Friday, October 1, 2010

Jacob and Esau

"Were he but to steal a glance at them [womankind], they think that flying fish must inevitably bore out his eyes at night. If his wife, mother, or daughter brings any gift for him or wishes to talk with him, she must stand down towards the shore with her back turned to the men’s clubhouse. Then the fisherman may go out and speak to her, or with his back turned to her he may receive what she has brought him; after which he must return at once to his rigorous confinement."
            -Frazer, XX. Tabooed Persons, Hunters and Fishers Tabooed

                                                 Peter Paul Rubens, The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau, 1624.

While I have a lot of catching up to do this weekend, I wanted to take a moment to rhetorically ask if anyone watched CBS News tonight (9/30), and then proceed to explain that during Up To the Minute, an English bloke by the name of Simon Bates spoke about current political party leaders in the English system, namely a duel between the Miliband brothers for control of the Labour Party.  He directly compares them to Jacob and Esau, and...well, here's the video.  It's about 2 1/2 minutes long, so it won't take up too much of your time.