INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If your want to make the best use of your time, sit down with your textbooks, jotters and notes and give them your undivided attention. This is a good opportunity to work on any assignments you haven't completed, since you'll be able to study uninterrupted.  Should you find yourself stuck, circle the problem and ask your parents or teacher about it the next time you have a chance. Be responsible and get your homework done before you begin enjoying other activities. That way, you'll have more time to play later. Kick your feet up and look for a funny program to enjoy. There's lots of new movies and shows waiting to be discovered on streaming apps like Netflix. Grab yourself some popcorn or candy and turn an ordinary viewing session into a home theater experience. You've finally got the tube all to yourself for once!  Change the channel on anything too violent or spooky, or you may just end up scaring yourself. Getting absorbed in the voices and antics on the screen can keep you from feeling quite as isolated. Hook up a console and try to beat one of your favorite games, or find a new game on your computer or mobile device to get into. You could even play multiplayer games online with your friends.  Use a gaming headset to talk to your friends while you play. It will be like having them there in the room with you. Staring at a screen for too long can be hard on your eyes. Take a break every now and then to have a snack or go on a walk through the house. Take advantage of this chance to catch up on your recreational reading. You can get lost in a book for hours, all while learning fascinating new things and strengthening your imagination. Not a bad way to spend a quiet evening alone! Prepare for your night at home by picking up some new books from the library. Listen to something upbeat that you can sing along to, or slow things down with some classical music to calm your nerves. Music makes a great companion, especially when you're alone in a big, empty, silent house.   Try not to play your music so loud that you can't hear what's going on around you. Throw your own private dance party. No one else is around, so you can be as silly as you want! Have a conversation about your day, your plans for the weekend or what's been going on at school. Hearing a familiar voice can be comforting. It's also a good way to pass the time—just make sure you have permission to use the phone before dialing up someone you know.  Answer incoming calls right away. It may be your parents trying to get in touch with you. If you're allowed to use the internet, you could also chat with your friends online. Never talk to strangers over the phone or internet. Falling asleep can be the hardest part of being at home by yourself. If you're having trouble getting to sleep, try reading a book, working a crossword puzzle or writing in your journal until you doze off. When you wake up, it will be daylight again and your loved ones will be on their way back.  Leave a light on in the hallway if it makes you feel better. Don't stay up too late or you'll be tired the next morning.

SUMMARY: Finish your homework. Watch TV. Play video games. Read a book. Crank up some music. Call a friend. Go to bed.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Dig under the foxtail and turn the plants under the soil, packing them down into the dark, hot conditions. Doing so can impede growth and help kill off this pesky grass. Work by moonlight, at dawn, or at dusk. There is some speculation that turning the soil exposes the foxtail to a bright flash of light, thereby stimulating the plant and making it grow faster. If you turn the soil at night instead of during daylight hours, though, you can reduce this effect by as much as 78 percent. Alternatively, you could dig out the weeds one by one and dispose of them elsewhere, away from the contaminated area. Make sure that you remove the entire plant, including the roots, and not just the top portion.  Remove the seed heads first to prevent them from spreading and repopulating the area with additional foxtail. After removing the seed heads, dig beneath the plants using a long, slender weeding tool to get at the long roots. Note that weeds are easier to pull when the soil is wet and the weeds are young. Foxtail is no exception to the rule. Pull the foxtail from its base if working by hand. Wear thick gardening gloves to protect your hands as you work. You could try using a mower or weed-wacker to cut off the tops and flowering heads of the foxtail. You will need to continually re-trim the foxtail throughout the season, though, since the plant will send up another flowering head as the summer progresses. If you do opt for the mower or weed-wacker option, make sure that you clean the blades afterward to prevent the accidental spread of foxtail seed. You should also rake the lawn to remove all the heads. Taking these additional steps will improve your chances of removing the foxtail with only a surface mowing. If you like the ease and effectiveness of herbicides but do not like to use harsh chemicals on your vegetation, you can use vinegar instead. Vinegar is a natural and fairly tame acid, but it has been known to be effective in the removal of weed-type grasses like foxtail.  A typical USDA-approved vinegar is five-percent acetic acid. Pour the vinegar directly onto the foxtail at the ground level. The basic idea is to get it as close to the roots as possible. Use enough vinegar to soak the soil beneath the foxtail. It does not need to be soggy, but it should be damp to the touch. Wait a week or two after the first application and monitor the effects. Dead or dying foxtail should be pulled as soon as possible. Foxtail that is still growing even after you use the vinegar should be soaked with another round. Reapply the vinegar as needed. Note that vinegar tends to be more effective when used on fox tail at the seedling state. It might not help quite as much on mature plants. While the concept of pouring urine onto a lawn or other area of vegetation may make you cringe, it can be just as effective as vinegar when used as an herbicide. Urine is a strong, organic alkaline substance, so it can kill foxtail in the same way that a chemical herbicide might.  You can purchase "predator urine" products at garden stores. These products are usually used as deterrents or repellents against small garden pests, but they can also be used for herbicidal purposes. A cheaper and even more effective solution would be to use human urine. Collect the urine in a bucket and pour it straight onto the base of the foxtail, aiming for direct contact with the roots. As with many other control methods, you might need to use multiple applications of urine or use this organic herbicide in conjunction with physical removal methods. Remove the clumps of foxtail by hand or with a garden hoe once you notice them dying off. If the foxtail is still fairly young, kill the new growth as soon as possible by covering it with some form of mulch. Mulch can prevent sunlight and air from reaching the foxtail, essentially depriving it of the nutrients and light necessary for growth.  The foxtail will need to be trimmed close to the ground before you can apply mulch and use it as a way to get rid of the weed. If you have other plants and vegetation that you are trying to preserve, spread the mulch in between the plants and along the rows. Make sure that it covers the foxtail. Organic mulches like wheat straw, shredded leaves, and wood chips work well. Spread about 2 inches (5 cm) of mulch. You could also layer damp black-ink-only newsprint beneath the mulch to improve its ability to inhibit growth.

SUMMARY:
Turn the soil. Pull or dig out the weeds. Apply vinegar. Use urine. Smother the area with mulch.