What’s the hold up on Men in Black III? Will Smith doesn’t like the script.

10:06 PM Men in Black III, Will Smith No Comments

Shooting on the big threequel has been delayed because its lead star wants to see some changes, according to the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter (now on newsstands).

Though the script’s original draft (penned by Tropic Thunder writer Etan Cohen) found favor with the studio, Sony Pictures, director Barry Sonnenfeld and producer Walter Parkes, Smith wasn't wild. "He's become very enamored with aspects of screenwriting," says a source involved with the production.

Nevertheless, in an unprecedented move, Sony started shooting in November — with only one act of the script completed.

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Sony spokesman Steve Elzer tells THR the studio came up with the unusual shooting plan because it feared the New York incentive program would expire at the end of December. The studio also has said the hiatus would allow outdoor scenes to be shot in New York in spring.

But several observers suspect the studio moved ahead with production largely because all of the key players -- including Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and director Barry Sonnenfeld -- were finally ready to go, and a delay might have jeopardized that.

It had built in a break in production that was scheduled to last from late December through mid-February, during which the remainder of the script was to be finished.

The problem still hasn’t been resolved – and now the hiatus has been extended until March 28 as a new writer David Koepp (who did uncredited work on the first MIB) is brought in for revisions.

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Koepp has hit work cut out for him.

MIB III calls for Smith's character, Agent J, to go back in time - 1969, to be exact – where he encounters famous figures of the day, like Yoko Ono, as well as a younger version of Jones' Agent K (played by Josh Brolin).

"It's hard because you're locked into the beginning of the movie," a production source acknowledges. PHOTOS: Hollywood About Town

One former studio chief is not surprised that Sony did not come up with a script that passed muster with Smith in the time allotted. According to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation, Sony expected to save more than $35 million thanks to the New York tax program. (MIB has a budget that will easily pass $200 million.)

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Sony maintains that the extra costs are not substantial. "Because we extended the hiatus from the holidays, few people were on the payroll, so this was a relatively inexpensive decision that has had an insignificant impact on the budget," Elzer told THR in an e-mail.

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“Zombie” ants fall victim to mind-control fungus

10:03 PM “Zombie” ants fall victim to mind-control fungus No Comments

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of , then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of .

Most of this information comes straight from the pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you'll know what they know.

Zombie ants' may sound like the title of an Ed Wood movie, but, according to National Geographic, they are quite real.

Oddly, there's nothing very zombie-like about the actual ants. It's only when a particular fungus takes over the ant's brain that things get weird.

Once the "stalk of the newfound fungus species Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani infects an ant, the ant gives up control over its own body. After the fungus is in control, it forces the ant to scamper toward "a location ideal for the fungi to grow and spread their spores." Then, it's lights out for the ant. Who knew a fungus could be so diabolical?

These wild discoveries were made by a group in Brazil headed by entomologist David Hughes. National Geographic published a series of pictures of ants that have "lost their minds" to the fungus. You can check out a sample of them below. Not for the squeamish.

This article's coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

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National Pi Day celebrates all things math

6:35 PM National Pi Day celebrates all things math, pi day No Comments

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding . A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about .

Truthfully, the only difference between you and experts is time. If you'll invest a little more time in reading, you'll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to .

DOWNEY – In recognition of Pi Day on March 14 and to build math awareness, Sylvan Learning is offering free math resources to families.

Pi Day is the annual observance of the love of math and the mathematical constant Pi, commonly approximated as 3.14.

To celebrate Pi Day, Sylvan Learning is providing a free new online Math Activity Book with 30 days of math concepts, trivia, questions and puzzles. Parents, students and even educators can log on to Sylvan’s website to download and print activities and math games.

“Effort and attitude in math matters,” said Joseph Irizarry of Sylvan Learning located in Downey. “Math skills build over time, so missing one early essential component can translate into long-term difficulties that can slow future progress. The Math Activity Book can be used by the entire family, including parents, to open a mathematical dialog that will revive forgotten concepts and practice skills.”

Irizarry is also encouraging parents to play an active role in boosting their child’s math skills by offering the following tips for getting them interested in math at an early age:

Make math connections to everyday life. There are many opportunities for children to see the value of math in everyday occurrences. Think of tasks that you do everyday – rearranging a teenager’s room is a lesson in geometry and equally cutting slices of pie can teach fractions. The more parents talk about math while completing these tasks, the more students will realize its importance.

Involve your children in real-life family decisions. Encourage them to plan a family activity while remaining within the budget. For example, ask your children to plan a night at the movies or create a budget for the family vacation.

Demonstrate your math ability. Think out loud so your child can hear your analytical reasoning. For younger children, count your change or discuss which measuring cup is needed when baking a birthday cake. For older students, calculate discounts when shopping or estimate how much money will be needed to fill up the gas tank.

Mathematize career choices. Casually talk about mathematics while highlighting the types of math needed in your children’s chosen careers. Video game designers, architects, doctors, football coaches, musicians and chefs apply math skills in their daily work.

Praise your children’s academic progress. Tell your children you are proud of their math efforts, even when they struggle. When students are confident in their abilities, they enjoy learning. That love of learning in turn leads to a willingness to try new, academic experiences.

When word gets around about your command of facts, others who need to know about will start to actively seek you out.

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Diary: The sheen's coming off fast

6:10 PM Diary: The sheen's coming off fast, eva braun No Comments

Much like my good self, Sheen's youthful looks have long been at odds with a life of high-profile decadence. Yet, ever since it emerged he was swapping a lucrative career on a top US sitcom for a new vocation as the world's best village idiot, it's been hard not to notice that this once seemingly ageless handsome rogue (45) is looking increasingly frayed at the edges by the day. While one theory doing the rounds suggests his terminated contract with CBS included an all-important "eternal youth" guarantee, the now "sober" Sheen's recent brag that he out-drugged Keith Richards could come back to haunt him – if Charlie keeps ageing at this rate, there's every chance he too could be up for playing Johnny Depp's dishevelled on-screen Dad before the year's out. It's certainly not for me to suggest a hasty return to the vodka and Colombian marching powder.

* It would be fair to conclude that we've come some way since that dashing young leader of the Lib Dems was being hailed as "more popular than Winston Churchill" during last year's election campaign. Indeed, in those far-off barmy days when the all-important phrase "I agree with Nick" proved an ideal chat-up line for those of us cynical enough to use it, I'm sure forward-thinking party bosses felt they were playing a blinder by cunningly scheduling the Lib Dems' spring conference this year to be in Cleggover's backyard of Sheffield.

"In between the planned protests from unions, students and general trouble-makers, we're told the entire public transport infrastructure could come under unbearable pressure. * Yesterday saw the Daily Mail website go all nostalgic with a picture-led spread on Adolf Hitler's wife, Eva Braun. Rare photos included Frau Hitler "blacking up" as Al Jolson – along with some wholesome swimwear shots which, I'm sure, were warmly met in certain corners of Middle England. Loyal readers were quick to make their feelings known in the comments section as a healthy debate gathered momentum. While more alarmist types were "chilled to the bone" and "feeling quite sick", Eva was hailed elsewhere as the "ultimate groupie". One correspondent calmly added: "Ah ha! Hitler's girlfriend blacked up! That should have the old PC Brigade foaming at the mouth!"

* Labour MP – and, I'm reliably assured, future world leader – Chuka Ummuna, is known to be blessed with his own sense of destiny. Yesterday's article by Dan Hodges in Labour Uncut proved suitably measured when assessing the great man's talents. After daring to mention the "unthinkable"(?) day when Little Ted ceases to be Labour leader, Hodges was quick to place Chuka among the contenders. A lifestyle choice." * I've been around long enough to know you insult a national treasure at your peril, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that my description of excitable Sky political hack Jon Craig as a "mad old parrot" yesterday has been met with steely defiance by the great man himself. "I see High Street Ken's Diary in The Independent calls me a 'mad old parrot' who's 'regularly squawking' at embattled government ministers," he writes, before sensitively adding "Old?". Of course, what I meant to say is that the esteemed Mr Craig is, in fact, a middle-aged mad old parrot. My apologies.

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Daily Mail perfected

6:00 PM Daily Mail perfected, eva braun No Comments

After 115 years the newspaper has finally combined race, fascism and women's interests in one flawless image.

Media analyst, Julian Cook, said: "This is multi-layered journalistic perfection on a scale almost too overwhelming to comprehend.

"It is both a fascinating insight into the playful side of an enigmatic celebrity as well as a provocative statement about political correctness gone mad.

"This one image will start a million conversations about her hair and her clothes, why political wives should stay in the background 'unlike that Michelle Obama' and why the BBC should bring back the Black and White Minstrel Show if only it wasn't run by Muslims and homosexual Jews."

He added: "This is why Paul Dacre gets the big money and the very best medication.

"I beg him with all my heart to let Jan Moir write a piece headlined 'Isn't there a little bit of Eva Braun in all of us?'."

Helen Archer, professor of what's in the newspapers at Reading University, said: "In years to come we'll look back on this day as the high watermark in the Daily Mail's sacred quest to combine fascist sympathising with the cult of celebrity.

"It is truly perfect.

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U.S. lawmaker supporting terrorist group? Rep. Peter King isn't the first

5:44 PM peter king, terrorist No Comments

Yesterday Rep. Peter King was mocked on The Daily Show, and today he's in the New York Times for his longtime support of the Irish Republican Army -- which killed hundreds of civilians in attacks against the British. While acknowledging that "terrorism is terrorism," the New York politician made no apologies for his support of the IRA, telling the Times that "the I.R.A. never attacked the United States. And my loyalty is to the United States."

King's not the only American politician to have publicly supported a terrorist group. An Iranian militant group known as the Mujahadin-e Khalq, or MEK, has also enjoyed the support of several prominent U.S. political figures despite the group's designation as a terrorist organization. The group claims to have renounced terrorism in 2003.

MEK's prominent U.S. supporters -- mostly Republicans, but some Democrats too -- have attended pro-MEK events and personally voiced support for the removal of MEK from the U.S. terror list.

They include: former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, former New York mayor Rudolph Guiliani, former homeland security secretary Tom Ridge, former White House Homeland Security advisor Frances Townsend, former attorney general Michael Mukasey, former CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden, former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton, and many others. They've made the enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend argument, noting that MEK is an organized resistance group opposing a terrorist state.

"The United States should not just be on your side," Guiliani said at a pro-MEK event in December, the Washington Post reported. As Time magazine noted, however, the group isn't popular back in Iran -- especially not with Iran's pro-democracy movement, which challenged the regime following the country's contested 2009 presidential election and whose members have also led some of the recent protests in Iran.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said this week that the State Department is reviewing MEK's designation as a terrorist group.

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