What? You didn't know? For realz? Yes, The Black Laser is on Twitter. It's been over in the sidebar for ages. I've only recently started exploring it for what it is, though, and I have to say I am having fun with it. It's totally ridiculous. I don't really think you can convey all that much worth caring about in 160 characters, but it's fun to drop little lines of bullshit once in a while. If I need more than 160 characters...well, that's what The Black Laser's for, right?

I've discovered something about Twitter that I genuinely enjoy: hashtag games. If you don't know, a hashtag is a little bit of extra text on a tweet that looks like this -> #theblacklaser. Users can then search by the hashtag. A hashtag game is when a lot of people post things using the same hashtag. I like to troll these games.

I know, I know. Joe, aren't you a little old for trolling strangers on the interwebs? To that I say, No. Not at all. And besides, I'm not being mean, just fucking around. Here are some samples of what I mean.

See? Nothing rude. I just like to provide a little contrast to the mostly banal, boorish comments. It makes me laugh. If you'd like to play hashtag game trolling with me, follow me on the Twitter and we can play. It's fun!

Yesterday, before posting Die Antwoord's music videos, I sent them to my friend Gardner, absolutely sure that he would enjoy them. I was, of course, right. He loved the hell out of them right away. And, being Gardner, what does he do? He finds the band's e-mail and send them an e-mail about how awesome they are.

To: Die Antwoord
From: Gardner Loulan
Subject: You are now my gods.

I just came across your stuff via my friends blog TheBlackLaser.net and I am totally obsessed now. I was a VJ for MTV Networks in the US a few years ago and have a knack for getting excited about the next level of music and you are it. It's like you're bitch slapping Lady Gaga while melting The Knife in her propelled by The Sounds and blowing up Golgol Bordello with an M.I.A. bomb---- putting them all int he past and back together again in the future where you clearly reside.

Well done,
-Gardner Loulan

Now, one usually expects this sort of missive to go unnoticed or unreplied to. But did it? Of course not!

From: Die Antwoord
To: Gardner Loulan

what a FUCKIN nice thing to say
we fuckin love you for saying this

once my blaar!

NINJA
out

This trifecta of e-mails was completed with a brief note from Gardner to me.

To: Me
From: Gardner Loulan

My day is now complete.

Awesome. Thank you, internet, for allowing us to have such remarkable instantaneous contact with such diverse people from all around the world. Though we often take it for granted, the ease with which we can communicate with folks from such places as far from us as South Africa is truly incredible.

And also thanks, Die Antwoord, for being cool enough to respond to Gardner.

And thanks, Gardner, for being enthusiastic enough about everything to go out of your way, if only a little bit, to track these dudes down.

If you haven't yet watched the music videos below, do. And get yourself to Die Antwoord's website and listen to their, frankly, amazing debut streaming in its entirety. Go now!