Eric Bana, the lead of Spielberg’s film Munich, did such a fantastic job of playing Avner, the head of an Israeli assassination team assigned to get rid of the Palestinians who spearheaded the death of 11 Israeli athletes in the Munich Olympics, that I wanted to know more about him.

He graduated from the same school that Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth), Hugo Weaving (The Matrix series, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and Mel Gibson (acted in Hamlet and directed Passion of Christ) did— the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney Australia.

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The jaw dropping surprise while scanning the HBO February 2006 schedule is finding out that the extremely talented Lord of the Rings actor Brad Dourif (Wormtongue — the Saruman spy in the Rohan court) also provided the voice of Chucky in the horror film Seed of Chucky, not just for this movie but for the entire Child’s play series, which spans several movies since 1988.

Moreover, to make it even more bizarre, he was joined in the cult series Seed of Chucky by another Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd (the loveable hobbit Pippin) who provided the voice of Chucky’s son.

I mention these uncanny details as a reminder that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is going to be shown today 19 February 2006 at 11.30am, and 20 February 2006 at 12.05am. To make the viewing more interesting, maybe knowing The Return of the King Trivia will make it more fun.

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If I’m offered a questionnaire at the end of a meal in a restaurant I usually answer it, with the hope that whatever comments I’ve made will be implemented, and it also gives me the opportunity to put into writing any positive feedback that I might have. By and large, these are not responded to by the company, so the arrival of a letter from The Peninsula Manila Hotel took me by surprise.

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Nike Rockstar, a hip-hop class that is being touted as exclusive to Fitness First, was recently launched in the Fitness First Philippines branches. It is choreographed by Jamie King, who has worked with the likes of Madonna and Britney Spears, and who has a two-year endorsement deal with Nike.

Aside from doing the choreography for Nike Rockstar, Jamie King is a spokesperson and creative consultant for Nike Woman, plus he gets to design shoes and apparel for Nike.

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What makes McDonald’s hot fudge sundae and other ice cream desserts such a standout are the creaminess and smooth texture of the ice cream. That’s why my friends and I make an effort to pass by McDonald’s whenever we’re in the mood for something cold and sweet.

To my dismay, when I got to my destination after passing by the drive–thru of the McDonald’s Greenbelt Makati branch last 12 February 2006 (Sunday), I discovered that the ice cream is not its usual creamy state, but had that rough texture that can be more commonly found with other fast food chains.

The problem was I was already in Quezon City, not exactly a stone’s throw away. And, no, just in case you’re considering the possibility that the partially melted state changed the quality, the ice cream does not lose its creamy smooth texture whether it’s frozen or melted.

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The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) held a test from 17-28 October 2005 to find out if the three existing networks—Globe, Smart and Sun—pass the 93% standard requirement for Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR). Both Globe and Smart passed with flying colors at 98.5% and 97.2% respectively, while Sun failed at a dismal rate of 66.6%.

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Well, Valentine’s Day is here. Hopefully, you’re all set. But, just in case you were dithering, here’s a summary of some of my suggestions for Valentine’s Day itself or options regarding the month of February, depending on what you want.

Instead of or aside from the customary flowers and chocolate, be creative with some selections like the amusing yet intriguing tri-colored or French tickler condoms. For more details, read on about it in the post For Him— Naughty Valentine Gifts. And, if dressing up suggestively is what you’d like to try this year, there are numerous choices among Bare Essentials’ Red Hot Ensembles.

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The most memorable part of the My Mega Valentine concert on 12 February 2006 at the Araneta Coliseum was when Sharon Cuneta stood in front of a mike with an electric guitar and sang in the style of today’s younger artists, even choosing songs that have made them popular like Kitchie Nadal’s ’Wag na ’Wag Mong Sasabihin and Hari ng Sablay.

Sharon poked fun at her weight loss by saying how she can see her toes, but at the same time she was reveling in her sexier figure by doing poses and saying sexual innuendoes to her hubby, whom she said was always being mistaken for being ‘disente’ but revealed he was actually ‘bastos.’

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