Really Random Tuesday #19: International Women's Day and Mardi Gras

March 8 is International Women's Day, a day celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women. In some countries, such as China, Russia, and Vietnam, International Women's Day is a national holiday. In Russia, men give their wives, daughters, mothers, and grandmothers flowers to honor this special day. International Women's Day honors the work of the Suffragettes, and reminds us that we still need to work to achieve equal rights for women worldwide. 2011 is the Global Centenary Year for International Women's Day, which began in 1911.

While I won't be attending any special events here related to International Women's Day, I do plan on reading more short stories in an excellent collection I've rediscovered, Women & Fiction: Short Stories by and about Women, edited by Susan Cahill. I've read some of the stories before, such as The New Dress, by Virginia Woolf, but many of them I haven't read yet. Authors in this book include Edith Wharton, Katherine Mansfield, Alice Munro, Eudora Welty, Willa Cather, Gertrude Stein, Alice Walker, Kate Chopin, and other great writers.

Today is also Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" , also known as "Shrove Tuesday" and even "Pancake Day", referring to the practice of the last night of eating rich foods (including pancakes) before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is celebrated for varying lengths of time in many cities and countries around the world, and people "eat, drink, and be merry", wear masks and costumes, and join parades, parties, and dances.

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Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related things you can think of. If you're inspired by this idea, feel free to copy the button and use it on your own blog. Leave a link in the comments if you’re participating and I'll add it to this post.

For other recent Really Random Tuesday posts, please stop by Sam's blog, Booked on a Feeling, and Kim's blog, Page After Page.

Thanks for reading!

CSN Giveaway and the Hop

Please be seated because what I'm about to reveal may shock you. I've recently read online that the average American watches approximately 153 hours of TV each month at home. That's roughly 5 hours a day. Wow! That's unbelievable to me. As a book blogger, I prefer to read in the evenings, although I do watch TV on occasion, and movies from Netflix (although sometimes those are few and far between). When I watch TV, because it's rare, it's a bit of an event. I like the setting to be just right. I don't want to be surrounded by clutter because I want to relax and get lost in whatever I'm viewing. Our TV is housed in a lovely armoire, but the armoire is starting to show it's age, and the doors and drawers aren't working as well as they used to. I will be sad to get rid of the armoire, but at some point in the future, I'd like to modernize the area with an LCD TV stand to hold not only the TV, but also remotes, electronic equipment, and maybe even a few magazines or books. CSN has a large variety of attractive TV tables, available for order online. I especially like the sleek look of this one.


CSN stores also have clothing, cookware, games--and much, much more. And I have some fabulous news! How would you like to win a $60 gift certificate that can be used on any CSN site? CSN is generously offering this prize to one lucky winner who will be chosen randomly (U.S./Canada only).

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For an extra chance at winning, take a look at some of the goodies offered by CSN. Then return here and tell me in your comment what you'd like to spend the gift certificate on.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower, or that you subscribe in Google Reader.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog or Twitter.

Enter by 5PM PDT on Monday, March 21. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Tuesday, March 22. Good luck!

More exciting news!

CSN now has a sister site, Joss & Main, a discount shopping site for the home where you can get up to 70% off of top brands. New sales events are posted daily. It's completely free to join (it only takes about a minute to sign up), and gives you exclusive shopping privileges at limited sales (lasting 72 hours). I joined as soon as I heard about it because I want to be privy to their current online sales. I love to get a good deal!

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It's time for another Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Jennifer from Crazy-for-Books. Each week, Jennifer chooses a question for discussion. This week's excellent question is from Mia from Girl About Books: Who's your all-time favorite book villain?

I had to give this question some thought. I'm not sure if I have an all-time favorite villain, but Bill Sikes in Charles Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist is a brutal, frightening, and memorable character to me. In the movie version, Bill Sikes was played by Oliver Reed, who always scared the wits out of me as a child.

This brilliant BOOK PARTY lasts from March 4 until March 7. It's a fun way for book bloggers to socialize, connect with other book lovers, and discover new book blogs. If you're a Hop participant and would like me to stop by your blog, please leave a comment. If you're entering the CSN giveaway please indicate that in your comment. Thanks!