Today, November 4th 2008, is an historic, monumental day for the future of our great nation. Barack Obama, the democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States of America, the most singularly powerful position in the country, one of the most powerful positions in the entirety of the world, was elected by a democratic vote and decided by the Electoral College to become the 44th President of the United States.

A moment recognized as historical at its very occurence, the precise moment of its happening, is rare. Tonight was such a moment. Barack Obama, born to his father, a Kenyan immigrant, and to his mother, a native of Witchita, Kansas, took the stage in Grant Park on the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois to accept his position as President Elect -- the first African-American to ever hold this position in the history of the United States of America. But President Elect Barack Obama was not voted into office because of his race. Barack Obama was voted into office as a symbol. Barack Obama is a symbol of progress, of change, of the future to come -- of hope. Barack Obama stands as a testament to a nation's power to grow, to right itself, to prove to the world and to itself that actions do indeed speak loudest. Barack Obama is the face of a New America, a Better America. Barack Obama is progress. Barack Obama is the future. And with him, we can all be a part.

Yes we can will forever be synonomous with Barack Obama. Weilding Yes we can, we have proved that not only can we, but we will. Yes we can is the United States of America. Yes we can. And I am proud to say it, to live it, to teach it, to love it, to embrace it, to feel it and carry it and cultivate it. Yes we can.

No other words, save the words of President Elect Barack Obama himself, do justice to this momentous night. What follows are his words from tonight; words that will forever be remembered -- words that I will never forget.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing -- Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

While developing my short screenplay, DIVE, an evolution occured -- and, in fact, continues, will continue to occur.

Filmmaking, as an artistic craft, is inherently evolutionary: from conception to pre-production to production to post-production to release, everything can and often will change. And even if a certain path is taken to a dead end in any of the processes, it's always the journey itself that is most important. Without saying too much else, on the Projects page I've posted six drafts of DIVE as a study in the evolution of a project as specific to the writing stage. What changes, what stays, what disappears only to reappear -- it certainly is an evolution.

I welcome your comments, observations, critiques, and insights into the evolution of DIVE.

Below are the six drafts of DIVE, all in Adobe PDF format:

DIVE draft 0

DIVE draft 1

DIVE draft 2

DIVE draft 3

DIVE draft 4

DIVE draft 5

Let's put it all out on the table.  Or, rather.. the blogosphere. 

This here webernet waypoint has been lacking as of late.  And for that, I apologize.  Wait, no.  I don't apologize.  See, I've been busy.  And when I haven't been busy, I've wanted nothing to do with the internet or a computer monitor. 

"Busy?! Hah! What could you possibly be doing?"  Thanks for asking!

A short script I wrote a couple years ago (and one that I've always been quite fond of) is currently in the early stages of development.  That short-form script is DIVE (for more information, see the projects page!).  DIVE was in development during my undergrad stint at UCF, but fell through due to budgetary concerns.  But now, it's back!  And it's garnering some great attention thus far.

Also, my writing internship at jungle [8] is progressing nicely.  Keep reading the jungle [8] blog! It's TOTALLY RAD in every way! ...so says I.

And probably the largest time siphon of the last few weeks -- Battlestar Galactica.  I am a late inductee into the BSG faithful.  But sweet mother of a blue footed booby is it great.  It may very well be the best television series I have ever seen -- and it is certainly one of the most well written shows on contemporary television.  So, even though I'm still catching up to what is the current state of Battlestar Galactica (and hoping to be caught up for January's Season 4.5 premiere), I'm thoroughly enthralled by the universe of Adama's fleet.

So, with that little status update out of the way!  -- time to link-up some content that I've enjoyed lately!

The moral of this story: keep the global climate change a'comin' and we'll be starin' down the throat of some very hungry bears -- that have been scientifically proven to hold no qualms about hunting human.  Talk about the most dangerous game!  Thanks, The Joy of Tech!

Aannnddd then, there's this website! Peace of Mind, by Jackson Wang.  Read it and expand yourself -- preferably starting with what's inside your cranium, give the waistline a break.  

Oh, and last, but certainly not least... ELECTION DAY IS QUITE LITERALLY ONLY A COUPLE WEEKS AWAY!  November 4th!  Do your research, search out whatever resource you feel is necessary to make the most educated decision, but most importantly -- just get out there and vote! 

Hrm.. what to do now?  What. To. Do?  ...I'll give you all a hint -- it's watch Battlestar Galactica. 

I've never been very good with hints.

A more personal, focused entry is forthcoming, I assure you all.  But I came across this article earlier today at Telegraph.co.uk that I couldn't pass by without sharing. 

The first known works of representative art are found in the many caves scattered across Europe.  These depictions of animals, human figures, and prehistoric life were, until recently, thought to be painted at one time by one generation of peoples living in the cave itself.  However, with the pioneering use of uranium series dating, the paintings were found to have been painted throughout hundreds of generations over a time span of around 20,000 years.  These caves are representative of the first collaborative communication as well as artistic expression -- and it makes me ponder exactly what we, as a community of humans, will have to show over our next 20,000 years.  Our collaborations are certainly not as lasting.  Unless our legacy will be that of destruction.

And on a completely unrelated note -- last night's Saturday Night Live with host Anne Hathaway happened to be one of the best in many seasons!  The SNL Digital Short was particularly clever and, most importantly, hilarious.  Take a look!

We all need to pay attention to Project 10 to the 100th, Google's latest philanthropic venture -- putting the power of the idea above all, while they take care of the means.  It's up to us -- all of us.  Not just those who submit an idea, but those who will be voting come January 27th 2009 to narrow the (hopefully) hundreds of thousands of ideas down to 25. 

Google puts it best when they say helping helps everybody, helper and helped alike.  Make sure to read more over on the jungle [8] blog and check out Project 10 to the 100th for yourself.  Submit an idea.  There's $10 million waiting the best, most far-reaching, most needed solutions to the world's most pressing problems. 

So, good luck -- from and for all of us.  And may those who help the most win!