Does the name Mark Zuckerberg ring a bell? If it doesn’t, you either live under a rock or you just don’t care. This guy is 26 years old, and he’s already worth billions. What kind of business is he in to make this kind of money at such as early age? One word: Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg is a Harvard dropout who co-founded the most popular social networking site today. He has also been in the limelight because of the recent changes made to Facebook privacy settings. Naturally, he has been the target of so many angry tirades.

His time in the limelight is not about to end any time soon. Hollywood has its eyes set on Mark Zuckerberg, and they are making a movie out of his life.

This kind of news will normally make people jump up and down for joy. Who has not dreamt – at least once in his life – about a movie being made to celebrate his life? Then again, celebrate is the key word here.

Recently, the screenplay of the movie was leaked, and from the looks of it, Mark Zuckerberg will not be very happy about his story. Title The Social Network, the movie will be depicting the Facebook founder as a sex maniac. It will also detail how Facebook was conceptualized and created.

Disclaimers already abound – the movie is a highly fantasized version of reality, some details might not be accurate, and so on. Still, I am pretty sure that this movie will draw a bit of a crowd.

If there is one place on Earth that could be hailed as the trendsetter of trendsetters, Hollywood will probably win hands down. After all, the exposure that Hollywood gets is comparable to none. And, if trends are what you are after, then here’s one trend that seems to be the favorite of Hollywood couples these days: renewing wedding vows.

Just to give you a background, let’s mention some of the Hollywood couples that have recently renewed their vows.

There’s Mimi and Nick. They renewed their vows for the third time late in April.

Seal and Heidi Klum – already known for loving wedding ceremonies – renewed their vows for the sixth time!

Then there’s Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, who dispelled rumors that they were getting divorced. Last week, they renewed their vows as well.

There are more Hollywood couples who have been going through the same thing – saying “I do” for the nth time. So I was thinking, if you’re looking for a short break and you’re married, why not follow the trend? Why not go to Hollywood for the weekend or for the week (you can have your nth honeymoon there while you’re at it) and say your wedding vows again?

These stars may not be the perfect examples of how marriages should be, but hey, renewing your vows is something good, isn’t it? And, doesn’t saying “I do” (yet again) in Hollywood give you a perfect fairy tale ending?

For some people, the Hollywood Sign is what will come to mind when this place is mentioned. Indeed, movies, print media, and television shows have immortalized this landmark more than anything else. And, for a lot of us, the loss of the Hollywood Sign is just unthinkable!

However, development has its price. The 138-acre (56-hectare) piece of land surrounding the ridge where the sign is located is supposed to be used by developers as an area for luxury homes. We know what this means: either the sign will be demolished or the astounding view will be marred by buildings and other construction. Either way, things will change – and probably not for the better.

Lucky for the world, billionaire Hugh Hefner has come to the rescue. He lent a helping hand to a conservation group that has been trying to raise enough funds to purchase the land. Their goal is to gain control of the land and turn it over to the city government so that the area can be incorporated into Griffith Park. This will ensure that any development will not endanger the Hollywood Sign.

So how much of a helping hand did Hefner give? A whopping $900,000! This amount has certainly helped the fundraising efforts greatly. They need $12.5 by the end of the work week, and it looks like they will reach their goal. This is not the first time that Hefner has helped save the sign, by the way.

Also worth mentioning are the other major players who have given their share in this effort: Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. With this combination, the Hollywood Sign is sure to be safe, right?

Can you guess? I guess the names do change every now and then. After all, the trends do change over time. At this point in time, among those at the top are Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Swift.

Can you guess how much they earned in the year 2009? According to the reports, these stars earned tens of millions of dollars last year! That kind of money is something that normal people like you and me dream of. And, take note, these people are quite young!

Here’s the breakdown. Taylor Swift earned $17.5 million. Robert Pattinson earned $18.5 million. Kristen Stewart brought in a whopping $23 million.

Isn’t that just amazing? These people are so young, and yet they are bringing in millions and millions of dollars. Then again, it is not that surprising. Since the launching of the Twilight movies, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have become household names. Five years ago, the average person probably wouldn’t have recognized these names. Today, however, people from all over the world – from the United States to Africa to Asia – speak their names like they were bosom buddies. They both have become part of the list of most searched for people on the Internet as well.

As for Taylor Swift, this young country singer has reached the top of the charts. Her being rudely interrupted by Kanye West also helped endear her more to the hearts of fans.

We’re not even halfway through 2010, but these three kids are still set to make more with their various projects. Who’s willing to bet that they just might make the list again next year?

It seems to me we’re hearing of people getting a Hollywood Star more often these days. Perhaps it’s because of the fact that the Hollywood greats are reaching the point that they have to immortalized – there’s no question about that. Whatever the reason, I was quite thrilled to hear that Dennis Hopper has been given his very own star. This makes him the 2,403rd person to receive one.

For those who may not have heard about it, Dennis Hopper is waging a war against prostate cancer. He announced this piece of news several months ago. While he is certainly not the first Hollywood star to experience such a struggle, it is always sad when we hear about such things. To have a Star awarded to the 73-year-old actor means so much more under these circumstances.

Dennis Hopper received a lot of support during the awarding ceremony. The Celebrity Café reports:

Jack Nicholson and David Lynch, Johnny Mathis and hundreds of photo snapping fans all came out to support the honor presented by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive Leron Gubler. Viggo Mortensen and film producer Mark Canton spoke some praise to Hopper as well.

“He is someone who has seemed to regularly rise out of the ashes of self-inflicted chaos, surprising us with his originality and wit as an artist and defying the odds by somehow staying alive physically and professionally,” spoke Mortensen.

Oh yes, Mr. Mortensen, I couldn’t have phrased that in a better way! This farm boy from Dodge City, Kansas has indeed gone a long way; and he deserves this Star so much more than some people out there.

Again? It seems that Mel Gibson just cannot escape the intrigue and controversy that seems to follow him everywhere. This time, a man is claiming that Mel Gibson assaulted him at a nightclub. Funny thing is, the esteemed actor was with his girlfriend, who is pregnant.

Reports say that the couple was wedged inside a booth when Gibson went berserk on the guy, grabbed him, and ripped his T-shirt in the process. Indeed, the guy had pictures taken of him with a tattered shirt.

Of course, the cops were brought in. It seems that Lady Luck is on Gibson’s side this time around. The cops say that they think that the guy filing the report has a crappy made up story. According to TMZ’s reports, the cops say that “Gibson was wedged in a booth with his pregnant girlfriend and couldn’t have grabbed the guy’s shirt.”

In any case, why would Gibson just go crazy? According that guy, he was trying to get a picture of the couple. Naturally, the couple wanted privacy and didn’t want to have their picture taken. When the reporter persisted, Gibson’s temper flared and that’s when the action happened.

So now he is facing charges once again. We all know that the media will be following this story to the end, however it may end. All I can say is that why can’t I witness these things? Nothing ever seems to happen when I am around! :p

Country singer Alan Jackson is set to get his Hollywood star next year. If you are not a country music fan, you probably couldn’t care less. For those who are into country music, however, this should prove to be interesting.

There are over 2,000 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame already. They first started putting stars in their in 1958 and each year, worthy celebrities are awarded their own stars. Year in and year out, people from all over the world come in droves to visit Hollywood, and guess what is one of the most visited places in Tinsel Town? You got it – the Walk of Fame.

Alan Jackson is not the only person to be receiving his star in 2010. There are many other categories for the stars and the Times Herald lists down more of them:

Jackson is nominated in the recording category — along with Bryan Adams, The Funk Brothers, Chaka Khan, Van Morrison, Marco Antonio Solis, Ringo Starr, ZZ Top and — posthumously — Roy Orbison.

In addition to Thompson, motion picture nominees were James Cameron, Russell Crowe, John Cusack, Colin Firth, Gale Ann Hurd, Alan Menken, Randy Neuman, Adam Sandler and Mark Wahlberg. Nominated in the television category were Graves, Chris Berman, Jon Cryer, Jimmy Kimmel, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Bill Maher and Sam Waterston.

The year is not really half way done but I am sure that the awardees are already beside themselves with excitement. As for us mere mortals, we can hope to be there during the formal ceremony.

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.