A hhugeuge mmantaanta rrayay sswimswims iinn tthehe wwatersaters ooffff YYap.ap. MMoreore tthanhan 110000 mmantasantas lliveive yyearear rroundound iinn tthosehose wwaters.aters. FForor mmoreore oonn KKwajaleinwajalein rresidentesident IIvyvy SSpringer’springer’s ddiveive ttriprip ttoo YYap,ap, sseeee PPageage 44.. Saturday, March 3, 2007 ((PhotoPhoto bbyy IIvyvy SSpringer)pringer) The Kwajalein Hourglass www.smdc.army.mil/KWAJ/Hourglass/hourglass.html COMMENTARIES Past Hollywood movies prove what sells best We always hear that sex and violence (23) The Exorcist ($870,322,714) sell, right? They’re what advertisers (24) Forrest Gump ($864,696,421) (25) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ($851,419,200) use to get us to buy stuff because they (26) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith believe that old adage. ($848,480,246) Now, I don’t do much at work, but ev- (27) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ery now and then I wake up from a nap ($811,115,427) (28) Spider Man 2 ($805,131,538) and get an idea. So, just for the heck of (29) The Jungle Book ($802,223,303) it, I looked on the good old Internet and (30) The Sixth Sense ($767,350,777) checked out the top grossing Hollywood (31) The Matrix Reloaded ($775,988,356) fi lms of all time. (32) Thunderball ($771,893,333) When you look at the list, it’s really ($1,077,433,191) (33) Ghost ($752,150,867) (34) The Lost World: Jurassic Park pretty enlightening. So If you’ll bear with (9) Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menance ($1,054,205,059) ($729,047,539) me and take the time to scan one of the (10) The Lion King ($1,032,957,482) (35) The Chronicles of Narnia ($704,795,008) lists I found on the Web, I think you’ll be (11) Independence Day ($1,016,915,857) (36) Men in Black ($694,579,105) as surprised as I was. (12) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (37) Goldfi nger ($693,799,354) ($1,005,580,484) (38) Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones Here goes. The top 40 all-time high- ($693,187,865) est grossing fi lms worldwide (ticket (13) The Sound of Music ($978,767,575) (14) Planet of the Apes (1968 original) (39) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the sales only—no DVD sales or rental ($977,132,692) Black Pearl ($687,015,694) sales included) in history are: (15) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s (40) The Sting ($679,018,919) Chest ($973,225,343) (1) Gone With the Wind ($2,699,710,936) (16) One Hundred and One Dalmations Now, some of those movies didn’t (2) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope ($966,612,040) make all that money in a one-time ($2,591,057,697) (17) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of release and have been re-released over (3) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the Rings ($961,458,991) the years. But, taking infl ation into con- ($2,425,862,786) (18) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (4) Titanic ($2,245,078,983) ($935,804,406) sideration and that many of those ticket (5) Jurassic Park ($1,236,257,268) (19) Jaws ($912,899,628) sales were in the 1920s, 1930s and (6) Bambi ($1,191,311,757) (20) Finding Nemo ($908,394,209) 1940s when it cost something like 25 (7) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the (21) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire King ($1,187,603,356) ($891,719,985) (8) Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone (22) Spider Man ($877,117,127) See HOLLYWOOD, Page 16 Marshallese funeral ceremony rooted in tradition By Agnes Jibke A funeral is always carried Our rich, inherited culture and our unique customs set out in a tradi- us Marshall Islanders apart from the rest of the world. tional and timely While many of our traditions have slowly drifted out of our fashion. It takes daily rituals, one has remained strong and important within fi ve phases to each family household - the funeral ceremony. Though successfully com- there are many important gatherings in our culture, none plete a custom- will outrank the calling of family members to a funeral ary Marshallese ceremony. funeral. Funeral With the recent deaths of the parent of a current Ri- services serve as Katak student as well as the parent of a former Ri-Katak a time for members of the deceased to assemble and jit- graduate of Kwajalein High School, you may be wondering ram menmenbwij (obtain knowledge of blood relation from how the Marshallese people observe a tradition funeral ceremony. See FUNERAL, Page 7 TThehe KKwajaleinwajalein HHourglassourglass The Kwajalein Hourglass is named for the or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department Printed circulation: 2,000 insignia of the U.S. Army 7th Infantry Division, of Defense, Department of the Army or USAKA. E-mail: [email protected] which liberated the island from the forces of Im- It is published Wednesdays and Saturdays in ac- Commanding Offi cer......Col. Stevenson Reed perial Japan on Feb. 4, 1944. cordance with Army Regulation 360-1 and using a Public Affairs Offi cer......................Sandy Miller network printer by Kwajalein Range Services edito- The Kwajalein Hourglass is an authorized pub- Editor......................................Nell Drumheller lication for military personnel, federal employees, rial staff. contractor workers and their families assigned P.O. Box 23, APO AP 96555 Graphics Designer..........................Dan Adler to U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll. Contents of the Phone: Defense Switching Network 254-3539; Reporter..............................................JJ Klein Hourglass are not necessarily offi cial views of, Local phone: 53539 Distribution..................................C.J. Kemem The Kwajalein Hourglass 2 Saturday, March 3, 2007 Fitness Center receiving makeover Ivey Gym getting new exercise equipment Hourglass Reports Thirteen new pieces of fi tness equipment will be installed at the Ivey Gymnasium requiring the closure of the facility for two days. The new equipment will replace larger, bulkier pieces and be user-friendly. Ivey Gymnasium will close at 9 a.m., March 9 and reopen at 7:30 a.m., March 11. When the doors open patrons will fi nd Cybex strength equipment, some replacing machines currently on the fl oor and some brand new to the facility. The fi tness equip- ment is valued at $60,000. “With the base closures in Korea, we were able to obtain the fi tness equipment at no cost through our Pacifi c Morale, Welfare, and Recreation regional representative at Ft. Shafter in Hawaii,” said Torrey Land- ers, Kwajalein Range Services Recreation Programs manager. The MWR representative had visited Kwajalein and knowing the needs and budget constraints of the Community Activities Offi ce sent Landers a list of available fi tness machinery. “We got fi rst choice in selection,” Landers commented. “We were given a list of available equipment and were able to choose which pieces we wanted.” Of the 13 pieces of equipment shipped to Kwajalein, two were completely damaged in transit and two repeat machinery currently on the fl oor, and “what we have is in better condi- tion,” said Landers. Landers and Com- munity Activities Staffer Billy Coley will hold new equipment ori- entations for island residents unsure of how to use the new ma- Asmond Arelong, left, and Sotin Maie, Community Activities chinery. The orien- employees, sand and paint equipment obtained from Korea for use in tations will be held Ivey Gym. (Photo by JJ Klein) 4 p.m., March 11 and 12. For patrons unable to attend weight plates to increase and decrease resistance,” the orientations they can request explained Landers. the assistance of Ivey gym staffers, Another benefi t to the current gym-going population who will receive training on all the is that the new fi tness equipment will fi t their body new pieces. type better, in particular women. “A benefi t of this specifi c line The older equipment was originally designed for of fi tness equipment is that each someone 6 foot, 4 inches, weighing 280 pounds com- piece has its own weight stack that mented Landers. “I encourage everyone to come out, can be changed with a pin - you don’t have to move take a look and give it a try.” Saturday, March 3, 2007 3 The Kwajalein Hourglass Yap The next day of diving there were many mantas in the water with us — everywhere I looked there were mantas — sometimes Individual manta rays can grow up to 23 feet (8 meters) across and weigh over 1,400 kilos, which dozens at once. It was mind-boggling to qualifi es the manta ray as one of the fi ve largest say the least. species of fi sh in the world. (Photo by Ivy Springer) Kwaj resident makes dreams come true on dive trip to Yap By Ivy Springer is the offi cial currency, and yet traditional stone money started diving in December 1997, and immediately can be seen throughout the island. began dreaming about seeing the Yap mantas. I Yap is the westernmost state of the Federated fi nally made it to Yap in October 2006 at the tail States of Micronesia and an easy airplane ride from I Kwajalein. end of my Indonesia and Yap dive odyssey. Wow! What a way to top off a fantastic journey! The friendly travel agents on Kwajalein walked me Yap is known as the Mysterious Isle of Stone Money through this fi rst step in making my Yap dive dream and is a fascinating blend of yesterday, today, and come true.