This thread is not in any way intended to be at all serious. It is more about an observation of how the Chinese sem to have acquired a rather splendid knack for turning their fears into a way of inspiring good fortune.
Mabe someone more erudite in the Chinese culture could inform the forum of the correct terminology. I certainly mean no offense by using the thread title Phoo Phooey.

It sort of goes like this:

I found it quaint that the Chinese consider Fire breathing dragons as symbols of good luck, also the colour red ( hades and hell ) is considered as a colour of good luck.

The thinking is that some how the Chinese population had found a way to turn what they fear into symbols of good luck. A rather good example of the Chinese approach to life I thought.

If you use what you fear as a symbol of good luck then you will always invite good fortune [I am not sayng that it actually works that way]

Another example of the Chinese approach was described on a TV program here recently.

If a cutomer at a restaurant in Hong Kong drums his fingers on the table three times the waiter is to assume it as a gesture of appreciation for the food. It does make sense in a way. If the customer is displaying impatience by drumming his fingers then he is obviously looking forward to the food, thus the food must be good.

Another I heard about was that if the customer left a mess on the table after eating it too is a sign that the food was good for similar reasons to the drumming of the fingers aspect.[enjoying the food too much to worry about leaving a mess]

The reason for posting this thread was to explore how the Chinese philosophy on life is reflected in these simple examples and wonder if we can all learn somethng from this rather postive approach to life.

So if you fear something make it a symbol of good luck and the fear will do all the work for you.

Just an observation.

Now that you have read this entire thread starter you can now sigh in bewilderment at how trivial the topic has been but I ask: Is it really? :)

I think the dragon thing is likely akin to taking the power away from something by embracing it.
If you make fun of your bald spot or weight, for example, then you take that power away from those that would have tried to insult or hurt you by doing the same.

As for the drumming of fingers and leaving a mess... It seems that it simply makes sense to me.
They are simply not getting hung-up on social niceties.
I know people (particularly in the southern US) that would get offended if you don't make a mess out of yourself when eating their barbeque ribs. - If you don't eat it with abandon, then you must not have enjoyed it enough.
I read that somewhere (I wish I could remeber where) it was considered a great compliment to the chef to let out a huge belch after eating a meal. You belch when you suck down the food so fast that you swallow air trapped between the mouthfulls. If you are doing that, you must really be enjoying the food. It seems utterly silly to me that a burp is considered rude.
I think the real question should be why is it that such things are considered rude elsewhere.
Belching after a meal being a compliment makes sense to me. It being rude makes no sense and is more curious to me.

Does farting have any special meaning in Chinese culture. "Hey man, It's a compliment! Thanks for dinner."