Always Gets Me Going...

New Jersey Devils Hall of Famer Scott Stevens. One of the most feared hitters in the NHL.

Oh, Twitter, My Friend...

I love twitter. You know, the little 140 character messaging behemoth. It's so big now, that the "real" celebrities are starting to hang around. (Some of them actually TALK TO NORMAL PEOPLE! Gasp!)

I've been using it for a while, and it does take a while to get used to what you want to say. Initially, I was worried about putting out something that I *thought* other people would want to read. But after a while of reading the streams, I realized that just answering the simple question, "What are you doing now?", at the top of your profile page would be enough.

True, some people have, and probably always will, use twitter to promote their work. And good for them! Others of us just use it for the hell of it. Man, what a time sink!

As you can see in the badge to the left, my own tweets are usually have to do with my day. Or they are responses to other people's tweets. I have to admit, I have "talked" to so many people that I normally would have never had the opportunity. And I really like that.

So, if you want to talk to me, catch me on Twitter. I'm Ozzy.

Gary-Vaynerchuk

This is Gary. Gary Vaynerchuk.

For anyone that does not know Gary, he's a rather.... emotional guy? That really doesn't cover it. He likes to throw around the word Passion as a description of himself. Obsessive might be a better one. Think of the intensity of an old school Mike Ditka. Think of the energy of a Jack Russel terrier drinking Red Bull.

Now, here's the kicker: this guy talks knowledgeably about wine. And not just, "hmm, I like that". This guy will swirl, sniffy-sniff and whirl wine with the best of them. He speaks, with fervor, about the complexities and subtleties of wine. About the effects of the terrains the wine was grown in, the choices that wine makers decide upon in the process, and even down to the overall presentation of bottle design.

On top of all of that, Gary is hugely in tune with the online community. He's incredibly active on twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and many other sites. But his big draw is the Thunder Show, aka Wine Library TV.

Wine Library TV is a video podcast where Gary talks about whatever wine he decides in varying formats. Sometimes, he and his "peeps" at Wine Library put together a sampling from a certain area. Other times, it will be the same varietal. The format that is quickly becoming a favorite with the "Vayniacs" or the "Vayner-nation" (as his fans are called) is the blind tastings, where Gary does not know the wine maker, price point, and sometimes the varietal itself. (These are always interesting, in my opinion, because invariably, there is some gamesmanship in the wine selection. Gary's guys always try to pull a fast one on him, or as often, try to make him think that they are trying to trip him up.)

On top of all these things, Gary is a very Family-first guy, who has no problems telling the world about how much he loves his family. His brother, AJ, gets most of the shout-outs to the Vaynerchuk's on the show, since he is a staple of the internet community himself. But, while broadcasting live on UStream.com, Gary's dad, Sasha, has been known to show up from time to time.... Gary also revealed to his fans recently that he and his wife will be bringing the first Thunder Child into the world before too long...

Gary, keep up the great work. Bring the Thunder!!