Jul 9
Offside, Red-card and Vuvuzela among baby names registered during 2010 World Cup
via examiner.com
THE 2010 World Cup will be remembered for a lifetime by children currently in KwaZulu-Natal hospital maternity wards, and by those about them.
True to Zulu tradition, the newborns have been named for events at the time of their birth.
Among new names recorded by nurses are:
* Offside Mchunu;
* Argentina Sibiya;
* Vuvuzela Mhlongo;
* England Nkosi;
* Soccer City Mthembu;
* Cameroon Vilakazi;
* Striker Hadebe;
* Italy Buthelezi;
* Midfielder Zwane;
* Denmark Ntombela;
* Red-card Mbatha;
* Brazil Khuzwayo;
* Coach Sibisi;
* France Kheswa;
* Goalkeeper Sithole;
* Parreira Mthethwa;
* 2010 Dlamini;
* Jersey Magubane;
* Substitute Shandu;
* Ball Skhakhane;
* Stadium Gumbi;
* Kick-off Shabalala;
* Park n Ride Khumalo;
* Half-time Hlatshwayo;
* Tickets Ngubane;
* and Kaka Zuma.
Lovely colorful stuff. What a great start to life.
Jul 4
Vuvuzela Mad Science
via gizmodo.com
Take one (1) vuvuzela horn, one (1) air horn, and some small quantity of duct tape. Attach air horn nozzle to vuvuzela horn mouthpiece with said duct tape. Blow until ears bleed. Repeat.
Jul 4
Bjork and Vuvuzelas?
Getting the horn ... the vuvuzela becomes pop's favourite new instrument. Photograph: Carl Recine/Action Images
Never mind the glockenspiel, the vuvuzela has become the hottest musical instrument of 2010, blaring not just at World Cup football matches but everywhere from prestigious German concert halls to the darkest Norwegian forests. As scientists race to filter the droning horns from broadcasts, musicians are grabbing the cheap plastic instruments and heading to the studio.
Or at least a couple of them are. While there were hints of vuvuzelas in the teaser for Björk's new Dirty Projectors collaboration, and at least one Leeds band added the tooters to their lineup, it's not until we got to the Round of 16 that vuvuzela fusion really started cooking. We don't just mean the Vuvuzela Concerto or South African girl-group La Vuvuzela's half-baked World Cup cash-in, either. One of Germany's premier orchestras, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, has formed a vuvuzela duo, demonstrating part of Brahms's First Symphony and Ravel's Bolero with perfect technique.
Meanwhile, T in the Park has become the first British music festival to officially ban vuvuzelas. The instruments will not be welcome at the Scottish event, which runs from 9-11 July. "We have got to respect the artists and the thousands of fans who want to hear music without being disturbed by vuvuzelas," organisers said. But take note: T in the Park has not banned them on stage.
via guardian.co.uk
Jul 4
Pimp up my vuvuzela - £20,000 vuvu
A RUSSIAN businessman has paid almost £20,000 to have a plastic Vuvuzela covered in expensive white gold and encrusted with precious stones including a single giant DIAMOND in the centre.
Austrian-based jeweller Klemens Pointner, who specialises in providing tailor-made items for Russian clients, said: "I met the businessmen at a trade fair in Moscow.
"He asked me about the possibility of modifying one of the Vuvuzelas for a football mad business contact and I said it would be possible.
"The hardest part actually was getting hold of one as there were very few in Austria and all these had been sold out right at the start. In the end I had one especially imported from South Africa.
"I had to work fast because the Russian businessmen wanted it to be used during the World Cup final which his business partner has got tickets for. I sent it off this week and it should arrive this weekend in plenty of time for the final.
"I really enjoyed creating this piece. By the time all the materials plus the shipment costs have been taken into account the price was close to £20,000.
Pointner refused to reveal his customer's identity but said the white gold-clad Vuvuzela - which only cost £2 originally - also features a one-carat diamond.
Jul 4
The Vuvu-Stop: Drown out the sound of people moaning about vuvuzelas
The Vuvu-Stop
Yup, the Vuvu-stop. Ear plugs. They reduce the noise by 31 decibels apparently. And shop owners can’t keep up with the orders.
The earplugs, marketed as the "Vuvu-Stop", have a label on the back of the packet which reads: "Highly effective noise reduction. Uses include soccer, rugby, or for couch potatoes to block out your wife's moaning."
