I had no idea that my former profession was so exciting and mysterious.
The title of an article — referred to, today, by James Taranto in the WSJ’s Best of the Web Today in one of his trademark title jabs — caught my eye: “Firing Scandal Rocks Secretive Actuary Group.”
“Secretive Actuary Group”? Wow! As a former actuary, I had to read about that!
Turns out the “Secretive Actuary Group” is just the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA). My first thought is that the AAA is about as “secretive” as any such professional group — such as the clandestine ADA and the mysterious AMA — which is to say, they’re not exactly the Freemasons. But reading the article, I see where they are coming from.
I didn’t have much to do with the AAA and dealt mostly with the Society of Actuaries (mentioned briefly, as well, in the article).
Still, the idea of a bunch of actuaries sitting around in hooded robes ritually smacking each other with mortality table engravings in initiation rites is a bit funny to me.
Thoughts En Route 