Etc...

I wouldn't have minded palms

For the sake of argument, let's say you live in the suburbs and have been watching in dismay as a developer builds an apartment complex adjacent to your home. What's more, you particularly object to the way the grounds have been landscaped. So, one night, you fetch a trusty sawfrom the garage and – ahem – rearrange the scene until it's more to your liking. What do you suppose would happen next? Right: You'd be tracked down and prosecuted. That's what happened last week to Lo Pu-yi. Not surprisingly, he's an expert on feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of placing objects and spaces so that they're in harmony with the environment. As far as he was concerned, the newly planted trees – bamboo, banyan, and willow – were blocking the flow of air around his hillside residence on the outskirts of Taipei, Taiwan. Since one of the first rules of feng shui is to clear away clutter, Lo took it upon himself to cut down 40 of them, according to Taipei District Court records. His defense: The offending trees were putting his livelihood at risk. For his efforts, Lo was sentenced to four months in jail. Still pending is a separate claim against him for $12,000 in damages.