Friends Making Things

A selection of friends US-wide doing things, all tech:

• At my Redwoods neighborhood in Big Basin forests, Nick defends online users who may get demand letters, Prenda Law style. (as we all know, 99% of the lawyers give the rest of the 1% a bad name, Nick is the 1%). 
• In midwest, Paul Barford  (perhaps the first "networks" paper I read was Paul's) is burning it down, protecting web sites from non-human online traffic.
• Finally, on the east coast, Limor Fried of Adafruit is leading the hands-on revolution,  electronics style, from their factory on Varick street in Manhattan.

Let us start 2014

• Friend Alicia Keys finally finds a song to match her talent, she has her feet on the ground and she is burning it down.
• Arvind Kejriwal who graduated college with me is on fire, forming a govt in Delhi, India, representing the 99% who really need it. 
• Everyone's friend Theo Huxtable (Malcolm) is doing stage with "Who is coming to Dinner". Reminded me, I am still waiting to see someone reprise and play an updated version with the Indian IT person. :) Where is the Indian Sidney Poitier?

That aside, people ask me what I am feeling. Really what I am feeling. In the final moments of Seven Samurai (if you watched it that far), Kambei, having led the samurai's to their goal --  the village safe, the farmers planting rice with traditional music -- watches a difficult moment (Shino spurs Katsushiro), contemplates arms folded, and realizing the need for leadership, steps forward two steps like he has reached a decision, ready to impose that will on others like he does throughout the film, and then a moment later, steps back. Life is like that.