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What: Michael Josephson’s commentary on ethics.

When: Every weekday morning at 6:56 on KNX radio.

I have now found a second reason--trout fishing was the first--to get out of bed at the crack of dawn. This reason is named Michael Josephson.

Josephson is a lawyer with a conscience. (You may want to read that sentence twice).

He runs his own nonprofit institute on ethics in Marina del Rey, and he has dedicated his professional life to the furthering of correct behavior in society. If he weren’t so old, he’d be a Boy Scout.

He thinks that people in all walks of life ought to tell the truth, be accountable and responsible for their actions, and keep promises and commitments. He is, of course, seriously deluded.

This is the 1990s, where the end justifies the means and winning isn’t everything, as long the basketball shoes are selling well and the team marketing campaigns have that revenue line moving ever upward.

Some of Josephson’s commentaries are about sports; all are about life. He tells business leaders, “There is no such a thing as business ethics, there is only ethics.” He chides corporate leaders who set unrealistic numerical goals for their employees, who then must cheat to meet them or lose their jobs.

He says that sports people now live by the rule of “whatever I can get away with.” He says the general lack of character in sports makes it pretty much a cesspool these days. He also says it can be cleaned up.

As I said, he is seriously deluded. Also, bright, dedicated, articulate and worth setting an alarm clock for.