The 33 Chilean miners trapped seven weeks ago have had a pretty tough existence, but a relief hole was drilled, allowing food and electricity to get to them. Still, they're not allowed to have booze, headphones, or even video games.

The lead psychiatrist for the relief effort, Alberto Iturra Benavides, told the AP that his plan is meant to give the miners "no possible alternative but to survive." This means they're not allowed to have a glass of wine on a national holiday. And now the ban includes video games and portable music players. The experts fear some miners may shut themselves off from the rest of the group, in turn harming the overall relief effort and morale. "With earphones, if they're listening to music and someone calls them, asking for help or to warn them about something, they're not available," Iturra said.

Still, sending these guys a few game consoles wouldn't hurt anyone. Zoning out for a few days playing Zelda could do these guys some good. Sure, multiplayer shooter games might not be a good idea for a bunch of tense men trapped underground together, but come on, give these guys a little relief. Instead, the rescuers will only allow them to watch movies like Troy and The Mask. Boy, what great choices those are! Can't they at least choose some semi-decent movies?

Oh well. At least they get some cigarettes.

[AP]

[Image via AP]