Sidebar acquisitions

I am not a great reader of blogs, truth be told. I browse a handful, either because I know the owners personally or because the writing stands out somehow. My standards are rather arbitrary. Occasionally I will discover something highly entertaining and link it immediately; the most recent example is the scurrilous Wonkette, which should probably bear a warning label for children, conservatives, and anyone without a very permissive sense of humor. Even less often, I will come across something that is at once informative, insightful, and vividly written.

It is my pleasure to direct my readers to The Religious Policeman, a Saudi blogger. This is good stuff; he's already been mentioned in major publications such as the Times. Want a sample? Try his marketing advice to the kingdom's public executioners:

It’s obviously a ceremony designed by civil servants. It needs more “pazazz”. It needs to be more “Hollywood”.
. . .
There should be a warm-up act to get the audience going. Belly-dancers from the Lebanon would be good.
. . .
Then the compere should interview the families of the criminal and his victim. Cue poignant photo of criminal as young toddler playing with stuffed camel, home video of victim sitting with family. Sit them next to each other, maybe they’ll fight, like Jerry Springer’s show.

Then when the victim is marched in, they should play an appropriate song. Like the one by Gentle Giant
I lost my head, it was not easy,
unknown, unread, it wasn't easy,
and each day, each night,
wasn't wrong, nor right,
I can't remember what I said
I lost my head.
Something the audience can clap to.