Lon Chaney - World-of-Newave.info http://answers.world-of-newave.info/lon-chaney.htm Latest news and articles about Lon Chaney en-us Copyright (c)2004-2008.§/Newave SARL. All rights reserved. webmaster@world-of-newave.com (Webmaster) Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:11:37 GMT Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:11:37 GMT Newave Lisa XML Engine v1.0 - http://www.world-of-newave.info/about.htm 60 http://www.world-of-newave.info/images/wi8831.gif World-of-Newave.info - Knowledge and Informational Database http://www.world-of-newave.info/ 88 31 {NEWS > BREAKING NEWS} - Coolest Movie Metamorphoses, From Wolf Man to Hulk http://articles.world-of-newave.info/news/breaking-news/coolest-movie-metamorphoses-from-wolf-man-to-hulk-20080671733.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/news/breaking-news/coolest-movie-metamorphoses-from-wolf-man-to-hulk-20080671733.htm Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT : Image: Marvel When a scientist witnesses Bruce Banner's transformation into an anger-fueled green giant in The Incredible Hulk, he calls it the most extraordinary thing he's ever seen. The CGI spectacle starts with the classic green-eyed flash in the eyes of actor Edward Norton, who plays Banner, and moves impressively through vein-popping, muscle-roiling territory into all-out lab-trashing ferocity. It's the best screen presentation yet of the radiation-induced metamorphosis that turns the brooding Banner into the smash-prone Hulk, and the latest in a long line of silver-screen transformations in sci-fi and horror flicks. From the The Fly's Brundlefly to the fleshy, obese explosion of Neo-Tokyo biker Tetsuo in Akira, here are some of the best. Which unforgettable scenes did we leave out? Submit your faves in the comments below. Left: The Incredible Hulk Each time molecular scientist Bruce Banner, played by Ed Norton, forgets the cardinal rules of anger management, audiences are rewarded with his transformation into an enormous green brute. : Image: Sunset Boulevard/CorbisThe quintessential werewolf movies starring Lon Chaney as the Wolf Man used extensive camera trickery, yak hair and rubber prosthetics to produce the actor's full-body transition from man to wolf man.: David Cronenberg's 1986 sci-fi flick about a lab experiment gone horribly awry features one of the most memorable long-form transformations in movie history. When a fly zooms into the teleportation device used by scientist Seth Brundle, played by Jeff Goldblum, the results are disastrous. First the scientist gains superhuman strength and libido thanks to a dose of housefly DNA. Then, he quickly deteriorates into a jawless, decaying, acid-vomiting mess he calls Brundlefly. Ick.: Image: Sunset Boulevard/CorbisAnimal House director John Landis' 1980s comedy-horror film beats out its lupine brethren Teen Wolf, Wolven and The Howling purely for its lethal combo of camp and creep. The mixture of robotic and prosthetic body parts used in the extended lunar transformation sequences led the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create an award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup in 1981 -- and hand An American Werewolf in London the Oscar.: Shape-shifting supervillainess Mystique wowed fanboys and fangirls alike in 2000 with her seamless CGI transformations into various characters, and the blue-skinned bodysuit worn by former model Rebecca Romijn as the cerulean evildoer only added to the appeal. Romijn works Mystique's magic in all three X-Men films before she's finally transformed into Raven Darkholme, after being injected with an antidote that suppresses her mutant X-gene. : When rebel biker Tetsuo Shima uncannily channels the psychic power of a superhuman 10-year-old by the name of Akira, he inherits kinetic powers beyond his bodily control. The futuristic city of Neo-Tokyo is no match for Shima's grotesquely deformed body, which eventually becomes an obese blob of tentacles, mechanical parts and veiny appendages. Did we mention Akira was buried in a cryogenic chamber beneath an Olympic stadium nearly 40 years earlier? Yeah, he's that powerful. : Image: Marvel Forget Spidey sense. When an extraterrestrial symbiotic life form takes up shop in Eddie Brock (played by Topher Grace), the slimy reporter becomes a powerful creature with superhuman strength and a mangled maw of pointy chompers. Known as Venom, Brock resembles an evil, mirror image of Spider-Man, and he's hell-bent on conducting a vendetta against Spidey's alter ego, Peter Parker. : Though this film was ridiculed on Mystery Science Theater 3000, there's nothing funny about slowly liquefying into a gelatinous, murderous mass. Steve West, the only surviving astronaut from an ill-fated mission to Saturn, begins a rapid descent into insanity and gloop upon his return to Earth. Before West disintegrates into a pile of red slush, viewers are treated to lengthy eyefuls of open sores, jellylike matter and bones in this late-'70s screen gem. : When Norwegian researchers awaken an alien being in Antarctica, they're probably hoping for a friendly creature a la E.T. the Extraterrestrial. Instead, they got the Thing. John Carpenter's 1982 creature feature revealed the darker side of an alien invasion -- a murderous, shape-shifting being able to infect and assimilate anything.: Image: John Springer Collection/CorbisAfter swilling his highly addictive home-brew tonic, Dr. Jekyll (Fredric March) morphs into his skirt-chasing, hard-drinking alter ego in a transformation sequence that stunned movie audiences in 1931. With the help of camera tricks and lens filters, the kindly scientist devolved into the iconic Mr. Hyde on-screen. : Michael Bay's 2007 live-action adaptation of the cult classic '80s cartoon didn't shy away from full-frontal money shots of the army of Deceptacons and Autobots as they assembled. Though the 2007 movie adaptation included cameos from Starscream to Jazz, it was Optimus Prime's lengthy transition from red-and-blue cab into a massive, 20-foot-tall bipedal bot that stole the show. : Step aside, Silver Surfer. The upgraded T-1000 cyborg killing machine in James Cameron's 1991 Terminator sequel is able to mimic almost any shape, thanks to its poly-alloy molten-metal form. The T-1000's effortless mutation into other people and simple weapons creates one of the most terrifying -- and eye-popping -- movie villains ever. Wired.Com Coolest Movie Metamorphoses, From Wolf Man to Hulk {new window}   Www.Wired.Com - : Image: Marvel When a scientist witnesses Bruce Banner's transformation into an anger-fueled green giant in The Incredible Hulk, he calls it the most extraordinary thing he's ever seen. The CGI spectacle starts with the classic green-eyed flash in the eyes of actor Edward Norton, who plays Banner, and moves impressively through vein-popping, muscle-roiling territory into all-out lab-trashing ferocity. It's the best screen presentation yet of the radiation-induced metamorphosis that turns the brooding Banner into the smash-prone Hulk, and the latest in a long line of silver-screen transformations in sci-fi and horror flicks. From the The Fly's Brundlefly to the fleshy, obese explosion of Neo-Tokyo biker Tetsuo in Akira, here are some of the best. Which unforgettable scenes did we leave out? Submit your faves in the comments below. Left: The Incredible Hulk Each time molecular scientist Bruce Banner, played by Ed Norton, forgets the cardinal rules of anger management, audiences are rewarded with his transformation into an enormous green brute. : Image: Sunset Boulevard/CorbisThe quintessential werewolf movies starring Lon Chaney as the Wolf Man used extensive camera trickery, yak hair and rubber prosthetics to produce the actor's full-body transition from man to wolf man.: David Cronenberg's 1986 sci-fi flick about a lab experiment gone horribly awry features one of the most memorable long-form transformations in movie history. When a fly zooms into the teleportation device used by scientist Seth Brundle, played by Jeff Goldblum, the results are disastrous. First the scientist gains superhuman strength and libido thanks to a dose of housefly DNA. Then, he quickly deteriorates into a jawless, decaying, acid-vomiting mess he calls Brundlefly. Ick.: Image: Sunset Boulevard/CorbisAnimal House director John Landis' 1980s comedy-horror film beats out its lupine brethren Teen Wolf, Wolven and The Howling purely for its lethal combo of camp and creep. The mixture of robotic and prosthetic body parts used in the extended lunar transformation sequences led the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to create an award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup in 1981 -- and hand An American Werewolf in London the Oscar.: Shape-shifting supervillainess Mystique wowed fanboys and fangirls alike in 2000 with her seamless CGI transformations into various characters, and the blue-skinned bodysuit worn by former model Rebecca Romijn as the cerulean evildoer only added to the appeal. Romijn works Mystique's magic in all three X-Men films before she's finally transformed into Raven Darkholme, after being injected with an antidote that suppresses her mutant X-gene. : When rebel biker Tetsuo Shima uncannily channels the psychic power of a superhuman 10-year-old by the name of Akira, he inherits kinetic powers beyond his bodily control. The futuristic city of Neo-Tokyo is no match for Shima's grotesquely deformed body, which eventually becomes an obese blob of tentacles, mechanical parts and veiny appendages. Did we mention Akira was buried in a cryogenic chamber beneath an Olympic stadium nearly 40 years earlier? Yeah, he's that powerful. : Image: Marvel Forget Spidey sense. When an extraterrestrial symbiotic life form takes up shop in Eddie Brock (played by Topher Grace), the slimy reporter becomes a powerful creature with superhuman strength and a mangled maw of pointy chompers. Known as Venom, Brock resembles an evil, mirror image of Spider-Man, and he's hell-bent on conducting a vendetta against Spidey's alter ego, Peter Parker. : Though this film was ridiculed on Mystery Science Theater 3000, there's nothing funny about slowly liquefying into a gelatinous, murderous mass. Steve West, the only surviving astronaut from an ill-fated mission to Saturn, begins a rapid descent into insanity and gloop upon his return to Earth. Before West disintegrates into a pile of red slush, viewers are treated to lengthy eyefuls of open sores, jellylike matter and bones in this late-'70s screen gem. : When Norwegian researchers awaken an alien being in Antarctica, they're probably hoping for a friendly creature a la E.T. the Extraterrestrial. Instead, they got the Thing. John Carpenter's 1982 creature feature revealed the darker side of an alien invasion -- a murderous, shape-shifting being able to infect and assimilate anything.: Image: John Springer Collection/CorbisAfter swilling his highly addictive home-brew tonic, Dr. Jekyll (Fredric March) morphs into his skirt-chasing, hard-drinking alter ego in a transformation sequence that stunned movie audiences in 1931. With the help of camera tricks and lens filters, the kindly scientist devolved into the iconic Mr. Hyde on-screen. : Michael Bay's 2007 live-action adaptation of the cult classic '80s cartoon didn't shy away from full-frontal money shots of the army of Deceptacons and Autobots as they assembled. Though the 2007 movie adaptation included cameos from Starscream to Jazz, it was Optimus Prime's lengthy transition from red-and-blue cab into a massive, 20-foot-tall bipedal bot that stole the show. : Step aside, Silver Surfer. The upgraded T-1000 cyborg killing machine in James Cameron's 1991 Terminator sequel is able to mimic almost any shape, thanks to its poly-alloy molten-metal form. The T-1000's effortless mutation into other people and simple weapons creates one of the most terrifying -- and eye-popping -- movie villains ever.
See the latest multimedia and applications including videos, animations, podcasts, photos, and slideshows on Wired.com {...}
Published: June 14, 2008, 5:00 am - Indexed: June 15, 2008, 10:52 am - Page Size: 33KB
Category: News > Breaking News

]]> News > Breaking News {NORTH AMERICA > RENTALS} - TURLOCK HOUSE, CA, 3B 2-1/2 BATH (dublin / pleasanton / livermore) $1420 http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/turlock-house-ca-3b-2-1-2-bath-dublin-pleasanton-livermore-2008116125.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/turlock-house-ca-3b-2-1-2-bath-dublin-pleasanton-livermore-2008116125.htm Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:57:13 GMT Turlock (south of Modesto ) Home for rent, $1,420, 3bed, 2.5bath + office/den Home in Turlock for Rent. Available Nov 5, 2008 2,220 sq ft of living space, 2-story, 4 yr new home, 2-car garage 3 bedrooms upstairs, office/den/4th bedroom downstairs 2 full baths upstairs, ½ bath downstairs Master bedroom has expanded suite 4 blocks (5-minute walk) from Pitman High School 4 blocks (5-minute walk) from Turlock Regional Sports Complex Separate laundry room upstairs (washer & dryer not included) 5-10 minute drive to shops and restaurants: Walmart, Costco, Target, Home Depot, In-Out Burger, and more. Gas fireplace in family room Ceiling fans in family room and living room Central Heat and AC Rent is $1,420 with 1-year lease signed. Rent is $1,440 for month-to-month agreement. Security deposit is $2,000 with no pets, $2,500 with pets. Only 1 small pet allowed. Call Jennifer (408) 887-6147 if interested or email jennifer_ngoc@yahoo.com Required together with application: Credit reports obtained within the last 2 months, last month pay stubs or evidence of employment and/or income. Link to map below: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=37.528832&lon=-120.868399&mag=4&q1=Old%20Rose%20Ln%2C%20Turlock%20CA%2095382 Sfbay.Craigslist.Org TURLOCK HOUSE, CA, 3B 2-1/2 BATH (dublin / pleasanton / livermore) $1420 {new window}   Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Turlock (south of Modesto ) Home for rent, $1,420, 3bed, 2.5bath + office/den Home in Turlock for Rent. Available Nov 5, 2008 2,220 sq ft of living space, 2-story, 4 yr new home, 2-car garage 3 bedrooms upstairs, office/den/4th bedroom downstairs 2 full baths upstairs, ½ bath downstairs Master bedroom has expanded suite 4 blocks (5-minute walk) from Pitman High School 4 blocks (5-minute walk) from Turlock Regional Sports Complex Separate laundry room upstairs (washer & dryer not included) 5-10 minute drive to shops and restaurants: Walmart, Costco, Target, Home Depot, In-Out Burger, and more. Gas fireplace in family room Ceiling fans in family room and living room Central Heat and AC Rent is $1,420 with 1-year lease signed. Rent is $1,440 for month-to-month agreement. Security deposit is $2,000 with no pets, $2,500 with pets. Only 1 small pet allowed. Call Jennifer (408) 887-6147 if interested or email jennifer_ngoc@yahoo.com Required together with application: Credit reports obtained within the last 2 months, last month pay stubs or evidence of employment and/or income. Link to map below: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=37.528832&lon=-120.868399&mag=4&q1=Old%20Rose%20Ln%2C%20Turlock%20CA%2095382
TURLOCK HOUSE, CA, 3B 2-1/2 BATH {...}
Published: November 4, 2008, 7:57 am - Indexed: November 4, 2008, 10:19 am - Page Size: 6KB
Category: Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals

]]> Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals {NORTH AMERICA > REAL ESTATE} - Clean offce / retail space on El Camino Real (sunnyvale) $800 440sqft http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/clean-offce-retail-space-on-el-camino-real-sunnyvale-20081052920.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/clean-offce-retail-space-on-el-camino-real-sunnyvale-20081052920.htm Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:17:10 GMT Office / Retail space on busy El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Can't find anywhere near this size and price on El Camino Real. 2nd Floor, 440 sq-ft or 880 sq-ft immediately available. Tenant pays only $800 / mo for 440 sq-ft (gross lease) Free rents can be negotiated for long term lease. Contact: Steven at sjh916@gmail.com http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#mvt=m&lat=37.352201&lon=-121.982993&zoom=16&q1=3148%20El%20Camino%20Real%2C%20Santa%20Clara%2C%20CA Sfbay.Craigslist.Org Clean offce / retail space on El Camino Real (sunnyvale) $800 440sqft {new window}   Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Office / Retail space on busy El Camino Real, Santa Clara. Can't find anywhere near this size and price on El Camino Real. 2nd Floor, 440 sq-ft or 880 sq-ft immediately available. Tenant pays only $800 / mo for 440 sq-ft (gross lease) Free rents can be negotiated for long term lease. Contact: Steven at sjh916@gmail.com http://maps.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTExNmIycG51BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEc2VjA2ZwLWJ1dHRvbgRzbGsDbGluaw--#mvt=m&lat=37.352201&lon=-121.982993&zoom=16&q1=3148%20El%20Camino%20Real%2C%20Santa%20Clara%2C%20CA
Clean offce / retail space on El Camino Real {...}
Published: October 24, 2008, 8:17 am - Indexed: October 24, 2008, 10:23 am - Page Size: 4KB
Category: Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate

]]> Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate {NORTH AMERICA > RENTALS} - Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 16 MB) (mission district) $750 http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/mission-million-dollar-home-room-4-rent-wireless-20080944544.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/mission-million-dollar-home-room-4-rent-wireless-20080944544.htm Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:58:27 GMT Call John 415-480-8014 Available Now "Sorry No Pets Allowed" Bathroom inside your bedroom 5 Bedroom 3 Bath modern home with 5 Skylights and white tiled industrial kitchen, hardwood living room fully furnished. Street Parking available, Public Transportation (Bart Mission & 16, Muni & Cabs) Rent:................$750 Utilities............$150 Deposit:...........$500 Utilities: $150/mo (includes, PG&E, Comcast Cable TV, Weekly House Keeper, SF Public Utilities= Water, Garbage, SBC Wireless and Corded DSL Internet, Security System http://20sycamore.com/ Bus Line :http://transit.511.org/ BART Line :http://www.bart.gov/stations/16th/index.aspx Banks: http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#mvt=m&lat=37.762829&lon=-122.419829&zoom=13&tt=banks&tp=1&q1=18%20Sycamore%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094110 Sfbay.Craigslist.Org Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 16 MB) (mission district) $750 {new window}   Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Call John 415-480-8014 Available Now "Sorry No Pets Allowed" Bathroom inside your bedroom 5 Bedroom 3 Bath modern home with 5 Skylights and white tiled industrial kitchen, hardwood living room fully furnished. Street Parking available, Public Transportation (Bart Mission & 16, Muni & Cabs) Rent:................$750 Utilities............$150 Deposit:...........$500 Utilities: $150/mo (includes, PG&E, Comcast Cable TV, Weekly House Keeper, SF Public Utilities= Water, Garbage, SBC Wireless and Corded DSL Internet, Security System http://20sycamore.com/ Bus Line :http://transit.511.org/ BART Line :http://www.bart.gov/stations/16th/index.aspx Banks: http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#mvt=m&lat=37.762829&lon=-122.419829&zoom=13&tt=banks&tp=1&q1=18%20Sycamore%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094110
Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 16 MB) {...}
Published: September 28, 2008, 8:58 am - Indexed: September 28, 2008, 12:37 pm - Page Size: 5KB
Category: Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals

]]> Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals {NORTH AMERICA > RENTALS} - Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 15 MB) (mission district) $750 http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/mission-million-dollar-home-room-4-rent-wireless-20080980924.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/regional/north-america/united-states/california/metro-areas/san-francisco-bay-area/business-and-economy/real-estate/rentals/mission-million-dollar-home-room-4-rent-wireless-20080980924.htm Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:28:03 GMT Call John 415-480-8014 Available Now "Sorry No Pets Allowed" Bathroom inside your bedroom 5 Bedroom 3 Bath modern home with 5 Skylights and white tiled industrial kitchen, hardwood living room fully furnished. Street Parking available, Public Transportation (Bart Mission & 16, Muni & Cabs) Rent:................$750 Utilities............$150 Deposit:...........$500 Utilities: $150/mo (includes, PG&E, Comcast Cable TV, Weekly House Keeper, SF Public Utilities= Water, Garbage, SBC Wireless and Corded DSL Internet, Security System http://20sycamore.com/ Bus Line :http://transit.511.org/ BART Line :http://www.bart.gov/stations/16th/index.aspx Banks: http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#mvt=m&lat=37.762829&lon=-122.419829&zoom=13&tt=banks&tp=1&q1=18%20Sycamore%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094110 Sfbay.Craigslist.Org Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 15 MB) (mission district) $750 {new window}   Sfbay.Craigslist.Org - Call John 415-480-8014 Available Now "Sorry No Pets Allowed" Bathroom inside your bedroom 5 Bedroom 3 Bath modern home with 5 Skylights and white tiled industrial kitchen, hardwood living room fully furnished. Street Parking available, Public Transportation (Bart Mission & 16, Muni & Cabs) Rent:................$750 Utilities............$150 Deposit:...........$500 Utilities: $150/mo (includes, PG&E, Comcast Cable TV, Weekly House Keeper, SF Public Utilities= Water, Garbage, SBC Wireless and Corded DSL Internet, Security System http://20sycamore.com/ Bus Line :http://transit.511.org/ BART Line :http://www.bart.gov/stations/16th/index.aspx Banks: http://maps.yahoo.com/index.php#mvt=m&lat=37.762829&lon=-122.419829&zoom=13&tt=banks&tp=1&q1=18%20Sycamore%20St%2C%20San%20Francisco%2C%20CA%2094110
Mission Million Dollar Home: Room 4 Rent (Wireless Internet 15 MB) {...}
Published: September 18, 2008, 6:28 am - Indexed: September 18, 2008, 11:30 am - Page Size: 5KB
Category: Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals

]]> Regional > North America > United States > California > Metro Areas > San Francisco Bay Area > Business and Economy > Real Estate > Rentals {NEWS > BREAKING NEWS} - Internet Endangers Big-City Tradition: The Bike Messenger http://articles.world-of-newave.info/news/breaking-news/internet-endangers-big-city-tradition-the-bike-20080727329.htm http://articles.world-of-newave.info/news/breaking-news/internet-endangers-big-city-tradition-the-bike-20080727329.htm Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:00:00 GMT SAN FRANCISCO -- Here along Market Street, heavily tattooed bicyclists with too many piercings in too many places weave through traffic, ducking subway steam vents, trolleys, motorists and a sea of jaywalkers. They're bike messengers -- a fixture in most large cities -- slinging satchels stuffed with legal documents, blueprints, executives' lunches and eviction notices. But the internet is gaining on these roadsters faster than they can pedal their fixed-gear, brakeless bikes. In a world where documents travel by e-mail and the web, and electronic signatures are legally binding, the business of moving physical wood pulp from point A to point B is struggling. Anecdotes from the Big Apple to San Francisco and parts in between suggest the click of a Send button is undermining the bike-messaging trade. In the last two years, three messaging companies in San Francisco have folded. Courier service Bucky's of Seattle trashed its bike fleet last year. And there are nearly 1,000 fewer bike messengers in New York than a decade ago. "There is really not much left. It's dying," says Matt Flores, co-owner of Wheels of Justice, a San Francisco courier service. Flores recently halved his full-time bikers -- "document clerks," as he calls them -- from eight to four. His top runner earns $50,000 a year, he says. By far the biggest broomstick through the spokes of the bike messenger comes from the nation's court systems and their embrace of electronic filing. The millions of pages of paperwork generated by trial lawyers were once the bread and butter of bike messaging. Now about half of the U.S. state courts have some form of electronic filing. And under guidelines adopted by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, an electronic filing system is now available in about 99 percent of the nation's federal courts. Federal bankruptcy courts went electronic beginning in 2001, followed a year later by the district courts. Federal appellate courts started following suit in 2005. The last holdout was the nation's largest federal appeals court, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which began testing an electronic filing system in January. While many district court judges still demand paper "courtesy copies" of some filings, which are usually hauled by bike messenger, many state court systems are moving online completely, according to the National Center for State Courts. In California, home to one of the world's largest judicial systems, electronic filing is expected to be mandatory statewide by the end of the decade. "We've seen about a 30 percent decline in our use of bike messenger services, due largely to electronic filing," says Kevin Livingston, a spokesman for Thelen Reid, a nationwide law firm. Years ago, phone books in the nation's largest cities were shot through with page after page of courier-service listings. Now the phone book itself is obsolete. "The total pie of courier services has been shrinking," says Christine Chan, a co-owner of Urban Express in New York, which contracts with hundreds of bike messengers. "Obviously, the need for couriers to carry items is declining." But bike messenger Lon Cook of San Francisco, like many others in the business, is philosophical. He says there will always be a need for bike messengers in big cities, even if their backpacks aren't as full as they once were. "First we had the fax machine and now e-mails," says Cook. "There's always something new. A bike messenger is part of the scenery in the road." Fergus Tanaka, a five-year veteran now riding in San Francisco, shares Cook's optimism. "What is really necessary for the industry is adaptation. Clearly, if we branch out to other realms and other parts of the economy that need transportation, bike messengers can stick around for another 50 years," the 28-year-old says. It's a lifestyle, he adds, like no other. There's a reason, he says, that messengers' bodies are often pierced and inked -- that their hairstyles are often improved with helmet hair. "There's a freedom associated with bike messaging," the tattooed Tanaka says. "Nobody requires me to wear a suit and tie to work. They just want to make sure you can ride a bike and know where you are going." The dangers of the job are obvious. And then there are the lesser-known perils. "We used to have this one run. I called it the piss run. You went around to different homes where elderly people lived, to collect their samples," he recalls. "I went to this one lady's house, threw it in my bag and, when I got back, I reached in my bag and my hands were all wet. There was piss all over my bag." The internet, he says, can't do what he does. Wired.Com Internet Endangers Big-City Tradition: The Bike Messenger {new window}   Www.Wired.Com - SAN FRANCISCO -- Here along Market Street, heavily tattooed bicyclists with too many piercings in too many places weave through traffic, ducking subway steam vents, trolleys, motorists and a sea of jaywalkers. They're bike messengers -- a fixture in most large cities -- slinging satchels stuffed with legal documents, blueprints, executives' lunches and eviction notices. But the internet is gaining on these roadsters faster than they can pedal their fixed-gear, brakeless bikes. In a world where documents travel by e-mail and the web, and electronic signatures are legally binding, the business of moving physical wood pulp from point A to point B is struggling. Anecdotes from the Big Apple to San Francisco and parts in between suggest the click of a Send button is undermining the bike-messaging trade. In the last two years, three messaging companies in San Francisco have folded. Courier service Bucky's of Seattle trashed its bike fleet last year. And there are nearly 1,000 fewer bike messengers in New York than a decade ago. "There is really not much left. It's dying," says Matt Flores, co-owner of Wheels of Justice, a San Francisco courier service. Flores recently halved his full-time bikers -- "document clerks," as he calls them -- from eight to four. His top runner earns $50,000 a year, he says. By far the biggest broomstick through the spokes of the bike messenger comes from the nation's court systems and their embrace of electronic filing. The millions of pages of paperwork generated by trial lawyers were once the bread and butter of bike messaging. Now about half of the U.S. state courts have some form of electronic filing. And under guidelines adopted by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, an electronic filing system is now available in about 99 percent of the nation's federal courts. Federal bankruptcy courts went electronic beginning in 2001, followed a year later by the district courts. Federal appellate courts started following suit in 2005. The last holdout was the nation's largest federal appeals court, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which began testing an electronic filing system in January. While many district court judges still demand paper "courtesy copies" of some filings, which are usually hauled by bike messenger, many state court systems are moving online completely, according to the National Center for State Courts. In California, home to one of the world's largest judicial systems, electronic filing is expected to be mandatory statewide by the end of the decade. "We've seen about a 30 percent decline in our use of bike messenger services, due largely to electronic filing," says Kevin Livingston, a spokesman for Thelen Reid, a nationwide law firm. Years ago, phone books in the nation's largest cities were shot through with page after page of courier-service listings. Now the phone book itself is obsolete. "The total pie of courier services has been shrinking," says Christine Chan, a co-owner of Urban Express in New York, which contracts with hundreds of bike messengers. "Obviously, the need for couriers to carry items is declining." But bike messenger Lon Cook of San Francisco, like many others in the business, is philosophical. He says there will always be a need for bike messengers in big cities, even if their backpacks aren't as full as they once were. "First we had the fax machine and now e-mails," says Cook. "There's always something new. A bike messenger is part of the scenery in the road." Fergus Tanaka, a five-year veteran now riding in San Francisco, shares Cook's optimism. "What is really necessary for the industry is adaptation. Clearly, if we branch out to other realms and other parts of the economy that need transportation, bike messengers can stick around for another 50 years," the 28-year-old says. It's a lifestyle, he adds, like no other. There's a reason, he says, that messengers' bodies are often pierced and inked -- that their hairstyles are often improved with helmet hair. "There's a freedom associated with bike messaging," the tattooed Tanaka says. "Nobody requires me to wear a suit and tie to work. They just want to make sure you can ride a bike and know where you are going." The dangers of the job are obvious. And then there are the lesser-known perils. "We used to have this one run. I called it the piss run. You went around to different homes where elderly people lived, to collect their samples," he recalls. "I went to this one lady's house, threw it in my bag and, when I got back, I reached in my bag and my hands were all wet. There was piss all over my bag." The internet, he says, can't do what he does.
Technology is gaining on bike messengers faster than they can peddle. From the Big Apple to San Francisco and parts in between, the click of an e-mail send button is undermining their trade. Electronic filing of legal documents, and digitization in general, is eroding their trade. {...}
Published: July 25, 2008, 2:00 am - Indexed: July 27, 2008, 4:21 pm - Page Size: 47KB
Category: News > Breaking News

]]> News > Breaking News