Chilean miners got 99 problems, unfortunately this *is* one

You think the Chilean miners have it bad while trapped? For some, their wives and (sometimes multiple) mistresses are just now discovering one other's existence, and catfighting over both the returning men and anticipated monetary compensation. Uh-oh. (thanks EeyoreX)

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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drewand1200

MINERS… we dig lots of holes.
Anonymous

Can’t they all be FRIENDS?
- Anonymous
  
  Friend with mistress…hell no, just like you supporting their affair with your husband! They should get none only the wives..that my opinion!
Anonymous

I’m wondering why the description of the fighting is ‘catfighting?’ Is any argument between two women automatically a catfight? Unless they’re literally doing the nail-clawing-slapping action, the term ‘catfighting’ is an unfortunate way of denigrating any female-female conflict.
On the upside, hooray for the miners!
Dave Rattigan

There was an excellent article about this in Maclean’s a couple issues back.
Anonymous

Now you know why they were all fighting over who got to come out last! :P
nanuq

There’s always the King Solomon solution where the disputing women cut their man in half. There are likely to be all sorts of tools lying around that they could use.
bobtwells

Facebook page for Yonni Barrios – Chilean Mine Lothario: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yonni-Barrios-Chilean-Mine-Lothario/161514297199898
Anonymous

1st; let me say that i love Chile and respect the Chilean people. Their average is way above our average.

One thing i like is their version of Spanish. it’s ……………….. poetic. And in regard to the the miners who have an esposa, an amante, and maybe another mujer or two: poetic and funny. A Chilean “modisimo” for women sometimes, and a very sweet part of the Chilenita’s anatomy is the same word as for a mine: “mina”.

“Honey, I never said i had a second job. I said i was in the other mina for the night.” Having known Chilean women, i think those guys just better stay down there.

-den
Anonymous

So the men are miners and the women are gold diggers?
TEKNA2007

I heard something today (on NPR? not sure) that the company owning the mine would probably declare bankruptcy, meaning ixnay on the ompensationcay. Also none in that case for the guy who lost his leg in the mine a few months back and had all but reached a settlement when this newer collapse happened.
Xeni Jardin

Link added, sorry. I was distracted by all my wives and mistresses catfighting over piles of Chilean cash.
holtt

Best twitter quote so far…

At the drive thru at my bank. The tube came back with my cash and a Chilean miner!
dole

Minin’ ain’t easy… but somebody’s gotta do it.
Nadreck

It’s too bad the same Telegraph web page has a prominent link to the story about a Top Scientist proclaiming that “Global Warming is the Greatest Scam In Human History”. Probably the lead story on the front page of the printed version too.
Brainspore

Compensation laws must work a lot differently in Chile if the mistresses have any real expectation of cash from this thing. (Except for the babymommas, I guess.)

As for me- if I was in the same situation as those miners I’m not sure if I’d want to come out right about now, because my wife and mistresses would probably be fighting over who would get to keep my severed testicles as a trophy.
Anonymous

Given that the story broke in early September and that each miner had to designate a beneficiary back then, much of the fallout has already occurred. The miners haven’t had to deal with it directly but the woman already know who gets the money by now and who wasn’t that important.
CastanhasDoPara

Damned if you do damned if you don’t. Either way these poor guys are going to get the shaft.
daneyul

“Those that truly love their men have slipped away quietly not wanting to cause any more pain to the families but others are putting up a fight.”

Bullshit and presumptuous, Red-Cross-lady-quoted-in-the-article, implying the “fighters” are less noble, while never putting any blame on the men. Some of these mistresses evidently had no idea their man was married, and I’m absolutely fine with the lying bastards coming up to find all hell breaking loose. And who’s to say if the one’s “slipping away” are doing so out of love, guilt, or cold blooded pragmatism.
nas097

“Catfighting”? Isn’t it really just “fighting”?
- Xeni Jardin
  
  Not if it’s da ladeez.
  - capl
    
    Intercultural note: In German it would be a Zickenkampf or Zickenkrieg, “battle of the she-goats. ”
    In Spanish, the cat fight analogy would apparently still work, though.
HealthStudent

Is there a link for this story?
rebdav

So as I understand it the wife can reasonably expect to share 50% of the reward since she incorporated with the husband when they got married. The mistresses can and should expect nothing, they are already taking more than their share of the fun with no responsibility why should they ever expect a cash payout? Even a innocent unknowing mistress has been offended no more than by a two timing boyfriend.

The question is if the wife separates immediately because of a revealed mistress is she entitled to 50% since she never had the opportunity to become accustomed the the new post payout lifestyle. You could say that the stress and worry should be compensated but the offender is the mining company not the husband miner.

I have never cheated or been cheated on so this is just game theory and legalistic theorizing to me.
- Rayonic
  
  Don’t confuse division of assets with alimony. Alimony is the continuous payments based on “style of living” nonsense. Though that’s mostly BS in my opinion, since if all people are equal, then everyone should be able equally support themselves based on their abilities.
  - Tynam
    
    Alimony is the continuous payments based on “style of living” nonsense. Though that’s mostly BS in my opinion, since if all people are equal, then everyone should be able equally support themselves based on their abilities.
    
    Your opinion conveniently assumes that doing all the work of raising the children and running the household doesn’t in any way impact your CV, or payscale, when you return to work years later.
    ‘Based on their abilities’ only works if both partners got equal chance to develop their career abilities during the marriage – difficult to pull off once children are involved.
    
    Divorce among adults alone is one thing; when you have children with someone, you are making a long-term financial and moral commitment. Which should not go away just because the parent’s relationship breaks up.
- Anonymous
  
  The mistresses in question have kids by these guys. They’re not just seeking compensation for themselves.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    The mistresses in question have kids by these guys.
    
    Please God don’t let any of them be named Eva.
    - Anonymous
      
      No, they’re apparently all named “Esperanza”. Yes, even the dudes.
sgj

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/chile/7978509/Mistresses-and-wives-clash-over-trapped-Chilean-miners.html

It was in the comment by EeyoreX linked to at the bottom of the post.
ackpht

Alimony is the continuous payments based on “style of living” nonsense. Though that’s mostly BS in my opinion, since if all people are equal, then everyone should be able equally support themselves based on their abilities.

That’s pretty much the position of my ex-brother-in-law, a philandering surgeon who took solo vacations while my sister raised their children. He won’t be paying alimony because their is none in their state.

My sister did get a settlement, but she had to fight for it- and it hasn’t exactly put her on easy street. She’s working full time while raising the children that he can’t be bothered with.
irksome

Problem #101: Many will have developed a preference for men in dark and cramped locations, leaving their wives and concubines out of the picture altogether.
pwarren

Man, I’m glad my wife and mistress know each other well, would make situations like this much less silly.
Anonymous

are we really comparing the experiences of husbands to that of their wives?
I’m not saying unfaithful husbands deserve forgiveness, but discovering your husband has been cheating on you probably isn’t in the same ballpark, experience wise, as being trapped in a mine for months.
rebdav

If I had any geni wishes left I would set one aside for this wish.
Please let there be one guy with the last name Sanchez that emerges covered in grime and dirt, yes a filthy Sanchez. Ba-dum Ching!!
- Niklas
  
  There is a 19 year old Jimmy SÃ¡nchez, will he do? ;)
Anonymous

Seriously… we can’t just call it fighting? It’s gotta be catfighting?