Thank you Illinois.....the land of Linkin'

My fabulous friend Margaux makes awesome connections between feminism, Ibsen, the 1970s, and good child actors in film: La Reine Margaux

My sister's weekly US History posts fill my inner nerd with joy. This one's about Kansas: Blonder and Thinnerrrr

I don't think I mentioned this before, but I interviewed that awesome sister for a podcast about blogging for my campus's writing center. Here's the newest episode about comic books and graphic novels: Word of Mouth

Daniel Carlson at Pajiba writes a weekly recap of Lost that I find both amusing and insightful: "Namaste" (S5/E9) at Pajiba.

And video for you from a sitcom that's kind of comforting to watch, My Boys. It's coming back on TBS next Tuesday (3/31). In this clip, Brendon has gotten out of control after making it in a local magazine's list of hottest bachelors so the gang has a douchebag intervention:

The best part of the LOST season premiere

Sean Whalen as Neil "Frogurt".

AKA the heckler from That Thing You Do!

AKA the one that Lenny asks, "Isn't that our fan?" about.

You got to give it to Lost for casting people that look familiar, but aren't quite famous enough to place--unless you've seen the movie that they're a minor character in about 23498 times.

Side note: Sean Whalen is also in that Got Milk? commercial about peanut butter and Aaron Burr shooting Alexander Hamilton---AKA my favorite federalist. I'm seriously part of this facebook group.

My Top 9 TV Show Crushes

I watch a lot of TV. I was raised on it, and I still have several shows going on at once, whether on they're on DVD or in-season. Inevitably, the reason I keep watching shows is because of my unhealthy obsession with fictional characters' lives . So in the spirit of obsession and me loving to make lists, I'd like to share my Top 9 TV Show Crushes. My rules for choosing were that 1) the characters had to be show regulars, 2) I could have no more than one crush per show, 3)I had to be seriously attached to their character, and 4) they had to be male (a list for the ladies will come soon). I've included short clips of the shows the characters are on so you could see the men in action. So, without further ado, my favorite men of television:

9. Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) from ER - In the post-Clooney ER world, Dr. Kovac stepped out as the best looking and most charming character in the cast. Even when he became a man-whore, I still loved him, and the fact that he had a tortured past didn't hurt either. But to be honest, it's mostly because of the Croatian accent. Here's a clip from Luka's early days featuring his accent:

8. Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) from Quantum Leap - I remember watching this show many an afternoon during my childhood. Sam is such a nice Everyman who can sing, get the girl (a kiss was the perfect time to leap), and even cross-dress well. This clip is a great example of Sam's bickering relationship with Al--comedy gold:

7. Henry Grubstick (Christopher Gorham) from Ugly Betty - Even thought this show has only been on for little more than one season, Henry has already become a favorite. He's a nerdy accountant who looks really really good in glasses. His awkwardness is instantly endearing. In this clip he's flirting by sharing fun facts:

6. James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway) from Lost - Sawyer definitely has bad-boy appeal. I always found him more attractive than whiny, boy scout Jack and thought his method of self-preservation was probably one of the better ideas to survive on the crazy island. This video features his sleazy and undermining attitude toward Jack as well as his well grown scruff:

5. Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) from The West Wing - I love Josh mostly because he has at least 3 meltdowns per episode and walks with a distinctive lilt during the "walk and talk" parts of the show. He's such a great ranter and he's so passionate about his job working for the President. Plus, his chemistry with his assistant Donna is magic. So, here's a clip of him freaking out (as well as the lovable Toby):

4. Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) from The Office - Jim Halpert: adorably normal. He just seems like a regular guy that, by comparison to other people, seems so reasonable, smart, funny, and good looking. Granted, he is charming on his own, but just by working at Dunder-Mifflin Scranton, he becomes even more so-- especially with his knowing camera glances. Here's a clip of the many ways he messed with Dwight, more proof of his awesomeness:

3. Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) from The X-Files - Crazy ideas, monotone speech, and the occasional outburst of inappropriate humor. How can you resist? Plus, Mulder frequently has the irresistible combo of a loosened tie and rolled-up sleeves when he's working late into the night in his basement FBI office. Oh Mulder, the show wasn't the same once you (kind of) left. Here's a ridiculous clip of Mulder and Scully kind of flirting:

2. Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) from Northern Exposure - A Jewish doctor from New York gets sent to the small town of Cicely, Alaska. This is fodder for some great television moments. Fleischman is so cocky, condescending, and neurotic you can't help but love him, especially when his personality clashes with those of the quirky townspeople. This clip shows the huge difference between him and his monosyllabic secretary Marylin:

1. Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) from Alias - Vaughn captured my heart when I was a freshman in high school, and he hasn't gotten less attractive 6 years later. He's hottest when he's being defiant against higher-ups and even Sydney. He's a good-looking guy with boy scout tendencies in a relationship destined to work out eventually. This clip is from the great early Alias days when stakes were high and Vaughn and Syd couldn't hook-up. Best ever: