The Pixels in Pink ladies are at it again! They've designed their campsite, appropriately named PiP Film Noir, to be a brilliant mix of greyscale and ... pink! The ladies, Torrid Midnight, Zyrra Falcone, Hosequeen McLean, Pukk Abel, Rose Farina, Stella Costello, Fallingwater Cellardoor, Nephilaine Protagonist, and several others, have created an element of mystery and awe that just calls to you.

A very tired, overworked Stella Costello mentioned that she was making a Machinima this morning and I'm sharing it with you! As you can see from the film, there are auctions, vendors, flowers, dancing, a theater, and even PIE! Please stop by and donate or purchase items if you can, as all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Just as a reminder, Relay For Life officially starts at 2pm SLT/PDT today, but the sims are open now to explore.

The GNUbie store is the brainchild of Jai Nomad who has been a Second Life resident since July 2003. The place is simply packed with L$0 and L$1 items, with consistently high quality. The two level building houses the work of residents both recent and far-from-recent; even the venerable Toy LaFollette still has her work displayed here.

For the most part the store is laid out in such a way that even folks who have a little trouble with their camera controls can still use it fairly well and there is a wide range of interesting goods to be picked up here, some of which can be modified, and many of which are transferable.

This Thursday, the 12th of July, will see the launch of Manpower, Inc.'s new island in SL. To celebrate this new virtual office, Manpower will host a moderated panel discussion on the topic "The World of Virtual Work". From the press release:

"The world of work is changing - it seems as though each new day brings a new and innovative tool for businesses and employees to communicate and interact in the virtual workplace – from telecommuting to outsourcing and, more recently, virtual worlds such as Second Life. But as the novelty of the virtualized workforce wears off and real business starts to get done, big questions call for a response: What does success look like in this emerging "World of Virtual Work?" What are the opportunities, what are the risks? And what are the rules of engagement for employers, employees, entrepreneurs, customers and job seekers?"

Featured on the panel, and moderated by CNet's Daniel Terdiman, will be Manpower's Tammy Johns, IBM's Colin Parris, Quest G's Algis Leveckis, The Magicians' Kimberly Rufer-Bach, and Shiny Things' Fallingwater Cellardoor. This is sure to be a hot event, so arrive early; the actual island won't open until an hour before the event.

(Thanks, Kalley!)

There's something that never seems to make the cut when SL gets coverage: the generosity of its residents. I've posted here before about in-world events to help people in need, and this is another. Hyasinth Tiramisu needs help to pay for some important medical tests that her insurance won't cover. You may not know Hyasynth, but that's okay, every little bit helps.

Mercurious Monde is hosting this event on Saturday, October 14th, 6 PM, at Stardust. There will be prizes donated by Fallingwater Cellardoor, Baccara Rhodes and Mash Mandala, Chrystin Hathor, Jessica Ornitz, and many more. There will also be a Best Party Photo contest, with the prize being a limited edition outfit by Hyasynth herself. Tateru Nino tells me that most of the clothing she wears is made by Hyasynth, so you know the kind of quality she creates. There will also be dancing all night with DJ MagicJustSue Kojima.

SL's main strength has always been the strength of its people. We've seen some amazing things happen when residents get together to orgainze. Let's continue this trend and come out in support for one of our own.

(Thanks, Tateru!)

Tateru Nino is a wonderful person. There, I've said it, it had to be said. She's one of those residents whose ideals and activities inform each other, to the benefit of us all. Involved in Mentoring and Live help, Tateru is as beloved a personage as Torley is, and in much the same way, though their respective traits are polar opposites of each other's. Nevertheless, they are good friends with each other, and I'm happy to have finally had the chance to meet her and ask her a few questions.

You can read her blog here, and there's a wonderful article devoted to her in the New World Notes archive here.

SLI: So: How did you choose your SL name?

Tateru Nino: Well, Tateru is a japanse verb. Plain dictionary form. "To build/to construct". Nino was easily representable in Japanese, and was the last name of the person who dragged me in here :) Nino apparently wasn't all that popular as names go. It took a while for it to leave the rotation.

SLI: And how did you discover SL?

Tateru Nino: I'd been aware of SL for ages. Following the press for some time...even some of the early pieces around the time it went Alpha. It was Nene Nino who finally prodded me into giving it a try. Haven't looked back :)

More of the interview and photos after the break!