I was over at The New Place dropping off my deposit check for The New Emotionally Stable Roommates. They were watching "Fear Factor" on NBC, and since it was almost over, we watched the ending and I said once or twice, "Damn, that guy looks like Tom [a guy I was friends with in college]... it's been years since I've seen him, though." Then the ending came along and the host thumps him on the back and says something to the effect of "Tom, you won! You just won $50,000!"

Stricken with a growing sense of "ohmigodsaywhat???" in my stomach, I asked the guys to rewind their TiVo to a point when NBC played the chyron of the contestant's names on the screen. As they were rewinding, I remarked, "If it's Tom Trundle, I'm really going to start screaming bloody murder."

It was. The first time I see this guy in 3 years, and it's on network TV as he's winning $50,000. The New Emotionally Stable Roommates suggested I call him up and ask for some cash. I did not. However, I did spend the next half-hour calling everyone I knew from Brandeis.