Almost 200 people took part on the day of our joint rally with the Drivers of SL. The HUD remains available and people are continuing to do the course, but it was fun to be part of a group. After a false start in her Ferrari 599, our editor, Fenella, decided to experience at least part of the rally as a newbie might, using the golf cart provided for anyone who didn't have a vehicle of their own. That was quite a relaxed drive, shall we say, and she was more overtaken than she's used to.
She did eventually make it to Lower Barensmouth where she rezzed her Boss Bandit classic-style wooden motor launch to get to the Pugwash rail rez zone. As far as SL railways are concerned, she is a newbie and had no locomotives in inventory. She used the train provided to travel to Campwich. Her lack of railway experience cost dearly on arrival there as she failed to calculate the braking distance of her loco and managed to flatten her dear colleague Zoe. No long term harm was done but grudges are being held. It may take a little while yet for Zoe once more to view her as a colleague should!
From Campwich, the rally took again to the water and, looking to put some safe distance between herself and Zoe's wrath, Fenella once more rezzed her fast motor launch, which allowed her to progress both in style and at speed. She was lagging behind the pack by this stage because stops for photography were slowing her down.
She'd already picked up all but one of the stamps when she first joined the BBB as a route-tester for the original BBB Rally but used the special hud for non-passport holders to collect them all again! From the Panamole Canal she rode her horse to Millbank and on to Millers Pond, using the motor boat again to head on under the low bridges and out to sea.
Picking up her penultimate stamp at the Bellisseria Fairgounds, she rezzed her Bandit 170 for the final leg to Mermaids Grotto where, transformed into a mermaid and mission completed, the amazing DSL HUD teleported her – tailed, scaled and dripping on the carpets – back to the BBB offices and a severe shunning from Zoe.
A succession of happy travelers came by and much positive feedback was gratefully received. We are delighted that so many of our BBBug members enjoyed the drive and suspect that many will now join Drivers of SL. The official thanks of all at the BBB go out to Christi and Xarabethe of DSL. They have been doing this a long time and are so practised and accomplished that they make the feats of organisation involved seem easy. We are now well aware that they are not! The Drivers of SL HUD is really a marvel – both efficient and (thanks to Xarabethe's carefully-researched commentary on places en route) entertaining and informative.
This week's new stamp locations are an airport and a sailing club. Details are featured below and will be added to the Travel Guide in due course.
As we at the BBB continue our preparations for SL18B (Second Life's 18th Birthday), our very own Prudence Anton and her team at Pring Productions have been working on a movie about us. It is not due for release until its premiere on June 17th but here is the most teaserish of short trailers. Enjoy!
The movie features the BBB staff in action at our headquarters and other locations. It explains what we do and how to apply for your Bellisseria Passport, driving licence or licence plate. It breaks yet more news of technical innovations, including a clever (and bureaucratic!) solution to the SL problem of BBBug group invitations going astray when users are offline.
That's not the only news coming down the BBB turnpike. We are always being asked by non-Bellisserians if they can have passports too. We have even had asylum-seekers asking to be taken into Belli as refugees, so they can get in on the fun of collecting passport stamps. We can't tell you how, but for at least some residents of mainland SL, there is hope. Watch the Gazette for further details as this top secret project progresses.
Don't forget that our joint stamp rally with Drivers of SL is today – May 22nd. It will run twice. Firstly at 11-30am and then at midnight SLT. If you are a member of DSL you'll have received your information and navigation HUD in the usual way by group notice. Anyone else who wants to take part should stop by the BBB head office to pick up the pack with everything you need.
Becca Ordinary was kind enough to send this note to all BBB officials:
I just started with the Passport and the Travel Advice List and LOVE them. I'm a huge fan of Bellisseria and love that people are exploring. So... A while ago I made a series of travel posters and want you to have them as my thanks for this wonderful thing you've made.
That's sweet and we appreciate it, Becca! We're all volunteers but put a lot of time and effort into the BBB's work, so your "thank you" means a lot. You're welcome! Becca's writing about her adventures with her passport at her blog. Her latest post is here, in which she complains about the difficulty of finding the stamp terminal at SL SciFi Con;
message to the BBB- it's a passport not a hunt. Don't hide the thing please or rename it. I've traveled all around the real world and never had to hunt down someone to look at my passport, they are usually right there when you land.
We're glad to have this chance to clarify. We don't dictate where landowners place their terminal. We do ask they don't modify, rename or locate it outside the published parcel. Those rules ensure it's not too hard to find.
Of course some landowners encourage visitors to look around by placing the terminal out of the way and that's fine. We don't allow terminals at commercial locations (SciFi Con is a charity event) so every parcel you visit is made for love at somebody's (often considerable) expense. Owners just want you to enjoy their builds. As long as they've observed our basic rules, they run the risk that if they frustrate visitors by being a little too tricky with terminal placement, they'll resort to an area search. We don't recommend that but, landowner or visitor, it's your Second Life. Unlike RL bureaucracies, we don't try to tell you how to live it. We are unique among bureaucracies in that we only exist for fun – yours and ours!
click to enlarge
Meanwhile back in Bellisseria, a new passport stamp is offered by our continent's most terrifying resident; the Slenderman. It's available at his very scary gallery so collecting it is a badge of valour! It's also a badge of persistence and ingenuity. Fenella met some very frustrated visitors trying to find the stamp terminal, who were beginning to think it wasn't there at all. As the picture shows – it really is.
It complies with applicable regulations. It's on the parcel. It is not renamed and (though it's in a special form designed by our very own ever-creative Sun) it is not disguised. We won't spoil it for those of you who enjoy solving a mystery, but if you IM our Fenella, she'll give you a clue. She couldn't find it herself without one.
Also briefly available this week is a new recurring event stamp from a Pickle Party. For a while these were a regular event at the original Squishy Pickle itself. They became so popular they affected local residents' ability to get to their houseboats so were discontinued. The new idea is to hold them in different places around Bellisseria. The Moles have agreed to place the iconic Squishy Pickle build at each party location.
The first will be at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds on May 23rd (i.e tomorrow!) as a celebration of the second anniversary of the first Pickle Party (the one in the video). For those of us who live on its atoll this also gives hope that the original Squishy Pickle will see action again. Music this time will be provided by DJ's Doc, Far, Miss Hammy, Bela and Usagi. The stamp terminal will be set out on Saturday (today!) as soon as the Moles have placed the Squishy Pickle itself and will remain until the party is over. If you can't make this first party, which will be at 10 am - 3pm SLT, don't despair as the same stamp will be available at future ones.
Finally, just to prove they're out there – here's Fenella's passport with a stamp each from Patch and Abnor. No BBB strings were pulled in obtaining them. She acted on a tip in BBBug chat, as any member could. Congratulations to BBBug member, Becca Ordinary, who succeeded in getting all three stamps from each of them! Don't ask us how (no-one from the BBB has achieved it yet) but it obviously can be done in a single session!
Members of BBBug should by now have received Sun's usual notecard with LMs to new locations with passport stamp terminals. There are six this week. We reported last Tuesday on the terminal at Second Life Sci-Fi Con 2021. Many of you will already have found it there, floating in the vacuum of space. The others are
CK (ceakay.ballyhoo) is well known on the SL art scene. She has built a delightful little seafood shack at her Smugglers Cove, conveniently located for merfolk and leggers alike.
Mer World / click to enlarge
We Bellisserian Bureaucrats are nothing if not thorough in researching new locations, so when Fenella saw the Mer World sign at Smugglers Cove she magically transformed (or as she puts it, "tailed and scaled") to investigate. It's very pretty down there! If you're a legger, don't despair. You can always wear scuba gear to check it out.
Ascension Park is on SL Route 6 (the High Mountain Road) in Heterocera and near to a rez zone. The "ascension" seems to refer to the enormous hot air balloon moored there. There are also bike rezzers to allow you to explore on wheels. You might like to check behind the pretty waterfall for a cute little spot to watch the virtual world go by. The final three new locations this week are all on the SL continent of Corsica and all on its Boulevard Périphérique, the Circuit La Corse.
Wonderpark is a family theme park. Who doesn't like those – especially if you have children to tire out? Enjoy the rides! A giraffe greets you on arrival at the Little Kenya restaurant – a delightful taste of Africa in SL. Finally this week, Eschen Rest Area is a travellers' refreshment stop on the Circuit La Corse –featuring a Visitor Centre for Corsican tourists where you can book accommodation if it's time to rest from your travels.
Pick up your passport, citizens of Bellisseria. Pop it in a waterproof bag, pack your camera and your swimwear, put on your hiking boots or driving shoes and get exploring!
The exciting news of our headline has been under secret discussion for some time since it was first suggested by our own Ghost. It has finally come to fruition by dint of a lot of hard work by our tech team. In addition to our fixed passport stamp terminals, we have now created portable devices called RSIDs (Random Stamp Issuing Devices) – and the first two have been issued to Patch Linden and Abnor Mole!
Don't even think about stalking them around the Grid though. They'll only be carrying the RSIDs at Relay for Life (RfL) charity events. The new devices will make their debut at SL HopeFest, which runs from June 9-13. HopeFest is:
5 days of SL communities building hope to support the Relay For Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society.
So it's an excellent cause. If you are are lucky enough to encounter Patch or Abnor there, you will be able to collect a passport stamp memento by clicking on their RSIDs, which look like tablet computers. Each has three stamps and the one you receive (only one!) will be chosen at random. To get all 3 stamps from Patch or Abnor could take many attempts because you can't click on them repeatedly. You have to collect a stamp from another terminal before clicking again on an RSID. We are sure the Blues are way too smart to stand near any terminals!
Abnor with RSID / click to enlarge
The picture shows Abnor carrying his RSID. Just click on it when you see him!
Portable SSIDs (Single Stamp Issuing Devices) will be carried by BBB staff on our stand at the SL18B celebrations. This will allow our officials to perform a personal passport control and apply their unique stamp.
Unlike the Blues, who must be impartial, our officials have discretion in the issuing of stamps so be sure to be nice to us! It's not like we're corrupt bureaucrats or anything, but Fenella is very fond of fine Belgian chocolate. Just saying!
We think this is a great concept and are thinking of other ways to use it. Suggestions in the comments please, BBBug-ers!
In 2017, Christi Charron with a few of her friends, came up with the idea of a weekly "Grid Drive" for SL drivers. The plan was to use a HUD – working rather like a satellite navigation system - to complete a mission travelling from one waypoint to another. The routes can involve many vehicles and methods and completing one correctly usually earns a reward. The current Drivers of SL grid drives can be found here.
Before the BBB took over his Slife, our CEO BÓÒ (boo.rojyo) was an active participant and has been on dozens of grid drives. He has recently rejoined the group.
Xarabethe of Drivers of SL took part in our first BBB Rally. She enjoyed it so much she approached BÓÒ to suggest a combined BBB/DSL event, which is now scheduled for May 22nd. As is the Drivers of SL's usual practice it will run twice – at 11.30 am SLT and again at Midnight, in order to accommodate drivers from different time zones.
Drivers of SL HQ / click to enlarge
The route is twice the distance of the first rally, involves an additional location and driving a train! Rather than following directions in a notecard, the impressive Drivers of SL HUD will guide you. Bellisserian Passport holders can collect stamps as usual, but anyone can take part using a special stamp HUD. Even if you have some of the stamps in your passport from the previous rally, you can still use the stamp HUD to make a new collectors item!
The Drivers of SL HUD includes such neat tricks as an SL Experience that drives automatic teleports. It will also guide you to rez zones to bring out of your inventory the vehicles you need. If a participant lacks a necessary vehicle, the marshals can either supply them or point them to free ones – so nobody need be left out. The DSL HUD will also direct you to additional rez zones if you have an accident and need to re-rez.
Xarabethe told the Gazette
We're called Drivers of SL, but our grid drives have used just about every form of transportation imaginable. The DSL HUD is brilliant, and really makes for an interactive and enjoyable experience. I try to make it function as something of a "travel companion," pointing out interesting sights and sharing some SL history and trivia as we make our way along. I try to choose routes that showcase some beautiful sites, and also give the driver a keen sense of where they are (what continent they are on at the time, for instance).
Drivers of SL often do rallies with vehicle designers, GTFO and other groups so this is part of their regular programme. It's the first with the BBB however and we hope it won't be the last. We think that collecting the passport stamps adds another dimension to a grid drive!
Relay for Life (RFL) is a fundraiser for cancer research. It holds five megaevents in SL every year. The next is the last of this year's season: Second Life Sci-Fi Con, which will run from May 13-24. This will be the thirteenth SL Sci-Fi Con and the first to offer visitors a commemorative stamp for their Bellisseria Passport.
There are eight regions arranged in a circle so visitors can walk through them all from the arrival point in the Alien Star System. One of the other regions is Alien Invasion, where a town's defenders are fighting off invading alien spacecraft. Another is The Mainframe, a TRON sim set entirely inside a computer!
Organiser Teresa Firelight told the BBB Gazette:
There are some shops of course and many booths for sci-fi groups and role-players. The decorations of the regions are truly amazing. Visitors arrive inside the Sun of an alien solar system, then step out to see swirling stars, nearby planets, comets and asteroids.
Visitors looking for the passport stamp will need to walk down from the arrival point to find it.
There are many events scheduled to take place during SL Sci-Fi Con and all are listed here. Take a careful look and plan to make the most of your visit! This is certainly not a location to grab your stamp and run. We recommend you set aside some serious time to enjoy it. The stamp will be a collector's item only available at the event itself. Don't miss out on what should be a great show for anyone who enjoys Science Fiction!
The staff of the Bureau has grown recently as demand for our services – especially the Bellisseria Passport – has increased. Bureaucracies burgeon; that's normal! Every BBB official will try to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. However some of us are more technical than others so it may help to know about our specialisations.
The BBB Information in the column to the right now features a photographic directory of BBB staff so you can check out who we are and what we do. We hope you find it useful.
Licensed publication #004, Passport to Bellisseria, has been active in the past week. Blogger, Bluesman and general good egg Cranston Yorkstorm has visited Glastonbelli, Zoo-Palooza 2/the Bellisseria Animal Sanctuary and the renovated and relaunched Airship Limoncello. Please follow the links, have a read and leave some encouragement in the comments for one of the BBB’s best boosters.
There are five new stamp locations this week. Full details and pictures are to be found in the online Travel Guide but here are the locations for you.
Fenella visited all five to photograph them for the Travel Guide and the slideshows running at our head office and Embassy to Corsica. As the curator of an art gallery herself, she was familiar with Eulennest (German for "Owl's Nest") — one of several artistic ventures by SL-art celeb and all-round good sort Owl Dragonash. The others, however, were new to her — though two are just a short sail (or flight if you're showing off) from her office in Campbell Coast. That illustrates just how useful the Bellisseria Passport can be for finding interesting new SL destinations.
Fenella got to practise her rusty German language skills at the location for the German SL-Forum. She was rewarded with the offer of a "second breakfast" at Pier 7 restaurant nearby. She has no Italian skills but also had a nice chat with a friendly local at La Perla while photographing the Galeria Amano. That location – and a conversation about Italy's most iconic product; the Ferrari – made her nostalgic for travel. As did her visit to an ideal destination for those who like pixellated sand between their virtual toes – Cohiba Cay Surf Sim. Let's hope we can all travel again soon in RL, but remember there's no pandemic in SL – so pull on your leisurewear and explore!
Sadly one of Fenella's favourite locations — Cathedral at Isle of Wyrms — was retired this week. If you don’t have the stamp, it’s already too late! Let that encourage you never to delay your visits to collect a stamp and savour what our locations have to offer.
Historic Da Boom - one of this week's new locations
Every week BBB sends out a new Travel Advice List notecard to members of the Bellisseria Bureau of Bureaucracy user group (BBBug). It has details of all the locations where you can collect stamps for your Bellisseria Passport, including new additions.
If you are not a member of BBBug, please IM one of the BBB Officials whose names are in the sidebar and request membership. SL has issues at present with group invitations received when avatars are offline, so many have gone awry. We can only apologise for that. All we can do is reissue your invitation when you are online. There's a board in the BBB Office showing which BBB Officials are online to help you find someone who can assist there and then.
Get your Travel Advice here
If you haven't received the Travel Advice List notecard, you can get your copy from the BBB Office.
You can now also access all the info in the new BBB Online Travel Guide. It has photographs of all the locations, a SLURL to get you there and an image of the stamp you'll be adding to your passport.
You can see all the photos in the Travel Guide in-world on the slideshows running continuously both at the BBB Office and at the Bellisserian Embassy to Corsica.
It's Saturday and the weekly travel advisory notice is due to be issued to members of the BBB user group – BBBug. Five new locations are now issuing stamps.
Our editor Fenella has opened her home at Haven of Mermaids to visitors. Take your scuba gear if not tailed and scaled! Continuing the watery theme, the Islands of New England and Marina Bay are both seaside locations with scope for sailing.
The Da Boom Infohub is part of SL history. It dates back to the era before the anywhere-to-anywhere teleports we now take for granted. When Fenella visited to take the photo for the Travel Guide, there was a resident historian present to tell visitors about those times.
Finally, GALERIA 56 is an art gallery. If you "stamp and run", you'll not only miss out on the art exhibits but a generous free gift of artworks to adorn your home. Make sure to have a good look around.