Tuesday afternoon I choo-choo'ed up to NYC to catch up with like-minded peeps at the New York Social Media Club meeting. There was a good showing and it was fun to chat up folks like Aaron Urhmacher from Text 100 and Christian Averill from NGT/Fleishman-Hillard.

It was a large group, so it was hard to get into more in-depth exchange on everything that everyone else is working on and exploring. I didn't stay for the shorter groups, so maybe that was more individual-specific. One thing that was mentioned was twitter. I'm not going to lie, I don't exactly understand twitter, but I joined, so maybe I'll figure it out. Hey Twitter folks, how about adding a "how it works" section?

My last note is that I've been following what the TV show "The L Word" is doing online. I thought it was genius at the beginning of this season when the show launched a paper chart that one of the characters had created in the first season of the show as a social network for lesbians. That application can be found here. I have to say, I'm disappointed with the application. I really thought that it would become a MySpace for that niche market, but it doesn't seem to be active at all.

Another L Word related item: one of their actresses, Janina Gavankar, is the new online sensation Ms Dewey. It's a really fun directory, but I can't figure out who's funding it and I hope they are going to update her soundbites soon. I've only been using it for two weeks and the soundbites are already old.

I have seen the future and apparently, it's name is now Joost. I'm one of the lucky Beta testers of what was formerly code named "The Venice Project" and is now named "Joost." I can't say much about it because I'm bound to a confidentiality agreement, I'll just basically reiterate what Wired says in their piece today.

This platform is flippin' amazing! I've been sitting at my desk just going ape over it. They warned us that this was going to blow youtube out of the water, but I can't believe what I'm seeing. It's just so SMART. Not just the architecture behind the platform, which I'm not technical enough to figure out, but the features they added - Instant Message, News Tickers, Rating systems that are like picture-in-picture P2P tools...it's so SMART. They thought of everything I want to do as a multitasking entertainment geek.

I'd better stop now before I say something I shouldn't. Just wait. Joost is going to change everything.

PS - Here's a screen grab of Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers "Making of the Video." Look at that resolution. Live TV! No more waiting to download from iTunes. Wooohooo.

This new campaign, Letitout.com by Kleenex, caught my eye. The core concept is very much like the widely covered campaign I worked on last year for my Secret client.

The point of difference, is that Kleenex is applying a similar concept in a very different way, and I have to say, I think they've done a great job with it. I wonder who their agencies are? I saw an ad spot on TV for it and because it is a unique and modern approach for a tissue brand that certainly doesn't have a brand awareness problem, I went to the website to check out their execution.

They don't have much submitted content yet, I'll be interested to watch and see if consumers do participate. The one thing they may have overlooked is providing incentive for the consumer to participate. I didn't see that.

Also, savvy is their involvement of a Blogher blogger as the editor for their blog. Looks like that may be a rotating post, but it sure is smart to involve a broad and respected community of bloggers like Blogher.

Creating and fostering an emotional bond for the consumer via Kleenex and in a way that their product *can't* get lost in the story - they're telling you to let it out! And use a Kleenex when you do so!

Well Done, Kleenex. Nice to see a corporate entity execute well online for once.

I really try not to talk about politics outside of my close friends and family and certainly not here, where my focus is on social media and it's nonstop evolution.

That said, I saw this photo today of President Bush shedding a tear at the funeral for a medaled soldier and it not only resonated personally for me, it also slightly eased my mind to see during these uncertain times. I worry that it's easier for us in urban areas and in the Northeast to push the war out of our minds. Most soldiers come from suburban areas in the South and the West. It's easy for us who don't see our neighbors and friends going back and forth to bases and assignments in uniform, to get caught up in novel news like that of the iPhone or Avatar the movie.

The PR professional in me recognizes that maybe that photo was staged, like others during Bush's administration, and to be fair, other modern Presidencies. It wouldn't be the first time. However, on the heels of the President announcing that we need more troops and the Pentagon dissing the active duty time limit, it's a grave time for the young men and women of America.

One my strongest disagreements with the President is his absence from Dover. The policy of banning media from covering the arrival home of those killed in action and the complete absence of the President from saluting those incoming, infuriates me.

I'm glad to see the grave consequences of this war resonating with the President. As a voter, I've always perceived him as insular and removed from the consequences of his decisions as President.

Maybe he had dirt in his eye, I don't know. But that tear was the first reassuring thing I've seen come from the man.

Above all else, I hope we find a way to initiate peace among countries, faiths and people soon.

Ahhh, and now it's Disney's turn on the hotseat. I guess they should review the story of David and Goliath. When will corporations learn to engage and communicate with the consumer, rather than continue to make this mistake?

And last, because everyone who knows me knows that I've been talking relentlessly about Mobile as THE Future for consumer tech for years now, we have iPhone. Everyone's asking me what I think about iPhone. I think the same thing that I think about most Apple products. It looks sexy, it'll be first to market, I probably won't love it. My like for the iPod was solely for the storage capes, otherwise, I'm cold on Apple products. I like their design but I'm not down with their elitist attitude. Buy my product and BTW, you have to use my other product? Screw that.

I guess my question for Apple will be, when my iPhone battery dies, do I have to buy a whole new phone?

And here's real expert (Disclosure: She's also a personal friend, but I swear we have never discussed this!) who also isn't waiting for an iPhone with baited breath:

Leave it to a Philly girl to best the popular Andy Samberg/Justin Timberlake "In a Box" video with a female response. I'm right behind Philebrity with my fist pumping Big up's to the 2-1-5!

Here's what's going on:

1. It's 2007. Woo woo.
2. I have no voice. Laryngitis. Not much fun.
3. Saw Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah before New Years. Good Show. Disappointed The Cold War Kids didn't open for this show; it was a local benefit and not part of the current tour.
4. This is my new musical obsession.
5. New Bright Eyes album comes out April 10th. Mark your calendars, hipsters.
6. I'm thinking about getting a new phone. Even though the thought pains me. Time to go back to the crackberry.