Okay, I know this seems shamelessly self-promotional, but it’s not. Well, not totally. Yeah, it may get a few more people to follow me (I hope so), but it’s just as likely to make a few people take umbrage and unfollow me (I hope not). But my real reason for posting this is the reason I’m having so much fun with Twitter. Because of all the cool food-related stuff there is out there.
Regular readers here, especially those who scroll down to my second posts most weeks, know that I have a real magpie eye, always on the lookout for some shiny, interesting thing. Twitter is a great place to share those finds—like the study that shows that women who drink gain less weight. Or the story about how humanely raised meat is turning some vegetarians into meat-eating flexitarians (both links are below, but don’t skip ahead).
Another fun challenge of Twitter, especially for an often verbose guy like me, is to convey the ideas of these stories in 140 characters or less, the maximum allowed per tweet—and to do it in a compelling way that makes you want to click through and read the story.
Back in December, I did a post called Ten Random Things You Missed If You Don’t Follow Me on Twitter. Here are 10 more random tweets I’ve done since then, in their original 140-character or less format. See how many make you want to click on the link:
- Burgers now okay, bacon still not—new Harvard study says red meat NOT linked to heart disease risk; processed meats are http://bit.ly/cYYNPp
- Wall Street Journal says kitchen is a place for fights; to me, these couples have issues outside the kitchen http://bit.ly/dkWW1O
- Cleveland Leader: China may ban dog, cat meat from restaurants (pet issues aside, who even thinks it sounds good?) http://bit.ly/aw95Gn
- NPR: World’s hottest chili pepper is being weaponized by India’s military and served on burgers in San Antonio http://bit.ly/bTKQWx
- NY Times: Is there anything booze can’t do? Women who drink gain less weight http://nyti.ms/aBROdI
- Salon: Where are all the kitchen pirates? 10 years after Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, are chefs too milk toast? http://bit.ly/cKeZ31
- Mocha Lisa? Da Vinci’s masterpiece recreated with 3,604 cups of coffee. Thanks, Mellen! http://bit.ly/afFd8c
- NEWSWEEK: Humanely raised meat turning some vegetarians into meat-eating flexitarians http://bit.ly/83neLP
- Snooth: Got a drinking problem? Seven wine emergencies and how to solve them http://bit.ly/biCIib
- PhysOrg.com: Say it ain’t so! Those delicious cooking smells wafting outside restaurants could be an air pollution zone http://bit.ly/bhxbz1
How did I do? Anything make you want to click through? If so, follow me on Twitter. You’ll find stuff like this almost every day. If you don’t feel like signing up for a Twitter account, just occasionally click on the “Follow me on Twitter” bird graphic up near the top of the right sidebar. You’ll be able to read my latest tweets without signing up. And if your magpie eye catches anything cool, feel free to send me a link. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to use it—or to squeeze a credit into the 140 characters. But you’ll make this magpie very happy.
Yes, there were some things that make me want to follow you on Twitter, so I’m headed there now. Ciao Chow Linda just joined Twitter and is also on Facebook so pop over and follow me too.
I love your tweets, Terry! You are very good at grabbing my attention and I almost always click on your links.
When I started on Twitter last summer, I followed only foodies and observed. Gradually, I entered a corner of the Twitterverse occupied by authors, poets, artists, photographers, as well as foodies. I became over-involved, I think. I had reached the point where most of my tweets came out at exactly 140 characters without even trying! I took a break the beginning of May and have rarely been back, though I do maintain e-mail relationships with over a dozen of my Twitter friends. I also closed my poetry blog and stopped writing, so it wasn’t just Twitter.
Twitter is wonderful for the way that you use it. I often wonder about the people who seem to tweet all day, even though they are at work. I can literally spend hours just saying hello to everyone. Hmmm… maybe that’s my problem?
I heartily endorse following you!
Thanks, Ciaochowlinda! And I fanned you on Facebook.
Thanks, Dani! I can see how one can get swept up in Twitter like that—after all, it’s called social media. But for me, I prefer using my tweets as mini-blog posts, sharing interesting things I find.