12/4 is National Cookie Day

Remember when cookies were supposed to be edible? Then they were insidiously injected into ones computer, to be susses out and destroyed, or allowed if it seemed like they would be beneficial. They became more common and more openly spewed and software was built to control them. Now they're out of control completely, you find a new site and load it to see if it has worthwhile content and a non-removable pop-up blocks all of the content until you agree to accept all cookies, without knowing what they are and whether the site is worth shit in the first place. If you have a lot of time to waste on obfuscatory bullshit, you can usually opt to view a selection of vaguely described putative categories or types of cookies to select from all of which are provided solely to make your life better and more enjoyable, improving everything from your browser performance to your love life, skin tone, and digestive health. PFAH!

It is also Cabernet Franc Day, a wine varietal long used to give Merlot based blends a hint of character, body, and substance, but more and more often also being bottled as a stand alone varietal. Give it a try.

Lastly, it is Wildlife Conservation Day. As if. Even the government (USDA) spends a hundred million or so per year on killing some 100,000 carnivores from eagles to bears, wolves, and the like ostensibly to protect cows and sheep and the like, especially those grazing on public lands. So, you can send a few bucks to a variety of outfits trying to slightly postpone the extinction of orangutans and aye-ayes, but forget about "pests", from grizzlies to groundhogs.

Oh yes, on this day in 1964, cops arrested over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, during a sit-in at the admin building protesting the UC Regents' decision to forbid political activity and speech on UC property. The students eventually won.

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On this day in history:

1619 -- Thirty-eight colonists arrived at Berkeley Hundred, Virginia. 1674 -- Father Jacques Marquette founded a mission on the shores of Lake Michigan that became ChiTown. 1786 -- Mission Santa Barbara was dedicated. 1829 -- Lord William Bentinck declared that anyone who abetted suttee in Bengal was guilty of culpable homicide. 1867 -- The Grange was founded 1872 -- The ship Mary Celeste was found crewless and adrift (much like today's US) 1881 -- The first edition of the L.A. Times was published 1943 -- Josip Broz Tito proclaimed a provisional democratic Yugoslav government in-exile. 1945 -- The Senate approved US participation in the UN 1954 -- The first Burger King opened (in Miami). Arteries began clogging 1964 – Police arrested over 800 students at the University of California, Berkeley, during an FSM sit-in. 1965 -- The Grateful Dead's first concert under that name 1969 -- Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were murdered by Chicago police 1978 -- DiFi became SF's first female mayor. 1982 -- China adopted its current constitution. 1984 -- Sri Lankan soldiers killed 107-150 civilians in Mannar. 1991 -- Pan American ceased operations 1992 -- George H. W. Bush ordered 28,000 U.S. troops to Somalia 1998 -- The Unity International Space Station was launched 2017 -- The Thomas Fire started near Santa Paula, California

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Some people who were born on this day:

Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.

~~ Thomas Carlyle

1660 -- Andre Campra, composer 1667 -- Michel Pignolet de Monteclair, composer 1777 -- Juliette Recamier, businesswoman and influential socialite 1795 -- Thomas Carlyle, historian and philosopher 1865 -- Edith Cavell, nurse 1866 -- Wassily Kandinsky, painter 1875 -- Rainer Maria Rilke, poet and author 1892 -- Francisco Franco, fascist dictator beloved of the US government 1897 -- Robert Redfield, anthropologist 1908 -- Alfred Hershey, bacteriologist and geneticist 1910 -- Alex North, composer 1915 -- Eddie Heywood, pianist and composer 1920 -- Jeanne Manford, activist, co-founded PFLAG 1921 -- Deanna Durbin, actress and singer 1923 -- Charles Keating, narrow-minded, pious, crook and fraudster 1930 -- Jim Hall, guitarist, composer and arranger 1939 -- Freddy Cannon, Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon, singer and guitarist 1942 -- Bob Mosley, singer, songwriter, bass player and grape 1944 -- Chris Hillman, singer, songwriter, guitarist, mandolin player 1944 -- Anna McGarrigle, singer, songwriter and musician 1944 -- Dennis Wilson, the only Beach Boy who surfed, drummer, singer, songwriter 1948 -- Southside Johnny, singer and songwriter 1950 -- Bjorn Kjellemyr, bassist and composer 1951 -- Gary Rossington, guitarist 1955 -- Cassandra Wilson, singer, songwriter and producer 1966 -- Andy Hess, bass player 1968 -- Dionne Farris, singer, songwriter, producer, actress 1973 -- Kate Rusby, singer, songwriter, guitarist 1978 -- Jaclyn Victor, singer

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Some people who died on this day:

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

~~ Omar Khayyam

530 BC -- Cyrus the Great, king of Persia 1131 -- Omar Khayyam, poet, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher 1798 -- Luigi Galvani, physician, physicist, philosopher 1850 -- William Sturgeon, physicist who invented the electric motor 1935 -- Johan Halvorsen, violinist, composer, and conductor 1976 -- Tommy Bolin, guitarist and songwriter 1993 -- Frank Zappa, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer Don't Miss His BOLERO below. 2009 -- Liam Clancy, singer, actor, and guitarist 2011 -- Hubert Sumlin, singer and guitarist

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Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such: Cookie Day Cabernet Franc Day Wildlife Conservation Day

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Virginia colonists

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