Dr Paul Allen

Image via Wikipedia Not many 24 year olds can say that they are in the top ten of  Forbes  magazine’s list of the 100 most powerful women in the world.  Or that their Facebook page has 30,962,180 likes and counting.  Or that their face and their fashion are internationally recognizable. Or that they make millions. But Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, best known as Lady Gaga , can. How does she do it? She who endorses what scripture condemns. She who works tirelessly to develop the glory of her own image, claiming that “[artists] are nothing without [it].”  Lady Gaga is one remarkable example of what has been a trend for thousands of years: the seeming prosperity and success of those who do not find their help in God . Consider Psalm 73 . Asaph perceived that there were no pangs in the death of the wicked, that their strength was firm, that they were not in trouble or plagued as other men, but that they had “more than heart could wish,” while he, a follower of God, w

Image via Wikipedia Mal Fletcher. The Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini once said that, ‘Every kind of music   is good, except the boring kind.’ I wonder if he would respond the same way if he were taking part in the current debate on the over-sexualisation of music aimed at young teens. Today’s teen music industry may not be boring, but is it healthy? This question was raised again this week by Mike Stock , former pop impresario and the man responsible for launching the career of Kylie Minogue .  Mr Stock is no longer the force in music production and promotion that he was in the 1980s when he was part of the influential triumvirate Stock, Aitken and Waterman.  Yet his views still carry weight, coming as they do from someone who, in his time, was not averse to using sexuality – albeit a gentler kind – to sell his wares. 'The music industry has gone too far,’ he says. ‘These days you can't watch modern stars -  like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga  - with a two-year-old.’

Image via Wikipedia Mal Fletcher. The Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini once said that, ‘Every kind of music   is good, except the boring kind.’ I wonder if he would respond the same way if he were taking part in the current debate on the over-sexualisation of music aimed at young teens. Today’s teen music industry may not be boring, but is it healthy? This question was raised again this week by Mike Stock , former pop impresario and the man responsible for launching the career of Kylie Minogue .  Mr Stock is no longer the force in music production and promotion that he was in the 1980s when he was part of the influential triumvirate Stock, Aitken and Waterman.  Yet his views still carry weight, coming as they do from someone who, in his time, was not averse to using sexuality – albeit a gentler kind – to sell his wares. 'The music industry has gone too far,’ he says. ‘These days you can't watch modern stars -  like Britney Spears or Lady Gaga  - with a two-year-old.’