The Conejo Valley Guide "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, highlights of local things to do, compilations and other items. Focus is on information relevant to Ventura County and surrounding areas, including Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Newbury Park, Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Moorpark, Somis, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Barbara and Moorpark.
The Conejo Valley Guide® "Welcome" blog covers a wide range of topics, local information, local things to do, holiday event compilations, announcements and more.
Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was known as one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. He was born in 1927, moved to the U.S. in 1974 and died in 2007. He was a masterful musician; truly a "rock star" of his generation. Rostroprovich completely nails David Popper's "Dance of the Elves" in this 2 1/2 minute video.
Click here for a link to an incredible panoramic picture of President Obama's inaugural address last Tuesday. David Bergman, the New York City based photographer who made the image, did it using a Gigaspan Imager that allowed him to patch together 220 Canon G10 images over a 6 1/2 hour period for a file that is almost 2 gigabites and about 60,000 x 25,000 pixels.
The picture has a Gigaspan Viewer that allows you to zoom in and discover very small details, kind of like an "I Spy" book. Take a look and see if you can find Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas apparently sleeping, a guy with a Green Bay Packers cap, Aretha Franklin with her very uh, unique green cap, sitting behind a man missing half his head (an apparent small imperfection in the photo patching process), Denzel Washington wearing a blue cap and standing, Yo-Yo Ma taking a picture with his iPhone and if you scroll closely enough, you can almost make out the notes on the sheet music of the Marine Corps band. Take a look at this amazing picture!
A buddy of mine was at The Lakes in Thousand Oaks last night and was witness to the aftermath of an SUV (Slightly Underwater Vehicle) literally driven into one of The Lakes' lakes. According to the Ventura County Star, the driver was involved in an accident on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, then shifted into reverse, ending up in the lake. He was arrested for felony drunk driving. This happened just after 6 p.m. last night. Thank God no one was injured, not even a duck.
You know, this could make a good ad for the off-roading capabilities of this SUV.
Another fine picture of SUV in The Lakes. Hmm, maybe he just couldn't find a parking spot? Or was he thirsty?
Or perhaps the driver just wanted a better view of the beautiful fountain at The Lakes.
This is the way The Lakes usually looks during the day. Beautiful setting. Looks much nicer without a car in there.
Obama gave a great inaugural speech today with appropriate tone - sober, yet still optimistic and reassuring to the American people. There were no "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." or "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." zingers, but it is worth watching, more than once.
Given the historic significance of this day, I felt compelled to assemble the following collection of inauguration speeches, including Obama, Bush (2001), Clinton (1993), Reagan (1981), Kennedy (1961) and FDR (1933) for your viewing pleasure.
After tomorrow's Presidential Inauguration there will be quite a bit of dancing going on. In fact, there will be 10 Inaugural Balls, including the Commander-in-Chief's Ball, Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, Youth Inaugural Ball (for ages 18 to 35, which sadly I am nowhere near eligible for), Obama Home States Inaugural Ball (Illinois and Hawaii only), Biden Home States Inaugural Ball (Delaware and Pennsylvania) and the Eastern, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southern and Western Inaugural Balls.
So with all the dancing going on in Washington DC, why not consider local dancing options here at Conejo Valley Guide!? You have no excuses not to kick up your heels in 2009.
Click Music, Art and Dance Groups and find links to all types of dancing groups, including:
Is it my imagination or is square dancing extremely popular in Ventura County!?
Or how about learning how to dance at a local venue:
If you are aware of other dancing classes and venues not found on this site, Contact Us and let us know!
Image: Courtesy of NASAIf you are looking to connect with other local residents with similar hobbies and interests, or just looking for something new to do, check out the Social, Hobby, Cultural Clubs section of Conejo Valley Guide! There is something for pretty much anyone in here. These clubs usually meet monthly, some weekly, at a local venue. Here is a sampling of what is out there:
Go Fly a Kite in 2009!Ventura County Kite FlyersThe list goes on....we have looked and looked but still have not found a local tiddly winks club. Not yet at least.
So check out some of these clubs and start broadening your interests and horizons in 2009! To add to this list, contact us here.
Conejo Valley Guide covers events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County and surrounding areas.
Conejo Valley Guide® covers thousands of events, activities and things to do throughout Ventura County, California and surrounding areas.
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