Every January, on Saint Sebastian Day, the streets of Piornal, Spain, fill with residents armed with turnips, seeking to punish the Jarramplas. The Jarramplas is a devil-like character portrayed by a man wearing a costume made from colorful strips of fabric, a frightening mask, and body armor underneath. In a centuries-old tradition, he walks the streets and beats a drum while residents throw turnips at him as a punishment for stealing cattle. The exact origin of the festival are not known, various theories exist from the mythological punishment of Caco by Hercules, to a cattle thief ridiculed and expelled by his neighbors.
Yes, yes, it is fascinating. At least when Bill Hammack, aka Engineer Guy, explains how it all works. Don't miss the bit at the end for how quietly ingenious Lego's injection molding process is. (via digg)
Tags: Bill Hammack Legos videoXKCD creator Randall Munroe has a new book out today. “Thing Explainer” uses the 1,000 most common words to provide simplified explanations of all sorts of difficult to grasp concepts. This piece in the New Yorker is a great example of the power of this idea.
Previously from Randall Munroe: What If?, XKCD on Earthquakes and Randall Munroe Reports Android Bugs