Opinion

Fall has to be my favorite time of year - the trees in Kentucky begin to take on a myriad of color and the cooler weather brings relief from summer's hazy days.

But, by far, my favorite fall activity is watching college football, especially teams in the Southeastern Conference.

I have mentioned in previous columns that I'm a Georgia Bulldog fan because I'm from Georgia. Though my football playing days were few growing up in south Georgia, I have always loved football.

What it really comes down to is osmosis.You remember osmosis, don't you? In high school science, you learned that's the process that lets stuff pass through the membrane that surrounds your cells. Osmosis lets the good stuff in and the bad stuff out, trading spent fuel for new fuel. It keeps you alive.

The funny thing about osmosis (other than the name) is that it's automatic. There's no conscious thought involved. That's why if you get stranded at sea, like Tom Hanks in Castaway, you mustn't drink seawater, even if you're dying of thirst.

"Public notice." Sounds great, but it costs money ... at least in the print media. So why in the world should governmental entities spend taxpayers' money on public notices when they can post them on the Internet for next to nothing?

Because the taxpayers have a right to know, have a need to know and want to know, that's why. The argument is as simple as that.

Regardless of who wins the presidential race on Nov. 4, history will be made. The U.S. will welcome either its first black president or first female vice president.

Wouldn't you like to say you had a hand in making history?

For those who haven't yet registered to vote, there is just one week left in which to do so. The deadline is Monday, Oct. 6. If you're registering at the Taylor County Clerk's office, you must do so before 4:30 p.m. Registration cards that are mailed in must be postmarked by Oct. 6.

More than 300 people from Taylor and surrounding counties participated in the 22nd annual Green River Lake Cleanup on Saturday morning. And, after about three hours of work, volunteers had filled a record amount of trash bags.

The 301 boy and girl scouts, school children, church group members and other individuals are to be commended for the efforts Saturday. While the cleanup has seen more volunteers in the past, this year's group collected 40 more bags of trash than last year's now-shattered record of 178 bags.

Congress continues to wrangle on measures to curb the alleged influence of speculators on oil prices. Republicans want to insert provisions on offshore and ANWR drilling, while Democrats prefer to focus on enlarging the regulatory powers of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

However the political maneuvering turns out, cracking down on investors will only harm consumers. There is no hard evidence that speculation is responsible for high oil prices, and the proposed legislation would hamstring the beneficial role that futures markets play in our economy.

It's more than "water cooler talk" or casual conversation these days.

The price of gas is affecting our everyday lives.

It's hard for most of us to drive past a gas station without at least a casual glance at the price sign. And oftentimes that glance is more than just casual.

Last Friday, stories about increasing gas prices were buzzing about, with projections as high as $4.50 or $5 a gallon.

One common thread in nearly all the stories: Why?

Many of us can remember listening to Everette Lee, one of the founders of Campbellsville's Fourth of July Celebration, remark on Main Street during opening ceremonies: "They're one of ours," when introducing someone being honored.

That phrase could not be any more evident than when John "J.B." Holmes plays for the United States during the 37th Ryder Cup this week at Valhalla.

According to recent news reports, a 69-year-old Louisville woman attempted to secure a domestic violence order against her 68-year-old husband. However, Judge Joseph O'Reilly determined that he "did not find the burden of proof that violence occurred," and did not issue the order. This was on Aug. 20. On Aug. 25, Dorene Seidl was shot to death allegedly by her husband as she attempted to retrieve belongings from her home.