The Week in Meep, 24 Mar 2024: Memento Mori, NYC, and Sumo!
Well, that was a week.
This was quite a week for me: I had a nice day trip to Manhattan (walked all over the place and gave a talk at Columbia), there was a monumental end to the spring sumo tournament, and we’re into Holy Week 2024 and the Memento Mori that entails.
SUMO!
Yeah, I’ve made a sumo substack (which I’ve not updated during this tournament as I’ve been so busy, but will be updating shortly), but you will get a little sumo in here sometimes, especially when it’s epic. And Haru Basho 2024 was epic.
Today was the end of the spring sumo tournament, and that was one for the record books: a rookie won it, the first time in 110 years! He swept all the special prizes! AMAZING!
Some smiling screencaps right after he realized he won. Then he had to get all stoic and serious, in the usual sumo style.
The last time someone swept all the prizes was in 2000:
He was the lowest-ranked of the bunch, though.
If you’re wondering what Wikipedia article the above table comes from, it’s this: Sansho (sumo). These are special prizes that are not necessarily given out each tournament.
Congrats!
Here, There, and Everywhere in Manhattan
On Thursday, I went into Manhattan, and did a bunch of walking: from GCT to Chelsea Piers, then all around the Metropolitan Museum of Art, then from the Met up to Columbia University (through Central Park, of course):
I gave the talk that I had presented to the Iowa Actuarial Club at the beginning of March, linked here:
This is the second time I’ve spoken at the Columbia Proseminar in Actuarial Science - this looks like the Coursicle page for the course, with an appropriate description. They get actuaries working in industry come speak to the students to talk about aspects of the profession, and in my case, I like to talk about things I’m working on.
And I like to get the chance to walk around and visit the Met any time I’m in the city….
Memento Mori at the Met
…so I collected more memento mori photos for my collection.
The Dutch and Germans of the 17th century were definitely into this theme.