Soaring above the fray with Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson /
The Englishman fancies hot air balloons and space travel.

Sir Richard Branson is an English business magnate, investor and philanthropist whose heart and soul are in the right place. He is best known as the founder of Virgin Group, which benefits more than 400 companies. He's dabbled in a variety of media, including print, film and television; opened a chain of record stores, and started an airline.

Branson, 66, who was knighted by the Queen in 2000 for "services to entrepreneurship," is a fancier of hot air balloons and space travel. He's an avid fan of Star Trek. There is a highly competitive nature to him, but he doesn't seem to be in-your-face about it. And, when the man with the brilliant mind speaks out, people listen to him.

"My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them ..." Branson wrote in his autobiography.

Sir Richard Branson / He founded the Virgin Group,
which benefits more than 400 companies. 

When Branson hasn't set his sights on breaking world records for travel, he's been focused on humanitarian activities. For instance, in the late 1990s, Branson and musician Peter Gabriel discussed with Nelson Mandela an idea for a small group of leaders working in unison to solve difficult global conflicts. In 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Mandela announced the formation of a group called The Elders, which included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kofi Annan and former director-general of the World Health Organization Gro Harlem Brundtland. The Elders, funded by a group of donors, including Branson and Gabriel, describe themselves as "independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights." With almost 1,000 years of collective experience between them in the group, The Elders have worked on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems such as climate change, HIV/AIDS and poverty.

More recently, in 2014, Branson joined forces with African Wildlife Foundation and partner WildAid for the"Say No" Campaign, which was an initiative designed to bring public awareness to the issues of wildlife poaching and trafficking.

With just two weeks until Election Day in America, Branson has shared access with both major-party candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump. In a recent article for BusinessInsider.com, Branson expressed a lunch encounter he once shared in Trump's apartment as "bizarre" and revealed a "vindictive streak" he noticed in the Republican Party standard bearer, which he admitted "wouldn't bode well for a president who should be more concerned with global affairs than personal vendettas."

Sir Richard Branson and Donald Trump /
The two business titans fundamentally disagree on
what makes a great entrepreneur.

Branson and Trump, I learned, fundamentally disagree on what makes a great entrepreneur. Branson believes it involves being a good listener, putting others before oneself, being an effective delegator and striving to make a positive difference to the world. "Great entrepreneurs build businesses with purpose at their heart and always treat people with respect. These are not characteristics I see in Mr. Trump – neither in his previous dealings, nor in this campaign."

In a recent blog post, Branson wrote about his meeting with Trump: "I left the lunch feeling disturbed and saddened by what I'd heard. There are a lot of frightening things about this election, not least that policy has been pushed so far down the agenda. "

Branson called Mr. Trump's temperament "irrational, aggressive and he lacks informed ideas on how to grow jobs in America. An entrepreneur president would put that at the heart of his plans and yet his fear-based campaign blames immigrants and open borders."

By contrast, Branson also broke bread with Clinton in which the two discussed a variety of important issues such as women's rights and education reform. He noted that the Democratic Party nominee for president was both a "good listener" and "eloquent speaker."

Branson wrote of Clinton: "As she understands well, the president of the United States needs to understand and be engaged with wider world issues, rather than be consumed by petty personal quarrels."

Earlier this month, in a blog post on Virgin's website, Branson endorsed Clinton over Trump for president. "I would like to see an entrepreneur become president one day," Branson wrote. "I believe entrepreneurial thinking is incredibly valuable in leaders, and there are many entrepreneurs who I would be delighted to see in power – just not this one."

Sir Richard Branson weighs in on the U.S. Presidential race.

While Branson is not an American citizen, nonetheless, he has been a keen follower of the U.S. election because it 'will have major implications on the rest of the world."

Branson gets it.

Indeed, the whole world is watching.

"The U.S. is faced with a monumental decision: whether to vote for Hillary Clinton – a safe pair of hands and a leader of supreme experience and know how. Or to vote for Donald Trump," wrote Branson.

"America was built upon a collective embracing of diversity and openness – not division and close-mindedness. There are too many examples of Mr. Trump's lack of empathy and respect to name. I agree with many on both sides of America's political aisle that he is unfit for office."

Photos: Courtesy of Google Images.

Minnesota folksy appeal: A Prairie Home Companion, 2.0

New APHC host Chris Thile (left) and Nashville-man-about-town
Jack White share a music jam. 

The brilliant musician Chris Thile, tapped as the new host of public radio's "A Prairie Home Companion," made his debut last weekend. As the successor to creator Garrison Keillor, it will be Thile's task to maintain the radio show's Minnesota-folksy appeal while also drawing a younger audience.

Over the course of his first two-hour APHC, Thile gave props to all things Minnesotan in praising many of its sports teams – the Vikings, the Lynx, even the losing Twins – and also praised Prince and Bob Dylan, apple cider and autumn leaves.

During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Thile (pronounced Thee-lee) admitted that with the upcoming presidential election that's less than three weeks away, everyone needs a means for escaping the rancor and madness that's been brought on by Donald Trump. "People out there need a break, man," he said. "Our fall has been hijacked by a presidential election. It's a very important election, and I will certainly be addressing that on the show, but hopefully I can provide people with a little bit of relief, too. Music and laughter: those are top-shelf forms of relief, I say."

During his debut show, Thile wasted little time taking jabs and poking fun at both major-party candidates, Trump and Hillary Clinton, while admitting that he, too, had once used an unsecured e-mail account and had not paid income taxes for 18 consecutive years – "after that I graduated high school."

The 36-year-old Thile, a Grammy Award-winning mandolin virtuoso, singer and songwriter who cut his chops in bluegrass music with the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek and the acoustic folk/progressive bluegrass quintet Punch Brothers, has the unenviable task of replacing the legendary and literate Keillor.

Mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, shown at the 2015
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco.
He wants to preserve the appeal of APHC, but
also "really blow the doors off on the musical front."

Thile made his first appearance on "A Prairie Home Companion" in 1996, at age 15, and he's been back numerous times – as a solo artist, with Nickel Creek, and with Punch Brothers. Twice in 2015 and on two occasions earlier this year, Thile was the show's guest host.

While the 2012 MacArthur Fellow not only wants to preserve the appeal of "A Prairie Home Companion," which made its public radio debut in 1974, Thile also has been charged with revising its structure and broadening its reach to a younger demographic (the average listener of APHC is 59 years-old). If his first show is any indicator, there will be less talk and more music.

Admitting that he wants to "really blow the doors off on the musical front," the music guests for the first weekend included "Nashville-man-about-town" Jack White, whom the New York Times Magazine once called "the coolest, weirdest, savviest rock star of our time," and Brooklyn-based hip jazz-soul vocal combo Lake Street Dive.

As for Thile's own music tastes, they range from Bach to Bill Monroe to hip-hop. So, anything seems possible and it's likely that Thile will welcome folksingers, jazz musicians, soul revivalists, roots-rockers and bluegrass bands. This week's guests include folk-based singer/songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, evocative American singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, and comedian John Hodgman, formerly of Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

"I want the show to be a home for the breadth of the good music being made in the world," Thile told Rolling Stone. "My musical output has been consistently acoustic, but my taste has not. I love everything. As long as it's good, I'm in."

While A Prairie Home Companion is a very well-known and established public radio brand whose name is easily recognized – both in Minnesota and beyond – indeed, Thile has big shoes to fill. Yet, I like his youthful energy and enthusiasm – it's different than Keillor's – not to mention he's a better singer. I think given a chance, he'll do just fine – especially in expanding the depth of the musical offerings. If Thile brings in a younger audience as it is hoped he will, that's a plus that I'm sure will please everyone.

Note: A Prairie Home Companion is broadcast live from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, produced by American Public Media, and airs via National Public Radio (NPR) on Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. Central Time (10 p.m. GMT) – and at various other times – and selected shows are streamed live at www.prairiehome.org. APHC is available to listen via podcast, too.

Cover photo: Courtesy of twincities.com, Google Images.
Photo of Chris Thile at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass by Michael Dickens, © 2015.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 16: The sounds of autumn

Gathering at the Banjo Stage for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

Each year, as my wife and I map out our cultural calendar, we reserve the first weekend of October for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco. There's no better place to be than in the natural beauty of Golden Gate Park for this annual admission-free festival, which has become one the country's premiere music events.

Somehow, the autumn weather at the beginning of October always seems to be just right for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, the late Warren Hellman's music gift to The City. Although the Bay Area billionaire investment banker and benefactor – himself a spirited banjo player and a lover of bluegrass music – died in 2011, he left an endowment to ensure its existence for many years to come. There are no corporate sponsors. In 2012, one of the meadows was renamed Hellman Hollow to honor the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass founder's memory.

Valerie June performed on the Banjo Stage
at the 16th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival.

As the 16th edition of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass returned from Sept. 30-Oct. 2, spread out over seven stages with its usual eclectic mix of talent, there were over 100 live acts – including Mavis Staples, Jackson Browne, Cyndi Lauper, Boz Scaggs, Cake, Buddy Miller, Conor Oberst, T Bone Burnett, Kris Kristopherson, the Dropkick Murphys, Roseanne Cash, M. Ward, John Doe, KT Tunstall, Steve Earle and the Dukes, and perennial closer Emmylou Harris – which delighted the hundreds of thousands of music revelers who packed into the western half of Golden Gate Park over the festival's three days. The fans filled the meadow lawns, crowded onto the park's hills, and a few adventurous types could be seen dotting treetops, too There was a little something for everyone's music palette: traditional bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, country, folk, surf rock, Americana and roots rock. Plus, there was pop and soul, and even Celtic rock. It all added up to a delightful treasure trove of great music riches.

Steve Earle

This year, my wife and I welcomed to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass our longtime friends from Seattle, whom we had shared many Bumbershoot music and art festivals together in the Emerald City over the past 20 years. On Friday, we arrived at the festival site just past noon and camped out in Hellman Hollow about a hundred yards back from the Banjo Stage, where we enjoyed a soulful bluesy set by Americana singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Valerie June from Memphis, Tenn.

Shawn Colvin

Then, we walked a few hundred yards west arriving at the Arrow Stage to catch Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle, who played a spirited set of mostly acoustic chestnuts, including the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up Little Susie," "Ruby Tuesday," by the Rolling Stones and a beautiful and melodic duet of "You Were On My Mind" by the We Five. Colvin and Earle's vocal harmonies were spot on and delightful.

The Rebirth Brass Band

We stayed at the Arrow Stage where we were met with the lively arrival of the Rebirth Brass Band, known for combining traditional New Orleans brass band music – including the New Orleans tradition of second line – along with funk, soul and hip hop.

Mavis Staples

Finally, we returned to the Banjo Stage for an outstanding set of old favorites and recent solo recordings by the raw and rasping voice of an American original, Mavis Staples, which closed out our first day. Staples called Hardly Strictly Bluegrass "my favorite, favorite festival." By the conclusion of the gregarious Chicago singer's set, culminated by "I'll Take You There," the sun had faded out over the nearby Pacific Ocean, and it was time to return home.

Vince Gill with The Time Jumpers

On Saturday, we eagerly returned and camped out at the Banjo Stage for much of the afternoon, soaking up some sunshine and good sounds provided by Laurie Lewis, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Vince Gill and the Time Jumpers, and the Dave Rawlings Machine, featuring Rawlings and his longtime musical partner Gillian Welch, playing bluegrass classics and originals. Throughout the afternoon, the Banjo Stage featured lots of fiddles, banjos and mandolins.

Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch

On our way out of the festival, we paused for a few minutes at the very packed Rooster Stage in Marx Meadow to catch the beginning of Jackson Browne's late-afternoon set, just one of many unforgettable moments of our weekend. Then, we ventured further west along the festival's main boulevard to catch the end of Glen Hansard's set on the Tower of Gold Stage and, finally, the start of Chris Isaak's show with his band Silvertone on the Swan Stage.

As Hardly Strictly Bluegrass turned 16 this year, once again, the HSB festival organizers out-did themselves to make it one of the most outstanding – and uniquely satisfying – music festivals in the country. Somehow, it keeps getting bigger and better without becoming too commercial. It remains joyously unwieldy. There's a carefree vibe and a sense of inclusiveness to go along with the clear blue skies and beautiful weather. While admittedly crowded, everyone seemed to have a good and fun time without becoming rowdy or obnoxious. Each day, we packed a gourmet picnic complete with California red and white wines and a variety of cheese and crackers and other satisfying snacks to enjoy. The music and the atmosphere is what makes us look forward to returning next year and doing it all over again.

To see a complete list of artists who performed at the 2016 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival as well as to link to the webcast archive of selected performances:

http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2016/

All photos: By Michael Dickens © 2016.

Grace from within: A blessing for our domestic animals

Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi
inside San Francisco's Grace Cathedral.

The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi was celebrated by many Episcopal (Anglican) and Catholic churches across the United States today. Some, like my church of worship, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, commemorated Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of San Francisco, servant to the poor and lover of all creation, with its annual blessing of domestic animals on Sunday as a token of the love Saint Francis showed for all created beings, including animals, as expressed in his Canticle of Creatures.

There is a tradition of blessing animals that dates back to the fourth century, when Saint Anthony of the Desert brought animals into the church for blessing. Now, many churches celebrate it on October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis, whom Pope John Paul II named the patron saint of ecology in 1979.

The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, who led the procession at Grace Cathedral on Sunday, said: "Francis loved the Earth so much and nature, so I'm hoping that people see the beauty. We live in the most beautiful city in the world, and part of that is the beauty of the redwood trees, the bay and the estuaries."

It's a very lovely and heartfelt experience seeing dogs, cats and other domestic pet animals such as fish and birds on their best behavior, sitting in the pews besides their caretakers, sensing the solemnity of the occasion. Then, being "blessed" individually, both verbally and with holy water, by the Grace Cathedral clergy, all in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. (It should be noted that some parishioners choose to bring photos of their pets if it is difficult for their pets to attend the blessing.)

So, just who was Saint Francis of Assisi and why was he such a beloved figure?

Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher, who lived from the late 12th to early 13th centuries. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis.

"Francis sought occasion to love God in everything. He delighted in all the works of God's hands and from the vision of joy on earth his mind soared aloft to the life-giving source and cause of all," wrote Saint Bonaventure.

Here's a bit about the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi, courtesy of Wikipedia:

It has been argued that no one in history was as dedicated as Francis to imitate the life, and carry out the work, of Christ in Christ’s own way. This is important in understanding Francis' character and his affinity for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament. He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty. Poverty was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty was the essential lifestyle for the members of his order.

He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God. He called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters,” and even preached to the birds and supposedly persuaded a wolf to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. In his Canticle of the Creatures (Praises of Creatures or Canticle of the Sun), he mentioned the “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon,” the wind and water, and “Sister Death.” 

He referred to his chronic illnesses as his “sisters." His deep sense of brotherhood under God embraced others, and declared that “he considered himself no friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ died.”

Francis's visit to Egypt and attempted rapprochement with the Muslim world had far-reaching consequences, long past his own death, since after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay on in the Holy Land and be recognized as "Custodians of the Holy Land" on behalf of Christianity.

On July 16, 1228, Francis was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. He is known as the patron saint of animals and ecology – the environment – and is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

On March 13, 2013, upon his election as Pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose as his papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, thus becoming Pope Francis.

In the spirit of Saint Francis, I would like to share with you a 13th century prayer written by Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Grace from within: A blessing for our domestic animals

Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi
inside San Francisco's Grace Cathedral.

The Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi was celebrated by many Episcopal (Anglican) and Catholic churches across the United States today. Some, like my church of worship, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, commemorated Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of San Francisco, servant to the poor and lover of all creation, with its annual blessing of domestic animals on Sunday as a token of the love Saint Francis showed for all created beings, including animals, as expressed in his Canticle of Creatures.

There is a tradition of blessing animals that dates back to the fourth century, when Saint Anthony of the Desert brought animals into the church for blessing. Now, many churches celebrate it on October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis, whom Pope John Paul II named the patron saint of ecology in 1979.

The Very Rev. Dr. Malcolm Clemens Young, who led the procession at Grace Cathedral on Sunday, said: "Francis loved the Earth so much and nature, so I'm hoping that people see the beauty. We live in the most beautiful city in the world, and part of that is the beauty of the redwood trees, the bay and the estuaries."

It's a very lovely and heartfelt experience seeing dogs, cats and other domestic pet animals such as fish and birds on their best behavior, sitting in the pews besides their caretakers, sensing the solemnity of the occasion. Then, being "blessed" individually, both verbally and with holy water, by the Grace Cathedral clergy, all in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. (It should be noted that some parishioners choose to bring photos of their pets if it is difficult for their pets to attend the blessing.)

So, just who was Saint Francis of Assisi and why was he such a beloved figure?

Saint Francis of Assisi (born Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone) was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher, who lived from the late 12th to early 13th centuries. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis.

"Francis sought occasion to love God in everything. He delighted in all the works of God's hands and from the vision of joy on earth his mind soared aloft to the life-giving source and cause of all," wrote Saint Bonaventure.

Here's a bit about the legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi, courtesy of Wikipedia:

It has been argued that no one in history was as dedicated as Francis to imitate the life, and carry out the work, of Christ in Christ’s own way. This is important in understanding Francis' character and his affinity for the Eucharist and respect for the priests who carried out the sacrament. He and his followers celebrated and even venerated poverty. Poverty was so central to his character that in his last written work, the Testament, he said that absolute personal and corporate poverty was the essential lifestyle for the members of his order.

He believed that nature itself was the mirror of God. He called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters,” and even preached to the birds and supposedly persuaded a wolf to stop attacking some locals if they agreed to feed the wolf. In his Canticle of the Creatures (Praises of Creatures or Canticle of the Sun), he mentioned the “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon,” the wind and water, and “Sister Death.” 

He referred to his chronic illnesses as his “sisters." His deep sense of brotherhood under God embraced others, and declared that “he considered himself no friend of Christ if he did not cherish those for whom Christ died.”

Francis's visit to Egypt and attempted rapprochement with the Muslim world had far-reaching consequences, long past his own death, since after the fall of the Crusader Kingdom it would be the Franciscans, of all Catholics, who would be allowed to stay on in the Holy Land and be recognized as "Custodians of the Holy Land" on behalf of Christianity.

On July 16, 1228, Francis was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. He is known as the patron saint of animals and ecology – the environment – and is one of the most venerated religious figures in history.

On March 13, 2013, upon his election as Pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina chose as his papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, thus becoming Pope Francis.

In the spirit of Saint Francis, I would like to share with you a 13th century prayer written by Saint Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.