OHIO NCAA IN L. A. NEWS

[March 22nd up date: ....and then there were three !]

[March 23rd up date: ...suddenly there was only one left in the "Elite Eight"!]

[March 24th up date: ...still one left -- OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
going to New Orleans in the "Final Four"!]

[March 31st up date: ...and then there were none -- leaves Kansas vs Kentucky in finals Mon.]

[April 2nd up date: ...University of Kentucky is the champion!]

My husband used to complain he couldn't get much news in the Los Angeles Times about Ohio State University (OSU) sports teams. Never mind, as I reminded him, that most people in Southern California where we now lived are more interested in West Coast teams -- UCLA, USC, OSU (here it means Oregon State University,) Washington, just to name a few western powerhouse college athletic teams.

He had been accustomed to reading Central Ohio's major newspaper, the Columbus Dispatch (Columbus is home to Ohio State University,) but we hadn't continued the subscription here. Keep in mind computer use with Internet access was uncommon and not available yet in our household. A few special Ohio friends he especially welcomed hearing from would celebrate wins, commiserate losses as they kibitzed with him by phone, including John who had been a head cheerleader at Ohio State.

I remember years ago at least one occasion of our attending an exciting Ohio State basketball game when they played then at St. John's Arena, now a multi-purpose arena. The OSU basketball team games are currently played in a newer arena with the Schottenstein family name, associated with what has become a prominent Columbus national/international holding company. I recall the name as being a huge discount store where I sometimes shopped for marked down or seconds in name designer clothing, long before such marketing became so prevalent.

Anyway, yesterday's L. A. Times sports section had a small front page column by Chris Dufresne that does mention Ohio. For all of you Ohioans wherever you are and for my husband, though he is no longer of this world, I thought you might be interested in the quote at the beginning of the article that's titled:

"Ohio players simply tireless

Cincinnati, Xavier, Ohio State, Ohio give the state four Sweet 16 entries, an NCAA first.

One of every four teams remaining is from Ohio, with Ohio State, Xavier, Cincinnati and Ohio all advancing.

No state has ever pushed four schools into the round of 16, which only invites the question: What happened to Akron?

This is the tournament, you could say, where most of the rubber met the road."

You can click on the L A. Times Dufresne link above for the rest of the article which primarily discusses other college teams still in NCAA basketball's Sweet 16 playoffs.

Another time, I'll share the saga, expectations and complications I had for introducing my husband to using the computer to connect to the budding sports information cyber world that could be available to him.

LACMA MEGALITH ARRIVAL

The granite megalith destined to become part of Michael Heizer's "Levitated Mass" arrived at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturday, March 10th in the early morning hours just before dawn.

The gigantic boulder's journey began on Tuesday, February 28th, traveling only at night at 5 - 8 miles per hour through 4 counties and 22 cities with stops in 8 communities along the route. The journey was not without complications with streetlights and trees but minimal traffic issues.

Levitated Mass is expected to open to the public in early summer, 2012.

Thanks to all for sharing your reactions and thoughts in comments on the two preceding posts about this earthwork art exhibit.

Here's a video of the football field long transport with the megalith arriving at LACMA:

LEVITATED MASS DUAL PURPOSE?

The gargantuan granite rock described in my previous article as destined to become "Levitated Mass" -- an earthwork art exhibit by Michael Heizer -- may serve a dual purpose.

Whether or not this boulder ultimately is accepted as art by everyone, the mere fact of its being displayed in a levitated manner may arouse interest in the levitation concept as a viable architectural safety feature for homes subject to earthquakes.

Regarding the boulder as art, comments on my previous post were less than sanguine that this gigantic stone should be considered such, and from one reader, other than "just a rock." This was also another instance warranting a comment suggesting what constitutes art lies in the eye of the beholder.

Perhaps this boulder exhibit's value may also, or instead, lie in stimulating interest in the levitation concept.

The levitation idea has led me to explore related information with potential significance for earthquake resistant housing. The Japanese are building housing using a levitating system intended to protect homes from earthquakes as described in this Inhabitat link.

Note the Los Angeles County Museum of Art expects to unveil "Levitated Mass" later this year.

Consider this report from KPCC Public Radio:

"The estimated cost for the project is 10 million dollars. The boulder itself was sold to LACMA for around $70,000 and it [crept] through Southern California at night on a football field-sized transport valued around 5 million dollars."

Private funds and no taxpayer dollars are reported to have been expended on this project. Future generations perspective may best assess how worthwhile this endeavor has been.

ROCK IN L.A.

Up Date Sat., 3/10/12 ..... the rock has arrived at LACMA, will be set in place later this weekend. The "Levitated Mass" exhibit is expected to open early this summer.

Museum officials have been amazed that the rock's transport trek attracted so much public attention, especially among young people. The hope is there will be many new visitors to LACMA -- some becoming future members.

*****

L.A. has rock in more ways than one. This rock is a 340-ton, 21'-6" high granite boulder discovered in a quarry years ago. Destined to be a major new artwork at Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass will be his latest earthwork. It will be installed above a 456-foot-long trench to create a most unique experience as viewers walk beneath.

Traveling west only at night to minimize traffic tie-ups, the rock started from Riverside County east of my town. The rock is attracting much attention and even some parties in city stops along the way.

Michael Govan, director of LACMA, went out to visit the boulder—in this video he gives you an idea of what you can expect. For more information visit lacma.org
Video production: Alexa Oona Schulz

"The rock weighs as much as 4 jumbo jets and as much as 50 T-Rex's. It will be placed in an exhibit where people can walk directly under it in a way that will make it look as though it is levitating."

The 340-ton granite boulder is making a 105-mile journey from Riverside to Los Angeles at 5 miles a hour. Yesterday the rock most recently celebrated in a Long Beach Rock-A-Palooza party.