Southern almanac

Southern Living, Nov 2000 by Thompson, Annette, Burnett, Jason

Hold the Elections, please Before you go to the polls on November 7, first drop in at www.twain2000.com. Explore the platform at the Mark Twain for President Campaign 2000 Web site to dig up all the dirt on the candidate. * (Just try to sling some mud here.) * This 19th-century writer still has his fingers on the pulse of contemporary America: "What the country wants is a candidate who cannot be injured by investigation of his past history,"

Twain said. Find favorite political Twain bons mots at this witty site, and participate in a public-opinion poll. If you're moved to show your support, e-mail a digital campaign postcard to a friend, or add free buttons and banners to your own Web site declaring "Vote Twain 2000" or "Better to have bad morals than none at all." Who knows? Twain may become the best dark horse candidate we've seen in a century.

And They're Off

Dark horses of a different color thunder down the track at Louisville's Churchill Downs this November 4 during the Breeders' Cup. Prepare for the race by visiting www.breederscup.com and studying the up-to-date Thoroughbreds' standings. You'll also rein in statistics and archives, a guide to facilities that air simulcasts, and a multimedia gallery. At the gallery, you'll discover the history of the race as you watch a scrapbook of video stretch-runs that can be downloaded along with photos of winning horses from all 113 races in the Championship's 16-year history. If you want to purchase a souvenir of the event, virtually trot into the merchandise area for caps, T shirts, and collectibles.

Dining Out

Join the few thousand or so folks who attend the annual Ranch Hand Breakfast on November 18 at the King Ranch. Measuring 825,000 acres in south Texas (somewhere between the size of Delaware and Rhode Island), the expansive ranch now reaches the Internet at www.king-ranch.com. Take a tour of the properties where cotton, grain, sugarcane, sod, and cattle are raised, then learn about the ranch's quarter horse program and their creation of the Santa Gertrudis cattle-the first beef breed developed in the United States (it's a cross between Indian Brahmans and British shorthorns). And if you want your house to look like a Sundance catalog but you'd rather not pay the upscale prices, try visiting the Saddle Shop for a selection of luggage and home accessories such as antler lamps, spur clocks, and chipped stone lamps.

Days of Wine and Roses

"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" aspects of one of Savannah's finest sons, Johnny Mercer. This month marks his November birthday. Sing along to lyrics of more than 150 of his most popular songs at www lemonadelounge.com. Then read the bio, determine which CDs are currently in print, and note the monthly television listing of Mercer-related shows.

The Educational Archives Web site is "Too Marvelous for Words." Go to www.johnnymercer.com for an academic approach to the entertainer. It catalogs all aspects of his career, from sheet music and song lyrics to films and tributes. We promise you'll have a "Wonderful, Wonderful Day"

"All I Know Is What I Read in the Papers"

So said Will Rogers. We take note of his birthday, November 4, not in the papers but at www.willrogers.org. This site provides a short biography; a visit to his birthplace, the Dog Iron Ranch in Oologah, Oklahoma; and an exhibit list for the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore, Oklahoma. Will began his career on a cattle ranch, where he learned how to throw a rope. He took his trick roping on stage in Wild West shows and vaudeville acts, which led to roles in 71 movies. The Web site lassos Will Rogers quotes and offers books, posters, statuary, and videotapes of several of his movies.

Spreading It Around

Put down that turkey and dressing because November is Peanut Butter Lover's Month. At the official Web site of the EB. Fan Club, www.peanutbutterlovers.com, you'll find the humble beginnings of the tasty spread-from a ground peanut stew made in 15th-century Africa to a ground peanut paste for people with bad teeth who couldn't chew meat. You'll also discover the Southern connection-two-thirds of U.S. peanut crops are raised in Alabama,. Florida, and Georgia. Fan Club members include Julia Child, Larry King, Cher, Barbara Bush, Julia Roberts, and now, yours truly.