I follow more than 100 people on Twitter. Some are friends, some are celebrities, some are businesses and some defy description (I’m looking at you, S*** My Dad Says). While I enjoy reading all their tweets, there is a handful of accounts that are always entertaining, an that I really look forward to reading. There are several celebrities on the list, but they’re not all famous folks. In no particular order:
AJC – The Atlanta Journal Constitution may be laying off staffers left and right, but it is a newspaper that knows how to do Twitter right. It’s not just an RSS feed that automatically posts headlines and links. The writers in charge of this feed often have an irreverent attitude, adding commentary to their headlines. Sample post: “Isn’t the NASCAR race tomorrow? Two drivers apparently racing on I-285, cause a wreck early Saturday.”
Neil Gaiman – A geek god, Neil Gaiman is co-author (with Terry Pratchett) of my favorite book, “Good Omens.” A prolific Twitterer, he posts pictures and links to interesting articles, as well as updates about what he’s up to. He tweets like your friends do, candidly sharing details of his life (though it’s probably a more interesting life than most people I know). Sample post: “Just figured out that the thing that was making me sneeze at Maddy’s violin lesson was the box of scented tissues. Bitter irony, that.”
Neil Patrick Harris – How great is it that the once and future Doogie Howser is once again at the forefront of pop culture? His Barney Stinson on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” is the VIP of the show, and he did an amazing job as Emmy’s host. Harris’ Twitter feed is often very funny, and he also likes to post behind-the-scenes photos from HIMYM. Sample post: “I friggin’ love the Olympics. I never thought I could care so much for people or sports that I just learned about six minutes beforehand.”
Fake AP stylebook – If you work in a newsroom, you’re familiar with the AP stylebook, a guide that’s full of information about how to present information in your news pieces (AP style, in other words). Of course, it always seems to have all the information you could possibly need – except the one piece of information you need. The Fake AP Stylebook is often hilarious satire of the real AP guide. Sample post: “The correct phrase is “I couldn’t give a damn” but frankly we could care less.”
Shit My Dad says – Justin, a 29-year-old who lives at home, tweets the awesome stuff that his 74-year-old father says. It sounds like it wouldn’t work at all, but SMDS has over a million followers, and a TV deal featuring William Shatner. Strangely, Justin follows just one person on Twitter: Levar Burton. Sample post: “A parent’s only as good as their dumbest kid. If one wins a Nobel Prize but the other gets robbed by a hooker, you failed.”
Digg 2000 – This is a different kind of Twitter feed. Actually, it’s the kind I was decrying in the AJC section: an automatically generated feed of headlines and links. BUT, it’s worth following, because this is where you’ll find all of the stories, videos and photos that receive at least 2000 votes on the social bookmarking site Digg.com. Sample headlines: “Erm…Yes, It’s a Woman.” “Pilot shot between the eyes keeps flying to save 20 soldiers.” “Comcast: ‘Unlimited Usage’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Unlimited Usage’”
Nathan Fillion – He’s handsome, he’s funny, he’s a geek hero. Nathan Fillion currently plays Richard Castle on the ABC crime drama “Castle,” but geeks love him for his roles as Capt. Mal Reynolds on “Firefly” and as Capt. Hammer on “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog.” His tweets are a mixture of jokes, updates and images from his days on set. Sample post: “I like falling asleep in the make up chair because I wake up better looking.”
Kevin Smith – Caution, do not follow director Kevin Smith if you 1. have a problem with obscenities and 2. get annoyed by people who post large numbers of tweets. Here’s a man who has fully embraced using Twitter to communicate with his fans. Several times a day, Smith posts a dozen more responses to their tweets. But be careful: if you offend him, he won’t hesitate to block you (sometimes publicly). Sample post: “True Confession: Thanks to a high school girlfriend, I have every Amy Grant Christian music album from self titled debut to Heart in Motion.”
Joel McHale – “Community” and “The Soup” star Joel McHale is a very funny man. Whether he’s talking about shooting his shows or making fun of Ryan Seacrest, he always makes me giggle. The man just oozes sarcasm and wit. Sample post (after an episode that included a scene where he was playing pool in the buff): “Thank you to all who watched the show tonight. Lifting my leg and showing 30 extras and the cast all I have was liberating and scary.”
Veronica Belmont – Veronica is the girl that all the geek guys love. She’s a techie, co-host of the “Tekzilla” show on Revision 3, and host of “Qore” on the Playstation Network. She’s also very into gaming and often links to some very interesting articles online. Sample post: “If you say ‘keep abreast of the situation’ to me, I’m going to giggle. Don’t look so surprised.”
