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A 43-year-old woman was found dead in an elevator in China after possibly being trapped for a month. A maintenance crew was called to inspect a malfunctioning elevator in a residential building in the Gaoling district of Xi’an on Jan. 30, according to a local government statement. The elevator had stopped between the 10th and 11th floors, so workers yelled from the 11th floor to see if anyone was inside instead of opening the doors to check. They did not hear an answer, and then cut off the power supply leaving the elevator stuck midway. When they returned on March...

A woman’s corpse was found in an elevator in China about a month after an elevator maintenance crew improperly shut off its power, trapping her inside, without checking to see if it was empty. The body of the 43-year-old building resident, who was living by herself, was discovered on March 1, several weeks after the elevator in Xi’an had been turned off over complaints about a glitch, the Associated Press reports.

AFP - A stock market slide, escalated conflict between Japan and China and more Gangnam-styled success for South Korean singer Psy will shape the incoming Year of the Snake, say Asian soothsayers. Those who make predictions according to the study of feng shui -- or literally "wind-water" -- are influential in many parts of Asia, where people adjust their lives or renovate houses and offices based on the advice. As they bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon, the fortune tellers warn that the "black water snake" that emerges to replace it on February 10 -- the first day...

Feng Shui can help you nurture yourself and bring more prosperity into your life while you get back to work or school this fall. In honoring seasonal changes, you clear out old and bring in new energies which connect you to the natural world around you. Welcome in the new season and get organized, too, with these fall Feng Shui tips: Warm Up Your Environment: Bring some warm tones into the house by switching out pillows and throws. Get your heating system checked; clean the chimneys and fireplace; and stock up on yellow and orange vegetables in your kitchen.

A Taiwanese man who lost two million US dollars in Las Vegas is threatening to sue the casino for using feng shui to cause his losing streak, a report here said. The man, surnamed Yuan, alleged that the Venetian dug a one-metre (40-inch) square hole on the wall of the presidential suite he was staying in April last year and covered it with a black cloth, said Apple Daily. The casino also put two white towels in front of Yuan's suite and turned on two large fans facing his room without notifying him, it said. Yuan claimed that his luck...

Nina Wang, who died of cancer aged 69, was told by feng shui master Tony Chan to sign the 2006 will which he said would be burned later to give her a longer life... Asia's richest woman signed a will giving away her entire $13 billion fortune believing that the document was only for use in a feng shui ceremony, a court heard Tuesday. Nina Wang, who died of cancer aged 69, was told by feng shui master Tony Chan to sign the 2006 will which he said would be burned later to give her a longer life, Hong Kong's...

What's up with the main forum pages??? The abibility to post a new thread directly form the Forum page is missing. We used to be at the top right and now it's gone. To post a new article we have to go to an existing article to find the Post Article link.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, Calif. (AP) -- The only familiar signs at the McDonald's in this large Asian community are the golden arches, the drive-through and the menu. Gone are the plastic furniture, Ronald McDonald and the red and yellow palette that has defined the world's largest hamburger chain. Leather seats, earth tones, bamboo plants and water trickling down glass panels have taken their place. The makeover elements are meant to help diners achieve happiness and fortune -- whether they realize it or not. That's because the restaurant was redesigned using the principles of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of arranging...

The world can expect a roller-coaster ride of conflict and unrest, natural disasters and a plunge in global stock markets once the Year of the Pig begins, Chinese soothsayers say. As the world farewells the Year of the Dog on Sunday, believers in Chinese superstitions have been busy consulting fortune tellers, feng shui geomancers and a wealth of new books for the year's fortunes. Chinese fortunes are based on a belief that events are dictated by the different balances in the elements that make up the earth -- gold, wood, water, fire and earth. Feng shui expert Raymond Lo said...

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Zoo paid $4,500 to an expert in the ancient Chinese art of feng shui to ensure three endangered golden monkeys on loan from China can have a strong life force. Consulting the feng shui expert was part of the cost for a $7.4 million enclosure for the golden monkeys debuting at the zoo later his year. Feng shui focuses on balance in design to promote health and happiness. Feng shui is in demand among high-end architects and interior designers, but Beverly Hills-based feng shui expert Simona Mainini said the Los Angeles Zoo's effort...

The administrative office in Fulmore Middle School is probably the last place anybody would expect to see a tiny crystal hanging from the ceiling. But the spinning object isn't just for show at the Central Austin school: It's good feng shui. Stacy Davenport, a feng shui consultant, has spent the past two months bringing the basics of the ancient Chinese philosophy to the campus grounds, offices and classrooms. Feng shui emphasizes using space and colors as a way to achieve harmony with the environment. The crystal on the office ceiling is meant to deflect energy. The back wall is painted...

HAYWARD, California (AP) -- Developers looking to maximize the marketability of their homes are complaining about the city's street address rules, which they claim can scare off buyers who practice the ancient Chinese art of feng shui. Under a numbering system established by Alameda County in the 1950s, addresses are assigned based on how far the homes are from downtown Oakland, a method that puts five digits on almost every mailbox in Hayward and other cities in the county. The numbers have always been hard to remember, but home builders recently raised concerns that they may decrease property values because...

A handyman's guide to decks and other manmade disasters BY DAVE BARRY (This classic Dave Barry column was originally published on May 28, 2000.) Today's Do-It-Yourself Project Is: How To Build a Deck. There's nothing like adding a deck to transform an ordinary home into a home attached to a mass of inexpertly nailed wood. And just imagine the family fun you'll have this summer with a deck! ''Come on, kids!'' you'll call to your children. ''Let's go out on the deck and have some fun!'' ''Shut UP,'' they'll gaily reply, because they are engrossed in a Sony PlayStation video...

The Walt Disney Company has unveiled its plans for its new theme park in Hong Kong —a perfect reproduction of Disneyland—well, not exactly “a perfect reproduction.” Changes had to be made after Disney consulted with a feng shui master. The front page of the New York Times business section reports that a specific redesign was necessary to form a perfect twelve-degree angle “to ensure prosperity.” Another walkway is being redesigned to create an angle that will keep positive chi, that is, “life energy,” from flowing into the sea. In addition, “Disney burns incense ritually as each building is finished,” and...

The purpose of this Kerry visualization is a shift in consciousness -- to move voters away from the negative programming of the Republicans and vested interests -- to a positive attraction for Kerry based on his good character, values and right action. Method: [1] Light a candle. Gaze at the flame. Get calm. [2] Slowly repeat the intentions, or listen to the audio version. See the visualization ideas as very real. Note: This visualization is not chronological or linear, but a broadcast of positive visuals cascading out to the hearts and minds of Americans. The visuals are meant to awaken...

Beijing, China - Fengtek released their first motherboard based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of Feng Shui. Many interior designers use the principles of Feng Shui to arrange furniture in rooms, so the areas have positive energy. Fengtek is the first company to move these principles to motherboard design. Charles Huang, CEO of Fengtek, said he had been "looking for a way to combine modern technology with traditional Asian wisdom. My father had a motherboard company, so why not start there?" Vincent Xiang, lead designer at Fengtek, explained how positioning the components away from traditional locations brought peace to the...

The budget is in the tank and the workers' compensation system is in disarray. California, it appears, is suffering from bad chi. What better time, Assemblyman Leland Yee argues, for a feng shui tuneup? Yee, a San Francisco Democrat, is pushing a legislative resolution that urges the state and municipalities to consider adopting design standards that incorporate the ancient Chinese art of geomancy. Feng shui (pronounced fung shway) principles hold that one's physical surroundings and the flow of chi (pronounced chee), or energy, can be arranged to attract harmony, wealth and good luck.

California Measure Would Align Building Rules With Feng Shui By PATRICIA LEIGH BROWN Published: January 30, 2004 SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 29 — With a budget deficit of about $14 billion, California could use a major infusion of positive energy. So it may be appropriate timing that in this most Asian of mainland American regions, State Assemblyman Leland Y. Yee, Democrat of San Francisco, has introduced a resolution that urges the California Building Standards Commission to adopt standards that would aid feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of promoting health, harmony and prosperity through the environment. The resolution, which has yet...

A San Francisco politician has proposed a new law which would mean planners have to consider a building's energy flows. The 4,000-year-old Chinese art of feng-shui claims to channel positive energy, known as chi, leaving the building's occupier in a state of harmony. Buildings, and the objects within them must, be positioned correctly to channel the energy properly. Leland Y Yee's proposal would mean that the California Building Standards Commission would have to adopt standards that would aid feng shui. The motion must pass the committee stage before progressing to the full Assembly for approval. "The structure of a building...

SACRAMENTO -- If a leading Democratic lawmaker has his way, your next new house may be built according to standards that supposedly put it -- and you -- in harmony with unseen natural forces. Leland Yee, the assistant speaker pro tem, is backing a bill that could insert the millenniums-old strictures of feng shui into California's building code. Some lawmakers roll their eyes. Some chuckle. Some wonder privately how an ancient system of alignment with invisible life forces could possibly fit into a nuts-and-bolts building code designed to ensure fire safety and structural integrity. To Yee, however, Assembly Concurrent Resolution...