Photography buffs in LA, here is an exhibit that I am pretty sure you would like to visit. Dubbed Barack Obama: The Freshman, the photo exhibit will be running M + B, a gallery located at 612 North Almont Drive in Los Angeles. It started last week, on the 28th of May and will run till the 18th of July, giving you plenty of time to drop by and see the President when he was still in college.

If you have not heard of it yet, the photo exhibit showcases Barrack Obama as a college freshman. While we all have photos of when we were freshmen in college, the photos of Barrack are not incidental things. They were in fact taken by Lisa Jack, who was a student of photography back then. She had to choose a subject for a portrait project, and she chose Barrack. Lisa chose him for the simple reason that he was charismatic. After the shoot, the photos remained hidden – they had served their purpose.

Lisa Jack had no way of knowing that Barry – Obama’s nickname – would ever be the leader of the country one day. Well, he did, and she was dared by a friend to unearth those photos. At first, she was worried that they could be used against the President. But she knew that there was nothing wrong with them and so decided to launch the exhibition.

If you are far from LA, you can see some of the photos at M+B’s web site.

Prop 8 has got to be one of the most controversial pieces of legislations ever. It has got people from all sorts of backgrounds speaking their minds. And of course, in Hollywood, most everyone has joined the fray. The general consensus – as was to be expected, I think – is that upholding Prop 8 is not right.

USA Today featured some quotes about Prop 8 from prominent Hollywood figures. Here are some of the more interesting AND sensible ones. (Yes, everyone is having their say but some of them just do more harm to Prop 8, I think.)

George Clooney to E!: “This just should invigorate people to get it back on the ballot in 2010 and 2012 and every two years until all people are allowed a basic civil right.”

Yep, this was voted on. Those who didn’t vote do not have a right to complain.

Charlize Theron to E!: “I am deeply disappointed by the (California) Supreme Court’s ruling on Prop. 8 today. I don’t agree with homophobia or discrimination of any kind. I will continue to fight this fight for equality and speak up for the basic civil rights of all Americans.”

I don’t agree with homophobia or discrimination either. Then again, the issue runs deep and touches faith and beliefs. It’s not that simple.

Demi Moore: “There’s no room 4 judgment it only creates separation & i’m pretty sure we R all equal in God’s eyes. luv is luv in whatever form! … Amazing the country that likes 2 pride itself on liberty & justice 4 all can continue 2 fail certain groups!”

That’s on Twitter, and she does have a point on liberty and justice.

So is Hollywood right on this one? What’s YOUR say?

Hollywood is home to the rich and famous, and it is the breeding ground of a lot of controversy as well. Just the other night, Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin was a guest on the Letterman Show and he apparently made a gaffe, which has offended a lot of Filipinos.

So what did he say? You know how Letterman conducts his interviews – they jump from topic to another. Somewhere along the way, Baldwin said that he was ‘”thinking about getting a Filipina mail-order bride … or a Russian.” He went on to say that he “didn’t care; he’s 51.”

I suppose it was the mail-order bride tag that many found offensive. And I suppose the fact that Letterman added his own “Get one for me, for later” didn’t help either.

Now, the Philippine government is demanding for a public apology from the producers of the show and from Alec Baldwin. They want the concerned people to “express deep concern over the derogatory remark.”

Mind you, this is not the first time that Hollywood has been targeted for this kind of racial gaffe. A few years ago, Teri Hatcher said something about a spurious medical degree obtained from the Philippines. This was uttered in one episode of Desperate Housewives. The producers of the show were asked to apologize and they did.

The question is: what will the producers of the Letterman show and Alec Baldwin do? Their statements were clearly in jest, but some were offended. Let’s see what happens.

Forrest Gump may have been a ping pong sensation back in the day, but that did not really propel the game to the top of the list of “cool” games. Many many years later, it seems that the game has gotten the break that it deserves, for it is now the “in” past time of Hollywood celebrities.

The Independent – a UK newspaper of all things! – recently ran a feature on this phenomenon:

It has to be one of the unlikeliest Hollywood pastimes yet, involving two people, a couple of vaguely S&M wooden paddles and a hollow plastic ball. Whisper it: ping-pong is cool.

Forget scout huts and church halls – on Saturday, the latest achingly hip New York table tennis venue will open its doors to an adoring star-studded following. SPiN New York will be an exclusive ping-pong parlour big enough to house the sport’s growing number of A-list devotees who turn up, bat in hand, at ping-pong social clubs around the city.

So who are the people who have been captivated by this sport?

Among the Hollywood elite captivated by the craze are the actors Ed Norton and Matthew Broderick, and the actress Susan Sarandon – who will be cutting the ribbon at SPiN’s glitzy launch. Even the rapper 50 Cent wants to be seen at America’s cult table tennis parties.

You know what? Call me nerdy or call me cool – it doesn’t matter to me. I love ping pong. It used to be my sport of choice and now that these Hollywood bigwigs are playing it, I can’t help but feel a sense of vindication.