It's known as the Kingdom of Morocco, where ancient architecture is virtually untouched, and majestic riads once palaces for the wealthy sit hidden within each neighbourhood's medina.

Unassuming from the outside, a riad can easily be overlooked by Instagram-hungry tourists searching for their next shot. But look a little closer and dotted across Morocco's cobblestone laneways you'll find countless modest doorways.

Inside, discover all the elements of a fairy tale; a grand entrance, high walls, a magical courtyard; awe-inspiring tilework; a pool and a rooftop full of trinkets. Most of them were once stately homes, today they have been converted into boutique hotels.

Whether you're travelling across the country, or simply ticking Marrakech off your list, there are plenty of standout accommodation options to choose from in Morocco.

Nestled inside Fes' ancient medina, this opulent riad boasts 30 individual guest rooms, a fine dining restaurant and all the extras you'd expect from a luxury hotel (including an unforgettable buffet breakfast).

The breathtaking decor and soaring ceiling evokes major Arabian Nights vibes, while the rooftop bar is the perfect spot to curl up with a book, order a mint tea and take in views of the Atlas Mountains.

A 10-minute walk from the action, this tranquil riad is an antidote to the rabbit hole that is Jama El Fna Square.

After a day getting accustomed with Marrakech's resident snake charmers, magicians and storytellers, you'll be transported to a serene oasis.

At La Sultana, every suite is unique, marked with its own theme, decor and vintage furniture. And outside, every experience is feed-worthy; from the Morrocan-style horseshoe arches that line the pool to the lush rooftop terrace that boasts an impressive cocktail list.

Centrally located near the ancient medina, the Four Seasons Marrakech is a winner if you're travelling with kids. The 40-acre property is filled with immaculate gardens and pools including an adults-only option. Rooms have been designed in a neutral palette with traditional Moroccan decor, with each featuring a private balcony, terrace or garden.

The Agafay Desert forms the backdrop to this unique property just an hour's drive from Marrakech. Take your pick from a glamping tent, or if you're in the mood for luxury one of the minimalist lodges featuring floor to ceiling windows overlooking the rolling sand dunes.

Have an afternoon dip in the infinity pool, followed by a camel ride at sunset before tucking into dinner at the in-house restaurant. Like most Moroccan restaurants, the signature dish is the tagine. Order it and you'll understand why.

The writer travelled with Luxury Escapes' small-group Morocco tour.

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In Morocco, it's all about the hidden riads - 9Honey

By Tony Mushoborozi

The phrase a roof over your head is usually used in reference to housing as a basic human right. Which gets you wondering; why not walls around your ribs or floor under your feet? The answer could point to the seminal importance of the roof as a physical part of any house. Whether as an item of functionality or aesthetics, the roof really is the make-or-break.

In contemporary Ugandan homes, the roof tends to be extravagant and elaborate because they usually have high perimeter wall fences that conceal most of the house leaving only the roofs visible to the onlooker. According to experts, a roof should not be chosen solely for what it looks like but some factors should be put into consideration.

ConsiderationsThe biggest and most important consideration is always the budget expectations, according to Fred Kangwagye, a construction in engineer from Frespe Construction Ltd.

Everything hinges on the budget, really. The second most important consideration is usually the outlook and feel of the house. People travel and see styles abroad and get inspired. They come to us with that image in mind, he remarks.

He adds, But image goes beyond that. For instance, if the houses in the neighbourhood are all roofed with roofing tiles, more often than not, someone will consider using tiles on their new house.

Tight spaces Jean Christophe Cartier is a Frenchman who has been living in Uganda for more than 20 years. He lives in Bukasa, Muyenga. He explains why he decided to choose a flat roof.

I had to use the flat roof on my house because my plot was very small. Though it is in a very nice location with the view of the lake, it is less than 50ft X50ft. Since I knew that there would be no space for a compound after constructing a house on the plot, I decided my compound would be on the roof, he says.Cartiers house is a four-bedroom storied home that almost runs from one end to the other end of the plot, save for a small parking space right behind the sliding gate. The flat roof not only affords him ample space to entertain his friends and family, it also gives him a beautiful 360-degree view.

According to Simon Peter Kazibwe, an architectural designer, The flat roof keeps the house cool because it is made from a concrete slab. It is also very functional because you can use it as a place for entertainment and family time.

He adds that the flat roof works best in less rainfall-prone places because it has the capability to hold water after the rain.

All precaution must be taken to waterproof the roof and provide effective drainage channels, otherwise waterlogging can weaken the structure, Kazibwe advises.

While modern technology can afford you a light and solid slab, a flat roofed house still demands for very strong walls.

Windy areasThe hidden roof is the best choice for a windy area, probably on a hillside, according to Kazibwe.

If the topography of the neighbourhood is hilly and windy, one would be on a safe side to consider constructing the hidden roof, rather than the gable or the hipped roof. This is because a hidden roof leaves no chance for the wind to blow it away, says Kazibwe.

The costRoofing materials are not cheap. Whether it is the concrete slab, or the roofing tiles or iron sheets the cost is steep.

According to Cissy Namaganda, a property trader based in Nsambya, Kampala, roofing can easily become the most expensive part of a bungalow if one does not plan properly.

The cost of the roof starts with the cost of the materials. And depending on what kind of style of roof you decide on, the cost can be astronomical. If you want to reduce the cost to the bare minimum, the cheapest roof is the hidden roof. It uses minimal timber, minimal iron sheets and minimal labour costs, she says.

An average three bedroom bangalow costs between Shs18m and Shs22m to roof with iron sheets.

Super eco iron sheets with a box-like design cost between Shs33,000 to Shs42,000. Eco tile and Roman tile cost Shs78,000. Super tile costs Shs58,000 while the rough type goes for Shs78,000. Ordinary gauge 30 iron sheets, cost Shs33,000 while gauge 28 costs Shs42,000.

Ridges and valleys; used to cover gaps left between the iron sheets when roofing or connect iron sheets range between Shs15,000 to Shs28,000.

On the contrary, the most expensive is the flat roof, compounded by the concrete slab and the thick walls needed to hold the heavy roof up.

The aestheticsFor those who want to make a statement with their roofs, the best choice is the hipped roof. The hipped roof gives one endless opportunities to get complex. A multi-hipped roof tends to give the house an appearance of grandeur and spaciousness.

Roofing tiles will go a long way to compound the beauty of this style. But you must remember that this is a very expensive style. Roofing tiles demand for more timber and generally more building materials. But the heart wants what the heart wants, says John Okello, a roofing expert based in Gayaza.

Types of roofsThe types of roofs are as many as the types of houses. However, in Uganda, there about five main types of roofs. While they each serve different purposes, there are instances where a crossover happens. And every once in a while, a style of roof rises in popularity over others.

Hipped roofAlmost every bungalow in the country comes with this style of roof. It is cone-shaped with an elongated edge at the top, and slopes towards the veranda at all ends. The simple variation to this style has only four slopes, and fits on a house with a simple rectangular shape. But this kind of simplicity is out of fashion.

The complex variation (multi-hipped roof) has several sloping ends and fits on a house with complex walling, with rectangle of differing sizes placed side-by-side. This is the most popular kind of roof today.

Gable roof A gable roof was once popular. It is a simple roof that only slopes on two ends; at the front and back of the house. The sides of the house rise into triangles to meet the roof at a sharp point on top.

This type of roof gives you an opportunity to indulge in some wall ornamentation. The high triangular sides can be seen from afar and any paint work or styling applied here will make the house attractive.

Lean-to roofOne sloping sheet of roofing from one end of the house to the other end. Picture the old-school roadside shop and you know what a lean-to roof is. While this style of roof is usually used in simple constructions like animal pens and car sheds, and of course the roadside shop, some people have reinvented it and turned it into a hidden roof.

Hidden roofA hidden roof is a lean-to roof surrounded by a brick parapet that completely hides it from view. This roof gives a house a very simple but classy boxy look. It offers endless opportunities for one to get very creative with wall moldings and interesting paintwork.

Kangwagye says, Hidden roofs take minimal building materials; less timber, less iron sheets, and less everything. However, the drainage must be done very well or the water will overflow and damage the house.

The flat roofThis is the rarest roof in Uganda. It is a concrete slab on top of a house. One major reason as to why this roof is so rare is because it is the most expensive. Expensive because it requires extra strong walling and columns to hold its weight.

Flat roof with functional space on top.

And that is before you get to the cost of the actual roof; concrete specially designed to be completely waterproof.

Kangwangye says, The flat roof is good in many ways. If someone is not resource constrained, it is the best roof. You save money in that the roof is the ceiling at the same time. It affords you fresh air to breath, since it is elevated and can be used for relaxation. On the downside, it is very heavy and the structure must be engineered for extra strength from the foundation. This makes it the most costly.

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Choosing the right roof for your house - Daily Monitor

ceramicist whose brilliant glazed tile work changed the face of Jerusalem in the early days of the British Mandate and continues to be one of the citys most iconic art forms.

Moughalian did not know her maternal grandfather. Nor did she know much about the Armenian genocide perpetrated by Turkish Muslims in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. This cataclysmic series of persecutions forced the Ohannessians into exile from their Anatolian mountain village, first to Syria and then to Palestine in 1918, where Ohannessian established Dome of the Rock Tiles so named because of that first, lifesaving commission to retile the vast Muslim structure built in 691 CE.

Growing up in Highland Park, New Jersey, Moughalian learned about the Holocaust in school and read books, including Elie Wiesels Night, found on the bookshelves of her many Jewish friends. She learned much more about the Jewish tragedy during World War II than about the Armenian tragedy in World War I, a traumatic topic that was difficult for her mother to talk about.

Feast of Ashes is the result of Moughalians quest to learn about her grandfather and his art pieces of which she began to seek out and collect and about the cruel persecution that shaped her familys fortunes.

She is not a professional writer; she is an accomplished flutist and artistic director of the Perspectives Ensemble. One manifestation of her inexperience that escaped the editors attention is her inconsistency in referring to her grandfather. She alternately calls him Tavit and Ohannessian, often in the same paragraph.

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Jerusalems other face - The Jerusalem Post

VANLUE The second phase of a drainage project to reduce flooding during heavy rains in Vanlue will be done this year following recent action by the Hancock County commissioners.

Last week, commissioner President Mark Gazarek and commissioner Tim Bechtol approved a resolution authorizing a memorandum of agreement with the village for the drainage improvement.

According to the agreement, Several projects were identified that could provide flood relief but did not rise to the level of federal interest within the Blanchard River watershed and were not pursued for federal funds after the 2007 flood.

Drainage improvements in and near the village was one of those projects.

The second phase will begin at Blanchard Street and extend southeast along an abandoned railroad right of way to just south of West Main Street in the village. The work includes: replacing an existing drainage tile with an 18-inch pipe; installing new catch basins; replacing a culvert at West Main Street with a 38-inch by 60-inch elliptical concrete pipe; and regrading and reseeding of the existing ditch along the route of the 18-inch tile replacement, according to the resolution.

Cost estimate is $200,000. Bids will be sought and construction done this year.

The county will provide bid documents, advertise and accept bids, construction oversight and contract administration.

The county will pay for the project with funds from the flood mitigation account.

The village will get permission or easements from property owners along the drainage tile replacement route.

The first phase was done in 2014 at a cost of $205,000.

Drainage tile that was in very poor condition was replaced with 3,700 lineal feet of 24-inch pipe along Amanda Township 197, from Blanchard Street on the villages west side to a ditch northwest of the village near the wastewater treatment lagoon, according to information from Steve Wilson, project manager for the county commissioners flood-reduction efforts.

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Vanlue drainage project to begin later this year - The Courier

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- About two weeks away from opening Bravo Pizza, workers polished new stainless steel counters and recently installed kitchen equipment. This restaurant and sports bar soon coming to New Dorp has some big shoes to fill, said Mike Libretta, one of the owners.

I want it to be a great neighborhood place," he said, invoking the name of the buildings former tenant, Gennaros Pizzeria.

The property, near the corner of Hylan Boulevard on New Dorp Lane, is rich in pizza history.

Back in the 1960s, it was Pizza Clown. When Gennaro Jerry Chiarello and wife, Maria, bought the business, they turned the then white-and-red rounded tent structure into Pizza Town USA. By 1980, Jerry Chiarello built a new restaurant, a block-shaped 5,000-square-feet building with a casual dining area plus a side room for more formal supping and private parties. It closed on May 31, 2018. (The Gennaros of Rabs Bowling continues in Dongan Hills.)

Actually, it was a lark that Libretta and partner Frank Russo found the property at 413 New Dorp Lane. The long-time friends and their families had been looking for a spot for several years.

The bar in the sports bar section of Bravo Pizza (Courtesy of Frank Russo)

We had this planned out long before this location was available," said Russo, a bartender by trade.

We always knew we were going to do something like this, he said, nodding at Libretta, whose family owns five other parlors -- including Frankie Boy, Pizza Petes and three Bravo-brand parlors, all in Manhattan.

As a Staten Island natives story would have it, the pals go way back.

The boys were born four days apart, and their parents first met in the hospitals nursery unit and became friends. By coincidence, the Russos and Librettas discovered shortly afterward that they were neighbors on the same New Springville block.

A view of the dining area in front of the pizza counter, a familiar view to patrons of the former Gennaro's with the set up. (Courtesy of Frank Russo)

Over the years as besties and even classmates at Moore Catholic High School, the idea of a sports bar became a source of serious discussion. Librettas family was already in the pizza business.

About six years ago, that thought of a building a business together started to become a reality. Russo and Libretta started to scope out spots in their hometown.

We would call each other with different locations, said Libretta. One day driving along New Dorp Lane, he said he realized that Gennaros had closed. Shocked that a Staten Island classic was no more, he stopped in to see what had happened. He eventually connected with the landlord and rented the spot several months later.

The sports bar section of the soon-coming Bravo Pizza (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

The cavernous Bravo, with tin ceilings and glossy tile work, has separate spaces -- including the kitchen and an alcove for a few tables. There is seating for about 125 guests over two main sections -- a lounge area with flat screen TVs, a bar and table seating and a separate dining room for partakers of pizza. The latter setup is similar to that of Gennaros layout, where customers can buy slices or full pies, calzones, heroes, salads and pastas. Another familiar element of the place will be Billy Elliott, a pizziaola from the Gennaro parlor days.

Bravo looks to welcome New Dorp High School workers and students once again to a neighborhood pizzeria.

Were going to have a student special -- two regular slices and a soda for $5, said Libretta.

Soon theyll be doing test runs on the menu, which includes late-night bites.

Its a classic pizzeria, explained Libretta, adding, Were not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want to stick to what works and stick with the basics -- good cocktails, classic Italian food, delivery and takeout."

We should be open in a week or two. The staff is ready. Mike has been training the kitchen crew at the 7th Avenue [Bravo] location, Russo reported. Its taken the entrepreneurs six months to construct the the new spot.

I am happy to bring this new pizzeria and sports bar concept to our Island. We know how well-loved Jerry was in the neighborhood and on the Island," said Libretta.

He continued, We have our work cut out for us on the standard he set on the Island about 50 years ago.

The side entrance to Bravo which allows access to the sports bar side of the restaurant.

Bravo will have a late-night menu for guests that will include pizza. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Sports memorabilia on the wall in the alcove section of Bravo that has more intimate seating. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Before the glass is installed at Bravo in the pizza pick-up area for guests (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Guests can see pizzas being produced in the front portion of the restaurant (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

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Bravo Pizza comes to the former Gennaros location - SILive.com

We discover two more Tesla solar roof tile installations this week and update a few more. That leaves 998 more roofs to document this week, given Elon Musks claim of 1,000 roofs per week by the end of 2019.

More than three years after its introduction, and after having received deposits from interested homeowners, Tesla has connected just a handful of solar-integrated roofs to the grid.

pv magazine has been chasing down these installations, speaking to the homeowners, and taking photos. This is an update of an earlier photo gallery.

Maybe 2020 is the year

Last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk dubbed 2019 the year of the solar roof, its long-promised building-integrated photovoltaic product.

It turned out that 2019 was not the year of the solar roof.

Late last year, Musk introduced version 3.0 of the solar roof tile and, with characteristic optimism, claimed that the company would ramp production to 1,000 roofs per week by December of 2019. In a conference call, Musk said:

Musk said that the goal was to install the solar roof as quickly as traditional composition shingles with a target of eight hours. This requires a streamlined process of getting parts to the field along with assembly equipment to allow customization for flashing, edges and trim in the field.

Early-stage solar roof tile installs

This installation in San Carlos, California is four days into the process. The old roof material has been removed, Firestone Clad-Gard SA-FR underlayment has been installed.

About half the tiles have been laid on this relatively simple roof. There was a crew of five to seven people, including a separate crew for the Power Wall battery install. Three trucks were on-site at times.

The owner lauded the professional nature of the crew and expected about seven more days of work until the job is complete. The homeowners are documenting the install, which includes battery storage, here.

This installation, also in San Carlos, California is two or three days in, and had a crew of six men when I was there. Again, its a relatively simple roof.

Completed installations in the wild

Twitter user Austin Flack provided a video of his solar roof tile installation that includes the economics of the roof tile along with a bonus drone crash.

He told pv magazine that the install went fairly smoothly. Took 7 days, they originally estimated 5. He said, Everyone was very professional. Worked with me to get stuff right: like placing the inverter in a more appealing location. So far, were very satisfied, but obviously very much looking forward to turning the system on.

Prepping for Austin Flacks version 3 install.

Josh Pomilio, a Tesla solar glass crew lead, put up these version 3 installation photos on Instagram (since removed) taken of a home in San Jose. This installation included two Tesla battery units and three inverters, according to the home owners.

Same version 3 install from Josh Pomilio

The installation is more than 10 kw, according to the homeowners.

Heres the version 3.0 roof in Cupertino, California. This installation included a Tesla battery.

Eric Wesoff

This home in Los Gatos, California had V2 tiles on the roof and was undergoing a complete remodel.

There were several piles of unused or scrapped tiles on the side of the home.

Heres a version 2.0 installation in San Jose, California

Heres another San Jose home with a version 2.0 roof.

Heres a roof thats seen better days on a home in San Jose, California. According to Nikolas Stache, these homeowners have pulled a permit for the version 3.0 roof.

***

The rest is here:
More Tesla solar roof tile installations in the wild, a photo gallery update - pv magazine USA

Ken Colburn, Special for The Republic Published 7:00 a.m. MT Jan. 27, 2020

This photo taken Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, shows a Microsoft Widows sign on display at a store in Hialeah, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP)

QUESTION: I was forced to upgrade to Windows 10 and I hate it! Is there any way to make it work more like Windows 7?

ANSWER: The dramatic changes to the Windows 10 interface, along with privacy concerns, are a couple of reasons that many were hesitant to make the switch until their hand was forced.

If you're concerned about the privacy issues that surround Windows 10, Wired posted an excellent article reviewing how to check all of the privacy settings.

One of the first things that throws a new-to-Windows 10 user are the tiles that appear to the right side of the Start menu.

Any of the tiles can be removed by right-clicking them and selecting "Unpin from Start"or if you want them to take less space, select "Resize"to make the tile smaller.

If you remove all of the tiles, youll be left with something that looks a little more like Windows 7s list of programs.

Tinder is releasing a panic button, which could alert authorities with the user's real-time location and any details users add about the outing. USA TODAY

If you really want the Windows 10 Start menu to look like Windows 7, you can download a utility called "Open Shell"that used to be called Classic Shell and Classic Start.

This utility is what is known as an open-source project, which means that the source code is available to any programmer that wants to contribute new features. This also means that it resides on a website that might be confusing for some to navigate .

If its too confusing to download and install yourself, ask a techie friend to help you.

Once it completes the installation, youll have the choice of three different classic menus to switch to and an option to replace the Start button.

This utility offers a large number of modifications throughout all of its menus, but I would avoid getting too carried away unless you are fairly technical.

If you dont like the large search box just to the right of the Start button, you can turn it into a search icon or make it go away completely by right-clicking any blank part of the Taskbar to open a menu. Look for the Search option at the top, which has a sub-menu that shows you three options: Hidden, Show search icon or Show search box.

If the voice recognition tool known as "Cortana"isnt of any interest, you can remove the associated icon a circle from the taskbar by removing the check mark in front of the "Show Cortana button"while youre in the menu.

To get rid of any of the unwanted icons on your Taskbar, just right-click on them and select "Unpin from taskbar."

Windows 10 is designed to automatically update when critical updates are released, which is a good thing from a security standpoint, but can be an annoyance when it automatically restarts your computer in the process.

You can avoid a random restart by setting the active hours in the Settings menu of Windows 10. Under Update & Security is an option to "Change active hours"that can be up to 18 hours.

Windows 10 is supposed to be the last version of Windows from Microsoft, so Id suggest you get used to its look and feel at some point.

Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services,datadoctors.com.Ask any tech question atfacebook.com/DataDoctorsor on Twitter@TheDataDoc.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/tech/2020/01/27/windows-10-updates-how-make-work-more-like-windows-7-interface-user-guide/4565320002/

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Prefer Windows 7 over Windows 10's updates? Here's how to make the adjustment - AZCentral

The Honolulu Medical Examiners office needs a lot of work.

Refrigerators holding the corpses frequently warm up to levels that quicken decomposition, Acting Medical Examiner Masahiko Kobayashi said.

After years of the citys band aid approach to its leaky roof, an employee slipped on a puddle in October, injuring her head and wrist. She is still out on medical leave.

The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division said its investigating the office after another employee complained about mold.

The building is aging, so that creates all the challenges, Kobayashi told Civil Beat earlier this month.

MasahikoKobayashi, Honolulus acting medical examiner, said an organ scale once dropped from the ceiling while he was working.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The city has known for years that the office is in disrepair. Two years worth of maintenance records recently obtained by Civil Beat show a litany of problems: frequent leaks, falling ceiling tiles, termite and ant infestations, black mold.

Roof needs to be replaced, a facilities maintenance official wrote in response to a September 2018 work order. Former and past carpentry supervisors have been pointing this out for a while now. The repairs we have been making are only temporary at best.

In November, a grate on the morgue floor fell in. A year prior to that, an organ scale fell from the ceiling. Luckily there werent any body parts in it at the time, Kobayashi said with a laugh.

The office is still experiencing many of the same issues it had the last time Civil Beat toured the office two years ago. Despite a budget allocation of $5 million approved in 2018, the only capital improvement project the medical examiners office has undergone since then is a $105,000 upgrade to the electrical system, according to the city.

But improvements are on the way.

A new refrigeration system, approved in last years budget process, is scheduled for installation starting in April, Kobayashi said. In May, re-roofing is supposed to start and a $4 million contract for interior renovations, including expanding body storage, will go out for bid. Interior work is slated to start this fall.

Its not like we approve the budget and all of a sudden, it starts to happen, said Managing Director Roy Amemiya, adding that the city has two years after capital budget approvals to spend the money. Theres planning and designing, and that happens before we go out to bid.

Still, other buildings have undergone improvements sooner including firehouses, which serve as secondary residences to firefighters, and Honolulu Hale, which got a new roof last year.

There are priorities. There are roofs that we fix and roofs that have to wait, he said, noting his own department leaks. I dont believe that people here suffered any more than others in the city.

During a Civil Beat tour of the facility on a sunny Friday, the building didnt seem to match the chaos reflected in the work orders. There was a drainage system on the ceiling of the autopsy room, and a few ceiling tiles were missing. But for the most part, the tiles were intact and mostly clean. The mold in the lobby was removed.

The ceiling is patched up where there used to be a tarp catching rainwater.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

An internal city email obtained by Civil Beat helps explain why. In the week between Civil Beats request for a tour and the visit itself, the city with Amemiyas help scrambled to improve its appearance.

Dr. Kobayashi, Charlotte, Charles, and I are all working with (the Department of Facility Maintenance) to repair the facility since the Civil Beat is possibly doing a follow up story, a medical examiners office administrator wrote in a Jan. 13 email to staff.

This morning I met with the Assistant Chief of DFM, as well as from the divisions of Carpentry, Plumbing, Painting and Electrical. Thankfully, we have the support of the (Managing Director), who has directed DFM to assist us asap.

The office didnt want to show off its mold problem, Kobayashi said.

So they fixed all the things so, kind of, quickly, he said.

The email lists a to-do list of 10 items to address including leaks, black mold, stabilizing grates and yard work.

When you called, we looked at some of the things that had not been completed and our facility maintenance people sent a crew down, Amemiya told a reporter. We wanted to put our best foot forward.

The problems at the medical examiners office are a nuisance, but Kobayashi said they dont threaten the integrity of evidence. That includes the bodies, he said.

The refrigerators are supposed to be around 40 degrees, like a fridge in ones home, Kobayashi said. But the morgues refrigerators sometimes increase into the 50s.

Honolulu needs body refrigerators that stay cold. The city says a new system will be installed this year.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

His employees have to check on the system three times a day to make sure its working. If its not, maintenance workers respond to get it back on track.

If the system breaks down completely, they have to remove the bodies and send them to a storage facility to the tune of $25 per body, per day, Kobayashi said. But that hasnt happened in years, he said.

As for how the warmth impacts the bodies, Kobayashi wasnt concerned. If the body were left at a warmer temperature for half a day or longer, it could accelerate decay, according to Kobayashi, but he hasnt heard of any issues.

Usually we can quickly find out, so it should be OK, he said.

Sally Aiken, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, said rising temperatures can cause some problems if a body warms up before its been autopsied. DNA and evidence from a sexual assault, like semen, degrade with heat, she said.

Loss of evidence is unlikely, she said, but possible, especially if the bodies arent autopsied right away because of a holiday or backlog.

Ceiling tiles often need to be replaced at the medical examiners office. The facility needs a new roof.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Probably Honolulu needs to invest some money because it sounds like a lot of work for the medical examiner to keep checking all the time and making sure its working, she said.

Blood samples in vials and specimens of organs in glass jars are not exposed to leaks or mold, Kobayashi said.

Aiken didnt doubt that but said the crumbling ceiling is a problem.

You could damage evidence with a tile striking the right place, she said.

In the past, local criminal justice advocates have expressed concern about the state of the Honolulu medical examiners office.

The integrity of that particular workspace is important, Jack Tonaki, a former public defender who is now a judge, told Civil Beat in 2018.

Ken Lawson, co-director of the Hawaii Innocence Project, worried tainted blood or tissue samples could lead to wrongful convictions.

Weve become accustomed to not trusting anything that comes out of those labs because we dont believe that theyre reliable, Lawson said at the time.

Representatives from the Hawaii Public Defenders office and Honolulu Prosecuting Attorneys office did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Neither did former Medical Examiner Christopher Happy, who resigned last year amid criticism from Amemiya that he wasnt meeting the demands of his caseload.

Beyond evidence, perhaps the bigger issue is preserving the bodies for the deceaseds family, Aiken said. Storage can be prolonged if the office has trouble locating next of kin or the family is taking some time to make arrangements.

You preserve bodies because families may want to look at them, she said. It may not be what they desire if youre having problems with your refrigerator every day and the temperature is increasing.

While they wait for renovations, Kobayashi acknowledged that leaks in his office can create a hazard.

Honolulu doesnt think moving the medical examiners office out of its Iwilei Road facility is worth the trouble.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

I dont want that to happen again, he said of his employees slip and fall.

The problems have gotten the attention of the Hawaii Government Employees Association which said its members have complained about potentially unsafe working conditions including the leaking roof and mold.

The Union takes health and safety issues very seriously, HGEA Executive Director Randy Perreira said in an emailed statement. We are currently conducting further investigations into the situation and are considering our options to try to force the City & County of Honolulu to make immediate repairs.

Despite the buildings issues, Amemiya said the city isnt considering moving the morgue to a new location. The approvals needed to establish a new medical examiners office are a non-starter, he said.

Structurally, this building is still good, he said.It needs some tender loving care. With the roofing project, the refrigeration project and the $4 million renovation, well get it up to the standard that is deserving of the department.

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The Honolulu Morgue Is Still A Mess - Honolulu Civil Beat

By Robert Clements. Dated: 1/30/2020 1:23:21 PM

"Amazing!" I exclaimed at what I was reading on a website, "Two-thirds of the world's 946 billionaires made their fortunes from scratch, relying on grit and determination, and not good genes." I read on, "Bill Gates was a dropout, who finally got his honorary degree from Harvard University in June, 30 years after quitting the prestigious school to sell software!""Other billionaires, such as Oprah Winfrey, made their fortunes against far greater odds! Born in rural Mississippi, she spent her early years living in poverty on her grandmother's farm. She moved to Wisconsin to be with her mother, but was sexually molested by her male relatives! At age 14, she reportedly gave birth to a premature baby who died! Only after moving to Nashville to be with her father did her luck finally start to turn!"Farther down same page were comments from youngsters, on the article and I grimaced at what they had to say: " Out of ur billions plz give me some......." was what ninety per cent wrote!To all who wrote those comments and others who think likewise; a small story:There was a museum laid with beautiful marble tiles and which had a huge marble statue displayed in the middle of the lobby. Many people came from all over the world just to admire this statue. One night, a marble tile, resentment writ all over its shining face started talking to the marble statue."Statue," it said, "it's just not fair. Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you?"Replied the Marble Statue, "My dear friend marble tile, do you remember we were actually from the same cave?""Yes," said the tile bitterly, "that's why it's even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we both receive different treatments now. Not fair!""Then," continued the Marble Statue, "do you still remember the day a designer tried to work on you but you resisted his tools?""I hated the guy," said the tile angrily, "how could he use those tools on me?""Well he couldn't work on you, when you resisted," said the statue, "so he started working on me instead. I bore all the painful tools he used on me! There was the sharp chisel and the heavy hammer and how they went at me! Hammering and chipping, day after day!""I saw those tools and I was scared," said the tile."My friend," whispered the marble statue, "there is a price to everything you want to be in life! I paid the price and here I am, you didn't and there you are stepped on by all who come to see me!"You decide what you want to be; Bill Gates or a tile, but stop envying those who allow hard circumstances of a hammer and cutting trials of a chisel shape their lives into success.If you can't tolerate discipline and hardship, then shut up as others walk all over you..!bobsbanter@gmail.com

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Bill Gates and a Lowly Tile..! - Kashmir Times

Ever since the launch of The Sims 4 TinyLiving Stuff Pack, cunning and crafty Simmers have been looking for ways to trickthe system.

With space at a premium, but the benefits of a Tier 1 micro home plentiful, there are many reasons why you might want to squeeze everything into this itty bitty lot.

Tier 1 Tiny Living lots restrict you to 32 tiles only, but it comes with loads of perks. Theyre as follows:

Sounds good, right? It is, but 32 tiles govery quickly.

Simmers have been getting very creative withtheir workarounds, though. From using windows as walls to objects from thedebug catalogue where theres a will, theres a way.

But theres a super simple way to make thiswork. Roofs! Yep. Because the game only counts closed rooms as tiles, you canget around the restrictions by using roofs as walls to enclose tiles laid downon terrain.

If building in The Sims 4 scares you, dontworry. This workaround doesnt require epic building skills, you just need tolearn your way around the roof tool and have a bit of patience. Once you havelearned the basics, the options are endless.

YouTuber Simproved shared a tutorial on howto use roofs to get around the 32-tile restriction.

You can find the full video tutorial below,but we have put together a step-by-step tutorial below to get you start at themost basic level.

First, draw out a rough floor plan for your house. The grid has been kept on for the screenshots so that you can see the tile restrictions arent being affected.

Now, decide where you want the front door to be and draw a wall to place the front door on.

Now we can begin filling in the gaps with various roof options. For this tutorial, we have used the half gabled roof, but you can play around with other options too.

Simply use the roof tools to extend the roof so that it fits in the gaps. The glass roof tiles add lots of light to your build, but you can also use a solid tile and intersperse the clear.

To create the completely see through look, you will first have to add some tiles so you can build up. You can then delete the floor and the wall to drop your tile count back down.

Now, extend the roof upwards with the up arrow.

Then, use the eaves to draw the window without extending its wall. The eaves are the triangular arrows you see on the sides of the window.

To plug the gap, simply make a copy of theroof and reduces the eaves again like so.

Continue like this in whichever combination you like. You can build up or stick to one floor.

You will need to place at least four tiles somewhere for the game to register the build, though. If you build a second floor, youll have to spend a bit more time fiddling with the roof tool to make sure the house is protected from the elements. Itll all be worth it when your happy Sims gets those Tiny Living perks, though.

Our example house for this tutorial has been given a very rough finish with the roof, but you get the idea.

As you can tell, this house only counts for 24 tiles.

This neat little trick which hopefully the developers wont change makes building micro-homes a bit more interesting. While there is much fun to be had in the challenge of sticking to the tile restrictions like building a single-tile bathroom for example you can get really creative using roofs.

For a more detailed visual tutorial of how to cheat the tile restrictions, watch the tutorial by Simproved below.

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How to trick The Sims 4 Tiny Living tile restrictions for Tier 1 micro homes - Extra Time Media | Sports News and Features