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SoulCycle, a fitness studio that has taken the world of celebrities and urban professionals by storm, is now selling its bike.  The bright yellow bike comes with weights and Delta Look clips (needed for cycling shoes).  Like the SoulCycle classes, the SoulBike is for consumers with big budgets.  Retailing at $2,200, it is quite an investment. Fans of SoulCycle praise the spin classes as physically, mentally and spiritually uplifting.  A 45 minute class (costing $32, + $3 to rent shoes) combines high energy music with jumps, dips, push-ups and dance movements, resulting in a full body workout.  Now enthusiasts with deep pockets have the opportunity to take the bike home.  The question is, will it sit idle outside of class? If you can't spend 22 Benjamin Franklins on a stationary bike, you might consider the Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Semi Recumbent Exercise Bike .  Although not for spinning, it is well designed to give you a challenging cardiovascu...

On Christmas day friends (and neighbors ... they live in the hood) gave me some big'O,  juicy, perfectly-shaped fruit, which is a wonderful surprise!  There is an assortment of apples, pears, clementines, a mango and an Asian Nashi pear -- sometimes called an "apple-pear."  The healthy snacks are sweet and delicious!  5 stars and very thoughtful! Tucked away in the fruit basket is this dark chocolate bar, which until yesterday I didn't even know existed.  Without question, it is the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted.  It is a smooth, rich chocolate.  Like expresso is to coffee without any bitterness.  One serving, and now I am addicted. The chocolate is made in Madagascar by former Peace Corps volunteers who fell in love with the country and wanted to do more for its people.  Not only do the cocoa farmers receive a fair trade price, the chocolate is made in their country.  It's the only fine chocolate manufactured in Africa. Thank ...

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings My favorite interpretation of these two traditional Christmas carols is a 2004 recording by the Bare Naked Ladies, featuring Sarah McLachlan.  While God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  is of English origin,  We Three Kings  was written in America in 1857. Much peace and love to you this holiday season!  Once again, thanks for stopping by the blog . Here are a few  C hr is tm as  images to enjoy while tapping you toe to the song: A Christmas tree outside the Bloomberg Tower - 731 Lexington Avenue at 59th Street, New York City KaLightoscope Christmas at the Galt House, Louisville Kentucky.  Huge and elaborate. Me rr y C hr is tm as  Ev er yo ne ! You may also enjoy: Eggnog, An Old Holiday Tradition The Twelve Days Of Christmas Merry Christmas Everyone "There'll Always Be A Christmas," An Album Review

When you need a gift for a relative or friend, you can't go wrong with a good read.  I am especially partial to biographies.  To tell you the truth, I will read just about anybody's biography.  Anybody's and everybody's.  Here I will limit my bio picks to the world of show business and popular culture (listed in no particular order): 1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson – Written with Steve Jobs' full cooperation, chronicling his life and the invention of the personal computer, tablets and iphones. 2. Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography  by Rob Lowe – The pretty boy actor [just stating the obvious!] tells a good story and writes with intelligence and perspective. 3. My Lucky Life In and Out Of Show Business: A Memoir by Dick Van Dyke 4. Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin – The Boss sat down and helped tell this one. 5. Queen Unseen: My Life with the Greatest Rock Band of the 20th Century by Peter Hince 6. Life by Keith Richards  – This bad boy sh...

Our world is filled with beauty and purpose, as well as, heartache and pain.  Both good and evil exist, and we spend many years ... indeed a lifetime ... trying to make sense of it all.   The Voice is reality television at its best.  Seasons 1, 2 an 3 featured brains, heart and talent. Here's another reason why I love the show.  Last night The Voice showed the healing power of music, hitting all the right chords, by opening the night with a Leonard Cohen classic.  The song is bittersweet, a world weary, temporial hymn.  Nothing will bring back the 20 children and 6 adults, but this is a beautiful tribute. You may also enjoy:  The Voice Premierers ON NBC    What I Like About Mad Men And The 60s    Guilty Pleasure Songs Holiday Books, Bill Clinton's Picks

Hey bro! If these images don't warm your heart, you probably need to check your pulse. Two orphaned babies, one a kangaroo and the other a wombat, were taken to the same Australian rescue center, where they became best friends.  Well ... out of the actions of babes.  Ok, let's say it together: Ahhhhhh! I can't decide which is cuter.  The little naked belly?  The big ears.  Or either pair of eyes.   Adorable.  Now ... as you go about your daily activities, spread the goodwill. You may also enjoy: Panorama Views: Take A Look At The World     Laugh With Me    Photos Taken At Just The Right Moment Let's Ease Into Christmas With Bette Midler

Often I turn leftovers into new dishes, rather than eat the same meal twice.  An example: I cut leftover meatloaf into cubes, freeze them, than when I need a quick meal, I take out the frozen meatloaf, slide the cubes into fresh bell peppers and microwave until done.   Voil à  ... baked   stuffed peppers in about ten minutes. Early this week I used leftover steak to made a hearty homemade soup.  It was about as fast and easy as opening a can of soup. Lickety-Split Vegetable Beef Soup   Ingredients: 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (Use what you have: whole or diced tomatoes work.) 28 ounces water 16 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots and lima beans) ½ medium onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 10 oz steak, diced  ( I used top round steak, leftover from a meat and gravy dinner) 1 large bouillon cube (or 2 small) chicken, beef or any flavor 2 teaspoons garlic ½ -  1 teaspoon salt  ( I used smoked sea salt) ...

Suburban comfort, or edgy styles Overstock.com, an online retailer, launched in 1999.  The merchandise it offers is vast – everything from health and beauty products ... to jewelry ... to shoes and apparel ... to furniture and home furnishings ... to kitchen gadgets and electronics.  In short, if you need it, Overstock probably sells it.   The company either buys inventory from other retailers, or manages the inventory for other retailers.  Also, workers in developing countries make homemade goods especially for Overstock. Personally, I check Overstock before buying just about anything.  There is always a great deal, plus customer service is excellent.  Low and free shipping makes buying even heavy items affordable.  I am very happy with the quality of a jute rug (with a cotton border), Wolfgang Puck slow cooker and Timex watch (with a geniune leather band) I purchased at unbeatable prices. Overstock is the place where I plan to buy my next sofa. Also...