CMAs Together: Julianne Hough -Hough Happy

Country star JULIANNE HOUGH is adamant her split from CHUCK WICKS is "a good thing" - they're both too busy working to have a relationship.
The singing couple called off its union earlier this month (Nov09), after more than a year of dating.
But they sparked speculation their split was short-lived after they stepped out together at the Country Music Awards on Wednesday night (11Nov09).

There are no hard feelings between "Dancing with the Stars" hoofer Julianne Hough and ex-beau Chuck Wicks.

At least that's how it seemed when they arrived at the Country Music Association Awards together Wednesday.

"Julianne is actually my date tonight, so it's all good man," Wicks told "Entertainment Tonight," while working as a special correspondent for the show. "We're going to have a good time and we will address [the breakup] together, but right now we're going to have a lot of fun."

Music Take Tour of kellie picklers Bus,Mine Bus go to the city to city

While Wicks has been nursing a bruised ego, though, Hough, 21, who's also a country singer, has been busy wrapping up her musical tour before beginning production on the feature film "Burlesque."
According to her blabbermouth brother Derek, Julianne's busy schedule is what made it so hard to maintain the relationship.
"All I know is that Julianne has been incredibly, incredibly busy," he told People on Wednesday. "She is doing such a great job right now, but she really is in a different place every time that I talk to her."

Despite their recent split, Julianne Hough and Chuck Wicks made the rounds together at Wednesday's Country Music Association Awards in Nashville.

Now Hough has officially admitted she is no longer romantically involved with Wicks, but insists they will always be friends.

Will Levi Bring Porn Award : "Bottled Up" Sarah Palin

I don't typically watch Oprah. But I won't miss Monday's interview with Sarah Palin. The appearance is supposed to be about Ms. Palin's new memoir, but a lot more will be riding on the encounter than book sales.

After last year's brutal presidential campaign, Ms. Palin is now reintroducing herself to the American public. Nothing less than her future in American politics—and a possible run for the White House in 2012—hangs in the balance.

Ms. Palin has two problems. The first is that she's become one of the most polarizing figures in the country. The second is that voters continue to worry about her qualifications for the presidency, a concern that her abrupt resignation from office last July intensified.

Lucky for her, both problems are solvable. Since Ms. Palin appeared on the national stage, the left has unfairly demonized her. Blockbuster interviews and book tours will humanize her.

More important than these public appearances is Ms. Palin's message. She needs to adopt a market-friendly populist agenda to strengthen her policy credentials and make her seem less partisan to independent voters. A bipartisan, center-right approach should come easily to her. That's how she won her race for governor in 2006.

It took advanced excerpts of her upcoming interview with Oprah, plus the AP and now Drudge getting their hands on her new book, to move Palin-palooza from next week’s story to today’s. According to the AP, Palin criticizes CBS’ Katie Couric over the infamous Couric-Palin interview; she takes issue with ABC’s Charlie Gibson; and she settles old scores with the McCain campaign. Yet the last thing the Republican Party needs right now is a look back at the tumult and drama of 2008. Just when the party is enjoying its first good news in five years, here comes Sarah Palin. The next week is going to be about her and how she views the world. And it's not the image some in the Republican Party would like to broadcast, especially now when it appears they have an opportunity to slowly win back the trust of swing voters. At a minimum, Palin is a distraction for the GOP as it attempts to build on Election 2009 success. Worst case, she sets back efforts the party is making to appeal to swing voters again.

In introducing Mr. Johnston, Bond said the young fellow was being celebrated "for taking control of his image and letting us all enjoy it."

Johnston was a man of not many words—just 36 words, to be exact. "I'm honored to be here," he said in part, before ending with, "Make sure y'all go get the new Playgirl magazine next week."

If only Oprah had a copy to show Sarah.