The alternative headline was “We’re the government and we’re here to help you, we just don’t know what the hell we’re doing!”
For New Year’s Eve last night, in order to keep local revelers safe and as a nice, Big Brother wants to end the Old Year and start the new one showing that he cares gesture, Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota had announced that Metro Transit would let customers ride free from 6 p.m. to the end of service on all routes including the return trip on the Northstar commuter rail after the Vikings-Packers game at U.S. Bank Stadium. The “Miller Lite Free Rides” promotion covered all buses and light rail, sang the public transit authority: “No fare, no coupons; simply hop on and take a seat for free!”
However, for some ridiculous reason, many of the main lines were scheduled to complete their final runs before midnight. The official reason was because Black Lives Matter planned its first 2024 mostly peaceful demonstration as the new year rang in downtown, and didn’t want white celebrants to be able to flee.
Just kidding! In fact, there was no reason at all for the self-defeating schedule other than typical municipal government bureaucratic incompetence
New Year’s is the one holiday that has a single ethics song permanently associated with it: “Auld Lang Syne,” despite the fact that almost nobody knows what the words mean if they know all the words at all. One problem is the title and the phrase, which is best translated as “old time’s sake.” The other is that it shares a text-setting flaw with the National Anthem, beginning with a question. Nothing in the music makes the line “Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?” resonate as a question; if fact, I’m ashamed to admit, for a long time I thought “should” was used in the sense of “if.”
I was stunned to learn recently that singing the song on New Year’s Eve is not an ancient tradition. In fact, the practice as a tradition began in 1929, when bandleader Guy Lombardo needed something to play at the stroke of midnight and chose “Auld Lang Syne” because it had a sentimental vibe and the band knew it. Then Lombardo’s (somewhat whiney, annoying version) continued to be a staple on New Year’s Eve TV broadcast as long as Guy was still kicking.
The full poem, usually attributed to the Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759–1796) but probably with other contributors, reads,
1. Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
2. And surely you’ll have your pint cup! and surely I’ll have mine!
And we’ll drink a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
3. We two have run about the slopes, and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
4. We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
5. And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.
Chorus:
For old times since, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
6. Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne!
The song tells us to remember the good times and not to forget that in the end it is human relationships, good will and kindness that matter most. We should sing in the new year with confidence that whatever happens and whatever it brings, we can endure if only we can keep our priorities straight.
1. First candidate for “Incompetent Elected Official Of 2019”! The Troy New York City Council president got drunk and then went behind the wheel to chased another motorist at high speeds for nearly 30 miles last week . State police arrested Carmella R. Mantello, 53, after troopers received a call from a terrified driver who told dispatchers that some crazy person was tailgating him and driving erratically. When troopers pulled Mantello over, she denied following the man and claimed he was following her—interesting, since troopers stopped her when she was behind the complaining motorist. She also refused to take a breathalizer test.
Later, Mantello issued this statement:
“I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility. I apologize to my family, friends and constituents and am deeply sorry that I let you down,” she said. “I expect more from myself. Finally, I would like to personally thank the New York State Troopers for their professionalism in this matter and the service they render every day to keep our communities safe.”
The best way for her to honor professionalism and keep communities safe is to resign immediately.
Oh—I assumed that Mantello was a Democrat, since the news story didn’t mention her party affiliation. Nope! She’s a Republican.
2. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!—get a load of THIS! Also, KABOOM! My head just exploded. Some ethics stories don’t need any analysis; they are res ipsa loquitur. I generally don’t devote pots stories when the despicable conduct is so obvious, but this one needs to be widely disseminated. From the New York Post:Continue reading →
Clearly, the news media, after its disgraceful performance in 2016, is determined to win back the public’s trust.
I have nothing to add to last year’s post about this. Here’s the main point…
Naturally, lots of tweeters and bloggers thought this was just hilarious and endearing, just as they would probably react with admiration if President Obama turned up stoned for his State of the Union address. The fact that too many Americans are juvenile dummies who don’t care about proper deportment, responsibility and professionalism, and who think impairment is cool, doesn’t excuse a supposed news network from validating their stupidity, or allowing an anchor to debase journalism and to send the message that being smashed on the job is acceptable. Drunks on the job cost businesses millions and occasionally get people killed. Being drunk on the job is always wrong, unless you are a paid drunk. I don’t know any of those.
It does not mitigate this display of vulgarity and lack of responsibility by CNN’s star talking head that he decided to toss all restraint and proper on-the-air conduct to the winds the second he had a colorable excuse. CNN is as irresponsible as Lemon: once he started misbehaving and embarrassing the network (assuming they know what embarrassment in broadcast journalism is, which I now doubt), someone should have ordered him off the air….An ethical news organization would at least suspend Lemon and require an on-air apology. An ethical journalist would, in fact, apologize without being forced. But an ethical journalist wouldn’t get bombed on the job.
Ethics Alarms 