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NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 58: "VIKINGS ARE COOL"

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This Week:
- Viking Kittens
- Best Screensaver Ever
- B3ta person wins Guardian Blog Award

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________  ____ __  ___
____/  _)|_  // /_/ _ |      
___/  _ |/_ </ __/ __ |      "We're saving the
__/____/____/\__/_/ |_|       web ... together"

B3ta email 58 - 27 Sept 2002

Read this issue online:
http://b3ta.com/newsletter/issue58/

       Subscribe:  [email protected]
         Unsub:  [email protected]

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: VIKING KITTENS
  On their way to kitty Valhalla

  Joel has made a pacy new animation featuring
  (surprise) kittens. This time they are rocking
  out to Led Zeppelin and brandishing swords.

  BTW: Did you see Joel's Punk Kittens? We
  launched it a couple of weeks ago and it got
  so much traffic that Joel got kicked off his
  webserver. Ha ha!
http://www.rathergood.com/vikings/
  

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: GREATEST SCREENSAVER IN THE WORLD
  The B3ta images delivered to your desktop

  You may remember a few months back Chicago Dave
  made a screensaver that picked the best images
  from the b3ta messageboard and put them into a
  screensaver. We redesigned the site and it broke.
  So he's done a brand spanking new, improved
  version. With a lovely gilt frame. 

  Your screensaver will display different images
  every day.

  Install it now. It rocks. (PC Only. Sorry.)
http://www.limpfish.plus.com/b3tacollective.exe


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: DRAW ELVIS
  And make him live again

  Bovine2000 is challenging YOU to make a drawing
  of Elvis and submit it to his extensive Elvis
  gallery.   

  He says, "With his greasy hair, sneering lip and
  swivelling hips, the whole world loves Elvis!"

  So take the afternoon off and celebrate the life
  of the King.
http://www.crapjuggler.co.uk/elvis/


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: WHAT B3TA PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MAKING THIS WEEK 
  Blogs, Drums and Beer

  >> Best British Weblog 2002 <<
  Well done to Al 'Scaryduck' Coleman, who won
  this year's Guardian award for his online
  journal. The judges were particularly impressed
  with his writing, which Al describes as "like
  b3ta photoshopping, only with words."
http://scaryduck.blogspot.com


  >> Flash Drum Machine <<
  This is isn't the most sophisticated drum
  machine ever made - but we found it surprisingly
  fun to sequence simple rhythms. Thank Bobulatorm
  - can we have some silly noises too?
http://www.bobulatorm.net/flash/drummachine2.html


  >> How drunk are you? <<
  Fat Boab has made this informative reflex
  testing game to tell you how drunk you are. We
  suspect the police will soon be adopting this
  for roadside checks.
http://comedy.allinfoabout.com/features/drink.html


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: SITES IN BRIEF 
  Stuff we like that wasn't made by our mates.

  >> More Cat-Based Rock <<
  This is exactly how a cat heavy-metal band would
  really be, if cats had bands. A work of genius.
  (If a bit scary - and it sent the B3ta cat potty.)
http://www.eyeenvision.com/litterbox/litterbox.htm...


  >> Optical Illusion <<
  Blimey. This checker-board shadow is so confusing
  we had to open it in Photoshop to see if our eyes
  were deceiving us.
http://snurl.com/54t


  >> Create Online = Wanking Babies <<
  Create Online embodies the worst in web 
  design. Flashy design masturbation over
  usability and interesting content. That's
  why we love this:
http://www.create-online.co.uk/


  >> Bad Taste Hotel <<
  Lovers of kitsch - or those who like laughing
  at Americans will love this hotel. Each room
  is decorated in a different and increasingly
  repellent style. If you're planning an
  alternative wedding - what better place for
  a reception?
http://www.madonnainn.com/tour/index.asp


  >> The Cliff Guy <<
  Comic book art collector Walt Parrish has an
  unusual hobby. He gets famous comic book artists
  to draw pictures of their characters on cliffs.
  It's amazing how many of them have responded to
  his idea. 
http://www.thecliffguy.com/cliffs.htm


  >> Hallucinogenic Flash Animations <<
  Want to take acid at work but don't have the
  time? This website pretty much simulates the
  effects. But probably won't make you think
  you can fly.
http://www.larrycarlson.com/

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: B3TA IMAGE CHALLENGE
  Results from the 'Safety First' Challenge

  Each week we run a competition to test your
  creative skills. We set a challenge and you
  open Photoshop and mess with our heads.

  Last week we wanted new safety equipment:
http://b3ta.com/challenge/safetyfirst/

  We asked B3ta boarder 'munkt0n' to judge the
  entries - here are his 3 faves.

  Munkt0n writes -


  #1 "Hi-vis elephant - all too often elephants
  fail to see the importance of road safety.
  This one is making a fine example. (rogan)
http://www.b3ta.com/board/3/6/1/6/4/3

  #2 "Secure tea - I love my tea, and if someone
  stole it, I don't think I'd be able to cope.
  This gives me peace of mind. (Barkin)
http://www.b3ta.com/board/3/6/2/0/7/6

  #3 "Remember, Safety wurst! - Talking sausages
  and a terrible pun. What more can I say?"
  (Fuzzbucket)
http://www.b3ta.com/board/3/5/1/1/6/1


  >> This Weeks Challenge <<

  This week, B3ta contributor Sue Denham gave us
  the suggestion, "Before and After: tell us a
  story in two frames"
http://b3ta.com/challenge/beforeafter/


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: WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
  Follow-ups on previous stories.

  * THEY'VE NAMED THE KITTENS! A couple of weeks
    ago Tom and Phil asked you to name their
    new kittens. And you did. Overwhelming them
    with suggestions. The winner? Spunkybackpack
    with "Cat Stevens and Cat Deeley." BTW: There's
    some nice kitten pics on the site.
http://tomandphil.myby.co.uk/kitten/


  * WHERE B3TA WAS BANNED NEXT - According to
    Ashley Power, B3ta has been banned at
    Rushcliffe Comprehensive School, Nottingham.
    He is currently designing a website to
    celebrate IT technician Darren Chunt.
    (We've also been blocked by PFIZER - the
    company responsible for Viagra.)


  * NICEY BISCUIT UPDATE - Nicey runs a website
    celebrating biscuits. He's had BBC TV round
    to interview him. His wife Jenny writes,
    "They videoed about 1hr of us sitting on the
    sofa talking about tea and biscuits. We're
    going to look like real biscuit obsessive
    plonkers, but what the hell.."

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: STAR IN NEXT WEEK'S ISSUE

  Make something cool and tell us about it. If
  you are in? Then people will see.

  Stuff we'd really like to see includes

  * Something that's so cool that we cry
  * Real world projects (do try this at home)
  * Freebies

  Send contributions to http://www.b3ta.com/mailus/

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  Subscribe:  [email protected]
  Unsubscribe:  [email protected]

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  THANKS:  Links supplied by Dr Nick Riviera,
  Indole Ring, Rob Naylor, Alexandra Prior,
  James Wilkinson, Bobodor. David Stevenson for
  co-editing this newsletter. Mike Trinder for
  handling the Photoshop challenge. B4ta for
  proofing. (46555)


  SPECIAL THANKS TO FRASER - he helps out with
  the b3ta blog - and he's also won a prize in
  the Guardian Competition. The best bit? He's 
  giving us half his prize money. YAY.
http://www.blogjam.com/

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