The Wordsmith's Forge

I found this manual on how to keep people company through grief.  It has a lot of great details for when you don't know how to support a grieving person.  It also touches on mourning skills for the bereaved. 

For my current set of tips, I'm using the list "101 Small Ways You Can Improve Your City.

78. Smile, particularly at strangers. "If you are feeling Southern enough, actually speak. It instantly makes the world a better place."
— Carol Coletta, senior fellow with The Kresge Foundation’s American Cities Practice

This article looks for the science in life flashing before your eyes during an emergency.

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Today is partly sunny, muggy and warm, quite windy.  Chance of thunderstorms later.

I fed the birds.  I've seen house finches, doves, and a squirrel today.

We started breaking down the brushpile in the middle of the yard.  Nobody else would get around to it for months, which does not constitute actually solving the problem.  >_<  This society is so broken.

When I was little, people had more tools and more connections.  So it wasn't left just to individuals or professionals.  With the work spread out, it got done faster.  Now, things often don't get done and that can cause problems.

Meanwhile over in Terramagne, most towns have a municipal response to things like storms.  See "Windswept" for an example.

EDIT 6/26/21 -- We filled a wheelbarrow with smaller sticks and hauled it to the firepit.

EDIT 6/26/21 -- Just as we finished supper, it began pouring rain, enough to cover the patio with water, not just a few puddles like usual.  So no more yardwork today.

This article talks about autonomous weapons.

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... in case you need a map of Mars with the same amount of water as Earth.

 ... was even bigger than previously estimated.

But don't worry.  Giant sharks don't fit into shallow waters.

There's actually a lot more to modular building than this article goes into.  It's not all blocks.  Modular is any system with preset pieces that can be assembled in various ways. 

LEGO is indeed a good example, and some interlocking concrete blocks really  resemble LEGOs.  The giant ones are for big construction projects, but you can also find small versions in many styles at home improvement stores for walkways and retaining walls.  Shipping containers are another option.  This modular set has units of different shapes that can be stacked in different ways.

Here's an example where the modules are flat pieces.

This one focuses on framing, more like an Erector Set than LEGOs.

Sand castle molds support modular construction on beaches.  Just a few shapes enable many structures.

The modules can be anything.  The only requirement is that there's a standard set of pieces which can be arranged as needed.