March 16, 2000

Profile of Sam Wyly, financial backer of Republican presidential candidate George W Bush, chairman of GreenMountain.com, which markets alternative energy sources, and founder of $4 billion hedge fund, Maverick Capital; says Wyly's $2.5 million advertising campaign that attacked environmental record of Sen John McCain has raised questions about Wyly's tactics; says though Wyly and his brother, Charles, are among Bush campaign's biggest contributors, Wyly insists ads attacking McCain were also effort to promote his environmental interests; photo (M)

Los Angeles Opera's new production of Rigoletto, directed by Bruce Beresford, is set in present-day Hollywood instead of 16th-century Mantua; photos (M)

Dow Jones industrial average gains 320.17 points, or 3.3 percent, to 10,131.41, biggest gain in 17 months; Nasdaq composite index drops 124.01 points, or 2.6 percent, to 4,582.62; Standard & Poor's 500-stock index climbs 33 points, or 2.4 percent, to 1,392.15; graph; chart (M)

Rick Marin article on 'unsettling' decision by Bic Corporation to redesign his prized four-color ballpoint pen, which was organizing principle of his day-planner diary; drawings (M)

Michel Marriott (State of the Art) column on new generation of portable CD players that offer skip-free performance; says shining example of new technology is antiskip Walkman D-E-J915 from Sony Electronics, which sells for $199.95; also notes Aiwa America will also offer new player this month; photos of new units (M)