There is a quantum jump between this technique used to repair an arm and what is required to repair a spinal cord injury.

When I was an engineering professor at Iowa State University, because of my industrial experience, I was asked to teach freshmen engineering students about the design process. At the end of the quarter we had a competition between the various classes to see who could come up with the best design of an object. We designed a toy bazooka, an ice carton and other such trivial projects.

I taught the coarse 10 times during a five-year period. At a planning meeting before the last contest, I told the staff that we should stop giving the best students the state of Iowa had to offer trivial assignments. They asked what I meant. They were concerned about the engineering skills of freshmen. I told them that an invalid or blind person could not get around our campus. I said many of the things that needed to be done, like access ramps, could be designed by the students.

After some consideration, the staff accepted my plan. That’s when I told them I did not want see college deans or distinguished professors judging the contest. I wanted the blind, the halt, and the lame.

As I remember, there were four sections out of sixteen that were in the finals. The students had photographed the obstacles on the campus. They had designed ramps and other objects within their capabilities. They had outlined all the items need for access.

The judges were in wheelchairs. They were members of a committee to help those who needed it get around the campus. We gave them all of the information needed for them to write a grant for money. Teary eyed, they accepted the student’s work.

The request grant was submitted and they received $400,000.00 from the Federal Government and $200,000.00 from the state of Iowa. Folks would be able to get around the campus, wheelchair, or crutches or not.

Don’t we all want to see the dream of Christopher Reeve come true? Why not contribute to his foundation? With money researchers will learn to restore function by complete spinal cord rehabilitation.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success books and kits and business newsletters / TopFlight flagpoles)

The Weather Channel provides up to date weather conditions and forecasts locally, nationally, and world-wide at any time of the night or day. The Weather Channel has been accessible to many people subscribing to cable for years, but if you are not a cable subscriber, you might have seen presence of the Weather Channel elsewhere. You can use the Weather Channel to plan an outside event, pack appropriate clothing for your vacation, and even to forecast a high pollen weekend.

Watch The Weather On T.V.

Cable or satellite television will give you complete information on your local weather, which will include the most current temperature and other weather information. You can get your local forecast every 8 minutes, to ensure easy planning in your daily activities or weekend adventures. The Weather Channel on television is not the only way we can have access to complete weather information, although it is one of the most used. You can also see Weather Channel sponsored links on the internet and on your cell phone.

See The Weather On The Internet

The Weather Channel is a sponsor of weather.com, which is a generally free of charge, weather website found online. The Weather Channel website can be personalized, so it shows you current forecast and temperature in your specific zip code. Simply by spending a few moments to register on the site, you will have your current temperature displayed on your computer screen directly next to where the time is displayed. The website has forecasts for driving excursions, including the scenic routes, travel forecasts to other countries, and recreation reports, such as boating and aviation. You will also find forecasts for major sporting events, pollution reports, and an “aches and pains” forecast. The list of the available features of the Weather Channel website is both impressible and lengthy. The Weather Channel has found almost every possible way to keep you informed about weather related information.

Watch The Weather On Your Cell Phone

Cell phones are another way to access a great deal of information from virtually anywhere. There are several cellular phone companies that have teamed up with the Channel to give you access to up to the moment forecasts, alerts, and radar images, as well as live weather reports. This way you can always be ready for any sort of weather-related activity.

Start Planning!

No matter if you are a weather junkie, or you just want to be better informed about the weather and its affect on your life’s plans, there is a tool for you. The weather is not something you can control, but it is something you can prepare for and deal with in a proper manner. Enjoy taking a look at the Channel and all its possibilities to help you through your rainy (or sunny) day!

By Margarette Tustle, who writes ideas and helpful information for family and home. For more weather resources go to yeweather.com

Most people would think that by putting a gay mobster in Sopranos would totally ruin the show and have a little side story going and maybe even get the gay guys watching Sopranos.

Yet the quite opposite happened when “Vito” from the Sopranos was discovered to be gay by two wiseguys at a gay night club.
The media of course blew up the entire scenario out of proportion and the fans, responded back…but not in a negative way.

The fans of the Sopranos instead started having bets on what would happen to the gay Mobster, it seemed as if everyone was happy, from the producers and the broadcasters (huge surge in rating) to the media outlets (more cover stories) to the gay-fans of the Sopranos who were glad that being gay wasn’t look down upon.

Ultimately sites such as “SopranoFamily.com” Sopranos Gay Mobster started popping up so people could vote. It turns out that when a gay character is introduced to the main stream public there is a initial rise in publicity for the show. Not to mention the general public is becoming more “open-eyed” to such things.

In the end, no harm was done and everyone thought the gay-mobster just made the whole story line for the Sopranos more interesting.

Simon West

I know what you’re thinking. This is kind of random. How does poker possibly relate to the new Batman the Dark Knight movie that recently came out? Poker and the Dark Knight? What?!

I just can’t help but constantly think throughout the movie that if the Joker applied his maniacal yet strategic skills to poker, he would be cashing in real quick. Even quicker than I dare say… the slick Batpod? Not to mention that killer face. Who can possibly tell if he’s bluffing in poker with two inches of white plaster on his face? With a face like that, I’m sure all his poker opponents will fold.

Of course, the Joker was modeled after the Joker playing card, which is used as a wildcard in poker sometimes. When the wildcard is in play, the best poker hand would be four aces and the Joker.

Now imagine if Batman, the Joker, and Two-Face were duking it out in poker, who do you think will be the most likely winner? Sure Batman is the vigilante with all the cool gadgets and can fly over the city and Two-Face carries around a nifty little coin, but obviously the Joker has the advantage when it comes to poker. Poker and the Joker. It’s a perfect match. Just think about what it takes to win in poker: bluffing, strategic tactics, predicting the other players’ behavior, challenging other poker players and raising the stakes… I don’t know about you, but in terms of poker, I’m all in rooting for the Joker. Sorry, Dark Knight. I think I just saw the Bat signal light up the skyline anyway.