Tag: Strikes

International Ballet Machines.


“Ballet pointe shoes are not typically thought of as technological artifacts, but they certainly are…Dancers on this pointe regimen developed characteristically long, lean leg muscles. Balanchine also encouraged dancers to let the shoes remake their bodies, including developing bunions that gave the foot just the right line.” Speaking of shoes and from the Atlantic, a new paper examines pointe shoes within the history of technology. “[I]n 1980 dancers threatened to strike — not over hours or pay, but for better pointe shoes, and better management of them.”

Mightier than the Sword?

“‘This the best deal this guild has bargained for in 30 years,’ Verrone said.” Is the writers’ strike coming to an end? It would appear so. “The endorsement paves the way for writers to return to work on Wednesday, pending a vote by the guild’s membership to lift the strike order on Tuesday.“

Variety covers the basics of the deal here. “The most significant opposition is coming on the issue of the promotional window on ad-supported streaming. The objections center on concerns that TV viewing will be quickly migrating to the Intenet before the end of the contract [May, 2011], given current viewing trends…reaction to the deal points in the blogosphere on Saturday morning has been decidedly mixed, with much of the criticism pointed at the length of the promotional window.” To be honest, I don’t know enough about the issues at stake to evaluate the deal. Any thoughts out there? Update: Slate‘s Kim Masters sifts through the deal.