This is a true story. In 2010, a shocking mining accident took place in Chile that drew the attention of the entire world.

Thirty-three miners were trapped underground, about 700 meters deep. To give you an idea of what that means—it’s roughly as deep as one of our country’s tallest skyscrapers if it were buried straight down into the earth.

Day after day passed as these miners remained trapped underground. Their water and food supplies grew scarcer, and they still couldn’t communicate with anyone on the surface. It seemed completely hopeless.

What would you have done if you were in their place?

After 16 days, although they were still alive, despair began to take hold—some even thought about ending their lives. But then something happened. Outside, rescue workers and experts from around the world tried every possible method and finally managed to drill a small passage that reached them.

All of a sudden, the 33 men went from hopelessness to hope. But did that mean they were saved already? Not yet. They were still trapped underground, but their state of mind completely changed—they no longer felt overwhelming fear or despair. Through that small passage, rescuers were able to send them real, practical help—food, water, and oxygen.

With hope and this support, they endured for 69 long days. In the end, all 33 men were rescued—a true miracle.

In August of 2010, the Associated Press reported the story of 75 yr. old Ron Sveden of Brewester, Mass., who was suffering from failing health, difficulty breathing, and aggravated coughing spells. Tests showed "an ominous dark spot" on his lung, which he concluded was probably cancer. 

Though Sveden himself feared the worst, his doctors told him that tests were inconclusive, and only exploratory surgery would prove definitive. Upon removal of the mass, lab work concluded it was nothing more than an aspirated pea which had sprouted in the dark, moist environment of his lung. Needless to say, Sveden was greatly relieved to know the certain doom he'd projected would not come to pass.

Doug Miller reports:

At a business park just outside the loop in northwest Houston, a laid off energy worker named Shawn Baker has launched a strange business encouraging people to take out their frustrations on household furniture.

Tantrums LLC invites frustrated Houstonians to demolish rooms full of stuff with sledgehammers and other implements of destruction.

“You can rent a room, either ten minutes or fifteen, and destroy the contents of the room,” Baker explained. “Whatever I put in there, you can destroy it, either with golf clubs, baseball bats, lead pipes, sledgehammers and whatever else I can think of that I’m going to bring up here.”

Customers choose their instrument of destruction and walk into a room equipped with various pieces of furniture – from dishes to desks to television sets to household appliances – then they start smashing everything in sight to smithereens. Baker dreamed up the idea for her business after attending a concert where they were smashing old furniture.

“They pulled their trucks in behind the bar and started unloading all this stuff,” she recalled. “They were just beating the crap out of it! And I looked at my husband and I said, ‘That’s it. That’s it, right there.’”

So she searched for a site, overcame suspicious landlords, gathered up a bunch of old furniture and opened for business in December. On Friday she booked three customers, two of whom were women.

Indeed, she said, stay-at-home mothers have been some of her most interesting visitors.

“For ten minutes, it’s $35,” she said. “And for fifteen minutes, it’s $50. If you need more than that, you probably need professional help.”