If you were to guess the company that would be the top employer in Hollywood I’m pretty sure that the first companies that would come to mind would be all related to the entertainment industry. If you take a look at the official list of the top employers in Hollywood you wouldn’t be that wrong since a huge percentage on the top 20 list do belong in the entertainment industry. You’ll be surprised though to find out that the number one spot actual belongs to the health care industry. Other industries that seem to be thriving in Hollywood include the tourism industry (hotels) and retail companies (Home Depot and Farmers Market).

So if you do want to move to Tinseltown but are pretty reluctant since you do not have any aspirations to be a part of the entertainment industry, whether as a writer or actor, you can brush your fears away as long as you have career aspirations related to health care and tourist industry. Oh, this also applies to you if you are business savvy.

Top 5 Employers in Hollywood

Kaiser Permanente Hospital
4747 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
5,530 employees

Paramount Pictures
5555 Melrose Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90027
5,000 employees

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
4650 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
3,800 employees

Universal Studios, Inc.
100 Universal City
Plaza Universal City, CA 91608
3,800 employees

Sunset Gower Studios
1430 N. Gower, Box 21
Hollywood, CA 90028
3,000

If any one knows how important image and aggressive advertisement is, it’s Hollywood. The good thing is that those in the industry are using this knowledge and experience on how to aggressively campaign to build awareness of something they deem important to let more people know about the need for a more affordable health care.

Hollywood organisations that are working hand in hand with AARP include Hollywood Radio & Television Society (HRTS), the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) and the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF).

AARP has long been an advocate of affordable health care and is involved actively in ensuring that people of all ages get to buy cheap insurance by allowing HMOs to use it’s name to sell its affordable packages. AARP’s health insurance sales are such a success that in fact they earn more from health insurance than from member dues.

Now with the “Divided We Fail” initiative of the AARP supported by the hollywood industry it hopes to be able to “galvanize the public into taking action”, which according to MPTF’s Foundation Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg,” is the key first step to solving them [the health care problem].”

Hollywood stars that have joined them in helping spread the word include big names such as Ben Affleck, Garth Brooks, Dakota Fanning, Morgan Freeman, Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Piven and Reese Witherspoon.

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.

Lots of visitors coming to Hollywood do so to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars. The great thing about the place is that anywhere you go the chances of being star struck is there.

If you want to spot some big stars but start feeling hungry from all the sightseeing you might as well visit restaurants that are the favorites of your favorite celebs including:

Spago Beverly Hills - The original Spago used to be located in west Hollywood but after Wolfgang Puck opened the Beverly Hills branch he had to let the first one go. If you want a sure shot at seeing big names this is the place to go especially during peak hours (7-9pm). The problem with the place though is that it is that you would need to book reservations days or even weeks in advance. Unless you’re a celeb or going out with one you also wouldn’t be able to get a table during the peak hours. Still the food is really excellent and at the very least you can say you’ve dined in the place where Sir Elton John, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Robin Williams, Sydney Poitier, Tom Hanks, and so many more have dined.

Formosa Cafe - Fancy a drink? This is the place to go. Actually the place offers a lot more than drinks and has an excellent full menu everynight. Formosa Cafe is really frequented by the celebs though mostly just for cocktails. The great thing about Formosa Cafe is that the prices are relatively reasonable and the ambiance will make you fill at ease. Big names that have been spotted there include Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, James Dean, etc (although you surely wouldn’t see them coming again!). Among those alive and breathing big stars that have been seen there include Bono, Nicolas Cage, Britney Spears, Jodie Foster, Kevin Spacey, an more.

Prince may have been the last one to sign on for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival but he sure is not the least of the performers. If anything he was the centerpiece of the whole event. The festival organizers was hell bent on making sure that they got Prince so much so that they kept on courting him ending up paying more than $5 million for his appearance.

The fans are apparently glad that the festival organizers persevered with everybody agreeing that the Prince sure made the event a royal festivity. Even Prince himself agrees that he brought the oomph to the festival when he screamed out “Coachella, I am here. You are the coolest place on Earth right now!” Talk about confidence. But then again…he’s The Prince.

Other big names that came for the event include Jack Johnson, trip-hop group Portishead, and The Verve. Lots of new talents were also there making the music festival goers really happy.

Randy Miller, the owner of Rocky, is being investigated by PETA to determine whether his actions somehow contributed to the fatal “attack” of the bear on it’s trainer, Stephen Miller.

Stephen Miller died after being bit by the 700 lb, 7 1/2-foot-tall bear on the neck while shooting a promotional video. Witnesses claim that the bear bite was an accident and that it was just a playful behavior on the part on the bear that turned into a tragedy since the trainer was bit in a very vulnerable spot. One bite was all it took. Prior to the biting incident everything seemed to have been going well with the bear was licking Stephen Miller’s face. Everyone who’s been in contact with the bear knows that the bear is actually surprised because Rocky is known for his good disposition and is fact touted as being one of the “best trained” animals in Hollywood.

Despite the bear’s good record PETA seems skeptical about the bear’s state especially since last year, during an inspection, they have deemed Miller’s training facility and sanctuary as not suitable for many of the wild animals that lived there.

Whatever happens this is indeed a tragedy not only for Stephen Miller and his family but also for the bear who surely was not at fault, accident or no.

Rocky is best known for his appearance in Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell.

I love watching American Idol and I especially love Idol Gives Back but this year I did cringe when they sent home Michael Johns. It wasn’t that I am a big fan of Michaels Johns (although I did love his last performance) but Ryan Seacrest’s callous remark after announcing who was going home really is cringe-worthy. Hearing Ryan say, “Last year on Idol Gives Back week, we didn’t eliminate anyone. Not so this week.”, somehow soured the goody goody feeling Idol Gives Back inspires. That was a cruel thing to do. No one should be left with negative memories of an Idol Gives Back night and Michael Johns sure would. A pat on the back him though since he took it all in stride and even said about his song “Dream On” that, “If there’s a song to go out on, that’s not a bad one.”

On the bright side though the show had some really good moments with the highlight being the amount of money raised, which is more than what they raised last year. They are still accepting donations via the Idol Gives Back website as well as their Idol Gives Back MySpace page.

If you want to see all the stars and the performances head on to itunes to download all the Idol performances (regular shows and Idol Gives Back).

The writers strike turned most of the film industry’s awards nights into pathetic news conferences, so the world’s hungry for a real party. They just might get it from the Grammys. Meet the nominees and get ready for the gowns, the glamour, and the tearful acceptance speeches.

The Hollywood writers strike gets even more complicated as The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists breaks connections with its more powerful sister union, the Screen Actors Guild.

AFTRA’s board of directors voted Saturday to separately negotiate its upcoming prime-time television contract with the major studios — without SAG at the bargaining table.

While each group has its own list of grievances against each other — and agendas to pursue the big question is:

when will this strike be over, already???

The Vanguard is one of the hottest places to party in HOllywood. It’s famous for its cool DJs, go-go girls on a catwalk and enough dance floor space to fit in the relaxed but energetic crowd, which ranges mainly from 25s-early 30s. There’s an outdoor tropical-style patio in the back for VIP service, but this place is really just a pure dance club with few distractions.
(6021 Hollywood Bvld., 213-480-3232.)