Granted, spring and summer aren't the seasons historically associated with professional football; but one of the most important events of the season occurred last week: the NFL Draft. New talent shapes the team's hopes and direction, and the Lions' picks were predominantly linemen. Check out the Lions' picks round by round and comment with your thoughts.

Senator McCain comes back to woo Metro Detroiters this week after a two month absence. On Tuesday evening, he held a fundraiser with Mitt Romney, the former Republican candidate. On Wednesday, he hosts a Town Hall Meeting at Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion on the Oakland University campus in Rochester. Doors open at 8 a.m.

It may not be too late to RSVP. McCain's website has an RSVP form, but no confirmation is necessary. Want a few questions to ask? Check out Senator McCain's position, as well as the Democratic candidates' positions, on key Michigan issues.

Instead of focusing on environmental dangers and global catastrophe, Plymouth turned "going green" into a good time. Showcasing products, educating consumers and providing entertainment on two days in May made for a pleasant day, a unique shopping alternative and a realization that Luna bars are pretty good tasting in addition to being good for you. The turnout for the Green Street Fair was pretty good, so maybe "green" will become the new theme in festivals around the Detroit Metro area.

More information:

• Profile of Plymouth's Green Street Fair

Take a free ride on the carousel, rent a bike from the new Wheelhouse shop and sample some of the culinary offerings from the new RiverWalk Cafe. While the free food and rides stop at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, RiverWalk stays open for the season. Two and one-half miles along the Detroit River provide endless entertainment and recreation opportunity throughout the summer. For more information, check out the RiverWalk Profile and Things to Do: May 2008.

Detroit plays host to several speaking events this week. On Sunday, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, notable pastor to Presidential Candidate Barack Obama, made a speech at the NAACP's Freedom Fund Dinner. The entire speech is available on hiphopmusic.com and the transcript of it is available on CNN.com. On Wednesday evening, comedian Bill Cosby will host a town-hall meeting in Detroit regarding education and the economy to be aired on the local ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV.

According to Newsmax.com and Texas on the Potomac blog, both Cosby and Reverend Wright grew up in Philadelphia's Germantown and attended Central High School; yet the two men have two very different points of view regarding race relations. While Cosby advocates against African Americans embracing victimhood, many perceive Reverend Wright as ratifying it. Is this the case? Are their messages in opposition?

Reverend Wright speaks in a "different" way. He speaks in a sermon-type tone, calls for a response from his audience and utilizes sometimes shocking and definitely attention-grabbing examples that are immediately taken up by the media as sound bites. He does, however, repeat his main theme over and over again, so it is a real mystery how the media got hung up on some of the analogies used in Sunday's speech and managed to miss the point of what Reverend Wright was actually saying.

At the NAACP dinner, Reverend Wright pointed out that there are a lot of differences between people. He illustrated the differences in example after example as he explained, "It is just different. Different does not mean deficient." His speech probably served as the best example. While his manner and extreme examples are different from other speakers, they do not automatically make his underlying message wrong, racist or divisive.

Given the controversy Reverend Wright continues to stir and his recent speech in Detroit, it will be interesting to see if Bill Cosby will make comment on Reverend Wright during the Detroit town hall meeting. Considering their perceived differences, Cosby's take on Reverend Wright and his message could be illuminating. Listening to the different points of view of the two men, not just the sensational sound bites in the news, might just make us think in a new way about an old issue.

What do you think?

I opened Forbes list of the worst-selling housing markets with a sense of resignation. Detroit manages to make it onto most of the negative surveys and lists lately; and, given our recent history as foreclosure king, Detroit's presence on the list seemed inevitable.

Surprise. Not only are we absent from the list, we are not even referenced in the article. What does this mean? According to the article, it means that our housing market is not as sedentary as San Diego, Chicago, Los Angeles or Miami. Maybe things are looking up, including sale rates and housing prices.

That's not the only good news. Detroit and/or its suburbs ranks high on a lot of lists that measure more positive attributes, like best sports city and most generous.

I knew they were coming, heard on the news they'd arrived, but it wasn't until this last week that I started seeming the Smart Car out and about on streets around Metro Detroit. Unlike their preview at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), you can't appreciate how small the car is until you see it turning into traffic on a major road.

I wonder how Metro Detroiters will use it. Is it zippy local transportation or the primary car? Will it be used on the freeway? If you know anyone who has one, or if you've seen it on I-275, sound off in comments. What future does the Smart Car have in the Metro Detroit area?


Smart Car at the 2008 NAIAS
Photo © Laura Sternberg, Licensed to About.com

Then and now, Pegasus Taverna in Detroit's Greektown is still the metro area's go-to restaurant for authentic Greek food. While the Greektown area has literally changed and evolved around it, Pegasus stays very much the same. Great for Sunday brunch, family dinners and a culinary break from Greektown Casino that is located right next door, the restaurant offers a lot in terms of food, location and atmosphere as detailed in my Review of Pegasus Taverna.

Centrally located, trendy and hip, Royal Oak has been a destination for Metro Detroiters for a couple of decades now. Even so, it has evolved over time. These days, loft complexes are sprouting up amidst the restaurants and boutiques, and the X-generation that used to rule the streets has gotten older. The pickings might be somewhat different, but Royal Oak is still doing something right and offers a lot in terms of dining, entertainment and shopping.

More Info:

• Photo tour of Royal Oak
• Royal Oak's website

Photo © Laura Sternberg, Licensed to About.com

Whether your pleasure is hockey, football, baseball or basketball, there is something big going on in the sport this month. Larry Sternberg's Detroit Sports Blog talks about the NFL draft, the Tigers hitting, the match up between the Pistons and the Celtics, and the Red Wings change in routine.

Biography: Larry Sternberg