Well, mine was not among the selected video questions during tonight's Presidential debate for the Democratic candidates, but I still think the American people deserve an answer...

As of June 30, 2007, politicians have borrowed $1.959 trillion out of the Social Security trust fund, even though this money will be necessary to pay out retirement benefits in future years. How, if ever, do they intend to pay this money back?

Download Video: Restore the Trust - Debate Question (MP4 - 7.9 MB) | YouTube Version

Sources:

TreasuryDirect - National Debt to the Penny
The total national debt as of July 13th, 2007: $8,877,766,570,437.56

Monthly Statement of the Public Debt - June 30, 2007 (PDF)
(page 9, "Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund")

I've been working a lot of long hours and late nights trying to get a new website designed and built, and it's finally starting to come together. I did all of the work myself, and it's a pretty amazing feeling right now to see the (partial) final product. The ultimate goal is to help me better communicate my ideas, so that the American people won't miss out on a potentially great idea just because my presentation of it might be lacking.

Anyway, I will continue to make improvements and upgrades in the near future, and I still have a lot of work to do for the main www.pactamerica.com website, but I wanted to release the blog now. Haha, I just couldn't wait any longer!

One cool new feature is a little viewer application for pictures. I was fortunate enough to find a guy who has graciously made his lightbox script freely available, and I spent some time programming and expanding upon that code for the blog.

I've even attached a few pictures so people can check out the new viewer (by clicking one of the links below)... While I was at the Grand Canyon a few months ago, a passerby just happened to snap my picture, and this photo was the result. I've also included a before and after shot of the blog...

Adam at the Grand Canyon | Before | After

I've been making a continued effort to teach myself basic video production techniques... Certain aspects of this have proven challenging, and suffice to say I have a newfound respect for those who develop television content for a living. I may not always respect what they produce, but I do have respect for how they produce it.

That said, CNN and YouTube are currently running a little contest, by which people may submit questions for the Presidential candidates of the Democratic primary, and then several of these entries will be selected for answer during a televised debate later this month.

I thought it might be a fun way to put into practice some of the things I've been trying to learn lately, so earlier today, I quickly put together a submission of my own...

Download Video: CNN+YouTube Debate Question (WMV - 1.0 MB) | YouTube Version

I've often heard people remark that voting for a Presidential candidate is akin to "choosing the lesser of two evils." While I can certainly appreciate this rationale, I also refuse to accept it. My attitude in this particular regard may best be reflected by words written by George Bernard Shaw and later echoed by Robert F. Kennedy.

"You see things as they are and ask, 'Why?' I dream things as they never were and ask, 'Why not?'"

As I've said many times, many ways, "This is the United States of America, and it's time we lived up to our name."