Cheers & Jeers
Associated Press
Cheers: The sale of the Beth Israel synagogue in Washington to the national veterans organization AMVETS is certainly an occasion for mixed emotions. On the one hand, there is undeniable melancholy that Beth Israel’s congregation has dwindled the way it has. David Posner, a longtime member, said it was “a very, very sad day,” and noted that other congregations and other faiths are grappling with similar problems. On the other hand, the remaining members of the congregation and the Washington area can be glad that the synagogue is being sold after being on the market for more than three years. AMVETS is moving its national headquarters to Washington from Washington, D.C., because of its central location, the large number of veterans who live in the area and the fact that the cost of living is 40% less than it is in D.C. Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess said, “Little Washington has pulled (AMVETS) headquarters from big Washington. How could we not be happy about that?”
Cheers: Sixty years ago, it was widely assumed by adults that the Beatles were a shaggy-haired phenomenon that would quickly go the way of the Hula-Hoop, Davy Crokett and other crazes that briefly held the attention of “the kids.” They had no way of imagining that the music the Fab Four created over their relatively short time together would be so enduring, and the public’s fascination with the band would persist long after it disbanded and two of its members died. The Beatles are now the subject of academic conferences and scholarly journals, historical markers, and shelves full of books that explore their recording sessions, business activities and their broad impact on music, culture and society. The Beatles only appeared in Pittsburgh once, on Sept. 14, 1964, when they were booked at Civic Arena, and the newspaper recently looked back on that eventful day. From our vantage point, it’s interesting to realize just how primitive the concert industry was in 1964 compared to today – a downpayment to book the group had to be wired to a bar in Brooklyn, tickets were available only by mail, and were sifted by a group of nuns, and the Beatles’ equipment was brought to the arena in a simple van. The 12,000 people who ended up attending the concert then almost certainly had no idea just how lucky they were.
Jeers: A few weeks ago, the 无毛视频-Standard reported on an election scam making the rounds in the form of a text message. It tells recipients that they may not be registered to vote and that they should click on a link to do so. The fraudsters sending those messages are on the prowl for personal information like Social Security numbers, and elections officials have been at pains to emphasize that they would not request any information by a text message, and if voters have any questions or concerns, they should contact their local elections office. That was bound to be just the first of the scams, and now there is another claiming that there is early voting in Pennsylvania. That is simply not the case, though there is “over the counter” voting, which allows voters to request a ballot before Nov. 5 at their local elections office, and either fill it out there or take it with them. Again, the best advice is that if you are unsure about your registration status or when you can vote, contact an elections office.