Can you build a Honking Big Machine by Friday? Cash prizes and gaudy ribbons await you.

Mr. Tenk called me over to New Babbage last night to model his entry into the tacky tourist souvenier competition. Happily, I had an oxygen bottle waiting back at the embassy in Penzance.

The competitions are open to any resident of "The Steamlands," not just New Babbage. Entries must be received by midnight Friday for judging on Saturday. Here are the full descriptions:

BEST OILER
The Oiling Festival is about maintenance, and oilers get very dirty. Submit photos of yourself getting down and dirty with your machines on a prim flat, no more than 2x3m and set on the walls inside Tamomah Hall. All objects should be mod and set to move by anyone. One entry per person.
Prizes: First L$ 2000, Second L$500, Third L$250

BRIDGE
Wheatstone Waterways needs new bridges. Can you build them? Bridges will be built in place along designated canals, look for build zone signs. Bridges will allow passage of ironclads with a minimum 5m clearance to waterline. Build full perm, fully linked, set for movement by anyone, and linked to a central prim to keep it out of the private parcels that border the canals. There are types of bridge needed, depending the sides of the canals: both high, both low, or mixed. One entry per person per height. Winning entrant does not necessarily win contract to build new bridges. Builds not adhering to New Babbage covenant (in theme, no fullbright, etc) will be removed.
Prizes: First L$ 4000, Second L$2000, Third L$1000

HONKING. BIG. MACHINE.
There's a certain sense of awe one gets when watching a monumental engine go through its paces - whether it's the massive pistons of an ocean liner's engine room or the elegant, massive power of a beam engine pumping water. So build one - it does't matter what it does, but it should move, be noisy, and be huge. We anticipate more entrants than space available. Potential entrants will enter a lottery by submitting their name via notecard to Mosseveno Tenk. Staging areas will be assigned to winners of the lottery. Entrants will place their objects starting Midnight, Thursday March 26, for judging on Saturday. Final build will fit on a 24x24m pad and be no more than 100 prims.
Sponsors: Aeolus Cleanslate, Trilobyte Zanzibar and BlackOpal Designs.
Prizes $5000/3000/1500.

NAVAL JACK
The Jack is a small flag that will identify a class of ship sailing under the New Babbage colors for the purpose of international war games, that is, this flag will let the Imperial Navy of Caledon know that your ship is fair game to fire upon, and vice versa. Submit design on an appropriately sized non-flexi prim flat, full perm, and submit to Mosseveno Tenk for staging. Judges will not know who the entrants are. Display area is the top floor of Bow Street Train Station. Two entries per person. Winning entry will become property of the Mosseveno Tenk and the City-State of New Babbage texture library.
Prizes: First L$ 2000, Second L$500, Third L$250

SOUVENIERS
New Babbage has always been popular with tourists, so I believe it is time to stock a freebie shop with tacky trinkets. This could be a scary contest. Wearable items will be displayed vendor style on a one prim flat. Leave your objects at the old post office at Bolyai Plaza, with full perms and permission to move. By entering, you accept that all entries may become property of Mosseveno Tenk and the City-State of New Babbage inventory and may ultimately end up on a freebie cart (this is negotiable).
Prizes: First L$ 2000, Second L$500, Third L$250

TARTAN
There has been a request for a New Babbage tartan. Contestants will send their entry as a full perm 512 texture to Edward Pearse for staging. Landed NB residents will vote on the entries without knowing who the creators are. Limit 5 entries per person. Winning entry will become property of Mosseveno Tenk and the City-State of New Babbage texture library and be authorized for use by tailors and seamstresses.
Prizes: First L$2000, Second L$500, Third L$250

TICKET BOOTH/NEWSSTAND/VISITOR KIOSK
When visitors arrive in our City, they should be greeted by the best we have to offer. A place for tickets, posters, the walking tour HUD, the welcome kit, a copy of the Cog, freebie souvenirs - all in a handsome kiosk that fits with the theme of the City. Winning entry will become a permanent fixture of New Babbage. Staging area: south of the Central Train Station in Babbage Square. Sponsor: Aeolus Cleanslate. Prizes $2000/500/250.

URBAN CLUTTER & DEBRIS:
Urban clutter is the Stuff that is left out to make the city look lived in. We need new Stuff: crates of import and export (what DO we export anyways?), pallettized goods, construction debris, scrap metal, barrels, waterfront fixtures, park benchs, cans of the famous chowder, let your imagination run with it. Items will be set out on the lower seawall in front of Gaslight Emporium, full perm, and set to move by anyone. By entering, you accept that your entries may become property of Mosseveno Tenk and the City State of New Babbage for use in an inventory library.
Prizes: First L$ 2000, Second L$500, Third L$250