Things We Learned on Google Today_ Barcelona Kicks Butt

Since FC Barcelona has advanced to face Manchester United in the UEFA League finals, which is apparently watched with religious fervor in every country in the world except the United States and maybe Bhutan, we thought we'd tell everyone some facts that everyone in Spain assuredly already knows.

I asked Google: "How many UEFA League Championships has FC Barcelona won?" and the answer appears to be three (1992, 2006 and 2009). We also learned that FC Barcelona became the first team to win a domestic cup, a domestic league title and a UEFA Champions League title in the same year, 2009.

The current team features two Spanish socccer gods in David Villa and Pedro. The team has also featured international stars like Ronaldinho from Brazil and Lional Messi from Argentina.

The other image in this entry is Cobi, who was the mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Speaking of which, we understand the American Olympic gymnast Shannon Miller who competed in several Olympics, including Barcelona, is battling cancer; she's only in her early 30s. I have not heard about her status, but we certainly wish her the best as well as a complete recovery.

We have no idea what Cobi's gender is (oh with a shirt and tie, he must be a man), or much about the mascot. We had to use Google to remind us who was mascot of the Barcelona Olympics actually!

And, lastly, an interesting thing about Bhutan, according to the NPR show "The World," one can not smoke there. In fact, they sent a Buddhist monk in Bhutan to prison for three years (?!) for smuggling smokes! Even though I haven't smoked since I was 20 years old in 1990, this seems a bit much, but I'm sure this means the air in the Himalayan nation is quite clean now!

Silly Photo to Fill Space- Camels

The state of North Carolina has banned smoking in restaurants and bars.

(Editorial Comment: HOOORAY!!!!)

Though there are people like my libertarian friend Chris Knight of Reidsville, NC, who are not pleased that the state which had an economic base around tobacco is now going smoke-free.

I read a story in "The Daily Tarheel," the student-run newspaper of the University of North Carolina that the Hookah Bliss hookah bar in Chapel Hill, NC, was not pleased with the measures that went into effect at the start of 2010, several months ago but I have not heard an update on what they were going to do about the matter.

But, this does mean that one can now go into the Flat Irons bar in Greensboro where I saw my good friend Bruce Piephoff, a local folk singer, perform two years ago, without coughing a lung out.

My home state of Virginia passed essentially the same measures which went into effect on Dec. 1, 2009, which now means I can have breakfast at the Waffle House on Franklin Road in Roanoke, Va., and actually taste what I'm eating!

Interestingly enough, one university in NC- Campbell U (located Buies Creek- 45 minutes south of Raleigh) is nicknamed the Camels. Though, I think this is because it is a Christian school rather than any affiliation with tobacco.

The Campbell Camels' men's basketball team pulled an upset over the weekend in Spartanburg, SC, when they beat USC Upstate 82-69. On Thursday night, the Camels face Mercer University in Macon, Ga. There were once conference foes with my alma mater Radford University in Radford, Va. The RU Highlanders defeated Gardner-Webb University from Hickory, NC, by a 75-45 margin last night in a home game. Right now, the team seems to be (pardon the pun....) smokin'!