The Critical Commentator

  Every dog has its day but so do cats, rabbits, parrots, hamsters and guinea pigs, according to new research which reveals that Britons are spending big on their pets' birthdays. Dog and Mallard Richard Ansdell (1815-1885) Photo Credit: Fylde Council Town Hall. [CC BY-NC-ND]  Almost two thirds of Britain's 22 million pet owners celebrate their animal's birthday or adoption day, the study found, spending an average of £121 to reach a combined £1.7 billion. The research found that new toys and gourmet food were the most popular presents, chosen by two thirds of owners, followed by a new bed or blanket. Half of owners bought a new collar, leash or other practical gift, and a similar proportion bought a personalised gift. Owners can, for example, have their cat's picture printed on a plush grey cushion for £25.95 or have their dog's face on a four-piece coaster set for £14.95. Those happy to pay a bit more can buy a custom portrait of their pet in military dress for £6...

  There was delight fro m observers as white smoke billowed out of the famous Vatican chimney, showing that the conclave of cardinals had finally made its decision and elected a new pope. But, within minutes of the result, there was uproar as their selection was challenged on Gospel Truth Social. A furious Donald Trump denounced the result as fake pews, claiming that the election had been "stolen" by crooked cardinals. "This is the biggest fraud in the history of pope-voting. The election was rigged! As it was last time when I was robbed by Sleepy Francis, the worst pope on record. Ever. Fact!" The Sleeping Congregation William Hogarth  (1697-1764) Photo Credit: Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery [Public Domain] There was pandemonium as Trump supporters stormed the Vatican, smashing stained glass windows and taking selfies of themselves sitting on the papal throne. One wore a cardinal's hat with bison horns and charged at the Swiss Guards, another st...

 "Papers please!" Those words spell terror in a thousand war movies. Stasi or Gestapo officers are a breed apart from the unarmed plod who demands no ID [Identity] cards from free British people. So when a government contemplates a universal ID, it sends instinctive twitches down some spines. Though not many. Times and public attitudes have changed. And so have the political imperatives, for it seems that, for a Labour government struggling to seize the narrative after a difficult year in power, digital ID cards, and the sense of national belonging they could strengthen, may just be the weapon to fight off the ever rising threat of Nigel Farage's Reform UK... Irish Immigrant s John Joseph Barker (1824-1904) Photo Credit: Victoria Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND] The driving political motive behind this is immigration - Labour wants to make it easier to identify people with no right to live here or claim public services here. The policies behind the "stop the boats" and...

 At night, Ann Li's anxieties felt overwhelming. She had recently been diagnosed with a serious health problem, and she wanted to talk to someone about it. But she had not told her family and her friends were asleep. So she turned to ChatGPT. "It's easier to talk to AI during those nights," said LI, 30, who lives in Taiwan. In China, Yang, 25 of Guangdong, had never seen a mental health professional when she started talking to an AI chatbot this year. Yang said it was difficult to access mental health services and she could not confide  in family or friends. "Telling the truth to real people feels impossible," she said. Anxiety Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) Photo Credit: Victoria Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND] But she was soon talking to the chatbot "day and night". Li and Yang are among a growing number of Chinese speaking people turning to generative AI chatbots instead of professional human therapists. Experts say there is huge potential for AI in...

  The term "hen do" is inadequate to the grandiose, interstellar ambition of Lauren Sanchez's prenuptial  celebrations. Having whirled across the stratosphere in one of her husband-to-be's Blue Origin spacecraft, Jeff Bezos's intended spent last weekend in Paris in the company of  Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry and other members of the 21st century's gilded entertainment overclass. Once upon a time, this ghastly event might at least have been dignified with an aura of secrecy. This being 2025, it was widely publicised by all the attendees. Sanchez - pneumatic, cat-eyed, apparently upholstered - has posted picture after picture of herself on Instagram, grimacing glassily from various deluxe restaurants, spas and river cruises. Mammon Elinor Proby Adams (1885-1945) Photo Credit: UCL Culture [CC  BY-NC-SA] The public response to this ostentation has been gratifyingly hostile. "Gluttonous" is an adjective that has featured prominently in the newspaper covera...

 I find it a little strange that there is so much angst and debate in this country about assisted dying (AD) when opinion polls consistently show an overwhelming majority of people in favour of it and there is little, if any, evidence of it leading to significant abuse or moral harm in the many countries where it is allowed, in some places for decades. Medicine is about prolonging life and giving health, but it is also about the relief of suffering. The law in the UK already allows us to refuse treatment, even if this will result in our death. Furthermore, suicide is not against the law, so you need convincing arguments to explain why it should be illegal to help somebody do something that is not illegal. The law at present - absurdly - makes no distinction between encouraging suicide and assisting it when it is a considered and reasonable request in the face of great suffering. Death the Comforter William Strang (1859-1921) Photo Credit: University of St Andrews [CC BY-NC] The mai...