A Day in the Mines

For us, school is torture! However, in India, some kids descend 70 feet each morning into a muddy pit to dig for coal! Which do you prefer?

 There are about 70,000 child miners toiling in India, despite a law prohibiting the dangerous work for anyone under 18. Most of the miners are orphans or from destitute families; some are even brought in from Bangladesh or Nepal. Police take bribes to turn a blind eye!

In the mines, there are 28 million Indians under 14 that work full-time jobs in shops, factories, and elsewhere.

So next time you want to complain about school, just consider yourself lucky because there are 70,000 children in India mining for coal in a 70 feet ditch.

Very Valuable Vomit

Walking through the beach, you see seashells, rocks, sand, etc. But on a beach in northwest England, Ken Wilman and his dog stumbled upon a very large, smelly rock. He never knew that this rock was treasure; but it was seven-pound of ambergris, a $1,00-a-pound  "substance produced in the intestines of 1 percent of sperm whales; it helps those with an intestinal disorder to digest prey." In other words, whale vomit!

Starting as a liquid, it takes 10 to 20 years to turn into a waxy rock. It has been used for centuries in medicines, food flavoring, and luxury perfumes. Can you imagine eating whale vomit?! Gross. Though it starts out smelly, it sweetens as it ages, making fragrances more complex.