Tag Archives: decade

The seven deadly sins of outdated decorating

Posted on by

Style is not eternal. It’s hard to believe that my own beautiful, pricey granite kitchen counters installed in 1999 are now considered passe. this does not mean that I am tacky. It means that this part of my house looks dated.

I’m not the only one. With the lingering recession, many remodeling and redecorating projects are on hold and we are living the “as-is” lifestyle.

Advertisement

“ ‘Dated’ means that at one time it looked good,” said Amy Zantzinger, an interior designer based in Chevy Chase, Md. “bad taste never looked good.”

Benign neglect makes that giant whitewashed armoire or faux-finished ceiling that was once on the cover of Elle Decor your own personal monument to decades past. Compare your interiors to a clothes closet that is never weeded out. Anyone who spends time dropping in on open houses in their neighborhood knows that many homes, with their puffy balloon shades and sloppy slipcovered sofas, are stuck in another decade. So remember that the orange, gourd-shaped lamp you think is so chic may have no takers on Craigslist in 2020.

In the spirit of fun, we asked a few designers to come up with a list of the seven deadly sins of dated decorating and how to fix them. how many will you confess to?

1. Mauve colored paint

Mauve was big in the 1980s and 1990s, when the distinctive dusty rose color showed up on carpeting, sectional sofas and especially accent walls. If your bedroom is painted mauve, you are sleeping in a time warp.

Debbie Wiener, a designer based in Silver Spring, Md., has strong feelings about this color. “Mauve has come and gone, and there is no place for it in our future,” she said, singling out Benjamin Moore’s Mauve Mist. “Horrible.”

As an alternative paint choice, Wiener is hot on Benjamin Moore’s Rhine River, a medium-intensity green she says can be warm and cool at the same time and fits modern or traditional decor. “where mauve resembles nothing in nature,” Wiener says, “this color has a very natural look.”

2. Track lighting

Designer Amy Zantzinger thinks lots of living rooms need an overhead lighting overhaul. “Track and recessed fixtures interrupt a beautiful ceiling. they are overdone and look tired,” she said. “Track lighting is also bulky and clunky, cluttering up your ceiling.” Zantzinger also says ceiling-mounted lights are unnecessary to highlight your paintings. “I don’t live in an art gallery,” she said.

Zantzinger believes that floor lamps are making a huge comeback. She likes a combination of floor and table lamps to personalize a room. Some of her favorite floor lamps are skinny metal ones that give an overall glow and add height to a room. She likes those from Holtkoetter.com, especially the floor lamps with a small metal shade.

3. Flower power

Remember when huge roll-arm sofas upholstered in bold floral prints were a mainstay in living rooms? Fabric in dramatic patterns isn’t generally a wise investment, said Erin Paige Pitts, a designer based in Gibson Island, Md.

“very strong patterns often turn out to be the elephant in the room,” Pitts said. “I am very deliberate in the use of patterns, especially in upholstery.”

Pitts suggests keeping to neutrals in sofas and club chairs. get your jolt of color in pillows, which you can buy inexpensively at West Elm or Wisteria, or, better yet, make yourself. Pitts suggests splurging on good-quality fabric (look for sales) and sewing 22-inch squares. Her tip: “Don’t make thin, small pillows. Use fewer, bigger pillows. If you buy two yards of fabric, make two large fabulous pillows out of it.”

4. Tiles

If you went on vacation to Tuscany or Oaxaca, fell in love with vivid tiles and installed them in your kitchen or bathroom 20 years ago, it’s time for a change.

Marika Meyer, a designer based in Bethesda, Md., says a wall of tile in different colors and patterns is not only a pricey travel souvenir, it can make your home look like a ceramic showroom. “In a brand-new construction home . . . using French or Italian tiles just doesn’t seem authentic. People get seduced and inspired when they travel, but you do eventually have to think of longevity and resale,” Meyer said. although French style is classic, the romanticized American version of French country feels tired.

Meyer recommends subway tile, the glossy white rectangular tile (traditional size is 3-by-6 inches) created for the walls of the New York transit system. She also likes the 2-by-5-inch size for kitchens and sometimes a 6-by-12-inch for baths. “Stick with a simple, neutral backsplash or bathroom wall,” said Meyer. “Subway tile has been popular since the turn of the century: It’s not going anywhere. that fancy tile work will feel dated in just a few years.”

If you want to add a modern element or a vacation memento, accessorize with a coffee pot, a contemporary glass bowl or a set of towels in a fun color.

5. Valances: just say no to the droopy swoop

A decade or two ago, homeowners fell in love with the trend of draping their windows in yards and yards of fabric. we now live in simpler times.

“I really don’t like valances,” Washington designer Annie Elliott said, “especially the drapey kind that hang atop a window, or those that are installed as a limp, droopy crown above matching drapery panels.”

A tailored valance with box pleats or a cornice style is still a clean, classic look,” said Elliott. She suggests avoiding anything “flounced, unstructured or droopy.”

Instead, she recommends exposed metal rods and ring-top drapery panels with straight curtains hanging to the floor.

6. Brightly colored Orientals: can your rug be saved?

Good, hand-knotted Oriental rugs are an investment and a staple in decorating, and they look better as they age. Less expensive, mass-produced Oriental rugs with thick pile and vibrant colors became popular about 30 years ago.

“I see a lot of these bad Oriental rugs from the 1990s that have a lot of heavy reds and navys in them,” says Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, an Alexandria, Va.-based designer.

Today, the look has moved to new Oriental rugs that actually look old. Manufacturers caught on that people were looking for thinner pile and softer colors. If you have an Oriental of a darker genre but are ready for a fresher look, Cavin-Winfrey suggests bringing it to a rug expert, who can do a chemical wash for about $300 to $500 for a 6-by-9-foot rug. “that will create a rug with a more variegated color, like what you’d find in an old rug,” Cavin-Winfrey said. “It will give it a much more youthful look.”

7. Wallpaper borders: Bordering on antiquated

While wallpaper is staging a major comeback, those six-inch-wide borders that were glued to the top of many walls look like yesterday. “you just can’t do them anymore,” said Elliott, whose design firm is aptly called Bossy Color. “Wallpaper borders are a great example of 1980s overdecorating. they look especially tired when they sit on top of another wallpaper.” Elliott says that “matchy-matchy” look is out of favor. Wallpaper a whole room, not just a border. a kid’s room is the only place Elliott might go for a border. For that, she is a fan of Wallies removable wall decals.

The seven deadly sins of outdated decorating

New Trends in Bathroom Hardware – Brushed Nickel Tops the List

Posted on by

Design trends evolve over the years. We’ve seen many gain and then wane in popularity. one design trend popularized in the past decade that seems to be holding strong is the use of brushed nickel finishes. Chrome and brass have been popular for years, but the softer look provided by a brushed nickel finish caught the attention of designers, manufacturers and the general public a number of years ago and has not subsided.

We can see this finish nearly everywhere. You’ll find abundant choices in these fixtures, small appliances, kitchen faucets, lock sets, door hardware, kitchen trash cans, cabinet knobs and handles-the list seems endless.

A place where this design trend remains strong is in the bathroom. a coordinating towel bar, soap dispenser, and bathroom faucet installed in even the tiniest half-bath says the homeowner appreciates current design trends. It’s an elegant choice.

Browse through a catalog for a bathroom hardware supplier, and you are bound to find a towel bar, toilet paper holder, or light fixture in a range of styles.
The traditional look that you see in a new England Colonial home or a small-town southern cottage can be reflected in the fixtures in the hallway, outlet covers in the kitchen, and a brushed nickel towel bar in the bathroom.

Just as you would find accessories with contemporary style in stainless steel or in a black pearl finish, you will find them in a brushed nickel finish. Bathroom trash cans, light switch covers, and the ever-popular brushed nickel towel bar get the modern treatment just as well as they do a traditional look.

Just as you can find your style in brushed nickel, you can find all the functions you ever needed as well. are you looking for a shower curtain rod? a framed bathroom mirror? The matching trash can, toothbrush holder, soap dish, and toilet paper holder? The space-saving double towel bar or the freestanding brushed nickel movable towel rack? Every practical item you need for accessorizing your bathroom is now available in this popular finish.

Why did this become a popular design trend? one reason is likely maintenance. while polished chrome and polished brass look striking when they are first installed and buffed up after cleaning, these traditional finishes require regular maintenance to keep them looking good.

This finish is just as popular in the kitchen as it is in the bathroom, and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. The heavy traffic that a kitchen gets makes a brushed nickel finish on a kitchen faucet practical and popular-it does not show fingerprints, scratches, or wear the way a polished metal surface will. With the tremendous popularity of stainless steel sinks and stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, brushed nickel faucets and sink sprayers coordinate well with these choices we make in our modern homes. It’s no trouble finding the brushed nickel finish in the canisters you find on the kitchen counters, the pot racks we install over a cooking island, cabinet pulls and drawer knobs, and even a brushed nickel towel bar where we can hang our kitchen towels.

Design trends come and design trends go. many of us remember the harvest gold appliances from the 1970s and the bright orange laminate counters from that same era. They’ve made their way into history. Other trends have staying power-glass front wall cabinets in our kitchens, well-oiled butcher-block counters, and bright white ceramic subway tile from a century ago. The popularity of brushed nickel finishes appears to be holding strong. Should we expect to see it in our childrens’ kitchens? The answer is most likely.

New Trends in Bathroom Hardware – Brushed Nickel Tops the List

Renovated Macon Little Theatre staging ‘comeback’

Posted on by

During the last decade, the spotlight hasn’t always been kind to Macon Little Theatre, but the theater is raising the curtain on a new act.

The theater has completed about $100,000 in renovations at its Forsyth Road home that include sprucing up the outside while giving most of the inside an almost total redo.

The old lobby — outdated and dim with a poorly lit black ceiling — has a new ceiling and floor. six new chandeliers light the lobby and hallway, and recessed spotlights turn their focus to the wall where works by local artists are displayed during each show’s run.

“I think when you come into the lobby, it smiles at you,” said theater manager John Jones. “I don’t believe it did that before.”

The most significant improvement, however, might be the new restrooms, which are now handicap-accessible. Workers knocked out a wall to expand the women’s restroom to six stalls from four. the theater seats 380, and the facility’s cramped restrooms often pushed 15-minute intermissions to a half-hour.

On occasion, patrons have been asked to use the facilities at the nearby Museum of Arts and Sciences to speed things along.

“That was one of our biggest problems when putting on a show — getting women in and out of the bathroom,” Jones said.

The renovations signal a turnaround for the MLT, which began in 1934 and 10 years ago was in danger of shutting down. Then it struggled for years with debt from a $100,000 loan. Officials put in cost-saving measures such as reusing sets, while the theater building got mostly patchwork repairs. meanwhile, the tough economy started hurting ticket sales.

But now, thanks in part to two local grants, the loan has been paid off and the building has its first major renovation since it was built in the early 1960s.

“It’s a step to show we’re moving forward and we plan on being here for a while,” Jones said. “we are just as vital now as we were in ’60s and ’70s, but we need continued support from the community. the main thing I see our future tied to is attendance.”

Laura Voss, a Stratford Academy teacher and Macon Little Theatre musical director, said “things are going beautifully” at the theater.

“Less than a year ago, they also put in a new sound system. It really helped the quality of the productions,” she said. “the facility is more up to date. And it’s beautiful.”

‘We’re a beacon’

The renovations were done in between productions, so almost as soon “the Foreigner” closed in mid-February, work crews dug in. on the outside, workers pressure washed the building, patched holes and rough spots in the stucco and put on a fresh coat of paint.

Inside, the old black ceiling, which had patches of black duct tape covering holes where squirrels had dug through, was taken down and replaced with fresh, white ceiling tiles. Lighting in the lobby had been an issue, as the design had bulbs aimed at the black ceiling, which did not reflect very well.

“It was very dark,” Jones said. “the chandeliers really light up the place.”

Walls were painted in soothing, earthy tones of green and tan to mesh with the natural surroundings on the theater and museum grounds — and to bring out colors in the lobby furniture.

When workers ripped up the original black-and-white-tiled floors, the project hit a little snag.

“It turned out to have asbestos under it, so we had to get the hazmat people in here,” Jones said.

The work was funded by a Peyton Anderson Foundation grant of $36,000. As a nonprofit, the theater relies heavily on grants, trusts and donations. to retire the loan debt, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia awarded a grant to pay off the final $15,000.

During construction, a longtime patron, John Willingham, was so impressed with the progress of the work that he offered to take on the renovation of the women’s and men’s restrooms. Jones took him up on the offer.

“we are fortunate to have people in this community who support Macon Little Theatre,” Jones said. “That’s going to be the secret to our success and longevity.”

Willingham raised the funds and hired the contractors for the completely new restrooms. Besides expanding the women’s facilities, the project added two sinks to the men’s room and did away with the old trough-style urinal.

Though he’s thrilled with it now, Jones recalls being a bit nervous during the demolition phase. he arrived one Monday morning to see all the toilets outside the building.

“It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It let me know ‘it has begun.’ ”

Another upgrade is the row of lights installed to shine on artists’ works. a different artist is featured during each production. the current exhibit features Little Theatre production posters by Janet Carter, box office manager and owner of Cherokee Rose Designs.

“You can see it now,” Jones said.

With the new lighting, you can see the theater now, too.

“At night it’s quite an improvement,” Jones said. “I was driving down Vineville (Avenue) one night and was able to see the chandeliers. I was able to look and say, ‘We’re a beacon.’ hopefully people will see it and say, ‘What’s going on over there?’ ”

Next act

“the Dixie Swim Club” opens at the MLT on Friday, and then the theater presents its 79th season this summer. It’s been called a season of “rebirth and regeneration.”

With the building renovated and no longer weighted with the loan debt, the theater’s next goal is to re-establish its audience base, Jones said.

“How many people who have been in this town for a while have never been to Macon Little Theatre? I suggest the answer would be a lot. we want to get back into people’s consciousness when it comes to entertainment. Macon and Middle Georgia are capable of supporting all the arts.”

Theater officials hope to get more of the younger crowd interested in live theater. the upcoming season carries a “plant a seed” theme to encourage patrons to bring someone new to a production. the new season will open with a newer production, “Legally Blonde the Musical.”

“we have a loyal following. we have people who have been members for a long time. we appreciate them, but we want to expand,” Jones said. “Macon Little Theatre is a wonderful date night. Most of our shows are family entertainment. It’s a good thing for the family to do. It’s a good social thing to do, to invite friends out to dinner and a see a show.

“It kind of infectious. Once you come see a show, once you see live theater, you want to come back.”

Theater director Sylvia Haynie, also a Stratford teacher, said the MLT is headed in a “great new direction.”

“There’s a lot things we’ve tried to think about in making our audience more comfortable,” she said.

The theater’s biggest remaining physical need is a new, digital lighting system for the stage to replace the old analog system. but for now, the theater is enjoying what Jones calls a “comeback.”

“There has to be a Macon Little Theatre,” he said. “Not just for entertainment but for opportunities for people to be on stage, to sing, dance and act, to work backstage, to work sound and lights. That’s our mission. what I want people to know is, come on. We’re ready for you.”

To contact writer Rodney Manley, call 744-4623,

Renovated Macon Little Theatre staging ‘comeback’

Tiger gets a modern twist

Posted on by

When developer Glynn Laverick bought the historic Tiger Hotel last year, he had a vision of luxury and style. and from the beginning, he knew many of its best comforts wouldn’t cost him a cent. they lie just outside the front door.

In the past decade, the city has undergone a renaissance and has evolved into an exciting, eclectic, independent business environment. and the rebirth of the Tiger is the perfect addition to that.

“Downtown Columbia’s energy and charm are amenities unto themselves,” Laverick says. “The relationship [between the hotel and downtown businesses] is mutual benefit. It’s a great boost to downtown store owners, and it’s a boost for the hotel as well.”

Many Columbians have already had a taste of the sort of modern elegance Laverick has in mind. the hotel’s Vault Lounge has been in operation for about a year, serving cocktails and small gourmet entrees and catering special events. a second lounge, V2, opened last fall. with a mix of contemporary style and old-time appeal, the lounges are for grownups, Laverick says. There is no television tuned to sports channels and no blaring music.

With $8 million-plus spent on the restoration, the Tiger will operate as a 62-room luxury boutique hotel and the only four-star hotel between Kansas City and St. Louis. the rooms, which are being opened in phases as of the first of March, have been fully restored and brought to life with such high-quality amenities as LCD TVs, Egyptian cotton sheets, spacious bathroom areas, custom wooden furniture and carpeting and Jacuzzis in the deluxe and studio suites.

The hotel’s maple-line lobby and its ornate stained-glass chandeliers and original terrazzo flooring have been preserved. “We’re taking things to the next level — guests will be able to enjoy the historic feeling of the Tiger Hotel, but with a modern twist,” he says. also on the list: a new bakery, catering services, and valet and room service.

Laverick recognized the Tiger’s investment potential the minute he stepped inside. he had been driving through Columbia and needed a place to stay. he noticed the Tiger and stopped to go inside. with its antique interior and spectacular views, the old building immediately piqued his interest.

“It just didn’t seem right to me that there were these 50,000 square feet of unused space right in the middle of downtown,” Laverick says. “I immediately felt the place was being undermarketed.”

Originally from northeast England, Laverick moved to Columbia about a year ago after living six years in Canada, where he was involved with two restoration projects of an old music hall and theater.

The Tiger is Laverick’s first full-scale hotel development. he says the project wouldn’t have been possible for him without tax increment financing (TIF), designed to help spur development. while they’re often used in larger cities, the Tiger TIF was the first issued in Columbia. the TIF is available at both the local and state level to help fund development projects by leveraging future taxes (income, sales or property) that the development will create. the municipality or state agrees to forego the increase in its tax payments for a pre-determined amount of time.

Laverick continues to press forward in his belief that the hotel can again enjoy financial success. By understanding the market and having the right teams in place, he says he is reducing the possibility of financial peril. “Owning avny business is risky; and in this case the developer is certainly at significant risk,” he says. “A project like the Tiger doesn’t come quickly. It’s slow starting off and the investment comes back over a period of 15 to 25 years.”

Laverick also factors in signs of Columbia’s economic stability despite the difficulties of the national recession. with the University of Missouri, IBM and 3M, and the hospital system, the city has a strong employment base — all of which are a boon to the hospitality industry, he says. “No place is recession proof,” he says. “But Columbia has been historically insulated; and there’s lots of potential for growth. People are forward-thinking here; they want to grow.”

1927 Construction begins on the Tiger Hotel. the beaux-arts-style building was designed by the well-regarded architect Alonzo H. Gentry. he also designed the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence and the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

1928 the Tiger Hotel opens with a grand party featuring dinner and dancing. the hotel operates for many years, making adjustments for events like the Great Depression and housing a variety of business tenants.

1979 the property is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1983-1984 the night club and restaurant City Club and City Lights, respectively, operate a lively dance and dinner destination.

1986-1987 the Tiger is auctioned twice in bankruptcy sales.

1990 the Westin Financial Group purchases the property. the Tiger Keningston opens as a senior living center.

1996 Under new ownership, the name is changed to the Tiger Columns but continued to house senior residents.

2004 the red neon “Tiger” sign that stands on top of the hotel is restored and re-lit after 42 years of darkness.

2005 the ballroom is renamed the Forrest Theatre venue and serves as the headquarters for the True/False Film Festival. it is named after Forrest Rose, a local columnist and well-known musician who died in 2005.

2011 Glynn Laverick purchases the Tiger Hotel to convert the building into a boutique hotel.

Number of rooms: 15 rooms on the eighth and ninth floors are available April 1. a floor of rooms will be added each month up to a total of 62 rooms.

Cost: Suites range from $149 to $299 a night.

Amenities:

• 24-hour valet service will be available beginning in may.

• a fitness center will open this summer near the main guest registration area.

• Room service will be available in mid-April from the new Oak Room restaurant and raw bar, which will be located at the southeast corner of the Tiger Hotel. the Oak Room will feature handcrafted steak, seafood and pasta entrees and raw, international oysters.

• the Velvet Cupcake, located north of the Tiger entrance, is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends. the eatery features gourmet cupcakes and other pastries from chef Cale Ivey and Starbucks coffee products.

• the Vault in the basement of the Tiger recently welcomed executive chef Dennis Clay from Les Bourgeois restaurant in Rocheport. Sources say his Reuben sandwich is ridiculously good. Martinis are a specialty during the lounge’s happy hour from 3 to 8 p.m.

• the V2 nightclub is open 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and features a live DJ and salsa music nights.

• the Tiger’s historic ballroom seats up to 200 guests and is available for all types of special events. For smaller gatherings, the Black and Gold Room seats up to 60 guests.

Tiger gets a modern twist

Heart-transplant patient's journey

Posted on by

CHICAGO _ it was 4:30 a.m. on a Monday nearly two months ago when I got the call to come to Northwestern Memorial Hospital _ a heart had become available. I remember the exact time because I was already wide awake working on a story that was due later that day.

I could barely make out the words the nurse was telling me over the phone. I felt as though I was outside of myself watching the whole scene unfold.

My wife, Jill, just happened to wake up and make her nightly trip to the bathroom when she saw me on the phone with a stunned look on my face.

“What is it?” she said.

“That was the hospital,” I responded. “It’s time.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean they have it?”

“They got it,” I said.

Up until that time it was easier to think of the heart as an object or a thing that I was receiving.

It wasn’t until the car ride to the hospital that I really began to think about what was about to happen. I felt as if I was coming to the end of a long journey, a journey that began for me almost a decade ago and has since changed my life in ways I could not have imagined.

To say it came as a shock the day nine years ago when I was first diagnosed with a heart condition would be an understatement. but then again, given the circumstances in which I was told, I guess it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise.

I was celebrating my 30th birthday in the intensive care unit of the hospital after trying to soldier through what I thought was a nasty virus but what ended up being a severe case of pneumonia.

“We discovered an abnormality with your heart,” the doctor said. “Your heart is pumping blood at about half the rate it should.”

It was the first time that I heard the technical term for my diagnosis: dilated cardiomyopathy, or a weakening of the heart muscle that makes it unable to pump blood at a normal rate.

I had been a regular smoker with a half-a-pack-a-day habit as well as a social drinker. but I was also young, exercised regularly and had a fairly healthy diet, so I thought somehow the good habits negated the bad ones in terms of my overall well-being.

So it still didn’t register once I had left the hospital and got back to my normal routine that I had to make some big changes. As my condition deteriorated, my doctors kept giving me the same prognosis that I kept ignoring and deluding myself into believing couldn’t ever possibly happen _ at some point I would be in need of a heart transplant.

I always thought of undergoing open-heart surgery as more of a remote possibility rather than a foregone conclusion. I thought I was somehow strong enough to avoid that fate, or at the very least, that I could delay it until much later in life.

For a time, it was fairly easy to ignore what was coming. I went to graduate school, interned overseas and got a job for several years as a reporter. it was not until last summer when my health took a very rapid turn for the worse.

At the time, I was working from home as a freelance writer and had just finished a phone interview when I felt extremely light-headed and heard a crackling sound coming from my lungs. I knew I was in trouble, but I ignored the increasing pains in my chest and my uncontrollable coughing and took myself to bed for some rest.

I made it to the hospital in the middle of July, breathing heavily and barely able to tell the physicians what I was experiencing. Despite the severity, I still held on to the belief that a simple visit to emergency room hooked up to an oxygen tank for a couple of hours was all I would need.

I spent the next couple of weeks being closely monitored in the intensive care unit. My wife and family came to visit often. this broke up the boredom for a few hours but also left me with an overwhelming sense of guilt once they left.

Why must they have to go through this? Why was I putting them through this? I could see the look of worry on my mother’s face and for the first time in my life saw what looked like fear on my father’s. it bothered me that I was the cause, and I started to yearn for it all to end, quickly, and soon.

I am not proud to admit that I wanted to die, but I started to believe it was the best outcome for everyone involved. I no longer would have been a burden to my wife, who in at least half of the four years we’ve been together had had to serve as my caretaker. The idea just started to make sense. So when I told her what I had been thinking, she had such a look of shock and horror that I instantly regretted telling her.

“The only person your death would make it easier for is you,” she said angrily. “I did not come this far with you to see you die on me.”

Of course she was right. I was only thinking of myself and the fear I had at the prospect of going through the rest of my life constantly sick and in pain.

A team of doctors had been preparing me for a heart transplant since 2008 because the function of my own heart had deteriorated far past the point where medications or therapies could help.

I had several things in my favor that made me likely to receive a heart quicker than most. For one, I was 38 years old, which meant I had a better chance of surviving the surgery and that I more likely would be strong enough to recover. Also, with my blood type being AB-positive, it made me a universal candidate who could take an organ from any other blood type.

The doctors assured me that for these reasons, I would get a heart quickly. I started feeling more at ease with the idea of getting a new heart. I started to believe life would go back to the way it used to be close to a decade ago.

Of course, that was just the latest in a long list of delusions I had about my situation. it turned out I was too sick to receive a heart right away. I would first need what is called a ventricular assist device, or VAD, implanted to help my heart pump blood so that my body could get well enough to have a better chance of accepting a new heart.

So I was taken off the candidate list and prepped for my first open-heart surgery in August to implant the VAD. it was a Wednesday morning, and by the time I awoke it was Saturday. The surgery, I was told later, took about 20 hours, with the surgeons taking a brief break between two 10-hour sessions to inform my family of my status.

While everyone had a sense of relief at the sight of me upright and talking, I could not fully appreciate what had happened and the fact that I was still alive. I couldn’t stop thinking about how close I had come to dying and what could have happened if I had waited another day or another week before going to the hospital.

In the days that followed, I had to get used to life with what in essence became my new limb. A VAD is basically a machine, and like most other machines, it needs a power source in order to function. The power source for this machine came in the form of two large batteries attached to a monitor that was all encased in a black nylon bag. A gray, thin power line extended from the bag to the left side of my abdomen, which served as the entry port to the inside of my body.

I began to center all of my concerns on the bag, making sure I never dropped it or got it wet. I always made sure that I watched my “numbers,” which included the pump’s revolutions per minute, the wattage of power the pump was receiving and the “flow,” or the amount of fluid the pump was actually moving out of the heart at any given moment.

A few months after surgery to implant the VAD, my strength had built back up and I was getting around a little more easily. but emotionally, I had no desire to get around, as I spent my days lying in bed feeling like I was in some sort of limbo.

I became depressed. I was embarrassed to go out in public and stayed indoors as much as possible. even though I had been medically cleared to begin working again, I had lost all desire to write. I told myself that I would simply wait it out until the new heart arrived, and then I could pick up in life where I had left off.

VAD patients can never be left alone, given that any of the device’s several alarms indicating a problem could sound. Because of that, my brother, mark, would stay with me from morning through early evening, until my wife got back from work. after several weeks, he suggested I talk with a therapist about everything that was going on, which after some reservation, I eventually agreed to do.

It turned out the psychologist had the perfect advice. She said I should get back to work. Writing is all I ever wanted to do, and as a person who has admittedly been a cynic most of his life, I find that journalism is the perfect medium for those with decent writing skills but who lack the imagination of a novelist.

I started small, taking on assignments where I could work from home and making sure not to take on too many stories at one time. it worked out pretty well for several months.

With all my newfound momentum, I should have known I was in for another big change, but this time it was the one I had been waiting for the past six months.

Arriving at the hospital Jan. 23 to get a new heart was a bit of a letdown compared with the scenario that had played over and over in my head, a scenario that was no doubt the result of years of watching TV medical dramas.

There was no mad rush to get me into an operating room. instead, a very patient nurse calmly led me to a hospital bed where I fell asleep for hours until I was wheeled off to surgery.

About seven hours later, I awoke and it was done, finally done. Out of instinct, I immediately reached for my left side to search for my VAD battery bag, but it was no longer there.

Neither was the soft humming sound that came from my implanted pump in place of an actual heart beat. after so many months, I could finally again hear a thumping coming from my chest.

It has now been nearly two months since my surgery, and as anyone who has ever gone through this experience can attest, there are major changes to get used to.

First, I will remain dependent on drugs _ a lot of drugs _ for the rest of my life. Those drugs have some serious side effects, such as causing the body’s immune system to be suppressed. it means that the slightest hint of a cold or virus must get checked out at the hospital.

Second, throughout the first year after the surgery I will be constantly monitored, undergoing regular biopsies to make sure my body doesn’t reject the new heart.  it turns out a majority of heart transplant patients have some form of rejection within the first few months after surgery, with varying degrees, of course.

Third, the new heart has a life span of its own. I have about 20 years, if I’m lucky, before I will need to undergo another transplant. 

Finally, open-heart surgery is a traumatic event for the body, taking up to a year before a person has fully recovered. Despite all I have been through, I am finding this current problem one of the most difficult to deal with, and, as a result, my family has to remind me constantly not to do too much too fast.

These days, it feels like my life is a tale of two ends of the emotional spectrum. There are days when I am so elated and full of exuberance that it would rival Mary Poppins. other days are melancholy, which fills me with guilt. As much as I tell myself I have absolutely no right to feel anything but happy and grateful for the rest of my life, I occasionally feel sad and angry.

But I have come to realize that feeling bad at times is OK. after all, it’s all a part of life.

I can’t seem to quell my desire to make up for lost time. thanks to the selfless act of an organ donor I will never meet, I now have the time to learn how to savor every second of the rest of my life.

(c)2012 the Chicago Tribune

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services

PHOTO (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099): TRANSPLANT-JOURNEY

Topics: t000002827,t000003813,t000184889

Heart-transplant patient's journey

Energy Saving is not just for Winter

Posted on by

For most of us, our electricity and gas bills are much higher during the winter than they are in the summer months. Saving energy is therefore highly important during the colder months for helping us to save money, which is why items such as radiator panels and draught excluders are extremely popular. Energy saving is not just something we should think about during the winter, however, as we can still save energy and money during the summer months too.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs

While we use less lighting during the bright, summer months, most of us still rely on lights during the evening. While energy saving light bulbs have been widely available for over a decade now, some people still haven’t replaced their old, incandescent bulbs with energy saving ones. This is crazy, especially when you consider that an energy saving light bulbs uses a fraction of the energy and costs a fraction of the amount to run. While some people are put off because of the warm up time of energy saving bulbs, this is less noticeable with modern bulbs, which are also just as soft a form of lighting. you can even get biobulbs that give off natural illumination that emulates sunlight.

Stand-by Savers

Eliminating stand-by is another form of energy saving. Because devices, such as the TV, DVD player and set top box, are still using energy when on standby, they are often using more power when we are at work and in bed, than when we are actually using them.

Stand by savers eliminate this problem by ensuring all devices are turned off when in standby mode. Standby savers come in many forms, but many of them can be remotely turned on, so you don’t have to go scrabbling around at the plug socket to get the TV back on.

Solar Lights

Solar power is also great for powering garden lighting and other exterior lighting such as security lights. By recharging using the sun’s energy during eh day, a solar powered light can provide enough illumination for lighting up the garden or lighting the pathway at nightm without any cost or use of mains energy.

Energy Saving is not just for Winter

Liberia’s battle to put the lights back on

Posted on by

It is hard to believe how Clara Town, a slum in Liberia‘s capital, Monrovia, once had access to the country’s electricity grid. Pipe-borne water flowed into the community, and some areas even had paved roads. Nine years after the end of more than a decade of civil war, the entire area on the edge of St Paul’s river is in the dark, save for the noisy generators here and there pumping smelly diesel-powered electricity into some of the more affluent homes.

Makeshift wires hang dangerously low from the tightly packed concrete homes and tin shacks – the products of business-minded folk who sell their electricity on. the sun has gone down and it feels like the entire community is out on the streets, taking advantage of the little light that emanates from some abodes. Motorbikes and the odd car rattle down the dusty, potholed roads.

“The criminals, they are plenty because it is dark,” says Ma Kanneh, 33, as she stirs a huge pot of boiling rice over a charcoal stove at the front of a large concrete house. more than 50 people live in the 16 rooms inside this almost windowless cavern. Kanneh shares hers with six others. “No light. the whole city is dark. We’re suffering,” she says. the young mother and her family have no bathroom. They wait until it is dark before going out to the back of the house to bathe. “We can buy candles … on the table here is the candle our children use [to do their homework],” she says.

Before the war, Liberia’s energy supply relied heavily on the hydropower plant at Mount Coffee, 30km north-east of Monrovia. It was destroyed in the fighting, and what little remained was looted, along with the country’s entire transmission and distribution equipment. the operations of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) ceased completely.

Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, spoke of the need to “bring back electricity” when she became the continent’s first female president in 2006. Six years on, during her first annual message of her second term last month, she claimed her government had indeed “restored electricity to Monrovia”. It is true. There are street lights in parts of the city. Government buildings, NGOs, hospitals, some schools and the UN all have electricity. However, the average Liberian is still in the dark. just 0.6% of Monrovians have access to electricity, marginally higher than in the rest of the country.

This all begs the question, how is Liberia going to meet its energy targets to connect 30% of the country’s urban population and 15% of the rural population to the national grid by 2015?

According to Liberia’s 2009 national energy policy, nine out of 10 Liberians rely on biomass, wood and charcoal for their daily energy needs. the government’s energy targets also propose a rapid shift away from biomass. the aim is to have 40% of traditional-energy-using households to have access to modern cooking facilities by 2015. the cost of cooking with kerosene, LPG or electricity is up to six times more than charcoal, of which Liberia has one of the lowest prices in Africa, so the idea of the average Liberian being able to afford such a shift is doubtful.

However, the lack of electricity and its affect on Liberia’s development is high on the agenda for Sirleaf. In last month’s message she announced that the reconstruction of the Mount Coffee hydro plant will start this year. “The only way to create a robust economy is to supply access to … electricity,” she said. she talked about how she is “… determined to build the infrastructure of the next generation”, in the next six years. Work has already begun to connect 21 low-income communities in Monrovia to the national grid. In the next two years, a $10m World Bank grant will help to increase the capital’s access to electricity to 8%.

Kanneh in Clara Town, one of the low-income areas chosen to start the project, looks up proudly at one of the newly reconstructed electricity poles. the LEC estimates bills would be around $20-$25 a month, a big proportion of a family’s salary, considering official statistics claim the average Liberian lives on less than a dollar a day.

But for Kanneh, one of the 2,500 people in Clara Town who could have access to the national grid, the idea of being taken out of the darkness is welcome. “If you put light all over, then maybe we can be safe,” she says.

Liberia’s battle to put the lights back on

On The Horizon in 2012: Exciting New Tourism Developments in the Myrtle Beach Area of South Carolina

Posted on by

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., Feb. 1, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ – as one of the fastest-growing family and vacation destinations in the nation, the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina currently attracts an average of 15 million visitors annually, along with thousands of new residents to the destination, each year.  known affectionately as “The Grand Strand,” Myrtle Beach has grown by more than 35 percent over the past decade and continues to evolve and expand, giving way to an entirely “new” Myrtle Beach area of accommodations, attractions and events. Here is a sneak peek at some of the newest developments anticipated in 2012.

*Updates are listed alphabetically

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/CL45225-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/CL45225-b )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120201/CL45225LOGO-c )

~Attractions and Exhibits~

Coastal Uncorked: Food, Wine & Spirits Festival

The annual Coastal Uncorked festival, in its third year, will take place April 22-29, 2012. all events will be moved to one central location, downtown across from the Boardwalk. The event will include two days of Tasting Tents (April 27-28) with live music and a gourmet village at the site. For more information, call (843) 916-2030 or visit www.coastaluncorked.com.

Grand Park Athletic Complex

The Grand Park Athletic Complex will open in early 2012. three full-size and two youth-size multipurpose fields as well as a new roller hockey rink will make up the athletic complex. this project is owned by the City of Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach Adrenaline Adventures

Two new zip line adventure courses are planned to open in spring 2012 where the former Pavilion Amusement park stood between 8th and 9th Avenues on Ocean Blvd. and on a few acres on the south end of Myrtle Beach. The former Pavilion site’s theme will be a “Carolina Beach-shabby-shack” theme, while the property on South Ocean Boulevard between Springmaid resort and Damon’s restaurant will have a “Swiss Family Robinson-tiki” theme.

Myrtle Beach Art Museum 15th Anniversary Year Long Celebration

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum has launched a new yearlong campaign celebrating its 15th anniversary, called “I Heart Art.” Throughout the year, the museum will host events designed to get the public excited about art, with plans to build an art-themed miniature golf course and hold collector’s events, exhibitions of high school art works and fashion runway competitions. For more details and a full list of events visit http://www.myrtlebeachartmuseum.org/Events/anniversary.cfm.

~Entertainment~

Pat Boone Family Theater

The Pat Boone Family Theater is slated for opening this winter. Approximately one-half million dollars in renovations will turn the former NASCAR Cafe restaurant into a 600-seat theater. Pat Boone, who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s and continues to record, will help book acts and also perform several times a year. a Boone Museum will feature some of his memorabilia. The Pat Boone Family Theater will offer a variety of entertainment, appealing across age groups to tourists as well as residents. The resident performers will include magicians and singers, and the theater will house special events and performers such as comedians, nostalgic pop artists and gospel festivals. For more information, call (843) 213-6880 or visit www.pbftheater.com.

South Carolina Warriors Basketball Team

The South Carolina Warriors is a semi-professional basketball team based in Myrtle Beach as a franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Warriors will play its 2011-2012 home games in little River, SC.  The season runs through March 2012. For more information visit www.scwarriorsaba.com.

~Major Construction Projects~

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Non-profit organization Plug in Carolina has installed electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the Grand Strand as a part of a larger goal of installing 80 active stations in South Carolina. each station supports the charging of two vehicles simultaneously. Stations are located at Coastal Carolina University, Ocean Lakes Campground in Surfside, 4th and Laurel Street in Conway, the Horry County Library in Conway, 6th Avenue South in North Myrtle Beach, and the Horry-Georgetown Technical College Grand Strand Campus in Myrtle Beach.

Highway 17 Bypass Interchange Project at the Back Gate

The Highway 17 Interchange will eliminate the traffic signal at the intersection and provide uninterrupted movement on Highway 17. The Interchange will decrease traffic delays and construct a U-turn at the north end of the Interchange under the bridge.

Kings Road Boat Ramp

Two million dollars will be spent to build the Kings Road Boat Ramp, pave the parking lot and build public restrooms. The project is a joint effort of the Horry County Transportation Committee and the Horry County Parks.

International Technology and Aerospace Park (ITAP)

ITAP is a 460-acre class a aviation and technology park owned by Horry County and located on the Myrtle Beach International Airport property. The park has a public entrance in the Market Common district, known for upscale shopping and dining. Phase 1 of the park was completed in November 2011. this included the installation of utilities, access roads, storm drainage and landscaping. For more information visit www.mbitap.com.

Myrtle Beach International Airport Extension

To accommodate growing numbers of visitors arriving by air, Myrtle Beach International Airport has begun an expansion project with the recent addition of a general aviation terminal, which opened in 2010, and the continued construction of a new passenger terminal. The massive projects, which will extend the passenger terminal from seven to 12 gates, are expected to increase the airport’s capacity and efficiency for vacationers, business travelers and locals alike. M.B. Kahn Construction is serving as the program manager for the $130 million passenger terminal expansion which will be completed in early 2013. For more information visit www.flymyrtlebeach.com/expansion.cfm.

Springmaid Pier Improvements

A historic landmark in the heart of Myrtle Beach, Springmaid Beach Pier is undergoing a few changes in 2012. BARnacles, the pier bar and grill, will receive a reinvigoration as Myrtle Beach’s newest waterfront hot spot. there will be outdoor seating and the deck will be revamped with the addition of a full bar drink line up and new menu. there will also be weekly live entertainment and a happy hour on Fridays. a pier hurricane simulator will be added as well as a giant beach chair to be used for photo opportunities. For more information visit http://www.springmaidbeach.com/default.asp?springmaidbeach=30.

Target Store

A new Target shopping center will be coming to Myrtle Beach. SayeBrook Town Center, a 700-acre development, is planned near the U.S. 17 Bypass and S.C. 544, ranging from commercial to single-family homes. The Target will be about 135,000 square feet and include a produce section. The shopping center will be anchored by Target, but include space for additional stores. For more information, call (843) 294-6197 or visit www.thejacksoncompanies.com.

~Lodging~

Grande Shores Oceanfront Resort

The Grande Shores Oceanfront Resort will receive a renovation and update of hotel rooms and all common areas. Renovations include updated oceanfront pool decks, resurfacing of the lazy River, a new ceiling for the indoor pool, a new covered walkway at the main entrance, renovated elevator interiors and new furniture in the lobby. Grande Shores hotel rooms are being updated with new closet organizers, paint, new bathroom vanities and lighting. all updates will be completed by February 2012, at a cost of more than $1 million. For more information call (843) 692-4000 or visit www.grandeshores.com.

Springmaid Beach Resort

In October 2011, Springmaid launched its status as Myrtle Beach’s newest dog-friendly resort. The resort now offers an affordable dog-friendly rate and designated dog-friendly specific rooms. also, a fenced doggie run was created with ample room to play, with benches and waste containers for owners.

Also, for 2012, a product and team investment in wedding business is being developed. The resort has hired a wedding specialist — experienced in wedding product sales, development and management — to provide team training and professional development to group managers specific to the needs of wedding planners, couples and their parties. The property has also created wedding packages around the specific needs and drivers for wedding groups. The website is also undergoing a development to create a weddings section. Visit www.springmaidbeach.com.

~Dining~

Dining in Myrtle Beach International Airport Expansion

The Myrtle Beach International Airport Expansion project will also include some new dining, some of which are inspired by local fare. two restaurants are Bubba’s Fish Shack and Nacho Hippo, locally run by the Divine Dining Group which will include local barbeque, Carolina Coastal Cuisine and a Latin twist on traditional local dishes. Boardwalk Cafe will also join the dining scene as a complete restaurant with bar. also completing the restaurant landscape will be national chains Dunkin’ Donuts and Steak n’ Shake.

Nosh

The restaurant Nosh opened in fall 2011 and is located in the historic Pawley’s Island Hammock Shop village. Executive Chef Jermaine Taliaferro is a true artisan, masterfully creating unique works of culinary art. Nosh offers handcrafted cuisine featuring the finest of locally sourced seasonal ingredients. Its “tapas-inspired” menu is a fusion of Southern and Italian dishes. For more information, visit www.noshpi.com.

New Mexican Restaurant & Boardwalk Extension

In December 2011, a group of investors presented plans for an oceanfront Mexican restaurant to the City of Myrtle Beach, which would also include building a small city park and extending the boardwalk to the restaurant. this would be built on the lot adjacent to the Yachtsman Resort on 14th Ave. North. The Mexican restaurant will be 4,800 square feet and have a Spanish Colonial look with 90 seats inside and outdoor transitional spaces, stepping down to a courtyard with a fountain and wood patio, perhaps with a fire pit. at the side facing Ocean Boulevard, a water feature is planned with a spill and wishing well where the water will change color when coins are tossed in. The building will have three tiers: 13 feet, 19 feet and 31 feet high. Exterior walls will be off-white and gray-toned terra cotta or metal roofs are planned. Windows will be tinted blue.

Historic Peaches Corner Renovations

The historic Peaches Corner restaurant in downtown Myrtle Beach is celebrating their 75th anniversary with a facelift. Included in the work is a new facade and giant, spinning peach that will sit atop their Ocean Boulevard building. The renovation also included replacing the old counter with one that displays dozens of old photos that show Myrtle Beach as it has been from the 1930s to the present. For more information visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PeachesCorner.

SOURCE Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce / CVB

On The Horizon in 2012: Exciting New Tourism Developments in the Myrtle Beach Area of South Carolina

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Blu-ray) : DVD Talk Review of the Blu-ray

Posted on by

Buy from Amazon.com C O N T E N T V I D E O A U D I O E X T R a S R E P L a Y A D V I C E Recommended E – M a I L this review to a friend P R I N T Printer Friendly The Product: Mexican maverick Guillermo Del Toro loves the ’70s – particularly the influential ABC Movie of the Week and its wealth of untapped made for TV macabre. he worships at the altar of Kolchak: the Night Stalker (both the original films, the eventual series, and the rogue supernatural reporter himself) and adores such one-off masterworks as the Kim Darby/Jim Hutton mini-demon fest, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. As a matter of fact, it has always been Del Toro’s dream to bring the popular installment of the seminal Me Decade show to the big screen. Finally, in 2011, he achieved his aims, turning the tale of a troubled young woman terrorized by tiny creatures into a sprawling quasi-epic involving childhood lost, motherhood found, and tooth fairies from Hell. while gorgeous to look at and well approached, there is an inherent problem with the Del Toro produced, Troy Nixey directed effort – it’s not very frightening. In fact, this may be one of the first instances where style overcomes suspense and scares to turn terror into an indulgent trial.

The plot: without her knowledge, little Sally Hurst (Bailee Madison) is being sent from California to live with her distant father Alex (Guy Pearce) and his interior designer girlfriend, Kim (Katie Holmes). the duo are restoring the Gothic manor of local legend Lord Blackwood. a famous naturalist and illustrator, his home is worth millions…and is surrounded by rumor. Seems the man’s young son disappeared one day, followed by Lord Blackwood himself. It’s turned the sprawling building into a bit of tomb. Uneasy in her move, Sally starts to hear voices calling her name. They seem to be coming from the heating ducts. soon, she discovers the truth about Blackwood’s residence – it is a hiding place for fairies – underworld folk who demand a life for each time they are disturbed…and they prefer little children as their sickening sacrifice. while Alex frets over finishing the renovation, Sally is mercilessly pursued. It will be up to Kim to stop the attacks…or die trying.

The Blu-ray: There are many things right, and a couple of big things wrong, with this update of the memorable ’70s creepshow. the casting…yes, even Ms. Scientology, Katie Holmes…is very good. Pearce plays his part well, Mrs. Cruise starts out inert but becomes more maternal as the movie goes on, and little Miss Madison is so effective in her hurt and anger that she’s almost uncomfortable to watch. Add in an odd turn from Australian actor Jack Thompson and some sensational CG critters and you’ve got the makings of something very, very good. Then there is the production design, which turns Blackwood into a kind of menacing, magical space. It’s a bit too The Haunting, but it manages to distance itself from said disaster. indeed, there are random gardens that seem to appear out of nowhere and nods to other Del Toro efforts (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone). As for Nixey, he’s good at creating atmosphere, though the notion that NO ONE in this movie does anything in adequate light does make for some misguided mood. In fact, everything here is set for a solid night of horror. Sadly, it never arrives.

the first major flaw in the movie is the legitimate lack of follow-up. every time something happens – a worker is attacked in the basement, Sally snaps several pictures (and even crushes one) of the evil imps, a weird mural is discovered on the wall – no one does anything about it. Sally opens up the heating grate, letting the creatures out, and no one thinks to lock it back up until days later. Similarly, our heroine swears she is not responsible for the mean mischief going on in the house, yet no one spends time with her to see if she is telling the truth. Granted, we are dealing with people here who are restoring a huge home, are on a tight budgetary timeline and are overworked and over stressed, and yet don’t realize there is an entire basement area on the property until a child stumbles across it (the cover of Architectural Digest, indeed!). It’s as if the script builds in inferences that the audience is supposed to make for it (Alex and Kim are too busy to notice…Sally is one of those classic ‘unreliable narrator’ types, etc).

the second major problem is the lack of a legitimate threat. Since we are dealing with a child in 2011, Del Toro and company reluctantly comply with the potential taboo. Sally is never in any real danger, just hampered by some unruly critter chaos. during the initial attack in her bedroom, she manages to outwit them, and a much more horrific ambush in the bathroom results in the dopey deus ex machina of a shower curtain as protection and the arrival of some beefy workers. When the movie or plot needs rescuing, something comes along and save it – literally. And since no one tries to follow-up and figure out what is happening, we feel more frustrated than frightened. In some ways, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark tries way too hard. It wants to be big and baroque and bad ass…and then forgets the most important thing: fear factors. the background mythos clearly comes from the mind of the man behind Hellboy (didn’t we already have ‘tooth’ fairies in the sequel to his hit comic book film?) and is not as laughable as it seems. still, for everything it does right, the film’s failings cause concern…and eventually, criticism.

The Video: Be warned – this is a dark, dark movie. Not from a narrative standpoint, or a piss poor projectionist position, but from a lighting and location proposition. Nixey clearly believes that limited visibility means dread. what it doesn’t translate to is a full blown high definition experience. of sure, the 1080p, 1.85:1 image looks great, especially during the various exterior shots and moments of monster mayhem. but when all you can see of a space is a single beam of sun shining through an otherwise blank canvas, the details and contrasts get lost. Also, there seems to be a bit of softness to the close-ups, as if Nixey is trying to tone down Miss Madison’s harsher qualities or Pearce’s aging facade. make no mistake, the transfer it terrific. It just comes from an aesthetic place which makes the Blu-ray seem sort of unnecessary.

The Audio: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is a movie about sounds, about hissing voices calling your name in the middle of the night. therefore, the sonic situation here has to be top notch and Sony delivers a stunning lossless Master Audio DTS-HD 5.1 mix. Sounds comes sneaking out of the back speakers while other ambient noise circle and swirl the image. the dialogue is always up front and easily understood, and the overall feel is claustrophobic and creepy. the score can be a bit overdone, but the work of composers Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders is otherwise solid. indeed, the tech specs on both sides of the situation are quite good.

The Extras: There is an interesting, if EPK oriented, documentary on this disc which highlights many of the issues Del Toro and company faced with bringing this movie to life. we deal with the story, the setting, and the scary monsters at the center of the shivers. It’s engaging, but not intensely in-depth. unfortunately, the only other big of added content is a gallery of conceptual art. No commentary. No picture within picture trivia track. Del Toro is a great talker and it would have been interesting to hear his thoughts on the way the film turned out. Sadly, the Blu-ray offers a near barebones package for this motion picture.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is destined to be one of those titles that split horror geeks right down the middle. Many will see its menacing mood and wealth of wicked little things and champion its attempted terrors. Others will be bored, wondering when the Del Toro they know and love will come out to ‘play’. In either case, this is still a very well made movie with many things to cheer about. therefore, it deserves a Recommended rating. some may bristle at such a low score, but fear is like humor – what makes one person flinch causes another to calmly yawn. yours truly found the film creepy, just not convincing. indeed, he can remember seeing the original film in his youth and taking to the schoolyard version of the water cooler to extol its horrific virtues. Today, it’s just a piece of knowing nostalgia. the remake is barely better.

Want more Gibron Goodness? Come to Bill’s TINSEL TORN REBORN Blog (Updated Frequently) and Enjoy! Click Here what do you think?

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (Blu-ray) : DVD Talk Review of the Blu-ray