Random follow #52 - @condy_ian

Will Smith once starred in a movie in which the main theme was the connectedness of people across the world.  And in measuring that connectedness it was thought that every single person was only seven relationships or links away from every single other person on the face of the planet.  With twitter the number of links between people is reduced.  I would almost go so far as to reduce the number from being '7 degrees of separation' all the way down to about 5.

Today's tweeter is a friend of a friend.  He is a friend of a couple of people I have profiled previously too.  In fact most or all of the friends whom I have in the Hawkes Bay are people I know from twitter. @condy_ian is the one of twitter voices for the Thirsty Whale Bar and Restaurant in Napier. 

Condy is a really nice guy who works his butt off and tweets a bit too.  He enjoys his sport, enjoys a good beer and also enjoys a good conversation.

Here a few key observations that I have made about Condy.  He is definitely an optimist - "It's going to rain this week".  He used to support the Hurricanes (and probably still does but everyone knows the Chiefs won the Super 15 in 2012) - "@RikkiSwannell Magpie Fans now see the Chiefs as "their team" Canes have lost support of the provinces a couple yrs ago".

Whats really interesting is that as I look back over his tweet stream I can see so many tweets of his that I have read and taken notice of.  Its like his tweets work by stealth.  You read his tweets as they cross your timeline, ponder them for a moment and then move on.  But when you go back and read them again its as if those words have buried themselves in your memory.

So he is a subtle tweeter.  He doesn't get up in your face and wave a finger at you telling you what you should or should not think.  Yes sure - he has his opinions but he's an evangelist for the virtues of sport.  The one topic he may express his opinion on directly is his choice of beer.  If any person can drive through the Hawkes Bay and down to the Waiarapa and not figure out what the beer of choice is then they would have to be a blind man (no offense to anyone).

In short Condy is not a social media time waster.  He is your average good keen guy who has found social media and uses it both as a form of entertainment and a tool to interact with people.  He is a genuine bloke.  There's no bull or lies appearing in his timeline.  His tweets are real, short and interesting.

This is not the official twitter account for the Thirsty Whale.  You can follow their official account over at @thirstywhale.  One way to think @condy_ian is like having a inside man who can give you the good oil.  Need a few tips on any random things about the Hawkes Bay then this is your man.

Before twitter I hardly knew anyone in the Hawkes Bay but now I know I can go to the @thirstywhale and can meet and see someone I have interacted with.  And so the number of connections between myself and the world has reduced again and is definitely on the move down from 7 to 5.

Random follow #13 - @ChantalsHB

If you are looking for the ultimate super food (aka organic) store in the North Island then I do believe that @ChantalsHB takes that title easily.  They sell some of the absolute BEST fresh produce, whole foods and organic products that are available anywhere.

Whats even better about the store?  They have a cafe that serves fair trade coffee and makes some of the meanest smoothies you can get from anywhere.

What I enjoy about the tweets is that they aren't like "This weeks specials are....." but they are the tweets and goings on of Lisa D. who curates the twitter account for @ChantalsHB.  Here a couple of tweets that totally cracked me up -

"My first tomato of the season is ripe, Im excited...even though its a cherry tomato" and this one....

"What a bloody fantastic idea..mobile coffee van just pulled in to campsite. Im running like a mad woman".

If you take some time next time you are in the Hawkes Bay call in and say hi.  I am sure if you tell them you follow them on twitter the least they will do is give you a smile.  And keep an eye open for some of the locals like - @brenasmith, @kylieberrynz  and maybe even @MrBobbyDigital

Random follow #5 - @mfhistory

Twitter (and the internet in general) is full of people who do interesting stuff in their normal lives that would quite often go unnoticed or undiscovered by most people.  Often times this occurs because we see people but don't take the time to really know them.  To ask them what really fascinates them or what makes them tick.

How is this for a twitter bio - "Hawke's Bay historian/author/chartered accountant based in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Now a freelance historian".

If I were working with this person chances are I would find out a few interesting things about them but I wonder if I would ever delve so far as to really find out what that person was about.  Well with the wonder of the internet we are able to learn more.  Not just about people but about the topics that interest them.

@mfhistory is an example of a person who has so much to offer the world of twitter (and the real world too!).  With his love for history and a head full of interesting facts and knowledge Michael adds a whole different flavor when you are reading through your timeline.

And if you are really interested in what he has to offer check out his website - http://www.michaelfowler.co.nz/.

A highly recommended random follow indeed!  And just so you know - the Hawkes Bay makes some of New Zealand's finest wines =)