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RUBASHKIN | Whiskey and Wildlife

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The year is 1791. A group of Pennsylvania distillers, aggravated by the young federal government’s new taxes on whiskey, took up arms and refused to pay. Throughout towns on the frontier, the distillers and their allies violently intimidated tax collectors and other government agents in an attempt to prevent them from collecting the levy. In 1794, the arrival of a U.S. Marshal sparked the invasion of the estate of tax inspector General John Neville by over 500 armed distillers. In response, George Washington, the sitting president, raised an army of 13,000 men that he intended to lead personally against the so-called “Whiskey Rebellion.” When news of the approaching federal forces reached the distillers, they disbanded and subsequently paid their taxes.

Columns

RUBASHKIN | May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor

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Ben Carson has come under heavy fire from the media this week. Such an occurrence is to be expected, given the neurosurgeon’s ascendency to frontrunner status in the circus that is the Republican primary process. The vetting process is a standard step in the coverage of relatively unknown candidates. Less standard are the actions for which Dr. Carson has had to defend himself. In the past several days, the good doctor clarified multiple times that he indeed does believe that the Great Pyramids were constructed not by the Pharaohs as tombs, but by the biblical Joseph as grain silos.

Columns

RUBASHKIN | The Greatest Deist on Mars

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For those of you who haven’t yet seen The Martian, Ridley Scott’s first good movie in a decade, I suggest you do so before he releases Blade Runner 2 and ruins his reputation again. That man’s filmography has more peaks and valleys than a BMX racetrack, so it’s best to catch it on the upswing. Also, there may be some spoilers ahead, but you should read on anyways. For those of you who have seen The Martian, you probably just thought you were seeing an enjoyable science fiction film with some stunning visuals and a healthy dose of good ol’ Matt Damon charm. The movie is all that, of course, but it is also something much more.

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RUBASHKIN | Et tu, Boehner?

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Act III, scene 1 of Julius Caesar is perhaps the most famous scene in dramatic history. Basking in the glow of his latest victories on the battlefield, Caesar re­turns to Rome, and on March 15, he travels to address the Roman Senate. It is here where he is attacked by a group of nobles, led by Caesar’s own dear friend Brutus. Caesar, at his most triumphant and strongest, is cut down by those closest to him. A vicious power struggle ensues, tearing the empire apart and concluding with the suicide of Brutus himself.