In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Trim the base of the tree trunk once you take it home. Use a handsaw or chainsaw to remove at least half an inch off the end. If you get your tree from a nursery or store, staff may be able to trim the trunk of the tree for you when you purchase it. Just make sure you are able to get the tree into water shortly thereafter. If you want to shorten the tree slightly to fit the height of your ceiling, cut off a larger portion of the trunk. Just remember that you will likely need a decent section of the trunk clear of branches to fit it into a tree stand. Trimming the trunk is essential to the tree absorbing water and staying fresh, so make sure you cut off at least a half inch even if you don't need to alter the height at all. Cut off any branches of the tree that appear dead, discolored, or overly dry. Make sure that you are not removing so many branches that there will be large chunks of the tree missing when you're done. If a tree looks like it has a lot of dry or dead branches to begin with, don't buy it. Test dry branches by gentling shaking them and observing how many needles fall off; if more than half, the branch is probably too dry. Also bend needles in half; they should snap if from a fir tree and not break at all if from a pine. Use pruning shears, hedge clippers, or a shearing knife to remove any branches. Locate the most central, vertical branch at the top of your tree and trim it to about 10 inches if it is any longer. The top center branch is important to keep and trim to a sturdy length so you can use it as a support for a tree topper, like a star or angel, if you choose to decorate with one. Remove any other longer branches that appear to be competing for the center branch. Trim the ends of any branches that stick out from the overall shape of the tree, keeping it a generally uniform cone shape, or however you want your tree to look. In general, for the classic look, you'll want the base of the branches to be widest with the circumference getting gradually smaller as you go up to the top, which ends in a tapered point. The ideal proportion for most Christmas trees is a "two-thirds taper," which means that the base of the three is two-thirds as wide as the height. So, a six-foot-tall tree would ideally have a four-foot-wide base. Try to cut as little of the branches as possible, sticking to the lighter green new growth. Don't cut into the old growth (which is characterized by a darker green color, usually) unless you have to.
Summary: Cut off some of the base. Remove dead or dry branches. Trim the top of the tree. Shape the rest of the branches.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: At the very least, you need to give your parents some time to see you in a new light. Now that they know you smoke marijuana, they may spend a few days looking at you differently, trying to determine if you're high at the moment. Just keep being your normal, kind self and this will pass when they realize that, in reality, nothing has changed except their knowledge of the situation. Most parents think marijuana is still a big deal, and dangerous. It will take some time to realize that this isn't the case. Since marijuana is rarely habit-forming, this shouldn't be difficult. That said, marijuana is an easy scapegoat if you aren't showing up at work, neglecting to do your homework, or spending all of your money on good bud. Your parents love and care about you, and want to see you succeed. If they believe (whether rightly or wrongly) that marijuana is hurting your future, then you'll face much stiffer resistance in the future. Even if you parents are okay with smoking, you don't need to flaunt it or do it first thing every day. They will appreciate if you don't always smell like weed. Show them that you can be productive while high, either by doing chores, cooking, working on a hobby, or exercising. Don't be a couch potato and they have no reason to get mad. If you parents aren't taking the conversation well, resist the urge to go into attack mode. This will only make it more likely for them to escalate as well, leading to unforeseen consequences and high tensions around the dinner table. If they don't seem receptive, remind them that this is not a choice you've made lightly, and you've done your research. By turning things repeatedly back to facts and data you can prevent an unwinnable argument over opinions.
Summary: Understand that total acceptance will take some time. Don't let marijuana take over your life, no matter what their response. Respect any negative responses politely instead of opening up a fight, which can only lead to further troubles.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Threaded anchors are made specifically for use in drywall. They have large, aggressive threads that hold to the drywall. They act as anchors for a support screw, which is what you will actually hang your pictures from. You will need to buy support screws that are the right size for your anchor. You can choose between nylon or brass threaded anchors. While the nylon anchors are cheaper, the metal ones hold up better. If your picture frame or mirror has a wire-hanger in the back, be sure to consider the slack when determining where you want the picture or mirror to hang. If you are using 2 anchors because your item has 2 hooks, make sure to measure the distance between the hooks to determine how far apart your threads should be from one another. If you are using 2 anchors simply to provide more strength, determine their placement by first measuring the width of your object. Divide that number into 3. Place 1 anchor at the 1/3 position and the second anchor at the 2/3 position. For example, if your picture is 9 inches (23cm) wide, you'd place 1 anchor at 3 inches (7.6cm) in from the edge, and the second at 6 inches (15cm). If you are using 2 anchors, double check that the 2 marks are in line either using a leveler or measuring down from the ceiling. These threaded anchors do not require a drill. Place the tip of the screw on your pencil mark and use a Phillips head screwdriver to press the anchor firmly into the wall. Turn the screwdriver to the right until it is flush in the wall. Make sure you keep the screw perpendicular to the floor as you screw. If you get off track, back up and place it in the perpendicular position before resuming. Line up the screw and the anchor and, using either a Philips or flat head screwdriver, turn the screw clockwise just until the base of the screw comes to rest against the base of the anchor. If the object you are hanging has a mounting bracket, you may need to slide the screw through the bracket before screwing it into the anchor. Line your item's hanging hardware up to the support screw and fasten. If you find that there is not enough space to accommodate the hanging hardware, loosen the support screw slightly.
Summary:
Choose threaded anchors for items weighing up to 80 pounds (36kg). Determine where you want to hang your item. Make a light pencil mark on the wall where you want to place the anchor. Screw the anchor into the wall using a Phillips head screwdriver. Place the support screw into the anchor and tighten. Hang item from the support screw.