Today's reader has great taste in music and TV, and he also celebrated a birthday on Wednesday. If you say hello in the comments, wish him a happy one!

Reader of the day: suburbanite

Real name: Evan
Why I chose my screen name: I don't really have a solid reason, but lately I've been realizing the wealth of story that is in suburban America. Also, I live in one, so there you go.
Where I live: In a "suburb" of Des Moines, Iowa. Des Moines was recently voted one of the hippest cities to live in the U.S. or something like that, but I'm not exactly sure why.
Occupation: I work at the only grocery chain in the state where we STILL carry out the groceries. My uniform is a white dress shirt, dress pants and a tie; I joke that three times I week I dress as a Bible salesman.

Favorite TV show: It's pretty cliché, but it has to be Lost for me. I admit I was scared about this season with all the time-travel, but ever since Jughead it's been smooth sailing. I also like Wonderfalls, 30 Rock, Freaks and Geeks, The Office and Firefly.

Three famous people I'd love to meet: J.J. Abrams to learn about his creative process, Tina Fey for her humor, and ... lately, Joss Whedon has become an inspiration for me, so maybe him.

Happy Friday, everyone! Last night I had the best time at the Leonard Cohen show, which I'll write about later. I'm sorry I was only with you for a limited time yesterday. Just for kicks, I snapped a pic of myself in the makeup chair at VH1:

I taped something that should air soon. I'll keep you posted.

A few headlines:

- Bad news: ABC Family has canceled The Middleman. I hope Natalie Morales gets another series ASAP!

- Robert De Niro and Van Morrison will be the first guests on Jimmy Fallon's talk show.

- Here are some juicy pics from an upcoming episode of Lost featuring 24's Reiko Aylesworth.

- I'm on a big Happy-Go-Lucky kick since I just saw it, so I was happy to see this interview with Mike Leigh. Poppy is the best!

- What is/was it like to write for Conan O'Brien?

- What's it like to write for The Big Bang Theory?

- Aaron Douglas from Battlestar Galactica (Chief) has a new series on the way. (Thanks, Zack S.)

- Jenna Elfman is coming back to TV.

- This list of Oscar surprises included a few moments I hadn't heard of before.

- If you watch United States of Tara, you may be interested in this interview with Keir Gilchrist, who plays Tara's gay teen son.

- The child actors from Slumdog Millionaire are going to the Oscars -- and it will be their first trip on an airplane.

- Wow, you should read this story about how Jeff Dunham is the most popular stand-up comedian in America. I had no idea so many people loved this guy and his puppets.

- The awesome original cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 is going on tour with Cinematic Titanic. (Thanks, BIG BUSINESS.)

- Kelly Groucutt, former bassist for the Electric Light Orchestra, has died.

- Here's a story about how J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film is being marketed to a new audience.

- Rufus Wainwright has booked a couple gigs with scientists who also play music.

- Whoa, Zack Snyder says the director's cut of Watchmen will be three and a half hours. That's hardcore.

- This is way more bizarre than Watchmen coffee: Watchmen condoms. (Thanks, John C.)

- And finally, one more for good luck: Make your own Watchmen cupcakes! (Thanks, cupcakes_rock.)

I was just trying to think of the craziest bachelorette party I've ever attended, and I'm not sure if I want to admit the answer:

It was my own.

I was living in Chicago, and three single, fun-loving girlfriends took me to dinner. Then we went dancing. And then ... well, my mother reads this blog, so I won't continue. But I will say the best part was I spent an evening with women who knew how to make me laugh and have a good time. We probably could've thrown rocks in the river for four hours and I would've enjoyed myself.

This fun feature names an ideal guest list for your fictional bachelorette party. It includes Kara "Starbuck" Thrace from Battlestar Galactica, who could probably drink you under the table. Margene from Big Love is cheerful and, er, "open-minded." The list also names Mad Men's Peggy Olson, though I'd rather party with Joan Holloway!

Forgetting the "bachelorette" angle, which TV characters would you want to party with? (And yes, the story also mentions Weeds' Nancy Botwin.)

Thanks to BIG BUSINESS for the tip.

Every few days, there seems to be a new hot conversation topic in my city. Last week's Man o' the Moment was comedian Demetri Martin, whose variety series premiered on Comedy Central. It received high ratings, though reviews were mixed.

"I taped the first episode and I really was disappointed," writes Cari A. Important Things with Demetri Martin mixes sketches, standup, drawings and other nuggets of observational humor.

Cari adds that while she wasn't impressed with the show, she did like this feature on Amoeba Records' website called "What's in My Bag?" In it, Martin goes shopping for music and DVDs that include a season of the Golden Girls and a disc by Times New Viking. He is a man of varied tastes.

Take a look:

Have you seen Martin's show yet? If so, what did you think? Feel free to share in the comments.

I'm sorry I left you for so long -- that TV taping took longer than anticipated, and then my editor took me out to lunch. (I never turn down a free lunch!)

Anyway, back to work: Sadly, this week marks the 10th anniversary of Gene Siskel's death. Many critics have tried, but none have managed to top the magical balance of insight, conflict and friendship that Siskel and Roger Ebert achieved.

Ebert has penned a touching tribute to his friend that includes some of his fondest memories.

"The public image was that we were in a state of permanent feud, but nothing we felt had anything to do with image," he writes. "We both knew the buttons to push on the other one, and we both made little effort to hide our feelings, warm or cold."

You can see several of Siskel and Ebert's reviews on YouTube; here's one they did of Bachelor Party in 1984. (Siskel winces as Ebert gives it a thumbs-up.)

Siskel died in 1999 from complications of surgery to remove a brain tumor. He was 53.

Today's reader loves a lot of things ... but none of them quite stack up to his passion for a certain singer/songwriter. Read on, and say hello in the comments:

Reader of the day: RoomattheTop

Real name: Jeff White
Why I chose my screen name: It's one of my favorite songs from Tom Petty. You'll come to find out I have an extreme adoration for that guy.
Where I live: Maumelle, Ark.
Occupation: Certified professional coder -- it's a job in the healthcare field. I won't bore you with details.
Website: You can find me on Facebook. Feel free to add me! I want Pop Candy compadres!

Best concert experience: After becoming addicted to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I was finally able to see them at the Orpheum theater in Memphis. I had a great seat and was unbelievably excited. I still vividly remember the lights going down and watching the six silhouettes walk out on stage. The next two and half hours will live on in my mind forever.

My celebrity crush: Jenna Fischer! She's a southerner AND a cutie. I also have a little man crush on Jim James from My Morning Jacket. I'm pretty sure we should be best friends.

Good morning! Still thinking about last night's Lost? Our episode discussion is underway, and it already contains some great observations that I didn't catch when I saw the ep. Check it out when you get a chance.

Also, this morning I have to go tape a cable countdown special, so I'll be gone for a few hours. I'll resume blogging this afternoon.

A few headlines:

- The State's Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter are getting a new series on Comedy Central.

- Max Weinberg is indeed moving to L.A. to be with Conan O'Brien. Whew.

- Tracy Morgan's home caught fire Wednesday. The cause: a "faulty fish tank."

- Kristen Bell will guest star on my new favorite comedy series, the upcoming Party Down.

- Andy Samberg is interviewed in the new issue of Out magazine.

- J.D. Fortune, the guy who replaced Michael Hutchence as INXS' lead singer, says he was fired from the band.

- Bruce Springsteen has made a video for The Wrestler.

- In this Q&A, The Office's Ed Helms discusses his love of the banjo.

- Members of Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne, Cheap Trick and Hanson have formed a band.

- Seth Rogen on the cover of Playboy? Huh?

- Sean Penn's wardrobe from Milk is being auctioned.

- Another Fockers movie is in the works.

- There's already some debate over whether these Watchmen clips are good or not.

- Tori Amos has a new album on the way and is heading to SXSW.

- Edgar Wright has been posting mysterious Scott Pilgrim photos.

- Here's a story about the success of Twitter's "Fail Whale." (Thanks, Hedwig.)

- The final episodes of Pushing Daisies will be screened at the Paley Television Festival in L.A.

- Here are 10 songs about smoking. (Personal fave: Last Cigarette by Dramarama.)

- And finally, I know this is wrong, but it still made me laugh: "Boys Hack Taco Bell Intercom and Spout Obscenities at Customers."

A tense journey! Steamy kisses! A sweet shout-out to Y: The Last Man!

We just witnessed another revealing, often perplexing Lost episode. Now it's time to swap clues, theories and whatnot. You know the drill, though -- before you post, don't forget the rules:

a) Try not to repeat previous comments;

b) Be kind to other commenters;

c) If you post a spoiler for an upcoming episode, warn us first.

Check out ABC.com Thursday to watch the full episode. Now, let the discussion begin!

(Tip: You can now sort comments by "most recommended." This may come in especially handy for this post, and I encourage you to recommend a comment you find particularly insightful.)

Several of you have e-mailed me about the note Trent Reznor posted on Nine Inch Nails' website this week. In it, the musician reveals two things: One, his band will tour with Jane's Addiction later this year (yay!). Two, NIN could be reaching retirement.

"I've been thinking for some time now it's time to make NIN disappear for a while," Reznor writes. "After some thought, we decided to book a last run of shows across the globe this year. ... I reached out to Jane's to see if they'd want to join us across the US and we all felt it could be a great thing."

Pop reader Yolanda S. isn't happy with the news: "Do you think this is for real, or more like Jay-Z's 'retirement'?" she asks. "I, for one, hope it's the latter ... but then again, all good things must come to an end.

"I am insanely excited and very sad at the same time," says Erin W. "It feels like the end of a chapter of my youth."

I'm glad I got to see NIN at Lollapalooza last year; they gave one of my favorite performances at the fest. If this is the group's final tour, at least they're going out on top.

What do you think: Will you be OK if the band disappears, or are they just getting started?

(Fun fact that'll make you feel old: This year marks the 20th anniversary of Pretty Hate Machine.)

While I was at New York Comic Con, a friend told me he came to the convention with one mission in mind: to locate the wackiest item of Watchmen merchandise.

I think I've found a contender in the limited-edition Watchmen coffee. Right now the Organic Coffee Cartel is selling "Nite Owl Dark Roast" for $19.95. The coffee actually appears in a scene in the movie, and only 10,000 cans are being produced. The website is calling it "the first movie tie-in coffee."

Sounds a little silly, right? At least it's for a good cause: A portion of the proceeds will go to charity. As a bonus, order before Feb. 25 and you'll enter to win tickets to the Los Angeles Watchmen premiere and after-party.

As for Nite Owl's taste, the OCC says it contains "flavors of ripe tropical fruit and rich cacao (that) open up to complex spice with vanilla and sweet tobacco notes." Mmm. Sounds like a blockbuster to me.

I can't help but feel a little love for Ely Kim right now.

Ely loves to dance. In fact, he's such a hardcore dancer that he decided to groove on camera for 100 days to 100 different songs in 100 different locations.

Here's his video, which just might make you wanna dance, too:

Not only do I dig Ely's moves, but the guy has some snazzy taste in clothing. (Love the kitten T-shirt!) Did you catch the tracks by Lykke Li, Girl Talk, MGMT, Hot Chip, M.I.A. and others in his mix? He posted a full track list in the video's comments, and I'm reposting it after the jump.

Thanks to Pop reader knochie for the tip.

Last week I went to see Happy-Go-Lucky, the Mike Leigh flick that has gotten a lot of attention during awards season. I thought Sally Hawkins' performance as a free-spirited single Londoner was just wonderful, and it's a shame she didn't receive an Academy Award nomination.

Perhaps Hawkins will get a shout-out this week as PopMatters unveils its list of the "100 Essential Female Film Performances." Each day the site is posting 20 classic female roles that fall under a different theme: unforgettable supporting roles, classic film turns, dark and/or disturbing characters, etc.

I like that the list includes Lily Tomlin in Nashville and crazy Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate. But the best thing about this feature is that it doesn't pander to readers and includes several films that don't often appear on "best of" lists. While reading, make sure you open a separate tab for your Netflix queue.

The five-part feature continues through Friday with "From Page to Screen" and "Under the Radar" roles.

Are your friends getting bored with the Dharma beer and fish biscuits you've been serving at every Lost party for the last two years? Pop reader Don S. has another suggestion.

"My sister made Lost bingo cards and Dharma tokens to mark with," he says. "The winner took home a bottle of Dharma white wine. It was a hoot! We watched the show in the dark and all had flashlights to mark our cards."

Don't sister kept it pretty simple with characters from the show, but you could also include the frozen donkey wheel, the Ajira Airways logo, nosebleeds ... the possibilities are endless.

The cards:

Feel free to share other party ideas or send me photos of your own Lost celebrations.

I may run into today's reader when I visit his city next month for South by Southwest. Take a look at his profile, then say hello:

Reader of the day: krisko

Real name: Kris Komassa
Why I chose my screen name: It’s a combo of my first and last names. Plus, who doesn’t like cleverly named cooking oil?
Where I live: Austin -- the coolest city in the world.
Occupation: Software consulting

Best Halloween costume I've ever worn: I dressed up like Vincent Van Gogh while working in a call center after graduating. The costume was complete with goatee, painter's smock smudged with paint, straw hat, paintbrush, and massive bandage on my ear. And yet, almost no one at my office knew who I was. I was equal parts embarrassed (“Are you supposed to be a homeless guy?”) and disappointed in my co-workers!

Three famous people I'd love to meet: Ricky Gervais (most underrated guy in all of entertainment!), Martin Scorsese (the best director ever!), Aimee Mann (she’s so freaking cool)

Hey there! This week is just sailing along, and in a few hours we'll be watching another episode of Lost. Last night I spent many hours learning about my new Mac computer -- I've got to get my grandmother on iChat ASAP!

Anyway, here are today's headlines:

- Michael Emerson has a preview of tonight's Lost.

- We have positive reviews of Lost and 24. (Love Lost, but I gave up on 24 this season. Sorry, Chloe!)

- AMC has launched Breaking Bad webisodes in advance of the new season.

- Here's a story about how Skins is responsible for breaking lots of new bands.

- Ang Lee is bringing Life of Pi to the big screen.

- Fanboys is expanding to more markets on Friday.

- This week The Office's Rainn Wilson posted a commentary on CNN.com about religious persecution in Iran.

- Here's a preview of a new Torchwood comic.

- Check out this Q&A with Battlestar Galactica writers (including Jane Espenson).

- Jack Black will be appearing on the Grand Ole Opry later this month. (Thanks, Ryan P.)

- The original Star Trek episodes and films are coming to Blu-ray.

- An early work by J.R.R. Tolkien will be published in May.

- Charisma Carpenter is coming to CSI.

- Portishead is looking for advice about how to distribute its music.

- A new season of My Boys returns March 31.

- Hey, Rudy fans: Here's a Q&A with former Cosby Show star Keisha Knight Pulliam about her role in Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail.

- Here's a photo of M.I.A.'s baby.

- Madonna could provide songs for the Twilight sequel.

- And finally, I'm surprised it took so long for Kid Rock to get his own beer.

As you may have noticed, today a couple new features appeared on Pop Candy (and the rest of USATODAY.com). Let me tell you about them:

1. You can now sort comments by "Most Recommended." This will come in very handy for posts with lots of comments, like our Lost discussions. To utilize this feature, you'll have to click on the "comments" button at the end of the post. Also, now it's even more helpful to click "Recommend" if you like a particular comment.

2. You can send a private message to another user. If you want to have a personal, one-on-one conversation with another reader, just click "send message" after their screen name.

3. You can see how many friends each user has on the site. This is displayed after screen names in the comments.

I welcome all feedback and suggestions, so please share your thoughts below.

Yeah, I have no shame: I just spent some time browsing UnderstandRap.com.

The recently launched website is banking on the fact that some people don't understand lyrics in popular rap songs and are looking for one not-so-humiliating place to break it down.

For instance, what does Akon mean when he says, "Homie, I got cake"? (Hint: It is not cake.) What is T.I. referring to when he says, "I once made them spray"? You can find it all here, though a lot of the entries aren't terribly tough to figure out. (I mean, I don't really have a problem getting references to Sassoon, Underoos and Orville Redenbacher. Those are my favorite kinds of lyrics!)

Rap-friendly users can also contribute to the site. The list of terms that need explaining is pretty entertaining; I've also just realized that the word "flossin'" may have a definition aside from one relating to dental hygiene.

In any case, let me know if someone decides to create UnderstandingContemporaryCountry.com, because I think quite a few of those songs could use some explaining, too. Thanks to Bill B. for the tip.

Even though Conan O'Brien isn't really leaving us, I'll still be sad when he departs Late Night Friday after 16 years at the desk.

One small perk of Conan's relocation is that the show is holding a charity auction of set pieces and props. This week, fans can bid on everything from a piece of the entrance curtain to a drumhead signed by the Max Weinberg 7 to the "Desk Drive" steering wheel. You can even bid on the tie Conan will wear on Friday's show; right now that's going for $338.33.

Expect some surprises on the final show, along with a performance by the White Stripes. Conan starts his Tonight Show gig June 1, and Jimmy Fallon takes over for Late Night starting March 2.

It's been awhile since I've posted about Heroes, and a few of you have asked if I've given up on the show entirely. While I'm still watching, the series is no longer appointment viewing, so I may catch it a day or three later.

I saw last night's episode, and I'm wondering how many of you guys are still following HRG, Hiro and the crew. Do you find this midseason arc more satisfying than all of the time-jumping from last fall? Are you fast-forwarding through the scenes that don't involve Sylar? On a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you like to freeze and shatter Tracy Strauss?

Feel free to share your thoughts, and/or watch the ep online.

While I wouldn't call last night's installment a bad episode, I will say the whole comic-book store scene ("We don't get a lot of women in here") ticked me off. Come on, Heroes writers -- women do read comics! And many of those female comic-book readers are fans of your show. Or, at least, they were ...

There's so much great stuff on TV right now that I've been neglecting my Netflix queue, but if you need some items to watch, here's a rundown of what's new:

Release o' the week: Dead Like Me: Life After Death and Dead Like Me: The Complete Collection. If you were a fan of the Showtime series, you should check out this direct-to-DVD flick, which picks up a few years after we left off with George (Ellen Muth) and the gang. Sure, there's no Mandy Patinkin as the dearly departed leader, but we get the handsome Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond from Lost!) in his place -- and that's not a shabby replacement.

- Religulous. Bill Maher makes a documentary about religion. It's not as shocking or informative as he probably hoped it would be, but it's an OK rental if you're keen on the subject matter (and Maher).

- Faces. The Criterion Collection issues a two-disc special edition of the John Cassavetes classic that includes an alternate opening sequence, a documentary, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage and lots more.

- Choke. Chuck Palahniuk's novel gets a so-so adaptation that's chock full of sex, dark comedy and Heimlich maneuvers.

- Flash of Genius. Greg Kinnear tries to prove he can do anything by starring in this film about the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper. Really.

- Changeling. Angelina Jolie plays the mom of a missing child, gets nominated for many awards.

- Body of Lies. Leo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, together at last.

- High School Musical 3: Senior Year. I have a feeling nobody gets pregnant, dies of a drug overdose or impulsively shaves her head in this one, but I'll probably watch it anyway.

Also out: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, I Served the King of England, Still Waiting ..., Feast III, Quarantine, Law & Order Special Victims Unit: Year Eight, The Midnight Meat Train

Related news: The wonderful Wendy and Lucy arrives on DVD ... but not until May 5.

Next week: HBO's Summer Heights High arrives on DVD.