Happy birthday to the London Underground, which turns 150 years old today! I should have known it was a Capricorn.




Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, they’re setting stuff on fire again. The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival and the Burning of the Clavie are both taking place this weekend.



In Australia, the Cadbury Marathon happens this weekend. Apparently the race ends at the Cadbury factory, and each runner gets free chocolate. Good plan!



Here in America, we’re celebrating Winter Trails Day in the north (free snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in Maine!) and the Battle of New Orleans (reenactment activities in Louisiana).



And finally, off the earthly realms: The Economist examines Hell in depth, with a sidebar from Hell’s Tourist Board.