ALPA BEWARE - Ides of December knocks - "Stand by the Man" - roman calendar: ides of March - the times are not festive and the gods are angry

WHISTLEBLOWING AIRLINE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

Beware the Ides of December!

The Ides of March is the name of 15 March in the Roman calender, probably referring to the day of the full moon.The term ides was originally used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July and October and the 13th day of the other months. The ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars and a military parade was usually held. In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassus Longinus and 60 other co-conspirators.

"Stand by the Man":



On his way to the Theatre of Pompey (where he would be assassinated), Caesar saw a seer who had foretold that harm would come to him not later than the Ides of March. Caesar joked, "Well, the ides of March have come, to which the seer replied "Ay, they have come to him not later than the Ides of March, but they are not gone." This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Baesar is warned to "beware the Ides of March". In case you were unaware, Shakespeare lived in Stratford Upon Avon in the UK. There is a replica of the Globe Theatre along the river Thames in London, as well as other famous monuments.

The Ides of December occurs on December 13th this month. "Stand by the Man" as he will need all the support he can garner during these lean times of 'shared sacrifice' this Yuletide Season. Aviation safety is paramount as cockpit crews are oft times distracted due to extraneous holiday season factors; ALPA beware...