December 31, 2000

George Vecsey Sports of The Times column discusses decision by Al Groh to resign as New York Jets coach to take same position with University of Virginia; photo (M)

Information revolution is one area where futurists have suffered from feebleness of imagination; again and again, scientists have lacked imagination about potential of computer revolution; some notable forecasts from otherwise respected authorities recalled; photo (M)

Most difficult element in Middle East peace puzzle is plight of Palestinian refugees, descendants of 750,000 people who fled fighting that commenced with Arab attack on newly created state of Israel in 1948; they now number nearly four milion, and they live in refugee camps, cherishing 'right of return' enshrined in United Nations Resolution 194, which created new state of Israel; unlike other refugee groups that eventually disperse, many Palestinians, at direction of Palestinian leadership, remain clustered in camps, which serve as incubators of irredentist nationalism; now, under peace plan put forward by Pres Clinton, Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat faces one of most difficult and dangerous decisions in his long career of successfully avoiding decisions; Clinton offers Palestinians sovereignty over part of Temple Mount in exchange for giving up refugees' right of return to Israel; photos (M)

Bear market in stocks highlights failure of many brokerage firm research analysts to accurately predict performance of stocks they follow; failure reflects shift in role of analysts, who rarely advise sale of stocks of possible investment banking clients; money managers are now skeptical of analysts's credibility, holding they invent unrealistic valuation criteria; graph of stock that plunged while analysts for its underwriters continued to tout stock; graph of analysts's short-term stock recommendations; drawing; photos (M)

Last article in series about Russian health care, Freedom's Toll, examines how city of Dubna could be textbook example of how all of Russia could heal itself; medical care in Dubna has been transformed in last decade through remarkable partnership between Dubna and American city of La Crosse, Wis; thousand Wisconsinites have traveled to Russia to pore over Dubna's health-care system, and been host to thousand Dubna residents in turn; Dubna has rebuilt maternity hospital, kidney dialysis center and diabetes education center; it has women's wellness clinics and rehabilitation center for disabled children and adults; United States Agency for International Development program that subsidizes partnerships between American health care institutions and former Soviet cities has provided nearly $1 million; American participants in program credit Dubna's mayor, Valery Eduardovich Prokh, for success of program, saying he is intolerant of obstacles to change, and determined to make life better for people of Dubna; photos; map (L)

Dan Neil assesses Mazda Millenia and Buick Century, only cars using intervals of time as their names; photos (M)

Snowstorm brings out best in New Yorkers; many seemed charmed by predicament of getting clobbered by almost foot of snow on long holiday weekend; children frolic in snow and adults help stranded motorists get their cars out of snowdrifts on streets of city; photos (M)

Widespread opposition emerges among Israelis and Palestinians to Pres Clinton's unwritten peace proposal; even plan's chief advocate, Prime Min Ehud Barak, appears to be backing away from central tenet of proposal--that Palestinians be granted sovereignty over Muslim holy site known as Haram al Sharif that sits atop Temple Mount, in exchange for Palestinians' giving up claims to right of their refugees to return to Israel; Israeli military opposes plan, particularly proposal to abandon Jordan Valley; Fatah, Yasir Arafat's organization, issues statement calling for escalation over next two weeks of three-month-old intifada, which has already claiemd almost 350 lives, most of them Palestinians; Arafat is under enormous pressure from virtually entire spectrum of Palestinian opinion and organizations to reject American proposals; photo; map (M)

Tara Bahrampour article on her eight years of searching for a place to call home in New York, all the time moving between overpriced, closet-sized sublets; says her generation wil pay more money to live in smaller, shabbier apartments than any generation of educated, employed, middle-class New Yorkers ever has; photo; drawing (L)

Article recalls highlights of sports world in 2000; photo (M)

Pres-elect Bush's choices for top posts in his administration signal that he intends to run government by cabinet, delegating more authority than usual to seasoned executives whose reputations were made years before he first ran for office; he has recruited at least dozen people who worked in previous Republican administrations, dating to late 1960's; selections for 12 of 15 cabinet members and critical White House staff positions seem to fulfill Bush's campaign vow to assemble star-studded cast of advisers; that pledge was made to address criticism about his limited experience in national politics and foreign affairs; Bush's cabinet, like Clinton's before him, is diverse, with women and members of minorites; photo (M)

Al Groh surprised Jets coaches, players and fans yesterday by resigning as the team's head coach after one season. He will return to his alma mater, the University of Virginia, as the head football coach. Groh announced his resignation just six days after the Jets lost their third straight game to finish 9-7, out of the National Football League playoffs.