I was flipping through Wikipedia when I hit the article Writings of D.M. Murdock. It stuck out.  It’s an odd title, and there is no Wikipedia article about D.M. Murdock herself.  Murdock, under her pen name Acharya S, had a biography for years; however, she has been at the heart of a controversy fundamental to Western civilization: was Jesus real?  If any topic can bring detractors, it’s the very suggestion of it.

According to her site, she has a degree in Classics from Franklin and Marshall College and attended the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Murdock/Acharya has to date written five scholarly books that argue Jesus Christ is a myth, beginning with The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold. Subsequent books delve further into explaining how the story of Christ was recycled from other mythologies, and they address criticism about her or her research, which she stands by.

From Writings of D.M. Murdock:

Acharya describes the New Testament as a work of mythic fiction within a historical setting. The story of Christ, she maintains, is a retelling of various pagan myths, representing “astrotheology,” or the story of the Sun and also incorporates the science of archaeoastronomy. She asserts the pagans understood the stories to be myths, but Christians obliterated evidence to the contrary by destroying and controlling literature when they attained control of the Roman Empire, which led to widespread illiteracy in the ancient world, ensuring the mythical nature of Christ’s story was hidden.

She argues that the canonical gospels represent a middle to late 2nd-century CE creation utilizing Old Testament “prophetic” scriptures as a blueprint, in combination with a collage of other, older Pagan and Jewish concepts, and that Christianity was thereby fabricated in order to compete with the other popular religions of the time.

Murdock continues to write a column as Freethought Examiner.  Below are five questions for her.

Five Questions: Different people, same questions

Q. What is one thing you think every American should know?

A. Every American should know that they are protected by the greatest Constitution the world has so far created and that their freedoms must not be taken for granted but must be fought for. As American Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was reputed to say, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Q. If you had the option to have been born another nationality than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

A. I have a big soft spot for ancient Greece, and I would have loved to have been active in the creation of the classical Greek civilization. It would have been amazing to be in ancient Egypt as well. As concerns modern countries, New Zealand would be lovely, I imagine. Everyone loves New Zealanders. I rather like India as well. There are many fascinating cultures and places on planet Earth.

Q. What is one misconception people have about you?

A. Many people think I am an atheist or anti-religious. I do not label myself either an atheist or a theist, and I have a tremendous appreciation for religion, so long as its meaning and origins are understood. Unfortunately, very few people are truly aware of the roots of religious ideology, so what we see manifested is often the pathology of religion, and that is all I am really criticizing. The rest of my work is designed to show the great beauty of human culture dating back thousands of years.

Q. Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

A. The profundity of how my mother’s death affected me was not surprising. The most surprising sense of loss, probably, was over the death of Princess Diana. Although I liked what I knew about her before her death, I was under the false impression that she was somewhat shallow and superficial. It occurred to me after she was killed just how deep and caring a human being she was. Diana was extremely innocent and trusting; yet, she was also incredibly powerful and had been born into a world-changing role. Amazing woman, really. Her death was the end of the glamour age for royalty. I hoped that the massive globally mourning would have pulled people together, but it seems not at all. I hate to think that her life and death were for nothing. Ditto with my mom and every individual who has contributed light and love to planet Earth.

Q. In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

A. LOL! Of course, I have had many disappointments in life. It’s an ongoing thing. We try not to be negative, so instead we set high hopes and positive wishes; yet, the reality frequently shortchanges our desired outcome. That’s how life is. Thus, in order to keep that zest for life alive, we must look to smaller pleasures for a sense of excitement and accomplishment, while relishing that occasional grand achievement we may be fortunate to attain.

Andrew Dalby, historian, librarian and the author of The World and Wikipedia (read review here) takes time out of his day to answer five questions…

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Q. What is one thing you think every American should know?

A. Who am I, a mere Englishman, to prescribe what every American should know? Never mind. This will work for Britons as well as Americans. “1. Keep your head down and push.” But push gently. “2. Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too fucking much.” (John Wayne’s advice to Michael Caine.) Britons and Americans may possibly make a contribution to keeping humanity alive, but we’ll need to keep our heads down, push gently, and not say too much.

Q. If you had the option to have been born another nationality than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

A. I’ve never thought about that one. I don’t feel that nationality matters much to me. Greek, perhaps. I like the way Greeks talk — endlessly, seriously, fiercely. I like the way they eat and entertain.

Q. What is one misconception people have about you?

A. When I was employed (I worked as a librarian) my employers used to believe they knew what I thought. One or two of them used to tell me what I thought. They never got it right; they never even got near.

Q. Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

A. My father. It’s an obvious thing to say. But before I left home to go to university I seemed to spend all my time arguing with him. After that, I don’t believe we quarrelled even once; but after that, as it happened, I never lived at home for very long. It was obvious that the arguing had been a waste of our time, but there were never enough opportunities to share life and talk sensibly.

Q. In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

A. That’s a difficult one. Plenty of unachieved goals, naturally. And goals not yet achieved — e.g. books still waiting to be written. But you’re asking about goals that, once achieved, didn’t seem so good …

Ah, well, there was that episode two years ago when we decided to make wine. We put a lot of time and effort into it. We did make wine, within the dictionary meaning of the word: it started out as grape juice, it fermented, the sugar turned to alcohol, it was just about possible to drink it. “Is that all there is?” is exactly what we said to ourselves.

FIVE QUESTIONS – A SERIES

• Jeff Kreisler – award-winning comedian, author and sardonic scourge of Wall Street…I have five questions for you.
• Gerald Posner – Bane of Kennedy conspiracy theorists, white shoe lawyer, Chief Investigative Reporter for The Daily Beast…I have five questions for you.
• Bebe Buell – Artist, musician, scenester and lover; mother of Liv Tyler; embodiment of a rock era…I have five questions for you.
• Evan Wolfson – founder of the modern gay marriage movement…I have five questions for you.
• Jimmy Wales – Citizen of the world, sage to millions of editors of Wikipedia, which he founded…I have five questions for you.
• Billy Name – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

“You are poor. No matter what you do, where you live, whom you love, or even how much money you have, you are poor. Poor, poor, poor.” — Jeff Kreisler, Get Rich Cheating

How in the hell did America end up with an award-winning comedian with classic good looks tearing at society’s deceptions and the looting of the public’s coffers?

With his new book Get Rich Cheating, Jeff Kreisler–executive editor of My Wall Street Journal and syndicated columnist for TheStreet.com–is l’enfant terrible of finance.  As the recipient of the Bill Hicks Spirit Award for Thought Provoking Comedy and a writer for Comedy Central’s Indecision2008, he has a lot to get off his chest about the direction of American society.  Amongst other things, you will discover how to:

• Get huge government bailouts, blow them on private jets, and come back for more
• Exploit family, friends, employees, the desperate, the weak, and the dumb
• Take advantage of society’s indifference, ignorance, and celebrity bling worship

“I think it came from that old sense of  ‘if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry,’” the Princeton, Exeter, and Virginia Law-educated Kreisler told Boston Comedy about his motivation for the book.

It’s not just the financial corridors of power that Kreisler takes aim at: it’s the wider sense that in the United States the only way to get ahead is to game, cheat and pilfer the system.

“You’ve got Bernie Madoff, Rod Blagojevich, steroid scandals.  Everywhere you look, when there’s a fortune there’s cheating behind it.  Every time you open the paper there’s more news,” said Kreisler.

Below are my five questions for one of the good guns, a comedian who fights evil:

Kreisler's My Wall Street Journal, a parody of the paper, raised the hackles of News Corp. with its topless Ann Coulter (click photo)

What is one thing you think every American should know?

That listening to the ideas of others doesn’t make us weak. It actually makes us strong.

If you had the option to have been born another nationality than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

Australian. Nice weather, good arts, fun accent, big lobsters.

What is one misconception people have about you?

That I’m going to turn everything everyone says into a joke. I’m not. I like you, but I’m not using you for material.

Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

Len Bias, a University of Maryland basketball star drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1986. I was a teenager, in the height of my sports-is-everything phase and, though wasn’t a Celtics fan, I lived in Massachusetts, so I was surrounded by ‘em. He died from a cocaine overdose, ending his journey right when a lifetime of hard work was about to pay off. While I’ve done my share of “experimenting,” I’ve never touched cocaine, and I’m pretty sure his death is the reason why. In a more positive way, I’ve also tried to appreciate every precious accomplishment knowing that it could be taken away in an instant. His death was one of the earliest of many events to teach me that lesson.

In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

Ha. All the time. My career, my life, has been a series of projects – rather than one steady job, I’ve gone from opportunity to opportunity, throwing myself into it and hoping that it works out. From political comedy tours during elections, to an original live sitcom/sketch show for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, an off-Broadway show I worked on, to “Get Rich Cheating,” I’ve done some incredible things, and gotten some fantastic critical feedback… BUT, each time there’s a part of me that says “I want more. Yeah, it’s nice that this turned out great, but what’s next? Praise and a few sales are nice, but I want someone to give me a bigger, better, easier project. Now!” This is how things go for me: Hard work, expended energy, excitement, “success,” let down. I’m okay with it.

I’ve learned to temper the downs of the roller coaster ride by managing my expectations. I always tell myself, “Aim for the stars, but be happy with the moon.” It’s important to want to improve and do better, to strive for greatness, but it’s equally important to appreciate and enjoy each unique moment that I’ve been fortunate enough to create.

FIVE QUESTIONS – A SERIES

• Gerald Posner – Bane of Kennedy conspiracy theorists, white shoe lawyer, Chief Investigative Reporter for The Daily Beast…I have five questions for you.
• Bebe Buell – Artist, musician, scenester and lover; mother of Liv Tyler; embodiment of a rock era…I have five questions for you.
• Evan Wolfson – founder of the modern gay marriage movement…I have five questions for you.
• Jimmy Wales – Citizen of the world, sage to millions of editors of Wikipedia, which he founded…I have five questions for you.
• Billy Name – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

Gerald Posner: A journalistic tour-de-force joins the Daily Beast. Click the photograph to subscribe to his feed.

If you were to ask a law student to name the top law firms in New York City, Cravath, Swaine & Moore would be on any informed list.  Cravath is one of those firms that inspires dread in its opponents, and merits respect from its peers.

Out of Cravath was born Gerald Posner, one of journalism’s pluckiest investigative reporters.

The New York Times lauded his “exhaustive research techniques” and the Washington Post cited his “painstakingly honest journalism” when they appraised his work, which includes biographies of some of histories darkest figures.

His book Case Closed, which was a nominated finalist for the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for History, earned him the ire of Kennedy conspiracy theorists everywhere when he backed up the primary findings of the Warren Report that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in his assassination of Kennedy, as did Jack Ruby in his assassination of Oswald. “After Case Closed,” wrote Newsweek, “everyone thinks Oswald did it.”

Posner joins the Daily Beast

To be a reporter is a privilege. It is a privilege that the public should believe what you tell them about events that they neither have the desire nor the ability to investigate for themselves, that nonetheless affect their lives.  It requires trust.  To lose it is to never get it back.

Jayson Blair, Armstrong Williams, the blogosphere and the morass of ill-formed information out there means that the reputation of a news organization matters less now than the reputation of the person doing the reporting.  The public can’t rely upon a news organization to hire the best; they hire the most recognizable.  So it is remarkable that the Beast, the Barry Diller-backed, Tina Brown-led blog of blogs, went with such pedigree in its hire of Gerald Posner as its (paid) Chief Investigative Reporter.

After the reaction that they received for their hiring of disgraced reporter Judy Miller, the Beast got this one right.  Miller’s reporting helped bring the United States into the Iraq War, and was cited by New York magazine as “a revealing cautionary tale about the culture of American journalism.”  Eight months since her debut has yielded only five pieces for the site, the most recent in late May.

In contrast, Posner was hailed by the L.A. Times as a “classic-style investigative journalist”.  He is a man worth following; someone who tries not to allow his biases ruin the product that earned him accolades: his dedication to try to find the truth, wherever it may lead.

Five questions for Gerald Posner:

Q.  What is one thing you think every American should know?

A.  That there are other countries in the world besides America.

Q.  If you had the option to have been born another nationality than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

A.  Australian. I like the idea that it began as a penal colony, that it’s tucked away from most of the rest of the world, and I wouldn’t have to learn a new language.

Q.  What is one misconception people have about you?

A.  Because so much of my work is about dark and serious subjects – I’m the biographer of Josef Mengele, Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray in addition to delving into terrorism and the heroin trade – that I must myself be a somber and serious person immersed only in The New York Review of Books and rereading War and Peace. In fact, I love everything from highbrow to popular culture. I can enjoy an evening watching Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect and then do a Buffy the Vampire rerun the following night. I mix the Financial Times with the New York Post. And I have a wicked sense of humor. Trisha often has to tell strangers, “He’s kidding.”

Q.  Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

A.  No one’s death. But I was affected twice in the aftermath of terror events.

A month after the 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing, I was in Oklahoma City standing at a makeshift memorial made along the chain link fence that closed off the bomb site. People had posted cards, letters, stuffed animals, crayon drawings from children, a wonderful, enormous spontaneous outpouring of emotion. The same emotions swept over me in the people’s memorial that formed at Union Square Park in New York in the first couple of weeks after 9.11. In both instances, I was surprised how those unprompted tributes were very moving and stayed with me long after the event.

Q.  In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

A.  I often have that on the basest material level when I buy something like a new computer or cell phone. But I’ve never had it in my career, in part because I’ve never set goals. I just set out to do stories I like and to pay the bills. That’s why I still love what I do. I’m not a five year plan type of guy.

Subscribe to Gerald Posner’s Daily Beast stories by clicking here.

FIVE QUESTIONS – A SERIES

• BEBE BUELL – Artist, musician, scenester and lover; mother of Liv Tyler; embodiment of a rock era…I have five questions for you.
• EVAN WOLFSON – founder of the modern gay marriage movement…I have five questions for you.
• JIMMY WALES – Citizen of the world, sage to millions of editors of Wikipedia, which he founded…I have five questions for you.
• BILLY NAME – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

Click on the image to visit Buell's Wikipedia article, the source for much of this information.

On Wednesday the 24th a piece of rock history will take the stage: Bebe Buell at the Hiro Ballroom.

Some people focus on the giant-sized names I have shot for the Creative Commons, but the people that linger in my mind are the hundreds of others who are not household names but who have successfully created full, interesting lives. The lawyers, academics, economists and artists who shape our world without our ever realizing it.

Bebe Buell is one of those artists.

She is famous in New York City for her ability to throw together–to embody–a scene, and as an accomplished musician in her own right.

In 1981, she recorded an EP with  Rick Derringer and Ric Ocasek, and The Cars served as her band on two tracks.  The rock band Power Station formed around her in 1984 when then-boyfriend John Taylor (of Duran Duran) pulled some famous friends together to provide backing for Buell.

Her music career is underscored by Buell’s presence for many of the Twentieth Century’s huge musical moments. In Almost Famous, director Cameron Crowe partly based the film’s “Penny Lane” character–played by Kate Hudson–on Buell.  Hudson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and won a Golden Globe for the role.

In 1972, Buell began dating rock star Todd Rundgren, which lasted for several years. During and after their sometimes open relationship, she was associated with Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, and Steven Tyler.   In 1977, Buell and Tyler had a daughter together, the actress Liv Tyler.  After her relationship with Steven ended, Buell began dating Rod Stewart.  In the summer of 1978, she began an affair with the recently-separated Elvis Costello that continued on and off until 1984.

All of this shaped Bebe Buell into a piece of living rock history, and as you can see from my 2009 Wikipedia portrait of her above, one of the best-looking.  She clearly kept a good head on her shoulders and took care of herself during what must have been some very debauched moments that she witnessed.

On top of it all, she raised an amazing daughter in Liv Tyler, who my friends in Hollywood tell me is one of the nicest, most down-to-Earth actors working today.  That’s Bebe’s parenting; she spared Liv from many of the problems that afflicted her contemporaries.

Go to Amazon to hear the Bebe Buell Band’s latest single, Air Kisses for the Masses and find out what all of this influence wrought.

Five Questions for Bebe Buell

Q. What is one thing you think every American should know?

A. That marriage is between two PEOPLE who love each other- a personal vow and contract. God does not care who loves or married whom- only how we treat our fellow man. Love is free- it should not have a gender. Only a purpose- to love.

Q. If you had the option to have been born another nationality than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

A. Alien. Oh wait- I AM an alien!! I believe we are born who we are meant to be so it is hard to imagine. But I have always been fascinated with nomads- people who wander and roam with no real anchor. Kind of like the TV show Kung Fu. So probably Tibetan.

Q. What is one misconception people have about you?

A. That I am sexual or good in bed. I’m really just a “love bug”- not armed with much sexual skill or sexual perfection. It is my heart that boils over with loving energy.

Q. Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

A. John Lennon. I cried for days and days. My 14 year old Chihuahua Chiquita- I was consumed with grief. But she was reincarnated almost immediately and my new “mutt” Chickenburger has a home.

Q. In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

A. I treat my goals as a desire- a passion. If I am meant to have it, earn it, own it… then I consider it a “gift”, a blessing. A gift from the karma police.

I never take anything for granted.

Especially love.  My daughter.  My family.  My art. My music… my muse…

FIVE QUESTIONS – A SERIES

• EVAN WOLFSON – founder of the modern gay marriage movement…I have five questions for you.
• JIMMY WALES – Citizen of the world, sage to millions of editors of Wikipedia, which he founded…I have five questions for you.
• BILLY NAME – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

When Time Magazine named Evan Wolfson as one of the 100 most influential people in the world, it was for making an impossible idea—marriage for gay people—conceivable.  Wolfson is the Martin Luther King Jr. of the modern fight for the marriage right.  There is no state or legal battle that does not involve Wolfson’s work, either directly or through his unavoidable precedents.

Wolfson’s organization, Freedom to Marry, is completely geared up to fight the bigots who are trying to overturn California’s marriage law.  They need your donations.  Now.

So Mr. Wolfson, one of the most influential people in the world, I have five questions for you:

A. Israeli — though it would be wonderful to have European citizenship, too

A. Yes, in college I worked to become Speaker of the Political Union.  I was proud to be elected, did some great projects with close friends (who remain friends to this day), and enjoyed serving.  But I remember the feeling of discovery that far from being the pinnacle I had imagined, the actual office meant less to me than the experience and friendships themselves.

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE – A SERIES

• JIMMY WALES – Citizen of the world, sage to millions of editors of Wikipedia, which he founded…I have five questions for you.
• BILLY NAME – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

Here are five questions for Jimmy Wales:

JW:  The text of the First Amendment.

JW:  United Kingdom.

JW:  People imagine that I am remote and inaccessible when in fact I am right here in email, totally available to anyone who wants to talk to me.  I prefer the company of people who care.

JW:  No, I have been quite fortunate in this regard.

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR PEOPLE – A SERIES

• BILLY NAME – Famous Warhol live-in photographer; silverized the Factory; shot the cover of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous album; iconic portraits of Lou Reed and Edie Sedgwick…I have five questions for you.

(Jimmy Wales photo: Joi Ito via Wikipedia)

One of the most famous photographers of the 20th Century is Billy Name.  As the live-in photographer at Andy Warhol’s Factory from 1963 through 1970, many iconic images of Warhol, Edie Sedgwick and the Factory crowd during those years were shot by Billy Name; he was responsible for “silverizing” the Factory; he was the one who found the famous sofa seen in Warhol’s films; and he was the one who cradled Andy as he lay bleeding after Valerie Solanas shot him.  The Velvet Underground’s eponymous album’s cover was taken by Billy Name.

I have collaborated with Billy a couple of times, and I shot photos of him for Wikipedia, found on his article, Warhol Superstar, The Factory and one on Poughkeepsie Bridge.  Here are my five questions for a friend and mentor:

Q: What is one thing you think every American should know?

A:  america is an italian word, not english, and we should all be speaking italian.

Q: If you had the option to have been born another nationality other than your current one, which nationality would you choose?

A:  francais.

Q: What is one misconception people have about you?

A:  that i’m still young.

Q: Is there anyone’s death, either in your life or in popular culture, whose passing you were surprised by how profoundly it affected you?

A:  i guess i’d say andy w, since he died on my birthday.

Q: In life we often have goals that we feel as if would just die if we don’t reach them. Sometimes we reach them, sometimes we don’t. The question is, have you ever worked to fulfill a goal, only to find that once you achieved it, the experience was a let down? It meant something to you when you did not have it. Then you obtained it and, after the initial excitement, you thought to yourself, “Is that all there is?” Have you ever had an experience like that?

A:  no, all fullfilments for me have been fullfulling as per recipe.