V Day Is Verizon's Day

February 14, 2005

You know, there are a lot of people, particularly young people, out there who posit that Valentine's Day is not even a holiday. These surly people — always single — bad-mouth the mid-February day, a day wherein you typically see prima facie the menstrual-pink color EVERYWHERE. These people wallow in their despicability of this day, feel they have nothing to offer the opposite sex and, therefore, do not even attempt to find a partner for one night (not that I endorse one-night stands). They claim themselves as being cynically honest, when really they’re simply lonely.

Why did they slip through the cracks? Why have they been forgotten?

These bitter and otiose young people dwell in their self-made crevices of depression a day and a night each year. They call it “the antithesis of a holiday,” a conspiracy on behalf of Hallmark and the company that makes those cute little candies with those cute little phrases to sell to cute little couples who happen to love the holiday (the females, at least).

And these lugubrious anti-socials publicize their disliking of this particular day. They go out of their way to pre-prove to everyone that they chose to be alone on this day; no, they weren’t rejected or overlooked, they chose to be alone this day. These saturnine young’n’s publicize this loathing anywhere and everywhere they can: verbal lecture-rants; in online journals; on personal Web sites; in message boards; even in legitimate news outlets’ feature articles and op-eds, with facetious and mordant quips degrading the innocent holiday; in blog postings.

And so, here’s another one —

Kidding. (I find the best way to resent February 14^th is to completely disregard that the day even exists and occurs.)

So on this every-day, in-my-mind-no-special-distinction-of-lovers day, Verizon has said it would acquire long-distance telephone firm MCI, winning a takeover battle with its bid worth nearly $6.75 billion in cash, shares and dividends. As many as 7,000 jobs may be cut.

The two firms sealed the deal on Monday despite what was thought to be a higher offer from rival United States carrier Qwest (which had offered $7.3 billion). Verizon edged out the rival bidder most likely because of Qwest's�heavy indebtedness.

Both companies’ boards have approved the deal, but regulatory authorities (and MCI shareholders) will still need to sign off, which will take about a year.

The takeover is the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since October. Consolidation in the U.S. telecommunications industry has picked up in the past few months as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. The bids for MCI came on the heels of last week’s $16 billion acquisition by SBS Communications of AT&T.

MCI is the U.S.'s second-largest long distance firm, only after AT&T.� Verizon is the nation’s largest phone company.

Buying MCI can give Verizon access to MCI's global network and business-based subscribers; as well it saves Verizon time and money of building a corporate-services business of its own. MCI, however, may require significant upgrades and integration. Verizon is much less indebted than Qwest and has its own successful mobile arm, factors that may have significantly pushed the board’s favor.

MCI exited bankruptcy in April, having gone bust under its previous name, WorldCom.

The bankruptcy followed the company’s admission in 2002 that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits.

So, that’s the big news for Monday morning. And the evening?

Well, later I’ll be doing what I do every Monday night: NOT wearing pink, but daydreaming — alone — about being a pirate, wondering where my mate Captain Morgan hobbled off to, and silently judging the so-many hand-holding, teddy bear-swapping couples out there pretending to be happy with each other for this one random day out of the year.

Me? I wasn’t rejected. I wasn’t overlooked. I chose to be alone.��

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DRB

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