With both sadness and joy, I share the news that my father-in-law, Dr. John Mark Dean, passed away yesterday. He was in hospice care at home surrounded by loved ones. Sadness for having to say goodbye to a deeply loving father. Joy comes from knowing that he was ready to move on and was surrounded by love.
Scott and I were able to visit two weekends ago. John was in a positive state of mind and said repeatedly, “I am so fortunate.”
We are planning a memorial event for some weeks in the future. It will take place in the Dean’s retirement home of Laurel Crest in Columbia, SC.
John, a professor and marine biologist with the Baruch Institute, was a popular teacher at University of South Carolina where he influenced and inspired many students to combine the science of our coast with whatever major one had – English lit, Political Science, Law, or other majors, as well as inspiring generations of graduate students in the sciences. He has an extraordinary list of former students who combined coastal and ocean sciences with their careers in national and state policy, academic and business positions. Their home hosted numerous graduate students, international students, visiting musicians, and other visitors from every corner of the globe and as well as from this country. He left a wonderful legacy in his wake.
Federal Government work is hindered by the unhealthy obsession some officials have with other people’s gender. WHY DO THEY CARE SO MUCH??? Why can’t they prioritize the work they need to do instead of spending time in the fight over other people’s gender and how they present themselves? Why is it so important to them that they chose to shut down meetings?
I wish getting business done for the American people was more important than arguing about a colleague’s gender. See this Associated Press video.
“A House subcommittee hearing abruptly ended on Tuesday when Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self introduced the first openly transgender lawmaker in Congress as “Mr. McBride.” Rep. Sarah McBride responded by referring to Self as “Madam Chair.” The hearing was adjourned after Democrat William Keating asked Self if he had “no decency.”
How does one person’s gender affect another person? It does not!! It sure as heck does not negatively affect another person enough to get in the way of holding a meeting. To let it get in the way is childish.
Why are our elected officials spending ANY TIME on this bizarre obsession with other people’s genders?? They might as well be ending meetings based on comparing each other’s shoe sizes.
My Senator, Mr. Tillis, a Republican and T supporter, has not responded to my many voicemails and Facebook messages. His office has my name and street address. They know I’m a constituent that’s vocal and against what Mr. Tillis is doing on many topics. I have no way of knowing if my actual Senator understands what I’m saying. I have doubts about whether my messages are getting to him at all.
My Congresswoman, Deborah Ross, a Democrat, has very polite staff who answer my calls and clearly listen, take notes about what my opinions are, and let me know I have been heard.
An in-person town hall is one of the few ways elected officials can really let their constituents know they’ve been heard, they are understood, and their needs, opinions, etc, have been taken into account. The Republican members of the US House of Representatives have been directed to NOT hold town halls. Below is a quote from the NY Times article on this topic from March 4, 2025: Read the whole article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/04/us/politics/gop-town-hall.html
“Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chairman of House Republicans’ campaign arm, issued a stark message to the G.O.P. rank and file on Tuesday: Stop having in-person town halls with your constituents.”
Here’s why according to him: “Democrat activists who don’t live in the district, very often, will show up for these town hall events and they’ll go in an hour early and they’ll fill all the seats,” Mr. Johnson said. “Now I’m not saying everyone in these town halls that you’ve seen on television were not from the local area, but look, there are people who do this as a profession. They’re professional protesters. So why would we give them a forum to do that right now?”
I’ll tell you why. Because elected officials are required by law to listen to their constituents and represent them. The number of protesters who are not constituents in any given town hall compared to those who are constituents is an UNKNOWN number. Using that argument to hide from constituents is using fear to avoid doing the job of an elected official. In short terms, it means the elected official is caving in to fear like a coward.
This paragraph is from the AP News article linked below on a NC town hall recently: “After a rowdy town hall in Asheville, NC, the Republican Congressman, Chuck Edwards, who listened to his constituents boo and yell at him during the meeting said “I take away from what I heard today that we’re doing exactly what the American people sent us to Washington D.C. to do,” Edwards said, as several protesters pounded on the doors nearby.”
That says to me that Congressman Edwards doesn’t care that so many of his constituents are angry. That says to me that he’s given up on working to serve all his constituents. He’s only going to care about the ones who voted for him and the rest get blown off. That’s DIVIDING our communities, not working together.
This is my interpretation of information published by the Associated Press and NY Times. I use this to inform my calls and voicemails left for my elected officials.
Each individual adult, especially those who use their power of voting, MUST evaluate the news sources they use. I pray that anyone reading this will decide to take seriously the news from sources that are low in bias, low in opinions, and high in facts. The truth of what’s happening in our government today is difficult to find. Many news sources present themselves as sources of truth, but the reader/listener/voter must decide for themselves who to listen to.
Do you listen to your Mom? Dad? Cousin? Former college roommate who went on to earn advanced degrees and you only see on Facebook? Why do you make the decisions you do about who you listen to?
Your Mom and Dad love you, but they may not have the skills to learn the truth of what’s happening in the world or make the same decisions on who to vote for that you would. They may get angry about different things than you do.
I used to read CNN for my news. No longer. Now I will look at it with a grain of salt knowing that the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart shows CNN as lower in the scale of “News Value and Reliability” than other news sources like Associated Press and BBC.
What Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart??? It’s this thing I hope you’ve seen already or will choose to click on today.
The Ad Fontes research also shows hard data to show that sources like FOX and MSNBC are both low on the scale of “News Value and Reliability.” Brietbart is shown as very far down the scale of “News Value and Reliability” as well as extremely far right in ideology. I used the interactive link https://app.adfontesmedia.com/chart/interactive to find this view below of that publication.
Brietbart is shown as very far down the scale of “News Value and Reliability”
“That’s lib-tard crap!” or “That’s BS!” or “My news source is just fine!” I hear someone cry… Please read up on the methodology Ad Fontes uses to create their chart. They are publicly accountable, better than many of us, for their unbiased methods of judgement: https://adfontesmedia.com/methodology/
I will read news from multiple sources, but check what the Associated Press, BBC, and USA Facts has to say about the facts. THEN I make my decision about what to say when I call my senators.
Reading news from highly biased and low reliability publications means the reader is lacking facts. It can be emotionally enjoyable to see the authors complaining about the same stuff you complain about, but it can be misleading. If you are reading news from biased or low reliability sources, you are making decisions based on a lack of facts.
Please take time to evaluate your news sources with the Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart.
Are you making decisions based on fact or emotion? Are you reading biased articles? Are you making healthy decisions or not? Are your decisions affecting other people?
Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor said recently “We will lose our democracy” if we do not ALL engage in media literacy. See the video from Associated Press here: https://youtu.be/-Z74NSvekuE
“We will lose our democracy” if people, particularly young people, don’t make it “their responsibility to be literate about the basis for your decision-making,” Sotomayor said. She encouraged listeners to develop the skills to identify lies, misdirection, misinformation, and confusion that are common online. I agree strongly with her that our democracy will turn into a government ruled only by very rich people if we, the rest of the people, do not learn this skill.
Again, I strongly recommend using the Media Bias Chart from Ad Fontes Media to help you see the difference between facts and opinions. https://adfontesmedia.com/
In the SCA*, we do not do a great job of this. Our community points to the Order of the Laurel to lead the way into historic research and sharing reliable information sources. I was recently shamed and attacked over email for suggesting that a Laurel candidate should make an effort to demonstrate their skills in research. I was told that was too hard and too demanding to expect from a Laurel candidate. The three options I offered for this effort were turned into a new requirement in one Laurel’s fearful response. “Who’s making that a new requirement for Laurel??” they replied, angrily.
The angry, fearful, and defensive responses to my suggestion demonstrated to me that the skill of discerning sources, writing down what you learned, and publishing for the world to see is a terrifying concept to many people. Even those who lead the SCA in the realm of research are often terrified of doing this.
So, yes, it’s hard to publish. But it’s pretty easy to look at the Media Bias Chart and simply choose to read from low bias, high fact based sources. The cost of not doing this is losing our democracy to rich, selfish people.
*The SCA = The Society for Creative Anachronism, www.sca.org, a non profit group I’ve volunteered in since 1992.
I started using the 5 Calls app this week to call my Senators and Congresswoman to register my outrage at the steps taken recently by our government. For a very busy person like me, this app was a direct solution for helping me make time to participate in democracy by voicing my opinion to my elected officials.
I believe the non profit organization running this program started as a website and grew into a phone app. See the website here: https://5calls.org/
Scroll to the bottom of their home page to see the links to Google Play and Apple store to download the app to your phone, or go to your phone’s own app for Google Play or Apple Store.
a summary with links to news articles about each topic
upon entering your zip code, the app gives you the direct phone numbers for your 2 Senators and 1 Congressperson! It offers both their DC office and multiple local offices.
a script you can use to voice your opinion about the topic
Naturally, you can choose to say whatever you want to, but this script is a GREAT way to get started when you speak.
This script was SO HELPFUL to me! It helped me focus on what to say when my call was answered.
Due to the sad state of social media, I’m now using my blog to share the many announcements I can share on a WIDE variety of topics. Please subscribe via email to my blog if you’re interested in any of these topics:
Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) updates in the Arts and Sciences world including Universities, A&S events, competitions, and much more!
Commedia dell’ Arte and community theater opportunities
Social and Political activism focused on equity and support for under-supported communities, LGBTQA+ communities, women, and anti-Cheeto efforts.
For my professional offerings around Knowledge Management, online information sharing, and User Experience, find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraccoutinho/
Commedia dell’ Arte education resources in September! A rare surge in opportunities for learning and doing Commedia dell’ Arte!
1) Saturday, September 2, 4:00pm to 5:30pm Italy time / 10:00am to 11:30am US Eastern Time – 90 minute online interactive lesson from Fabrizio Paladin, internationally renown professional commedia actor and coach – https://fb.me/e/Yuwn81Fo
Pre-registration required.
2) Saturday, September 9, 6:00pm – 7:15pm US Eastern Time, FREE in person commedia class and skit as part of Carolina Circus Festival in Cary, NC at WakeMed Soccer Park. Taught by Nancy Kramer, member of i Firenzi Commedia Troupe. https://carolinacircusfestival.com/
No pre-registration necessary. Just show up!
3) Saturday, September 16, 10:00 – 5:00pm, Four separate FREE in person classes on various commedia topics as part of Atlantia University (Intro to Commedia, Scenarios, Improv skills, Put It Together Workshop) https://university.atlantia.sca.org//catalog.php?university_id=236
Location: Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham, NC
No pre-registration necessary. Just show up!
4) October 5- November 2, Five week long commedia in person class sessions, weekly class of 90 minutes each, produced by the Town of Cary, NC “Cary Arts Center” https://mycary.org/s/programs?programId=a7g4u000000Toc7
Classes resulting in a student performance on November 2.
Class is designed for adults interested in doing commedia dell’ arte which usually just serves as an educational piece of theater history classes. This class will allow students to wear masks, dive into the archetypical characters, and create a short play based on their own favorite pieces of commedia.
Please reach out to me (via orangesophie AT gmail) if you have any questions about these resources and how to participate!
Sincerely,
Lara Coutinho-Dean, Capocomico of i Firenzi (www.ifirenzi.com)
Scroll down to the bottom for Non-Elevation Fun: Ball, Commedia, Improv, and Misrule!
Elevation Summary:
Vigil/Party:
“Middle Sunday” August 6 starting at 4:00pm with worthies speeches and Their Majesties of Atlantia putting me on vigil. Located at Casa Firenzi Camp on block N40, next to Kingdom of Avacal camp which is next to Kingdom of Atlantia Camp.
“War Week Wednesday” August 9, starting at 6:00pm, my elevation is the first item of business. Friends who wish to participate in the procession can sign up for their role here: https://forms.gle/tGCnT5jtHJKGN9NH6
Musicians who wish to play Petite Riens for my procession and/or wish to join in the dance band for the Grand Ball later Wednesday night can sign up to get organized by THLady Jolicia here: Google sign-up sheet for musicians: https://forms.gle/xpv8LhiYdP9Vm4ez7
Elevation Details:
Please come join me in celebrating my elevation to the SCA Order of the Laurel at Pennsic 50!
For my non-SCA friends, this is the mastery level award for Arts and Sciences in the SCA. My husband was elevated in February 2021 for his expertise in roses. My sister was elevated in September 2018 for her expertise in music and scribal arts. Mountains of my friends have been elevated for their amazing accomplishments over the past 31 years of my SCA life. Now, I am elevated for my expertise in Italian 16th century Commedia dell’ Arte!
Two ceremonies will happen at this year’s Pennsic War: 1) Vigil and 2) Elevation at Court.
1) The Vigil is where the King and Queen of Atlantia will hear short speeches from other existing Laurels and representatives from the other Peerage Orders of the SCA: Pelicans, Masters of Defense (fencing), Royal Peers (former royalty), Knights, and representatives of the rest of the populace.
After the King and Queen hear the speeches from the Peers vouching for me and recommending me to them as a reliable person they can feel confident in elevating to the Order of the Laurel, I will go through a water cleansing ritual.
Inspired by the knights’ ritual bath before elevation, I have created my own water ceremony. I will sit in a small pool and invite some of my friends (pre-determined) to pour water over my head and speak blessings. I believe that when one releases old stressors, as this ceremony is intended to do, one must fill the space made in one’s heart with positive energy. This is the role of my friends speaking blessings to me as they help me wash away old stress. I have a great deal of old stress built up over the past 31 years of SCA life, so I made this ritual a little bigger than the traditional Atlantian Laurel hand washing.
Then I will dry off, present myself to the King and Queen, and they will officially place me on Vigil. I will sit in a special tent and chat with visitors for the rest of the night. The intent is for these visitors to share with me the wisdom they have found in their SCA lives, particularly focused on the significant leap in the social and leadership structure when one becomes a Peer for the first time. Some people may describe this as “giving advice.” I prefer to ask my friends and supporters to share wisdom they have discovered.
The vigil party will have me sitting in a tent all night having quality time with visitors, and the rest of my camp will party with the following:
Ancient and Venerable Traditional Aethelmearc Peerage Cookie Table
Please bring cookies to share! (make note of ingredients please!)
Ongoing music/Bardic Circle with some special guest stars (who are bringing CDs you can buy at my vigil! Support our independent musicians!)
Vince Conaway
Heather Dale (yet to be confirmed)
Whisky Bards
Surreptitious Whisky
Peeps Sacrifice led by the High Peepstress Lucia
Casa Firenzi will provide simple beverages, water and lemonade, and a few brewed beverages, but visitors are encouraged to BYOB and BYO Chair!!
Some people believe that Peerage Vigils are only for other Peers – NOT THIS ONE! This is a vigil party open to any friends and supporters of Sophia the Orange.
2) Elevation ceremony in Atlantia Royal Court: Wednesday August 9 starting at 6:00pm – My elevation is the first order of business.
My friends Harold and Fritz will present a short introduction in Commedia dell’ Arte style, then I will process into court with some friends playing music, Petite Rien, dancing, carrying banners, and portraying some of the many characters I’ve worked with in my 23 years of commedia life.
Audience members are encouraged to accept the kazoos and ribbons offered as gifts for making their participation in court more fun and colorful.
Their majesties will describe shortly what it means to be a Peer of the SCA, call the Order of the Laurel into court, and I will speak an oath. They will place on me three pieces of regalia made for me by beloved friends:
Legacy Laurel medallion from my first household in the Midrealm, Family Von Metten De Grinstead.
Laurel cloak in the style of Atlantia University academic robes by Mistress Genef Wolfline
Laurel wreath incorporated in a Baronial Coronet by Baron Robert de Tyre
Then we all walk to the back of court and try to be quiet so the rest of court can go on honoring other volunteers.
Non-Elevation Fun: Ball, Commedia, Improv, and Misrule!
That evening, Wednesday, August 9, starting at 9:00pm, my friend The Honorable Lady Avelina del Dolce and I will host the Pennsic Grand Masked Ball! Join us at the dance tent for a dance party in character! A thin Commedia del’ Arte scenario will be played out throughout the evening by anyone who wants to come play. Pantalone is rumored to have selected a suitor for his daughter Isabella and we suspect he will announce the lucky groom at the ball! Come dance with Isabella, negotiate with Pantalone, and play with the rest of the commedia characters that show up! No need to sign up. Just come in costume of whatever commedia character you wish to portray and enjoy the ball being in character! Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/68UicnhZV
Then the next night, Thursday, August 10, in the Performing Arts Tent, starting at 9:00pm, the Commedia All Stars troupe will perform a new scenario called “Scallion Stew” very much inspired by the satire blog “The SCAllion” https://thescallion.blog/ (An Onion style blog poking fun at the SCA). This is where you get to see what a Commedia Laurel can do! Laughs are guaranteed, and current events will be made fun of! (Basis of the plot is the drama experienced by my friend Master Wistric when he was sanctioned by the SCABOD – see the article from the SCAllion here: https://thescallion.blog/2023/03/02/breaking-pennsic-lifeguard-removed-from-office-for-refusing-to-allow-alligators-in-lake/ ) (PS: Wistric is being HONORED in our play by being the HERO to save us all at the end!) Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1exSvAAod
Please do not hesitate to ask questions or come join the fun! Email me if you need any help – orangesophie AT gmail.
Other Pennsic Performances I’m running:
Whose Cause Is It Anyway? An improv comedy show supporting Ukraine! Friday August 4 at 6:00pm at the Performing Arts Tent. Facebook event https://fb.me/e/1cTukqj9r
Court of Misrule! The folks at the Pleasure Pavilions (formerly known as “Vlad’s”) in block E20
have challenged the kingdoms of the known world to prove they are NOT BORING! The King and Queen of Atlantia have selected me and my commedia friends as the CHAMPIONS OF NOT BORING ATLANTIA!!!! We shall compete against other Fools representing other kingdoms on Saturday night of middle weekend, August 5, at the Pleasure Pavilions E20
Intro to Commedia class! Cuz I can’t not teach. 😉 Thursday August 3 at 12:00 – 1:00pm. Followed by Iron Commedia workshop run by The Honorable Lady Avelina del Dolce with a show at 5:00pm!
My fourth and final submission to the Persona Challenge of summer 2022: developing a persona of a female entertainer who performs espionage in 1580 Florence for the family “Firenzi.”
My beloved mistress,
When you sent me, my sister, and my husband to the Pennsic Faire to listen for evidence of rebellion from the Barons and Baronesses of Atlantia, I never dreamed of witnessing such horrors.
As you said before we left, we would gain access to many gatherings under our guise as entertainers. We were, in fact, welcomed and left unescorted among many nobles and high ranking leaders
of the Kingdom of Atlantia and many of her cousin kingdoms. I prepared myself to hear the whispers of rebellion, and while that would have been heart wrenching to witness, my ears and soul witnessed much worse darkness flowing among the people of Pennsic Faire.
Your friend, the Queen of Atlantia, has nothing to worry about. The people of her kingdom are faithful to the crown above all else. There was, however, a more evil flow of rumor and gossip exchanged between the people of Atlantia. Never had I ever before known such worry and fear spoken between those portrayed as friends. Never had I ever before known such whispers of betrayal between neighbors.
Never had I ever known the population of a fairly ruled barony to fear the ultimate, heart wrenching insult – a threat to their supply of beer.
Brewed beverages are what keep a population happy and peaceful while great labors are demanded of them day after day. To threaten the supply of a barony’s beer barrels is so unthinkable I can hardly bear it.
My heart aches to report to you that your friends, the Baron and Baroness of Marinus, are at the center of this rumor. Also, their neighbors, the Baron and Baroness of Stierbach, are deeply steeped in flowing gossip. I disguised myself as a servant to listen to their tense conversation at Pennsic, and I overheard their discussion, nay panic, over the threat of their beer supplies.
My friend, Katherine, from the Kingdom of Aethlemearc, another comic actress engaged in spy work, confirmed hearing similar rumblings as she listened as well. Between both our efforts joined,
we can reliably report to you the following.
Upon the days of November 11, 12, and 13 in a city named Cortland, Virginia, their peoples will gather for war. Soldiers, archers, swordsmen, those that fight with rebated steel, and axe throwers
will flood the lands of the Barony of Marinus. They are rumored to eat the eggs of the devil, Persephone’s Pomegranates of Hades, and use some kind of dark magic to make a cake from cheese.
The dark cheese magic was said to come from the city of Istanbul or Constantinople. It’s unclear which. This great war will undoubtedly be held in a swamp if the lands of Cort are truly as moist as people say.
The last note of evidence I have for you is so fraught with danger I cannot risk it being read by even our trusted messenger from Casa Firenzi. I will include it below using the cypher you taught me named after the great Roman leader that will someday be worthy of a play written in iambic pentameter. But instead of his unlucky number as key, I shall remind you of my favorite color and hope you discover my meaning.
Below is a drawing I made of a spy master I met at Pennsic who taught me many more ways of hiding information. Please note the second drawing I made of the great leaders of Marinus and Stierbach. Their fear is real, and the threat to their beer supply is terrifying. I hope that our network of informants may serve to ease their pain.
In service to our Casa Firenzi and my beloved Marchesa Firenzi, does Sophia the Orange devote her heart and soul.
Message:
Hgxutkyy Mktkl joyroqky hkkx!
The English Spymaster teaching espionage at Pennsic
Marinus and Stierbach in a secret meeting at Pennsic
(A secret source for breaking the code of my message: https://cryptii.com/pipes/caesar-cipher )
Sophia and Manus are now married, and successfully gathering information throughout Florentine society for the Marchesa Firenzi. Manus continues correspondence with other naturalists throughout Europe, and Sophia continues to attend social gatherings with the Marchesa. Their next assignment is to attend the international Pennsic fair in the Kingdom of Aethleamearc. The Marchesa Firenzi is concerned that rumblings and rumors of rebellion in the Kingdom of Atlantia might have an effect on her friend, the Queen of Atlantia, so she is sending her people to gather information at Pennsic fair.
As luck would have it, Sophia and Manus have been building another method of expanding their spy network. They have built a troupe of actors to perform the Italian Comedy plays popular in Florence nowadays. The troupe, i Firenzi, performs at private and public events to both entertain and also gain access to social gatherings. When the troupe members listen carefully to the conversations around them, they gather information about who’s doing what in Florence. Now that the Marchesa is concerned about what’s happening in her friend’s kingdom of Atlantia, she is sending her spies to Pennsic.
Lara Coutinho-Dean can be found on LinkedIn for insight into to world of Knowledge Management. KM is the intersection of technology, people, and processes. THIS BLOG, however, is for: Social Activism, Emotional Growth Support, Community Theater, Commedia dell' Arte, Shakespeare, and SCA hobby stuff. I play a character in the SCA named Dame Sophia the Orange in the Kingdom of Atlantia. I'm currently serving as the Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences. Please subscribe for announcements!
