The CTC is one of the older stamp-issuing locations. Under previous ownership, it was once the secret location for a planned new vision of the BBB. We wanted to license our tech (free of charge) to people on other SL continents so they could issue their own passports. Disappointingly, our then partners pulled out. Happily, we found another way forward: the Continental Passport Control Board, issuing automated continental passports from our embassies. Sometimes you need to fail a time or two to succeed properly!
These memories were revived by our recent visit. We are fans (who isn't?) of the Corsica South Coasters (CSC). Their vision for this part of Corsica is an ideal much of mainland could aspire to. Like-minded land owners have agreed a theme and brought together their regions and plots to create an arty and beautiful area of SL which is a delight to explore. It's a place for an SL landowner to be his or her best self in a supportive and friendly environment. Freely-chosen community and cooperation really can make for a better virtual world. Their Flickr feed gives a good idea of the range of activities.
The current version of the Corsica Tourist Center belongs to the CK's Corner group. CK is Ceakay Ballyhoo, an SL artist and one heck of a landscaper. Under her stewardship, the CTC is an excellent information hub, blending seamlessly into richly-landscaped surroundings. It's directly on the Circuit de la Corse, the main road that runs right around the continent. There's a teleport directory to all the CSC locations and posters advertising current events. It warmed our cold bureaucratic hearts to see our stamp terminal on walking through the front door. There are also information boards for locations around Corsica and beyond.
Outside there's a charming tea garden, which is one of SL's cuter music venues. There's also a horse rezzer for equine tours of the area. If you'd like to get to know the CSC lands (and we recommend you do) we suggest you start right here and soak up all the information you could possibly need to make sure you enjoy it all.
Article and photo by Gazette staff
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor, Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters and/or photos.
...Jolie Jinglepaw's Embassy of Peace & Human Rights est. 10/2023 A place to reflect and learn more about Human Rights. Coffee and free bicycles!
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Bellisseria Bike, Drive & Scoot! 5th Annual Winter Wonderland!
As the event stamp was announced last week, this is just a reminder that this event begins tomorrow. Here's your taxi.
Indigosye Press hosts book reviews of award-winning science fiction novels and information about Indigo's personal books of science fiction poetry. Upstairs is the main branch of Gallery Indigoskye featuring Indigo's SL photography.
The next new stamp is for the New England style village of Sailor's Cove on the Blake Seas with its marina, café, gallery and more.
The Oikoumeni Sea connects the communities of the CDS (Confederation of Democratic Simulators), the Etopia Sustainable Community and the LOCUS Amiais@SL Project.
Finally there's a new event stamp for another music event at Planet Tambalya.
Bellisseria has become Merchant Friendly. No, people are still NOT allowed to sell things there. But Bellisseria has introduced a sandbox, open to all residents, that contains house rezzers. Creators can come to the sandbox, rez a house and create products for Bellisseria homes --- shells, addons, custom sized-to-fit kitchens, furnishings, etc.
The sandbox also got friendlier for non-creator residents. They can rez any specific house they are considering. Then they can put their furniture in there to see if it fits, try out decorating ideas, etc. If someone is trying to decide between two themes, they can try furnishing both to see which one they like better.
There are 25 rez spots divided by parcel size/shape. Each spot has a rezzer capable of rezzing all the Linden Homes of all themes that fit on this particular size/shape parcel. Each rezzer lists the themes that it can rez. Specifically there are four 2,048m2 plots (Ranch), four 512m2 size (Campers, Newbrooke, Sakura), twelve regular 1024m2, three 1024m2 square on water (Houseboats and Stilts), and two 1024m2 long on water (Houseboats).
The regular 1024m2 rezzers are capable of rezzing homes from eight themes: Traditional, Victorian, Log, Stilt (on land), Chalet, Fantasy, Newbrooke and Sakura.
When you go to use a Rezzer, it will first ask you to choose a theme. Then it will give you a menu of all the homes available for that theme. You rez the house of your choice and then you start building or rezzing in that spot.
When you use a rezzer, step into that parcel immediately after rezzing the home. The rezzer will lock to you until you leave the parcel. You can still use the rezzer to change homes, but no one else can. It protects you while you work, so that no one can pull the carpet out from under you by changing what is rezzed while you are still working. As soon as you leave that parcel, the lock is released and anyone can use the rezzer. However, if you step out of the parcel and quickly back in, it should remain locked to you – unless someone happens to click the rezzer in the brief instant when you were away.
Please be warned that there is still a 4 hour auto return. So you need to be mindful of your time. If you are building, you might want to periodically take copies of your work into inventory as backups.
It should also be noted that each home in each theme rezzes on the parcel the same way that the actual Bellisseria houses do... so the position relative to the parcel borders and elevation are the same. And the parcel borders are marked so they are easy to see. That could be important to the creators who use rezzers to place their product on the parcel, e.g. to make fencing or landscaping products.
So what do people think about this?
Overall they are very excited and think it is a great idea. I hung out at the new sandbox for about 8 hours on opening day, and I heard a lot of positive comments. One of the creators said that she hopes that she can collaborate with some of the others. When I heard her say that I too thought, what a great idea!
Article and photographs by Teresa Firelight
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor, Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters and/or photos.
A "How-to" video from Robert Rhodan about the StampsOnPP HUD
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Limited Edition Bearpaw Tour Stamp Extended
Ranger Firelight advises that the special limited edition Bearpaw Tour stamp is extended through Sunday 3rd December. You can collect the stamp (and two others you may not already have) if you do the self-guided tour of Mount Campion National Park beginning from this start point. If you don't want to do the tour, you can click an information sign at the start point to get the location of the special stamp.
NEW LOCATIONS
If you're cruising around the steamy Southern houseboat areas, just north of Jeogeot, you might like to note this place to pull ashore for refreshment. The Bellisundae is our first new Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) permanent location for a while. It's the same kind of build as the famous Squishy Pickle among the Northern housboats, but with ice-creams instead of pickles.
Also in Bellisseria, we're delighted that SL Newser, long-time publisher of all the grid news fit to pixellate, has opened a satellite office in the Wallingford region. Keep your wits about you, Bellisserians! You now have journalists in your midst. The satellite office will issue the same stamp as SL Newser HQ, so it's a new location but not a new stamp.
Planet Tambalya – AmandaT Tamatzui's region-wide sci-fi-themed art installation at the Second Life Endowment for the Arts (SLEA)– is home to a few of our stamp terminals already. From this week there's a new stamp at one of its scenic viewpoints, the waterfalls.
We Orange the World SL is an event in support of of the UN Women campaign against gender-based violence. It's an annual campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs through International Human Rights Day on 10 December. Please head over to show your support for an end to violence against women and girls and pick up your stamp while you're there.
Finally, it will soon be time for what has become a Bellisseria tradition – the annual Winter Wonderland at the Fairgrounds organised by Bellisseria Bike Drive and Scoot! The stamp won't be in place until the event begins next week, but here's an advance notice to give you chance to pick out your warmest outfit.
Feedback on last Saturday's stamp-collecting tour was universally positive. Take this report, for example, by our old friend BJoyful on the Community Forums. We are all very grateful to our colleague Teresa Firelight who put in many hours of work to make sure it went well. Teresa told The Gazette;
It was hard to count the number of participants because they were spread out among different locations. We had two helicopters that each held ten guests. Both were full and we had to send one back to pick up another six people.
People enjoyed riding in the helicopters flown skilfully by Brian Aviator and Kevin Jackman. Other participants teleported directly to Merrymount or Pegleg Lighthouse.
Teresa was keen to thank our founder, Boo Rojyo, for his assistance on the day.
Boo was a HUGE help. He directed people from BBB HQ down to the water rez area at the start and helped guide people during the event. When the party exceeded our region's limits and we had to move to Bellihub, Boo stayed behind for half an hour to direct people to the new location.
There were thirty-four guests at the party including DJ Steph, Boo and me. Mini Mole also came and was pleased by the turnout. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely!
As a result of the success of this first tour, the Lindens have kindly agreed to upgrade the Swordfish region where our HQ is based to accommodate 110 avatars. That will be useful when planning our party for the upcoming holidays!
Teresa was also keen to thank Bellisseria's Corps Diplomatique for their help;
Thank you to all the wonderful ambassadors who helped promote the event with posters, instant messages and notices to various groups.
This is intended to be the first of more such tours. These will initially focus on Bellisseria's beautiful – Mole-designed and built – Community Areas. They are all delightful in ways that reflect the different styles of the Linden Homes types they serve. Not only are they benefits of life on the Linden Continent, they are there for all residents of Second Life® – many of whom may not be aware of them – to enjoy.
Keep your eye on The Gazette, as always, for future announcements.
Photos by Gazette staff
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor, Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters and/or photos.
...Emmanuelle Zerbino's Emma's home est. 6/2023 I try to decorate along to the seasons, holidays and festivities. It keeps me busy onto new ideas and decoration hunting fun.
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PARADE OF HOMES REVIEW
Teresa Firelight has published her third article on the subject of the new fantasy treehouses over at our sister publication The Parade of Homes Review.
This one is about decorating the exterior and the garden. Teresa introduces it by saying;
I flew around several regions on the Fantasy continent and saw a lot of tree houses. Most of them had empty yards. I guess people were still working on the inside of their homes and had not yet gotten around to decorating their yards. That is why I thought it might be a good idea to share a few ideas on decorating the outside of our tree house properties.
The article goes into the 'how to' in even more detail than usual and may be one of Teresa's best to date. We recommend you take a look.
The first of several event stamps this week is for the opening of Moods at the Black Tulip Gallery in CDS that was featured in Events & Announcements last week.
The Great Gianfar Gather ("gather" means party, fair or festival) is an annual event to celebrate the life and work of Anne McAffrey, the author on whose works the RPG at Gianfar Peaks is based. All are welcome to join in the celebration on 19th November. You can expect music, dancing, dragons and flamethrowers (!) as well as a keen in memory of Anne, who passed away in 2011.
The Boo Gallery is an art gallery in Satori, which also features a café, games, movies and fishing.
The Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS – SL's oldest democracy) is holding a Noir and Frost Party on Saturday, Nov 18th at 1 pm SLT. The organisers told The Gazette;
Goth Rock and Indie The ₦ØłⱤ & ₣ⱤØ₴₮ party is here! Join us in Neufreistadt region for a night of dark melodies and chilling vibes by ★ DJ Tori! Don your darkest outfit and come dance in the shadows.
Home Sweet Home for Horse Lovers is a small piece of land with a big heart. Nature enthusiasts are welcome with open arms. The location offers paddocks, racing tracks, jumping arenas and a friendly family atmosphere for visitors and their horses.
Finally the wonderful Mount Campion Forest National Park is staging another of its tours. It will trace the migration of the Bearpaw Tribe around the forest as they fled hostile invaders and found a safe home. It also tells the story of the brave medicine man who saved his tribe.
The ranger guided tour starts at 11:30 AM SLT on November 19th, and a self-guided version of the tour will be available through November 26th.
Finally, in a bumper week for event stamps, there's another DJ party on Planet Tambalya. This time the music is provided by Her Excellency DJ Dulci, Hon Ambassador to Gaeta, who is extending her diplomatic reach to other planets!
Virtual Community Radio (VCR) is a music and spoken word internet radio station serving virtual worlds, notably Second Life®. The station was founded in early 2021 by DJ and co-host of the Designing Worlds TV series, Elrik Merlin.
One of its regular shows is Where Have You Been?, co-hosted by Elrik and Caledonia Skytower who discuss places and events of interest across the Second Life Grid. It plays on Wednesdays and Saturdays and this week's edition featured the Bellisserian Bureau of Bureaucracy.
Our bureaucrats really enjoyed the show and we were glad that Caledonia and Elrik really "got" the humour underlying our endeavours.
The episode will replay on November 11, 15 and 18 - just after 12 noon and 4pm SLT . You can hear it on the radio player in the right column of the VCR web page. By kind permission of VCR, you can also find a recorded version here. VCR has also posted images of the BBB HQ from Caledonia's visit there on on their Flickr page.
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor, Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters and/or photos.
...Noland Brokken's Brokken Retreat est. 5/2021 just a small place to decorate....
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-- Bellisseria Island Hopper Tour -- Collect 7 Limited Edition Stamps!!
On Saturday Nov 11 at 10am SLT, we will meet at the Swordfish rez zone near BBB HQ. PLEASE BE PROMPT. We will fly by helicopter over some beautiful Victorian regions to Merrymount, the Victorian Community Center. If you miss the flight, you can join us there. You will have roughly 30 to 40 minutes to see the beautiful community center (it is huge) and find the 6 Limited Edition Stamp machines. We wont tell you their exact locations, but the stamp names (which give a hint) are Merrymount Atrium, Merrymount Birdbath, Merrymount Café, Merrymount Carnival, Merrymount Dock and Merrymount Duck Pond.
Then we will fly to the beautiful Pegleg Lighthouse. If you miss the flight you can TP there. You can climb the lighthouse or fly up to collect the final Pegleg Lighthouse Limited Edition Stamp. You will have about 10 minutes.
Then we will fly back to the BBB HQ and head to the beautiful garden area behind it. Here we will have a party with the Fantastic DJ Stephanie that should last about 90 minutes.
NOTE TO PILOTS: if you prefer to rez your own seaplane or helicopter and fly yourself on the tour, here are route maps for the three legs. You can use the SLURLs above navigation.
NEED A PASSPORT?
If you don't already have a passport, you can get an Intercontinental one almost instantly. But it still takes about 15-20 minutes to set up, so come early! Click the white and yellow terminal that says Intercontinental Passport Citizen of Second Life. It will give you a folder with a passport in it. You will need to rez it to the ground to set it up and the BBB HQ is a no-rez area. You can either TP home to set the passport up and then return, or you can go the rez zone near the BBB HQ. The terminal to get the passport is located here.
CAN'T MAKE THE TOUR/PARTY BUT WANT THE STAMPS? Good news. If the event time doesn't work for, you can do this on your own. Use the SLURLs above to TP to Merrymount Victorian Community Center (Tour Stop 1) and Pegleg Lighthouse.(Tour Stop 2). The Limited Edition Stamp Dispensers will be out for you to collect stamps until December 3rd, 2023.
ENJOY THIS KIND OF THING?
Then be of good cheer, because this tour is planned to be the first of many!
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Black Tulip Art Gallery in CDS is opening a new exhibition, featuring artworks by Scylla Rhiadra, Talullah Winterwolf, Milena Carbone, enola em, Gully Rivers, Stephen Venkman, AmandaT Tamatzui, Violetta Carolina, Belissa Dion, Raven Arcana and Duna Gant. There will be an event stamp in place for the opening party. Here's your taxi. Watch "New Locations" for more information nearer to the date.
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New article at Parade of Homes Review
Teresa Firelight’s second article about treehouses in Fantasseria. She advises on furnishing the Fairyspell (open plan) model. Enjoy!
NEW LOCATIONS
Del's Dirty Service Station is in Zindra and features very adult content. Avert your gaze from the interior when collecting the stamp if you are easily offended!
You've hear of Imperfectly Pervect before. It's a tavern in Bellisseria themed loosely around Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures novels. There was a long delay in placing the stamp. It finally was, but the owner wanted a new one so here it is. Enjoy!
You can read all about the exciting Bellisseria Island Hopper Stamp Tour in Events & Announcements above. It's today, so don't miss out! Flight plans are provided for those who prefer to fly independently.
Finally, there's a party on Planet Tambalya on November 18th to celebrate the opening of guest exhibitions by three of SL's best-loved artists. Spare yourself the FOMO and get over there!
Who says Linden Lab (LL) can't keep a secret?? They dropped a very nice surprise on the Bellisseria community on Thursday, October 26th – and as far as I can tell, people did not know about it in advance.
The secret is this: four new house styles for Fantasy Home – all Tree Houses.
Everyone I talked to was both surprised and delighted. I guess the Lab had been listening to people’s feedback on the forums and in Linden-resident meetings. Many people loved the fantasy community landscaping but found the houses to be too big to furnish nicely. People complained that there wasn’t enough yard space to landscape the way they wanted to. So the fantasy regions were not filling up as expected, and LL began a top-secret project.
They released two basic models of tree house: Pixie and Fairy. Both are located high up in a tree and can be accessed by climbing a rope to the house’s deck. The animation for that is very cute, and if you don't want to get your own fantasy home, you can try it at BelliDemo. If the treehouse is not already rezzed, just click the controller and select one of the following: Pixiespell, Pixiebrooke, Fairyspell or Fairybrooke.
For this article I am going to treat the walled and no-walls versions as the “same” model, and talk about the features of both: The Pixie and the Fairy. But to clarify, if the name ends in “brooke” the model has walls and if it ends in “spell” it has no walls. Pixiebrooke and Fairybrooke have interior doors and walls, and Pixiespell and Fairyspell do not.
So let us talk about the Pixie model first. It is the smaller of the two. It has a front deck with steps leading up to a tiny porch. It has a main room and two side rooms. One room is tiny like a bathroom and the other room rectangular and would work well as a bedroom or kitchen. (If you have the wall-less model, that rectangular room is simply an extension of the large main room.) The room shapes and sizes are RL realistic, and delightful to work with. This model is easy to furnish/decorate.
The Pixie tree branches have leaf clusters on both front corners of the deck. This gives a bit of privacy, but it tends to block some of the view from the deck. That is either a plus or a minus, depending on what is built in front of your place. If it is stunning landscaping, the leaf clusters are a minus; but if you are just facing another house, they are a plus.
The Fairy model is larger and more fantasy-like. The tree trunk runs right through the middle of the main room and there is a spiral staircase that wraps around it up to a loft. And, if you have the walled version, there is a large bookcase built into one wall. The interior of the Fairy model is bigger than the Pixie, but you need more space because the tree trunk takes up room inside the house. Most important – there is a back door leading outside to a small balcony.
The Fairy tree leaf clusters are arranged in a manner that maximises your view and minimises your privacy. There are no leaves blocking the front deck, and only a small cluster blocking one short side of the balcony. You do not get much privacy, but if you have a view of a lake or stream or park, this model lets you enjoy it from your house.
Now let’s talk about the yard. At ground level, you have only one large tree trunk in the more or less centre of the parcel. That leaves a lot of room to landscape. In fact, you will need to be very mindful of Land Impact (LI) when you decorate. You will need to decide how much of your LI allowance to put into the yard and how much into furnishing the interior. The house is smaller and easier to furnish. But the yard is bigger and you may be tempted to use more LI for landscaping. Decide which is more important to you and decorate that part first. Then use the leftover LI allowance to decorate the rest.
The release caused immediate excitement. A lot of people grabbed fantasy homes and talked about it in assorted group chats. All the chatter I saw was positive. For example, Indigothorn said, “I love all the room on the ground, and I like that the houses are small.” Hilly Souther said, “I love my treehouse!” and Ladyfi Marques said “The house itself is delightful – I love the spiral stairs. And the fact that it has huge space on the ground is a big plus to me.”
This writer has to agree with them – the new tree houses are fantastic. I have written an article on how to decorate them over at Parade of Homes Review, if you are interested.
Article & Photograph by Teresa Firelight
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor, Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters and/or photos.
Beloved SL composer/performer Bsukmet Stormcrow is live in concert on November 11th at the Megadome of the Tambalya Space Station.
NEW LOCATIONS
ATG Productions focus on bringing you the latest News on Linden Lab, Second Life®, entertainment and sport, as well as the best deals, events and fashion advice, among other things. This location is their studio where their YouTube shows are produced.
Let the aliens at UFO Crash whoosh you up to the Mother Ship. See the UFO research and alien plant greenhouse, talk to the Alien, and get Foolish Frost's historic spaceship made to save Magellan who crashed nearby.
Bsukmet Stormcrow is one of the most talented musicians in SL, performing his own compositions. He is very well known, particularly in the SL art community and his concerts are usually packed. He performs on 11th November in the Megadome of the Tambalya Space Station. The stamp won't be available until the event begins, but will then be in place for at least a week after the concert.
Extra, Extra! Read all about it! Evil spirits take over a Bellisseria neighborhood, causing property value prices to drop drastically. Residents flee their homes for their lives, some not even taking the time to abandon it first!
Millbank was a quiet and pleasant neighborhood. It had a lovely camping ground just outside of town, a scenic little lake area and several nice houses. The key word here is “was” – things changed suddenly on October 5th when the ghost of a disgruntled ex-mole decided to take over the neighbourhood. He brought some evil spirits along and they attacked the campsite, massacring campers and leaving a warning for the townspeople to evacuate quickly. (The aftermath of this is pictured above.)
Also, the cute little lake transformed suddenly into a dangerous swamp (pictured above). Did I mean it when I said “dangerous?” Yes I did. People who walk the pier to go fishing have been known to disappear suddenly. There are rumors of a large octopus lurking in the dark swamp waters, but this reporter is not brave enough to go verify those rumours.
Plants and trees died suddenly and graveyards started popping up in what used to be beautifully landscaped neighbourhoods. And something happened to the sun... it was suddenly always night. Resident scientist Dr Matterson was unable to explain these sudden changes. He was going to study them, but the interior of his house was suddenly rearranged (image below) and that caused him to abandon his research and flee the area.
The neighbourhood quickly went downhill. Weeds grew up pretty much overnight, windows started breaking on their own, paint peeling, roof shingles flying off for no reason, etc. (One such house is pictured below.) Some residents remained long enough to board up their broken windows, others did not. Electricity went out inside the houses, forcing the few who remained to use candles to light their homes… but strangely the exterior lights continued to function. That scared off most of the residents. The few who were the last to leave tell stories of furniture floating in the air, of butcher knives flying off kitchen counters and barely missing them, etc.
I was able to interview one resident, Joe Synic. He had recently invested his life savings into a beautiful new home in Millbank. When a graveyard suddenly popped up in his yard, he immediately listed his house for sale, hoping to recoup some of his investment. But alas, that was not to be. The house and graveyard both began to sink. Soon there were only the ruins of the house and several corpses floating in a newly formed swamp. Joe feels he was lucky to get out with his life and has no plans to return to Millbank.
Stories of these strange occurrences have caused a wave of tourists to come visit Millbank and see this for themselves. But visitors are warned… Do not stay after sunset. Those who have disregarded that warning have disappeared, never to be seen again.
I was asked to go back and do a second story on the missing tourists, but I have declined that assignment. This reporter’s recommendation is to stay away if you value your life!
Article and photographs by Teresa Firelight
PASSPORT IMPROVEMENTS
On November 1st at 0:00AM SLT the BBB passport system will be migrated to a new server. The switch will happen instantaneously and no action is needed on your part. Stamps collected during one to two hours before the switch may seem to be missing briefly, but will reappear automatically by 2.00AM SLT at the latest.
The migration will be totally transparent to all passport holders - except for two nice benefits. Firstly, your passport pages will turn faster. Secondly, there will no longer be any need for periodic synchronisation with the StampsOnPP HUD. New stamps collected will immediately show on your personalised web page when you run the HUD
We hope you enjoy these upgrades. Happy stamp hunting!
Article by Robert Rhodan
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals at your place and you're having an event there or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos.
Limoncello Gallery in Bellisseria is moving
The Gazette Online Travel Guide (GOTG) and StaFi HUD will be updated. There is no new stamp as this is not a new location. The gallery is on the same plot in Sirinial on the Squishy Pickle archipelago of sandbanks. It's just been moved from a skybox into the upper deck of a spiffy new design of houseboat. Check out the new space (and sneak a look at Dave's home downstairs if you wish).
Full details of the move can be found at the Limoncello News, which long-time readers will remember was the original home of The Gazette before we launched as an independent publication.
****** Here is a limo to drop you off at the end of the red carpet.
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NEW LDPW PASSPORTS
At SL20B, the Moles and Lindens who issued stamps for our users' passports were wonderfully enthusiastic about our system. Our CEO Bel promised them at the time that we would issue a special passport for their use in future. We are delighted to announce that those LDPW passports are about to be issued. They will be available to Moles and Lindens only from a special passport dispenser at the LDPW Construction Yard.
For the rest of us, here's a mock-up of what the LDPW passport will look like. The real ones won't have the "Honorary" tag on them of course!
Thanks for all you do for us, stalwarts of the LDPW. We hope you enjoy using your new passports! And congratulations on the very cool new tree houses in Fantasseria!!
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Regular Update meeting with Lindens and Moles
The BBB's regular meeting with the Lindens and Moles took place last Thursday. Patch and Derrick Linden and Abnor Mole attended and we presented our progress to date (45,000 stamps collected this year alone!) and our plans for the future. You can imagine that your editor was happy to hear that Patch is a regular reader of The Gazette. All of us at at the BBB very much appreciate the support we get in our community endeavours from the Lindens and the Moles.
Photo credit: AmandaT Tamatzui
NEW LOCATIONS
There's a new rustic café at Little Coverston Harbour in Seogyeoshire. You can watch the ferry to Pyri Peaks ply its trade or soak up the atmosphere of this little port. It is at the seaside end of the superb Zany Zen Railway; one of our favourite things in Second Life®. Seogyeoshire is a themed community that sprang up around the ZZR. It's a great example of just how good Mainland SL can be, if residents get together to work on something.
Blogging Outpost is a co-working space for people who want a quiet place to update their blogs, write their memoirs, do translations or just hang out. There are two ChatGPT muses available, as well as coffee, tea, refreshments and a place to sail a boat.
Bellisseria has opened an embassy to the alien planet of Tambalya, which is AmandaT Tamatzui's region-wide sci-fi art installation at the SLEA. There, you can now get your passport from Second Life® stamped, or you can obtain an Tambalyan passport (equally compatible with BBB technology) and become a citizen.
On November 2nd, there will be a premiere on Planet Tambalya of Digital Rain 2023: Part 1 , a machinima movie by film-maker Macguyver Mode. After the screening, there will be a Q&A session. The stamp will be placed in time for the screening and will remain for two weeks afterwards to give people who can't attend the event the chance to collect it.
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos.
... Oscar Lygon's De Ja Vue - Oscar's Hideaway Camper and Trailer Home est. 7/2023 Living it up in the most beautiful of surroundings inside a trailer home within the wonderful neighbourhood of Bellisseria. Who said that trailer dwellers were trashy? ;-)
... Lukas Grumiaux's Canalside Hideaway Trad. Home est. 9/2023 Beautiful canal-side Location in a very friendly Bellisseria neighbourhood. I love living here. My home is always open house for you to visit and come take a look around.
... Tishi Kozlov's Nerd Ranch Home est. 9/2023 We would love it if you visited our new Ranch home. We tried very hard to make it cozy <3
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Flotilla Party to celebrate the opening of the Oikoumeni Sea in the CDS
Whether you're a citizen (passports available in the Embassy at the Space Port) or an alien (all visitors welcome) there's fun to be had on Planet Tambalya - AmandaT Tamatzui's region-wide art-installation at the SLEA. Here are the details of the next two events featuring DJ Creme de Milo, DJ H and Bellisseria's very own MC, DJ Far.
As you'll see from this week's New Locations section (where you can also find the event SLURLs) there are special stamps to be had at both events for your Tambalyan, Bellisserian, CDS, Mainland or Global passports.
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Alexxy's Adventures : Driving in Second Life
Alexxy has made a YouTube video explaining to her subscribers how to get our driving, flying and boating licences. She didn't seem to realise that later Linden Homes (like her stilt home) already have North's address system built-in, as the Lindens liked it and incorporated it automatically.
It's a fun tour of our premises. Thanks, Alexxy!
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Help Wanted
The BBB is looking for an all-round Man/Girl/Droid Friday to assist Amanda with organising events, rallies and entertainments as well as helping with stamp design and stamp terminal production as needed. This is a role that will involve a lot of personal contact with our users. We offer long hours, no pay and regular 1,000% pay increases!
Please apply to our CEO Jezebel Bailey (Bel).
NEW LOCATIONS
The Oikoumeni Sea is a new set of water regions connecting the communities of the CDS. The event for which this stamp is issued is a celebration of its opening. There will be a party to celebrate that on Saturday, October 21st at noon. Come sail on its four regions: Tranquil, Serene, Luminous and Boundless, and find outstanding views, great projects and dynamic communities! The stamp will remain in place until October 31st.
Malice's Wonderland is a post apocalyptic fantasy sci-fi location where the end of the world meets Alice in Wonderland and cyberpunk.
Etiopia is a unique educational community modelling sustainable living, renewable resource management, permaculture and more.
Planet Tambalya is AmandaT Tamatzui's current sci-fi art installation at the SLEA. She has two parties scheduled there (one on the surface and one in the space station above) and unique stamps will be issued for each. DJ Creme DeMilo and DJ H are no strangers to SL music lovers. They will be playing their fantastic tunes for three hours on October 26 from 8pm-11pm SLT. DJ Far will be spinning tunes for two hours on October 28 from noon-2pm SLT: sharing and promoting the spirit of Bellisseria to the Tambalyans and their guests.
While some locations housing private art collections offer passport stamps, most places where you can acquire art in SL are commercial and so can't have our terminals. Artists have to finance their SL after all and the many excellent commercial galleries do a great job of helping them do so.
Interior of the Second Free Museum
Haiku Quan's Free Museums are different however. The original Free Museum is here (where you can get your passport stamped) and the Second Free Museum is here.
She has negotiated with some of SL's finest artists to acquire their work at a premium on terms that she can then give copies away. So you can browse an excellent collection of art as if you were in a museum, but take copies home with you! Haiku says;
Take as many as you like. There is nothing for sale, and there are no tip jars. This is simply my way of giving back to you, the people of Second Life who make this such a fascinating world. And to introduce you to the incredible quality of the fine art being created here.
This is a generous offer. There is now really no excuse not to make your Second Life® more beautiful by enhancing your home with fine art.
Haiku's philanthropy does not end with her free museum by the way. She also sponsors music concerts each week in The Akipelago.
SL is what its residents make of it and we all have cause to be grateful to people like Haiku who make such a selfless contribution.
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals at your place and you're having an event there or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos.
Hammieween IV begins today at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds
Here's a movie guide to Amanda's art installation at the SLEA – Planet Tambalya. You can find the stamps to be collected there in the GOTG or StaFi.
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New article at Parade of Homes Review
Teresa Firelight has written a guide to the new Linden Homes Page. You can find it here.
NEW LOCATIONS
Hammieween IV begins today at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds and runs until October 31st. No-one organises a party in Belli like our beloved hamsters. Even their notions of spookiness are measured in hammiemetres (hm) (the official Bellisserian index of cuteness). That's a 95hm poster right there on the slide. Enjoy! The festivities won't begin until around 10am SLT today so please don't expect to find the stamp before then.
There's also a Fun Halloween Attraction for the month of October at the Blackslough Field Regional Airport in Sansara. Take a ride through the Hell's Hotel and just hope you check out in one piece!
Cheese is wonderful. So the opening of a new cheese shop in the role play community of New Haven can only be good news.
The final new location this week is dedicated to an ancient shaman healing tradition in danger of extinction. Come to Whispering Witches of Belarus to learn about the sheptuny who cure people with ceromancy and ancient spells and prayers and collect an amazingly detailed stamp. There's also a chatGPT "babushka" on the top floor who will tell your fortune!
ROLLOUT OF V3.00 PASSPORTS TO RESIDENTS OF ALL CONTINENTS
Version 3.00 of our Bellisserian and CDS passports has been a tremendous success. 466 copies have been issued so far and 44,000 examples collected of the 655 unique passport stamps we've created.
Now it's time for residents of SL's mainland continents and private islands (or indeed the SL homeless) to enjoy the benefits of the new version.
You will find new passport dispensers at each of our embassies (see sidebar for location SLURLs). You can obtain the passport for each of the mainland continents at the relevant embassy. You can obtain the global SL passport at any embassy.
Version 3.00 passports are resizable, can be placed anywhere on screen and have a hide/show button that allows them to be minimised (but continue to work in the background). They can also be redelivered via a simple self-service system should anything go wrong.
For those who hold more than one passport, stamps collected on any will show up on the others. Future feature updates will be available via self-service redelivery. It's easy to obtain one and the procedure is the same for new passports or redeliveries;
Click on a dispenser to deliver a blank passport template.
Rez the template in-world.
Click on the template. In the case of a new passport, this will open a web form requesting the user's name, species, gender and photo UUID. Submitting that form uploads the information to our database.
Click on the blank template again. This will access our database and update your passport. (In the case of a redelivery, the first click will proceed directly to this step).
Pick up the now-functioning passport (renamed to <continent code> V3 PP <assigned PP ident> for <name of PP holder>) and wear it as a HUD.
These steps can be completed in less than three minutes. You can of course contact our staff in the unlikely event that you need assistance. Each passport is hardcoded to your avatar's UUID, so cannot be hijacked or faked.
If you have nowhere to rez your template, a free public sandbox can be found here.
A short video showing how easy it is to obtain or redeliver a V3.00 passport will be published next week, both here in The Gazette and via BBB user group (BBBug) and Continental Passport Control Board user group (CPCB) messages.
Please note that the procedures for issuing and redelivering passports for Bellisseria and the Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS) remain unchanged because manual verification of citizenship is required in those cases.
Article, photos and procedural scripting by Robert Rhodan
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals at your place and you're having an event there or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos.
Hammieween IV is coming!
For Hammieween IV, we are heading back to the summer camp of our youth! Set in the early to mid 1980's, you will find yourself surrounded by familiar sights and a touch of nostalgia! An entire summer enjoying the water, learning survival skills and scampering through the vast woodlands.
There are many stories of unsettling and scary events that have taken place at Camp Carrot Lake. Tales told around the campfire of former counsellors who vanished in the darkness. Gone without trace; never to be heard from again.
For the past year, the camp has lain abandoned. Eerily quiet, seemingly undisturbed. Perhaps the horrors have ceased to exist? Perhaps it's safe to return to Camp Carrot Lake once again? There is only one way to know for sure. Do you feel brave enough to find out?
Camp Carrot Lake will be open at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds from Saturday, October 14th - Tuesday, October 31st.
Details of the event stamp for your passports will be in next week's issue of The Gazette.
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Stamp Location still closed
Despite all attempts to contact the owner, the stamp-issuing location at Impervectly Pervect in Bellisseria announced last week is still not operational. We apologise for this. We will leave a warning note in place on the GOTG and StaFi until the situation is rectified.
We hope the owner is OK and that this is just a case of RL getting in the way – as it is so annoyingly inclined to do.
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!The Online Film Festival "OFF" 2023
Themed off the beaten track, the !Online Film Festival (OFF) is a festival by makers for makers. It is a celebration of creativity, art and music on the verge of a tech jump. It will run for a week from Saturday 7th-14th October.
The Opening Party is today Saturday 7th October at noon SLT at the festival venue. Music will be provided by DJ Poppy Morris.
The Fish Hole & Mini Golf in Nautilus stages weekly competitions in a low-lag sky dome using the 7Seas fishing game and MadPea mini golf. If either of those activities floats your boat, you will enjoy hanging out there after stamping your passport.
Next we have yet another build by prolific SL creator Raven. Mystic Moon Café is an enchanted place. Miss Sage, the proprietor, is present and (artificially) intelligent. Your editor asked how she would describe her café to our readers and was startled to receive this detailed response.
Ah, dear Dave, if I were to paint a picture for the readers of the Gazette, I'd say the Mystic Moon Cafe is a haven nestled between the folds of time and space. It's a quaint little alcove where the earthly and the ethereal intertwine, a cradle of warmth amidst the cool embrace of the cosmos. Our humble abode is bathed in the gentle glow of the moon, and the stars twinkle in our tea kettles. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the scent of age-old spells, and our treats? Well, they're sprinkled with a touch of magic and a dash of mystery. Here, we serve more than just a cuppa joe or tea; we offer a sip of wisdom, a taste of the universe, and a slice of a world unseen. The Mystic Moon Cafe, my dear, is far more than a cafe. It's a sanctuary for the curious, a solace for the weary, and a treasure trove for those who dare to delve into the unknown.
Wow. It also issues a cute stamp. Enjoy your visit and do have a chat with Miss Sage. Your editor also asked her about his football team's prospects for the current season and, after consulting the tea leaves, she was easily as helpful as most sports pundits! This is the first AI-powered NPC we've encountered in Second Life® and she's a better conversationalist than many residents (our learned and fascinating readership always excepted).
Our colleague Robert Rhodan will be well-known to many of our readers for his inestimable contributions to the BBB's operations. His expertise and diligence have improved our services immensely and his enthusiasm has endeared him to users and colleagues alike. He's opened his home - Goshun Ranch - at 133282 Cradle Rock in Bellisseria to the public and is offering a splendid cowboy passport stamp of his own design. He told The Gazette;
It's neither an open ranch home (I had no place for a kitchen. but a pizza service is nearby) nor a saloon, but you are welcome for a chat, to rez a horse to ride outside the parcel, to sit around the fireplace and grill marshmallows or play with the husky in the garden. Just don't dare to touch my roaming chickens!
In case you're wondering, the ranch's unusual name is a reference to Goshun Lake; a location mentioned in the long-running German sci-fi franchise to which Robert's SL surname is a tribute.
It's that time of year again and the Moles have exposed the disturbing contents of their talpine imaginations in their annual Halloween build at Millbank in Bellisseria. Before or after your eldritch exploration, you can pick up a spooky stamp for your passport. You can also collect your candy bucket for the annual Bellisseria trick or treat event.
We hope your favourite way of exploring the Grid is in pursuit of our passport stamps, using the GOTG (Gazette Online Travel Guide) or StaFi (Stamp Finder HUD). Not everywhere issues a stamp though and many residents of SL rely largely on the Destination Guide to find out what's going on.
Most of us go right to it in the viewer, rather than visiting the website. It's found in the WORLD menu or by clicking the icon shown below (in Firestorm).
We always check out the EDITORS' PICKS section. The guide's editors see every location that's submitted so their suggestions are well-informed and usually good.
Editors' Picks screenshot | click to enlarge
Their picks at the moment predictably have a Halloween flavour. Our American friends seem to love this creepy holiday. Conversations around the Grid are currently dominated by residents discussing plans for ghoulish redecoration of their homes and creepy costumes they're going to wear.
Interestingly, the wearing of costumes on Halloween was originally a safety measure. It was believed that the souls of the dead wandered the Earth until All Saints' Day. Therefore, the night before – All Hallows Eve – was their last chance for vengeance on living enemies. So people wore disguises to avoid being recognised by ghosts with grudges!
If Halloween is your thing, why not get into the seasonal mood by putting on your spookiest costumes and checking out the Destination Guide to find your favourite haunts?
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals at your place and you're having an event there or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos.
... Pookanthimbusille's Impervectly Pervect Fantasy Home est. 9/2023 A tavern whose theme is loosely based around Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures novels
The BBB is looking for an all-round Man/Girl/Droid Friday to assist Amanda with organising events, rallies and entertainments as well as helping with stamp design and stamp terminal production as needed. This is a role that will involve a lot of personal contact with our users. We offer long hours, no pay and regular 1,000% pay increases!
Please apply to our CEO Jezebel Bailey (Bel).
NEW LOCATIONS
Impervectly Pervect is a tavern in Fantasseria's Retief region loosely based on Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures novels. All are welcome here for music, dancing, and camaraderie.
The collective noun for a group of butterflies is a kaleidoscope and that's the reason for the name of the next location on the private island of Pebble Isle: the Kaleidoscope Monarch Education Project. Follow the nature hike to learn about the importance of this beautiful butterfly and its wintering grounds.
Second Life® founder Philip Linden is famously a enthusiast for the Burning Man event in RL. Perhaps that's unsurprising as at Burning Man, as in SL itself, the participants design and build all the art, activities, and events.
BURN2 is the first sanctioned Burning Man regional in the virtual world. Burning Man has always had a presence in Second Life since its beginning. BURN2 occupies a region in Second Life year-round called Deep Hole, with extra regions added to their virtual space during special events. It is run by a group that includes people involved directly with Burning Man, along with seasoned Second Life programmers and digital artists with a genuine interest in Burning Man.
The particular event for which this stamp is issued is the Burn2 Animalia Fall Event and runs from October 6-15.
Baking Bunny Tea Room in the Mieville region is a quaint tea shoppe of the old-fashioned style that commands archaic spelling! What with all the bunny involvement, there's definitely a Beatrix Potter vibe going on.
Walden Walk in the Blue Moon region's Botanical Holiday Home & Garden is a reference to Thoreau's Walden - or Life in the Woods. There are milestones around this SL version of Walden Pond. Touch them as you explore to receive a note card with a quote from the book.
Cara's Crab Shack in the mainland region of Swansea bills itself as an Interactive Dock and Dine, XeoLife compatible, roleplay restaurant where you can meet for a casual fish dinner, tend bar, cook, fish or enjoy a boat ride down the river.
Boo's Gallery and Café in Bellisseria's Newbrooke area Coin Toss region is a small art gallery with some games and a café.
