Just because Hollywood is where some of the richest people on earth live, it does not mean that the community does not have a sense of social and environmental responsibility. Indeed, some of the most socially aware people are big figures in Hollywood. As another testament to how this part of the world is contributing to the effort to save Mother Earth, the first eco-friendly lounge is set to open in November of this year in Hollywood.

Dubbed Ecco, the lounge is located in the Cahuenga Corridor and is set to lay down the standards for an environmentally friendly night out. Ecco used to be the Tokio Hollywood, which was renovated and transformed into something which, many would say, is better.

So what makes Ecco different from the plethora of night clubs and lounges in Hollywood? Here are some of its features:

– Multi-colored state-of-the-art LED lighting, exclusively designed and installed by Disco Designer and Cosmos Lighting.
– Neutralized carbon emissions through LivClean.
– Green energy supplied by L.A. Department of Water & Power’s Green Power resources.
– Certified organic cuisine and beverages without fertilizers, pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.
– Energy efficient insulation, saving 20% more energy than standard insulation.
– Eco-friendly bathrooms with flushless toilets, Dyson “Airblade” hand dryers, and organic cleansers and hand soaps.
– Free valet service for hybrid vehicles.
– Paperless event ticketing, table and bottle reservations provided by UpCode Solutions USA/Mobile Access & Interaction technology (MAI)(TM).
– Custom audio provided by Turbosound, winners of the Best Club Awards

LED lighting, flushless toilets, organic food – you can’t get any “eco-friendlier” than that can you?

If I asked you right now who the most powerful women in Hollywood are, what would your answer be? When faced with this question earlier (my friend and I were talking about the very same topic), I named Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. According to The Hollywood Reporter – which is definitely a more reliable source than I am – I got one correctly.

They recently honored the most influential women in Hollywood and Oprah was right there at the top. AP has a write up on the recent event:

The chairwoman of Harpo Inc. tops the trade paper’s 17th annual Power 100 list “based on her dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence,” Guider said.

Honorees are chosen by a panel of reporters and editors who consider each woman’s corporate position, control of purse strings and power to greenlight content.

During the same Q-&-A session, Disney’s co-chairwoman, Anne Sweeney, who was second on the list, said she uses chocolate as a salve, while No. 3, Sony Chairwoman Amy Pascal, opts to hide under the covers when failure strikes. The list was published Friday.

Who else made the list? I only really recognized Oprah in the top 10. Angelina Jolie made it to number 24, Tyra Banks is at 36, Tina Fey at 56, Rachael Ray at 65, and Miley Cyrus at 100. I don’t know about you but I was a bit surprised at number 100. Then again, the Hannah Montana phenomenon is indeed quite remarkable. For the complete list, visit The Hollywood Reporter.

…look for a posh dog hotel instead. It is not a secret that many Hollywood personalities have a deep affinity for pooches of all kinds. Even if you’re not a high profile personality, if you live in Hollywood and you find yourself needing someone to take care of your canine best friend during the holiday season, you have a new option that will help you have peace of mind.

The Street has a feature for Hollywood dog lovers and their top choice is Rover Kennels, described as the “haughtiest dog hotel:”

Rover is more than just a dog hotel; it also offers cage-free daycare, training and grooming for an array of dogs and cats. All guests and owners are interviewed to assess temperament and ability to play with others.

…our favorite amenity at Rover Kennels is its endless concierge services that include an in-room mini-bar of pre-selected treats like turkey hotdogs, doggie ice cream and holiday dinners of organic turkey and sweet potato. Those looking for a more glamorous stay can enroll in one of the photograph packages that include art-quality prints and posters of your best friend while on their winter holiday retreat.

Um, I love dogs and I would not really want to leave my pets over the holidays. This hotel does seem a bit excessive for me though. There are other options mentioned in the feature article – they seem more practical to me. If you want to read more, visit the whole article titled “Four-Paw Holidays for Hollywood Dogs.”

Every Hollywood tourist brochure recommends a visit to the Wax Museum, but with an admission fee of $15 (and you can only stay an hour) is it really worth it?

Most visitors say that you go so you say you can go — and to have a lot of laughs. Think of it as a chance to get your pictures taken with celebrities, but don’t be too disappointed if the wax likenesses look like you’ve caught them at their worst. (David Hasselhoff looks like he has jaundice.)

Some of the scenes are pretty cool — like the segment from The Exorcist — others border on the creepy. But since the hours extend till 1 am, and the airconditioning’s fantastic, it’s a quiet, relaxing way to end to a long and frenetic day of touring. Get a shared pass to the Guiness Book of Records museum across the street to get your money’s worth.

Hollywood is known for the glitz, glamor, and money… money lots of people frankly couldn’t afford or do not wish to shell out. Good news for those who want to experience Hollywood without totally emptying their pockets…there are actually lots of inexpensive hotels in Hollywood.

The benefit of staying in a budget hotel is that you’ll be able to save your money so you can afford to see all the sights and shows and maybe even dine in a special place or two.

Some budget-friendly hotels (compared to other hotels that offer the same level of service) include:

1-Star

• Days Inn Hollywood Hotel (5410 Hollywood Blvd.)

2-Star

• Days Inn Hollywood Near Universal Studios Hotel (7023 Sunset Blvd)
• Hollywood Metropolitan Hotel
• Hollywood Vermont Sunset Travelodge
• Liberty Hotel
• Rodeway Inn
• Saharan Motor Hotel
• Super 8 Motel
• Travelodge Sunset La Brea Hotel
• Westside Rentals Hollywood Hotel

3-Star

• Best Western Hollywood Hills
• Comfort Inn & Suites Hotel
• Holiday Inn Hollywood Walk Of Fame Hotel
• Magic Castle Hotel

If you wish to find quality yet cheap hotels in Hollywood I would also suggest that you use online booking sites since they usually offer lots of good deals year-round.

It took decades before J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” (LotR) trilogy was lovingly made into a movie trilogy by Peter Jackson. Now it seems that it’s going to take longer than expected for the prequel novel, “The Hobbit”, to be made into a film – two films, in fact. After two years of production delays, Guillermo del Toro says he’s forced to quit, as far as directing goes, but will still co-write the screenplays with Jackson and Fran Walsh.

Del Toro’s no stranger to niche filcks, having directed one or more of Hellboy and Blade, and one of my all-time faves, Pan’s Labrinyth, amongst numerous foreign language films. Now when you look at the list of films he’s currently part of that are in development, you realize how busy he really is. Amongst the 10 films he’s currently involved in are Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (Though some of these projects might disappear, depending on how the sale of in-debt MGM goes.)

The logical choice to direct would of course be Peter Jackson, but he had declined previously, and if I remember correctly, it had been because of scheduling problems. MGM has yet to give their approval, yet the two movies are still scheduled for Dec 2012 and Dec 2013. All three movies in the ‘Rings’ trilogy were released in consecutive years around Christmas time.

While legions of Tolkien fans are likely to see the movies no matter when they come out, no matter who directs them, or how well they’re made, it’s obvious that with Jackson and Del Toro still handling writing duties that the material will be top notch. Hopefully they’ll find a worthy replacement — I can’t think of any one director who has the ‘fantasy’ touch of either of these two men. Maybe we can all hope and pray that Peter Jackson’s commitments work themselves out and eventually does take the directing role. A lot could happen between now and the expected production start date, which is Dec 2010. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s not Tim Burton, who’s style just isn’t suited to these stories.

I’ve always wondered why Celine Dion only ever had one child with husband/ long-time manager Rene Angelil, but apparently it’s because of pregnancy difficulties. Now, at the age of 42, after six attempts at in-vitro fertilization and the use of acupuncture, she’s said to be pregnant with twins. Good luck to Celine, but given how skinny she is, I’m not sure how she’s going to handle being pregnant with twins.

So wait, what? Brad and Angelina are openly affectionate in public, albeit at a private beach party. So I guess rumors of their relationship’s demise were just that, rumors. (Then again, rumors of them splitting have happened before.) On the other hand, Naveen Andrews (Sayid Jarrah on Lost) and Barbara Hershey, who started her film and TV career before Andrews was born, have called it quits. Actually, they called it quits six months ago but news of the split only surfaced now. According to People, they’ve been together for most of the span of time since they met in 1998.

Gary Coleman’s “heartbroken” parents want answers about his death? Um, aren’t these the same parents, along with his business manager, that Coleman sued because they appropriated many millions of his earnings, leaving him with so little that he eventually was working as a security guard? About you giving some answers? Do you wonder that you weren’t called to his bedside before he passed away?

Yeah, that’s what society needs. Michelle Homewrecker Bombshell McGee promoting Ashley Madison, in the nude. This is the pimping dating agency whose commercials seem to encourage people to cheat on spouses almost to the point of justification. Hey, if you want to pay Bombshell, whose name is now associated withbreaking up marriages, go ahead. Maybe it’ll put some sense into would be cheaters who don’t want to end up like her: despised.

Sandra Bullock’s not letting her breakup with Jesse James Douchebag get in the way of her relationship with his three children. The Star says she managed to have a girl’s day out at The Beverly Hills Hotel with Jesse’s youngest girl, Sunny. Kind of tells a lot, doesn’t it? Jesse has said he wants to see the baby boy they adopted together, Louis Bardo, and Sandra will see Jesse’s other two kids, Jesse Jr. and Chandler. Oh and Jesse, just another reminder, above, of what you’re going to miss out on.

Charlie Sheen is possibly pleading guilty as part of a plea bargain in a domestic case, which stems from his being arrested for assaulting wife Brooke Mueller in Aspen. If he does plead guilty, he’ll spend up to 45 days in jail. The current charge is “felony menacing,” which carries a bigger penalty that might interfere with his $2 trillion dollars per episode day job as Charlie Harper in Two and a Half Men. For the record, good ol’ Charlie says he’s innocent. Sheen currently pays out over $125K/month to ex-wife Denise Richards and current wife Mueller.

So Alicia Keys is not only pregnant but engaged to rapper Swizz Beatz, aka Kasseem Dean. If you’re not sure who he is, according to People, he’s produced music for his fiancee — and inspired her — and worked with Jay-Z, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani. This player already has two kids from previous relationships. As in plural. So at this point I guess he’s heading towards having three baby mommas. But Alicia is looking forward to the experience of being a mother.

Wow Glen Beck, aren’t you so effing brave and clever, putting down a little girl on your stupid show? Seriously, you’re such a hater that you have to mock Malia Obama? What the eff did she ever do to you, moron? You want your family left alone but you pick on little girls? Do you feel all smart and powerful now? Were you dropped on your head a few too many times as a child?

He’s already a star – there is no doubt about it, but surely, Sir Ben Kingsley surely still aspired (even if it was secretly perhaps) to have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This year is a good year for the British actor – his new movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has just been released in the United States. The ceremony for his Walk of Fame star coincided with the release.

It was held at the Hollywood Boulevard and of course, many other stars were present. Bruce Willis – a star in his own right –was among the people who witnessed the honor being given to Sir Ben Kingsley. So what did the 2,410th recipient of a Hollywood star have to say about the accolade?

“Standing here today amongst you is one of the many things I thought growing up in England that would never happen to me. It was a privilege to be an enduring part of the architecture of this extraordinary city.”

Indeed, having your own star is akin to being immortalized. Not that Sir Ben Kingsley had not been immortalized in other ways prior to his being awarded a star. He has starred in countless films that have touched the lives of so many people – and they are certain to make an impact in the lives of future film-loving generations. Think Schindler’s List, Gandhi, and Oliver Twist.

Here’s to Sir Ben Kingsley and his most recent accolade!

Country singer Carrie Underwood is going to marry real soon, according to source for The Awful Truth. She’s been engaged to hockey player Mike Fisher. Also, Megan Fox, who is not engaged, might marry on/off-again beau Brian Austin Green — he who had one of the least liked characters on the original 90210 TV series. E! Online says that someone close to the couple indicated that Brian had moved into the new 5-bdrm home Megan purchased in LA, and that they will get married. (I wonder how Brian puts up with the fact that Megan doesn’t like to cook or clean and has all these obsessive-compulsive quirks.) Now, there’s a bit more to the story. Before Megan came into his life, Brian was with another hottie, Vanessa Marcil (92010 and Las Vegas; pictured above), who mothered his child. Vanessa is now engaged to Carmine Giovinazzo (CSI:NY) but was once married Corey Feldman. (If I continue this line of thinking, Kevin Bacon will probably appear somewhere along the way, according to the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon concept.)

Singer Cheryl Cole, aka Cheryl Ann Tweedy, has filed for divorce from husband and soccer player Ashley Cole. Reason: “unreasonable behavior” of her estranged husband. I have no idea what that means (actually, it apparently means he was unfaithful) but she did once say that notorious celebrity meanie Simon Cowell was the most charismatic man she’s ever met (as per her IMDB profile). Just saying. She apparently wants a clean break and none of Ashley’s money. Just wondering if she’ll keep his last name, now that she’s had it for five years.

Oooops. Sarah Jessica Parker accidentally called husband Matthew Broderick average, while on David Letterman, then dug herself a deeper hole as she tried to explain that she was referring to his height, “not in personality, intellect, charisma, talent… Anyway he’s average in height as I understand, so the odds of our son being average in height and weight is perhaps promising.”

Radio/ television personality Art Linkletter, born Arthur Gordon Kelly in Moose Jaw, Canada, passed away yesterday at the age of 97. In addition to being appointed to President Richard Nixon’s national advisory council for drug abuse prevention (after one daughter’s suicide upon which he blames LSD), Linkletter was a talk-show pioneer, a motivational speaker and creator and/or host of several shows, including Kids Say the Darnedest Things (1998).