Friends, I hope you're having a better week than I have. Yesterday (Tuesday, 27 February 2007), I had a dental appointment to deal with some tooth decay. Unfortunately, after spending an hour under the drill, I was sent to another doctor for the beginning of a four-hour root canal. Adding insult to injury is the fact that it will cost yet another $1,500 beyond what my insurance will cover.

First a little background. I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate that were repaired when I was a baby. My uvula was used to repair the roof of my mouth, and my front two teeth hang separate from the rest of my upper jaw. Even after speech therapy in junior high school, I find my own speech too nasal to enjoy listening to when I've been recorded.

After several operations, I eventually had a bridge with a removable partial plate installed in 1986, about 20 years ago and after my senior year of high school. Each upper tooth was ground down to a stump so that it could be capped. That period before college was also noteworthy because I visited my mother's side of the family in the Philippines that summer.

Since then, I've had relatively few dental problems other than the wearing down of my bottom teeth by the titanium and porcelain bridge on my upper ones. Until now, that is.

Yesterday, my dentist cut and removed the coverings from two teeth, but found that the decay on the No. 2 molar (counting from the back of the right side) had advanced too far. He said that if my insurer had authorized treatment sooner, I may not have needed the expensive, painful, and lengthy root-canal procedure, in which the nerve of a tooth is removed rather than expose it to infection. It's one more reason to dislike the bloated health care and insurance industries.

Anyway, I've scheduled the second two hours for two weeks from now, when I'll have to miss yet another day of work and cancel another D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: the Broken Chains" fantasy game. At least my dental health is being addressed, and friends and co-workers have been supportive.

On a lighter note, on Friday, Feb. 23, Janice and I watched the SciFi Channel's latest rebroadcast of "Special Unit 2." She's fond of the comedic science fiction/horror series of the 1990s, one of a handful that briefly followed the success of "The X-Files," such as "The Chronicle" (and one could argue, the "Men In Black" movies).

On Saturday, we took the commuter rail into Boston to meet Ben P.S., who was up from Maryland for the day to conduct a seminar on science writing. We mainly hung out at the Copley Place and Prudential Center shopping malls, partly to avoid the cold weather and partly to stall for time so that Bill K., another college friend of Ben and new father Cliff Y., could surprise Ben at lunch in the Pru's excellent food court.

We had a pleasant morning catching up on one another's work, musical preferences, and families. Janice and I then bought some DVDs, books, and other novelties on Newbury Street in Back Bay. I hope to get to "Pandemonium Books & Games" in Central Square, Cambridge, in the next few weeks to show my support for the struggling role-playing retailer.

On Sunday, I played "City of Heroes" in the morning with Steve M.R. and Thomas K.Y. (David I.S. and Kim A.G. were traveling for work, and I didn't see Dave's sister Shari online). Some of our superheroes have become quite experienced at navigating the virtual city, but we have to be careful not to devote too much time to the computer game.

That afternoon, I drove up to Thomas' condominium in Lexington, Massachusetts. We ate lunch at a Korean barbeque restaurant before watching "The Illusionist" and "The Prestige" on DVD. As other reviewers have noted, both magician mysteries take place in the late 19th century and feature solid production values and casts.

"The Illusionist," starring "Fight Club's" Edward Norton, "Dark City's" Rufus Sewell, "Sideways'" Paul Giamatti, and "Seventh Heaven's" Jessica Biel, had the more straightforward narrative. The Central European accents were distracting, but the more romantic plot was ultimately solvable.

"The Prestige," starring "Batman Begins'" Christian Bale, "X-Men's" Hugh Jackman, the great Michael Caine, and ingénue Scarlett Johannson, also had cameos by rocker David Bowie and "Lord of the Rings'" Andy Serkiss. Like Chris Nolan's "Memento," the story unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, and the deus ex machina is a big one. The destructive obsessions of the main characters were interesting to watch, however, so I'd give "The Prestige" an 8 out of 10 compared with a 7.5 for "The Illusionist."

I raced home Sunday night to watch the Oscars. I was pleased to see "Pan's Labyrinth" win some Academy Awards, but I haven't screened most of the other nominees. The fashions of the actors on the red carpet were somewhat subdued from previous years, IMHO. I plan to go to the theaters for Frank Miller's "300" and the computer-animated "Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles" in the coming weeks.

Tonight, Dexter V.H., Byron V.O., and I will continue evaluating virtual desktops for role-playing. Although the face-to-face D&D3.5 session has been postponed, play by e-mail has continued, led by Greg D.C. Fortunately, I'm caught up on recent genre television, especially "Heroes" and "Veronica Mars," even if I haven't been following the revisionst "Battlestar Galactica" closely.

My reviews of recent comic books will have to wait, but in the meantime, take it easy, and brush often! -Gene

Friends, I hope you've had a good week. Backing up a bit, on Sunday, 11 February 2007, Janice and I watched the 49th Grammy Awards. Of the performances during the ceremony, I thought that Gnarls Barkley's performance of "Crazy" and Christina Aguilera's tribute to the late James Brown were the best live acts, closely followed by Mary J. Blige. The cover by young country musicians of Eagles member Don Henley and the rhythm and blues medley including Chris Brown were not as strong, in my opinion.

The reunion of the Police was good, since lead singer Sting has hardly aged in 30 years. It must be all that tantric yoga. Following the Golden Globes' lead, both the Grammys and the Oscars have featured musicians and actors as presenters across their respective domains (plus the host network usually promotes its own shows).

I was annoyed that several musical genres weren't shown in the television broadcast, including classical, jazz, and most rock and roll. Modern rock (including hard rock, heavy metal, punk, and so-called alternative) was represented only by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, whom I like, but I would have preferred to see and hear more.

Of the winners, I agreed with the Dixie Chicks' win for "Record" of the Year for "Not Ready to Make Nice." The controversial country band also won Album of the Year for "Taking the Long Way," although I wouldn't have minded if Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" or Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium" had won.

The Dixie Chicks also won song of the year, which I would have given to catchy "Crazy." I sympathize with their stance against the U.S. invasion of Iraq, but that's a topic for another debate. Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood won for Best New Artist, but I would have preferred winsome Corinne Bailey Ray (and what was Imogen Heap dressed as, a shrubbery?).

The Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was one of the stronger categories this past year, with Pink, KT Tunstall, and Christina Aguilera (who won for "Ain't No Other Man") among my favorites. On the other hand, I didn't care for most of the schmaltzy male pop vocalists, including James Blunt, John Legend, John Meyer, Daniel Powter, and even Sir Paul McCartney. Even the R&B revival can't make me like them.

Best Pop Performance went to The Black-Eyed Peas, whom I like (although the Pussycat Dolls have had some nice burlesque-style videos), and while elder statesmen Tony Bennet and Stevie Wonder were recognized with Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, I preferred acrobatic Shakira and Wyclef Jean's "Hips Don't Lie."

Of other nominated performers, I'm a fan of the neoCeltic work of Enya, the Brian Setzer Orchestra (especially during the swing revival of the 1990s), classic rockers Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, jazz chanteuse Diana Krall, U2 and Green Day's polemic "The Saints Are Coming," the playful Outkast, and hard rockers System of a Down.

To follow up more on my previous postings about music, if I had to pick favorites among the artists of the 1960s, I'm more of a Beatles fan than an Elvis one, and I admire the Beatles' experimentation just as much as the Rolling Stones' longevity. The explosion in subgenres during the 1970s remains interesting to me, as are the retro and New Wave movements of the 1980s.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the progressive rock favored by friends such as Ben P.S. Concept albums from bands such as Rush, Pink Floyd, and Queensryche got me through many study sessions in college and graduate school.

Speaking of college, Dexter V.H. didn't visit the Boston area this past weekend. Between the heavy snows that kept him from bringing some of his children from Brooklyn to their mother in Upstate New York; mixed communications with fellow teleconferencing role-player Byron V.O. in St. Louis, Missouri; and a lack of interest among my local group for a one-shot session, it was not to be. Dex hopes to come up again soon, though.

I more than made up for that with time spent with the growing "City of Heroes" virtual teams. Thomas K.Y., Janice, and I also screened "Ghost Rider" on Saturday, Feb. 17, followed by dinner at "Tennessee's" barbeque in Framingham, Massachusetts.

We mostly enjoyed the latest Marvel Comics movie adaptation, which I would give a "B+" or about a 7 out of 10. When "Crazy Train" came on the soundtrack, I was happy to see the flaming-skulled motorcycle vigilante of my youth.

I also watched "Superman II: the Donner Cut," which new co-worker Ken G. had loaned me on DVD. I liked this version as much as the Lester-recut theatrical version of the film, which I'd now give an 8 or 9 out of 10.

Some things, such as Lois Lane's (spunky Margot Kidder, who I met at a convention not too long ago) deduction of Clark Kent's dual identity and the late Christopher Reeve's seminal performance in the lead role, were better in the Donner cut. Others, such as the Paris scene and the transition from Superman: the Motion Picture, were better in the theatrical release. The musical score is still excellent, but there are plot/continuity problems in both versions, which predate the 1985 recalibration of Superman by D.C. Comics.

It's interesting to note how director Bryan Singer clearly drew from both versions of "Superman II" for the back story for his "Superman Returns." I look forward to seeing how the first and greatest superhero fares in his next cinematic outing, hopefully against a villain such as Darkseid or Brainiac.

Although this workweek is short, it should be busy, plus face-to-face and teleconferencing D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands" fantasy games, more "City of Heroes," and meeting Ben P.S., another college friend, in Boston early on Saturday. This coming Sunday, Feb. 25, Thomas and I plan to rent "The Illusionist" and "The Prestige."

A week from now, I'll have my dental appointment, which I'm not especially looking forward to. Janice and I have made travel arrangements for visiting my immediate family at the end of April, but we're also looking forward to a quiet weekend to ourselves. Next time: comics reviews! Later, -Gene

Friends, I had hoped to post within the past two weeks, but as usual, good intentions were derailed by getting busy. Family concerns again came to the fore with the sad anniversary of the passing of Steve M.R.'s mother, Bill A.R.'s news of his father's fatal car accident, and assorted tests among Janice's and my immediate family. I'm also pursuing my health insurer regarding planned dental work.

I wish I had heard from Bill under better circumstances, echoing those of Stuart C.G.'s parents in the past year or so. Bill asked me to pass along his contact information (he still lives in California) to our other college friends, which I did. I also plan to visit my growing family in Virginia in late April, but it will have to be for a mere three-day weekend because of mandatory meetings at work.

Janice's and my jobs have gone reasonably well, despite the ongoing lack of technical support as CW continues its stated move toward print/online integration in the newsroom. Our workload has continued to increase. I'll have a lot to say in our annual employee survey. Although I was knocked out in the third round of our pool/billiards tournament, I was pleased to get further than I had expected.

A copy desk lunch at Joe's American Bar & Grill went well, since that was one of the few restaurants we could agree on. At least we telecommuted on Wednesday, 15 February 2007, because of a snow and ice storm. New co-worker Ken G. shares my interest in genre entertainment, loaning me the "Superman II: the Donner Cut" on DVD.

I've had to record more television lately because of other demands on my time. For example, on Monday, Feb. 12, Janice watched the annual Westminster Dog Show, so I videotaped metahuman ensemble drama "Heroes." On Tuesday, my D&D3.5 "Vanished Lands: the Broken Chains" Arabian fantasy group met, so I watched young-adult sleuth "Veronica Mars" the following night.

On Thursday, I played "City of Heroes" online with David I.S., Kim A.G., Steve M.R., and Thomas K.Y. (marking a new high in the size of our team), so I recorded metahuman ensemble drama "Smallville." There's definitely a superhero trend here, and we've been busy creating and managing characters.

Even shows such as the revisionist space opera (some are realizing that it has become more of a soap opera in space) "Battlestar Galactica," ensemble drama "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," and goofy sleuth "Psych" are in danger of dropping off my viewing schedule entirely, let alone movies or DVDs.

However, I have managed to catch the latest decent episodes of the animated "Legion of Superheroes," "The Batman," and "Kim Possible." While I'm disappointed in the Cartoon Network's guerilla marketing of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" in Boston and elsewhere, I'm more annoyed at that network's lack of support for adult comic book superheroes and the SciFi Channel's reliance on schlock horror flicks.

Janice and I got our taxes done, and we were happy to learn that we'll be getting refunds from the federal and state governments. Next year will be more complicated, since we both just enrolled in 401(k) retirement savings plans. I'm annoyed at how the federal government has transferred the risk from guaranteeing workers' pensions to individual investment scenarios that financiers reap most of the profits from.

Janice and I celebrated Valentine's Day by exchanging cards and eating out over the past week at Bertucci's and Acapulco's. Among other things, we watched the Grammy Awards, which reminds me that I need to post again about music soon.

This coming weekend, Dexter V.H. plans to visit from Brooklyn, New York. I couldn't get quorum among the face-to-face role-players, but we hope to screen "Ghost Rider," update Drow Ranger "Faelonia," and have a videoconference session with Byron V.O. in St. Louis. Dex and I are off from work on Presidents' Day, but Janice isn't. Have a good weekend, and drive safely, -Gene

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.