Boston News Today - DEAR READER: 5/19/2016

DEAR READER,

Verizon is a company with deep local roots. Originally part of the Ma Bell breakup via the great but late NYNEX and every precursor before that, it’s a private business born out of the public footprint that was knee-deep for decades. In other words, our telecom forefathers weren’t so much pioneers of free enterprise as they were enterprising freewheeling pioneers.

Fast forward to 2016, and it’s clear that nothing is free and nothing is enterprising. The Verizon union workers have gone on strike and management has dug in its heels. Profits against proletariat and freedom against freedom freeness. Or something.

So what do we make of this? Well, Chris Faraone and his merry maelstrom of reporters have been documenting this madness for the last few weeks, and you should pay close attention to these writers and reports if you want to stay on top of the game. I personally may not agree with them on every issue (unions can be a bitchy lot and act bitchy), but that’s why I love them and why it’s important to read what they have to say. They tend to ignore me.

By the way, FIOS sucks so viva la Comcast!

Jeff Lawrence, DigBoston Publisher + Editor

OCW_1820ubercat_200 — Illustration by Alina MacLean

OH, CRUEL WORLD

Dear Uber Driver –

Your car smells like cat piss. And dog shit. And shit piss. And cat dog. That disgusting sheet you drape over the back seat isn’t fooling anyone – and the design looks like something you’d see in a pedophile’s den on ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ only with less cum stains (that I could see at least) and more animal stink. It’s bad enough that I don’t have any pets and now have to smell like the last four girls who I had to break up with because they were constantly covered in cat hair. If I did own animals, returning to them with the stench of your back alley sedan on me would make them flock and fuck my leg like the first apartment scene in ‘Ace Ventura.’ Which actually sounds like fun now that I think about it.