August 29, 2005

David Carr column on Pitchfork Media, Web site founded by Ryan Schreiber that has become one of more important indie music tastemakers in any medium (M)

In recent months, residents and business owners who for years have longed for casinos have felt like gamblers before a giant roulette wheel. Would there be three Catskill casinos, which lawmakers authorized four years ago? Or the five that Gov. George E. Pataki was pushing last winter? Or just one, part of a scaled-back plan he supported in June? Through the late spring and early summer, the wheel seemed to spin and spin. But with court rulings clouding the Indian land claim settlements, and with lawmakers disagreeing, the legislative session closed with the ball on zero.

AH, THE UNITED STATES OPEN, 14 days of Grand Slam tennis set amid a boisterous party atmosphere that only Americans could love. By now, you have heard that the courts at the National Tennis Center have been painted blue. The United States Tennis Association and its sponsors have also added Bellagiostyle fountains, memory lanes like the Court of Champions and Avenue of Aces, airplane seats parked in front of the big-screen televisions and pedicabs to navigate the boardwalk. Throw in the wandering musicians, interactive games and autograph sessions, and, more than ever, the Open can feel like an homage to Boris Becker's comment about the fifth set of a match: It's not about the tennis.

As voters begin focusing more on the Democratic mayoral primary, the most intense rivalry to emerge is between Gifford Miller and Anthony D. Weiner, who are battling for the crucial electorate outside Manhattan that often proves decisive in mayoral elections. On matters of substance, style and strategy, the two men have become each other's political shadow from Queens and brownstone Brooklyn to Staten Island, jockeying for the mantles of reformer, tax-cutter, and vanguard of the middle class -- if not to win those titles outright, then to deprive the other guy of them.

Bomber Kills Himself at Israeli Bus Station A Palestinian carrying explosives blew himself up during the morning rush hour at a Beersheba bus station, the first act of suicide terrorism since Israel pulled its settlers out of the Gaza Strip. Hours later, however, the Israeli cabinet voted overwhelmingly to allow Egypt to patrol its border with Gaza with 750 armed men, permitting Israel to withdraw the last of its soldiers. PAGE A4 Contracting Official Demoted Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, a senior Army contracting official who criticized a large, noncompetitive contract with the Halliburton Company for work in Iraq, was demoted for what the Army called poor job performance. PAGE A9 Intense Rivalry in Campaign As voters focus more on the Democratic mayoral primary, the most intense rivalry is between Gifford Miller and Anthony D. Weiner, who are battling for the crucial electorate outside Manhattan. PAGE B1 Ancient History Underfoot At the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, specialists working in full view of museum visitors are cleaning and restoring an elaborate mosaic floor, dotted with cherubs, dolphins and fish, that once graced the courtyard of a third-century villa in ancient Antioch, now southern Turkey. THE ARTS, PAGE E1 SPECIAL TODAY United States Open Preview There is an art to enjoying the United States Open, which begins its 14-day run today. A special preview section offers a guide on how to get the most out of the Open, including who may win and what they may wear; the best places to watch matches; and the worst mistake in buying a ticket. SECTION F