President Obama at the National Academy of Sciences, April 29
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Mary Foxx, grandmother of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, is seen seated in the East Room of the White House where President Barack Obama announced that he nominated her grandson as transportation secretary. Mary Foxx worked at the White House in the Truman Administration
Text of remarks here
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Will catch up with the news in the morning
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Wishing GoBrooklyn all the very best ahead of her operation tomorrow (Tuesday) – love from us all.
The Obama Diary 
I’m leaving a comment
Congrats maryl on #1 🙂
Congrats Mary. Thanks for the update Chips.
Thanks, Hopefruit, thanks CarolMae:) I’m dawdling about doing my home work.
I’m on Ancesry.com My cousin wants me to catch up because my DNA results may be back soon and she wants to compare.
Congrats on 1st. Maryl1
Thanks!
Congrats Maryl on #1
#2 Hope
Same to you on second 🙂
GoB Prayers and much, much love. (((((((((((((hugs)))))))))))
love mary foxx! what dignity and grace, and what a tribute to her that her grandson is such a fine young man. thank you chips for these photos.
Long time, no “talk” to. Good to see you again.
I tweeted Chips that the pic of Anthony Foxx with his grandmother in an earlier thread brought a tear to my eye. Made me think of President Obama’s mother, how tragic it was that neither she nor his grandmother lived to see Nov 4, 2008.
His grandmother “knew” that Barack would become president, but his mother died more than 10 before, at the tragically young age of 52. In my heart I’m certain that the “birther” conspiracy theory would have gotten zero traction had Stanley Ann been around to fiercely protect her son.
So I’m thrilled that so many generations of Foxxes were by Anthony’s side. And hope that highspeed rail takes a giant leap forward in the next three years.
Me too!!!! I just showed the pics above of Foxx to my hubby and said, that is the man who is gonna build me some more railroad!
aloha arapaho! nice to be back (though still sporadically).
Repost
Thanks Jovie
Chips wanted to share this beauty……… The UK and Ireland at night, from 230 miles above Earth.
Looks like Brigadoon.
omg I just saw that movie again! I can’t get the theme song out of my mind and “Go Home with bonnie Jean” 🙂
Lol. Love the movie and the musical.
LP, beautiful photo! You may not see it so wanted to repeat the thank you (at the bottom of the previous thread) for you tribute to Jason Collins. Well done.
Hope your father is enjoying being home and continuing to recover.
#FORWARD Together
Thanks Bobfr, I was putting it together and the post just kept getting longer and longer w/ all the support flowing in. BTW did you see the video and link at the end? I had no idea how many NFL players have gay relatives. The old man is about 75% back, but is enjoying his own bed and T.V. so there is that!
Congrats Maryl1….. For those of you interested in joining the ACA exchanges, pay attention tomorrow. Link will be updated also.
President Obama admires intelligence.
How President Obama must treasure a friend like Ray LaHood, amidst all the filth he has thrown at him and all the backstabbing. IT was wonderful to hear that heartfelt testimonial from Mr. LaHood. One thing I enjoyed most about the WHCD was that PBO was showing them all he was well aware of all the trash they talk and he couldn’t care less.
Yes, love and good thoughts for you tomorrow, GoBrooklyn:) Speaking of science, if you haven’t seen this….it’s SO cool!
damn Socialist. http://www.omaha.com/article/20130429/MONEY/704309951/1707#markets-ride-technology-surge-s-amp-p-hits-new-high
NEW YORK (AP) — Technology companies led the Standard & Poor’s 500 index to an all-time closing high Monday.
The stock market has recovered all the ground it lost over the previous two weeks, when worries over slower economic growth, falling commodity prices and disappointing quarterly earnings battered financial markets.
The S&P 500 index rose 11.37 points to close at 1,593.61. The 0.7 percent increase nudged the index above its previous closing high of 1,593.36, reached on April 11.
“The market has had a terrific run,” said Philip Orlando, chief equity strategist at Federated Investors, noting that the S&P 500 is up 12 percent since the start of 2013. “At the beginning of the year, I thought we were going to 1,660 (for the whole year). We’re only about 5 percent from that.”
A pair of better economic reports gave investors some encouragement. Wages and spending rose in the U.S. last month, and pending home sales hit their highest level in three years.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 106.20 to 14,818.75, up 0.7 percent. Microsoft and IBM were among the Dow’s best performers, rising more than 2 percent each. IBM alone accounted for a third of the Dow’s increase. The index is just 46 points below its record of 14,865 reached on April 11.
I know that PPP tweets/polls were posted on prior threads, but I wanted to offer my congratulations to DF and to all Arizonans;
I think The Atlantic Wire is probably right in placing Flake’s sinking approval to a combination of gun safety and immigration, but I can’t help but think the sheer BETRAYAL of two constituents profoundly affected by gun violence (Gabby and the mother of Aurora victim) has left a bad taste in the mouths of Arizona voters.
Absolutely! He betrayed the people of Aurora and his friend Gabby. Bob Cesca has a good take:
How did Jeff Flake become the worst of the worst in just three months?
He disrespected the victims of the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting with impersonal letters and claimed that he supported expanded background checks before ultimately siding against background checks.
From Public Policy Polling:
70% of Arizona voters support background checks to only 26% who are opposed to them. That includes 92/6 favor from Democrats, 71/24 from independents, and 50/44 from Republicans. 52% of voters say they’re less likely to support Flake in a future election because of this vote, compared to only 19% who say they’re more likely to. Additionally voters say by a 21 point margin, 45/24, that they trust senior colleague John McCain more than Flake when it comes to gun issues.
He then bragged that he was elected to a 6 year term, thinking that by the end of his term that we’d all forget what the little bought and paid for POS did. Wrong answer.
yep he is a pos
I bet you all the people with 401k’s are secretary saying: if having a “socialist, muslim,Kenyan” is what it takes for them to regain all their retirement losses, beginning in 2008, then they don’t mind it at all. I am also absolutely convinced that had the Republicans not blocked the President’s very sensible Jobs Bill, more Americans would be employed right now and the economy would be in much better shape than it is now.
I”ll bet none of them held a gun in combat and if they did they shot ducks and critters. I sometimes wish deer could get fire arms and could shoot back. I bet there’ll be background checks then.
From the last thread in case you missed it.
Cost approx $12,000.
Plug it in like a toaster. It is illegal to sell in Canada (except in B.C.)
Hey, Yardarm…..I live in BC and there are electrical dispensers popping up on almost every block….it’s pretty neat!
Wonder when that’s gonna happen down here?
I like seeing FLOTUS lovely eyes, so I hope she move the bangs from from covering her eyes.
Oh I have been thinking this all along. I like some of the hairdos with the bangs, but often I want to sweep them out of the way so I can see more of her beautiful face. Of course there is also many years of my mother saying to me “Get that hair out of your face!” to contend with.
I understand where you are coming from, but I love her bangs. I think she has a much more youthful look now.
I like FLOTUS bangs too, I just don’t want them covering her lovely eyes.
What an interesting concept for a restaurant…
Paging LL. I REPEAT……..Paging LL.
We ROCK!!! BOOKS RULE!!!
That really is a wonderful story. The thing that all authoritarians fear is knowledge. Once you infect a soul with truth, he can see through lies.
Did you see the mid 19th Century Argentinian theater they turned into an incredible book store? I added that to the post….
I have to make it one of these weekends to The Last Bookstore, a book temple in downtown L.A.
And, yes, I’ve seen the Argentine bookstore. Freaking lovely.
Hope the Alycee and PrettyFoot make it to this thread tonight.
Good news for Pennsylvannia:
And hope this picture puts a smile on TODers in the Philly area (if you’re on Twitter, by all means follow @JimMacMillan, active in finding solutions to gun violence via GunCrisis.org and a Pulitzer prize winning photojournalist who served a stint in the Iraq War with AP):
Thanks, Arapaho, this poll has made a big splash in Pa and I hope it sends some candidates for governor who’ve been sitting on the fence into action. The problem we have is an out of control extremist state legislature and that has to change, too, or we’ll get a Dem governor and a state legislature that will roadblock everything. We can take nothing for granted in ANY state in 2014. Work, work, work to get out the vote. Republicans are counting on Dem passivity just like in 2010. We’re going to prove them wrong.
You’re absolutely right, “We’re going to prove them wrong.” I emailed a similar article from philly.com to my folks this morning. Every Dem candidate polled better than ‘One-term Tom.’ We are getting our folks tuned up starting NOW with the local elections. Our goal is to convert presidential year voters to EVERY YEAR VOTERS!
Thanks, Arapaho! Folks like you are why I love this place; we look out for each other.
Arap, I’m in PA also. We are already working out a#$%s off to get ready to defeat Gov. Tom “Cut It” Corbett. What a bad actor he is…
Thanks Chipsticks for keeping me up-to-date on so many important events while I’m tolling away at work 🙂
Also while at work, I came across this article regarding the West Texas explosion and Texas regulations…
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2013/0429/Smoking-gun-in-West-Texas-fertilizer-blast-lack-of-government-oversight
This lack of attention to the safety of our workplaces and neighborhoods is no accident. It is the product of a concerted attack by the US Chamber of Commerce, industry trade associations, and conservative think tanks on what they see as onerous regulatory programs – but ones that were enacted by Congress over the years to protect the public from irresponsible corporate misconduct.
These opponents of government regulation learned long ago that the best way to remove the burdens of regulatory programs was to starve the regulatory agencies and bash the bureaucracy,
More info on the reactions and challenges facing federal regulatory agencies:
“For the past two years, the Chemical Safety Board’s budget requests have argued that its lengthy investigation into the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and spill is sapping its ability to respond to other incidents. In its 2013 budget request, a document sent to Congress in February 2012 to make the case for its federal budget allocation this year, the CSB wrote that “the burden of the ongoing Deepwater Horizon investigation and a backlog of old cases has further hampered the CSB’s ability to initiate new investigations.” In its 2014 request, released in January, the agency makes a similar argument…”
This , plus the fact that Chris Christie has a 70% approval rating after defrauding pension plans, cutting education and hiding behind President Obama during a crisis in his town – makes me think that there are a lot of stupid people who actually go out and vote.
That’s the intent, GGail, but when the accidents keep happening and the deaths keep mounting, regulations start to look very attractive to people (except in TX). It hope we see years of lawsuits, ginormous fines, and mounting public resentment. Then we, the people, have to start punishing congresspeople who want to undermine our regulatory agencies and put workers at risk. It won’t happen right away, but we’re starting to see the horrific effects of reduced regulatory oversight and they’re only going to grow.
Thanks Arapaho & Jackie – this finger pointing makes me sick! Yes, we the people need to push back hard. Slick Rick Perry has the audicity to get mad at a California paper for printing a truth. It’s because he’s been touting ads telling CA business to come to TX. Us folks in CA are too smart for his dumb azz!
Best wishes to you, gb.
Gobrooklyn, May your heart be filled with all of the loving thoughts and prayers coming your way. I will be lighting candles for you in my home tomorrow.((((( From my arms to yours)))))HZ
Over the weekend my twitter feed was filled with journalists tweeting about a promotion (I think) by Politico of a @MarkLeibovich book called “This Town.”
I didn’t read any of these articles, but saw that BobFR, Chips and others mentioned (and not in a good way). Big surprise that the Politico promo was written by @MikeAllen, who has a chapter in Leibovich’s book. This (and reporting what you see on TV) is what passes for DC journalism these days.
If the national MSM wear leather-soled shoes, the leather only gets a workout only when transporting their wearers to lunch and dinner.
ha!
Haha.
Recently (yesterday or the day before), a poster with username “Audrey” made a comment to the effect that PBO was not attentive to FLOTUS at the WHCD, and that women at TOD were objectifying him/spoiling him and all this fawning has gone to his head and changed him for the worst. Many TODers (including Chips) rightfully objected to “Audrey” who I believe has since been banned from the site.
Today, in one of the threads, a TODer commented that PBO looked “fine” in one of the pics, and I jokingly responded that we had better be careful that “Audrey” does not come after us. Well, “Audrey” did not come after us but I did receive this lengthy response from another user (Whom I believe has posted here before) by the name of Eleroy. I’m not posting Eleroy’s comment directly but I’m posting the link – so you can read the comment for yourself.
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/04/29/the-whcd-zingers/#comment-707959
While I believe that Eleroy has every right to express his/her views on this matter, I think that his/her comments have included lot of false and unfair accusations about how we treat the President and First Lady (either directly stated or implied). Given that the comments were not directed to me specifically, but pretty much to all the women on TOD who have at some point or another commented on his appearance, etc., I thought I would share with the TOD community. I will try to draft a response – I haven’t been able to do that yet.
I missed Audrey? Poo. She only ever came onto TOD to cast a side-eye at one commenter or another.
This comment that I’m now referring to is not from Audrey it’s from another TODer – Eleroy. I believe “Audrey” has been banned as per Chips.
Oh, I know the comment you referred to was from Eleroy.
I just went back and saw Audrey’s swan song. I don’t think aligning himself with her is going to win Eleroy many friends on this blog.
Heh. True dat. Maybe Audrey and Eleroy are dating, or perhaps even married? 🙂
Hf, you did a good job responding. If we lose our sense of humor, the world gets very bleak indeed. People who get together every day as we do on this site learn to share light-hearted comments because that’s what close-knit people do when they meet. There is so much cause for frustration, outrage, fear and anger at all that happens in the world, that we all turn to humor to relieve tension. It’s human. and in TOD’s case, it’s rooted in a profound love and respect for our president and his family. And no one would understand that better than PBO and FLOTUS.
Compared to all the 24×7 vitriol against the obamas, this is what gets some people’s goat ?
lack.of.perspective.
You’re right Jackie. I’m thinking, of all the names FLOTUS has experienced her husband being called, women light-heartedly calling attention to his handsome features (both inside and out) rank damn near at the bottom of stuff that could possibly “hurt” her. Most women and men feel flattered knowing that their spouses are the object of respectful admiration from the masses. It is an indirect compliment to them.
I don’t get mad when chips says she loves mr. dotster and has asked him (and a few others) to marry her. In fact, it makes me happy. 🙂
So nicely said, jackie. We jest…but I have never seen a more protective or truly respectful group of people in one place with regards to our President and the First Family.
Let me just add….we DO have eyes, and I’m not dead yet!
I admire and respect President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. I don’t think she is any more lucky to have married him, then he is to have married her. I feel they are bless to have found one another. He isn’t perfect, neither is she. None of us are. I voted for him for many reasons and one of the main reason is he loves his wife and daughters.
What a bunch of hooey. I would guess that both audrey and eleroy have personal issues which they are projecting. I could go on, but I won’t. A bunch of nonsense from both—-so far off base that it’s laughable.
Hopefruit, I read Audrey’s nonsense about the President’s alleged, totally false, disrespect of the first lady and shared my two cents. I am sick of holier than thou people who have no sense of humor.
Hopefruit, I just now read eleroy diatribe, which I had missed, and your response to him/her. As always, you were spot-on! I don’t care what any one else says, but President Obama is a good looking, intelligent, inspirational and charismatic person. Likewise, First Lady Michelle Obama is a good looking, intelligent, inspirational and charismatic person. It’s all these qualities and others that make both POTUS and FLOTUS widely admired throughout the world. Just because people at TOD (women and men) let their hair down, now and then. by admiring both POTUS and FLOTUS does not mean that they are being objectified. Look, speaking for myself, I think the First Lady looked absolutely gorgeous at the WHCD! Well, to be honest, I think FLOTUS always looks gorgeous! But does that mean that I don’t respect her intellect and the reality that she is way, way, smarter than me? To the contrary, I think one of the reasons people like me admire FLOTUS has to do with her intellect! And, as far as I am concerned, there is absolutely nothing wrong with admiring her beauty or her sense of style. I also see nothing wrong with the ladies admiring President Obama’s looks, swagger, etc.! I actually don’t think It’s just the ladies because many foreign leaders, men and women, seem to be as mesmerized in the presence of President Obama, as are TOD members.
I wonder if Audrey and Eleroy are ok with people on blogs who castigate the President, compare him and his wife to Satan and animals, talk about him ‘caving” and such, and if they only reserve their criticism for those who admire and praise the President and his wife. If people are enjoying the fact that the President and his wife are extremely good looking people, both of whom have beauty that begins from the inside of who they are, and radiates on the outside – then so be it. I don’t intend to stop.
one can’t over look that the criticism on this issue includes critics using people’s comments to deride them of things they never actually said or did!
I am trying my best not to say all I want to say – let me go back to real problems that we need to solve as a nation
She got ten months for being scared?
She went once. She was up for re-deployment.
Sandra Day O’Connor expresses regret about court’s role in 2000 election
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/26/189795/retired-justice-expresses-regret.html#storylink=omni_popular
too little, too late.
Crocodile tears are the most worthless kind.
Her legacy as the first woman supreme will forever have this black-mark of aiding blatant stealing of a presidential election.
Exactly LL.
Amk, I was so enraged when I read this earlier that I wanted to scream at this thoughtless, destructive, selfish woman. Years ago, she said she cast for vote in Bush vs Gore because she knew she wanted to retire and didn’t want a Democratic president to replace her. To hell with the country, all she cared about was herself. And now she’s concerned about the “image” of the Supreme Court after she and her right wing buddies dragged it into the mud and sunk it into oblivion. Lady, that train left the station a long time ago.
Another Arizonan. Surprised?
really? how about that. I didn’t know that.
ok…she was born in TX…RAISED in AZ:) She even has a Federal Ct building named for her in Phoenix
see? i learn something new here EVERYDAY! 😀
As far as I am concerned, the Supreme Court’s ” Bush v. Gore” was one of the most (and may be the most) politically motivated U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the entire history of the country.
#FORWARD Together
IBob, it’s just heartbreaking to think of what could be accomplished with a real Congress that actually wanted the US to succeed. It’s the tragedy of our times that a major political party that actually has a majority in the US House wants to destroy the government and economy of our country. Who would have thought this possible?
Yes, Jackie, it is tragic. But, we will cleanse the system in 2014 and move on!
#TrustBarack
Yes Indeed, Bobfr! Ray LaHood and former SoD, Bob Gates, are examples of Republicans who put their country above blind ideology.
I love this!
Ok, having read the kerfuffle with Audrey, I have to change my night owl post. But it will drop at the stroke of midnight, blog time.
Midnight, PST??? I can’t stay up THAT late! Or do you mean 9pm for PST? I can DO that:)
Oh WTH did I just write? I don’t make any sense…even to me. Are you saying that it will be ready at midnight EASTERN time or Pacific time? I have to go get envelopes. By the time I come back, maybe I will have found my mind…………………
Noooooooo, blog is on EDT. So, yes, 9 our time.
Oh, thank you:) Midnight would be pushing it hard for me…up at 5:30am….except last night, when it was 3am. Did manage to get back to sleep for that one though:)
Hey blog tyrant. Two HZ’s posts are in pending.
I think the blog empress might be off to the Land of Nod.
Just a quick note, then I am off to bed. First: On another thread yesterday or last night, both daisydem and arapaho talked about east TN, having family here, visiting here, etc. If either/both of them see this, my question is WHERE?
Also, on the Jack thread about Jack (pediatric cancer), I asked for suggestions on how I can get to someone at the WH about turning the WH GOLD for Childhood Cancer Month which is September. I’ve sent a number of emails and checked that I wanted a reply and have made a number of calls to both the call-in line and the switchboard at the WH. Any suggestions????
I’ll check in the morning for answers. Sleep tight all and don’t let Mitch McConnell bite. 😦
Local OFA director? Health and Human Services email rather than the WH….bet they don’t get near as many emails and inquires.
TnMtnGirl, how about starting a petition at whitehouse.gov.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions
tnmtngirl: hello, daisydem here. I have a brother-in-law and his wife in Lebanon, TN. And when we go to visit, we drive up 231 from North Alabama. It is a beautiful highway that takes you through the rolling hills from Fayetteville, TN to Murfreesboro (a growing college town) then on to Lebanon. As I said, I love this drive in every weather condition imaginable, EXCEPT for the night we made our way going home and hit FOG, really dense fog in the worse possible place, between Shelbyville and Fayetteville, the kind where just to see the white line on the edge of the road was difficult but the only thing to guide by.
Maybe try tweeting Jay Carney at @PressSec – this is a good idea!
Turtle Mitch is so flattered that he got some attention at the WHCD….can tell he gets very little otherwise.
Oh please not Mitch again.
Because this went over so well when Clint did it. What a turtle.
That empty chair was Boner’s… He is currently out of sight on the floor under the bar.
LMAO! I think you’re right about THAT 🙂
The President was spot-on about having a beer with McConnell! As I said to Hopefruit, I heard unconfirmed rumors that even John Boehner was not that keen on the idea of having a beer with Mitch McConnell! Boehner, I am told, is afraid that if he (Boehner) gets drunk and starts getting emotional and crying, McConnell will curse him out.
Is that a real smile on his face?
A lipless one.
A blessed night to all here at TOD. I just read Hopefruit’s comment about Audrey and Eleroy. Those two are bloggers on the mrs-org.com website and their comments are always toxic towards PBO and the First Lady, especially Eleroy’s. They are Obama haters. I hope Chips keep them away from this pleasant and pro-Obama haven.
Audrey’s been banned. Eleroy is most likely on his way to being so.
I’m betting eleroy is also a her. Both are just trying to stir up trouble, a weak attempt to anger Obama’s female supporters. They’re not very good at what they do—too obvious.
Some how I knew Audrey was taking advantage of the fact that Chipsticks. and all her knowledgeable TOD posters had gone to sleep.
Thanks PrayerWarrior for the heads up on Eleroy. I suspected an dubious agenda from the comment, but didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Have a wonderful evening.
I hope Chipsticks keep the enemy away from here too, PrayerWarriorforObama. I am willing to say without a doubt that we here love our President, First Lady, first daughters, and Bo.
My last one for the night….:-D
Husband & wife very funny!
The Wife Came Home Early From Work And Found Her Husband In Bedroom Making Love To A Very Attractive Young Woman.
She Cried: “You Are A Disrespectful Pig! How Dare You Do This To Me — A Faithful Wife, The Mother Of Your Children! I’m Leaving You. I Want A Divorce Right Away!”
Husband Replied: “Hang On Just A Minute Love So At Least I Can Tell You What Happened.”
She Sobbed: “Fine, Go Ahead, But They’ll Be The Last Words You’ll Say To Me!”
And The Husband Began –
Well, I Was Getting Into The Car To Drive Home, And This Young Lady Here Asked Me For A Lift.
She Looked So Down And Out And Defenseless That I Took Pity On Her And Let Her Into The Car.
I Noticed That She Was Very Thin, Not Well Dressed And Very Dirty. She Told Me That She Hadn’t Eaten For Three Days.
So, In My Compassion, I Brought Her Home And Warmed Up The Enchiladas I Made For You Last Night, The Ones You Wouldn’t Eat Because You’re Afraid You’ll Put On Weight.
Since She Needed A Good Clean-Up, I Suggested A Shower, And While She Was Doing That, I Noticed Her Clothes Were Dirty And Full Of Holes, So I Threw Them Away.
Then, As She Needed Clothes, I Gave Her The Designer Jeans That You Have Had For A Few Years, But Don’t Wear Because You Say They Are Too Tight.
I Also Gave Her The Underwear That Was Your Anniversary Present, Which You Don’t Wear Because I Don’t Have Good Taste.
I Found The Sexy Blouse My Sister Gave You For Christmas That You Don’t Wear Just To Annoy Her, And I Also Donated Those Boots You Bought At The Expensive Boutique And Don’t Wear Because Someone At Work Has A Pair The Same.
The Husband Took A Quick Breath And Continued: “She Was So Grateful For My Understanding And Help That As I Walked Her To The Door, She Turned To Me With Tears In Her Eyes And Said,
“Please … Do You Have Anything Else That Your Wife Doesn’t Use?“
LOL! Good one Yardarm. 🙂 A lesson in there somewhere?
More than one for sure.
Try and set the night on fire… http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
aww thanks MP.
So, just to piss off amk, I’m enjoying a very subtle Cabernet from a California vineyard called Ravenswood. Cali rocks!
New post: http://theobamadiary.com/2013/04/29/night-owl-chat-with-reunited-spandau-ballet/