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It's a small thing, I realize. But in the story about DeAndre Upchurch -- basketball star charged with assault with intent to murder -- there was this:

Present on the bench? Was the charge not high enough? What do you have to do, then, to be kept away from the team altogether? I realize the kid's innocent until proven guilty -- and I want to repeat that: innocent until proven guilty -- but still.

I await your views.

Matt Millen

This upsets some Lions fans.

The thinking goes like this: "Well, he stunk as a GM, therefore his views in the booth will be invalid."

Posh. I think Millen will do just fine.

Millen: "Look at that. He's amazing. Now there's a guy you could build a team around."

Al Michaels: "Uh, Matt, that's the punter."

Jeffery Rodgers

• Regarding an article about a Swartz Creek man receiving a waiver from the military to continue a new career as a state trooper:

"Good luck, young man."
-- Posted by Number407

"Finally, someone in government made a common-sense decision."
-- Posted by micu29

Each year around this time, Lake Superior State University releases its list of words that should be banished from the Queen's English for mis-use, over-use and general uselessness.

They do a good job.

For instance, this year they chose:

• "Green," and all its variables, like "going green," "green technology" and "greening."

I've always groaned at the term, which is a catch-all for anything that is supposedly environmentally-friendly.

Snark that I am, I think, "But nature isn't always green. In fact, nature is often brown, black, white, yellow and even gray, sometimes all at the same time."

It's inaccurate to pick just one color, but then we probably wouldn't buy dish soap that claimed to be "brown," now would we?

Obviously, the Saturday front-page article "Roll call: Area legislators missing votes" focuses only on our legislators. I would think some legislators from other areas might have similar absentee records. The number of missed votes by any of these people seems to be a good argument for an official part-time legislature.

Six months ago we bought gasoline at $4.11 per gallon. The smartest energy consultants were informing us that the price would soon break $6 per gallon.

During the holiday season, many families in our program -- the Flint School District's Early Head Start -- have benefited from the generosity of caring individuals and groups in our community.

I start out slowly composing my new year's wish list and by the time I am done, I have put down enough wishes for two columns.

Here goes for 2009 (and beyond):

Flint Journal's
David Smith

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There are different kinds of power struggles. There is the political power struggle, when you leave your candidate's yard sign stuck in the grass until December. There is the social stalemate with the dog over who gets to sit in the good chair. There is the classic empty-toilet-paper-roll standoff.

I have been embroiled in a power struggle of a more literal sense when the electricity went off at our house. This is always dramatic because at any given moment all of the lights in the house are on.

I reacted like I always do; I flipped the light switch up and down several times, looking at the ceiling lights expectantly. It is a little known fact that this primes the electricity pump that send light into the light bulbs.