I got to visit a couple of my favorite haunts the last couple of nights. Last night, Drew and I headed over to O'Reilly's at Cedar Center. Ah, the specials were most of my favorites, including the Ribeye and the Turkey Burger, but I just had to select the Tomato Soup and that Po Boy. I couldn't get there early enough. I hate when work interferes with my ability to have an extra beer. I was shocked when Wheel of Fortune was changed on many TVs. To lacrosse, of all things. I wonder if Jeopardy is receiving the same treatment.

And tonight, my Dad and I headed over to the Union House. Apparently, he had not had a fish fry in a while, so I tagged along. I recommend it highly.

Meal of Links

The "Simpsonize Me" machine is up and running again. You can upload a photo and is it is "Simpsonized".

I got a letter from the Ohio State Department of Administrative Services a few days ago. DAS does not stand for Dumbass, but it could. Anyhow, I made the list. Yep, my info was on the infamous stolen laptop. The state tries to reassure you by saying only someone with "special knowledge" could crack the code. Yeah, I believe that one. BTW, the state also told us, at the start, that only 64,000 people were affected. That number is now up to 1.2 million. Oops. Heads are now rolling.

Another boost for "The Wire". If you haven't seen it, start now.

Exercise Yard

The NBA, especially David Stern, has to be agonizing over the referee betting scandal. I'm a fan of the league, but it is perpetually dogged by the thought that most people have...the game might be fixed. For years, we have joked that the refs "got the call from Stern" at halftime, and have cost the Cavs another game. I distinctly recall a playoff game in the early '90s against New Jersey, where the Cavs had built a decent lead at the half. In the third quarter, the calls started piling up against the Cavs and they ended up losing. Although not completely sold on the concept, after that game, the thought was permanently embedded in my brain as a possibility.

I'm sure we'll hear that it's the actions of a troubled rogue referee, but it shows how a ref can easily control the outcomes of games through foul calls, violations and ejections. Especially when he has two different partners for each game.

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25 Across: "Phooey!" (3 letters) Answer: Bah