The 140 characters you type in Twitter is just among the 200 million tweets that are being generated in the site each day, so chances are they are usually harmless and unnoticed.

For celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Twitter feeds are a way to reach out to fans. Politicians use social media feeds to instantly talk to constituents. United States President Barack Obama, in a bid to boost his re-election campaign, is personally tweeting to his 8.6 million followers.

But your rants, chatters and opinions on Twitter can make or break you. As social media and online use are increasing rapidly, reporters are creating more stories from social media posts of politicians and celebrities.

To cite one, U.S. film critic Roger Ebert took to Twitter with quick anti drink and drive comments following the death of Jackass star Ryan Dunn. Ebert, the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, probably had good intentions. But he was on the receiving end from angry fans for his "cruel" comments.

Twitter should attach something to "What's happening?" with a note like, "Hand-written letters can be shredded, an unrecorded phone conversation can be denied, but what you wrote on cyberspace will haunt you forever."

We already have our top five most embarrassing tweets for the first half of the year:

5. Roger Ebert, film critic

Jackass star Ryan Dunn and a passenger were killed when the Porsche the former was driving went flying off of a road, hit a tree, and burst into flames. Dunn had posted a photo showing him drinking several hours before the crash. "Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive", was Ebert's quick public service announcement from Twitter. As many was still mourning over the star's death, Ebert's tweets provoked a storm of outrage from his own followers and Dunn's fans. Ebert's movie reviews are syndicated in more than 200 newspapers in the United States. He has apologized but will probably lose some fans.

4. Reggie Bush, NFL player

The National Football League, which showcases professional American football, has an ongoing work stoppage due to labor issues between league owners and players. The lockout is expected to shorten or possibly cancel the season to the dismay of fans of America's most popular sporting event. Reggie Bush, a running back for NFL team the New Orleans Saints, tweeted about how much he was enjoying the lockout -- more rest, more vacation and no practices in broiling weather. After riling up fans, trouble-prone Bush, who'll be making $12 million the upcoming season, said he was only joking.

3. Russell Crowe, actor

Australian actor Russell Crowe, known for his hot temper and bar fights, issued tweets against circumcision. He said in his Twitter account, "Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect." As followers began to tweet Crowe that the medical procedure is for hygiene, he countered at the microblogging service, "Hygenic? Why don't you sew up your a** then?" Following a news about his tweets and a backlash, Crowe tweets and apologized, "My personal beliefs aside I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry." Crowe, who has three consecutive best actor Oscar nominations for The Insider, Gladiator and A Beautiful Mind, probably should count on Jews, Christians, and Muslims watching his upcoming movies.

2. Rashard Mendenhall, NFL player

In May Osama bin Laden, founder of al-Qaeda, was shot and killed inside a secured private residential compound in Pakistan by U.S. Navy SEALs. Many celebrated for death of the man responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Rashard Mendenhall Mendenhall, a Pittsburgh Steelers running back in early May, had a different view. In one post, Mendenhall tweeted, "What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side." He followed that by questioning the evidence surrounding the twin towers' collapse on 9/11: "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style." He was entitled to his own opinion and he probably was right, but bin Laden was the number one enemy for killing thousands in American soil in 9/11. Medenhall lost a couple of sponsorship deals including from sportswear company Champion, as a result of his tweets.

1. Anthony Weiner, New York congressman

Congressman Weiner, who had a good chance to be mayor of New York City in 2013, sent over Twitter lewd pictures. But the pornographic photo he sent from his Twitter to a 17 year-old girl went viral. Several colleagues both Republican and Democrat and even President Obama asked him to step down. He resigned from his post, and his 20-year public service career is probably done for good.