Posted by Bel. The time is 12:36pm here in Wellington, NZ.

In 1916, sisters Augusta and Adeline Van Buren rode their motorcycles from the east to west coast of America. Frustrated that they were not permitted to be part of the armed forces in the build up to World War I, they used this epic journey (on what would now be considered ramshackle equipment) to demonstrate their willingness and ability to be involved.

It was just the public opinion that they had to work against. They were actually arrested on more than one occasion - because they were wearing "men's clothing", the leathers most suitable for this kind of arduous long journey, on roads that were not yet the super highways now common in the States.

You can read about the Van Buren sisters in more detail here.

This story appeals to me on so many levels. I love their determination and their feminist attitude (wanting both sexes to be treated equally). Their plan to carry out action and achieve change as a result brings to mind other inspirational women such as Rosa Parks and Amelia Earhart.

Also, my family are a bunch of motorbike hoons from way back. As a child, my parents often teasingly bemoaned my presence on this earth and how it prevented them from continuing their carefree jaunts on hulking Japanese roadbikes which apparently were a near daily occurrence before the restraints of parenting came along. *rolls eyes*

This is photo of my great uncle, taken in the 1940s. (My mum calls this the 'Che Guevara photo'.)

Conversely he, and his brother, my grandfather, were conscientious objectors, who did hard labour for their pacifist views.

Motorbikes are often a symbol of freedom and rebellion, used iconicly in films such as The Wild One starring Marlon Brando and Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper (who also directed. Who knew). For me though, the gloss has worn off - mainly thanks to my cousin who broke his leg in six places coming off his dirt bike. Six places, people. Count it out on your leg. Uggh.

And here endth my rambling vaguely interconnected post. Oh wait - maybe a photo of Brando, just for good measure:

***Addition by Lou***

I love Easy Rider and think Peter Fonda is unspeakably sexy in it, so am adding this piccie:

Posted by Lou. The time is 4.15pm here in London, UK.

Once again it's triumph of the nerds as a hobbying metal detector defies social ostracism to find what a jaw-droppingly magnificent, breath-takingly significant, bank-breakingly effluent stash of anglo-saxon gold.

After 18 years detecting, Terry Herbert has found 1,500 pieces of gold and silver dating back to the 7th century just sitting there buried in a field - an unparalleled find.

I mean seriously - check this shit out! It's amazing!

An expert says they don't even know who it could possibly have belonged to as finding such a mammoth collection defies wealth of the time.

It reminds me what a mind-fuck living in Britain is - walking around on several-hundred-year-old cobblestones with god-knows-what under our feet.

Perhaps I should take up metal detecting...

Posted by Lou. The time is 5:51pm here in London, UK.

Interesting commentary from the photographers who captured the Tank Man 20 years ago as he staged an act of defiance against the very tanks that had spent a day crushing bodies in and around Tiananmen Square.

I assume that nobody knows who he was due to the fact that he was probably taken away and shot out of sight of lenses, presumed to have been "just another" person killed in the main bloodbath by friends and family who will never know the role he played in history.

Footnote: I only just found out that Tiananmen translates as "gateway to heavenly peace". Is that the most tragically ironic thing ever in the history of language?