Wanna buy Joe Montana’s Napa Valley Home?  The place Marilyn Monroe died (I know…creepy), or George Washington’s Bar?  Here’s the latest celeb real estate up for sale.  I love this site…you can click forever and see cool places to buy!  Or at least dream about buying.

I took this quiz from Money Magazine and found out I was not quite in the best possible shape to become wealthy (I should have gotten that degree), but still did pretty well. Being wealthy isn’t just about smarts and connections, lots of other things — from your marital status to your looks — can help or hurt too. To size up your odds, take this quiz.

CNN Money Magazine  conducted a survey of most expensive and affordable housing markets, and Buffalo, no surprise to anyone who lives here, came out in the top five most affordable. Check out the entire article by clicking here.

Sept. 11 our puppy, Penny, will be heading up Penny’s Pack and walking in the SPCA’s Paws in the Park. You’re welcome to join Penny, my wife, Linda, and I as we raise funds for the SPCA.  Click here to join up for the team, make a donation and walk with us, or just make a donation of support to the SPCA.  Just enter “Rob Lucas” in the Sponsor Participant section.

Thanks so much for being a member of Penny’s Pack and helping the SPCA!

Here’s a quickie post from one of my favorite reads…Buffalo Business First.  NY State…it costs more to do everything here…including closing costs on a house.  Many other states don’t require lawyers (some of the “third parties” referred to in the article) to close on a property, which makes it so much easier!  It’s so funny how NY and Cali should be leaders of our union…and they are tow of the most messed up states going !

Since getting Penny, I’ve naturally become accustomed to the challenges of boarding your dog when you go away.  Heading to Disney, and want to take the dog with you?  Check out the new boarding complex on the Disney grounds.  I think this is going to be huge, and wouldn’t be surprised if reservations sold out like the Dinsey themed hotels do.

What do you get when you play a country song backwards? You get your dog back, you get your truck back, and you get your wife back. June may be the most popular month to get married, but this month marks the end for one country music star. LeAnne Rimes’ divorce is finalized and if that doesn’t put her music back in the top ten charts, she can take solace in being mentioned in this week’s Deal #9. Her seven bedroom, nine and a half bathroom Tennessee mansion is marked down by nearly 1 million dollars.   Check out the official listing at http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/512-King-Richards-Ct_Franklin_TN_37064_1115353596

Whenever we have Hanson in studio, as we did last week, I’m always more and more impressed.    Not just with their music, but with how hard they work.   They just might be the most underrated band going.   They are at a point where even if they never did a personal appearance, they would still sell out most medium size venues, yet, they’ve never taken their audience for granted…never stopped working hard.  For proof, check out their daily tour appearance schedule.  Some dates have 3 appearances/events leading up to the show.  I don’t know when these guys sleep.  Continued success to them, and if you missed the interview/in studio performance, check them out here, and check out STAR TV and the LISTEN tab.

Haven’t posted any dog photos in a while.  Here’s Penny’s day in the pool today.   Linda and I think she likes getting toweled off even more than getting wet!  She does love the water though….she went in the Niagara River a bit on one of our walks along Niawanda and Isle View Park.  She was really trying to swim.  Can’t wait to take her to the beach when she is a little older!

The Hollywood Reporter gives the scoop on the new Muppet Movie, which was pitched to Disney by Jason Segal (How I Met Your Mother).  This is a very cool look at the inside mechanicsof not only the making of, but the planning of a movie.  I’m betting these sessions can be brutal at times, uplifting at others.   It’s not all fun and glamour…it’s a lot of hard work that no one will ever see that makes something a hit!

Former Buffalo News TV Critic Alan Pergament has a really neat blog covering local TV.  Check it out here.  I haven’t spoken with Alan about it, but I’m betting it’s great to write about only the topics you want to cover, and have no deadlines, word count limitations, or an editor deleting what you feel are key elements.   

His blog is one you’ll want to put on your “favorites.”  Right next to mine, I’m sure.

Back from a staycation in our dog’s wading pool, with a couple of quickie blog updates.  Here’s the first…pics of celebs looking like average people…which they truly are, after all.  Check out the NY DAILY NEWS meanest celebrity photos.  Pretty brutal at times!

We came across a survey that touched on what swimwear is appropriate for backyard pool parties and public enviornments.   PBS’s Rick Steves published this article on MSNBC.com regarding Europe having much looser nudity rules, and how Americans have trouble getting use to it when traveling overseas. Pretty funny reading.

You’re hearing us play Maroon 5’s new song Misery. The video for it is very cool…looks like it took a ton of work. Click here to check it out frame by frame with commentary from the band. After watching this, you may not look at music videos the same way again.

Not that I’m getting excited about something super serious and depressing, but the GOOGLE EARTH page that tracks the Gulf oil spill is pretty interesting.  And also very scary, especially when entering in the various scenarios offered on the left hand side of the page.  To get started, you may need to click the ”Track the spill on Google Maps” link on the left hand side of the Destin, Florida map page that first comes up.