I have written before about Matt Lauer of Qorvis, the American PR firm with a $40,000-a-month contract to spruce up the Bahraini government's tarnished image.

Mr Lauer was on Twitter yesterday, complaining about excessive use of exclamation marks by bloggers. What a pity he doesn't feel the same way about the regime's excesses in Bahrain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 22 December 2011.