Friends, I hope you've had a good week. My younger brother Peter sent some photographs and video of my nieces Ava and newborn Liliana. Janice and I have yet to make plans to get down to Virginia in the next few months, but between our jobs, pending dental work, and Janice visiting her folks in Pennsylvania for Easter, we'll have to see when to squeeze it in.

In addition, Connor B.R.'s first birthday is coming up, and I telephoned Cliff & Eliza Y. to belatedly congratulate them on the birth of their first child, Timmy! Lots of children to spoil, so little time… I also hope to see Ben P.S. when he visits Boston for a conference later in February.

On Sunday, 28 January 2007, Janice and I went to the "Death by Chocolate" charity event at the Sheraton hotel in Newton, Massachusetts. We sampled brownies, cake, and cookies from various restaurants and bakeries, and we even won a silent auction for a meal at "Margarita's," a Tex-Mex eatery in Waltham, Mass., where I had eaten with some co-workers last Wednesday!

Although I didn't get together with Thomas K.Y. for "A Scanner Darkly" this past weekend, we do plan to meet next Saturday to work on "City of Heroes" characters. David I.S., Kim A.G., and I took advantage of a "double experience-point weekend" to advance our costumed metahumans, but at the cost of some sleep.

I had promised to discuss my musical preferences, so instead of the usual rundown of genre television or D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands" face-to-face or teleconferencing session attendance, here's something different. See Steve M.R.'s Web log for recent political and movie discussions.

As my previous blog entries have noted, I grew up on European classical (Beethoven) and American folk music (Peter, Paul, and Mary). We also listened to some jazz. I do remember hearing some disco through the walls of our apartment in the Bronx in the 1970s, thanks to noisy neighbors.

Later, in elementary school and high school, I learned to appreciate hard rock (including heavy metal and some punk) from the mostly Caucasian middle-class guys I hung out with. Early Van Halen, Iron Maiden, and the occasional funk of Prince were what I listened to on the bus or in friends' cars crossing New York's Westchester County. New Wave such as Duran Duran was good for dancing and flirting with girls, while Def Leppard was for partying.

In college at SUNY-Binghamton, I rediscovered classic rock, neoCeltic and other folk, and theatrical show tunes. The two friends who influenced me the most were heavy metal drummer David I.S. and fellow downstate New Yorker Corbin A.Y., whose collections significantly expanded my own, from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to Metallica's "Master of Puppets."

Pink Floyd's "The Wall," Chris De Burgh's ballads, Suzanne Vega and Natalie Merchant's vocals, and the musical "Chess" were staples in our suites in the late 1980s. Of course, at the same time, we migrated from audiotapes to CDs and more recently to MP3s, but most of Janice's and my music is still on tape or disc.

Since then, I've learned to enjoy some of most musical genres, including rap/hip-hop (such as the talented but troubled Eminem), bluegrass, and even country (Shania Twain and the Dixie Chicks). I was late in appreciating the "alternative" music of the 1990s (exemplified by Nirvana and Alanis Morrisette), even though I was glad that it killed "glam metal." Tim M.B. guided me toward singer Sarah McLachlan.

My tastes at the turn of the century lightened, shifting toward songs like Len's "Steal My Sunshine," Brian Setzer's revival of swing, and No Doubt. Despite all this, I'm not a huge fan of pop and electronica and still prefer rock. After moving from Virginia to Massachusetts, however, I've rediscovered enduring acts such as Queen, Aerosmith, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Thanks to watching VH1 and MTV2, I've gone back to my hard-rock roots watching "Headbanger's Ball" late Saturday nights. Other noteworthy artists include the anime-inspired Gorillaz, the revival of R&B/funk with Gnarls Barkley, art metal Evanescence, Viking-style Amon Amarth, and neoPunk Green Day. Rock on!

More assorted genre entertainment news:

-Phil Morris, who played John Jones/Martian Manhunter on the most recent "Smallville" episode, is the son of Garrett Morris, who preceded him in the "Mission Impossible" television series. He's also a big comic book fan, saying he has about "20,000" issues.

-The SciFi Channel plans to air some sort of "bonus" after this coming Sunday's episode of its revisionist "Battlestar Galactica" military space opera.

-George Takei, who played "Hikaru Sulu" in the original "Star Trek," will be appearing in upcoming episodes of NBC's ensemble superpowered drama "Heroes" as the father of "Hiro Nakamura."

-Veteran British thespian Derek Jacobi, who played "I, Claudius" among many other distinguished roles, will be making a cameo on "Doctor Who" as a "good guy."

-Next season, the BBC will be running a "Doctor Who" cartoon. The Web cartoons before the current live-action series were entertaining. As a long-time "Whovian," I'm looking forward to this!

-While Katie Holmes-Cruise is now said to be out of the "Dark Knight" movie, Patrick Stewart and Sarah Michelle Gellar-Prinze will be among the celebrity voices in the upcoming computer-animated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" flick (see photo).

-George Clooney is one of the producers of the SciFi Channel's planned adaptation of Neal Stephenson's post-cyberpunk "Diamond Age."

-James McAvoy, who was in the SciFi Channel's well-done "Children of Dune" miniseries and "Mr. Tumnus" in the recent "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" movie, is being considered to be Scotty in the upcoming "Trek" retread.

Friends, I was going to post about my musical preferences, but there has been enough other news in the meantime that the topic will have to wait. On Monday, 22 January 2007, my younger brother Peter's wife Kelly gave birth to their second daughter, Liliana Rose D.!

She joins sister Ava Sophia D., who is almost two years old, as well as six more nieces and nephews on Janice's side of the family! Mother and child are doing well, and my parents and Kelly's mother have already visited their new grandchild. Janice and I hope to get down to Virginia in the next few months. It's hard to believe that Peter & Kelly celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary last week!

Backing up a bit, I got some bad news at a dental checkup last week–decay in a right top molar will require breaking up my 20-year-old bridge to repair, and I'll need a cap on a worn lower rear tooth. The procedure is scheduled for next month, but I have yet to hear back from my health insurance provider or my doctor on the details. I've also finally signed up for a 401(k) retirement plan at work.

On a lighter note, I'm the only person in CW's editorial division to advance to the second round in our first pool tournament. I should practice some billiards in the coming week or so, but I would do better at Ping-Pong or foosball. A few of us met former co-worker Jacqui M.D. at the Newton Marriott before going to dinner at "Margarita's" in Waltham, Massachusetts, last night.

Last Saturday, after breakfast at the International House of Pancakes, Janice and I picked up some clothing, DVDs, books, and magazines in Norwood, Mass. We then had dinner at Mandarin Cuisine on the Needham/Newton line. Janice and I also caught up by telephone with "Liberators" alumni Mark A.S. & Ann W., who live with their two children, John and Brianna, in New Zealand.

On Sunday, we avoided the cold weather and stayed indoors (see the latest photo from my computer room). Unfortunately, the New England Patriots lost in the playoffs to the Indianapolis Colts, but I can't begrudge the latter football team its victory as it prepares to face the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.

On the genre entertainment front, I've been pleased with the latest episodes of "Smallville" (featuring a proto-Justice League), quirky sleuth "Psych," and superpowered ensemble drama "Heroes." Among several of my friends lately, "Heroes" is the most anticipated television show each week.

The paranormal private investigator and more episodic plot (vs. longer arcs) of "The Dresden Files" look promising. "The Dresden Files" is also reminiscent of Joss Whedon's "Angel," but I'm still unsure of whether the revisionist "Battlestar Galactica" can transcend its recent soap opera in space storylines and declining ratings. I recently bought some nice die-cast Colonial Viper fighter craft for my miniature fleet.

I've been recording the misadventures of young-adult sleuth "Veronica Mars," but the remastered classic "Star Trek" and animated "Afro Samurai" have slipped from my viewing schedule. There's only so much I can watch in a given week, so TiVo or Netflix will have to wait for now. Speaking of which, Thomas K.Y. hopes to get together for "A Scanner Darkly" this coming weekend.

In addition to the regular Tuesday night D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: the Broken Chains" Arabian fantasy sessions, I played "City of Heroes" on Thursday night and Sunday morning. As discussed on the "Dimension Corps Online" Web club and elsewhere, David I.S./"the Excoriator," Kim A.G./"Lady Bewilder" and I (as "Nightfall IIb") need to take our time and improve our teamwork. We also still hope that our tactics will improve when and if Steve M.R./"the Blazing Corona" and Thomas/"the Righteous Fist" join us online.

Byron V.O. wasn't available as "Ibrahim" or "Kemosh" for teleconferencing this past week, but he, Dexter V.H./"Faelonia," and I plan to have regular audio D&D3.5 sessions on Sunday evenings. I've been turning away prospective role-players for the face-to-face game, but with Brian W./"Mumtaz" and Doug H./"Dimgo" out this week and Paul J./"Rache" and Bre/"Rhiannen" returning to college next week, we'll see how that settles out.

While I think I've been successful as a Game Master in restraining the amount of magic and overall power levels in the latest D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: Halmed Desert" party, I now hope to shift the focus from combat with various monsters toward Player Character development, plot, and diplomacy. I'm also still absorbing the latest background information and rules from sourcebooks I've recently gotten. I've become fond of Green Ronin's "True 20" system.

Steve M.R. has posted some analysis of the latest State of the Union Address and environmental politics on his Web log, so see my responses there. For those of you who have visited my profiles on Yahoo, MySpace.com, Netscape, Google, Classmates.com, or Meetup.com, please note that this is my primary blog. Feel free to post or contact me directly if you have questions or suggestions! Take it easy, -Gene

Friends, I hope you had a good long Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and that his ideals of universal brotherhood (and sisterhood) through the use of nonviolent protest can still inspire the disenfranchised today.

Jim J.D'B. and I have been debating U.S. foreign policy again, but aside from agreeing on the need to protect U.S. interests and address conflict in the Middle East, we have different assumptions and goals. Some friends, such as Steve A.L. and liberal Democrats in Congress, prefer peaceful disengagement, arguing that we've overstayed our welcome and effectiveness. Others, such as Erik B.L. and me, recommend international protection of the rights of ethnic minorities and women while clamping down on violence, preferably through the U.N. and similar multinational institutions.

Some conservative Republicans such as Jim and Ron J.K. share the president's determination to use the U.S. military to try to gain control of the situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and hopefully the entire region (including Iran). While I respectfully disagree, we do need to support the troops now or soon to be overseas and devise a more comprehensive policy to deal with terrorism and its causes.

Alas, the proper conditions and political will for nation-building are not present in the Near East, Middle East, or much of Africa right now. If the U.S. government has been too slow to rebuild New Orleans and too trusting of private contractors, the problem areas of the world will need more than our so-called leadership. Americans shouldn't expect to be popular abroad in light of such policies.

Last week was a bit sketchy at work. After taking a half day off on Monday, 8 January 2007, because of an intestinal bug, I was out another two days at midweek because of Janice. However, her parents did visit, and we received our new dining room set–a pub-height one.

Although selling our old table and six chairs initially seemed easy on CraigsList, the first three people who agreed to take them fell through on us. By the weekend, Janice and I were feeling well enough to venture out to Shopper's World near where I work in Framingham, Massachusetts. Service at "Olive Garden" was surprisingly slow at lunchtime.

We then met Beruk A. and Thomas K.Y. at the AMC Framingham 16 to screen "Pan's Labyrinth," which we mostly liked. Guillermo del Toro's modern fantasy set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War had some nice surrealist elements and drew from the darker side of folkore, but it was a bit depressing. I'd give the film about an 8 out of 10. We then had a decent dinner at "Bugaboo Creek."

David I.S., Ron, Dexter V.H., and Steve M.R. all telephoned this past week, but there was relatively little news to share since the holidays. However, we're looking forward to birth announcements from Cliff & Eliza Y. and from Peter & Kelly. We're also concerned about the health of nieces on Janice's side, including Jessica W.

On Sunday, Jan. 14, I played "City of Heroes" solo. Actually, "Nightfall IIb" joined a party, but not the usual team of David I.S./"the Excoriator" and Kim M.E.A.G./"Lady Bewilder," who had helped "Gwydion" with a particularly difficult mission last Thursday night. We're still waiting for Steve and Thomas to come online.

Speaking of games, I again have an embarrassment of riches in my D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: the Broken Chains" Arabian fantasy campaign on Tuesday nights, since I've had to again turn away prospective role-players! Both the Yahoo/eGroups Web club and Meetup.com site have been productive.

When Paul J./"Rache" and Brie/"Rhiannen" return to college, I may allow one into the current Boston-area group, although with Byron V.O./"Kemosh" participating by videoconference, most of the guys prefer to keep the party small. If any more potential female players come through, however, I'll welcome them, just to help round out the team.

Thanks to Paul, I did take advantage of online sales to replace more books lost in the basement floods of autumn 2005, as well as to pick up some miniatures and shadow boxes for my extensive action-figure collection (see photos). Now, all I have to do is file hundreds of photos and comic books! I did catch up on newspapers while in the waiting room last week and during this past weekend's football games–Go Patriots!

Speaking of superheroes, in addition to playing "City of Heroes" and D20 "Mutants & Masterminds" 2nd Ed., reading comic books/graphic novels, and watching various genre movies, Janice and I caught up on some DVDs this past weekend. We watched the excellent animated "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman," which had a strong voice cast, continued the style of the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm (et al.) cartoons from the 1990s, and had actual character development and plot. The "Chase Me" feature on the DVD was a fun wordless mini-episode.

Although I'm off today for the holiday, I've been busy with errands. I have a dental appointment before tomorrow's D&D3.5 session, and my annual review at work should be this week. In the meantime, take it easy… Next time: Music!

Friends, here's my latest autobiographical entry: As an earlier blog posting noted, I was born to international parents in 1968 in Manhattan. We moved to a larger apartment in Kingsbridge Heights in the Bronx about two years later. My father taught at Lehman College, and my mother was a nurse at the Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged (near the Veterans Administration hospital). We lived near a reservoir and within walking distance to good schools, including Our Lady of Angels. My brother Peter arrived in 1973.

During the 1970s, the northwest Bronx was suffering from urban decay. As in many U.S. cities, the Jewish, Italian, and Irish middle class fled to the suburbs, as Eastern European, African American, and Latino people moved into New York's outer boroughs. Despite the civil rights progress of the previous decades, segregation and poverty, as well as the oil crises and political turmoil of the time, led to an increase in grime and crime, which were not the fault of certain ethnic groups but rather societal problems.

Still, I have fond memories of growing up in da Big Apple. More than my younger brother, I enjoy living in or near large cities, and I missed the multicultural atmosphere when we moved to a house in Yonkers in Westchester County in the late 1970s. My father was denied tenure and ended up teaching at Fordham and Pace Universities, and my mother still worked the night shift at the nursing home.

I was unpleasantly surprised to find more bigotry among some of my new, wealthier neighbors than I had found in the Bronx, feeling the sting of racial insults for the first time. As a Belgian/Filipino-American, I can only imagine how more identifiable minorities must have felt. My interest in social justice and later participation in College Democrat outreach to minority organizations stems from noticing the differences between my childhood in the Bronx and adolescence in Westchester.

Still, we had a yard and a playroom, kids about our own age to play with in the street, and a quieter neighborhood. We went to Saint John the Baptist elementary school (where I was a difficult student in terms of discipline) and Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains.

Time and nostalgia may have dimmed some of my memories, but I still consider myself a New Yorker, despite having spent most of the past 20 years away from the metropolis. Of course, more changes were to come, when I went to college in Upstate New York and graduate school in Washington D.C…

Back in the present, Janice and I had a productive weekend. On Saturday, we drove down to Stoughton and Avon, Massachusetts, to look for a new dining room set. We hadn't given each other anything for Christmas in the expectation of this expense. Our existing six chairs and table are getting rickety, and our relatively large eat-in kitchen provided some limitations in terms of available space.

After looking at Ikea, Jordan's Furniture, and Affordable Furniture to Go, we ended up buying a pub-style table and chairs (several inches higher off the floor, providing extra workspace) at Bob's Discount Furniture. They'll be delivered later this week.

On Sunday, I played "City of Heroes" online with Kim M.E.A.G., caught up on filing some comic books, and watched the first season of "Avatar: the Last Airbender" on DVD. Director M. Night Shyamalan plans to direct a live-action version of this fantasy series:

http://www.mania.com/53268.html
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=39434
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender
http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/avatar2/

Janice and I would put this anime on the same level as "El Hazard/the Wanderers" or "Full-Metal Alchemist," but it's more family-friendy and is based on real-world Chinese mythology and martial arts.

Unfortunately, the stomach bug that kept my boss Michele L.D'F. home on Monday also forced me to take a half-day's sick leave. Despite the unseasonably warm weather, many co-workers have been ill lately. Let's hope I'm better (and not contagious) during tonight's D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: the Broken Chains" game or during my in-laws' visit later this week. I'll have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day off next Monday, so I may move my next heroic fantasy session…