H_B

No, this is a common mistake. The pope isn't actually dead, he just looks like a zombie.

A quote from one of their spokespeople today about their decisionnot to use the fund for their legal costs. "Gerry and Kate's view is that if they take money from the fund it might be that 90% of people who made donations aren't bothered about it. But if 10% of people are bothered about it, they don't want to upset them. They want to take the controversy out of the situation." I think the 90% and 10% are the wrong way round.

I thought that was pointless too. The only semi-reasonable excuse for it I heard was that the stories go she had a quick temper, and was prone to hitting the kid. Apparently her answer to this question during interrogation was unsatisfactory. Of course it is still unlikely she would bother mentioning this in the diary. Beginning to sound like an Angela Lansbury story right enough.

Again, this is all dependant on who they instruct. If they go for a high profile lawyer as is suggested they might, then if they are financially ruined because of this, that is their own stupid fault. An even approaching competent solicitor could poke holes in this case, from what we know so far. Getting Joe Beltrami would be smashing a nut with a sledgehammer.

Stressful perhaps - undoable no. People with large mortgages also have a lot of equity in their home. There are several ways to release this, to pay for legal fees. You can say that about any case. It is virtually impossible for them to prove they definitively didn't do it unless they find the child alive and well, which isn't happening.

Whether they get charged or not, there is absolutely zero chance of them being convicted, unless they hire Lionel Hutz. The evidence to date anyway is just way too circumstantial.

Why? Who are they going to instruct to represent them? Ally McBeal? Unless you want an "evil company in John Grisham novel" size legal team, it really isn't that expensive for people of their means.

Correct. Their combined income will be in excess of 200K a year. They are very wealthy.

It's unbelieveable. I saw the McCanns pleading poverty at one point as well.

Latest Sky News update. "Bodily fluids - not blood - matching Madeleine McCann's DNA have been found in the car hired by her parents, according to sources." The sample was taken from the boot, where the spare tyre is kept. It had an 88% match with the missing four-year-old's DNA, sources said. Police searching the car also found so much of Madeleine's hair that it could not have been transferred from a blanket or clothes. It must have come directly from her body, sources said. The information came from senior sources in the investigation who briefed Portuguese journalists. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,912...1,00.html?f=rss We need Philomena to get to the bottom of this latest evidence.

True, and I have no issues with books being easy to read. I loved the Harry Potter series, and also like Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar novels, which have a laughable premise throughout, and fairly one-dimensional characters. It's more the quality of writing I admire. Coben is excellent, as is Rankin to be fair, certainly latterly. Someone like Jardine, or Val McDermid, I can't take seriously, as I find them laughably poor.

I've never been to the Book Festival to see anyone specifically, though I have browsed through the books and attended the Amnesty International thing. Maybe they could schedule 10 minutes for me and halfaperson to systematically abuse Jardine's laughable writing skills. Might remove the smug grin.

I agree. I think Philomena deserves her own thread, even apart from that. she would be a natural for that "Faking It" programme as well. Week One : Philomena as a forensic scientist.

Good call. That Grace Kelly song was absolute murder. This would be easy in comparison.

I know. It's excellent isn't it! I'm loving that the same people who were happy to take as Gospel any amount of dross the McCanns and co. trotted out are now appalled at the reverse happening. As soon as the fund was started, I knew they would come to a sticky end in the media. Fact is, the British public hate to see other people with money. As soon as they threatened to use the fund for themselves, they were in trouble.!

In fairness, one of the pals is a lawyer. Though on the other hand he is pretty old, so may be dying soon. If I were him, I wouldn't be accepting a drink if he goes to the house to visit them.

You forgot about the bald brother in law guy I victimised because of his baldness. I heard the Vatican had removed them from their daily prayers. Brilliant if true - what a caring church they are. Nothing like innocent until proven guilty for them.

Surely only if there were no other provisions for the children. They wouldn't arbitrarily detain the children in Portugal if there were grandparents, aunts and uncles (not fat Philomena obviously) etc. to look after them.

Don't think I've seen him. I've seen the wee bald guy wheeled out (not literally) to spout some Philomena type pish, but I think he is a relative.

Something else that has confused me is the ugly permed torn faced spokeswoman they have. a) Is her time being paid for by the Save Madeleine fund? b.) Is that a real job? What does she normally do? c) Why didn't they get a decent looking one?

If she's eating through worry, she must feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. Thinking about it, she probably could bear that weight without too much trouble.

To answer my own question, I have just realised. Dieting.

Is there any subject the old hosebag isn't a renowned expert in?

Shh.. Gerry will be looking to use the fund money to buy himself a trip into space.

You'd think, having such an incredibly stupid name, she would go to great lengths not to have it in the paper. But no. I love how the papers and even BBC Online where I got those quotes from, give her column space, when she is just a ranting madwoman.