Pullock, who lives in Burnside, also brought vuvuzelas to Christchurch in 2006.

"I tried to sell them on Trade Me, but no-one wanted them. I wanted to change the support in AMI stadium," he…

Host Broadcast Services, the company that provides the broadcast feed for the World Cup, said Tuesday it has doubled its audio filters to reduce the constant blaring buzz of vuvuzelas.

Was surprisingly accurate, nice one Mike.

93 minutes I think you'll find :)

The key for NZ tonight will be to keep our shape for the full 90 minutes. Not 89 minutes, but the full whack.

Was surprisingly accurate, nice one Mike. Wisdom.

Really? Can you get to the rest of Miracle Pictures?

Nope. The whole thing must just be rampant with pornography. Is it one of the "casting couch" places :)

Blocked at work as "pornography". That must be some graphic graffiti.

Really? Can you get to the rest of Miracle Pictures?

Found on Facebook

rofflenui

this excellent piece of graffiti on Wallace St

Blocked at work as "pornography". That must be some graphic graffiti.

I thought it wouldn't be too hard to keep the result out of my eyeline until 9am but didn't reckon with this excellent piece of graffiti on Wallace St. Must have been done in a fit…

It's up there with Bag Pipes, you hate them or you've got them.

Scotland must never host the World Cup.

For people complaining about the state of play you're crazy, Herbert had one chance for a result in this game and that was slow it to a dirge

Success!

The buzz also drowns out any ebb and flow of the sound of the crowd itself. It's vile.

I wouldn't mind it if it sounded like a bunch of horns, with distinctive blowing and not blowing bits. But it doesn't, it sounds like a continuous drone, like flies in your…

SMASHED EM BRO.

eee, it's a glorious day and no mistake.

+1. I find the noise genuinely unpleasant, and what football I've watched, I've done with the volume way down.

The buzz also drowns out any ebb and flow of the sound of the crowd itself. It's vile.

I don't find the noise endearing, but it does have a certain warmth…

.+1. I find the noise genuinely unpleasant, and what football I've watched, I've done with the volume way down.

.

I know someone looking to import a whole load of these for the RWC next year...

Funny how a lot of people (one in this thread, no less) are talking about last night's "All White victory".

I was just preparing for sleep at the 92nd minute last night, when BAM, nothing like a joyous…

I'm just not enough of a fan to overlook the tedious gameplay or the pesky kazoos. As an aspie they drive me spare.

+1. I find the noise genuinely unpleasant, and what football I've watched, I've done with the volume way down.

The buzz also drowns out any ebb and…

Our Australian friends show some wry humour.

Anyhoo, the ball was clearly perfected in 1970,

I agree. Also, your dad probably says that the ball was perfected in 1950. :)

Anyhoo, the ball was clearly perfected in 1970, and has gone downhill ever since. Make for TV as it may be, it's perfect. Just to get the comment for the next article out of the way. 8]

It's up there with Bag Pipes, you hate them or you've got them.

... though perhaps someone could explain to me how this is our first FIFA points – what happened in 1982?).

It's their first points in the World Cup tournament tables – as in: 3 pts for a win, 1 for a draw. In '82 we didn't win or draw a…

... high scoring games can be over in the first half, or earlier.

Also, games that are generally high scoring, such as basketball and netball, can be pretty boring. Being easy to score doesn't make the game more interesting.

A moment of Smeltz brilliance on the break? It's the only…

You should have watched the Germany v Australia game. The scoreline flattered the Australians, frankly.

There's a joke in that somewhere – how do you flatter an Australian?

Or even just: "and don't call me Frankly".

ETA: Which is to say, woohoo.

Come on it's historic, fantastic, & what a goal.

That a game is played for the full 90 mins isn't a detractor, it draws people into the magic.

By contrast, high scoring games can be over in the first half, or earlier. Missmatches and high scoring games…

Hooray!

Nope

No, I really do have work in six hours.

...until they can get beyond low-scoring draws...

You should have watched the Germany v Australia game. The scoreline flattered the Australians, frankly.

They can call the game "beautiful" as much as they like, but until they can get beyond low-scoring…

I won't get to sleep for an hour at least.

I've got work in 6 hours!

vuvuzealot

Surely an early candidate for Word o the Year

it'll be free of all that worthless screen clutter such as, oh, the score and how many minutes have flown by.

That really pisses me off too. How hard is to have a tiny thing in the corner. They do it in the rugby too, so if you come in…

Is there a free-to-air schedule somewhere?

See here

Is there a free-to-air schedule somewhere?

Oh, there are links to the TVOne & TVNZ7 live schedules here, but it's not very easy to read.

I didn't realise all the All Whites games are live on TV One.

Thank goodness for that.

And if Australia/Germany on TVNZ7 the other day is anything to go by it'll be free of all that worthless screen clutter such as, oh, the score and how many minutes have flown…

providing a big screen at Queens Wharf so that football fans can gather and watch the games. But have they noticed the temperatures recently?

Expecting sports fans to gather on a wharf in winter, eh. Who in their right mind would consider such a crazy plan?

A commenter on the Guardian story backs up my theory about an EQ solution:

since they make a uniform Bb below middle C, a using graphic equaliser may make life a life more bearable... that's about…

Why are they so loud?

The loudness can be explained by the bore shape, which is roughly conical, and flares. As well as creating sound at a frequency of 235 hertz, the instrument generates harmonics – sound at multiples of…

I hate those vuvuzelas. They make every game sound like this: ...

As best as I am able to tell, the World Cup games sound the same as they have always done.

We're only talking about the vuvuzelas and the Jubilani ball because the football hasn't been particularly exciting so…

The Guardian has England-USA game highlights. In Lego.

O'rly?

That's the trouble with having so many threads on similar topics. Yes, yes I'm being a 'na na, I posted it first' cock, but whatev's.

Finally, I know the Wellington City Council mean well, by providing a big screen at Queens Wharf so that football fans can gather and watch the games. But have they noticed the temperatures recently?

A show of solidarity is required. Try to survive with the All Whites (or whatever we're…

Anyone who brings a vuvuzela to an NHL game will be killed, cryogenically frozen until they can be brought back to life, then killed again.

On the topic of balls (ooh-er), here's an infographic on the ball used at the world cup, since 1930: NY Times

Well fuck. It seems I'm going to be reposting a lot of this, sorry in advance.

and I noticed those pragmatic Italians trying it a couple of times this morning.

Might have had something to do with not being able to get into the bloody penalty box.

Thank goodness for that.

(and I see that Adidas supplied the balls to every world cup from 1970 to 1998)

Was available for use apparently, it was only the Germans with their quiet efficiency and diabolical cleverness who had the sense to bring it in.

Presumably the German league uses an Adidas ball anyway? The Premiership uses a Nike one, so I wouldn't have expected much co-operation there.

And absolutely,…

It would seem a little odd if the teams/players were offered a chance to play…

Why does that sound unfair?

Was available for use apparently, it was only the Germans with their quiet efficiency and diabolical cleverness who had the sense to bring it in.

Don't they complain about the ball at every World Cup?

Oh absolutely, but I think the issue here is the characteristics of the ball at altitude. Hence the German game at Durban where the ball behaved more as you'd expect, less bounce, shots remaining low etc... The Netherlands-Denmark game this…

The other way we can score is via a set piece.

Don't they complain about the ball at every World Cup?

Hush! I'm penning tomorrow's post about that!

By the way, anyone remember when Adidas tried making rugby balls and how long that experiment lasted?

And does anyone remember what country that was in... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpO4gvW6D3Q