Random follow #284 - @ninjabeanz1

"Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a hundred wild horses, sexier than ice cream on a hot day, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound - is it a bird?  Is it a plane? No its @ninjabeanz1!"

People who give their time to help others are those people who you want to spend time with.  They are generous, warm, lovely and would help you out no matter how much of a pickle you may be in.  Nina is just one of those people.  She is resourceful, sharp and careful with her time.  So much so that she uses it in just the right way.

@ninjabeanz1 is a lady of many talents, tastes and tricks.  Being a leftie is the least of her many superhero abilities that will amaze and astound you.  She is also a whizz in the kitchen and the hostess with the mostest as well.  Being a chef there are few delights she can not whip up that will have your taste buds bursting with excitement.

But wait there's more!

Nina is also a fabulous tweeter.  She doesn't impose herself or views on everyone else too often but she shares a lot of laughs and humour with everyone.  Some original, some retweets, nearly always totally funny.

Nina is a kiwi through and through - "#proud_kiwi_moment!! “@robrendell: #Lorde picks up multiple Grammy nominations."

She has a great general knowledge - "Lego produce more than 306 million tiny rubber tires a year. #randomfact"

And she is funny "Haha "Don't Drink & Jump!" “@brianholland: Adult bouncy castle injuries on the rise say ACC http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8718067/Adult-bouncy-castle-injuries-on-the-rise …”

@ninjabeanz1 is a tweeter who from time to time steps away from the computer and gets some fresh air out there in the real world.  I really like that.  Like an old friend she pops up every now and then and quietly tweets something and you think - Yes! She's back!

Nina is a tweeter who is happy to do her own thing, in her own way, at her own speed.  Which ladies and gentlemen is a great example of not only how to do social media but also how to do life.  And I leave you with a quote, from the Facebook page of @ninjabeanz1 community group (Altrusa Auckland) -

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” 

― Eleanor Roosevelt

p.s. @ninjabeanz1 profile picture is one of the greatest super heroes of all time.  I have a feeling that Wonder Woman is not just an aspiration for Nina but an inspiration as well.

Random tweeter #225 - @thecatsgoolies

How's this for a recipe for coming up with a twitter name -

1. Take a really popular animal most people know
2. Then take a completely random part of that animals anatomy
3. Join the two together

Okay so it doesn't always work.  But todays tweeter has taken a popular saying and with a bit of creativity totally made it her own.  @thecatsgoolies is an absolutely brilliant lady from Auckland who totally rocks it out on twitter.  I am a fairly new follower but I can say she is one of the loveliest people I have tweeted.

Mary is someone who likes to see the lighter side of life.  She isn't afraid to stir the pot and wind a few people up when they need it.  In a comedic way of course.  Her sense of humour is perfectly suited to social media because her view of the world is so honest.  Here are a couple of recent examples - 

"Just tried norwegian goat cheese for the first time since I was a kid (baa) and its not half bad #sorryforthebaapun"

"As I near my 10k tweet do I tweet something monumental or my usual verbal crap?"

I had a conversation with someone recently about people disappearing from twitter and no one noticing.  Yo be honest its true.  Lots of people could just stop tweeting and no one would notice.  That is definitely not the case in regards to @thecatsgoolies.  I am totally sure she would be missed.  As she is one of the people who genuinely shows concern for others and makes a point of letting others know that they aren't forgotten and that they are in fact being thought of all the time.

So what is that something about Mary that makes her so special?  Well here are a few more tweets to consider - 

"The dog is snoring again. Hang on will turn the telly up."

"I'm such a good dog owner. Going out and leaving animal planet on for the dog :)"

"I love my dog when he hears the kids move....he sort of snorts and laughs as he runs to them. Tail just about taking off."

If you are looking for an open, genuine, well balanced yet funny tweeter than say hello to @thecatsgoolies.  mary isn't perfect and then again neither are any of us.  But what she does do is bring honesty, empathy and loving respect for those in her circles.  If you're looking for a true friend - you just found her.

Random follow #188 - @miss_print_nz

A woman with a dream, a passion and a desire to achieve something valuable with their life is a force to be reckoned with.  Add in the responsibility of being a mum as well and you have someone who is both reaching for the stars but is able to keep their feet on their ground and not float away.

@miss_print_nz is exactly that kind of woman.  She is a common sense, well grounded mum who is able to create a living through her passion of photography and creativity.  With a passion for print-making she is able to create images, pictures and scenes of the dreams and mysteries that float around in her imagination - with a view to bringing them to life.

"Artists don't make objects. Artists make mythologies."

Anish Kapoor

She has a beautiful name in Annelise which is equally matched but her natural beauty as well.  She is not a prolific tweeter or sharer of everyday life content.  Sure there are one or two funny cat photos or baking shots that pop up from time to time but Annelise's account is more about engaging with other fine folk and sharing in the happiness that can be generated through social media.

So what sort of tweets will you see?  To be 100% honest - lots and lots of conversations taking place.  Really good backwards and forwards tweets with others with the occasional photo or two thrown in for good measure.  So this means that there are very few soapbox style tweets.

Apart from her creative side @miss_print_nz also has a few other hobbies that she enjoys - roller derby being one of them.  A very proud supporter, promoter and player for the @BayCityRollerHB.  

Apart from saying that Annelise is a very genuine, well grounded, down to earth and attractive tweeter that isn't too much else to say.  Except - she like to engage in a good conversation with people.  Good positive, affirming and genuine conversations.  If you think you are that kind of tweeter too then by all means push the follow button and share a few tweets with her. 

Or if you would like to see more of her creative work and style you can check out her tumblr page over here at Annelise Hough: Art.

Random follow #177 - @kiwipaula

Who said kiwi's can't fly?  New Zealander's can be found right around the globe from America to Antarctica.  From Brazil to Barbados.  And from Canada to Qatar.  And it is from 7 years of living in Qatar that today's tweeter comes to us.

@KiwiPaula and her family have lived - and sort of still do - live  in one of the warmest and wealthy
countries that exist on the planet today.  Qatar is a an Arab state that sits on a peninsular.  So everyone is pretty much surrounded by beaches.  Could there be any better place to live?  Sun, sand and surf?  Sounds amazeballs to me.

And after 7 years away living away from home Paula has brought her troop back to the land of green and kiwis.  Back

But what about Paula and twitter?  Why was it that you chose to blog about her I hear you say - well here are a few reasons why -

• Fantastic taste. "Fat Freddys Drop tickets in Sept. THIS is what moving home is all about #nz"
• An interesting point of view. "Love the NZ TV3 new item on police trousers. No more dry cleaning."
• WTF? " MBB gives me arse ache. What are people doing watching it? I despair."
• Call it as it is.  "Travelling with 15 items of checked in luggage. Including a TV and a surfboard. We are awesome. And 9kg over. #GoodbyeDoha"

Those are just a few tweets that give you a brief insight into @KiwiPaula and her tweets.  She is a highly interactive, usually cheerful, straight up, shoot from the hip kind of tweeter.  She doesn't mince her words but and uses them only as required.  She is lovely, honest and not afraid to say what she thinks.

Todays post is a bit short but some times its better for you to go and find out for yourself how good a tweeter someone is.  And that is especially true of Paula/

One neat thing about expats is that they bring a bigger world view than the rest of us.  And Paula does that to a tee.  She isn't a rock star tweeter but she is a mum, a wife and a woman making her way through this life one tweet at a time.  I am happy I pushed the follow button and I sincerely hope that you do too.

Random follow #128 - @DancinMabel

Writing a blog about someone who you have only been following for a really short space of time is fun.  Its all also hard work but more importantly it is fun.  @DancinMabel is a really lovely kiwi tweeter who has very recently decided to try her hand in the UK.  At least for a little while.

To be honest I don't know a whole lot about her.  And I like that fact.  What she does do is provides little clues along the way through her tweets and if you string a few together yo can build up a bit of a picture of her -

"Manchester is a mental place to be right now. #stillsuppportarsenal"  Location.

"Nothing makes your day quite like a 4 year old convinced his Batman face paint has made him actually turn into Batman."  Perspective.

"Hey Dublin! Sorry I'm late, America hadn't finished with me yet! Lets get stupid."  Sense of adventure.

She has a few selfies in her timeline which show that she is a very attractive young lady.  She is also a very happy lass who has some real zing about her.  

Occasionally like the rest of us she loses her pep and needs a little encouragement - 

"If anyone has seen my mojo can you kindly return it? #notmyself"  but don't we all?

Anyway @DancinMabel comes highly recommended as a lovely young lass who tweets a little here, tweets a little there, tweets a little everywhere.  And if you add her to your follow list you'll most likely see some fun tweets about - English life, being an expat in a foreign country, missing home and some new adventures that she will go on along the way.

If you want to tweet her or see what she is up to then you need to alter your clock because her tweeting timezone is quite different to ours.  Do I recommend @DancinMabel as a worthy follow? ABSOLUTELY.

Random follow #123 - @Styla73

Some people tweet a lot, some people don’t, and at almost 85,000 tweets tonight’s Random Kiwi tweeter is definitely someone who tweets a lot. But this is in no way a bad thing, quite the opposite. Prolific tweeters can brighten your timeline at any time of the day and make you smile,  tweet something that gets you thinking or say something that makes you just want to give them a big hug, and this is exactly what @Styla73 does to my Timeline.

Kylie’s timeline is filled with passion, and that passion is what I love about following her. Wikipedia tells us Passion is an intense emotion, compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. This definitely shows in Kylie’s tweets. Take this one for example:

"JOY AND HAPPINESS AND MANDY F*&^$@G PATINKIN IS MY FAVOURITE YOU GUYS S%@T"

And even when Kylie may not be having the best day, her passion still shows through, like in this tweet:

"I have a migraine so couldn't watch the stream but am opening one eye to say YAY MINNESOTA! #equalitynow #cryingbachmanns #somuchjoy"

Her tweets are also quick snapshots of her life, sometimes happy, sometimes not, but they always tell a story, like this:

"I ate vogels coz I love vogels but I shouldn't have because now I am in all the pain because I shouldn't eat vogels. #vogels"

Or this tweet which I love because it is Kylie being honest about her tweets and telling it like it is.

"(Apologies for depressing tweets. Sometimes twittering is just a black hole to shout into.)"

Scrolling through her Timeline has brought me many smiles, laughs and a couple of tears, but it is her honestly and her passion which makes @Styla73 an interesting person to follow. I have yet to have had the pleasure of meeting Kylie in real life, (she lives in Wellington, I live in Auckland) but I hope I get that pleasure one day so I can see her passion for myself, and give her a big hug! Go on, hit that follow button, and fill your timeline with the passion that is @Styla73!

Today's blog post is brought to you by @pammygirl  :)

Random follow #119 - @onceautumn

Going off the beaten track can lead you to some amazing discoveries.  For it is when you get off the beaten track that your senses coma live and you are better able to appreciate the world around you and the beauty that it beholds.  The same applies to social media and people.  When you get off the beaten track and seek out new people and new adventures then you discover some of the real beautiful people of the world.  @onceautumn is exactly one of those people.

She doesn't tweet all that much.  In fact twitter appears to be more of a hobby and a sideline rather a lifestyle which so many if us twitter users have it as.  Amanda's profile picture really is quite something to behold.  It has a 1930's art nouveau feel to it that makes her even more attractive in a renaissance kind of way.

Whats nice about people who occasionally use twitter is that what you see is what you get.  There are no hidden agendas or funny things going on.  Amanda simply drops in every now and then and quietly updates you about anything that she considers worthy of tweeting about.

Examples of this are -

"Looking forward to my baking day tomorrow""

"I need to buy couches with more comfy arm rests for resting my head on."

If you choose to follow @onceautumn don't hold your breath waiting for a tweet.  And I in no way mean any offense but that statement at all.  Rather I say if you happen to see Amanda pop up in your timeline then appreciate her tweets for what they are.  Simple in their approach and beautiful in their delivery.  Even this one - "Georgie pie!!!!"

And I leave the final description of @onceautumn as per her own words - 

"Adores photography, books, shoes and anything that sparkles. Opinions are mine."

Random follow #108 - @KirstiGrant

One of my earliest ever follows on twitter was a very lovely young lady who works in HR.  At the time I had no idea who she was.  I just thought - hey, here is this lady who seems to tweet cool stuff so I will go ahead and follow her.  The twitter account I was operating at the time (@everydaymanager) was focused on business and making contacts with new people in that realm.  So @KirstiGrant was a natural fit.

What I didn't know at that time was that -

• I would have the pleasure of meeting her IRL
• she has a taste for progressive dubstep
• and that she would go on a career journey that us twitter followers would be a part of as well

Kirsti is a very pleasant lass who has time for almost everyone.  What you see is what you get and she doesn't have a mean thing to say about anyone.  Hers is a drama free zone with very little given away when things may not be going so well.  And when things are going well she keeps a lid on things so as to avoid any  emotional extremes.

With her skills and employment being mainly in Human Resources (especially recruitment via online methods) then you are going to get tweets that look like these - 

"Who has had an amazing experience where they've gotten a job using social media? Cool stories only bro! We want to share your story."

But that is not all.  Kirsti is a lady of many tastes and talents -

"Okay the Game of Thrones Simpsons opening is amazing."

The little things in life are what she enjoys and loves to share with the twitterverse -

"A nice bottle of Pinot Noir, a lasagne & two awesome little boys (& one big one) to spend this lovely Friday evening with. Zero complaints!"

And then there is her talent for delectable cuisine -

"Pie, coke and a caramel slice for lunch. I belong in a construction yard, or in a truck. Or something along those lines anyway..."

Kirsti is someone who has managed to navigate her way through the complex and constantly changing world of social media.  And she has managed to sail her boat through a number of life changes and stay afloat.  She is a legend of twitter and just quietly goes about doing her own thing.  Which is just being lovely really.

If you are looking for someone on social media to emulate or look up to as far as providing a great example then you can't go too wrong with having a look at @KirstiGrant.  

Random follow #106 - @emmawehipeihana

Social media is a kingdom dominated by cats.  Cats, cats and even more cats.  Everywhere you look there they are.  Be in on twitter, Facebook, pinterest or instagram.  Social media is full of moggies, pussy cats, grumpy cats, wet cats, silly cats and yes even more cats.

Why are there so many cats?  Because people love them.  I don't think it would be too much of an over-generalization to say that a majority of women love cats.  Yes guys do occasionally post photos of cats too but the volume and frequency of those posts is far less.  Today's random follows is one of those ladies who loves cats.

@emmawehipeihana is about much more than cats though.  She is a high flyer in the world of corporate recruitment and helps companies, boards and governance groups to both seek out and employ executives of the highest caliber.  Sound easy enough to do?  Well its not.  It takes a blend of both academic smarts as well as street smarts too.

Emma is a lady who has a very broad perspective and understanding of the world.  I can't confirm it for sure but I think Emma may have been a few different places around the globe and has many more to see yet.  She is also a very loyal and thoughtful person.

Here are a few things I really, really like about Emma.  She is an individual who isn't afraid to be true to herself.  "Just made the most uncool nostalgia playlist imaginable on spotify. It has Mariah, and old Disney tunes. So excited."

She has a really great and thinking sense of humor.  "Does IRD record what you say on hold? If so, some poor trainee is going to wonder what the Feelers did to make me so violently furious."

You can take the girl off the marae but you can't the marae out of the girl. "Aucklanders ... is it possible to buy boil up or hangi anywhere in Auckland today? Random craving for marae comfort food."

And she has a keen fashion sense.  "The sad inevitability of winter in New Zealand: the puffer jacket. Soiling urban landscapes since ages ago."

So what does @emmawehipeihana bring to twitter?  She brings a diverse set of interests ranging from HR to cats, cooking to art.  She brings an individual sense of humor that is both observational as well as just a little bit bent.  So slapstick humor you probably won't find here but you will find tweets that will make you sit back, breathe in and have to muse on their meaning.

Emma is a tweeter who stands on her own two feet, isn't swayed by public opinion or the direction that the crowd is headed in but stands her own ground, tweets her own thoughts and above all deepens the overall twitter experience for everyone.

If more people on twitter could be like @emmawehipeihana the world would be a better place :)

Random follow #102 - @sonjayelich

"Any healthy man can go without food for two days - but not without poetry."  Charles Baudelaire

Creative types abound on twitter.  Those who can knit, sew, cook, create art with their bare hands and today's person.  An artist who uses words.  Words can be both subtle as well as full of such force that they can knock you flat on your backside and then give you a good kick as well.

@sonjayelich is just that sort of creative type.  With a few books to her name and many poems published in various anthologies she is a very busy lady.  Writing is a profession and a past time that consumes days, weeks and months at a time in the search for just the right arrangement of words.  Even some of her tweets are given thought so that they too become a piece of poetry within themselves - 

"it was a blazing morning & now the sky is a pamphlet of grey. tomorrow will be raining."

Besides writing Sonja has what is quite possibly the most unique and interesting assortment of pictures on her tumblr page that I have ever seen assembled in one place.

Of all the tweeters who have been put through the Random Kiwi Tweeters mill so far I don't think any of them have shot quite as straight nor thrown a good tweet quite as well as Sonja does -

"PerfectMikeHosking just got unfunny" followed by......

"also - that man that drives that damn horse & cart thing is so smug - imma drop him off in Pokeno - with no shoes."

And her views of poetry and books in general - 

"at a poetry gig the other night i was really amazed to see poets reading their work straight off the cellphone. v cool."

"went to the cbd & bought a bk of heaven reading - Anne Carson's red doc> - with its slick columns of poetry. damn good layout. thick paper."

She doesn't fluff around with too many niceties and certainly doesn't pander to those who seek the limelight of social media.  Rather she offers a balanced and fair view of the world that keeps you thinking and on your toes.  While it would be easy to say that Sonja can be a bit dark I think that would be doing her a disservice.  I think instead that she is a realist and a call it like it is kind of person.  This quote from a media article will you give you some insight into her psyche and personality - 

"So I tried to create something accessible. I didn't write it to say war's good or bad. I just wrote it to say what it is."  (Source: http://www.theaucklander.co.nz/news/poets-virtual-war-gets-a-nod/1007165/)

Don't get me wrong Sonja is a very lovely person who interacts with tweeters in a nice and positive way.  She also shares positive stories and uplifting pieces that spring up from time to time.  With tweets like these you know she is a deep thinker with an interesting view of the world "i'll never forget it - some things are worth carrying around in the heart."

If you want to know more about Sonja herself (in a professional way) you can google her or alternatively you can just check out this link here.  And I don't normally do this but I thought I would share a video of her so you can get a better picture of the lady herself.

@sonjayelich is totally worth a follow.  She will entertain, challenge you and make you think.  The three essential aspects of both creativity and social media.  5 out of 5 stars.

Random follow #99 - @dearfreddy

Everybody has a story to tell.  Some people go through enjoyable things in life, some people have a real hard time in life.  Overall though the good and the bad they tend to balance out.  If you follow someone for long enough then you get to share with them the ups and downs.  Twitter can be like a giant soap opera some days in that peoples stories intersect and people interact.  And each time you go to bed there's always a question mark left like  I wonder whats going to happen to xxxxx tomorrow.....

@dearfreddy is someone I have been following for a wee while now.  And I think it is fair to say that Wilfred has been doing things a little bit tough recently.  In the short time I ave followed her she has undergone a HUGE life change.  That is she has undergone surgery that will allow her to have better use of her legs and even be able to run again without pain.  And this little journey has led to some interesting observations and tweeting subjects.  Such as -

"Somebody please tell me not to tweet/message people whilst on morphine. It makes for some oddly embarrassing conversations. #awk"

"I just woke up. I don't know how it all went, but I do know that I can feel my feet! This makes me happy."

For a lot of people having the ability to move freely or run is something they take for granted.  For this young lady it is something that she appreciates deeply.  I have found through her tweets that she is a deeply caring person who values highly those around her -

"Im so very lucky to have such a wonderful mother because I know not everyone is so lucky.I could only every wish to be half the woman she is"

And I would like to say that this young lady is a very attractive one indeed.  Even when she is recovering from surgery as you can see here.  There is even something angelic about this photo that is very alluring.  A sense of innocence and vulnerability and yet there is also a deep beauty there as well.

And I remember our first tweet so well.  Like it was just yesterday - "

@HagmanNZ @TV3nz It only took 5 years to come out, but it was well worth the wait! It's such a fantastic game. #devotedfan" (This is in regards to Tomb Raider)

I am aware that there is so much more that makes up @dearfreddy as both a person and a tweeter.  From what I have been able to discover she is - grateful, optimistic, a battler, has a never give up attitude, a heart full of love and is a rather chirpy character.

Also I would be doing her a disfavor if I didn't capture in this post her twitter bio - "Math enthusiast / Fervent designer / Adventurer extraordinaire".  You can make of this bio what you will.  What it says to me is she is a very smart person with a sharp intellect, someone who is constantly thinking planing and looking for ways to improve her local surroundings, as well as someone who has a thirst to explore the world out there. If you trawl back through her timeline far enough you will find that this young lady has some BIG GOALS and BIG DREAMS.  I sincerely hope that I am still here following her on twitter when she starts to make some of them a reality.

But her tweets at the moment are about her journey to recovery.  I sincerely wish her all the very best and I look forward to seeing where her life story and journey takes her into the future!  If you would like to know more or follow along I don't think Wilfred would mind too much. 

Random follow #96 - @catconnor

The great twitter bio. A place where you get a limited number of characters in which to tell the world about who you are and why they may or may not want to follow you.  Some people are a bit dull and don't really tell you a lot.  Other people have a creative flair and ability to spark something in your imagination that makes you stop, think twice and wonder.

@catconnor has definitely mastered the art of the twitter bio.  The few words that really strike me as being brilliant are these ones - "Knows where to hide the body".  Given that in twitter (usually) the person at the other end of the line is someone you have never met before makes these words that mush more interesting and intriguing.

But to take those words alone and form an opinion or a minds eye picture of Cat would not be doing her justice.  Why?  because she is a write of thrillers.  So you need to take it all together and discover all the goodness that is @catconnor.   This wonderful lady takes her writing very seriously.  So seriously that she currently has six books published in a crime/thriller series.  And that is no mean feat.  How do I know?

"Exciting!! Just got an email from my fab publishers with my kindle and ePub copies of soundbyte attached. :D #soundbyte"

It is that wild and creative imagination that helps to make her tweets both interesting, thought provoking and funny.  For example -

"Further to the light saber tweet - Just heard sirens. Most unusual considering where I am. Suspect Action Man is playing with his phone lol"  Right..............

"hahahaha Action Man text to say he just tried to move his desk (at work) and it fell apart."  Action Man?  Cute ;)


"I'll wake them after Bon Jovi. @DaveSmarty or I could turn this up and piss the moron neighbor off .... and wake the kids up. #2birds"

So there you go.  One lovely lady who has a couple of kids and a partner.  A lady who writes, tweets, cooks, makes coffee and drinks wine. Simply all the est things in life.  And if you want to you can check out one of her blogs over here.

Random follow #95 - @UpsideBackwards

There is something really special when a child draws a picture for you.  Its special in a way that makes your heart melt and it goes all gooey inside you.  @UpsideBackwards has one of those very types of pictures as her twitter avatar.  Someone very special drew a picture for Kate and she has chosen to use it as an expression of herself.  (It may or may be a picture of her exactly but hey).

When I log in to twitter I look forward to seeing some refreshing news and funny tweets to cheer up my day.  Some people have a knack of  making you laugh and enjoy your day that little bit and its not like they're trying hard.  often time its just them being themselves.  And you really know that someone is going to be value when you enjoy seeing just their twitter name pop up.

 This is not Kate.  But it is upside down.

@UpsideBackwards is one creative twitter name.  Matched only in its creativity by the owners name Kate UpsideBackwards.  And yes - we have profiled a few mums on the RKT blog so far but I in no way apologise for that.  i mean seriously where else can you find these kinds of hilarious tweets -

"10yo wants me to stop nagging her to do her practice. I told her I will - when she's done her practice! #Ihatethenaggingasmuchasshedoes"

"6yo is in a play at school this morning. He has 1 line. "Let's kill our parents!" Oh lovely. #actinginmaorimyths"

except from the mind of a mum.  kate also isn't afraid to jump in and have a conversation with people who are conversing about interesting things.  And whats really cool  is she tweets about ALMOST everything.  In one evening you can find the following topics -

rugby, soccer, mums, doctors, baby boot camp, Mondays, John Campbell, crosswords and sex.  Not sexy crosswords but crosswords as one topic and sex as another.  Cool? 

What do I like best about @UpsideBackwards?  Her genuine, honest and hilarious approach to tweeting.  If you are looking for a down to earth tweeter who see's things slightly sideways and may throw a few oddball or curve ball tweets in every now and then - well Kate is the tweeter for you.  Go on, give her a try.  You won't regret it.  :)

This is not Kate either.  

But being a Mum does require the skills of a ring master.

Oh and if you are really keen to follow @UpsideBackwards? then you should check out her website too.  Its pretty good.

Random follow #92 - @SIMNZ

Interaction on social media is the name of the game. Interaction doesn't mean constantly tweeting or talking. What it means is that when you go online you interact, talk, converse and share a laugh with others. Sonia is just one of those people. One of those people who both interacts and has a health rate of tweets per day.

She brings enthusiasm, fun and a sense of maturity to the twittersphere. Sure she enjoys a good tweet and a good laugh but at the same time she is able to keep a sense of balance and healthy aloofness. Its quite neat finding tweeters who pretty much never put out grandstand tweets or tweet statements. @SIMNZ tweets almost entirely in an interactive way responding to others tweets and then engaging with people.

And on the very odd occasion that she does just tweet, here's what you are most likely to find -

"#winning" or ";) #grammarfail" and even "More men should wear cologne. I miss cologne and a good sniff!"

@SIMNZ hasn't been on twitter all that long but she has managed to amass a very tidy number of tweets. And like the rest of us she id trying to get her head around the different trends, changes of topic and approached to tweeting that are constantly changing around us.  Just a couple of other interesting tidbits from her twitter bio - she is originally from Canada, she now resides in Christchurch and she tells it straight. I like that. A lot.

There is something different about @SIMNZ that seems to be a growing thread amongst the new style of tweeters.  That is - leave your offline issues offline, tweet the good stuff and most of all bring all the encouragement and happiness to everyone you can.  I like the new twitter WAY MORE than I liked the old twitter.

Sonia will brighten up your timeline, throw in some encouragement and bring some sunshine to your timeline.

I do have one thing that is bothering me though - and that is I can't for the life of me figure out what her twitter name stands for.  Wait on - I just figured it out.  Phew!  I'm pleased I have that sorted.

Random follow #91 - @Nange

You know that saying that New Zealand has 2 degrees of separation? Well Twitter makes that seem more real and tonight’s Random Kiwi tweeter helped to prove that to me. When I first followed @Nange I had no idea who she was. To me, it was just a random follow. But it didn't take the two of us long to realize her brother and my brother went to school together. Twitter certainly does make the world seem small.
So what is @Nange the tweeter like? Well her bio reads:

"Love running and martial arts. I can now say I'm a marathoner, but not yet a black belt ;0)"

Pretty impressive huh? And running is something she loves to tweet about, something I personally love being an aspiring runner myself. Check out these running tweets:

There are tips for newbies.  "Tip for the girl runners out there. Don't forget your sports bra. It's hard to regulate breathing when your chest is getting a pounding!"

There is goal setting.  "Run done! 9.4kms in an hour. A little slow but I love my legs for getting me through it! Half marathon? No worries :)"

There is also a note to self to remember to celebrate small successes.  "5ks in under 30 mins. Want to be faster but it's not too bad."

But don’t be fooled into thinking running is all Ange tweets about. It isn't, not by a long shot. She is also a wife and mother and her timeline is filled with tweets about family, friends and life in general. Take a look at these:

"Back from a school walking trip. Did not know kids had to be 10 to cross the road by themselves! #badmum"

"Listening to Miss 4 explain to her dad the best way to tickle her. Super cute!"

Too sum up, Ange is an all round great tweeter, inspiring lady and lovely to boot, and I am personally looking forward to going running with her.

Oh and Ange has a job interview tomorrow. How do I know this? She tweeted about it of course:

"Exciting week ahead. Job interview Friday. I really want this job!!"

Good luck Ange from all of Twitter!! We want you to get the job too!

(Editors note - yet again another fabulous blogpost written by @pammygirl)

Random follow #88 - @irisshackleton

How we come to follow someone on Twitter can happen in number of ways.  The little suggestion box on the left or someone being tagged in a tweet along with yourself are just two of the ways.  But I think one of the best ways is when we are followed by someone we have never seen around twitter before, check out their timeline and decide to do a follow back.

That is how I came to follow @irisshackelton, and just quietly, it is one the best followbacks I have ever done. Why? Because Anna tweets a lot, both to her own followers and in reply to those she follows.  I have no doubt that a conversation with her IRL would be just as fun as tweeting her is.
For example take a look at these tweets:

"Heads up Akld. Possible intel. New neighbour works as a parking warden. I bet his Christmas parties are quiet #nofriends"

"The more I tweet about my life, the more followers I lose. Hmmm, let me think about that. Nope, not gonna change".

"That - life flash before your eyes - moment when you accidentally swallow a boiled sweet whole".

Anna also has pretty good taste in music, movies and aging Hollywood actresses, well at least I think so. She is my Twitter movie and music twin, another reason why following her back was a great twitter move on my part. Check out this convo between her and I:

"@irisshackelton: Betty White is pure lovability. She says the most terrible things and I'm like, "oh Betty, you're adorable.

@Pammygirl: OMG, I love Betty White!!! She would be the best grandmother, haha!!!

@irisshackelton: I want to adopt her and keep her forever."

But even if her taste in music movies and aging Hollywood actresses isn’t quite your cup of tea, I am sure something she tweets will catch your eye and you will become engaged in a funny or maybe even serious convo and make a new twitter friend in the process.

Whether you choose to follow @irisshackleton is totally up to you, but if you do, I promise it will be a follow you will not regret, and now I’m going to leave the last words to the lady herself:

“Just reading all my conversations. There's some pretty witty twitty action happening here. And you lot aren't bad either.”

Editors note - Thank you to @pammygirl for contributing with this post.  If anyone else wants to write a post recommending a Random Kiwi Tweeter feel free!

Random follow #73 - @NikCarmichael

A picture tells a thousand words.  That is a well known fact.  And if you check out the photo of @NikCarmichael you can quickly spot two things -

1. She is an attractive lady
2. and she is a  mum

Now I'm not going to make a thousand words out of those two points above.  But what I will do is showcase to you some reasons why following @NikCarmichael on twitter would be a good thing for you to do.

Reason #1. Nikki likes variety and that is evidenced by her having a ratio of 3:1 following c.f. followers.  This tells me that she loves people and is therefore a people person.  She enjoys conversation and that people interest her.  A lot.

Reason #2.  She is full of interesting ideas and freely gives out better living tips.  For example - "First time in seven years that KK Malay screwed up my order. KK and @dumplingnz are my fav places to eat in Wellington. #yum"

Reason #3.  She can see the funny side of life.  Okay maybe not so funny to her but tweets like this certainly are funny for the rest of the twitter world.  "Jeepers my little three year old just found my fat calipers and crept up behind me and got me with them. They are going in the rubbish bin".

Reason #4.  She's all about a challenge.  Be it a physical, intellectual or other challenge you can pretty much guarantee that if you ask Nikki to do it - she's there.  "Sweet I did the @WarriorDashNZ in 53:39. Under my goal of an hour and I stopped to help some people over obstacles as well. Next challenge?"  And it's that determination and drive that makes people both more interesting but also inspirational.

Reason #5.  Her husband brews beer.  Seriously.  Why wouldn't you want to be friends with someone who brews and can supply beer?  Okay that probably isn't a very genuine reason for being nice to someone but hey we're talking beer here ;)  "Did a large grain delivery this morning to a brewery now my car really smells like beer. Luckily its a good day to have the windows open"  and  "Just finished taking photos of more than 30 different grains for the new store website. Now I feel like a dark beer. http://Baylandsbrewery.com "  And secret inside sources tell me that Nikki's husbands brewery is located underneath where they live....  but but that's top secret!!!

Reason #6.  Nikki is a prolific enterer or competitions.  If someone is giving something away Nikki will know.  So if you want to be in to win - follow Nikki and she will point you in the right direction! Ha ha ha.

In short @NikCarmichael is a very lovely lady who has a zest for life.  She tweets a lot so be prepared to put your roller skates on to try and keep up with her.  Being a wife, mum, assistant brewer and owner of two dogs means that life is always GO! GO! GO! for her.  But like every great person she is able to set time aside for the things she considers important in life (like twitter).

Random follow #58 - @jensta12

It takes some kind of determination, physical ability and motivation to get fit.  It takes all those very some ingredients plus some more for someone to become a fitness instructor.  Hours and hours of time are spent in movement and strength training to create a body someone can be proud of.  But physical development is only one part of the equation.  There is also a need for inner personal development.  So when the internal and external combine then you have the right person for the job.

@jensta12 is a person of determination and depth.  Forging a career as a person whose role it is to motivate, teach and encourage others to be active is no walk in the park.  There are literally hundreds of physical trainers out there essentially competing for clients to train.  So this is where the mental balance and wellness combines with sheer grit and determination to make a trainer a good one.

Jenny is a really cool chick.  She is 100% kiwi and proud of it. You will find in her timeline tweets about all sort of random kiwi things.  

One thing I have noticed about her tweets is that she usually has a positive spin on them.  What people tweet is generally an extension of their inner self.  In Jenny's case that inner self likes chocolate, puppies and and pizza.  Sounds pretty damn good to me!  

She is not immune from dropping the occasional health tip - "upside of drinking long blacks as opposed to laté, not only save $ but save on drinking all that milk too!"

Some thoughts on dieting - "Thought I'd give the paleo diet a try - 2 days & I'm over it already & hungry!! Mind you that's probably 'cos I haven't had any dinner!"

And there is the North Shore lifestyle too - "Couple of hours on the beach - off to teach couple of group fitness classes now! Still all sandy!!"

And of course there are the mandatory funny tweets - "You know I think I might stay with Vegemite - like the taste & Sanitarium don't pay enough tax - apparently !" and this one "Might have a nap (power, not Nana)!!".

Now if there was going to be one area of weakness or downfall it would be the fact that she is in Auckland.  But wait! All is not lost! On no - @jensta12 is in actual fact from Motueka (More-chew-ek-car).  So because she is from the South Island that raises her profile to the absolute heights of twitter stardom.

(Editors note - that paragraph was a joke.  Stirring.  Tongue in cheek.  Aucklanders please don't take it too seriously or personally/)

Just as an aside there is one thing about the top of the South Island you should know is that is where they grow all the best ingredients for beer.  That is - hops.  

Jenny is a fun loving, active, determined, positive woman who is also a mum.  She is a tweeter of many things and is someone who enjoys her life to the fullest.  Today Jenny gets a rating of 'very valuable tweeter' :)

Random follow #55 - @jeanettemarsh

Today I am going to cut to the chase and tell you what I think,

@jeanettemarsh is an out of the box tweeter.  She is lively, active and very prolific as a tweeter.  She is non-judgemental and always has a kind word or two to put out there in the twitterverse to whom ever may have need of some encouragement.

Of all the people I have profiled so far Jeanette without a doubt has the widest range of twitter people that I have seen interacted with.  She has such a wide range of twitter friends that it almost defies belief.  But I also think it is her personality and openness that enamors her to others.  I have looked through her timeline (and this is no criticism in any way) and 99% of her tweets are conversations or interactions with others.  Personally I love that type of tweeting.  It means the person takes the time to listen to others, take notice of what is happening in the twitterverse and offer some words to the conversation.

I am really unsure if there have been any unkind or hurtful words uttered by Jeanette.  She strikes me as someone for whom the cup is always half full, a challenge is something to relish and friends and family are the true essence and worth of life.


No profile of a random kiwi tweeter would be complete though without some examples of what you will see if you follow them.  Sometimes there are questions that are too hard for even google to answer so smart people turn to the twitterverse for answers.  Like this question of Jeanette's -

"I bought my first jar of shrimp paste today. It has a bit poking thru the sealing wax. Is it meant to stink like fish sauce?"

There are a few laughs -

"I'm back. Both parents deaf today. Flyspray = BrownsBay. Took them 2 small supermarket & big shoe shop. (Dad wanted No.1 Shoes) Dad worn out"

She has taste in art -

"Just saw a gorgeous Kyoto Satsuma vase on the Antiques Roadshow. I'm happy now.:D"

And at the end of every day she lets us know that her day is done so sweetly -

"Tweet ya later :)"

@jeanettemarsh is someone who quietly and in her own way goes about tweeting.  There isn't any grandstanding or soap boxing.  She is lovely, gentle and caring.  But don't think those traits somehow make her easy to push around.  In fact the opposite is quite true.  It takes a lot more strength and fortitude to ignore some of the rubbish and nonsensical debate that occurs from time to time on twitter.

Hit the follow button.  Pause.  Engage.  Please.

Last word - Jeanette loves yoga too.