Feng shui tips for your home

1) There should be no shoes or slippers lying around outside the main door of your house. Remove it if you can. Allow that space at the main door to be free and clear. The chi (energy) rides with the wind and will collect all the smell of those shoes and slippers into your house causing sickness. Ch’i then travels about in your house looking for water to stay but if there are no water fountains or fish tanks, then the Ch’i will be dispersed by wind.

2) There should be no television sets in your bedrooms: If you cannot get rid of that habit then after watching the television cover it with a plastic table cloth. Remember it has to be plastic and not simply cloth.

3) There should be no mirrors opposite your bed or at the side of your bed. Mirrors opposite the bed can attract a third party to the relationship. Therefore, do not place mirrors anywhere you like and especially in your bedroom.

4) Place an indoor water fountain in your home, position in a favourable area to attract whatever you want in your life.

5) If you already have a fish tank in your house, be careful. A fish tank placed correctly can bring about greater fortune, as you will tap on the "Divine Water Dragon's Den". But if you tap wrongly, it can cause you to have lawsuits, bankruptcy, work pressure, troubles and problems. If you noticed any of these after placing the fish tank for approximately four months, shift your fish tank to another location.

6) In your kitchen, ensure that opposite your stove there is no refrigerator, washing machine, washbasin and toilet. The fire and water crash causing family members to have disagreements.

7) Try not to allow children to sleep on mattresses on the floor. Yes, this allows young children not to fall off beds but it also causes young children to fall sick frequently. The reason is: chi is not able to flow underneath the bed. Ideally, chi should circulate around the mattress where our children sleep to allow them to be healthy.

8) For young children, try to have their back to the wall when they write. It is important there should be a solid wall behind a children's writing table. This allows the child to have support so that he can sit there and study longer rather than for only half an hour and then they tend to move about because there is no solid wall behind their back. Adjust your writing table.

9) Do not allow children to sleep on double bunk beds even if it means saving space. The child sleeping underneath will not have "fresh chi" and so his health might be weak. But if due to space constraints, then monitor your child's health if not add in a metal 6 rods wind chime or a crystal sphere, to break up the "stale chi" around his bed.

10) Your bed should always have a solid wall behind you. This is important if you wish to have a good rest. A solid wall simply means that you can go into deeper sleep and therefore enabling you to have good rest so that when you wake up in the morning, you will feel fresh and well rested. This also allows you to be able to concentrate on your work better.

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Top 10 landowners on earth

1. Queen Elizabeth II: 9,910 million acres.
2. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia: 580 million acres.
3. The Pope: 177 million acres.
4. King Bhumipol of Thailand: 126 million acres.
5. King Mohammed VI of Morocco: 110 million acres.
6. Sultan Quaboos of Oman: 52 million acres.
7. King Gyanendera of Nepal: 36.3 million acres.
8. King Abdullah of Jordan: 24 million acres.
9. Sheikh Said of Abu Dhabi: 16.6 million acres.
10. King Wangchuck of Bhutan: 11 million acres.

DesignWorkshop Lite free software

The complete freeware DesignWorkshop Lite software package provides all you need to build your own 3D models for home design and visualization of architecture, landscapes, exhibits, or any kind of spatial design.

With DesignWorkshop Lite you can view and walk-through ready-made models of any size, like the free 3D building models in the Great Buildings Online, in DXF, DesignWorkshop, or 3DMF format, with amazing live 3D speed.

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New York's World Trade Center Twin Towers were designed to withstand fire and hurricane-force winds. Some engineers believed the Twin Towers could even survive impact from a Boeing 707. But no engineer or architect could have anticipated the terrorist attack that turned the Twin Towers to rubble, and experts often don't agree what steps might have been taken to make the buildings stronger. For the most recent findings and detailed technical information, be sure to visit the World Trade Center Coverage page at icivilengineer.

How did the Twin Towers fall?

1. Impact from the Terrorist Planes
When Boeing jets piloted by terrorists struck the Twin Towers, some 10,000 gallons (38 kiloliters) of jet fuel fed an enormous fireball. But, the impact of the planes and the burst of flames did not make the Towers collapse right away. Like most buildings, the Twin Towers had redundant design. The term redundant design means that when one system fails, another carries the load. Each of the Twin Towers had 244 columns around a central core that housed the elevators, stairwells, mechanical systems, and utilities. When some columns were damaged, others could still support the building.

2. Heat from the Fires
The sprinkler system was damaged by the impact of the planes. But even if the sprinklers had been working, they could not have maintained enough pressure to stop the fire. Fed by the remaining jet fuel, the heat became intense. Most fires don't get hotter than 900 to 1,100 degrees F. The World Trade Center fire may have reached 1,300 or 1,400 degrees F. Structural steel does not easily melt, but it will lose about half its strength at 1,200 degrees F. The steel structure of the Twin Towers was weakened by the extreme heat. The steel also became distorted because the heat was not a uniform temperature.

3. Collapsing Floors
Most fires start in one area and then spread. The fire from the terrorist planes covered the area of an entire floor almost instantly. As the weakened floors began to collapse, they crashed into the floors below. With the weight of the plunging floors accelerating, the exterior walls buckled.

Why did the collapsed towers look so flat?

Before the terrorist attack, the Twin Towers were 110 stories tall. Constructed of lightweight steel around a central core, they were about 95% air. After they collapsed, the hollow core was gone. The remaining rubble was only a few stories high.

Blistering

Bubbles resulting from localized loss of adhesion, and lifting of the paint film from the underlying surface.

Possible Causes:

• Applying oil-based or alkyd paint over a damp or wet surface.
  
• Moisture seeping into the home through the exterior walls (less likely with latex paint).
  
• Exposure of latex paint film to high humidity or moisture shortly after paint has dried, especially if there was inadequate surface preparation.

Solution:

• If blisters do not go all the way down to the substrate: Remove blisters by scraping, and sanding, and repaint with a quality acrylic latex interior paint. If blisters go down to the substrate: Remove the source of moisture, if possible. Repair loose caulking; consider installing vents or exhaust fans. Remove blisters as above, remembering to prime before applying the top coat.

The color psychology of blue

Blue is described as a favorite color by many people and is the color most preferred by men.

Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

Blue can also create feelings of sadness or aloofness.

Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.

Blue is one of the most popular colors, but it is one of the least appetizing. Some weight loss plans even recommend eating your food off of a blue plate. Blue rarely occurs naturally in food aside from blueberries and some plums. Also, humans are geared to avoid foods that are poisonous and blue coloring in food is often a sign of spoilage or poison.

Blue is described as a favorite color by many people and is the color most preferred by men.

Blue calls to mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

Blue can also create feelings of sadness or aloofness.

Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.

Blue is one of the most popular colors, but it is one of the least appetizing. Some weight loss plans even recommend eating your food off of a blue plate. Blue rarely occurs naturally in food aside from blueberries and some plums. Also, humans are geared to avoid foods that are poisonous and blue coloring in food is often a sign of spoilage or poison.

How to use a paint roller

Tim Carter demonstrates a few simple tricks when using a paint roller. Carter also talks about putting the right amount of paint on a wall surface.