Pop forum: Talk amongst yourselves

Today's featured reader has met a former president, walked with zombies and misses Sydney Bristow. Get to know her, then say hello in the comments:

Reader of the day: meglenn

Real name: Meg Glenn
Where I live: Buffalo, N.Y.
Occupation: I'm a product specialist at the largest IT distributor in the world.
MySpace: www.myspace.com/mojito224

Three famous people I'd love to meet: Maynard James Keenan, Christian Bale, Bret Easton Ellis

One famous person I've actually met: Bill Clinton in Chappaqua, N.Y., coming out of a Starbucks. I was with an ex-boyfriend's family. There were Secret Service vans everywhere, and as he came out, my ex's little brother (he was 5) ran toward him. Mr. Clinton shook his hand and said hello, and then walked over to us and shook all of our hands. He made great eye contact while he spoke to us, and I am not going to lie -- that man is full of charisma and quite handsome! I've also met Brian Austin Green (in his early 90210/rapping days), the band Disturbed and Jared Leto once held my hand and circled around me while he sang with 30 Seconds To Mars. I was impressed by the fact that his eyeliner was flawless, but I immediately brushed off all the dirty Lohan germs!

Early buzz: Ice cream, 'Reaper,' 'Dark Knight,' TV comedies, more

OK, so I have some good news and bad news: The good news is that I saw Iron Man last night, and it's awesome. The visual effects are top-notch, the pace never slows and Robert Downey Jr. is hilarious, heroic and everything I hoped he would be. (Plus, I never tire of watching men fly.)

The bad news? I'm pretty sick, and I think I need to take some time off to rest. I've been trying to work through it for more than a week, but a positive attitude is not killing the germs. Forgive me, and I'll return to my computer when I can breathe again.

Some headlines:

- It's 31-Cent Scoop Night at Baskin-Robbins. Proceeds go to charity.

- Jason Lee and his girlfriend are expecting a baby.

- This is hilarious -- it's the cast of Reaper lip-syncing to Public Enemy's Can't Truss It.

- DC Comics is reviving The Flash.

- The WB will live on with a new website, debuting in August.

- VH1 will broadcast a Radiohead special May 3.

- BBC America content, including Torchwood, is now available on iTunes.

- Robert Downey Jr. is already thinking about an Iron Man sequel.

- John Lennon's lyrics for Give Peace a Chance are going up for auction.

- What are the best TV comedies of all time?

- Grant Morrison loves Doctor Who!

- Here's a story about Harmony Korine and his new film, Mister Lonely.

- Random House is offering a free download of a Star Wars novel. (Thanks, Tim T.!)

- Musician/producer Butch Walker has posted a review of Coachella on his MySpace page. (Thanks to Daniel B.)

- Pop reader Chris C. attended the Transformers-themed BotCon last weekend and took these photos.

- The Dark Knight trailer has leaked (of course), but I would just skip this story and wait for it to premiere here on Sunday.

- If you thought the first Dark Knight trailer looked a little familiar, you're not alone.

- Michael Giacchino's Cloverfield theme is on iTunes.

- And finally, J.D. Salinger was not a Raiders of the Lost Ark fan.

Reflections on ROFLCon

Last weekend I visited Boston for ROFLCon, the first-ever conference for Internet celebrities. It has taken me awhile to process everything I saw and heard during the two-day event, which didn't exactly pan out the way I thought it would. Then again, who could've predicted what would happen when hordes of YouTube stars, college kids, message-board addicts and a seemingly endless supply of energy drinks descended on the MIT campus?

For those who may be afraid to ask, "ROFL" is Internet-speak for "Rolling on the Floor Laughing." A lot of acronyms were tossed around over the weekend, and, if you weren't paying attention, it was easy to get lost among the letters.

Upon my arrival, I was handed an apple, an energy drink and a guide to ROFLCon's panels, which were a mixture of fun (like the one about Internet dance crazes) and academic ("Too Full: Exploring Participatory Systems").

Friday's opening panel, an examination of online celebrity, provided a positive introduction to the weekend and featured intelligent, humorous insights by folks from JibJab, Rocketboom, Chuck Norris Facts, One Red Paperclip and Marmaduke Explained.

"I try not to hype up what I've done, because I'm still in school to do important things with my life ... no offense to anybody here," said Ian Spector, the young creator of Chuck Norris Facts.

A panel about the LOLCats craze (left) also boasted a blend of humor and insight because, well, it's hard to talk about a silly cat website without getting a little goofy yourself.

"If you wanna make it on the Internet, don't think too hard," advised Ryan Iverson from LOLSecretz. "Just take two things people like and shove 'em together."

Said an audience member: "I just want to say on behalf of stoners everywhere, thank you very much. You guys have made me LOLOL many times."

At some point Friday afternoon, however, I realized that ROFLCon's persona was beginning to take shape, and that some of the more vocal fans were dominating the academic aspect of the event. Audience Q&As began taking over the panels, and moderators spent little time asking questions, despite their professional backgrounds.

Returning for a summer 'Venture'

Here's some good news for fans of Adult Swim's The Venture Bros.: Creator Jackson Publick has revealed on his blog that the animated series returns for a third season June 1. Go here to watch a long teaser for the new episodes.

"My faith in television ... returning!" writes John W., aka johnnysquares.

Cool stuff on DVD this week

It's a slim week for DVDs, though maybe that's a good thing, since spring is here and I've spent way too much time at conventions lately!

The rundown:

Release o' the week: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Julian Schnabel's Oscar-nominated French film about a man who can only communicate through his eye is beautiful, moving and romantic.

- The Golden Compass. Chances are, you missed the fantasy epic on the big screen (most people did). I'm thinking about giving it a try, though I'm a little nervous about the talking polar bear ...

- King Corn. If you're a fan of Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation, you may want to check out this documentary, which examines our country's reliance on corn.

- 27 Dresses. Katherine Heigl stars in this lighthearted romantic ... OK, let's be honest. I'd rather endure 27 root canals than watch this movie.

- Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-3. The show's first three seasons, already available on DVD, are now packaged together for one price.

- The Red Balloon. Criterion releases a special edition of the children's classic.

Also out: I Spy: Seasons 1-3, The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Volume 3, Beverly Hills, 90210: The Fourth Season, Cheers: The Ninth Season

Catching up with Ben Linus

Ain't It Cool News has posted a new interview with Lost's Michael Emerson, aka Ben. In it, he discusses the twists in last week's episode and what they may mean for the future, along with how he hopes to spend his summer vacation.

I found this answer to be the most revealing:

"Let’s say that Ben was able to manipulate the smoke monster, but on the show everything is a binary system, everything is in balance, morally balanced or economically balanced, so for Ben to make a thing happen like that, there is also a price, I think, that he had to pay. ... Everyone who has power also pays a price. John Locke is going to pay a price. Ben has paid a price ... Nothing is for free in terms of power or morality on the island, and I’m beginning to see that the writers are more interested in that pattern, too, of this living ledger book system."

Thanks to dex1138 for the tip.

Have you seen this pig?

One of the highlights of Roger Waters' closing performance at Coachella last weekend was a gigantic inflatable pig that floated over the audience as Waters played Pink Floyd's song Pigs.

Trouble is, the pig has disappeared.

A $10,000 reward and four lifelong Coachella tickets are being offered for the return of the missing porker, which is the size of a school bus. Somehow, the pig escaped after the show and "went floating off into the desert," according to a spokeswoman.

Will this little piggy find his way home? Stay tuned. (If he's anything like me at those festivals, he just needed to find a restroom and some Vitamin Water.)

Podcast: The country-fried music mix

Lately I've been hearing a lot of great folksy, Southern, country-influenced tunes -- you know, stuff that isn't guitar-laden indie rock straight outta Brooklyn. In this week's podcast, I highlight some of these artists. A rundown:

- Hayes Carll. This singer/songwriter out of Houston is influenced by classic musicians like Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, though he injects a dose of humor into his tracks. His new album is called Trouble in Mind. I play a Tom Waits cover so you can hear what one sounds like when it isn't sung by Scarlett Johansson.

- Kristen Ward. Her deep, sultry voice made me think she was a Southern girl, but she actually hails from Seattle. Pearl Jam's Mike McCready plays on her new record, Drive Away. You'll hear my favorite song from it that showcases her impressive vocal range.

- Laura Cantrell. This alt-country singer has been around for awhile, and her new EP covers tunes by Roger Miller, Burt Bacharach and Gordon Lightfoot. I play a Merle Haggard cover.

- Mason Jennings. The talented indie artist returns with an album called In the Ever. You'll hear a song from that record about a city I adore: Memphis, Tenn.

- Jesse Malin. OK, so he's a rocker from New York. However, Malin's new disc of covers, On Your Sleeve, embraces all sorts of sounds, including a classic song that was featured in a certain movie about a memorable Texan.

Wanna listen now? It's easy:

- Download the free podcast on iTunes

- Stream it as a .wma file

Thanks a bunch for your support! Here's the archive of previous podcasts.

Let's discuss 'How I Met Your Mother'

Last night's How I Met Your Mother continued the weird/giddy/awful events we witnessed in the previous episode, depending on your point of view. Were things handled the way you expected them to be? Does it bother you when this show strays from comedy and into relationship drama? And hey, what the heck did that ending mean?

Feel free to discuss in the comments. Perhaps if CBS sees how many fans this series has, it'll be quicker to renew it. After such a dramatic year, I'd hate to be left hanging!

(Related link: SkyMall's Pop-Up Hot Dog Cooker)

Pop forum: Talk amongst yourselves

Today's reader has been sending me e-mail since my early days at USA TODAY, so it's a pleasure to feature her. Take a look at her profile, then chat in the comments:

Screen name: elizjean

Real name: Liz Pearsons
Where I live: Grand Haven, Mich.
Occupation: Freelance editor
MySpace: myspace.com/mrsfvre

Three famous people I'd love to meet: Brett Favre, Anthony Bourdain and Thom Yorke

Favorite movie quote: "Well, the world needs ditchdiggers, too." -- Caddyshack