I just wanted to report back....

I tried setting the contrast and brightness on the monitor at their mid levels (50 out of 100), and then I ran the calibration sequence with the colorimeter on the screen. The results were very dark. It didn't work. Apparently the Spyder2 Express does not have any control over the brightness and contrast; it seems to only adjust the colors and guide the user through adjusting brightness and contrast.

I guess I'll add "New Monitor" to my list of things to buy.

Thanks,
Paul