LOS ANGELES Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? The filmmaking Farrellys, known for their gleeful bad taste in irreverent comedies such as “There’s Something About Mary,” are taking on the Special Olympics. Johnny Knoxville of “Jackass” fame is the star. “The Ringer”…

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The theme for Academy Awards night is a costume ball, but the following costumes are already spoken for: geisha, giant ape, country crooner, 18th century British belle, transsexual and gay cowboy. A wealth of performance-driven films, costume pageants and visual spectacles are in the Oscar hunt, among them the cowboy romance…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? One is a three-hour, $200 million-plus combination of digital effects, yearlong hype and the largest of monkeys. The other is a frantic $30,000 production depicting an actress desperate for cardboard-thin parts in the B-est…

NEW YORK Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Mariah Carey’s comeback came full circle Thursday as she was nominated for eight Grammys, including album of the year for “The Emancipation of Mimi” and song and record of the year for her torch…

ALBANY, N.Y. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Grabbing a handful of cookies off the plate, stealing a roommate’s food, overeating while home alone. These could be signs of compulsive overeating. In the United States, the nation’s fixation on weight is only…

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A country drive might be relaxing, but it can also be dangerous. Forty-two percent more fatal crashes occur in rural parts of the country than on busy stretches of highways through cities and suburbs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday. Focusing on fatal crashes from 1994 through 2003, the study…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Brad Paisley and Gretchen Wilson lead country music nominees for the 48th Annual Grammy Awards with four apiece, while the trio Sugarland is nominated in the cross-genre best new artist category. In another cross-genre…

By The Associated Press Dozens of adjectives have been applied to “Brokeback Mountain,” words like “outstanding,” “brave,” “daring” and “unforgettable.”Here’s another one: overrated.Yes, it is a gorgeous film, filled with excellent performances from a beautifully chosen cast. It’s big and weepy, dripping with love and loss, set over 20 years against a backdrop of wide-open…

CHURCH HILL, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Two women’s craving for apple pie got them in a pickle. The manager of a McDonald’s restaurant called police Tuesday after the women, whom employees say were acting strangely as they ordered the…

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. ? Two Smyrna men face federal charges related to selling equipment intended to help buyers illegally receive satellite television without paying required subscription fees. U.S. Attorney Jim Vines announced the charges Thursday against Donald Nance…