The intrepid bloggers at Gold Derby continue to post the lists of the top 10 Emmy semifinalists in all the major acting categories -- recently adding the contenders for nods for Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama. And yet while my inner Emmy addict has an insatiable appetite for such scoop, there's a small part of me that hates myself for even looking. I mean, knowing that Battlestar Galalctica's Mary McDonnell has made the shortlist in her category will only make it more devastating when if she doesn't wind up on the final roll call of nominees; her President Laura Roslin is by turns brash, wise, sexy, powerful, petty, and conflicted -- in other words, deliciously fleshed out. She'd be a shoo-in if she wasn't the star of a sci-fi program. On the flip side, though, I was bummed to see that Ally Walker, so devastating in HBO's under-the-radar Tell Me You Love Me, isn't even up for consideration. (Doesn't it sometimes feel like Emmy reflexively favors actors with extensive movie backgrounds/Oscar nominations over its homegrown talent?)

The contenders: Patricia Arquette (Medium); Glenn Close (Damages); Minnie Driver (The Riches); Sally Field (Brothers and Sisters); Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order: Special Victims Unit); Holly Hunter (Saving Grace); Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men); Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica); Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer); and Jeanne Tripplehorn (Big Love).

On the men's side, I would like to express my shock and outrage about the snubbing of CSI: Miami's David Caruso, who continues to redefine the term "acting" through the exhilaratingly nuanced repositioning of his sunglasses. (He should've followed my advice for a Very Special Episode.) And while I'm just beginning to check out season 1 of Friday Night Lights on DVD, I know a few of you will start a "PopWatch wave" down in the comments section at sight of Kyle Chandler's name on the list of Best Actor contenders, especially since his counterpart Connie Britton got bupkis.

Chandler's fellow contenders include: Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment);  Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy); Michael C. Hall (Dexter); Jon Hamm (Mad Men); Eddie Izzard (The Riches); Hugh Laurie (House); Denis Leary (Rescue Me); and James Spader (Boston Legal).

Which contenders for this year's Emmy nods have you particularly stoked? Which ones really didn't deserve the accolades? And which omissions have you ready to punch a hole in the wall/write a strongly worded email? Let your emotions flow below!