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July 2016 Rite of Passage Ceremonies and rituals for important events Essential 80s Putting together the ultimate 80s playlist Say What? Are you singing the right words to songs? Snow doubt about it Hipe hits the snow slopes - in Cape Town School of Substance Abuse Performance enhancing drugs at school What’s inside the July edition? 8 Click on any video below to view How much do you know about movie theme songs? Take our quiz and find out. Hipe’s Wouter de Goede interviews former 28’s gang boss David Williams. 14 Cover Story Rite of Passage Every culture has ceremonies and traditions for the most important events in a person’s life. We look at some of them. Features Hammered Alcohol abuse is becoming more of a problem among the country’s youth. The old South African Defence Force used a mixture of English, Afrikaans, slang and techno-speak that few outside the military could hope to understand. Some of the terms were humorous, some were clever, while others were downright crude. Part of Hipe’s “On the couch” series, this is an interview with one of author Herman Charles Bosman’s most famous A taxi driver was shot characters, Oom Schalk Hipe spent time in dead in an ongoing Lourens. Hanover Park, an area war between rival taxi plagued with gang organisations. violence, to view firsthand how Project Ceasefire is dealing with the situation. Hipe TV brings you videos ranging from actuality to humour and everything in between. Interviews, mini-documentaries and much more. Check out Hipe TV and remember to like, comment, share and subscribe. 20 Essential 80’s 27 Hipe’s how to.... 28 Murphy’s Law 30 Hipe’s Food Section 32 Fashion faux pas page 8 The 80’s produced some of the best music ever. We’ve compiled a list of essential 80’s music for your collection. How to say goodbye in various languages. Ryan Murphy is carrying on about South African drivers. page 32 Some more tips from Chef Tony Zola and another Quick & Easy recipe. Fiona Taylor looks as some fashion disasters that you should avoid at all costs. Front Cover Photo A sabre tooth tiger gets a kiss. It was part of an exhibit at Snow World. 3 36 Music 101 - One Hit Wonders 38 Say what? PUBLISHER Hipe Media 42 Hipe’s Top Ten EDITOR Matt Tennyson 45 Gaming: Budget Buys 46 Scene & Heard - Snow Productions From the editor’s desk I t’s the middle of winter. It’s cold and rainy. Don’t know about you, but I’m ready for summer again. This month we’ve gone for a bit of a musical theme and I had a good chuckle at the article ‘Say what’. It seems that I’m not the only one that gets the words to songs mixed up at times. I’ve been watching the rugby test matches between South Africa and Ireland with mixed emotions. I’m a big Springbok fan but I was born and raised in Ireland so I still support them as well. Next month we celebrate Women’s Day and it is also Women’s Month. So in August we will only be using female writers for the magazine. And I’ll be relinquishing the editor’s desk for the month and Fiona Taylor will step in. Trust me, I need the break. Until next time. 4 r o t i d E Entertainment SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Ryan Gould These artists all had hits - but only one. Are you singing the right words to your favourite song? Our Top Ten musical movies. Matt O’ Brien talks about how to make gaming affordable. page 50 We go snowboarding in Cape Town. CONTRIBUTORS Gwyneth Bowman, Janine Cassidy, Raymond Fletcher, Seth Gordon, Jeff Milton, Stix Mkhize, Ryan Murphy, Matt O’Brien, Fiona Taylor, Matt Tennyson, Tony Zola. 48 Hipe! is published on-line every month. Articles in Hipe! are copyrighted and may not be used without prior permission from the editor. 50 Health Boost your immune system Make sure you’re getting the right vitamins and minerals this winter. Sport The Greatest Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. We pay tribute to the late Muhammad Ali. The views stated in this magazine do not necessary reflect the views of Hipe!, the editor, the staff, or Hipe Media. 54 The School of substance abuse Hipe! P.O. Box 31216, Tokai, 7966 South Africa. 57 The remarkable Bill Payn email editor@hipe.co.za page 40 58 We delve into the darker side of school sports. The man who ran the Comrades in rugby boots. Short Story When the nerd turns page 54 A gaming nerd goes from zero to hero. 5 Hipe! important information Connect with Hipe on social media. Making your Hipe reading experience even better Just click on any of the buttons below and you can connect with us Not only does Hipe contain articles on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and that are informative, interesting and thought provoking, it is also interacInstagram. tive. You can connect with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as well as view videos on Hipe TV, our very own dedicated YouTube channel. Audio Button With every article you will see a red audio button somewhere on the page. This is for our readers that are sight impaired. Just click on the button and you can listen to the article. Are you the Master of Music, the Sultan of Sport, or the Guru of General Knowledge? Then why not visit the Hipe Quiz Channel and take a quiz? Test your own knowledge or take the quiz with a group of friends to see who knows more. You’ll find a quiz to suit everyone’s interest. And a new quiz is added twice a week. So what are you waiting for. Just click on the button below and show us just how good you are. Video Button Many articles will also have a video button. Click on this to view a video relating to the article. In some articles you will see words that are underlined in blue. Click on any of these to also view a video. Music Film Gaming General Geography Knowledge Literature Military People Science & Nature History And remember you can also send comments to editor@hipe.co.za, 6 Sport Television 7 Hipe! cover story Rite of Passage Every culture has ceremonies and traditions for most of the important events in a person’s life; be it a birth, coming of age, marriage, or even death. We take a closer look. “T wenty-one today, twentyone today, I’ve got the key of the door, I’ve never been twenty-one before.” It’s been many years since I heard that little song sung at my 21st birthday party. In fact, if I recall correctly, Mozart was playing the piano when they sung it. The 21st birthday celebration is a big deal in western culture. It is the day that you “come of age”. You are now officially an adult. It probably stems from the fact that in many countries you had to be 21 before you could vote. It is also tradition to receive a key on your 21st birthday, a symbol denoting your “freedom”. We seem to have rituals and ceremonies for most of the important events in our lives. We have them for birth, coming of age, marriage, even 8 for death. And, although they may differ somewhat, most cultures and religions seem to have them. In most Christian cultures, baptism plays an important role. In some churches this is done at birth and it is normally when the child is named. In many charismatic churches, however, baptism doesn’t take place at birth. This happens much later, when a person is old enough to give their life to God. They are then baptised as a sign of being “born again”. The person being baptised is immersed under the water. It is symbolic of being buried and then rising again as a new person. Yet some churches can’t even agree on how this should be done. Some say that the body should be immersed once under the water, while others say the person should be immersed under water three times. In the Jewish culture, male children are circumcised shortly after birth in a ceremony known as the bris. This is a symbol of their covenant with God. Naam Karan is a Sikh ceremony of naming a child and it usually takes place in a Gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) after the baby and mother are medically and physically fit enough to attend the Gurdwara. It normally just involves the main family members attending. Amrit Sanskar or Amrit Sanchar or the Amrit ceremony is the Sikh ceremony of initiation or baptism. It embodies the primary objects of the Sikh faith, and promises connection with the Guru as well as promoting the ability to lead a pure and pious life which will unite the “pure one” with Almighty Lord. Other Christian churches will have rituals such as the first Holy Communion. This is common to the Catholic Church. One ritual that is common to most cultures and religions is the “coming of age” ceremony - the rite of passage from childhood into adulthood. As we have already seen, this is normally celebrated in western culture when a person turns 21. Other cultures, however, vary on the age when a person is regarded as being an adult. The Jewish coming of age ceremony is known as a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. Boys celebrate their Bar Mitzvah at the age of 13, while girls celebrate a Bat Mitzvah when they turn 12. Genpuku was a historical Japanese coming of age ceremony. It was also known as Kakan and marked the entry into adulthood of boys between the ages of 12 and 16. They were taken to the shrines of their patron kami (spirits) where they were presented with their first adult clothes. They would also receive a special haircut known as mizura. Finally, they were given adult names (eboshi-na). During the Heian period, the ceremony was restricted to the sons of samurai families. During the Muromachi era this gradually spread to include people of lower status and rank. 9 human beings, especially the Dvija or twice-born are required to perform a number of sacrifices with oblations for Gods, ancestors and guardians in accordance with the Vedic dictums for a Dharmic or righteous life. Sanskar is a commonly used variant of the Sanskrit word Samskara and signifies cultural heritage and upbringing in modern Hindi. Russ is a tradition and cultural phenomenon in Scandinavia, most notable in Norway. In Norway, students who graduate from upper secondary school are called russ and celebrate with the characteristic festivities (russefeiring) during the first few weeks of May. NAUGHTY NORDICS: Russ, a student tradition in Norway, seems to be all about getting drunk, semi-naked and then taking part in initiation contests. The equivalent ceremony for women was called mogi, and was performed for girls aged between 12 and 14, and was similarly based around the presentation of adult clothing. In modern Japan, these ceremonies have been replaced by annual coming of age ceremonies for 20 year olds of both sexes called seijin shiki. The Guan Li is the Chinese coming of age ceremony. The name Guan Li refers to the ceremony for men, whilst the Ji Li refers to the one for women. The age of the person is usually 20 and during the ceremony, the person obtains a style name. These ceremo10 nies are now rarely practiced in China, however there has been a recent resurgence, especially from those who are sympathetic to the Hanfu movement. The Poy Sang Long (Festival of the Crystals Sons) is a rite of passage ceremony among the Shan people in Myanmar and Northern Thailand. Boys between the ages of seven and 14 take novice monastic vows. They also participate in monastery life for a period that can vary from a single week to months or even years. In Hinduism, the Samskra are a series of sacraments, sacrifices and rituals that serve as rites of passage. All church and returns to the community, or when they decide to leave the community forever. The Amish elders regard Rumspringa as a time for courtship and finding a wife. While on the subject of finding wives, nearly every culture has a marriage ceremony of some sort. While they may differ in many ways, the objective remains more or less the same - becoming betrothed to a partner. Some religions and cultures allow for more than one wife. Others still have arranged marriages. A bride will sometimes only get to meet her husband for the first time at their wedding ceremony. In skydiving there is a tradition that when you do your 1,000th jump you do it nude. In Sweden, a similar celebration is called Studenten (the student). In Finland students celebrate the start of the final exam in a similar tradition called penkkarit. The Amish religious denomination lives to a very strict code of conduct. Yet during adolescence teens, usually at the age of about 16, embark on a period known as Rumspringa. They normally move out of the community and are allowed the freedom to do as they please. They are allowed to partake in activities that are normally taboo within the community. Rumspringa ends either when the youth chooses baptism with the Amish Rituals, traditions, and ceremonies extend to just about every aspect of life. Not only the important ones. When I did my PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence) there was a tradition, and I believe it stills exists, that after you had completed your first solo flight, your feet were not allowed to touch the ground until you had been “dunked”. At the flight school where I trained, as soon as you landed fellow qualified pilots would carry you from the cockpit to a fish pond in front of the clubhouse and you were thrown into the water. In skydiving there is a tradition that when you do your 1 000th jump, you do it nude. 11 our life when we bring down the curtain and join the choir invisible. Yes, even death comes with its own little rituals and ceremonies. Nearly every culture and religion has some sort of ceremony to mark the death of a person. These include funeral services, burial, or even cremation. Do a bit of research into traditional old Viking funerals. They were really something else. Being Irish, my culture has enough rituals and traditions. The celebration of St Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland, is probably one of the biggest rituals. At one stage it was a religious AMISH ADVENTURES: While the Amish community live to a strict set of rules when they become adolescents they are allowed to leave the community to embark on Rumspringa. This is a time when they can let their hair down. Even education has many rituals and traditions. Think of graduation ceremonies, matric dances and initiation for new pupils. Many large organisations will have their own rituals and traditions. And this is especially true in the military. For instance when God Save The Queen is played, all British soldiers will jump to attention and salute. Except, that is, for the officers of the 13/15th Royal Hussars. When the national anthem is played they will remain seated. In fact any officer standing will immediately find somewhere to sit. Even if it is on the floor. Are they a rebellious, unpatriotic 12 mob that show no respect for the monarch or their country? No, they’re following an old regimental tradition. It appears that Queen Mary was a guest at a formal dinner at the regiment. When the national anthem, God Save The Queen, was played all the officers present jumped to their feet. “Don’t bother to stand,” Queen Mary told them. “Please sit down and relax, Sit down.” So they did sit down - and have never stood since for the national anthem. While there are rituals for birth, coming of age, marriage, and just about everything in between, don’t forget the final send off. That time in there to be a fight or two. I once heard a story, probably true, that someone punched the corpse at a wake because apparently the corpse didn’t want to have a drink with him. Some joke that a good Irish wake should lead to at least another two or three funerals. You can listen to a wonderful song about an Irish wake, called Tim Finegan’s Wake) by clicking here. Another Irish tradition was to place two coins on the corpse’s eyelids. This was so they would be able to pay the ferryman that carried them across the River Styx to the other side. Mirrors in the house were covered until after the funeral. This was so that Some joke that a good Irish wake should lead to at least another two or three funerals. festival, now it is also an excuse to have a huge party. Naturally the Irish also have rituals and traditions dealing with death. One Irish ritual that is still often observed is the wake. The corpse would be laid out at his home for everyone to see and pay their last respects. The women would normally arrive first and sit around speaking quietly while drinking tea. Then the men would arrive and the stronger stuff would come out. Whiskey, known in Irish as uisce beatha (the water of life) would flow. Wakes would often turn into huge parties and it was not uncommon for if the dead persons ghost saw themselves in the mirror they wouldn’t get a fright by finding out they were dead. According to old Irish tradition a person would always be buried with a new pair of shoes. This was because the new shoes wouldn’t know the way back home and the spirit couldn’t come and haunt its old house. Traditions, rituals, rites, celebrations - they’re a part of life, and of death. It’s a sad fact that many of these traditions and rituals are dying out with the younger generations. Maybe we should keep them going. After all, they are a rite of passage. n 13 Hipe! feature Hammered The abuse of alcohol in South Africa is a huge problem that shows no signs of abating. What is even more alarming is the increase of alcohol abuse among the country’s youth. Many South African’s are calling for the legal drinking age to be raised to 21. But is this really going to help? N ot that long ago a photograph appeared in a Johannesburg newspaper. It showed a group of pupils from two high schools in Kagiso taking a late morning stroll to school. Not only were they late for school, they were also consuming alcohol while they walked in full public view. The photograph caused an outcry. The pupils in the photograph were identified by their respective schools and punitive punishment was taken against them. One of them was suspended from school for a day. The others 14 had to make a formal apology in front of their school. Victor is 44 and has been a teacher for more than 20 years. According to him incidents such as this are more common than people realise. “In my day we would never have dreamt about drinking in school uniform,” he says. “Especially in public. We would have been expelled from school with no questions asked.” Victor recalls countless times that pupils have arrived at school in the morning already under the influence of alcohol. “Everyone is worried about the tik addicts,” he says. “And trust me there are plenty of those. What worries me is the increase in teens that are using alcohol. People don’t seem to be as worried about it as they are about other drugs.” The tik Victor was referring to is methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth. In the Western Cape it is more commonly known as tik and it has become a massive problem. When it comes to drug abuse and alcohol abuse, alcohol is often seen as the lesser of two evils. After all, the sale and consumption of alcohol is not illegal. In fact in South Africa, as in many countries, alcohol is a huge industry. While alcohol is not illegal, its sale and consumption is regulated by the National Liquor Act 59 of 2003. Part of this act states that it is a criminal offence to serve or sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. Likewise it is also a criminal offence for anyone under the age of 18 to consume alcohol. If this is the case then why is alcohol abuse on the increase among teenagers? “Because it’s so easy to buy alcohol,” says Jerome*. Jerome is 19 years old and lives in Grassy Park near Cape Town. He has been an alcoholic since the age of 15. “I started drinking when I was 13,” Jerome says. “A lot of my friends smoked dagga, tik, or white pipe (a mixture of marijuana and mandrax). But I was determined that I wasn’t going to get involved with drugs.” Instead Jerome turned to alcohol. At first it was just beer, wine coolers and cider. Soon this was not enough. “When I first started drinking two beers would get me on a nice buzz,” says Jerome. “But the more I drank the more I had to drink to get my buzz.” It wasn’t long before Jerome was into spirits such as brandy and vodka. “When I first started using hard tack a couple of tots would get me drunk. By the time I was 15 I was drinking between one and two bottles of brandy or vodka a day,” says Jerome. At the age of 15 it was illegal for anyone to sell alcohol to Jerome. Nor could he go into a venue that served alcohol. So just how easy was it for him to get hold of it. “Very easy,” smiles Jerome. “Every street in my area had at least one shebeen or tuck-shop. They all sold alcohol and, seeing that they were illegal in the first place, they have no problem selling alcohol to anyone, no matter how old you are.” 15 Ten Warning Signs of Alcoholism 1. Do you drink alone? 2. Do you lie about the amount of alcohol you consume? 3. Has your toleration to alcohol increased? 4. Do you drink much more than your friends? 5. Do you drink first thing in the morning to alleviate a hangover? 6. Do you consume more alcohol than you used to? 7. Do you blackout while you drink? 8. Do you often drink to calm your nerves? 9. Do you suffer from alcohol related accidents or legal problems? 10.Is alcohol affecting relationships with loved ones? 16 A shebeen is an illegal tavern or drinking house that is common to both South Africa and Ireland. At the age of 16 Jerome was expelled from school for repeated alcohol-related offences. His parents kicked him out of the house and he turned to petty crime as a means to support his drinking habit. “By the time I was 17 I realised that I was an alcoholic,” says Jerome. “Not that this stopped me from drinking. It didn’t even slow me down.” Unemployed, living on the streets, Jerome found that his abuse of alcohol was leading him deeper and deeper into a pit of self-destruction. He had been arrested for theft and housebreaking seven times, had ended up in hospital on three occasions and had been beaten up in fights more times than he can remember. Last year, after being released from hospital for the third time, Jerome realised that he needed help. He booked himself into rehab and, since then, he has not touched a drop of alcohol. He now has a job at a fast food outlet. “People have the wrong idea about alcoholism,” says Jerome. “I’m not an exalcoholic. I’m still an alcoholic and will be one for the rest of my life. It’s just that at the moment I’m a dry alcoholic. I take it one day at a time.” Teens are also inventive when it comes to ways of beating the system. Many of them have fake identity documents. Nearly every Friday and Saturday night Angela* goes out to clubs. She admits that she often drinks far more than is good for her. While in many ways this is not healthy for her, it is not illegal. Nor is it uncommon. Except for the fact that Angela has only just turned 17. “I’ve had a fake identity book since I was 15,” she says. “And only one or two of the clubs I’ve been to actually asked me for ID.” Not only is Angela committing the crime of under-age drinking, she is also committing the far more serious crime of being in possession of false identity documents. What makes it even worse is the fact that her mother is fully aware of it. “Yes, I know she has a fake ID book,” her mother, a 43-year-old divorcee, says. “I don’t really have a problem with it. At least she’s not drinking behind my back.” By law any club, bar or venue that serves alcohol is not allowed to grant entry to anyone under the age of 18. Let alone sell them alcohol. Yet many of them turn a blind eye to the law. Shaun* is a bouncer at a popular Cape Town nightclub. Part of his job as door security is to ensure that no-one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter the premises. If he is unsure of the age of a person wishing to gain entry he has to ask them for identity. Should they not be able to provide this or if he suspects that the identity document is fake, he has the right to refuse them entry. Yet he is well aware that many of the patrons allowed entry are under the age of 18. “Let’s face it pal, our club is a business and as a business we need to make money to survive,” explains Shaun. “We do charge a small entry fee, but let’s be honest, our main source of income is from the sale of alcohol. Just count how many other clubs are in this area and we’re all competing.” According to Shaun he often allows entry to people he knows full well are under 18. There is a catch however. “Only if they’re female,” he says. Shaun says that there are a number of reasons for this. First of all with the right clothes and a bit of make-up a 14 or 15 year old girl can easily pass for being 18. An even bigger factor is that if there are girls in the club this will attract guys. The maths are pretty easy to do - more girls = more guys = more business. “Young girls are also better behaved than the young guys,” Shaun says. “A lot of guys tend to get stupid when they’ve had a bit to drink. It seems to make them think they can take on the world. They 17 often want to start fights, even with the bouncers.” While Shaun knows that what they are doing is illegal and even immoral he says that most of the clubs do it. Besides the legalities of under-age drinking there are other factors that need to be taken into account. Alcohol abuse can lead to both short-term and longterm effects. The long term effects can include an increased risk of developing alcoholism, cardiovascular disease, malabsorption, chronic pancreatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and cancer. Damage to the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system can also occur. Long-term use in excessive quantities is capable of damaging nearly every organ and system in the body. Short-term effects include the stages of euphoria, lethargy, confusion, stupor, coma or even death. Each of these stages carries negative side effects. A BAC (Blood/Alcohol Conent) of 0.03% to 0.12% can cause euphoria. Side effects can include increased self-confidence, increased sociability, shortened 18 attention span, impaired judgement, and impaired fine muscle coordination. In a state of euphoria we will often say and do things that we would never normally do. It may seem like a perfectly good idea to pick a fight with a very large biker called ‘Killer’, or seem logical to have unprotected sex with a total stranger. Lethargy (BAC of 0.09% to 0.25%) can cause impaired memory and comprehension, delayed reactions, blurred vision, and ataxia (a condition where the balance is affected). Confusion (BAC of 0.18% to 0.30%) will often lead to impaired senses, increased ataxia, dizziness, and vomiting. Stupor (BAC of 0.25% to 0.40%) can be deadly. It can lead to unconsciousness (blackouts), anterograde amnesia, respiratory depression, decreased heart rate, and pulmonary aspiration (choking on your own vomit). Janine* was 16 when she attended a beach party with some of her school friends. She admits that she became so drunk that she passed out. Six weeks later she was shocked to discover that she was pregnant. “To this day I still do not know who the father is,” she says. “I don’t remember a thing and I’m not even sure whether I was conscious or unconscious when I had sex.” The coma stage (BAC of 0.35% to 0.50%) can often be fatal. Most deaths from alcohol poisoning are caused by dosage levels in this range. Many teens readily admit that when they drink their aim is to get drunk or at least get tipsy. The problem is that once you reach a state of euphoria your judgement is impaired and it’s difficult to know when to stop. The problem of under-age drinking is not a new one. Nor is it one that is going to go away in a hurry. The only thing that has changed over the years is that teens are becoming more brazen about drinking. While there are laws in place to regulate under-age drinking far too many South Africans have little respect or regard for the law. And many laws are not enforced that well. Perhaps it’s time to crack down on those that serve or sell alcohol to minors. It’s not enough to just charge them or revoke their liqueur licence, perhaps they need to do some time behind bars. We know that nothing we say will make you stop having a drink if you’re under-age. But just remember that the next time you get hammered, the next hammer could be the one that knocks the nails into your coffin. Think about it. * Names have been changed on request. n 19 Hipe! feature M Even though most of Hipe’s readers weren’t even born in the 1980’s, this was a decade that produced some of the best music ever. And good music remains good music. That is probably why so many hits of that decade can still be heard today. We’ve compiled a list of essential 80’s music for your collection. Click on any song to listen to it. any of our writers are still in their teens. So it was a bit surprising to hear a group of them sitting and having an animated debate about 80’s music. After all, they weren’t even born yet. Good music, however, is good music and it’s timeless. So they decided to come up with a list of songs from the 80’s that they say are essential for every music collection. This is the play list they came up with, plus a bit of info on each song. See if you agree with their list. The list is in alphabetical order and not order of preference or popularity. Click on the title of a song to listen to it. 99 Red Balloons Nena When it was released in 1983 the original song was sung in German and titled Neunundneuzig Luftballons (or 99 Luftballons). It went straight to #1 in West Germany. The song was a Cold War protest song. Nena then recorded an English version, 99 Red Balloons - even though the German title does not mention the colour of the balloons. The English version topped the UK singles chart. Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) Pink Floyd British band Pink Floyd reached #1 in many countries. It was the first 20 hit off The Wall album and the album was later filmed as a movie starring Bob Geldorf. Beds Are Burning Midnight Oil Released on the 1988 album Diesel And Dust, it did not do that well on the charts, reaching only #6 in the UK and #17 in the US. Yet it was probably the best song by Australian group Midnight Oil and it went down well in South Africa where it reached #1 on the local charts. Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes This could have become a hit for Kim Carnes nearly a decade earlier than it did. The song was written by Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss back in 1974. Carnes, however, originally rejected the song. It was only after a new instrumental arrangement was done in 1981 by Bill Cuomo that Carnes agreed to record it. And it became a huge hit for her. The real Bette Davis admitted to being a fan of the song. Billie Jean Michael Jackson Off the 1982 album Thriller (the biggest selling album of all time), this was a song about a girl who claimed the Jackson was the father of her child. Jackson based it on a woman that used to stalk him, writing him letters about his socalled son. Blasphemous Rumours Depeche Mode Released in October 1984, this became the group’s 12th UK single. What also makes it interesting was that when it was released both the A and B sides of the single became hits. Somebody, the B side track, was also the first single with Martin Gore doing lead vocals. Buffalo Soldier Bob Marley The album Legend, released in 1984, was probably one of the most successful reggae albums ever. Buffalo Soldier was one of the singles from this album. The Buffalo Soldiers were a segregated regiment of black cavalry fighters during the American campaign to rid the West of “Indians” so that “civilized” white people could gain the lands used by Native Americans. Ironically, many of the soldiers were slaves taken from Africa. Celebration Kool and the Gang Off the 1981 album Celebrate, it reached #1 in the US and #7 in the UK. This post-Disco upbeat dance 21 song was Kool and the Gang’s only American #1. It is commonly played at weddings, parties, sporting events and just about anywhere there is something to be celebrated. interpreted songs ever. It is about an obsessive stalker, but it sounds like a love song. Some people even used it as their wedding song. Sting wrote it after separating from his first wife, Frances Tomelty. Don’t Dream It’s Over Crowded House Released in December 1986 it reached #27 in the UK, #8 in Australia, #6 in Norway, #2 in the US and #1 in Canada. This was the only #1 single by Crowded House in any country. After the band split-up in 1996, Don’t Dream It’s Over re-entered the UK charts and reached #25, two places higher than its original peak in 1987. Eye Of The Tiger Survivor Off the 1982 album Eye Of The Tiger, it reached #1 in the US and the UK. It was written for the Sylvester Stallone movie Rocky III. Stallone loved the song. When he heard the demo, he told the group it was exactly what he was looking for, but requested a mix with louder drums and asked if they could write a fourth verse instead of repeating the first as they had done. The group did what Stallone suggested. They went about modifying the first verse and remixed the song. Electric Avenue Eddie Grant Off the 1982 album Killer On The Rampage, Electric Avenue reached #2 in both the US and UK. Eddie Grant was from Guyana and had a number of pop and ska bands in Barbados and England. His first band, The Equals, had three Top 10 hits in England during the 1960s. They were the first multiracial band to find success in the UK. Every Breath You Take The Police Off the 1983 album Synchronicity, it became a #1 hit in both the UK and US. This is one of the most mis22 Final Countdown Europe Released in 1986, Final Countdown went on to become a #1 hit in 26 countries and over eight million singles were sold. Footloose Kenny Loggins The original Footloose movie stared Kevin Bacon in the role of a teenager who moves to a small town where dancing is illegal. Kenny Loggins sang the theme song of the same name and it became his biggest hit and only #1. Two years later he sang Dan- ger Zone for the Top Gun soundtrack, as well as I’m Alright for Caddyshack. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Cyndi Lauper This song went on to become an anthem for female attitude. Off the 1983 album She’s So Unusual it reached #2 in the UK and US. It was also Lauper’s first single as a solo artist after she left Blue Angel. I Want To Know What Love Is Foreigner Probably one of Foreigner’s best and most well known songs, it hit #1 in both the UK and US. Radio stations around the world still play this song on a regular basis. (I Had) The Time Of My Life Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes This was the finale song for the 1987 film Dirty Dancing. It reached #8 on the UK charts, but made it to #1 on the US charts. Janie’s Got A Gun Aerosmith This one just made it into the 80’s. Off the 1989 album Pump it reached #4 in the US but only managed to get to #76 in the UK charts. Steven Tyler wrote it after reading an article about children who had been killed by guns. Johnny Calls The Chemist Falling Mirror South African group Falling Mirror had a hit with this song that is loosely based around singer Neilen Marais’ real life obsession with a girl who worked in Wynberg Pharmacy,Cape Town in the mid 80`s. A haunting song that was, and still is, brilliant. Like A Virgin Madonna Released in 1984, this was Madonna’s second album. The single, Like A Virgin, reached the #1 spot on both the UK and US charts. The album was re-released in 1985 for the European market with a bonus track – Into The Groove. Love Shack B-52’s Off their 1989 album Cosmic Thing, this reached #2 on the UK charts and #3 in the US. The group also performed Love Shack as ‘Glove Slap’ on an episode of The Simpsons. The B-52’s also performed the title to The Flintstones’ movie and changed their name to the BC-52’s for the song. Manic Monday The Bangles Released in 1986 this was the first hit single for The Bangles. Yet the song was actually written in 1984 by none other than Prince. He recorded 23 it as a duet on his Apollonia 6 album, but the song was eventually pulled and not released. Two year later Prince, using the pseudonym Christopher, was trying to date Bangles singer Susanna Hoffs. He offered Manic Monday to them and they jumped at the chance to record it. The song reached #2 in both the UK and US record charts. Never Gonna Give You Up Rick Astley Off the album Whenever You Need Somebody, released in 1987, it went to #1 in both the UK and US. Rick Astley worked as a tape operator in Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s studio for two years, singing on recordings for other singers, learning the trade and famously making the tea, before the production trio wrote and produced this song for him, which became Astley’s first hit. Nightshift The Commodores The Commodores released Nightshift in 1985 as a tribute to R&B musicians Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, both of whom passed away in 1984. Just prior to the release of the song Lionel Richie had left the Commodores to launch his solo career. Nightshift won a Grammy in 1985 for best R&B performance by a duo or group. 24 Safety Dance Men Without Hats Released in the US in 1982 and in the UK in 1983, it reached #3 and #6 respectively. The music video for the song was notable for its medieval imagery. The song was re-released three times before it actually began to get air time on radio stations. Scatterlings Of Africa Jaluka Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu got together to form Jaluka, one of the hottest local acts in the 80’s. They would also become internationally famous and in France Clegg was known as Le Blanc Zulu (The white Zulu). In 2015 Clegg received an OBE. Slow Rain Celtic Rumours This Durban band had in lead singer Kevin van Staden a front man with both a great rock voice and matinee idol looks. Despite topping the charts and touring incessantly the band didn’t really make the great leap to the next level and disintegrated in the early 90’s. Sadly, whilst working on his debut solo album, Kevin was tragically killed in a car accident. Stand And Deliver Adam and The Ants Stuart Leslie Goddard played bass in a pub rock band called Bazooka Joe. After this band headlined for the Sex Pistols’ first concert, Stuart quit Bazooka Joe with the intention of starting his own band. He changed his name to Adam Ant and launched Adam and the Ants. Stand And Deliver was one of two #1 hits of the album Prince Charming, released in 1981. Summer Of ‘69 Bryan Adams Released in 1984, this was one of Bryan Adams’ most popular songs and it has appeared on all of his compilation albums since then. Many people believe that the title of the song is a sexual reference, but according to Adams it has nothing to do with that. He said that the song was all about the year 1969. Sweet Dreams Eurythmics Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox wrote Sweet Dreams and it became their signature song. Yet it only made it to #2 on the UK charts and was their only #1 ever on the US charts. This was the song that provided the group with their breakthrough to commercial success. Taxi Man eVoid Formed in Brakpan in 1977, this group went on to become popular. Taxi Man and Shadows were probably their two best known songs. The Look Roxette Off the 1988 album Look Sharp it made #1 in the US but could only get to #7 in the UK. This was originally a hit in Roxette’s native Sweden and became an international hit when an American exchange student returned from Sweden and urged the Minneapolis radio station KDWB to play the song. Even though it hadn’t yet been released in the United States the song spread on cassette copies to other American radio stations. Total Eclipse Of The Heart Bonnie Tyler Off the 1983 album Faster Than The Speed Of Night, this was a smash hit for Tyler, reaching #1 in the UK and US. It was written by Jim Steinman, who wrote all of Meat Loaf’s hits, including Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, and I’ll Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That). Like these Meat Loaf songs, this uses elaborate production and is very long, running 6:51 minutes long. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go Wham Off the 1984 album Make It Big, this reached #1 in the UK and US. Wham consisted of George Michael (real name Georgios Panayiotou) and 25 Andrew Ridgeley. When they eventually split, Michael went on to fame while Ridgeley was soon forgotten. What A Feeling Irene Cara Off the 1983 soundtrack to the film Flashdance, it reached #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. It also won the 1983 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance – female, and also won an Oscar for Best Film Song. We Built This City Starship Off the album Knee Deep In The Hoopla, released in 1985, it made the #1 spot in the US and #12 in the Uk. This was the first single released under the name Starship. They were previously known as Jefferson Starship, and before that, Jefferson Airplane. When original member Paul Kantner left the group, Jefferson Starship changed their name to Starship to further distance themselves from Jefferson Airplane. At this point, Grace Slick was the only original member. It was written by Bernie Taupin and became his first hit he wrote without Elton John. Weeping Bright Blue South African group Bright Blue incorporated the strands of “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” at a time when public performance of the ANC anthem 26 could lead to summary arrest. However, the powers that be seemed to notice neither the reference to a banned tune nor that the song was alledgedly about then State President PW Botha and the state of emergency that he had imposed. West End Girls Pet Shop Boys First released in 1985 on the album Please, the song was recorded in one take. The original did not do that well, but did manage to get to #1 in Belgium. The song was then re-recorded with Stephen Hague as the producer. It then went to #1 on both the US and UK charts. When Doves Cry Prince Off the 1984 album Purple Rain, it reached #1 in the US but peaked at #4 in the UK. The song deals with Prince’s feelings toward his parents when he wondered if he was becoming like them. He calls his father “demanding” and mother “never satisfied.” He wrote it for his movie Purple Rain. There were many other great groups and songs in the 1980’s. Why not search the web and check some of them out. This way you can build an even bigger play list. Hipe! how to... CHEERS & g’bye S ometimes it’s the little things that can make a difference. Let’s say you’re travelling or in an area where English is not the first language. And let’s say you need help or information. Being able to speak a few phrases of the local language will often make the locals more inclined to offer you assistance. This is how you would say goodbye in a number of languages. Next month we’ll see how to do something different. • • • • • • • • • • • Afrikaans - totsiens Arabic - ma`a as-salāma Bosnian - zbogom Chinese - zài jiàn Croatian - zbogom Czech - sbohem Danish - farvel Dutch - vaarwel French - au revoir German - auf wiedersehen Greek – antío̱ So long, farewell, auf wiedershen, au dieu. This month we learn to say goodbye. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Hebrew - lehitra’ot Hindi – namastē Irish Gaelic - slán, slán go fóill Italian – ciao Japanese – sayōnara Korean - ahn nyeong hee ga se yo Malay - selamat tinggal Maori - hei kona rā Nigerian - sai wani lookachi Norwegian – farvel Polish - do zobaczenia Portuguese - adeus Russian - do svidaniya Sotho – sala hantle Spanish - despedida Swahili – kwaheri Swedish – adjö Tamil – kuṭpa Xhosa – hamba kakuhle Zulu – hamba kahle Chow for now. n 27 Hipe! the ryan murphy column Murphy’s Law A Murphy spent a considerable part of his career as a conflict journalist, covering wars around the world. Yet he still thinks that conflict journalism is safer than driving around on South African roads. s a journalist I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively. I’ve visited and worked in most countries around the world. My travels have included the continents of Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Far East and Australia. Now I’m not trying to brag, show off, or impress you with this information. All I’m attempting to do is let you know that I am speaking from personal experience when I say that I think South Africans are the worst drivers in the world. In fact I’ve felt safer in some war zones than I do on South Africa’s roads. And let me assure you that I don’t make this statement lightly. On my travels I’ve seen some pretty outrageous drivers. In the Middle East, for example, I’m convinced that if you took their hooters away from them they wouldn’t be able to drive. The policy there seems to be that as long as your hooter is working then you vehicle is roadworthy. 28 And the Italians are not far behind them, especially in Rome. Driving in Rome is not for the fainthearted. Everyone drives at high speed; everyone seems to have the right of way; and then there are the scooters. In Rome you can drive any scooter you want, as long as it’s a Vespa. They dart in and out of traffic, stop wherever they feel like it, and seem to have no problem driving on the pavement. But none of them come close to good old South Africa. Driving like lunatics seems to be a national sport in South Africa. Driving at speeds way over the limit, a lack of consideration for other road users, a total disregard for traffic signs, ignorance of the rules of the road - and these are just the lawabiding drivers. Let’s not even talk about the really bad drivers. Let’s look at some very basic rules of the road and how the average South African driver interprets them. Drive within the speed limits. You must be joking. No matter what you drive you’ve got to drive it as fast as it will go. What’s the point of having a car that can do 220 km/ph if you only drive it at 120? And anyway, speed limits are for other people. way. This is a good way to see who has the strongest nerves. Switch your lights on from sunset to sunrise or in bad weather. Why should I put my lights on if I can still see the road? Working lights on a car are an optional extra anyway. And when you do decide to switch your lights on at night, make sure that they’re on high beam - all the time. Obey all traffic signs. Traffic signs are just a waste of money. No-one really pays much attention to them. The red one with the world ‘STOP’ means that you should maybe slow down a little. Yield signs don’t mean a thing. And if you’re All jokes aside though, South Afriat a traffic light and it turns red that cans are inconsiderate and aggressive means at least another three cars can drivers on their good days. go through. A few days ago I was at our local service station-cum-Quickshop. As I Keep to the left and pass on the was pulling out a man came out of the right. shop and climbed into his car, which Nah, how stupid can you be. You was parked in the disabled parking travel in the right hand lane - the fast bay. lane. The left hand lane is for trucks Even though it was dark and rainand old ladies. ing, he didn’t bother to put his lights If anyone in front of you in the fast on. Then he drove out, went straight lane isn’t going fast enough for you through a stop sign without even slowthen drive as close behind them as you ing down, turned without indicating can and hoot and flash your lights. If and drove off at high speed. He wasn’t they don’t move across to the slow wearing a seat belt and was talking on lane quick enough for your liking then his cellphone. overtake them on the left. Remember I followed him for awhile and he to shake your fist at them and swear as overtook three cars on the left, overyou pass them. took another two cars across a solid white line, and drove fast. Yield when entering a traffic circle The sad thing about it was that he and give way to the right. was driving a Metro police car and Are you mad? Traffic circles are like was dressed in a traffic cop’s uniform. a big game of chicken. You approach We don’t have to obey the law - we a traffic circle as fast as you can be- are the law. cause you’ve always got the right of Go figure. n 29 Hipe! food Tony’s Top Tips Chef Tony Zola dishes up some advice. I Choco-licious t’s that time of the year when eating turns from feeding your empty tummy, to regularly feasting on all the good stuff the winter menu has on offer. Lets face it, it’s much nicer to sip on a hot cup chocolate with something delightful to nibble on than going for a jog in the rain. The challenge is to keep the ‘winter’ balance and try and create healthy new seasonal habits that still feels good. Go easy on the starch and carbs as you are not as active as in summer. Cut down on sugar in all forms of food and drink as this is an easy way to start gaining weight overnight. Try new recipes that has a lot of veggies and is rather saucy than oily. Eat big meals over lunch rather than supper. Finish it off with some new ‘healthier’ hot chocolate cups! Hot chocolate with ginger Ingredients 1/3 cup fresh pealed and chopped ginger one tablespoon of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of water 4 cups of low fat milk ( just to be difficult) one cup of grated dark chocolate Make it Combine the first three ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. In another saucepan, heat milk and chocolate until foam starts to form around the edges. Take of heat and whisk in ginger broth. Pour in small soup bowls and enjoy! Mallow choc cup Ingredients 4 cups of full cream milk 2 tablespoons of hot chocolate 30 packet of mini-marshmallows 1/2 cup grated dark chocolate Make it Heat all in saucepan on medium. Bring to just before boil and take of heat. Whisk in the hot chocolate until it is mixed well. Pour into mugs, add a handful of minimarshmallows and then sprinkle with some grated dark chocolate. Cinnamon choc cup Ingredients 4 cups of full cream milk 2 tablespoons of cocoa 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon pinch of nutmeg pinch of salt 4 cinnamon sticks Make it Heat all in saucepan on medium. Bring to just before boil and take of heat. Whisk until all spices have mixed in well. Pour into mugs, add sugar to taste and stir with cinnamon stick. 31 Hipe! fashion Fashion Faux Pas N By Fiona Taylor ormally Hipe’s fashion section looks at what’s hot in the fashion world. This month, however, we decided to look at fashion disasters. Make sure you’re not guilty of any of these fashion violations. Do me a favour. Dig out an old photograph album and look at some of the fashions you wore a few years ago. Get my point? I can see the faces you’re pulling. Whatever possessed you to dress like that, you may well ask. All of us, at some stage, have been guilty of fashion disasters. But committing these crimes after the age of 15 is just not on. It’s time to see just what is acceptable in the fashion circles – and what’s not. If you find yourself hanging your head in shame and cringing when you read this, fear not. They’re all easy problems to eliminate once you discover you’re in violation. It won’t take too much work and you’ll be able to slip under the radar of the fashion police. Visible Bra Straps While bras can be very sexy, one should always remember that they are undergarments. They are also known as underclothes or underwear. Kindly take note of the word ‘under’. These are garments that were made to be worn under clothes. Backless dresses and halter tops with visible bra straps are just not on ladies. Keep your straps properly adjusted and don’t let them peek out on purpose or by accident. If you’re wearing a dress or top with spaghetti straps, then consider wearing a strapless bra. 32 Visible Panty Lines It’s not enough that your bra strap hangs out for the world to see, now you go and make the mistake of VPL (also known as visible panty lines). If your panties are shifting in any way, the whole word will know it. Panty lines often make it looks as if you’ve got three or four butts. And no, it doesn’t look sexy in the least. The only way to avoid panty lines, and their consequences, is to invest in a good thong. And remember, thongs don’t have to be uncomfortable, especially if they’re made of cotton. Low Rise Jeans Low rise jeans are a huge improvement from jeans that cover the belly button, but many women resort to this bad fashion move as an excuse to show the world a bit too much. Some women’s jeans are low enough to make a plumber blush. There’s nothing sexy about this look. Guys love to try and guess what colour panties a girl is wearing. You’re taking all the fun out of it. Remember these two fashion phrases: Less is more and crack is whack. 33 Mom’s Jeans These are scary to say the least. “Mom” jeans, for those of you who don’t know, are jeans that sit far too high on the waist and then taper in at the legs. They’re called mom jeans because many older women tend to wear them. Let’s be honest. They’re not very flattering for your waist or butt, because you lose proportion and balance. Even if you are slightly advanced in age, don’t be scared to try a current style of jeans. They can only look better than Mom jeans. You don’t have to get a pair of low rise jeans. In fact, stay away from them at all costs. Just look for a pair that sits below your belly button and are slightly flared or boot leg. White Bra with Light Top This is a mistake many women make - wearing a white bra under a white or light-coloured top. They think that it will not show through, but it does. White bras are usually so visible you may as well be wearing a red or black one. Instead of a white bra, choose a nude or tan colour that closely matches your skin tone. It’s as easy as that. Shoes you can’t walk in You see them all too often. The girl with the huge stilettos, wobbling down the street, trying to maintain her balance. Instead of looking sexy, they end up looking silly. If shoes are awkward or uncomfortable, don’t buy them. It’s as simple as that. Even if you’re buying them for a once-off special event, don’t. Get something with more walkingfriendly heels. Kitten heels are hot at the moment and you’ll be able to walk down the street without looking like a refugee clown from the circus. Chipped Nail Polish Chipped nail polish looks tacky both on your nails and toenails. If you think people don’t notice, they do. And if you’re doing it to be trendy, get out the nail polish remover immediately. To limit the time you’ll need for nail polish maintenance, choose a quality brand of polish, and don’t forget to put on a clear top coat. Also, invest in nail polish remover for those times you don’t feel like repolishing. There you have it ladies. Seven fashion blunders you should avoid like the plague. With just a little effort, you can end up looking sexy and sophisticated. Remember, clowns look good, but only in a circus. If we promise that we won’t tell anyone you’re guilty of any of these ten fashion disasters, you have to promise us to never violate them again! n 34 35 Hipe! music 101 One-hit Wonders All of these artists have had hits. Yet for most of them their firsts hit was also their last hit. Here are some of the so-called ‘One-Hit Wonders’. I t seems that every year we have at least one artist or group that springs up from nowhere and has a massive hit song. We all listen to the song constantly, everyone knows the lyrics, and we all just have to own a copy of it. 36 Yet six months later they have disappeared off the charts, hardly anyone plays the song anymore and in a year’s time few people will remember them. These are artists and groups that have become ‘one-hit wonders’. Let’s look at a few of them over the years. The Divinyls were an Australian group that had a big hit with I Touch Myself in 1990. The song became popular once again when it was featured in the first Austin Powers movie in 1997. Released in September 1988, Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin became the first a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba had a career that spanned more than three decades. Yet there only big hit was the catchy Tubthumping. Dexys Midnight Runners have been around since 1978 and they’re still going. They’ve had reasonable success, but only one major hit - Come On Eileen back in 1982. Despite being listed inside some “worst songs ever” list, Who Let The Dogs Out by Baha Men was the Top UK single of 2000. We’re Not Gonna Take It was released by American heavy metal band Twisted Sister in 1984. While the group had a loyal following, this song was also a commercial hit. The Vapors were a New Wave and power pop band from England that existed between 1979 and 1981. They had their only hit in 1980 with Turning Japanese. Pop Muzik was a 1979 hit song by M, a project by Robin Scott. Although Scott’s career lasted longer than four decades, Pop Muzik is the song that will always be remembered. Suzi Quatro has been around since 1966 and she had numerous hits including the likes of Can The Can (1973), 48 Crash (1973), and The Race Is On (1978). Chris Norman was the lead singer of Smokie, a very successful group with a number of hits including Living Next Door To Alice. In 1978 Quatro and Norman got together to record Stumblin’ In. It was a huge hit and their only hit duet. Buster Poindexter was the alter ego of New York Dolls frontman David Johansen. Hot Hot Hot was a single off his 1987 album Buster Poindexter and it went on to become a big hit. 99 Luftballons (German for “99 Balloons”) is a protest song by the German band Nena from their 1983 self-titled album. A year later they released the song in English, titled 99 Red Balloons. It was this version of the song that went on to become an international hit for the group. Play That Funky Music by Wild Cherry hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 18, 1976 and was also number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. In 1987 a group called The Firm recorded a song called Star Trekkin’. They sent copies of the single to UK radio stations, with the studio’s phone number on them. One Liverpool radio station played the song and it quickly became a hit in the UK and then spread to the USA. Spanish pop duo Los del Rio formed in 1962. It was only 32 years later, in 1994, when they released the album A Mi Me Gusta that they would enjoy a world-wide hit. Macarena was a hit in 1995, 1996 and 1997. It was probably the greatest one-hit wonder ever. These are but a few of the one-hit wonders over the years. Hope you enjoyed them and maybe even heard a song or two that you’ve never heard before. Next month, Women’s Month, we’re going to look at some of the best-selling female artists of all time. n 37 dance like this, she makes a man want to see spandex I never really knew that she could dance like this, she makes a man want to speak Spanish Shakira – Hips don’t lie Arthur he does as he pleases, All of his on the wheel life, he’s mastered choices I’ve been drivin’ all night, my hand’s Christopher Cross - Arthur’s Theme wet on the wheel Golden Earing - Radar Love Shave tonight before the break of dawn come tomorrow, tomorrow it’s I’ll get him high, show him other guys fully grown I’ll get him hot, show him what I’ve Save tonight and fight the break of got dawn, come tomorrow, tomorrow I’ll Lady Gaga - Poker Face be gone Eagle Eye Cherry - Save Tonight Never let it be said, the Roman’s are dead Southern girl with the sky-lit bra Let it never be said, The Romance is Southern girl with the scarlet drawl dead Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tisue Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby Wake me up and throw your cocoa Wake me up before you go go Wham – Wake me up before you go go I wanna be your space rider I wanna be your sledgehammer Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer Is this a zit? Please let me know. If this is it... Please let me know. Huey Lewis & The News – If This Is It Kick her teeth out, tell me what’s wrong... Chiquitita, tell me what’s wrong... Abba - Chiquitita The only boy who could ever teach me was the son of a pizza man The only boy that could ever reach me was the son of a preacher man Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man I’m gonna shoot my woman, I’m gonna mess around with another man. I’m gonna shoot my woman, I caught her messing around with another man. Jimi Hendrix – Hey Joe Hipe! entertainment Say What? We all love to sing along with our favourite song. But are you sure you’re singing the right words? W e asked our readers the above question. Are you singing the correct lyrics to a song. Or do you sometimes mishear what the actual words are? We received nearly 500 e-mails with some results that left us screaming with laughter. Here are just a few examples of misheard lyrics. What we’ve done is given the line people thought they heard (in blue), the real line to the song, the artist/ group and the name of the song. Enjoy. In your bed, in your bed. Gumby, Gumby, Gumby. Kicking your cat all over the place In your head, in your head. Zombie, Kicking your can all over the place Zombie, Zombie. Queen – We will rock you Cranberries - Zombie So you think you’re a rodeo ... You and me, my apartheid lover So you think you’re a romeo.... You and me, my part time lover Supertramp - Take the long way home Stevie Wonder – Part-time Lover Flying dentures in the air You give love a bandaid The foulest stenches in the air You give love a bad name Michael Jackson - Thriller Bon Jovi – You give love a bad name Arthur he does as he pleases, All of his I never really knew that she could life, he’s messed his pants up 38 There’s a wino down the road And as we wind on down the road Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven Stab in the liver, your mummy or your wife Stand and deliver, your money or your life Adam and the Ants - Stand and Deliver ala mode let the rhythm take you over ala mode. Bailamos let the rhythm take you over bailamos. Enrique Iglesias - Bailamos Do you wanna buy a kite. You’re one of my kind. INXS – I Need You Tonight Get on at the bus stop, Don’t stop till you’re getting off I’ve been drivin’ all night, I just wet Keep on with the force (don’t stop), 39 Don’t stop till you get enough You gotta have cake Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You You gotta have faith Get Enough Limp Bizkit - Faith There’s an old man sitting next to me, Making love to his tiny man Jim. There’s an old man sitting next to me, Making love to his tonic and gin. Billy Joel - Piano Man And this song feels sad for you. And the sun will set for you. Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day Like a virgin touched for the thirtyfirst time. Your cat can’t pee in your penthouse.. Like a virgin touched for the very first You cant plant me in your penthouse.. time. Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Madonna - Like A Virgin Road I shot Sherry But I did not shoot him When you lick me in the eyes dead, you see When you look me in the eyes I shot the sheriff But I did not shoot Jonas Brothers - When You Look Me the deputy in the Eyes Bob Marley - I Shot The Sheriff I’m gonna get dressed for some sex. I’m gonna get dressed for success. Roxette - Dressed For Success The land lord says your rent is late, He may have to lift the gate, Don’t worry, be happy The land lord says your rent is late, He Oh, Chris de Burgh, Chris de Burgh, may have to litigate, Don’t worry, be Save us all, tell me life is beautiful happy Oh, crystal ball, crystal ball, Save us Bobby McFerrin - Don’t Worry, Be all, tell me life is beautiful Happy Keane - Crystal Ball So come on, come on, swim the local I’m hitting all the people ocean with me Imagine all the people So come on, come on, do the locomoJohn Lennon - Imagine tion with me Kylie Minogue - Locomotion Walking on broken backs Walking on broken glass It’s like radiation on your wedding day Annie Lennox - Walking on broken It’s like rain on your wedding day glass Alanis Morissette - Ironic n 40 Take a different look at a career... ... as a cyber journalist Every month hundreds of new magazines and newspapers are going online and they all need content. They need someone to write articles and many of them will pay you for it. Hipe Magazine is offering a three-month online journalism course where we will show you how to write the type of articles that people want to read and magazines want to buy. And best of all the course is 100% free. Do you think you have what it takes to become a cyber journalist? It’s a perfect way to earn a little extra or even as a new career. Hipe! On-line journalism For more INFORMATION send us an e-mail at editor@hipe.co.za with the heading ‘cyber journalist’ and we will send you all the details. Hipe! top 10 THE TOP 10 MUSICAL Movies Keeping with the music theme of this month we asked RYAN MURPHY for his personal list of best musical movies. This is what we got. “Most of these movies were made before I was born,” he says. “But damn, they’re still good movies.” Click on the box covers to see the movie trailer. West Side Story (1961) The Jets and the Sharks two rival gangs in Manhattan are involved in a turf war. Tony (Richard Beymer), a co-founder of the Jets falls in love with Maria (Natalie Wood) who is the younger sister of Bernado’s, the Sharks leader. Mary Poppins (1964) Set in Edwardian London Marry Poppins (Julie Andrews) takes on a job as a nanny to George Bank’s two children Jane and Michael. But Mary is no ordinary nanny. She has magical powers and together with her friend, cockney jack-of-all-trades Bert (Dick van Dyke) she turns the lives of the Bank’s family upside down. 42 The Sound Of Music (1965) Maria (Julie Andrews) is studying to be a nun. The Mother Abbess sends Maria to be the governess to the seven children of widower Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). He is a strict former military man who believes children should be seen and not heard. Can Maria win the captain and his children over. Based on a true story. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) Caractacus Potts (Dick van Dyke) is a widower with two children Jeremy and Jemima. Sharing the house with them is Grandpa Potts (Lionel Jeffries). Through the two children Caractacus meets Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes). At the children’s insistence he buys and old ex-racing car that he repairs. But it is no ordinary car. Oliver (1968) A young orphan (Mark Lester) runs away from an orphanage in London and teams up with a group of young boys trained to be pickpockets. They are led by The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and trained by the elderly master pickpocket Fagin (Ron Moody). Paint Your Wagon (1969) Ben Rumson (Lee Marvin) finds a wrecked wagon containing a dead man and his surviving brother, Pardner (Clint Eastwood). At the burial, they discover gold dust and stake a claim. Soon a mining camp springs up but they have one major problem – no women. A passing Mormon has two wives and decides to sell one of them Ben buys Elizabeth (Jean Seberg) and marries her. Then the fun really starts. 43 Hipe! gaming Fiddler On The Roof (1971) Budget Buys Tevye (Chaim Topol) is a Russian Jew who lives in the small community of Anatevka. He has to put up with his wife Golde, his three daughters, and a pogrom by the military. A bitter-sweet comedy with some memorable songs. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) are on their way to visit their old college professor they get lost and end up at a castle owned by Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry). They are invited to spend the night, a night they will never forget, and Frank N. Furter shows them his latest creation. He has build a man. MATT O’BRIEN looks at a cheaper option for gaming. I ’ve been gaming since the early days of computers and during that time I’ve played a lot of really good games. Yet lately games seem to be getting more costly by the month. These days you can pay anywhere from R300 to R1000 for a new PC title. And often we pre-order a game months before it is even special of some sort. Often they will release it as a ‘Gold Edition’. So not only do you get the original game, you get all the DLC that followed it. And best of all you’ll probably pay between R99 and R149 for the whole lot. Suddenly gaming becomes affordable again. released. Often we look at a game that’s received decent reviews and we’d like to buy it. But we feel a little reluctant to fork out R600 for the thing. And don’t forget all the DLC that comes after it. Yet there is a way around it. Just have a little patience. When a new game is released it usually flies off the shelves as everyone and their cousin has to own a copy. Then, about six to eight months later, they will normally release it as a Look, I know that there are some games that you just have to get the moment they’re released. But for those others have a bit of patience, give it a few months, and then buy the game and save a bundle of money. You could end up with five or six good games for the price of one game. From September we will review a new game and a budget game every month in Hipe. Grease (1978) Sweet and innocent Australian exchange student Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) has a summer romance with Danny (John Travolta). Then when the school term begins Danny find out that Sandy is attending his school. Now his reputation as a leather-clad greaser is in danger. Annie (1992) Annie (Aileen Quinn) is an orphan at the Hudson Street Orphanage. Annie and her dog Sandy end up in the home of billionaire businessman Oliver Warbucks (Albert Finney). When she tells him the reason she was in the orphanage he offers a $50,000 reward if her parents are found. Miss Hannigan and her con-artist brother want the money. 44 45 Hipe! scene & heard This is snow joke O Matt O’Brien hits the snow slopes - in Cape Town ne of my favourite ways of avoiding tasks is to tell people that I will do them when it snows in Cape Town. So when my editor told me that I was going to do an article and go snowboarding in Cape Town I began to worry. My worry turned to panic when he gave me a long list of tasks that I had promised to do. The snowboarding was at Grand West Casino and Entertainment World and was courtesy of Snow World. The list of activities included: • The Snow Box – Indoor Snow Slope for Snow Boarding and Snow Tubing. • Three Solid Ice Slides - a circular 46 downward spiral, a ‘radical rollercoaster’ and a mini-slide for toddlers. • Snow Play Area with Snowman Building. • Ice Bar and Lounge. • Animals of the Ice Age Exhibition. • Raised Viewing Deck Café Area. • The Alpine Hospitality Village. • Snow World Kids Party Zone. One thing you need to remember take some warm clothes with you - it’s freezing. Not only was it entertaining, it was educational as well. The Animals of the Ice Age Exhibition was really interesting. I learnt a lot, including the fact that I suck at snowboarding. Snow World will be at Grand West until the end of the month and I strongly suggest that you give it a visit. You can find out more details of prices and opening times on their website at www. snowshow.co.za. It’s good fun for the entire family. n 47 Hipe! health BOOST your immune system Beta-carotene It’s the middle of winter and the last thing you need is a cold or flu. This is the perfect time to boost your immune system and make sure you get the right vitamins and minerals. This is another vital antioxidant that will help build your immune system. Get your beta-carotene from carrots, hot chili, lettuce and spinach. By Gwyneth Bowman Vitamin C Not only is it a powerful antioxidant, it also increases the production of white blood cells. And these white blood cells, in case you didn’t know, are your body’s chief fighters against flu. Get your vitamin C from citrus fruit, green peppers, pineapples and strawberries. Vitamin B6 B6 is like the Chuck Norris of infection fighters. Get your vitamin B6 from bananas, carrots, lentils, seafood and sunflower seeds. 48 Garlic According to superstition, wearing garlic around your neck will keep vampires away. Not sure about that, but garlic increase the potency of the two important elements of the immune system - T-lymphoctes and macrophages. Eat it raw or use it in cooking. Just remember to use some mint or mouthwash afterwards. Zinc Zinc is really good stuff. Not only will it reduce the severity of colds, it’s also great for your hair, skin and nails. Get your zinc from oysters, lentils, lean beef, lamb, liver, pumpkin and sesame seeds. 49 Hipe! sport Ali - The Greatest Jeff Milton pays tribute to the late Muhammad Ali. H e was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. He would go on to become one of the greatest boxers the world has ever seen. Clay began boxing at the age of 12 under Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe M. Martin. This was after Clay’s bicycle was stolen and he told the police officer (Martin) that he was going to ‘whup’ the thief. Martin then suggested that Clay learn how to box first. Clay made his amateur boxing debut in 1954. He won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union national title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Clay’s amateur record was 100 wins with five losses. Clay made his professional debut on October 29, 1960, winning a sixround decision over Tunney Hunsaker. From then until the end of 1963, Clay amassed a record of 19–0 with 15 wins by knockout. Clay loved to taunt his opponents, both in and out of the ring. Clay’s be50 havior provoked the ire of many boxing fans. He was given the nickname “The Louisville Lip”. By late 1963, Clay had become the top contender for Sonny Liston’s title. The fight was set for February 25, 1964, in Miami Beach. Clay was a 7–1 underdog. Despite this, Clay taunted Liston during the pre-fight buildup, dubbing him “the big ugly bear”. “Liston even smells like a bear”, Clay said. “After I beat him I’m going to donate him to the zoo.” The result of the fight was a major upset. Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by TKO. Soon after the Liston fight, Clay changed his name to Cassius X Clay, and then later to Muhammad Ali upon converting to Islam and affiliating with the Nation of Islam. Ali then faced a rematch with Liston scheduled for May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine. He knocked out Liston in the first round, the fight lasting only two minutes. Ali defended his title four times but after Ali’s title defense against Zora Folley on March 22, he was stripped of his title due to his refusal to be drafted to army service. His boxing license was also suspended by the state of New York. He was convicted of draft evasion on June 20 and sentenced to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He paid a bond and remained free while the verdict was being appealed. On August 11, 1970, with his case still in appeal, Ali was granted a license to box by the City of Atlanta Athletic Commission. Ali’s first return bout was against Jerry Quarry on October 26, resulting in a win after three rounds after Quarry was cut. Ali then beat Oscar Bonavena and the win left Ali as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. The fight took place on March 8, 1971 and was nicknamed the “Fight of the Century” due to the tremendous excitement surrounding a bout between two undefeated fighters, each with a legitimate claim as heavyweight champions. I was in standard six (grade eight) at the time. We didn’t have television in South Africa, so we were unable to see the fight live. But I listened to it on the radio and saw a movie of it about a month later. Frazier beat Ali on points, winning a unanimous decision. It was Ali’s first loss as a professional. After the loss to Frazier, Ali fought Jerry Quarry, had a second bout with Floyd Patterson and faced Bob Foster in 1972, winning a total of six fights that year. In 1973, Ken Norton broke Ali’s jaw while giving him the second loss of his career. After initially seek51 RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: The referee sends Ali to a neutral corner after he had knocked Foreman down in the eighth round of their fight in Kinshasa. Foreman failed to beat the count and Ali won on a knock out. ing retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout, leading to a rematch at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 1974, with Joe Frazier who had recently lost his title to George Foreman. This time it was Ali that won with the judges awarding Ali a unanimous decision. The defeat of Frazier set the stage for a title fight against heavyweight champion George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire, on October 30, 1974—a bout nicknamed “The Rumble in the Jungle”. Foreman was considered one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history. In assessing the fight, analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton—who had given Ali four tough battles and won two of them— had been both devastated by Foreman in second round knockouts. Ali was 32 years old, and had clear52 ly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties. Contrary to his later persona, Foreman was at the time a brooding and intimidating presence. Almost no one associated with the sport gave the former champion a chance of winning. Ali opened the fight moving and scoring with right crosses to Foreman’s head. Then, beginning in the second round - and to the horror of his corner - Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him while covering up, clinching and counterpunching, all while verbally taunting Foreman. The move, which would later become known as the “Rope-adope”, violated conventional boxing wisdom - letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at will. Foreman, increasingly angered, threw punches that were deflected and did not land squarely. Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-Ali crowd. In the eighth round, Ali dropped an exhausted Foreman with a combination at center ring; Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, and amidst pandemonium in the ring, Ali had regained the title by knockout. In reflecting on the fight, George Foreman later said: “I thought Ali was just one more knockout victim until, about the seventh round, I hit him hard to the jaw and he held me and whispered in my ear: ‘That all you got, George?’ I realized that this ain’t what I thought it was. I was in standard nine (grade 11) at the time and can still remember sitting with some friends and listening to the fight via the radio. We couldn’t believe that Ali had actually won the fight. After he won the title for a second time, Ali defended it three times before agreeing to a third match with Joe Frazier. The fight was called “Thrilla in Manila” and was held on October 1, 1975. It was a tough fight with both fighters throwing everything they had. Frazier was cut over both eyes and in the 15th and final round he failed to answer the bell, giving Ali a win via a TKO (technical knock out), although Ali also looked out on his feet. Ali defended his title another three times before facing Ken Norton for a third time. Ali won on a heavily contested decision, which was loudly booed by the audience. Afterwards, he announced he was retiring from box- ing to practice his faith, having converted to Sunni Islam after falling out with the Nation of Islam the previous year. Ali returned to the ring in May 1977 and he beat Alfredo Evangelista. In his next fight he went up against Ernie Shavers. Although he won the fight Ali took a lot of punishment. In February 1978, Ali faced Leon Spinks for the world heavyweight title. Ali lost by split decision. A rematch followed shortly thereafter in New Orleans, which broke attendance records. Ali won a unanimous decision in an uninspiring fight, making him the first heavyweight champion to win the belt three times. Once again he announced his retirement but came out of retirement to challenge Larry Holmes for the title on October 2, 1980. Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee finally stopped the fight in the eleventh round, the only fight Ali lost by knockout. Ali fought one more fight after that, losing to Trevor Berbick. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome in 1984. He became a civil rights activist and visited many countries around the world. In 1996, he had the honour of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016 from septic shock. The Greatest was gone, but he will never be forgotten. n 53 Hipe! sport The school of stimulant, steroid and substance abuse Performance enhancing substances have been around in sport for as far back as anyone cares to remember. Yet one doesn’t expect to find them in school locker rooms. We delve into the darker side of school sports. portsmen and women have always wanted to run faster, jump higher and throw further than anyone else. A fraction of a second quicker, a few millimetres higher or further can be the difference between a world record and an ‘also ran’. To help achieve this, sportsmen, and their trainers, have never been above finding methods of making this happen – even if those methods are not always legal. Drugs and medication are used as a means of stimulating performance and ability. Some of these stimulants have proved so dangerous that they’ve resulted in death. It therefore became necessary to introduce strict regulations banning certain medications in sport and in 1960 a list of banned compounds was drawn up. This list is constantly revised to make provision for new preparations that appear almost faster than they can be banned. It would take a book and not a mere article to list the incidents where athletes have been stripped of titles, banned for life, or even died as a re54 S sult of taking performance enhancing drugs. Can anyone remember an Olympic Games where there hasn’t been at least one ‘doping scandal’? Even though one cannot condone it, one can almost understand it. Contrary to popular belief, professional sport is not a game; it is a multi-million dollar business where the difference between first and second place is reflected by the number of noughts on the end of the winner’s cheque. Yet this should not be a problem on the school fields of South Africa. After all they are not professional sportsmen or women; there are no vast sums on money at stake. If anything they should be playing for enjoyment or school pride at most. This, however, is not necessarily the case. James Walker* completed his schooling last year at a well known and well respected school in Durban. He was an above average rugby player, turning out for the school’s 2nd XV. Besides getting a good pass mark at the end of the year, his main ambition was to make the 1st XV as a regular. “The first team coach came to me after practice one afternoon and said that if I wanted to make the first team I would have to bulk up a bit,” James said. “He said that he could ‘organise’ something that would help.” What the coach was referring to were anabolic steroids. Although illegal and strictly banned as a sport aid many players at all levels of sport make use of them. They are hormones related to the male hormone testosterone and can cause masculinisation in female athletes, growth retardation in children and infertility in men. They can also cause liver damage and have a detrimental effect on blood lipids and the cardiovascular system, often leading to high blood pressure and heart attacks. Yet steroids can also increase muscle mass rapidly and this is the reason why so many athletes use them. “I told the coach that there was no way I was going to do steroids,” James said. “He basically told me that there was no way that I would make the first team.” James’ story is not an isolated one. The abuse of performance enhancing substances at school level is not Signs of possible performance drug misuse include: Increased Acne Rapid changes in body build Breast changes Increased Facial (smaller for women) weight gain (larger for men) aggression 55 uncommon in the least. Yet mention this to any school authorities and they become highly indignant, claiming that their school would never stoop to anything along those lines. In many instances it is more a case of turning a blind eye. After all, some schools take their sport very seriously. “They carry out random drug testing at all major sporting events,” said a former teacher who did not wish to be named. “If they did that at school sports level the results would be very interesting to say the least.” While anabolic steroids are one of the most abused drugs, they are not the only one. Others include stimulants, narcotic painkillers, beta-blockers and sedatives, and diuretics. Stimulants such as amphetamine, fencamtin, prolintene, phendimetrzine, ephedrine and even nicotine can enhance performance by stimulating the nervous system. Cocaine, one of the most addictive compounds known, is the most dangerous drug in this group. Many sportsmen confess to having narcotic painkillers before a game if they are carrying an injury. These can include morphine-based compounds as well as substances containing pethidine and codeine. Beta-blockers and sedatives are often used, illegally, in sports where fine control is necessary. This could include sports such as pistol shooting or archery. It is also used by athletes to calm pre-match nerves when they are too tense. Diuretics (dehydration tablets) are used by certain sportsmen in order to remain in a specific weight category or to lower the concentration of other banned substances in their urine to escape detection. “The use of performance enhancing drugs are far more common at schools than people realise,” says Peter*, a teacher at a Johannesburg high school. “And I don’t think enough is being done to prevent it.” * Name changed on request. n 56 Hipe! sport The remarkable Bill Payn B esides playing 59 games for the Natal rugby team over a period of 18 years, Bill Payn also played two tests for the Springboks. Besides rugby, Payn also represented Natal at athletics, boxing, cricket and baseball in 1956. He was also known for his wit, humour, intelligence, and his often strange exploits. Such as the time he ran the Comrades Marathon in 1922. Now just finishing the marathon is a feat in itself. Not only did Payn finish, he finished in eighth place - and he ran the entire race in rugby boots. The night before the race Payn had supper with his friend Arthur Newton. After a few stiff drinks Newton persuaded Payn to run the Comrades Marathon with him the following day. Payn thought this was a good idea. During the race, which was between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, Bill Payn first stopped off at Hillcrest where he had a breakfast of bacon and eggs. At Botha Hill he shared a curried chicken casserole with a fellow runner and old friend ‘Zulu’ Wade. At Drummon the two of them went into a pub to quench what Payn described as a “terrible thirst” with a few beers and to celebrate having reached the halfway mark of the race. Wade did not leave the hotel, but Payn hit the road and set off to finish the race. He drank a tumbler of peach brandy offered to him by a little old lady next to the road near Pietermaritzburg, and as he entered the city he darted off to have tea and cake with his wife’s family at the roadside. Despite all the breaks he took along the way, Payn still finished in eighth position. He had done no training for the race, relying entirely on his rugby fitness. And it must be remembered that he ran the entire race in rugby boots. His good friend Arthur Newton won the race. Then, with his feet covered in blisters, he had a good night’s rest before running out in a club match for his rugby team the next day. n 57 Hipe! short story When the nerd turns Tony Cooper was a nerd. A geek who spent most of his life playing video games. Yet every geek has his day. 58 BY MATT TENNYSON L ast week was a busy one for me. On Monday I took part in Operation Firestorm as part of the United States Marine Corps task force. The battle took place around the Azadegan oil field, in Iran. During this battle I killed 28 Russian soldiers. One of them I shot through the head with a sniper’s rifle from a distance of over one kilometre. On Monday night I was at war again. This time I was flying a Russian Su-34 Fighter-bomber. Once again I proved myself the undisputed king of the air, shooting down five American planes and three helicopters. I also took out a number of tanks. Tuesday saw me winning both the World Formula-One Championships and the World Rally Title. On Wednesday I saved New York City from being wiped out by a nuclear device. It was a close thing and I had to escape from CIA custody to do it. Thursday was hectic. My cousin’s taxi cab business was firebombed and I started doing work for both the Russian mafia and a Jamaican drug dealer named Little Jacob. Friday saw me win 17 gold medals and break six Olympic records and two world records at the London Olympic Games. I spent most of the weekend saving a planet from alien invasion. Now before you start thinking that it’s time for the men in white coats to come and take me away for an extended holiday in a room with padded wallpaper, let me explain. All of the above happened in video games. My name is Tony Cooper, I’m 31 years old, and I’m a gaming nerd. In fact look up the word nerd in the dictionary and you’ll probably find a photograph of me there. I guess I’ve always been a nerd. I’ve always been painfully thin. In fact if I stood sideways and stuck out my tongue I looked like a zip. I have the kind of face that only a mother could love, and even she finds it difficult. The glasses with lenses that resembled the bottom of a Coke bottle don’t do much to help. At the age of 31 I’ve only even been out on one date with a female. It was at my matric dance and I’m still not sure that I can count it as a proper date. After we had been at the dance for about 20 minutes the girl that I was with said she needed to go to the toilet. I never saw her again. Someone told me that she had left with another guy. It’s not that I don’t like females. I love them. It’s just that they don’t seem to like me. I find it difficult to even get a girl to talk to me, let alone go on a date with me. So I’ve become rather addicted to video games. I’ve got a PC with heaps of Ram and the best graphics card money can buy. I also own a PS3 XBox 360 and a Wii. I doubt that there is a game that I haven’t played. I run my own company from home. It’s called ‘Cooper Graphics’ and, as you can probably tell by the name, it’s a graphics design company. I am not only the managing director of the company, I 59 am also the sole employee. I make enough money to get by on. Not that it’s necessary. When my parents died they left me the house and a fairly large trust fund. The trust pays me a monthly allowance which is large enough to mean that I don’t really have to work. I’m not rich by any means, but I get by. Working from home, in front of a PC, means that I get more gaming time than most. In fact the vast majority of my time is spent playing video games. Sometimes I play by myself but more often than not I’m online. It was around 9.30 pm on a Friday night. While most single guys my age would be at a club somewhere trying to chat up women, I was at home in front of my computer. I was online, involved in an intense game of Battle Field 3. The team I was in had the upper hand and, as per usual, I had the highest score of any player. I may be useless in just about everything, but when it comes to gaming few people can touch me. There was a sniper somewhere up in the hills and he was causing havoc with our players. I was busy slowly working my way around the hill, keeping out of his line of sight. If I could get behind him I could take him out. Perhaps even with a knife. Then I could claim his dog tags. I almost jumped out of my chair when my doorbell rang. Few people ring my doorbell and especially not at 9.30 at night. I put the game on pause and hur60 ried off to see who it was at the door. Imagine my surprise when I opened the door and was confronted by a female. And I might add that she was a very attractive female. She had black hair and the most amazing deep green eyes I had ever seen. Her head and shoulders were covered by a shawl and she wore an orange jumpsuit that clung to her. There was a holster on her belt and I could see that it contained some sort of a sidearm. What was really strange, however, was that her skin had a greenish tinge to it. “You are Tony Cooper?” she asked in an accent that I just couldn’t identify. “Yes,” I nodded. “Please come with me Tony Cooper,” she said. “Sorry, what’s this all about,” I asked, more than a bit puzzled. “I will explain all on the way,” she said, taking me by the hand. I tried to pull my hand back, but she seemed to have incredible strength. She half led, half dragged me outside and suddenly we were surrounded by a circle of white light. I felt my body tingle and then, as I watched, it seemed to vanish before my eyes. The next thing I knew we were standing in some sort of a room. Four females dressed identically to the one that had arrived at my door were standing in the room. “Come with me Tony Cooper,” said one of them. Still in a state of shock I was led down a corridor. We stood in front of a door and it slid silently open. “Please come inside Tony Cooper,” a voice said. The woman in the room was dressed the same as the others that I had seen. Even though her skin had that greenish tinge to it, she still looked beautiful. “Please sit,” she said. “My name is Zelina and I am from the planet Trebiza 3. You are currently a guest of my space craft.” Okay, at least now I knew what was going on. I was still sitting in front of my PC and had obviously had some type of a seizure and this was why I was now having hallucinations. I just hoped that it wouldn’t be fatal. “No, you have not had a seizure, and no you are not having a hallucination,” she smiled. “And yes, I can read minds.” Great, I thought. I’m sitting in some sort of a UFO talking to some hot alien bird and I’m just a few steps from losing my mind. “You are wondering why you are here Tony Cooper,” Zelina said. “We have a grave situation on our hands. It’s a matter of life and death for not only our planet, but for yours as well.” Zelina went on to explain that her planet, Trebiza 3, was inhabited only by women. Many years ago the planet had been invaded by a race known as the Ssaylgu. The Ssaylgu were a very war-like race. When they had invaded Trebiza 3 they had rounded up all the men and then taken them as slaves. They were put to work in the mines of the Ssaylgu’s home planet, Ssabmud. Slaves that were put into the mines were then worked until they died. From what Zelina told me the Ssalygu were about to launch another attack on her planet. This time, however, they were not interested in taking slaves. They were planning on destroying the planet. After that the next planet selected for destruction was Earth, the piece of rock that I call home. “So how do I fit into all of this,” I asked Zelina. “We have been observing your planet for many years Tony Cooper,” she explained. “We have been searching your planet, and others, for a warrior. Someone capable of taking the fight to the Ssaylgu. On your planet we identified seven people.” She said that I would be required to do some sort of a test. It would test to see if I was up to the job at hand. I was taken to another room and seated in a chair that looked as if it could have come from a fighter jet. At the side of the chair was a joystick, similar to the one I used for many of my games. In front of the chair was a large screen. I was told to take a seat and then various wires were attached to my head and body. “The object of this exercise is to survive. You will face six waves of attack. Each wave progressively worse than the one before. Six before you have tried this test,” Zelina told me. “They tried and failed,” I asked. “No. They tried and died. Good luck 61 Tony Cooper,” Zelina said. The room went dark and on the screen in front of me I saw a small white triangle. This, I was told, was my craft. I could use the joystick to turn the craft in any direction. A lever to the left of my chair acted as a throttle which I could use to move my craft. A button on the joystick fired projectiles from the front of my craft. Four irregular shapes appeared on the screen, one at each corner. They began to drift slowly towards the centre of the screen where my craft stood. I turned my craft so that the nose was pointed at one of the objects and then fired a few projectiles at it. Once it was hit it broke up into two smaller pieces. When I shot one of the smaller pieces to also broke in half. These two smaller pieces began to move much faster than before. Then when I shot the smallest of the pieces it disappeared from the screen. I smiled to myself. This was exactly like an old coin-operated console game called ‘Asteroids’. As a kid I had spent hours playing the game and had the highest score on all of the machines in 62 my neighbourhood. It didn’t take me long finish the game. The lights came back up and Zelina was staring at me with a look of astonishment. “By the great god Zarl, I have never seen anything like that,” she said. “Tony Cooper you are truly a warrior.” Not really, I thought to myself, I’m just a nerd that has spent far too much time playing games. “Now we will go to my home planet so we can prepare,” Zelina told me. I learnt that her home planet was 374 light years away from Earth. This meant that, travelling at the speed of light, it would take 374 years to get there. I would be long dead before we even reached quarter of the way. “Don’t worry,” Zelina smiled. “Our craft is fitted with a warp drive. It will only take 10 minutes of your Earth time.” I was fascinated by Zelina and by her planet. According to her there were just over 1500 people on her planet, all of them female. Zelina was from a race known as the Zarlakien. One of the things I learnt was that no-one on her planet aged at all. In fact Zelina herself was over 400 years old. Only I would be turned on by a bird who was more than 400 years old. According to Zelina there were thousands, in fact hundreds of thousands of inhabited planets in the universe. She also told me that I would be surprised at how many of the life forms in the galaxy were humanoid. In other words they had a head, torso, and limbs. I was still trying to take this all in. Hey, less than a hour ago I was sitting in front of my computer enjoying a game. Now I was landing on a planet called Trebiza 3, I was about to go up against some war-like race known as the Ssaylgu, and I had a very definite answer to the age-old question “are we alone in the universe?” Things were a bit chaotic when we arrived on Trebiza 3. It appeared that a heavily armed Ssaylgu scouting party was already on its way. Zelina took me straight through to see Zardu, the supreme leader of the Zarlakien. “So Zelina,” Zardu said, “this is the great Tony Cooper. The man you say has a chance of saving our planet. Yet he has never even flown one of our ZTfighters. And there is no time for him to learn. Already the Ssaylgu are on their way.” “If anyone has a chance supreme leader then it is Tony Cooper. I have the utmost faith in him,” said Zelina. I must admit that I was listening to this with half an ear. I couldn’t take my eyes off Zardu. While Zelina was beautiful, Zardu was out of this world. Come to think of it, she really was out of this world. Well my world anyway. I was taken straight to the hanger that housed the Zarlakien fighters. They were impressive orange and grey craft that looked similar to something that I had used in a game called Starcraft. I climbed into the cockpit and quickly ran over the controls. On the right of the seat was a joystick with a number of buttons. These buttons allowed me to select various weapon options and fire the weapons. On the left of the seat was the familiar throttle control. I sat down in the seat and strapped myself in. In front of me was a large screen that curved left and right. “Good luck Tony Cooper. May Zarl be with you,” said Zelina, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I think that this was the first time that a woman, other than my late mother, had ever kissed me. I pushed a button on the joystick and the cockpit canopy closed. Then I pushed another button to start the engines. Then it was time to take off. The craft manoeuvred like a dream and it moved with incredible speed. The screen in front of me showed a HUD or Heads-Up Display. On a small radar on the left of the screen I could see exactly where the Ssaylgu craft were. I could also see what weapons I currently had selected, as well as other details such as my speed, heading and damage to my craft. “Time to rock and roll,” I muttered to myself as I headed straight towards the Ssaylgu fighters. There were eight of them and they began to spread out into an attack formation once they had noticed me. Not a problem. This was exactly like playing a game. I couldn’t do more than three pushups and it took me about five minutes to run a hundred metres (I would have to 63 stop and rest at least twice), but when it came to games I was the best. The eight fighters didn’t stand a chance. I put my craft into a dive and then came up under them, shooting two of them down. Then I shoot straight up through them, did a barrel roll and came at them from above, taking another three of them out. The three remaining craft turned and tried to run. In less than 10 seconds I had taken them out. But my job was only half done. The co-ordinates for the planet Ssabmud had been programmed into my fighter. I pushed the button that engaged the hyper drive and in less than five minutes my screen was filled with an image of the planet Ssabmud. They began to send waves of fighters up to meet me, trying everything to knock me down. They didn’t have a hope in hell. I dealt with situations like this at least once a week. As soon as I was in range I pressed another button, releasing an anti-matter bomb towards the planet. There was a blinding flash of light and the planet seemed to increase in size and then vanished. The Ssaylgu would never be a threat to anyone again. According to my HUD my craft had taken 70% damage. I just prayed that the hyper drive engine still worked as I pressed the button to return me to Trebiza 3. It worked. When I landed my craft was surrounded my cheering, beautiful women. I was lifted from the craft and carried 64 shoulder high to the palace of Zardu. There she pinned a medal on my chest and announced that I now held the title of ‘Saviour of the Zarlakien’. She also asked what I would like as a reward. It was an easy choice. Back on planet Earth it was only three weeks later that anyone noticed that I was missing. My front door was wide open, my car was still in the garage and my computer was still switched on. The police opened a missing persons docket and, I guess, it remains open to this day. Naturally no-one has ever found me. As my reward I asked if I could live on Trebiza 3. Zardu, Zelina and everyone else was thrilled with the idea. I’ve been here now for 92 years and, like the Zarlakien’s, I have not aged a single day. I think it has something to do with the atmosphere and the suns. And yes, I did say suns. Trebiza 3 has two suns. Oh, and my skin has also taken on a greenish tinge. I love living on Trebiza 3. On my planet I was nothing but a nerd. Here, on the other hand, I am a hero. I’m also the only male on a planet with 1500 beautiful women. And the best thing about it is that there is no jealousy on this planet. So every one of the 1500 women get to share me. By the way, I haven’t played a game of any sort for the past 92 years. Come on, think about it. I have 1500 gorgeous women all vying for my attention. Trust me when I say that games are the last thing on my mind. I guess you can honestly say that the nerd has turned. n Take a different look at a career... ... as a cyber journalist Every month hundreds of new magazines and newspapers are going online and they all need content. They need someone to write articles and many of them will pay you for it. Hipe Magazine is offering a three-month online journalism course where we will show you how to write the type of articles that people want to read and magazines want to buy. And best of all the course is 100% free. Do you think you have what it takes to become a cyber journalist? It’s a perfect way to earn a little extra or even as a new career. Hipe! On-line journalism For more INFORMATION send us an e-mail at editor@hipe.co.za with the heading ‘cyber journalist’ and we will send you all the details. E-mail editor@hipe.co.za Online Magazines Flip book magazines with pages that can be turned. E-Books Produced in any electronic format required. 2D & 3D Animation Produced in any video format. Video Production Scripting, storyboard, filming and editing done to any video format required. We also do aerial and underwater video and stills. Still Photography If you’re thinking digital media then think Hipe Media.
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