Article: with water-resistant building materials. Replace the materials in flood-prone areas of the house with materials such as stone, tile, sealed concrete, waterproof wallboard.  Use galvanized or stainless-steel nails and fasteners. Put indoor/outdoor carpeting in basements. Fit a 'Remote stopcock' - giving you much better control over your mains water supply Use water-resistant glues. and cracks. Check around every door and window to ensure that the seals are watertight. Look for discoloration in the paint and caulk. Also look for swelling around the frames.  Replace shingles that are coming loose, and pay extra attention to areas around the chimney and vents.  Seal any cracks in the foundation. Water in the foundation can cause serious damage to your home's structure. Any leaking pipes, clogged drains, and malfunctioning drainage systems should be fixed or replaced. Check washing machine and dishwasher hoses to make sure that they aren't cracked. Make sure that drainage pipes and gutters drain water away from the house, and that all the joints are all properly sealed.  If your gutters start overflowing after 15 minutes of sustained heavy rain, install additional downspouts to help with flow. Make sure that the grounds around the house slope away from the home to keep water from the foundations and basement. If your basement is prone to flooding, put your appliances on risers to keep them out of small floods. Raise anything that could get damaged: washer, dryer, furnace, water heater, wiring, and any personal items.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Refit your house Check for leaks Fix faulty plumbing. Prevent seepage. Raise your appliances.
Article: To cultivate an ongoing understanding of situations that tend to offend you, try journaling about some of your most memorable moments of victimhood. List 3 or 4 incidents with as much detail as possible.   Push yourself to think deeply about these moments, expressing how you felt and why you took offense. Don't assume that the offense requires no explanation or is "obviously" offensive. Write why you were offended, not why anyone would take offense at the same thing. Then, write these moments down as if you are a journalist reporting an incident. Instead of writing about how you feel, try writing about what an outside observer saw. Is there anything you notice across these situations? Does a particular way of being treated frequently make you indignant with consistency? Look for the deeper reasons you were offended.  For example, say you are offended by someone explaining something to you that you already know. Perhaps you are offended because your ego is bruised because the person doesn't see your smarts. Can you reasonably expect that this person should spend their time keeping track of what you know and don't know? These patterns are your triggers. When something like this happens to you in the future, you will know that the moment is ideal for trying out other responses. We typically justify or "prop up" our actions and beliefs with thoughts that rationalize them. What thoughts about what should and shouldn't be the case allow you to claim offense? What makes you think it's a proper response? Maybe you are offended because someone comes to your house-warming party without bringing a gift. The thoughts that might support taking offense could be ideas like:  "Bringing a gift is the only way to show warmth." "A gift for me should be this person's priority regardless of other financial obligations." "I need to receive tokens from others to know that I am loved and supported". When it comes down to it, we can either spend our time trying to get others to adjust their behavior or work on our own reactions. Trying to change others is a weighty task because people are always changing, surprising us—not to mention how many there are out there. What’s more, trying to change others amounts to controlling others. Ethical issues abound.   When you work on your reactions, you are making yourself a more flexible and joyous person who can handle more of the world with ease. Taking the “high road” is not just more noble, but actually more beneficial to your ability to cope with everyday life.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Reflect upon past situations. Look for patterns. Explore the thoughts that justify offense-taking. Choose to privilege yourself over the “offender”.
Article: Using a saber or keyhole saw, cut out the bottom of the bucket. Use 40 to 60-grit sandpaper to sand the edges until they are smooth. By removing the bottom of the bucket, it will be easier to lift the bucket off of the sand.  If you do not want to remove the bottom yourself, then ask the hardware store if they can do it for you. Alternatively, use a regular bucket without the bottom removed if you do not have a 1 gallon (3.8 l) bucket. You can purchase 1 gallon (3.8 l) buckets, saws, and sandpaper from your local hardware store. Fill a third of the bucket with sand. Add an equal amount of water to the sand. Pack the sand down with your hands. Repeat this process until the bucket is full of compact sand. Remove the bucket. Once the sand feels solid enough and does not give under pressure, it is compact. Ask you create the layers of sand, place the bucketfuls of sand close together. Fill in gaps between the bucketfuls of sand with more sand and water. Pack the sand with your hands until the base feels solid. Keep adding layers of sand until you have reached your desired height. Once you have reached your desired height, use a sand wedge hoe or a plastic knife to smooth the surface of the sand flat.  Large sandcastles are typically 5 by 5 feet (1.5 by 1.5 m) or bigger. If you plan to build a sandcastle taller than you, then bring a step ladder to the beach so you can reach the top.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Remove the bottom of a 1 gallon (3.8 l) bucket. Build layers by placing the bucket upside down on the base. Cover the entire base with a layer of compact sand. Add a second layer to create more height.