Like most Bloggers out there, we all read other people's blogs. What better way is there to pretend to work for a full eight hours? "I am doing research for my blog this week."

I was sent the greatest (perhaps the most disgusting) use of bacon I have ever seen on the inter-webs. It was this: http://www.speakeasy.org/~sjmaks/bcb/index.html
This beats the House of Breakfast Meat I was checking out last week, hands down.

I also made the decision that I was starting a book club. Me, starting a book club. I am drafting a few people right off the bat to be in my book club, but I might run out of friends soon enough and need you all to help me out. The first book I have chosen unilaterally and I will let someone else pick the second one. I will keep you in the loop as to what happens with my book club. It should be exciting.

Other than bacon and book clubs, I have an event coming up. I know what you are thinking, "You are the event boy, you should have events coming up." Well, I do.

Two good ones! First up, on the 30th of January at 7 pm, Pete Earley is going to be reading sections of his new book "Comrade J".

From 1997 to 2000, a man known as "Comrade J" was the highest-ranking operative in the SVR-the successor agency to the KGB-in the United States. He directed all Russian spy action in New York City, and personally oversaw every covert operation against the United States and its allies in the United Nations. He recruited spies, planted agents, penetrated security, manipulated intelligence, and influenced American policy, all under the direct leadership of Boris Yeltsin and then Vladimir Putin. He was a legend in the SVR, the man who kept the secrets.

Then in 2000, he defected-and it turned out he had one more secret. For the previous two years, he had also been a double agent for the FBI: "By far the most important Russian spy that our side has had in decades." He has never granted a public interview. The FBI and CIA have refused to answer all media questions about him. He has remained in hiding. He has never revealed his secrets...

Until now.

You know what happens now? Pete is going to read his book and have a discussion with "Comrade J". Sergei Tretyakov - or the Spy Formally known as Comrade J - will be right there with him telling us his story first hand. How about that? Not too shabby for a punk kid eh?

The other one is the next day (The 31st) at Dupont. It is Legends of the Chelsea Hotel and it should be just as informative in another way. I was just looking on Wikipedia and noticing all the things that have gone on there. How cool is it that we were all spared the terror of having to hear another Babyshambles album because Pete gave away all the songs to some fan in the lobby of the hotel.

I imagine we will hear loads of other crazy tales when Ed Hamilton swings by Dupont to spread the word.

One last thing then I will stop blabbing. There is this great contest going on this week. Susan Arnout Smith is coming to read with us on February 5th. She has offered to come to some lucky customer's book group to talk about her book. How cool is that? An author in your home for you to ask questions of. Even Bob Dylan wanted that. Granted, he wanted to ask Joyce what the hell he was talking about in Ulysses. We all want that.

So two big events, a contest, a new book club and a bacon cheeseburger made entirely of bacon. I love this country sometimes.