Removing rectangles from an image

[MiCovran]

Sorry for the title, I just can't think how to better describe this shortly.

I found this image on the internet and I'm just wondering if there's a way to remove these lighter and darker rectangles. I thought this shouldn't be too complicated, but I am simply not experienced in using gimp.

Can anyone give me a tip, please?

Thanks.

[loserboy]

best I could do, I have no experience either but I thought it would be fun.

[MiCovran]

Thanks. Good job. Which tools did you use?

[loserboy]

just 2, the color picker and paint bucket. I found that you have to adjust the threshold on the paint bucket since all the colors are really close to the same, so learned something new.

I wanted to find a way to smooth the image when i got done but they made it too blurry, also I couldnt find a way to save the little circle around the "GNU". i'm sure if you spent some time on it you could do it, I really have no skills.