It has been a whole week since I updated this site. Apologies for the delay but I haven't had the time.

Let's take a trip to Accra, the capital of Ghana.

The photos are: 1) the Accra skyline; 2) the Accra Conference Center; 3) the Holy Spirit Cathedral; 4) Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park; 5) Labadi Beach; 6) Osu Castle (aka Fort Christianborg); 7) the Premier Towers; and 8) the National Theater.

Accra is the capital, and most populous city of Ghana. The city also doubles as the capital of the Greater Accra Region, and of the Accra Metropolis District with which it is coterminous. It is the administrative, communications, and economic center of the country. Over 70% of Ghana's manufacturing capacity is located within this region district. Accra has been Ghana's capital since 1877, and contains public buildings reflecting its transition from a 19th century suburb of Victoriasborg to the modern metropolis it is today.
Among the attractions of Accra are the National Museum, with a display of exhibits that reflect the heritage of Ghana from prehistoric times to modern times, the National Theatre with its distinct modern architecture, Independence Square, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, the Accra International Conference Centre, the fishing port at Jamestown and Makola Market.

Accra was founded by the Ga people in the late 1600s. The word Accra is derived from the word Nkran meaning "ants" in Akan, a reference to the numerous anthills seen in the countryside around Accra. During part of its history, Accra served as a centre for trade with the Portuguese, who built a fort in the town, followed by the Swedish, Dutch, French, British and Danish by the end of the seventeenth century.
The site of present-day Accra developed into a sizable town around the original Ga town as well as British, Danish and Dutch forts and their surrounding communities: Jamestown near the British fort, Osu near the Danish Christiansborg fort (now Osu Castle) and Ussherstown near the Dutch Ussher fort. The four areas form the core of the modern city.
In 1877, at the end of the second Anglo-Asante War, Accra replaced Cape Coast as the capital of the British Gold Coast colony. After the completion of a railway to the mining and agricultural interior, Accra became the economic centre of Ghana. Large areas were destroyed by earthquakes in 1862 and 1939, but the city grew around a seaport (now relocated to Tema), and later a brewery, expanding into neighbouring towns.
The Accra Riots in 1948 launched the Ghanaian campaign for independence, which led to the Ghana's independence from the United Kingdom and nationhood in 1957.

Accra is home to the National Museum of Ghana, the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Archives of Ghana, and Ghana's central library. Also of note is Christianborg or Osu Castle -- the residence of the president of Ghana, built by the Danes in the 17th century, the National Theatre, Accra Centre for National Culture, a lighthouse, the Ohene Djan Stadium, the Accra International Conference Centre, the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture and several beaches. Near the Parliament of Ghana is the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial is located in downtown Accra.
Osu is a neighborhood in the city known for its dining and nightlife options.

Today's Jumble (01/31/09):

KUYDS = DUSKY; RACZE = CRAZE; FIURAN = UNFAIR; INTOUG = OUTING

CIRCLED LETTERS = USRAUNOTG

What a back seat driver seldom seems to do.

"RUN OUT (OF) GAS"

Today is Backwards Day, Inspire Your Heart With Art Day, National Seed Swap Day, and National Gorilla Suit Day. Jackie Robinson was born on this day in 1919.

Other things on this day in history:

1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon.
1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes is executed for his plotting against Parliament and James I of England.
1747 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital.
1814 - Gervasio Antonio de Posadas becomes Supreme Director of Argentina.
1846 - After the Milwaukee Bridge War, Juneautown and Kilbourntown unified as the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1848 - John C. Fremont court-martialed on grounds of mutiny and disobeying orders.
1849 - Corn Laws are abolished in the United Kingdom (following legislation in 1846).
1862 - Alvan Graham Clark discovers the white dwarf star Sirius B, a companion of Sirius, through an eighteen inch telescope at Northwestern University.
1865 - American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee becomes general-in-chief.
1867 - Maronite nationalist leader Youssef Karam leaves Lebanon on board of a French ship for Algeria
1876 - The United States orders all Native Americans to move into reservations.
1891 - The first attempt of a Portuguese republican revolution breaks out in the northern city of Porto.
1900 - Datu Muhammad Salleh is assassinated in Kampung Teboh, Tambunan, ending the Mat Salleh Rebellion
1915 - World War I: Germany uses poison gas against Russia
1917 - World War I: Germany announces its U-boats will engage in unrestricted submarine warfare.
1918 - A series of accidental collisions on a misty Scottish night leads to the loss of two Royal Navy submarines with over a hundred lives, and damage to another five British warships.
1919 - The Battle of George Square takes place in Glasgow, Scotland.
1929 - The Soviet Union exiles Leon Trotsky.
1930 - 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape.
1941 - Layforce set sail.
1944 - World War II: American forces land on Kwajalein Atoll and other islands in the Japanese-held Marshall Islands.
1944 - World War II: During Anzio campaign 1st Ranger Battalion (Darby's Rangers) was destroyed behind enemy lines in a heavily outnumbered encounter at Battle of Cisterna, Italy.
1945 - US Army private Eddie Slovik is executed for desertion, the first such execution of an American soldier since the Civil War.
1946 - Yugoslavia's new constitution, modeling the Soviet Union, establishes six constituent republics (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
1950 - President Harry S. Truman announces a program to develop the hydrogen bomb.
1953 - A North Sea flood causes over 1,800 deaths in the Netherlands.
1956 - Guy Mollet becomes Prime Minister of France.
1957 - Eight people on the ground in Pacoima, California are killed following the mid-air collision between a Douglas DC-7 airliner and a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet.
1958 - Explorer program: Explorer 1 - The first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit.
1958 - James Van Allen discovers the Van Allen radiation belt.
1961 - Project Mercury: Mercury-Redstone 2 - Ham the Chimp travels into outer space.
1966 - The Soviet Union launches the unmanned Luna 9 spacecraft as part of the Luna program.
1968 - Viet Cong attack the United States embassy in Saigon, and other attacks, in the early morning hours, later grouped together as the Tet Offensive.
1968 - Nauru declares independence from Australia.
1970 - A Saskatchewan Court convicts 17-year-old hippie David Milgaard of murder; he is sentenced to life in prison. He spent 23 years in jail until April 14, 1992 when DNA evidence proved him innocent of all charges.
1971 - Apollo program: Apollo 14 Mission - Astronauts Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell, aboard a Saturn V, lift off for a mission to the Fra Mauro Highlands on the Moon.
1971 - The Winter Soldier Investigation, organized by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War to publicize war crimes and atrocities by Americans and allies in Vietnam, begin in Detroit, Michigan.
1990 - The first McDonald's in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow.
1995 - President Bill Clinton authorizes a $20 billion loan to Mexico to stabilize its economy.
1996 - An explosives-filled truck rams into the gates of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in Colombo, Sri Lanka killing at least 86 and injuring 1,400.
2000 - Alaska Airlines flight 261 MD-83, experiencing horizontal stabilizer problems, crashes in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Mugu, California, killing all 88 persons aboard.
2001 - In the Netherlands a Scottish court convicts a Libyan and acquits another for their part in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which crashed into Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
2003 - The Waterfall rail accident occurs near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia.
2006 - Samuel Alito is confirmed by the US senate to become the next Supreme Court Justice
2007 - Suspects are arrested in Birmingham in the UK, accused of plotting the kidnap, holding and eventual beheading of a serving Muslim British soldier in Iraq.

Off to Abuja, Nigeria.

The photos are: 1) the Abuja skyline; 2) the Abuja National Mosque; 3) the Abuja City Gate; 4) Millenium Park; 5) the National Assembly Building; 6) the Nigerian Radio Corporation Headquarters; 7) the Abuja Space Center; and 8) Abuja Stadium.

Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja is a planned city, as it was mainly built in the 1980s and officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing the role of the previous capital Lagos. As of the 2006 census, the Federal Capital Territory has a population of 778,567.
Abuja's geography is defined by Aso Rock, a 400-metre monolith left by water erosion. The Presidential Complex, National Assembly, Supreme Court and much of the town extend to the south of the rock. "Aso" means "victorious" in the language of the (now displaced) Asokoro ("the people of victory").
Other sights include the Nigerian National Mosque and the Nigerian National Christian Centre. The city is served by the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, while Zuma Rock lies nearby. Abuja is known for being the best purpose-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive; however, the population on the semi-developed edges of the city are living in shanty towns such as Karu. Karu, originally planned to house the capital's civil servants and lower income families, still has no running water, sanitation or electricity.

In light of the ethnic and religious divisions of Nigeria, plans had been devised since Nigeria's independence to have its capital in a location deemed neutral to all parties. The location was eventually designated in the centre of the country in the early 1970s as it signified neutrality and national unity. Another impetus for Abuja came because of Lagos's population boom that made that city overcrowded and conditions squalid. The logic used was similar to Brazil building its capital Brasília.
Construction broke ground and was dedicated in the late 1970s, but due to economic and political instability, the initial stages of the city were not complete until the late 1980s.
The master plan for Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was developed by IPA (International Planning Associates), a consortium made up of three American firms: Planning Research Corporation; Wallace, McHarg, Roberts and Todd; and Archisystems, a division of the Hughes Organization. The master plan for Abuja defined the general structure and major design elements of the city that are visible in the city's current form. More detailed design of the central areas of the capital, particularly its monumental core, was accomplished by Kenzo Tange, a renowned Japanese architect, along with his team of city planners at Kenzo Tange and Urtec company.
Most countries relocated their embassies to Abuja and many maintain their former embassies as consulates in Lagos, still the commercial capital of Nigeria.
Abuja is the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS. It also has the regional headquarters of OPEC.

Abuja and the FCT have experienced huge population growth; it has been reported that some areas around Abuja have been growing at 20 – 30% per year. Squatter settlements and towns have spread rapidly in and outside the city limits. Tens of thousands of people have been evicted since former FCT Minister Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai started a demolition campaign in 2003.
The Phase 1 area of the city is divided into five (5) districts. They are Central, Garki, Wuse, Maitama, and Asokoro. There are also five districts in Phase 2. They are Kado, Durumi, Gudu, Utako and Jabi. And the Phase 3 districts are Mabuchi, Katampe, Wuye and Gwarimpa. There are also five suburban districts, which are Nyanya, Karu, Gwagwalada, Kubwa, and Jukwoyi. Along the Airport Road are clusters of satellite settlements, namely Lugbe, Chika, Kuchigworo and Pyakassa. Other satellite settlements are Idu (The Main Industrial Zone), Mpape, Karimu, Gwagwa, Dei-Dei (housing the International Livestock market and also International Building materials market).

Abuja's Central District (still under construction) is located between the foot of Aso Rock and into the Three Arms Zone to the southern base of the ring road. It is like the city's spinal cord, dividing it into the northern sector with Maitama and Wuse, and the southern sector with Garki and Asokoro. While each district has its own clearly demarcated commercial and residential sectors, the Central District is the city's principal Business Zone, where practically all parastatals and multinational corporations have their offices located. An attractive area in the Central District is the region known as the Three Arms Zone, so called because it houses the administrative offices of the executive, legislative and judicial arms of the Federal Government. A few of the other sites worth seeing in the area are the Federal Secretariats alongside Shehu Shagari Way, Aso Hill, the Abuja Plant Nursery, Eagle Square (which has important historic significance,as it was in this grounds that the present democratic dispensation had its origin in May 29th, 1999) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier across the road facing it. The National Mosque and National Church are located opposite each other on either side of Independence Avenue. Buildings such as the National Assembly building in Abuja, Eagle Square, and Aso rock, the presidential villa, are situated in Abuja. Another well known government office is the Ministry of Defence, popularly nicknamed "Ship House".

The Garki District is the area in the southwest corner of the city, having the Central District to the north and the Asokoro District to the east. The District is subdivided into units called "Areas". Garki uses a distinctive naming convention of "Area" to refer to parts of Garki. These are designated as Areas 1 to 11. Garki II is used to differentiate the area from Garki Area 2. Visitors may at first find this system of names confusing.
Garki is presently the principal business district of Abuja. Numerous buildings of interest are located in this area. Some of them include the General Post Office, Abuja International Conference Center located along the busy Herbert Maculay Way, Nicon Luxury Hotel (formally known as Abuja Sofitel Hotel and Le Meridian), Agura Hotel and Old Federal Secretariat Complex Buildings (Area 1).
Area 2 is mainly used for residential purposes, although a zoological garden as well as Garki Shopping Center are located in Area 2. Several banks and other commercial offices are located along Moshood Abiola Way in Area 7. The Headquarters of the Nigerian Armed Forces, namely Army Headquarters, Airforce Headquarters and Navy Headquarters are all located in the Garki District.
The tallest building in this district is the Radio House, which houses the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Stations and Corporate Headquarters are also based in Garki. The Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) which oversees and runs the Administration of the Federal Capital Territory has it offices in Garki. The Office of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is located in Area 10. Other places of note include the Arts and Culture Center and The Nigerian Police Mobile Force Headquarters in Area 10. The Abuja Municipal Area Council, which is the local Government administration has its headquarters in Area 10. The new United States Embassy is also located in the Garki district.

Wuse District is the northwestern part of the city, with the Maitama District to its north and the Central District to its south. The District is numbered Zones 1-8. The Wuse Market is Abuja's principal market (Zone 5). The second most important Post Office in the city is located here. This district also houses the Sheraton Hotel and Towers (Zone 4), Ibro International hotel, the Foreign Affairs Ministry Headquarters (Zone 1) and Nigerian Customs Services Headquarters, Corporate Affairs Commission (Zone 5), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Agency For Food And Drugs Administration (NAFDAC) (Zone 7), Wuse General Hospital, and the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation. Just as Garki District has Garki II, Wuse has Wuse II. This is distinct from Wuse Zone 2.

Maitama District is to the north of the city, with the Wuse and Central Districts lying to its southwest and southeast respectively. This area is home to the top bracket sections of society and business, and has the reputation of being very exclusive and very expensive. Interesting buildings include the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, National Communications Commission Headquarters (NCC), National Universities Commission(NUC), Soil Conservation Complex, and Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC). The British High Commission is located along Aguiyi Ironsi Way, in Maitama. Also, the Maitama District Hospital is another notable building in Maitama.
Maitama District is home to many of the European embassies in Nigeria.
The Maitama Amusement Park is another exciting place where children and adults go to have lots of fun.

Asokoro District, the doyen of all the districts, houses all of the state's lodges/guest houses. The ECOWAS secretariat is a focal point of interest. Asokoro is located to the east of Garki district and south of Central district. It is one of the most exclusive districts of Abuja and houses virtually all of the federal cabinet ministers; in addition, the Presidential Palace (Aso Rock) is located in Asokoro district. By virtue of this fact, Asokoro is the most secured area of the city.

Gwarimpa is the last district located in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. It contains the largest single housing estate in Nigeria, called the Gwarimpa Housing Estate. The Estate was built by the Administration of General Sani Abacha and is the largest of its kind in Africa. It provides residence for the majority of the civil servants in Federal Ministries and government parastatals. The ECOWAS Court has an official quarters for the President and Members of the Court in Gwarimpa.

Today's Jumble (01/25/09):

MOANEY = YEOMAN; SHUBAM = AMBUSH; CHORCS = SCORCH; GOULEY = EULOGY; RAAPPE = APPEAR; TULIED = DILUTE

CIRCLED LETTERS = EMBSSOLOPRLT

His marriage to the math teacher failed because she had ---

"LOTS (OF) PROBLEMS"

Today is A Room Of One's Own Day. Don't let anyone else enter your room. And for those who like Apple, it is Macintosh Computer Day.

Other things on this day in history:

41 - After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate.
1327 - Edward III becomes King of England.
1494 - Alfonso II becomes King of Naples.
1533 - Henry VIII of England secretly marries his second wife Anne Boleyn.
1554 - Founding of São Paulo city, Brazil.
1573 - Battle of Mikatagahara, in Japan; Takeda Shingen defeats Tokugawa Ieyasu.
1755 - Moscow University established on Tatiana Day.
1787 - American Daniel Shays leads rebellion to seize Federal arsenal to protest debtor's prisons.
1791 - The British Parliament passes the Constitutional Act of 1791 and splits the old province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada.
1792 - The London Corresponding Society is founded.
1858 - The Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn becomes a popular wedding recessional after it is played on this day at the marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter, Victoria, and Friedrich of Prussia.
1879 - The Bulgarian National Bank is founded.
1881 - Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company.
1890 - Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
1909 - Richard Strauss' opera Elektra receives its debut performance at the Dresden State Opera.
1915 - Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
1918 - The Ukrainian people declare independence from Bolshevik Russia.
1919 - The League of Nations is founded.
1924 - The 1924 Winter Olympics open in Chamonix, France (in the French Alps), inaugurating the Winter Olympic Games.
1937 - The Guiding Light debuts on NBC radio from Chicago. In 1952 it moves to CBS television. Still airing, it's the longest running US broadcast program.
1941 - Pope Pius XII elevates the Apostolic Vicariate of the Hawaiian Islands to the dignity of a diocese. It becomes the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu.
1942 - World War II: Thailand declares war on the United States and United Kingdom.
1945 - World War II: Battle of the Bulge ends.
1946 - The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor.
1949 - At the Hollywood Athletic Club the first Emmy Awards are presented.
1955 - Soviet Union ends state of war with Germany.
1959 - Pope John XXIII proclaims upcoming Second Vatican Council.
1960 - The National Association of Broadcasters reacts to the Payola scandal by threatening fines for any disc jockeys who accepted money for playing particular records.
1961 - In Washington, D.C. John F. Kennedy delivers the first live presidential television news conference.
1971 - Charles Manson and three female "Family" members are found guilty of the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
1971 - Idi Amin leads a coup deposing Milton Obote and becomes Uganda's president.
1971 - Himachal Pradesh becomes the 18th Indian state.
1981 - Jiang Qing, the widow of Mao Zedong, is sentenced to death.
1986 - The National Resistance Movement topple the government of Tito Okello in Uganda.
1990 - The Burns' Day storm hits northwestern Europe.
1990 - Honduras becomes a member of the Berne Convention copyright treaty.
1990 - Avianca Flight 52 crashes, killing 73 passengers.
1993 - Five people were shot outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia resulting in two murders.
1994 - The Clementine space probe launches.
1995 - The Norwegian Rocket Incident: Russia almost launches a nuclear attack after it mistakes Black Brant XII, a Norwegian research rocket, for a US Trident missile.
1998 - During a historic visit to Cuba Pope John Paul II demands the release of political prisoners and political reforms while condemning US attempts to isolate the country.
1998 - Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide attack on Sri Lanka's Temple of the Tooth, killing 8 people injuring 25 others.
1999 - A 6.0 Richter scale earthquake hits western Colombia killing at least 1,000.
2001 - A 50-year-old Douglas DC-3 crashes near Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela killing 24.
2002 - Wikipedia switches to the new version of its software ("Phase II") aka Magnus Manske Day.
2004 - Opportunity rover (MER-B) lands on surface of Mars.
2005 - A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi in India kills at least 258.
2006 - Three independent observing campaigns announce the discovery of OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb through gravitational microlensing, the first cool rocky/icy extrasolar planet around a main-sequence star.

Last Thursday (01/20/09) we finished with the U.S. capital cities. Now I'm going to try something a bit more expansive. I have a list of the "National Capitals" and am going to start visiting them. I hope people who visit enjoy "The Trip Around The World."

The first one on the list is Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

The photos are: 1) the Abu Dhabi skyline; 2) the tower-lined Hamdan Street; 3) the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) headquarters, aka, the ADIA Tower; 4) Qasr al-Hosn, the oldest building in the city of Abu Dhabi; 5) a public park in the city; 6) the Sheik Zayed Mosque; and 7) the Emirates Palace Hotel.

Abu Dhabi is the capital and second most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), after Dubai. It is also the seat of government of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is ruled by Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan – the President of the UAE. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western coast. Approximately 860,000 people lived in Abu Dhabi as of 2007. One of the world's largest producers of oil, Abu Dhabi has actively attempted to diversify its economy in recent years through investments in financial services and tourism.

Parts of Abu Dhabi were settled in the 3rd millennium BC and its early history fits the nomadic herding and fishing pattern typical of the broader region. Modern Abu Dhabi traces its origins to the rise of an important tribal confederation, the Bani Yas, in the late 18th century, which also subsequently assumed control of the town of Dubai. In the 19th century the Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches parted ways.
Into the mid-20th century, the economy of Abu Dhabi continued to be sustained mainly by camel herding, production of dates and vegetables at the inland oases of Al Ain and Liwa Oasis, and fishing and pearl diving off the coast of Abu Dhabi city, which was occupied mainly during the summer months. Most dwellings in Abu Dhabi city were, at this time constructed of palm fronds (barasti), with the wealthier families occupying mud huts. The growth of the cultured pearl industry in the first half of the twentieth century created hardship for residents of Abu Dhabi as pearls represented the largest export and main source of cash earnings.
In 1939, Sheikh Shakhbut Bin-Sultan Al Nahyan granted petroleum concessions, and oil was first found in 1958. At first, oil money had a marginal impact. A few lowrise concrete buildings were erected, and the first paved road was completed in 1961, but Sheikh Shakbut, uncertain whether the new oil royalties would last, took a cautious approach, preferring to save the revenue rather than investing it in development. His brother, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, saw that oil wealth had the potential to transform Abu Dhabi. The ruling Al Nahyan family decided that Sheikh Zayed should replace his brother as ruler and carry out his vision of developing the country. On August 6, 1966, with the assistance of the British, Sheikh Zayed became the new ruler.
With the announcement by the UK in 1968 that it would withdraw from the Persian Gulf area by 1971, Sheikh Zayed became the main driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates.
After the Emirates gained independence in 1971, oil wealth continued to flow to the area and traditional mud-brick huts were rapidly replaced with banks, boutiques and modern highrises.

The emirate of Abu Dhabi is located in the oil-rich and strategic United Arab Emirates and is an active member of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). It borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (south) and the Sultanate of Oman (east). The emirate borders the emirate of Dubai to its northeast. In the north is the Persian Gulf.
Abu Dhabi city is on an island located less than 250 metres from the mainland and is joined to the mainland by the Maqta and Mussafah Bridges. A third bridge, designed by Zaha Hadid, is currently under construction. Bridges connecting to Reem Island and Saadiyat Island are also under construction and should be completed in 2011.
Most of Abu Dhabi is located on the island itself, but it has many suburbs on the mainland for example: the Khalifa A, Khalifa B, Rhaha Beach, Between Two Bridges, Baniyas and Mussafah Residential.

Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest emirate of the UAE in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and per capita income. The average net worth for Abu Dhabi's 420,000 citizens is AED 62 million (US$ 17 million), and more than $1 trillion is invested worldwide in this city alone. The GDP per capita also reached $63,000, which is far above the average income of the United Arab Emirates and which ranks third in the world after Luxembourg and Norway. Abu Dhabi is also planning many future projects sharing with the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and taking 29% of all the GCC future plannings. The United Arab Emirates is a fast-growing economy: in 2006 the per capita income grew by 9%, providing a GDP per capita of $49,700 and ranking third in the world at Purchasing power parity. Abu Dhabi plays a large role in the world economy. Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at US$ 875 billion, is the world's wealthiest sovereign fund, in terms of total asset value.

Today's Jumble (01/24/09):

VENIA = NAIVE; TALEE = ELATE; LACCIO = CALICO; LUNYUR = UNRULY

CIRCLED LETTERS = AILATCLCUNR

When the drapery salesman visited the theater, it was a ---

"CURTAIN CALL"

Today is Beer Can Appreciation Day and National Peanut Butter Day. I don't think I would try peanut butter with beer. But you can share a beer with a friend and pay them a compliment because it is also Compliment Day.

Other things on this day in history:

41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula), known for his eccentricity and cruel despotism, is assassinated by his disgruntled Praetorian Guards. Claudius succeeds his nephew.
1438 - The Council of Basel suspends Pope Eugene IV as Prelate of Ethiopia, arrives at Massawa from Goa.
1679 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament.
1742 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
1776 - Henry Knox arrives at Cambridge, Massachusetts with the artillery that he has transported from Fort Ticonderoga.
1826 - Mississippi College is founded in Clinton, becoming the first college in the state of Mississippi.
1848 - California Gold Rush: James W. Marshall finds gold at Sutter's Mill near Sacramento.
1857 - The University of Calcutta is formally founded as the first full-fledged university in south Asia.
1859 - Political union of Moldavia and Wallachia; Alexandru Ioan Cuza is elected as ruler.
1862 - Bucharest proclaimed capital of Romania.
1878 - The revolutionary Vera Zasulich shoots at Fyodor Trepov, the Governor of Saint Petersburg.
1887 - Battle of Dogali: Abyssinian troops defeat Italians.
1916 - In Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad, the Supreme Court of the United States declares the federal income tax constitutional.
1918 - The Gregorian calendar introduced in Russia by decree of the Council of People's Commissars effective from February 14(NS)
1924 - Petrograd, formerly Saint Petersburg, Russia, is renamed Leningrad.
1943 - World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
1952 - Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor-General of Canada.
1961 - 1961 Goldsboro B-52 crash: A bomber carrying two H-bombs breaks up in mid-air over North Carolina. One weapon nearly detonates; its uranium core is still lost.
1966 - An Air India Boeing 707 jet crashes on Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, killing 117.
1972 - Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.
1977 - Massacre of Atocha in Madrid, during the Spanish transition to democracy.
1978 - Soviet satellite Cosmos 954, with a nuclear reactor onboard, burns up in Earth's atmosphere, scattering radioactive debris over Canada's Northwest Territories. Only 1% is recovered.
1984 - The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.
1986 - Voyager 2 passes within 81,500 km (50,680 miles) of Uranus.
1993 - Turkish journalist and writer Uğur Mumcu is assassinated by a car bomb in Ankara.
1996 - Polish Premier Jozef Oleksy resigns amid charges that he spied for Moscow.
2002 - American journalist Daniel Pearl is kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan.
2003 - The United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation.