-FUPPETS- Veterans Day

As the story goes, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of the year 1918, The German's signed the Armistice agreement, officially ending World War I. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson officially declared a holiday in remembrance of this occasion, to be called ARMISTICE DAY. In 1954, President Eisenhower signed into law a declaration turning Armistice Day into a remembrance of all past veterans, known as Veterans Day.
In other parts of the world this day is still commemorated as Armistice Day, or as Remembrance Day.
A veteran is anyone who has served in the military, not just those who saw active combat duty. Soldiers of all types are to be celebrated this day, for while one may not agree with the policies of the politicians who put these men and women into action, one should respect the sacrifice and duty shown by these soldiers. Of course, the biggest sacrifice is given by those who die in the line of duty.

We all know someone who has served. -FUPPETS- encourages you to go up to these people, shake their hand and thank them for what they did, whether in wartime or peacetime, and tell them they and their efforts were and are appreciated. For the most part, the United States relies on an all-volunteer military. In China, Israel, and many other countries, military service is mandatory for all citizens, or all men in some cases.

-FUPPETS- Labor Day Soundtrack

This weekend marks the un-official end of summer and -FUPPETS- is oh so glad. Labor day is an interesting holiday. It began in Canada, during the fight for a proper work day of 9 hours along with a Printer's strike. It originally was marked by parades in Canada commemorating their achievement of a 9 hour workday, and was brought over to the U.S.A. by an American Labor leader named Peter J. Maguire.
The first celebration in the US occurred on September 5, 1888. In 1894, a work-stoppage known as the Pullman Strike was brutally cut down by US soldiers and US Marshalls who were responsible for a number of deaths. President Grover Cleveland was scared shitless at the uproar of this completely unconstitutional offense so he pushed through a Labor Day Act in Congress which was passed unanimously just 6 days after the end of the Pullman Strike.
Due to this, the USA celebrates organized Labor and Unions on labor Day instead of the international May Day (or International Worker's Day) holiday. Grover Cleveland was a pussy bitch.

*****

Soooo, nowadays, we in the USA do not hear about organized Labor and Unions on Labor Day. Instead we hear about cook-outs, and Labor Day sales, and all sorts of meaningless bullshit. Oh well. Trying to slow down the increasingly speedier slide of the American intellect into a morass of ignorance and self-obsession is a fight we will not go into here. Instead, -FUPPETS- is glad to bring you a selection of fabulous "classics" for your enjoyment.

SEBADOH - Beauty Of The Ride

MORPHINE - Honey White

BIG BLACK - L Dopa

FUGAZI - Shut The Door

-FUPPETS- Looks Forward to Independence Day

-FUPPETS- always holds the 4th of July holiday most dear. It is a secular holiday, and one that actually commemorates a truly important moment in the United States' history. July 4th was designated as the holiday for it was on this day that the Declaration of Independence was sent to the printers. That first issuing of the text is called the Dunlap Broadside, named after John Dunlap of Philadelphia, the print maker in charge. Yale University's copy of the Dunlap Broadside can be seen here. If you notice, it contains the full text of the Declaration of Independence, and it is signed by the President of the Congress, John Hancock, (yes, that John Hancock.)
The famous copy that is on view at the National Archives is the painstakingly hand-written one that was written sometime after July 19th and signed by the delegates present on August 2, 1776. This is called the Engrossed Copy, and an 1836 facsimile can be seen in full, HERE.

The original Engrossed Copy, badly faded, can be seen HERE.

It is from this bad mo-fucka that our nation sprung forth into the world. On Saturday we celebrate the LIBERTY which was hard-fought for in the Revolutionary War, in which the mighty British Empire was ass-whupped and monkey-stomped into submission. So, as you light sparklers and watch fireworks on the 4th, as you eat too much and drink too much, please remember that the Liberty we currently enjoy was brought about by some ballsy dudes in Philadelphia, 233 years ago.
Then, after remembering why it is we have a day off from work, continue about your business, like the -FUPPETS- -FANATIC- below. Happy Independence day everyone!

President's Day, -FUPPETS- Style

The United States Government loves to cheat it's citizenry out of holidays. Big Business lobbies for the erasure of as many holidays as possible, thereby allowing them to rarely have to pay people for not working. This is the story of President's Day, one of the most bullshit holidays ever concocted by the idiots in Washington.
There was once two holidays, very close together. On February the 12th, President Abraham Lincoln's birthday was celebrated . On the 22nd of February, the birthday of our first President and the father of our Republic, George Washington, was celebrated throughout the land with a mandatory day off for all workers in the USA. This was only fitting, as the two greatest leaders of our nation deserved a day of remembrance for all that they did to create, maintain, and support our country's very existence.
George Washington was the General for the rebel army that defeated the British and helped create a new nation. He was unanimously chosen to serve as our first President, and re-elected, after which he decided not to seek office again, for fear of tyranny, and stepped down, setting a precedent which was written into law decades later. Abraham Lincoln was the President at a time when our young nation was being torn asunder and through his genius and diplomacy, led the fight to keep our nation whole and not allow the disintegration of it's constituent states. His Emancipation Proclamation was a truly worldwide phenomenon, and was read and praised in many far away countries, for it spoke of the true equality of man, of the true horror and denigration that exists when one man is allowed to outright own another, and it shook the very foundation of our country. His assassination stands as one of the most heart-rending events in the history of the U.S.A.
If any two leaders deserve to be honored, and to have their very existence praised and remembered, it is these two gentlemen. Washington's birthday was originally designated a federal holiday in 1880. It was the very first holiday to honor an American citizen. Because of big business, in the late 60's/early 70's an Act was passed called the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. These assholes had figured out that Monday's are the slowest business day, and that it would behoove the big business fucks to bribe the government into declaring a law that mandated all federal holidays be moved the the Monday closest to the original holiday date, thereby removing pretty much every bit of historical significance and tradition built up until that moment. FUCKING ASSHOLES. That is why days like Columbus day and President's Day and Labor day all fall on Monday's. They could not do jack shit about Thanksgiving however. It probably pissed them off no end, until they realized they could market the Friday after Thanksgiving as THE BIGGEST SHOPPING DAY OF THE YEAR (trademarked by some fucking rich fuck asshole). Ha Ha. For real though. Lincoln's birthday was never a federal holiday, but many states observed a holiday on that day. In the early 80's advertisers made a push to get Washington's Birthday renamed as President's Day, and a dozen state governments have caved and renamed this holiday as President's Day.
While it is worthwhile to honor our past presidents, many of them sucked major ass and deserve little if no praise at all. Most kids learn about President's Day but it means nothing for it is vague and smells like the self-congratulations of old rich farts.
-FUPPETS-, on this "president's day", would like to remember and honor our two greatest Presidents, two men who by their words and deeds helped create and shape the nation we live in today, for it seems that our Nation has slipped away from the values it once stood for, government for the people and by the people, and is now a full on host to the parasite of big corporate business, whose only concern is the bottom line, the almighty money. Those fuckers will spend a good amount of money to advertise how much they care about their customers and their people and the human beings in the world but do not believe any of it. It is a fucking smokescreen and it works. The government does not exist to make our economy better, or to support our big business interests, although that has been the focus ever since Reagan got into office, with the Democratic President's right in step with that bullshit. President's Washington and Lincoln would have ripped these bastards a new one.

-FUPPETS- says TAKE BACK PRESIDENT'S DAY!