What happened on December 17, 2000

NEWS

BOOKS

Internal Exile By Jonathan Levi, Jonathan Levi is a contributing writer to Book Review
Work in Progress By Ramon Eduardo Ruiz, Ramon Eduardo Ruiz is the author of several books, including "Triumphs and Tragedy: A History of the Mexican People" and "On the Rim of Mexico: Encounters of the Rich and Poor."
from 'Sunstone' By Octavio Paz
Sorting It Out By Edward Lazarus, Edward Lazarus is the author of "Closed Chambers: The Rise, Fall, and Future of the Modern Supreme Court."
Wild Child By Benjamin Ivry, Benjamin Ivry is author of biographies of Arthur Rimbaud (Absolute Press), Francis Poulenc (Phaidon) and Maurice Ravel (Welcome Rain) as well as a poetry collection, "Paradise for the Portuguese Queen" (Orchises).
The God That Failed By Michael Andre Bernstein, Michael Andre Bernstein teaches English and comparative literature at UC Berkeley. His most recent book is "Five Portraits: Modernity and the Imagination in Twentieth-Century German Writing." He is completing a novel entitled "Progressive Lenses."
Uplift and Suspicion By Christopher Hitchens, Christopher Hitchens is the author of the forthcoming collection of essays, "Unacknowledged Legislation: Writers in the Public Sphere." He is a columnist for Vanity Fair and The Nation
The Gone World By Kenneth Turan
Born Free By James Weinstein, James Weinstein is the author of "The Decline of Socialism in America, 1912-1925" and the founding editor of In These Times
The Stalin Epigram By Osip Mandelstam
Stay Tuned By Murray Fromson, Murray Fromson, a former CBS News correspondent, has been a USC journalism professor since 1982
Southern California Rating: FICTION 1 OFF KECK ROAD \o7 by...
Discoveries By Susan Salter Reynolds

ENTERTAINMENT

Alternatives That Go Beyond Fa-La-La By Mark Swed, Mark Swed is The Times' music critic
History Wrapped Up in Gifts of the Ages By Suzanne Muchnic, Suzanne Muchnic is The Times' art writer
They're on the Fringe by Choice By Natalie Nichols, Natalie Nichols is a regular contributor to Calendar
Think You're Songwriter Savvy? Take This Test By Robert Hilburn
Producer Helps Dave Matthews Band With a Sonic Surprise By Steve Hochman
Small Faces
Two Bones From Snoop Dogg and New Takes on the Doors By Soren Baker
In Brief By Soren Baker
In Brief By Ernesto Lechner
Boxes Worth Wrapping Up for the Fans on Your List By Don Heckman, Freelancer Don Heckman writes about jazz for The Times
Best Bets / DECEMBER 17-23, 2000
Throwing the Door to Soul Wide Open By Lynell George, Lynell George is a Times staff writer
They Have Teen Angst to Thank By Reed Johnson, Reed Johnson is a Times staff writer
Master Class Is in Session By Richard Natale, Richard Natale is a regular contributor to Calendar
A Family Phenom in the Making Nickelodeon is carefully guiding 'Wild Thornberrys' from popular show to a brand with film potential. By Elizabeth Jensen, Elizabeth Jensen is a Times staff writer
Many Voices, but One Man's Sound By Elaine Dutka, Elaine Dutka is a Times staff writer
The Double Life of a Beloved Insider By Amy Wallace, Amy Wallace, a former Times staff writer, is a senior writer at Los Angeles Magazine
A Poet's Life on a Painter's Canvas By Lorenza Munoz, Lorenza Munoz is a Times staff writer
'Tis the Season to Close Shop By Don Shirley, Don Shirley is The Times' theater writer
Hitting on the Right Answer By F. Kathleen Foley, F. Kathleen Foley is a regular theater reviewer for Calendar

BUSINESS

FOOD

Gifts of Taste By Donna Deane, TIMES TEST KITCHEN DIRECTOR
My Christmas in Amalfi By Mario Batali and Laurie Woolever, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A Dedicated Brisketeer By Marcy Goldman, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Eat Your Brandy By Rose Dosti
Datebook
A Dimpled Bread By Russ Parsons
The Cheese Season By Abby Mandel
A Few Good Sites By Jennifer Lowe
We Pull Out a 'Plum' By Leilah Bernstein, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Brisket Basics By Marcy Goldman

CALIFORNIA | LOCAL

OPINION

Vote-Counting: Fix It
Hotbeds for Scientific Vision
The Upside of a 1990s Trauma
The Electoral College Is a Bulwark Against Chaos By Clark S. Judge, Clark S. Judge, who was a speechwriter for Presidents Reagan and Bush, is managing director of a corporate communications consulting firm based in Washington
California's Beaches Aren't Just for the Rich and Powerful By Daniel Duane, Daniel Duane is author of "El Capitan: Historic Feats and Radical Routes" (Chronicle Books, 2000) and "Caught Inside: A Surfer's Year on the California Coast" (North Point Press, 1997)
Bolster the Old System With Bonuses By Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Arthur Schlesinger Jr., the historian and JFK confidant, is author, most recently, of "A Life in the 20th Century: Innocent Beginnings, 1917-1950," the first volume of his memoirs
The Law Is Left Twisting Slowly in the Wind By Anthony G. Amsterdam, Anthony G. Amsterdam is the co-author with Jerome Bruner of "Minding the Law" (Harvard University Press, 2000), which analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court's rhetorical practices
Should We Trust Judges? By Akhil Reed Amar, Akhil Reed Amar, a law professor at Yale Law School, is the author of "The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction."
The Economic President By Kevin Phillips, Kevin Phillips is the author of "The Politics of the Rich and Poor." His most recent book is "The Cousin's War: Religion, Politics and the Triumph of Anglo-America."
Salaries Are Escalating, but They Don't Guarantee Winning By Jules Tygiel, Jules Tygiel, a professor of history at San Francisco State University, is the author of "Past Time: Baseball as History."
The Unhappy Triumph of Partisanship By Neal Gabler, Neal Gabler is a senior fellow at the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg and the author of "Life the Movie: How Entertainment Conquered Reality."
A Few Hits to the Right, Then a Bipartisan Game By Jonathan V. Last, Jonathan V. Last is a reporter for the Weekly Standard
The Perils of Stifling Self-Determination By Susan Blaustein, Susan Blaustein is a freelance writer and senior consultant for the International Crisis Group
The Irish Will Miss This President By Kelly Candaele, Kelly Candaele is a contributing writer for Irish American magazine and the Irish Voice newspaper
Bill Jones By Cynthia H. Craft, Cynthia H. Craft is editor of the California Journal, a nonpartisan publication on government and politics
After Jackie Goldberg, Whither the Left in Los Angeles? By Marc B. Haefele, Marc B. Haefele is a columnist and staff writer at the L.A. Weekly

REAL ESTATE

SPORTS

MAGAZINE

The CIA and the Spy Guy By Danny Biederman
Malicious Christmas By Patt Morrison
Night of the Hundred Valentinos By Mark Ehrman
One Small Victory in the Nation's War on Drugs By James Ricci
Welcome To The Elusive State By Peter H. King
Beverly Hills Law & Order By Fred Dickey, Fred Dickey last wrote for the magazine on hate crime laws
Date With Destiny By Amelia Saltsman, Amelia Saltsman last wrote for the magazine about porcini soup
A Fine Patina By S. Irene Virbila
High Tide By Michael Webb
Boxer Rebellion By Peter Mcquaid, Peter McQuaid last wrote for the magazine about rodeo queen Brandy DeJongh

TRAVEL

What happened on December 17, 2000

NEWS

Fair Game? By J. Michael Kennedy, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Following Postal Rules to the Letter By Al Ridenour, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Winter Solstice in L.A. Is a Gloriously Polyglot Celebration By Sandy Banks

Election Daze By Carl Kurlander, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Music, Historical Details Embellish Tales of Two Women By Rochelle O'Gorman, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

When Hunters Become Sitting Ducks By J. Michael Kennedy

A New Mark By Judith Ross Enderle and Stephanie Jacob Gordon

Answering the Call By Timothy Hughes, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Court Files By Ann W. O'Neill

Lyrical Child Sings Fear Away, Copes With Disease By Verena Dobnik, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Changing Chicago Area a Study in Gentrification By Martha Irvine, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Plagued by Mishaps, Britain Suffers a Wave of Train Sickness By Mara D. Bellaby, ASSOCIATED PRESS

TVA Gives Wind Power a Spin From Associated Press

Raising Research Funds Takes Center Stage By Verena Dobnik, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Peltier Clemency Request Protested By Christopher Newton, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Young Athlete's Gridiron Death Another Sad Statistic By John Marshall, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Variety's the Spice of Hybrid Aerobics By Ira Dreyfuss, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Habitat Loss Continues to Put Squeeze on Disappearing Tigers By Pauline Jasudason, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Agriculture Czar Ripe for Retirement By Estes Thompson, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Electrical Implant May Help Severely Depressed By Allison Schlesinger, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Resettlement Program Ends in Disarray By Daniel Cooney, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Despite Jilting at the Polls, Bush Will Pursue California By Greg Krikorian and Richard Simon, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Manufacturers Reeling From Soaring Price of Natural Gas By Marla Dickerson, TIMES STAFF WRITER

An SOS From Los Angeles' Lifesavers By Kurt Streeter, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Vatican Visit by Austrian Rightist Sparks Protest By Richard Boudreaux, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Powell Promises Active U.S. Role on Global Issues By Robin Wright and Edwin Chen, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

For Nominee, Power Lies in Restraint By Robin Wright, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Bush Has Legitimacy, but It's Fragile By Ronald Brownstein, TIMES POLITICAL WRITER

A Good Year for Texas By Mike Downey

Japanese Railway Seeks to Put Women Out of Gropers' Reach By Valerie Reitman, TIMES STAFF WRITER

China Seizes Union Organizer From Associated Press

Germans Looking Underground for Swifter Freight Delivery By Carol J. Williams, TIMES STAFF WRITER

German Police Shield Neo-Nazis From Counterdemonstrators Associated Press

Sri Lankan Troops Clash With Rebels; Heavy Losses Seen From Reuters

Kosovo Albanian Politician Hurt in Shooting From Reuters

6 Russian Soldiers Slain in Chechen Rebel Attacks From Associated Press

Mexicans Near Volcano Shun Evacuation Calls From Associated Press

S. Africa Holiday Underscores Split Among Whites From Reuters

Dominicans Wage Anti-Polio Campaign Associated Press

Clinton on Campaign Trail--as a Peacemaker By Marjorie Miller and Robert A. Rosenblatt, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Life Without Florida: No One Thought It Would Be So Hard By Jeffrey Gettleman, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Florida Ballots to See the Light Again By Mike Clary, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Bush Looks to Golden State for Job Candidates By Richard Simon and Greg Krikorian, TIMES STAFF WRITERS

Clinton Touts 60% Drop in Welfare Rolls From Times Wire Reports

Soldiers Arrested in McDonalds Robbery From Times Wire Reports

Twisters Strike Ala.; 10 Killed, Dozens Injured From Associated Press

Latest Storm Cuts Power to More Than 100,000 From Associated Press

Klan Rally Sparks Violent Protest From Times Wire Reports

Fall From Plane Called a Likely Suicide By Miguel Bustillo, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Town's Owners Reveal Identities, Restoration Plans From Associated Press

Police Await Surrender of Suspect in Fatal Shooting From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Chess By Jack Peters, INTERNATIONAL MASTER

Where Gardening Is Seen as a Revolutionary Act By Veronique De Turenne, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Skaters Stunned by Shooting By Tony Perry, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Moon of Jupiter May Conceal an Unusual Ocean By Usha Lee Mcfarling, TIMES SCIENCE WRITER

Manufacturers Reeling From Soaring Price of Natural Gas By Marla Dickerson, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Police Besiege Gunman After Neighbor Is Slain From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Their Yearly Mission of Merriment By William Lobdell

No Grinches Need Apply By Michael Miller

A Bright Idea: Light Displays By John O'Dell and Lynn O'Dell, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Divided by Politics, United by Leno and Letterman By Reed Johnson, Times Staff Writer

Finding Their Place in the (Florida) Sun By Robin Abcarian, Times Staff Writer

TV News Stumbled Badly in Its Rush to Judgment By Howard Rosenberg, Times Television Critic

The Supreme Court Should Weather This Storm By Jean Guccione, Times Staff Writer

Lessons From the Last Campaign of the 20th Century? By Ronald Brownstein, Times Political Writer

Some Guys Get All The Breaks By John Balzar, Times Staff Writer

Love and Murder on the French Riviera By Susan King, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Physician Seeks Prescription for Media Success By Susan Vaughn, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES