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Purely the best drink for the winter holidays - candy, hot cocoa, and ice cream all in one. Try this minty candy cane drink.

Serves 1.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces of hot cocoa
• 1 ounce of peppermint schnapps or 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract
• 4 ounces of mint chip ice cream
• whipped cream
• mint candy canes (crushed)

Steps

1. Mix the peppermint schnapps/extract with the hot cocoa in a mug.
   
   
   
2. Carefully drop the ice cream scoop in the mug without spilling the liquid.
   
   
   
3. Spray whipped cream on the top of ice cream.
   
   
   
4. Sprinkle the crushed candy pieces on top of the whipped cream.
   
   
   
5. Finished.
   
   
   

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Hot Chocolate in the Microwave
• How to Make a Hot Chocolate Milkshake
• How to Make Hot Chocolate Turn Frothy
• How to Make an M&Ms Hot Chocolate
• How to Make an Ice Candy

Sources and Citations

• Source of Information

NEW DELHI (AP) — Onlookers at a train station in northern India watched in awe as a monkey came to the rescue of an injured friend — resuscitating another monkey that had been electrocuted and knocked unconscious.

The injured monkey had fallen between the tracks, apparently after touching high-tension wires at the train station in the north Indian city of Kanpur.

His companion came to the rescue and was captured on camera lifting the friend’s motionless body, shaking it, dipping it into a mud puddle and biting its head and skin — working until the hurt monkey regained consciousness.

The first monkey, completely covered in mud, opened its eyes and began moving again.

Crowds of travelers watched the Sunday scene in amazement, filming and snapping pictures.

The post Monkey gives first aid to electrocuted friend appeared first on WTOP.

What happens to defective automobiles – "Lemons" – that get bought back under the lemon law? Most of them get sold right back into the stream of commerce as used vehicles. And often, the full histories of the cars are not disclosed – not even on Carfax.

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We sometimes get in the habit of using psychological terms to describe different people, but there's a good chance you're using these words incorrectly. This video explains what the terms psycho, OCD, schizo, and bipolar really mean, and why you may not want to use them to describe someone.

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There are so many different cuts of beef you can order at the butcher counter that choosing the proper one based on how you're cooking it can be confusing. This "interactive butcher counter" will help.

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Anyone who owns a cat knows that they like to get into the tiniest, oddest of places. And if you think you can get them out when they aren’t ready, you’ve got another think coming. All those cat factors combined in the most unfortunate of situations when an Oregon man realized he’d sold his girlfriend’s cat along with a box spring.

Camo the cat was hiding in his favorite spot, a hole inside a box spring, unbeknownst to the Portland man who sold the item on Craigslist for $100, reports The Oregonian.

After helping the buyer carry the mattress and box spring out to the car, the man went back inside to check on the cat before he left the apartment. But Camo was nowhere to be found, and now the couple is asking Portland for help to find him.

The guy who bought the box spring even let the couple come over and look for Camo, but no one has seen or heard of him since he was carried away. The community is getting in on the act, but so far there’s been no luck.

“We’re so incredibly thankful that anyone would care about our cat,” the man said.

Come on, Santa. Now’s the perfect time to do what you do.

Portland-area man accidentally sells girlfriend’s cat, now Reddit trying to help him find ‘Camo’ [The Oregonian]

Eggnog has gotten a bad reputation over the years. And it’s understandable — the stuff is a combination of delicious holiday drink and very very bad idea for the next day. Even without alcohol, eggnog packs a whopping, creamy punch. So when you chug a quart of eggnog in about 12 seconds, things are not going to go well.

That was the case for a Utah man, who decided to compete for the office mantle of Most Eggnog To Get Chugged Guy, reports KSL.com. The party drink didn’t even contain alcohol, and yet the man managed to drink enough of it to put him in the hospital.

The party was winding down and the man and his wife were on their way out, when he decided to get in on an eggnog chugging contest. He’s a competitive guy, he says, and couldn’t walk away. And if he couldn’t walk away, he was in it to win it.

“I’ve already decided, if I’m going to do it, I’m going to win,” he said.

The record was 22 seconds, and there was a gift card on the line to a steak house.

“I just opened up my throat, didn’t even swallow,” he said. “I pretty much poured it down.”

He drank a quart in just 12 seconds, as a video shows, and didn’t breathe during it. He went home coughing a bit, but soon realized all was not well.

“I was pretty much shaking uncontrollably,” he said. “I was shaking so badly, I was nauseous, and my breathing became a pant.”

After seeking some medical advice from a friend, his pal took him to the hospital, where he was told he was basically “dry drowning,” with the eggnog getting into his lungs and starting an infection.

If you’re tempted to match his feat, know that he spent 24 hours in intensive care with a fever, sweats and chills.

“It was rough,” he said. “Eggnog: not ideal for the lungs.”

Listen before you slurp, folks.

Chugging eggnog at office party lands man in hospital [KSL.com]

Sometimes it's hard to explain exactly how you feel. This handy vocabulary wheel helps you narrow down exactly what word best expresses your current emotional state.

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BEIJING (AP) — Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan said he feels shame for his son, who has been indicted by Beijing prosecutors on a drug charge and could be jailed for up to three years.

The remarks, reported Wednesday by China’s official Xinhua News Agency, came two days after authorities announced the indictment against Jaycee Chan, 32, who is charged with sheltering others to use drugs.

The scandal has been particularly embarrassing for Jackie Chan, who was named by Beijing as an anti-drug ambassador in 2009.

Jackie Chan, who sits on China’s top national political advisory panel — the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — told Xinhua that he did not use his connections to interfere with the case and that he hopes his singer-actor son will become an anti-drug ambassador when he is released.

Beijing police detained the younger Chan at his Beijing apartment in August along with Taiwanese movie star Ko Kai. Police said Chan and Ko both tested positive for marijuana and admitted using the drug, and that 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of it were taken from Chan’s home.

Ko, whose real name is Ko Chen-tung, was released after a 14-day administrative detention for the drug use, but Chan — who has remained in detention since August — is faced with the more serious criminal charge.

State broadcaster CCTV in August aired video of the police raid on Chan’s apartment, in which Chan was shown identifying marijuana in his possession. Ko testified on camera that he had used drugs at Chan’s home.

CCTV also said Chan told police that he has been using drugs for eight years.

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that illegal drugs should be wiped out and that offenders should be severely punished. The crackdown snared more than 7,800 people in Beijing alone, according to police, and celebrities were targeted because of their influence over the public.

As the only son of Jackie Chan, Jaycee Chan commands much media attention. The younger Chan has appeared in several films and has released three albums.

The post Jackie Chan expresses shame over son’s drug charge appeared first on WTOP.

You might be preparing a larger meal this week than you’re used to, or preparing trays of party food, and that means that you run the risk of giving everyone you love a food-borne illness. You can avoid turning your family celebration or classy party into a barfing festival by following a few helpful tips.

These come courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While they aren’t comprehensive, there are a few things that you may not have thought of.

It starts even at the grocery store while you load your cart: in order to avoid cross-contamination, keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood in an area of your cart away from other food. That’s because if the liquid from, say, your chicken makes contact with tomatoes that you plan to serve raw and in a salad, that’s how cross-contamination happens. They also suggest buying cold foods at the end of your shopping trip, which is a good idea and why most stores are laid out precisely that way.

Back at your house, how can you best inhibit the growth of disgusting and harmful bacteria? Don’t leave any perishable food out for 2 hours or more without some way to heat or cool them, like ice, a crock pot, or chafing dishes.

Employ a meat thermometer to avoid over- or under-cooking your roast beast, but make sure to not re-use cutting boards that have made contact with raw meat for any other purpose.

Buying your first car is a memory that forever sticks in the brain — especially if that happy glow is short-lived when someone steals it. A California woman who bought her very first car back in 1985 with a little help from her late father only to have it stolen a year later after is celebrating now after finally reuniting with her green 1967 Mustang after 28 years apart.

One major problem in finding stolen cars? Usually whoever swipes them is not inclined to go ahead and then register that vehicle with the department of motor vehicles, you know, because it’s stolen.

But in this case, a man who’d had the car for the last 23 years says he decided to finally bring it in to get registered, reports The Monterey Herald, and it came up as a stolen vehicle.

“It had been out of the system for so long that it came back with no file. All of the files for the vehicle had been purged,” a California Highway Patrol officer explained. “The officer did some digging and found out the car was stolen in 1986 from Salinas.”

The man who tried to register it said he’d bought it from a storage facility and had been working on it for the last two decades, before deciding it was time to register it. Officers are looking into whether he knew it was stolen.

“I never thought I would see it again,” the owner said. “It’s like winning the lottery. It happens to very few people and for it to happen to me, it’s just an amazing feeling.”

After 28 years, a woman and prized Mustang reunite [Monterey Herald]

Earlier this year, Dr. Oz — everyone’s favorite TV doctor who isn’t named Phil or wasn’t a former contestant on The Bachelor — was shredded by some members of a Senate committee who criticized Oz the Great and Doctorful for using terms like “magic weight-loss solution” and “number one miracle” for products with little evidence of being magical miracles. Now a new study looking at Dr. Oz’s on-air recommendations should give consumers to be even more skeptical of the products he mentions.

The study, published last week in The BMJ, looked at 40 episodes of Dr. Oz from 2013 and investigated each of the recommendations made by the host during these shows.

Of the 80 recommendations from these episodes, researchers could only find evidence to support 46% of them. That doesn’t mean the claims are true; just that there is at least one piece of qualifying scientific evidence to support what Oz said on the air.

Interestingly, in 15% of the recommendations studied, the evidence actually contradicted Dr. Oz’s televised claims.

When researchers looked even closer at the actual evidence, the numbers sink lower, with only 33% of the doctor’s recommendations deemed to have evidence that could be labeled “believable or somewhat believable.”

Even if you disregard these stats and maintain that Dr. Oz wouldn’t recommend something he didn’t have a reason to believe was effective, there are some other numbers that may give you pause.

First off, Dr. Oz’s most frequently stated type of medical advice was dietary, as opposed to suggestions of physical exercise or seeking the guidance of a physician.

Nearly 60% of the time, Oz provided vague, immeasurable descriptions of a recommendation’s benefit, like claiming that a certain vitamin can increase your brainpower without explaining how this could happen or to what extent.

And while specific benefits were given in 40% of recommendations, fewer than 10% of Oz’s claims discussed potential harms of the advice he was giving.

“Thus, anyone who followed the advice provided would be doing so on the basis of a trust in the host or guest rather than through a balanced explanation of benefits, harms, and costs,” write the researchers.

The study also looked at medical recommendations made by another daytime chat show, The Doctors. This show fared slightly better, with 63% of claims supported by some evidence and 53% supported by evidence that holds up to some scrutiny. However, The Doctors also had an alarmingly high percentage of claims (14%) for which the evidence actually contradicted the on-air recommendations.

To wrap this all up, let’s enjoy John Oliver’s take on the Dr. Oz effect:

With just a few days left before Christmas and a little more than a week left before the end of the year, consumers may be feeling the itch to complete acts of charitable giving. While this time of the year tends to bring out the best in people’s generous side, there are a few things that we should all keep in mind while racing to meet the deadline for lowering your tax burden by donating to charity.

As Consumerist has reported in the past, there are a number of ways not to suck at charitable giving during the last portion of the year.

Going The Food Bank Route
If you’re doing a little winter pantry cleaning to make room for all those holiday-themed products you scooped up at the grocery store, you might be tempted to make a donation to your local food bank. But before you head over with your cans of tartar sauce and sardines in oil keep a few things in mind.

• Why has this product been in your cupboard so long? If the answer to that question is that you would never dream of consuming it, then other people probably don’t want it either.

So instead, xoJane’s Deb Martinson suggested last year, that would-be donors think of it like this: What would you want to eat, using only nonperishable foods?

• Not everyone has the same things available to them that you might. For instance, some consumers might not have can openers or microwaves. That means some of the better items to donate might be things that would help produce on-the-go meals like peanut butter, tuna (with pop-tops) or crackers.

• Just Ask.  If all else fails and you just feel completely unknowledgeable about what others would like to eat, just call the local food bank. Many donation centers have a specific list of foods that are in constant need, some might not even be food but other necessities like toilet paper, soap and diapers.

For more suggestions on how to donate to a food bank, check out our story from last year that offers many helpful guidelines.

Donating To A Cause Or Organization
When it comes to larger donations, consumers might pick a cause or organization that is near-and-dear to their hearts. While this is always a great option, there are certain things we should all remember before signing the check.

• Is it a legitimate organization? If you’re giving to charity because you’re a good person, and because you want to lower your tax burden, then you must consider how you donate. To include a donation on your 2014 return, you must give to a legitimate, qualified organization — like, for example, Consumerist — before December 31.

Consumerist’s resident “How Not To Suck,” columnist suggested last year that consumers readying to give a donation double-check that their charity of choice is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions exempt with the Internal Revenue Service.

• You can’t deduct contributions to individuals. While we would never suggest you don’t help out an individual in need, consumers should keep in mind that those types of donations can’t be deducted. This also includes donations to political organizations and candidates.

Giving Your Time
While it is admirable for consumers to provide financial donations to charities, there may be no donation more valuable than your time.

• How far will you time donation go versus your monetary donation? The Washington Post reported earlier this holiday season that WalletHub has a new calculator to help consumer determine what a charity can accomplish with their cash donation. By using the calculator, would-be donors could compare their time contribution to their financial one.

• What skills can you offer the charity that they might be lacking? As the Post points out, consumers might be able to offer a volunteering donation that can’t be matched by a financial donation.

For example, if you’re web-savvy, you might be able to help the organization revamp their online presence – a gift that could continue giving for years to come.

• Donations of time can also provide tax deductions – kind of. Consumerist reported last year that consumers can deduct $0.14 a mile if they drove to the organization. You can also add the cost for tolls and parking.

Make sure to keep good records. Think creatively and you may find many of your actions constitute help for charity.

While the travel costs can be deducted, you can’t actually deduct an hourly rate for your volunteering since you’re not actually being paid.

Don’t Get Taken Advantage Of
No matter how you decide to give this holiday season, make sure your donation is put to good use by checking that the organization is genuine.

Parts of your donation might not go to the rightful pockets. A report from New York state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman found that only about 38% of all donations collected by telemarketers actually went to the charitable organizations.

If you’re contacted by a person over the phone soliciting charitable donations for a non-profit organization, it might be best to resist giving on the spot.

Instead, do your homework by researching the charity before you give. The National Association of State Charity Officials provides information on who to contact in your state to research information about charities and fundraising companies.

Additionally, keep in mind that some charities have been found to use donations for other costs, such as paying administrators instead of those in need.

Back in June 2013, the Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative Reporting created a list of charities that give the smallest portion of their income out in cash aid, including one Florida-based organization that collected $127.8 million in donations but reportedly only used $3.2 million to help dying children.

To better ensure your donations are ending up in the right hands used these tools offered by CharityNavigator.org, GuideStar.org and the Better Business Bureau to do some sleuthing.

So Verizon sends you a new phone worth hundreds of dollars. FedEx claims it was delivered and that you signed for it, though that’s impossible because you were miles away from home when the delivery allegedly occurred. Neither company will do anything about the issue and both blame you. What’s a decent human being to do?

One Verizon customer here in Philadelphia tells the Inquirer that after three weeks of playing the blame game with Big V and FedEx over her new phone that disappeared, she pulled out a nuclear customer service trident — issuing a chargeback with American Express, sending off an executive e-mail carpet bomb to Verizon, and filing a police report.

She provided Verizon with proof of her actual signature to compare against whatever was left on the FedEx slip, but that didn’t matter because FedEx allows for “indirect signatures” for residential deliveries, whereby just about anyone with a trusting face can sign for your package and it’s not like some overworked, harried delivery driver is going to check IDs of everyone he or she hands off a package to.

The American Express chargeback could have backfired, as Verizon would have placed the disputed charge on the customer’s monthly bill, meaning she’d need to go to small claims court or arbitration to get it sorted out.

While the customer believes it was her e-mail to a Verizon executive that ultimately got someone to listen to her case, filing a police report in such a case is not a bad idea. After all, as we’ve shown multiple times in just the past few weeks, this is the season for package-pilferers to steal anything left on your doorstep.

At the very least, filing a police report could be used in court to demonstrate that contend you never took possession of the phone and that you believe your package was stolen. More importantly, it bolsters your claim that you’re not just trying to score a free phone. It may also help authorities recognize a pattern of similar crimes in your area; that won’t get your money back, but it’s still a good thing.

Back to the Verizon customer’s story, she eventually heard from someone in executive-level customer service at Verizon who decided to refund her the money for the missing device.

In general, you should always try to have expensive items delivered at a time when someone is around to sign for it, or to a place like your office or to a depot. Sure, it’s not as convenient as having it on your doorstep when you arrive home, but it’s better than spending weeks trying to convince two mega-companies that you’re not a scammer.

MCDONALD, Pa. (AP) — Two men suffered burns to their hands and face in a natural gas explosion and fire at a western Pennsylvania car wash.

Police say the owner of Ducky’s Car Wash in McDonald had a stuffed up nose and didn’t notice the smell of leaking gas as he lit a boiler around 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

He and a customer washing an SUV in a nearby bay were injured. The customer’s wife, sitting in the vehicle, was not hurt.

Firefighters say the car wash mechanical room and two car wash bays were destroyed.

A fire marshal is investigating.

McDonald is about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

The post 2 hurt in western Pennsylvania car wash explosion appeared first on WTOP.

Just as you should select a pillow based on your sleeping style and to correct body problems , choose the proper mattress that will support your spine (and not cause pain).

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Are you curious about working on your own car? Want a mechanic's opinion on how much shop labor should cost? Is your car in dire straits and you need insight on what to do with your rusting driveway ornament? Well, we're here and ready for you to pick our brains and ask all of your greasy, greasy questions.

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In an ideal world, our jobs would be challenging, engaging, and rewarding all the time, but that isn't always the case. How do you deal with unhappiness at work? Ideally, it may just take a small tweak to get your career back on track to a more satisfying path, and you can start by telling your boss.

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We've talked about why it's important to say "No" before. Saying no bolsters focus. Saying no tactfully can be difficult, though, so create a few scripts for yourself that say no nicely.

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When you buy a bike, it's best to try them on for size. But you can get a good idea of what size to start with by measuring your inseam.

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It's not easy to decide if buying a home is worth it or if renting makes more financial sense. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers some food for thought.

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Candy cane bath salts are ideal for the holiday season, useful for that moment where shopping, cooking and caroling just all becomes too much and you want to soak your exhaustion away. They also make a neat gift idea.

Steps

1. Assemble the items needed to complete the project. These are listed below under "Things You'll Need".
   
   
   
2. Add the Epsom salts into the bowls. Pour 1/2 cup (4 oz) of Epsom salts into each bowl.
   
   
   
   • If you're concerned about mess, use resealable plastic bags instead of bowls.
3. Add 2 drops of the peppermint oil and 2 drops of the glycerin to each bowl. Stir thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of the ingredients.
   
   
   
4. Pour in 2 drops of red food coloring into one of the bowls. Stir through to achieve a uniform color.
   
   
   
5. Start creating the "candy cane" effect in the jar. Using a funnel, pour in alternating layers of red and white bath salts into the glass jar. Doing this will create the visual appearance of candy cane stripes.
   
   
   
   • As you're pouring, it helps to tap the jar, as this settles the salts being added.
   • For a different look, tilt the jar a little while adding the salts. This gives an effect of diagonal candy stripes.
6. Fill the jar right to the top.
   
   
   
7. Finish the look of the jar. Tie a red or red and white striped ribbon around the jar of bath salts.
   
   
   
8. Tie a candy cane onto the jar instead of a bow. It's now ready to enjoy during your home spa-evening-away-from-holiday-stress.
   
   
   
9. Add an instruction tag to the jar. This should include instructions on using the bath salts, saying something similar to this:
   
   
   
   • "Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of these candy cane bath salts to running bathwater as you fill the bath. Hop in and expect a stimulating, peppermint flavored candy cane bath experience to brighten your holiday season."

Video

Things You'll Need

• 2 bowls
• Epsom salts
• Peppermint essential oil
• Kitchen mixing tools
• Glycerin
• Red food coloring
• Funnel
• Glass jar
• Ribbon
• Candy cane
• Tag
• 2 resealable plastic bags (optional)

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Your Own Bath Salts
• How to Make Sandalwood Bath Salts
• How to Make Jasmine Bath Salts
• How to Make Aromatic Blend Bath Salts
• How to Make Minty Bath Salts

Sources and Citations

• Howcast, http://www.howcast.com/videos/425757-How-to-Make-Candy-Cane-Bath-Salts – shared with permission.

If you've forgotten the combination to your safe, resorting to a professional locksmith could cost a lot of money, while forcing your way through could ruin both tools and safe. Cracking the combination yourself takes a great deal of patience and effort, but you are rewarded with a full wallet, an undamaged safe, and a sense of satisfaction. The highly detailed steps in this article can also provide fantastic details for any writers of fiction wishing to include a dramatic safe cracking scene in their work. Read on from step one to found out how to open a safe you have permission to crack or a fictional one!

Steps

Learning How a Combination Lock Functions

1. Start with the combination dial. The face of a combination lock is a circular, rotatable dial. Numbers are written around the circumference, usually beginning with 0 at the top and increasing as you go around the dial clockwise. Aside from physically breaking into the safe (which is very hard to do), correctly inputting a series of numbers into the combination dial is the only way to open a safe.
   
   
   
2. Know how the spindle works. This is a small, simple cylinder attached to the combination dial. When you rotate the dial, the spindle rotates as well.
   
   
   
   • The spindle and other parts are not visible even with the safe door open.
3. Know how the drive cam is connected to the spindle. Located on the far end of the spindle (opposite the combination dial), this circular object is threaded onto the spindle and rotates with it.^[1]
   
   
   
   • A small drive pin extending from the drive cam serves to catch against the wheels (see below) and set them rotating.
4. Understand a safe's wheels. Also called tumblers^[2], these circular objects encircle the spindle but are not attached to them. They must be caught by the drive pin in order to rotate.
   
   
   
   • A combination lock has one wheel for each number in its combination (typically 2–6). For instance, a lock with a 3-number combination (e.g. 25-7-14) has three wheels.
   • Knowing how many wheels there are is important for cracking the safe, but there are ways to discover this number without knowing the combination (see later parts).
   • Small tabs on the wheel called the wheel fly catch against the drive pin or next wheel and sets them rotating. This term is not important to remember for this guide; just know that the drive cam makes contact with the wheels to set them spinning.
5. Visualize the fence. The fence is a small rod resting gently atop the wheels.^[3] (It does not prevent them from turning.) The fence is connected to a lever mechanism responsible for keeping the safe shut. As long as the fence remains in place, the safe is locked.
   
   
   
   • Older texts may refer to this as lock drop, drop-pawl, or dog^[4] (an obsolete term for any object that holds or blocks another).
6. Understand how wheel notches come into play. Each wheel has a notch (also called a gate) at one point along its circumference. When each wheel is rotated so the notch is at the top, the fence falls into those notches. The lever moves, and the door mechanism is unlocked.
   
   
   
   • You can see why there is one wheel for each combination number. When you dial the first number, the first wheel is rotated to a position with its notch directly below the fence. You then reverse the direction of your rotation to disengage with that wheel and turn the next to its correct position.
   • The drive cam also has a notch for different reasons. The intended purpose is not important to know for this guide, but remember that this notch will "click" every time it slips past the lever (stationary part attached to the fence).
   • (Extra information for the curious: once the fence falls and releases the locking mechanism, the drive cam notch catches onto the bolt physically blocking the door and pulls it out of the way.)^[5]
7. Continue to the appropriate section based on your available knowledge. If you already know how many numbers the combination consists of, skip directly to section entitled "Testing the Numbers." Otherwise, read on to learn how to "Finding the Combination Length."
   
   
   

Finding the Combination Length

1. Turn the dial several full revolutions clockwise. This will reset the lock and ensure that all wheels are disengaged.
   
   
   
2. Place a stethoscope near the dial surface. Believe it or not, this Hollywood trope is actually used by professional locksmiths. Placing the stethoscope in both ears and the bell end against the safe wall amplifies the sounds you're listening for.
   
   
   
   • The mechanism you're listening to is located directly behind the dial, but obviously you cannot cover up the dial since you'll need to turn it. Try moving the stethoscope between different spots adjacent to the dial as you spin the combination until you find the most audible location.
   • Metal safes reverberate the sounds and make them easier to hear. These are a good choice for a beginning hobbyist.
3. Rotate the dial counterclockwise and listen carefully for two clicks near each other. Rotate slowly and be ready to note the dial positions.^[6]
   
   
   
   • One click will be fainter than the other, since the notch making the sound is sloped toward one side.
   • You're listening for the sound the drive cam notch makes when it slides under the lever arm^[7] (see Learn How a Combination Lock Functions). Each side of the notch "clicks" as the lever passes by.
   • The drive cam's contact area is the name of the area on the dial face between these two clicks.
4. Reset the lock again and repeat. Turn the dial several revolutions clockwise, then listen again as you turn slowly counterclockwise.
   
   
   
   • Clicks can be faint or obscured by other sounds. Repeat the process two or three times and confirming the pattern of two nearby clicks in a consistent small region of the dial face.
5. Dial counterclockwise until the dial is opposite the sound of the two clicks. Once you've found the site of the two clicks (the contact area), move the dial to the point 180º across from it, exactly opposite the dial face.^[8]
   
   
   
   • This is referred to as parking the wheels. You've placed the wheels in this location and can now count them as you "pick them up" by turning the dial.
6. Turn the dial clockwise and listen each time you pass the original point. Turn slowly and pay close attention each time you pass the point you "parked the wheels".
   
   
   
   • Remember to listen when you pass the "parked" position, 180º from the original "contact area" you found earlier.
   • The first time you pass that position, you should hear a click as a wheel is engaged and begins to spin with the drive cam.
   • Each subsequent time, you will hear a click only if there's an additional wheel to be "picked up".
7. Keep rotating and count the number of clicks you hear. Only count clicks audible in that "parked" region.
   
   
   
   • If you hear many clicks or clicks in the wrong position, you may have made a mistake while "parking". Try again from the beginning of this section and make sure you are resetting the dial completely by giving it an extra few rotations.
   • If you are still encountering the same problem, the safe you're using could have anti-cracking technology. You may need to call a professional locksmith.
8. Write down the total number of clicks. Once you rotate past that point and hear no additional clicks, note the number of total clicks. This is the number of wheels in the combination lock.
   
   
   
   • Each wheel corresponds with one number in the combination, so you now know how many numbers you need to enter.

Searching for the Combination Numbers

1. Set up two line graphs. You'll need to record a lot of information in order to crack a safe. Not only are line graphs an easy way to do so, the shape of the graph will aid you in finding the data you'll need.
   
   
   
2. Label each graph. Each graph's x-axis should cover a span from 0 to the highest number on the dial face, spaced out enough to clearly graph points 3 numbers apart or closer. The y-axis only needs to cover a span of about 5 numbers, but you can leave it blank for now.
   
   
   
   • Label one graph's x-axis "starting position" and its y-axis "left contact point".
   • Label the second graph's x-axis "starting position" and its y-axis "right contact point".
3. Reset the lock, then set it to zero. Spin the dial several rotations clockwise to disengage the wheels, then set it at the zero position.
   
   
   
4. Rotate slowly counterclockwise and listen. You're trying to find the contact areas where the drive cam connects to a wheel (see Learn How a Combination Lock Functions).
   
   
   
5. When you hear two clicks close together, note the position of the dial at each click. Make sure to note the exact number you heard each click. You'll need to separate points, usually within a few numbers of each other.
   
   
   
6. Graph these points. On your "left contact point" graph, make a point at x=0 (the number the dial began on). The y-value is the number on the dial where you heard the first click.
   
   
   
   • Similarly, on your "right contact point" graph, mark a point at x=0 and a y value where you heard the second click.
   • You can now label your y-axes. Leave enough room to graph a spread of 5 numbers on either side of the y-value you just recorded.
7. Reset the lock and set it 3 numbers left of zero. Spin the dial clockwise a few times and set it 3 numbers further clockwise of zero.
   
   
   
   • This new number is the next x-value you'll record.
8. Continue recording the location of the two clicks. Find the new y-values of the first and second clicks when you start at this location. They should be near where you heard them last time.
   
   
   
   • When you've recorded the second location, reset the lock again and set it an additional 3 numbers counterclockwise.
9. Keep testing until your line graphs are done. Once you've mapped the entire dial (in increments of 3) and are back at the zero position, you can stop testing.
   
   
   
10. Look for points on your graphs where the two y-values converge. At certain x-axis points the difference between the left and right contact point values (y axis) will be smaller.^[9]
    
    
    
    • This is easier to see if you lay the two graphs one above the other and literally find the points where the two graphs are closest together.
    • Each of these points corresponds with a correct number in the combination.
    • You should know how many numbers there are in the combination, either because you've used this safe previously or because you followed the instructions for Find the Combination Length.
    • If the quantity of converging points on the graph doesn't match the quantity of numbers in the combination, make a new graph and see which points are consistently narrow.
11. Write down the x-values at these locations. If the y-values on the two charts are closest together when x=3, 42, and 66, write down these numbers.
    
    
    
    • If you successfully followed these steps, these numbers should be the ones used in the combination, or at least close enough to work.
    • Note that we do not know which sequence of these numbers is the correct one. Read on for additional testing and tips.

Testing Your Results

1. Try every possible sequence of the numbers you located. If you wrote down 3, 42 and 66 at the end of Search for the Combination Numbers, test the combinations (3,42,66);(3,66,42);(42,3,66);(42,66,3);(66,42,3); and (66,3,42). One should open the safe.
   
   
   
   • Remember to attempt to pull open the safe door after each complete combination! You don't want to be absent minded and move on to the next combination before checking for success.
   • Remember to reset the dial between each attempt by spinning it several times.
   • If your dial has more than 2 or 3 wheels, you'll probably want to write down each combination in advance and cross them out as you go.
2. Try combinations using adjacent numbers if the safe won't open. Most safes allow for a 1 or 2 number margin of error while dialing, which is why you only needed to test every 3rd number. It's possible your safe is more exact, especially if it is more expensive.
   
   
   
   • For example, if the digits you wrote down are 3, 42, and 66, you'll need to try every combination of [2, 3, or 4] + [41, 42, or 43] + [65, 66, or 67]. Don't get confused and start testing combinations like (41, 42, 65); each combination should contain exactly one number from each bracketed trio.
   • This is really only practical for a 3 digit combination or less (requiring a maximum of 162 attempts). For a 4-digit combination, the number balloons to a maximum of 1,944 attempts. This is still much faster than trying every possible combination, but will waste a lot of time if it turns out you made an error in your cracking attempt.
3. Try again from the beginning. Cracking a safe takes a lot of patience and effort! Find the Combination Length, Search for the Combination Numbers, and Test Your Results all over again.
   
   
   
   • Keep your old graph and notes handy. If your new attempt gives the same partial results (for instance, 2 of the 3 numbers are the same ones you tested before), it's much more likely those results are accurate.

Things You'll Need

• Stethoscope
• Graph paper and pencil
• Several hours minimum

Tips

• Try to find a blueprint of your safe's model if you can. Knowing exactly how a safe is constructed is especially useful if you resort to sawing through (see warnings).

Warnings

• Don't set off an explosive inside a safe to try to open it. Even if you succeed, you will destroy the contents.
• Prying open the bolts and door will take an extreme amount of force and time for a good safe.^[10] Prying open the hinges alone is not sufficient.^[11]
• A circular saw, or oxy-acetylene torch may take a very long time to cut through a safe. More advanced safes are made of higher-grade material, contain heat-dissipating copper shields, or even hide "booby traps" for the unsuspecting safe breaker.^[12]
• The more high-security and modern the safe is, the more likely it is to include additional barriers to safe cracking. (For instance, false notches to produce misleading clicking sounds.) If you're taking up safecracking as a hobby, start with an antique safe or a low quality inexpensive modern one.^[13]

Related wikiHows

• How to Pick a Lock
• How to Crack a "Master Lock" Combination Lock

Sources and Citations

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Here’s an important lesson on following up with paperwork: nonprofit organizations near Pittsburgh (and possibly in other regions as well) learned that when they celebrate Christmas with disadvantaged children this year, there will be no toys supplied by Toys for Tots for Santa to hand out. Why? Toys for Tots and the local organizations point their fingers at each other.

The organizations say that they followed the instructions and did everything exactly the same as every year. One group has obtained the toys for their Christmas parties through Toys for Tots for 18 years, until now. What’s different this year? Toys for Tots has fewer toys available than in past years, it’s true, but the three organizations that talked to TV station WPXI claim that they did everything exactly the same as in past years.

“[W]e called Toys for Tots, and they said you didn’t submit your paperwork and you’re basically out,” the head of one organization told WPXI. “But we haven’t done anything differently than we’ve done in years past.”

Toys for Tots responded after the story aired, and explained that they haven’t “denied” toys to any groups: anyone who has received no toys and no response at this point didn’t finish the application process.

In the past 24 hours it has been reported that some non-profits have been denied toys this year. After reviewing the Toys for Tots online system there is no record of any completed request having been submitted by the agencies in question. Agencies with incomplete online applications were notified that there was insufficient information input to the system concerning their orders and toys would be provided if available. In this same communication, agencies were urged to send their clients to the Open House, where individuals in need could access toys directly.

That has left groups with planned holiday parties scrambling for toy donations from the community at the last minute.

Pittsburgh organizations in bind after learning they won’t get toys for kids [WPXI]

Rounding out a week punctuated by new accusations of mobile carriers overcharging consumers using a practice known as “bill-cramming,” one past lawsuit is being put to rest. T-Mobile agreed today to shell-out at least $112.5 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit that the “Un-carrier” tacked-on unwanted third-party charges to customer’s bills.

The FTC announced Friday that T-Mobile agreed [PDF] to pay at least $90 million in consumer refunds, $18 million in fines and penalties to the attorneys general of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and $4.5 million to the Federal Communications Commission.

Back in July, the FTC filed a complaint [PDF] accusing T-Mobile of allowing third parties to participate in what’s known as “bill cramming,” the placing of often-questionable charges for premium services on a phone customers’ bill.

The FTC alleged that T-Mobile received anywhere from 35-40% of the total amount charged to consumers for subscriptions (mostly $9.99/month) for things like “flirting tips, horoscope information or celebrity gossip.”

Making matters worse, the government claims that T-Mobile sometimes continued to bill customers for these services even after being made aware that they were being operated by scammers.

While T-Mobile may have plead ignorance, the FTC says that’s simply not the case.

The demand for refunds on these charges were high, with sometimes as many as 40% of affected users requesting refunds for the charges. If that wasn’t enough of an indicator that the charges were fake, then the FTC says that industry auditor alerts, law enforcement actions, and news articles should have been a sign to stop collecting these for the third-party companies.

T-Mobile’s large numbers of prepaid customers – who don’t receive bills for their monthly service – were also  being charged for these unwanted services. The carrier would allegedly deduct $9.99 worth of minutes from their available balance each month without prior notice to the customer.

The FTC alleged that for the most part T-Mobile customers were clueless about the extra charges. For this who received paper bills – that can at times be 50 pages or longer – the charges were often listed in the summary as a $9.95 “usage charge,” or buried deep within the bill using nonsensical abbreviations that gave no indication what they were for.

When customers did become aware of the unapproved charges, they often ran into issues receiving help from T-Mobile, the FTC says.

According to the complaint, some subscribers were only offered partial refunds of two months’ worth of the charges, while other customers were told to go after the scammers if they wanted full refunds. Of course, T-Mobile failed to provide adequate contact information for these scammers.

The FTC claimed in the complaint that T-Mobile received indications of an issue related to the mobile-cramming as early as 2012 but continued allowing the charges at least through the end of 2013.

Before filing the complaint in July, the FTC said they had tried to work with T-Mobile to reach a deal.

At the time of the lawsuit’s filing, T-Mobile responded to the accusations by claiming that it shouldn’t be sued because it stopped allowing the illegal charges.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, which must be cleared by a judge, T-Mobile will be required to offer full refunds to all affected consumers. The amount of money the company pays must reach at least $90 million in redress or other payments.

Should the company fail to reach that amount, the balance must be remitted to the FTC for additional consumer redress, consumer education, or other uses.

The settlement also requires T-Mobile to contact all of its crammed customers – current and former – to inform them of the refund program and claims process, and to do so in a clear and conspicuous way.

In addition to requiring T-Mobile to provide consumers with full refunds, the settlement requires the company to get consumers’ express informed consent before placing third-party charges on their bills. The company also must ensure that consumers are notified of any third-party charges on their bills and provide them with information about the option to block third-party charges.

“Mobile cramming is an issue that has affected millions of American consumers, and I’m pleased that this settlement will put money back in the hands of affected T-Mobile customers,” FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez says of the settlement. “Consumers should be able to trust that their mobile phone bills reflect the charges they authorized and nothing more.”

The settlement with T-Mobile marks the second mobile-cramming-related action this week.

On Wednesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Sprint for allowing the same unauthorized charges to appear on customers’ bills.

In that case, the CFPB claims that Sprint essentially welcomed the third-party charges with open arms.

Sprint allegedly did not allow customers to opt-in to third-party billing. Instead the wireless company automatically enrolled customers without their consent.

This policy helped to perpetrate the egregious actions by the third-party companies because many customers did not spot unauthorized charges, as they were unaware that third parties could place charges on their bill, the CFPB reports.

On Tuesday, rumors first surfaced that Sprint could be facing a $105 million fine from the FCC for the same issues. There has been no additional action regarding the possibility of a hefty fine for Sprint.

Mobile-cramming has been a hot topic for both state and federal authorities in recent years.

In October, AT&T entered into a similar deal with the Federal Trade Commission, FCC and attorneys general from 50 states and the District of Columbia to pay $105 million to settle allegations that it profited off of bill-cramming.

The FTC claimed that AT&T kept about 35% of all the fees it took in from these charges; in some cases, the company earned upwards of 40% of the revenue from the third-party charges.

Continued allegations and action against carriers regarding bill-cramming may not come as much surprise after a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation report released in July found that wireless providers often turned a blind eye to cramming because it resulted in billions of dollars in revenue for carriers.

T-Mobile to Pay At Least $90 Million, Including Full Consumer Refunds To Settle FTC Mobile Cramming Case [FTC]

Remember, the best time to shop for a snow shovel is before you actually need a shovel. Just grabbing the cheapest one at the closest store can create a lot of extra work for yourself in the long run if it isn’t the right shovel for you, your abilities, and the type of snow that you typically get. Know your abilities and know your shovel types. Maybe even buy more than one for different surfaces. [Consumer Reports]

Hide your snowmen, hide your reindeer and get Santa Claus somewhere safe: Mother Nature might not agree with your taste in lawn ornaments and as such, has zero problems whatsoever with totally mucking up your holiday display.

Exhibit A: A black bear with no regard for The Naughty List was caught on tape in California stepping up to a Santa Claus sitting in Angeles National Forest near Glendora, CA, reports ABC News.

He walks over, checks it out, and apparently is greatly displeased with St. Nick. But perhaps there’s something to eat inside this rotund non-meatman? WHAP.

The photographer responsible set the decorative Santa out there along with a camera, something he’s been doing for a few years in the forest to check out the wildlife.

He’s gotten some good footage in the past, but nothing like this, he says. And this bear seems to have a thing against the holidays, unlike some other beasts.

“I put up the Santa Claus because the holidays were approaching and I thought it would be interesting and funny to see how the animals might react to it,” he said. “In October, I also put up some Halloween decorations at another camera spot, and female mountain lion walked right in between them without a care in the world.”

Not this bear. He is not cool with holiday decorations.

Inside NoVA

Old Town Manassas water tower still standing, for now Inside NoVA The city council decided Monday to defer for six months a vote on whether or not to demolish the old tower on Quarry Street, built in 1914. The council will take up the issue again on June 15 or 22, Manassas city spokeswoman Patty Prince said. The ...