Tutu: The Authorised Portrait

Desmond Tutu at book launch

book signing

Tutu: The Authorised Portrait is one of those books that is an absolute must have. Written by his daughter and a journalist friend who Desmond Tutu has known for many years.

From the pictures alone, a face that radiates joy.

Tutu: The Authorised Portrait is a celebration of 80 years of Archbishop Desmond Tutu by the people who know and love him.

Tutu: The Authorised Portrait was launched in South Africa with Bono.

– ‘Tutu: The authorized portrait’ book launch with Bono in Cape Town

Synchronicity: The day I stumbled across Tutu: The Authorised Portrait I was on my way to An African Christmas, Christmas carols and African Christmas stories read by Virginia McKenna.

Bono Pay Your Tax!

Chumbawamba headlining today at Glastonbury on the Tripod Stage! Great T-shirts!

They have watchtowers built into the Glastonbury fence, seemed oddly familiar. — Mark Thomas

I’m all for protests. I’ve been protesting all of my life. I’m glad they got the chance to have their say. But, as it happens, what they’re protesting about is wrong. — Bono

Bono likes to pontificate on the world stage on Third World issues. Nothing wrong with that, he highlights real issues. But that does not excuse him from paying his taxes.

Last night at Glastonbury, ArtUncut pulled a stunt which highlighted his failure to pay his tax.

Campaigner Charlie Dewar said:

U2’s multi million-euro tax dodge is depriving the Irish people at a time when they desperately need income to offset the Irish government’s savage austerity programme.

Tax nestling in the band’s bank account should be helping to keep open the hospitals, schools and libraries that are closing all over Ireland.

Bono is well-known for his anti-poverty campaigning but Art Uncut is accusing him of hypocrisy.

Glastonbury security thugs were not amused. They pounced!

Bono was not amused. Bono criticised the tax protesters for “using large music events to raise awareness of political movements is tacky and opportunistic.”

Erm. Is this not what Bono does? Is this not the pot calling the kettle black?

Shame on the BBC who edited the incident out of their Glastonbury coverage.

Top story in Bono Daily (Saturday 25 June 2011).

– Violent scenes break out in the crowd at U2’s long-awaited Glastonbury debut
– ‘Heavy handed’ Glastonbury guards break up U2 protest
– U2 tax protest turns violent

Roll the dice

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
otherwise, don’t even start.

if you’re going to try, go all the
way.
this could mean losing girlfriends,
wives, relatives, jobs and
maybe your mind.

go all the way.
it could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days.
it could mean freezing on a
park bench.
it could mean jail,
it could mean derision,
mockery,
isolation.
isolation is the gift,
all the others are a test of your
endurance, of
how much you really want to
do it.
and you’ll do it
despite rejection and the worst odds
and it will be better than
anything else
you can imagine.

if you’re going to try,
go all the way.
there is no other feeling like
that.
you will be alone with the gods
and the nights will flame with
fire.

do it, do it, do it.
do it.

all the way
all the way.

you will ride life straight to
perfect laughter, its
the only good fight
there is.

— Charles Bukowski

I am reminded of Santiago in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho who was determined to follow his dreams.

Also see

Roll the dice – Charles Bukowski