courtesy of the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
I will be talking about my new book Drawing the Line this tuesday on the NPR radio program Curtains@8!, an arts & cultural talk show hosted by Nick Lawrence. Tuesday night, September 5 at 8:00 pm Eastern /5:00 pm Pacific.

Martha Baxton Benefit a week away! Even if you don't know Martha or never went to Cal Arts you can get some amazing artwork. Check out the cool stuff piling up for auction-http://baxton.mrkurtnielsen.com/ Among the goodies is an original Milt Kahl sketch from Robin Hood, animation drawings from the Little Mermaid and the Iron Giant, John Musker caricatures of John Lassiter and Tim Burton, two tickets to Penn & Teller in Vegas and more! Its all in a great cause. Donate, bid and come party with us on Sat Sept 8th at 5:30PM at Cal Arts in Valencia.

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Birthdays: The last monarch of Hawaii Queen Liliuokalani, Cleveland Amory, Alfred Spaulding 1850, founder of Spaulding sports equipment, Martha Mitchell, Mark Harmon, Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Connors, Selma Hayek is 38, Keanu Reeves is 42

31 BC- The Battle of Actium- Large naval battle near Corfu that decided that Augustus and not Anthony & Cleopatra would be the master of Rome. Legend has it that before a battle the priests spread out sacred chicken feed, and could predict victory or defeat based on how the sacred chickens would peck. This time the chicken wouldn't peck. Anthony said:"If the chickens won't peck, then let them drink!" And had them all thrown overboard. He lost the battle. Shows ya, don't mess with the sacred chickens.!

1609- Henry Hudson and his Dutch ship "Half Moon" entered New York Harbor. Twenty canoes of Indians rowed out to welcome the strange looking craft. The French under Cartier and English under Cabot had cruised by decades earlier but had not bothered to stop there. Hudson sailed 100 miles up the Hudson near the future site of Pookepsie, looking for China but found just more riverand forest. He reported this "Great River not unlike the Rhine and this Great Natural Bay Wherein a Thousand Ships may Ride tranquilly in Harbor."

1666- THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON- started in the bakery shop of Thomas Farynor on Pudding Lane. The Lord Mayor was woken up at 3:00AM. At first he was not impressed."Tosh, an old woman might piss it out!"

1752 - Last Julian calendar day in Britain and her colonies, including the US and Canada. That year you went to sleep the evening of Sept. 2nd and awoke the morning of Sept. 14th. The Calendar had been promulgated in Rome in1582, but it took this long for the Protestant countries to get on board with the new system.

1901- In a speech Teddy Roosevelt said the U.S. should " Speak softly and carry a big stick!"

1909- On the three hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson¹s discovery New York City held a grand birthday party. Hundreds of ships and public spectacles capped off with Wilbur Wright flying his new aeroplane around the Statue of Liberty. Thomas Edison illuminating the entire skyline with the new electric bulbs- the first time a city was illuminated at night by electricity.

1923- Harold Lloyd¹s comedy short "Why Worry?" released.

1945- The Grand Surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on board the U.S.S. Missouri. Presiding General Douglas MacArthur said:" The proceedings are now concluded. The greatest tragedy in human history is now at an end. We hope in the future nations will not resort to war to resolve their conflicts."He then collected all the pens used in the ceremony as souvenirs.

1973- J.R.R. Tolkein died at age 81. He couldn't care less who owned the film rights, touching off a legal battle
between Ralph Bakshi, Rankin Bass and others.

1985- A team of French and American oceanographers led by Dr. Robert Ballard discovered the final resting place of the HMS Titanic, which sank in 1912.