We crossed the first of many finish lines today. It is Thursday, December 22nd, and we finished up the post that will go live tomorrow, and it is posted 100 in 100 days. The Substack started on Thursday, September 15th, with a different name (Fables Reconstruction). 100 published posts later, we've added news, music, and several other features as we test the best mix of original content, news highlights with commentary, and surprises as they come up.

As the team breaks for the holidays, I am taking the newsletter over for the next several weeks. The plan for With A Shout is to be open to everything and to present stories and information with little learning. It is impossible not to lean a little bit; what I never want to do is try to persuade one way or another. Several stories today reference heroes as we get ready to close out 2022. My heroes might be different than your heroes; when I write about my heroes in music, art, writing, and other fields, I emphasize the actions, the process, and the way my heroes work in this world. That gives my readers a glimpse into the heroes and why they are heroes in the first place.

My heroes are people I admire that bring joy to my heart and tears to my face. They are people I want to emulate when I can and discuss with others who share a love of many of the things our heroes do. Characteristics like; dedication, strength, courage, honesty, humility, and contribution. Davide Bowie working with Brian Eno, said, "We can be heroes."

Many heroes become heroes based on circumstances. You become a hero if you walk by a burning building and run into it to save people. If you are the leader of a country that is invaded by another country that is 28 times larger than your country, and you stay and fight, lead and support your people and nation, you become a hero.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, December 21st; let's discuss some highlights.

The train, bus, and secret flight from Poland to the U.S. is a story.

Zelenskyy gave his address in English; I wonder if an American has ever gone to another country and delivered a 30-minute speech in another language.

In his speech, he talked about the stark difference between a free and democratic country and what the fight for Ukraine stands for.

At no time in his speech did he ask for pity or for Americans to put boots on the ground; he asked for support and resources to help in the fight. An investment in the battle for freedom.

He wished the U.S. a Merry Christmas and explained that Ukraine would also have a Christmas, it might be by candlelight, and it might come with the sounds of bombs exploding as Russia continues to bomb infrastructure in Ukraine.

Links to the speech are below, Zelenskyy's address is under 30 minutes, and if you appreciate a Hero's Journey and a fighter that does not make excuses, his speech will give you goosebumps.

Zelenskyy’s speech may have had more bi-partisan standing ovations than anyone who has addressed Congress in years.

Another story about a group of women who get together and start a band later in life. The first story involved women in the U.K. who began by taking music lessons and became a rock band. This story is about 5 women in Milton, Mass, who said the most Punk Rock thing you can ever say... "Why Not!?"

As a practicing writer and musician, who also happens to have passed 50, a hero feels the fear and sings it anyway (R.I.P. Susan Jeffers). The Lazy Susans have another fan today!

Also, check out Milton Porchfest!

A few years ago, new filters on phones and social media sites made us wonder what was real and what was enhanced. If photo filters are caffeine, the new AI apps are full-blown human growth hormone steroids of enhanced text and images. Is it as simple as making sure you disclose when you use a tool for something you publish, or is there more to it? What's the difference between using DALL-E to create an image and Photoshop to enhance a photo you take? The NYT digs in and goes into other areas that could be challenging.

The kids have grabbed new technology, used Lensa to create new social profile pics, and were one of the first groups to grab ChatGPT to write papers for school. If I build it and they will come, the cheaters always do. The best way to look at this technology is the same way we look at all new technology:

I asked ChatGPT:

Generate a description I can use for DALL-E that will create a human-looking robot writer.

ChatGPT Responded:

The description was too long for DALL-E, but with the text it accepted, here is what DALL-E came up with:

My favorite part of the image is the coffee cup; when AI needs coffee, we are all done!

Harrison Ford debuted Han Solo 45 years ago in the first Star Wars movie. This year he turned 80 and has been working non-stop for almost 2 years. NYT spotlighted this iconic actor who is getting ready to release another Indiana Jones movie in 2023.

Reading another spotlight on Harrison Ford makes you wonder if, at some point, an actor with 50 years of accomplished work in the bank can skip the press tour? My assumption would be no, or we wouldn't be highlighting this one! Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny is due for release in June 2023; congrats Harrison; you are a hero in your field and bring joy to the millions with your work.

There is another music city in Tennessee, it's a little smaller than big brother Nashville, but it has a lot of soul. Paste Magazine has a good write-up on the music of Memphis. One of the many museums and sites to see is the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum, one of the coolest museum names I've ever seen!

Words | Music | Art | Unknown

Vesna Mirabeau.

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

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With A Shout newsletter is written by Johnny Christian with the support of a thousand idea bits and the help of many people.