Word.

Down.

Microsoft Arse is what it should be called; I’ve long said it.

Having to make a load of templates in the damned thing. >GAAKKK!!<

Cack-handed crap. Unintuitive, artificial… – NOW what’s it done?! AARGH!)

—
At least I’ve turned some entirely pointless frustration into some purposeful frustration. Maybe. This morning I was considering banging my head on the bedside radio, listening to Beeb DG, Mark Thompson, make a giant political mountain out of the DEC appeal molehill.
I know that the situation’s a minefield for journalists, but Mr T’s managed to do more to politicise the BBC’s decision by not showing the thing. It would have been so much easier to argue against any criticism the other way. It would have slipped past with less fuss, I think.
Think about it. Is he ultimately worried that there’s a risk of condoning aid getting to huge numbers of women and children if Auntie runs the appeal – because of who they are? Because of where they find themselves?
Who could argue sensibly against the Disaster Emergency Committee’s aid? If they’d never been broadcast by the Beeb before, then making this the first ever would look a bit partisan, to be sure. But they’ve been screened after the Ten and the Six and in all manner of other BBC slots umpteen times over the years – and understandably. UK people see need and tend to give, recession or not. And the DEC know what they’re doing, or so the BBC always appeared to think before.
Arguing against the DEC’s aid aims in Gaza is to essentially declare some version of the idea that Gazan’s wholesale ‘brought this suffering on themselves’ and so are unworthy of the help. Disqualified. All of them.
Is that how humanitarian aid is apportioned?
The thing is, now there’s a political lobby trying to bully the Beeb into screening the bleedin’ thing, I kind of think they have to stick to their guns, days into the bickering, or they’ll look persuadable in all directions. People certainly know about it now.
It seems like a toughie, but I’ve spent less time figuring it out than I have trying to figure out Microsoft Bloody Word.
It’s all very well coming up with something that technically works, but proper solutions are shaped around human beings.