Yoavoshimaru

This is a very good point. I would guess that if you look at the percentage (instead of absolute numbers) of NSK revenues spent on rikishi salaries, it'd be much higher than the corresponding number in the organizations mentioned above.

Here's a forecast: Asashoryu tying Musashimaru and the ill-fated Futabayama with 12 yusho, 2 short of Wajima.

Interesting stuff...Thanks for researching and posting it. An azukari every other makuuchi basho on average for this guy is an unusually high rate, no?

How come the lads in the last pic are drinking a Japanese beer (Sapporo)? Shouldn't they be having Guinness or another Irish alternative?

Wow, very strong words.

I know whenever I have a long project or system name, I try to rearrange it so that its acronym is catchy of funny. It's good to see I'm not alone ;) BTW, I've read the MIT thesis mentioned above, it's quite good. I'm writing my own at the moment. It has nothing to do with sumo or sport, but maybe I'll sneak it a fun acronym or reference...

I am very late on this, but it's important enough to chime in with a personal congratulations anyways. Well done and keep it up! (In a state of confusion...)

Very long full explanation about the meaning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs site. Summary: Star of David: According to Sholem, the motive for the widespread use of the Star of David was a wish to imitate Christianity. During the Emancipation, Jews needed a symbol of Judaism parallel to the cross, the universal symbol of Christianity. In particular, they wanted something to adorn the walls of the modern Jewish house of worship that would be symbolic like the cross. This is why the Star of David became prominent in the nineteenth century and why it was later used on ritual objects and in synagogues and eventually reached Poland and Russia. Stripes: The blue stripes on the Zionist flag were inspired by the stripes on the tallit (prayer shawl)... The blue stripes of the Zionist flag serve as a counterweight to the message of the Star of David. They give the flag the religious and ritual aspect totally absent from the latter.

And if not, at least we have maccabi tel-aviv in basketball (In a state of confusion...)

I actually think Kokkai is improving at a decent pace. For him to push Chiyotaikai off at the tachi-ai is a nice feat. It's much better to have pure power and need to learn the rest than have the rest but no pure power.

What did Kaio really say where you quote "that's the way the cookie crumbles" ? ;)

The woman (?) in the left-most position in the top picture in this thread looks like an evil witch. Maybe the witch of the west? Guy in pink shirt and red tie in 2nd picture looks familiar, oyakata...

You're not wrong, and not much has changed since I left ;)

Hmm, yeah, I see that I was confused by the fuku-tate-yobidashi situation as well. I've been gone for a while, yes, and I anticipate my posting rate to remain negligible. School has been consuming most of my awake time. It's surprising (maybe ;)), but I have less time to surf and watch sumo nowadays (not to mention play online...) than I did when I had a full-time job... (Shaking head...)