And that stands for privacy.

Verizon, Bellsouth and Qwest have all stepped forward to deny their involvement in selling confidential phone records to the NSA, leaving open the possibility that 1) they’re lying or 2) MCI or Sprint did it.

We’ll have to wait for the other pin to drop to find out whodunit.

In the meantime, try Skype. Or get service through Working Assets, long-distance and cellphone provider “for the Birkenstock crowd.” You get a free George Bush doormat with every signup. (Thanks to Amy’s Robot!).

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.