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Digitally Filtering Out the Drone of the World Cup
qubezz writes "World Cup soccer fans may think a hornet's nest has infiltrated their TVs. However the buzz that is the background soundtrack of the South African-hosted games comes from tens of thousands of plastic horns called vuvuzelas, that are South Africa's version of ringing cowbells or throwing rats. It looks like the horns won't be banned anytime soon though. A savvy German hacker, 'Tube,' discovered that the horn sound can be effectively filtered out by applying a couple of digital notch filters to the audio at the frequencies the horn produces (another summary in English). Now it looks like even broadcasters like the the BBC and others are considering using such filters on their broadcasts."
It's no more annoying than sporting events are in general. It makes as much sense to blow one of these things as it does to kick a ball back and forth down a field.
Ban them so you can watch the 1 minute highlight in peace?
As a South African, I wholeheartedly support anything that annoys the opposition.
After listening to what the British call "singing" ( same sound a cat makes when held by the tail ) - the vuvuzelas come as welcome break.
Nick, Cape Town
While a little stale, Stargate is a big improvement over watching a bunch of sweaty men chase a ball around. Heck, I'd much rather watch ballet than sports; the people are much more attractive. I really wonder if male sports fans don't have homoerotic fantasies.
Spectator sports are a complete waste of time.
Do you seriously prefer war?
Better to be despised for too anxious apprehensions, than ruined by too confident a security. --Edmund Burke
FTFY
Peter predicted that you would "deliberately forget" creation 2000 years ago...
It is plenty funny here in Germany, because all those conservative/right-wing nutjobs (frankly, more than half the country) who constantly talk about how foreigners here in Germany should play by our rules, abide our social standards and integrate into our society as we see fit, are now saying, that the Africans should celebrate football/soccer like we do in Europe and that the vuvuzelas should be banned.
Worst of all: They do not even see their own hippocracy and I was nearly thrown out of a pub for being unpatriotic.
watching a sports is just like watching someone who is very dangerously rocking in a rocking chair. you watch it for the pending excitement. without the horror factor. if you add in the horror factor, you could as well do with watching a horror movie.
spectator sports are a complete waste of time indeed. UNLESS you actually play them.
and your anime analogue doesnt hold - animes are pieces that are made to convey thoughts, feelings and events to the beholder. 22 people trying to kick a ball somewhere, isnt.
Read radical news here
Racing is never a sport if motors are involved.
What the fuck are you smoking? You're the racist for thinking "native Africans" means black people. Wow. You kind of showed your hand there, sunshine.
1 - the fact that you are watching it and that the PROTAGONISTS are being paid outrageous sums of money makes that ENTERTAINMENT.
Sports you do, play or compete in - you don't watch sports.
2 - "Near superhuman"? HAH! More like "special needs" idiot savants, generally leaning towards simply idiot.
Most of them wouldn't be able to pass simple elementary-school tests. But they can sure as hell run after a ball.
Well, so can dogs and horses - they at least have the excuse of being dumb animals.
Personally, I am insulted as a member of the human race each time someone points out one of those mental cripples as a paramount of human achievement.
Like reading in the papers some time ago about how Rafael Nadal will be writing a biography. Except, it will actually be ghost-written.
And the same text points out how he started playing tennis at 3 years old, after his uncle noticed that he has "natural talent for tennis".
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA WRITE ABOUT IN YOUR BIOGRAPHY!?
YOU'VE BEEN PLAYING TENNIS EVERY DAY SINCE YOU COULD BARELY WALK, AND YOU'VE JUST STEPPED INTO YOUR 3RD DECADE OF THAT!
"I've been hitting the ball the whole day. Tomorrow, I'll be hitting it some more. But the best comes on Sunday. I get to HIT the ball."
Repeat for 300 pages or so.
And I should be impressed with "life and achievements" of a trained monkey just because PEPSI or someone like that decided to give him/her a huge sum of money to promote their sugar-water?
FUCK THAT!
You want superhuman? Achievements, strength, courage and all?
Try this guy.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
What I certainly wouldn't do is bother to read articles about games I don't like, let alone comment on them.
Yet that’s exactly what you did right now. ;)
Been there, but dude... hypocrite much?
Better watch out for that catch 22 next time!
Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
There is a reason why the act of improving all that which you mention is not referred to as "studying" but "training".
You know... The same as with animals.
As for brains... the fact that even the most mentally engaging "sports" like chess or go can be simulated relatively easily shows just how much mental acuity it takes for "sports".
Bobby Fischer even invented Chess 960 because he found chess players increasingly relying on simply memorizing opening moves and combinations.
You know... training a part of their brain to be a chess calculator instead of a THINKING fucking organ.
These... "athletes" are simply playing up on that one card they were born with, maxing out there chances by repetitive movements of their muscles, maxing out their testosterone and adrenaline (which make you dumb) and proper feeding regime.
Replace "athletes" with "horses" and sentence will still be completely accurate and meaningful.
If we stuck your brain in a robot body capable of matching their physical abilities, you would still be too stupid (in that domain) to be better than merely good.
I accept that wager!
You provide the robot body, the athletes I am to compete with, location, equipment and someone to instruct me in the nature of that particular sport 24 hours prior... ah fuck it... I'll be a robot... 1 hour prior to the game and I will show up to defeat them all entirely and completely so that they will all either commit suicide after the game or retire and become drunks and junkies.
As a bonus, I'll be reciting Shakespeare and farting the national anthems of the world while doing all that defeating.
Provided that the robot-body will be capable of farting, naturally.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens