From sea to shining sea

If there is anything I have learned in the past 15 years since coming to America in 2000, it is that America is beautiful. Today, I will be dipping my toes in the Atlantic Ocean as I spend Fourth of July with my parents in Jacksonville, FL this year. I can't help but think that exactly one year ago, my breath was being taken away, in much the same way, by the Pacific Ocean at #CampEmeraldBay, and for everything in between, I am endlessly grateful.

Looking out into the Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville, FL)

America is great because it is so vast. It's not only vast in landscapes, but also vast in ideas and in diversity of its People.

Each city that I have had the chance to visit in the past year has been so absolutely different, each so absolutely gorgeous, energizing and vibrant in their own ways. Yet, what is more noticeable is all the things that weave us together as Americans and the common story, aspirations, hope and Dream we all share, whether born here or not.

America is not perfect and we have made mistakes, many of them. In fact, the manner in which we became such a vast Nation is not one of our best moments. But, as Emily Mortimer (MacKenzie McHale) says in Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom,"America is the only country on the planet, that since its birth, has said over and over and over that we can do better. It's part of our DNA."

People around the world look to America when they need a leader, a Nation that has a moral compass to stand up for the fundamental rights of all People and a Nation that recognizes the values it was created for. There's a lot to easily be cynical about, but it is the moments where America acts uniquely that we so often forget about how great our home is. From creating some of the brightest minds and promoting creativity to taking action on some of the world's hardest problems, America still remains both a force for good and a beacon of hope for much of the world. We are not in that position because we are perfect—we are in that position because we can so honestly, openly and vigorously have the tough conversations publicly, while still remaining one Nation.

A lot of people compare America with China nowadays. They talk about the Chinese government working so efficiently, a comparison that scares me. Efficiency is not what we want and was not what our Founding Fathers intended for. That's also not how democracy works, even if the world is moving faster now. For all the gridlock we have, we should also keep in mind that this Nation was built on the notion that there is no one right way and that all ideas should be put on the table, to be considered and discussed by the American People.

So, this Fourth of July, while you celebrate with friends, good food and amazing fireworks, also take a moment to reflect on all the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans and all the responsibilities so many of us, so often, shy away from. Reflect on how different we each are as Americans, but also everything that makes us One Nation. Reflect on all the mistakes we have made, how We the People can all work together to make this Nation better and all that we can be proud of and celebrate.

And so...

I pledge allegiance, to the Flag, of the United States of America,
And to the Republic, for which it stands.
One Nation, under God.
Indivisible. With Liberty and Justice for all.

Cross-posted on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+iantang/posts/e8qxXWySz7z

I LOVE HK: a spark for democracy

I LOVE HK.

My beautiful birthplace, Summer 2013.

There's a quote most often attributed to Thomas Jefferson that says: "When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When governments fear the people, there is liberty."

And then, in "The Hunger Games," there's a quote that reads: "Every revolution begins with a spark."

I genuinely believe in these two profound quotes. And that's why today, my thoughts are with the brave peoples of Hong Kong, from students to working professionals, standing up for something they believe in and fighting for a universal right, namely universal suffrage, that we, as humans, should each have. I stand with you. I feel your pain and suffering. 

I say peoples, and not people, of Hong Kong because it's a diverse city comprised of so many backgrounds, beliefs, national and ethnic origins, race, religions and sexualities, all of whom are united to defend the freedom that Hong Kong has enjoyed over the past decades. It is precisely this freedom that has allowed Hong Kong to become a cultural, economic and political beacon in the East to so many.

Hong Kong today, September 28, 2014. Courtesy: CNN.

Governments like China cannot endure, at least not in their current form, especially in this new digital age. And a simple spark can lead to something revolutionary. The way governments work is a new game for this next century—people can demand their voices to be heard, more so than ever before and I believe what is right will prevail. Hong Kong has been so prosperous because of the equality and freedom—freedom of assembly, of expression, of information, of the press, of speech—that has existed over the past several decades. I don't think there is anywhere as prepared as Hong Kong to remind us that freedom is truly not free and must be defended daily.

My heart hurts and I am saddened seeing the devastating photos come out of Hong Kong, photos of streets that I have walked on and admired. But it also makes me proud of the citizens of Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, just like as in American cities, these shouldn't be seen as embarrassments, but rather, a functioning civil society able to hold thoughtful conversations and stand up for what they believe in. The government is the entity that should be embarrassed for their oppressive response and for governing without the consent of the governed.

That's why I also think, for me, I find stories like "The Hunger Games" so powerful, because people are living out these scenarios each and every day. It's quite inspirational if you think about it.

Night lights in Hong Kong, Summer 2013.

"Echoing Tiananmen, 17-year-old Hong Kong student prepares for democracy battle"

CNN and CNN International
—"Fear has been deeply rooted in our genes through the past 65 years. The majority of China's 1.3 billion people are not true citizens; most of the people are simply submissive."
—"You can form political parties in Hong Kong. You can publish books that are forbidden in mainland China. The media can criticize the central government and the chief executive of Hong Kong."
—"Mainland China is a tinderbox that's been physically suppressed by the authorities, and Hong Kong is a seed of fire."
—"The Communist Party is very scared of this tiny bit of land, because if true universal suffrage can blossom in Hong Kong, it is very likely true universal suffrage will end up happening in the mainland."

Human immaturity is to blame for human problems

Don't blame human immaturity and lack of judgement on Facebook and social media.

Neknominate is a stupid game that I've heard about several times. One of my friends received a "nomination." +CNN's article (http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/18/world/europe/neknominate-drinking-game/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) does a good job explaining the game, but also spends half the time citing ridiculous people claiming the majority of the responsibility of the problems and deaths lies with Facebook and other web companies.

Let's be clear here: the sole entity responsible for this entire mess are people, the people that post the nominations, the people that don't resist peer pressure and the people that don't do anything when they see something as wrongful as this happening.

courtesy of CNN and Yahoo! News

One dad even had the courage to say, "I was cross with him [my son] but more cross with the social media involved and the way this game has just spread. The whole thing is madness and it needs some kind of sharp and swift action on the part of these social networks to stop it."

What's happening is sad. But let's be objective here. Facebook is not forcing anyone to drink large sums of alcohol from disgusting sources, just like guns aren't forcing people to shoot others. As a society, we need to stop faulting inanimate objects for problems we create ourselves.

http://iantangblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/people-hurt-people-not-inanimate-objects.html

Facebook, Google and other Internet companies act as merely a vehicle to expression and speech. They cannot, and should not, be responsible for the millions of pieces of content posted every second, just like no one is responsible of what comes out of your mouth every day. Just like in real-life, it lies in the hands of people to report content that violates rules or laws and to stand up to what is not morally right. It lies in the hands of people to use their own judgement and be mature when they choose to act a certain way.

To fault Facebook is a slippery slope towards letting corporations and governments decide what we can or cannot say and think. Let's make our own judgement calls. Let's own up to our faults.

Let's fight what's really to blame for all our human problems and stop hiding behind a scapegoat by shifting the blame on something other than human immaturity.

My thoughts on Glass, integrity and the free flow of information

Today, I received this e-mail from my Macroeconomics Professor at +The George Washington University: "That means that Google glass and similar devices are NOT allowed during assignments..." 

I am happy that my Professor is starting this type of conversation about +Google Glass  nd new technologies so swiftly and transparently.

Certainly, as an Explorer, these situations where Glass is singled out, are expected, just like +Cecilia Abadie fighting her traffic ticket today (http://goo.gl/UN60mo) or those told to leave restaurants (http://goo.gl/neb8zf). I agree Glass should not be used during exams. Yet, it is utterly irresponsible for those in authority to single new devices like Glass, which functions just as smartphones and tablets do, in this manner. Certainly, this period of testing is where society is educating itself and distinguishing what is real and what is exaggerated by the media, both its features and limitations. For example, having Glass rest on top your head like sunglasses indoors will not enable a student to cheat and is not a qualification of cheating, just like having a phone in your pocket. However, this type of conversation is good to start.

While I don't know if this e-mail is directed to me currently, I do feel the need to share this information clearly and openly. Your feedback, both in agreement or disagreement, is encouraged.

We should embrace technology, especially with the potentials it offers education. More importantly, we should not create hysteria and spread misinformation. Finally, integrity, including in academics, is one of my core values and I believe a society well-educated in not only knowledge but also morals and values will not have these problems.

As C.S. Lewis once said, “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

From this point forward, I am reaffirming my commitment to act with integrity in an ethical and moral manner that takes into account my strict moral discipline, just like I did in 8th grade when I created study guides from public class notes and let information flow freely (allowing others to collaborate, build on top and download those guides at their own discretion) even after one teacher, with a complete opposite view than all the other parents, students and teachers, labeled it as a form of cheating.

You can learn more about my mission statement, vision and values here: 

https://plus.google.com/+iantang/about.

Focus on sex appeal and a lack of morals: why Miley Cyrus (and Lady Gaga) do social media wrong

Miley Cyrus was once the innocent teen sensation, Hannah Montana. She was deemed a good role model. But, that ended as soon as she her contact with Disney was terminated. And after that, she has taken the path that many Disney stars have infamously took -- growing up way too fast and transforming to stay relevant with an older audience.

2013 was the year that Miley Cyrus completely underwent that transformation. With her jaw-dropping performance at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) with Robin Thicke and continued press coverage, she has generated buzz like no other. Though that talk was in regards to the disgusting nature of her work, she has nevertheless had meteoric success. Her fame has continued to skyrocket in the past year. Paired with her personal tweets on Twitter and social media  where her voice shines through, it would seem she has hit all the right notes of marketing. Except for the morality. And that ultimately hurts the rest of a celebrity's mission to create a brand.

As Taylor Swift told Katie Couric in an interview in 2012, "I think a mistake that sometimes gets made when there's pressure to grow up, you look at that artist and you think, 'You didn't have to grow up ten years in a month. No, that wasn't what you had to do.'"

But that is exactly what Miley Cyrus has done. In fact, Cyrus has recklessly sold herself and her brand with whatever means necessary in an attempt to barge into a crowded music industry. In an attempt to promote her new album, Bangerz, she tweeted the following: 

Miley Cyrus used this tweet to promote her new album, slated to launch 2 hours after this tweet.

Cyrus' focus on creating a sex appeal is characteristic of what society expects from artists today. Look at the stories in the tabloids. Many celebrities have exploited the idea of sex appeal -- from skimpy clothing to sexual innuendos -- to fully market themselves. The interaction she received was not bad and the audience reach was most likely worldwide. 

The tweet showcases Cyrus' infamous body that was sure to generate buzz and stand out from the regular onslaught of tweets that merely contain 140 characters of text or a simple photo. Yet, the tweet cannot be considered a success. The penetration rate, or the percentage of Cyrus' followers that acted on the tweet, in terms of Favorites,  was only 0.066%. Still, later in the month, Lady Gaga decided to follow suit.

Lady Gaga used sex appeal to promote her album as well. 

Even with 40,000+ followers, she only received 8,699 Retweets and 7,650 favorites, even less than Cyrus.

Lady Gaga fared even worse than Miley Cyrus. She had even less clothing and sold herself and her brand on the premise of her body even more so than Cyrus. Still, in Favorites, the penetration rate here was an dismal 0.01%, even while Gaga has experienced more exposure and fame than Cyrus. 

Taylor Swift's innocent and simple photo of a cute cat generated more interaction than Cyrus and Gaga combined.

On the other hand, Taylor Swift shares innocent photos relevant to herself and her brand. Her tone is much more mature and professional and focuses less on her body or the sex appeal. In terms of social media and Twitter, Taylor Swift has done amazingly well. She has been more effective than virtually other players. In fact, Taylor Swift's penetration rate on a tweet of her famous cat Meredith was up to 0.08%. 

The tweet related to Swift indirectly, yet, fans were still all over it, pressing Retweet and Favorite.

Taylor Swift's promotion of her own album, that did not include any sex appeal, generated more interaction than Cyrus and Gaga individually.

Even for the promotion of her own album, she did not degrade herself to exposing her body. She still received more Retweets and Favorites than Cyrus' and Gaga's tweets with the same intention of promoting an upcoming album.  

As part of my University Writing class, the interaction each account received is the most important metric we must analyze. Though it is very appealing to me to continue talking about the unfortunate lack of morals Cyrus and Gaga have and my belief that the numbers don't show everything that is wrong, we must focus on that data today.

Miley Cyrus received the lowest amount of interaction, which can be reflected by the fact that she only has a little over 15 million followers. But, Lady Gaga has over 40 million followers, but consistently receives less interaction than Taylor Swift, with 36+ million followers. Clearly, something is working for Swift that isn't as well for Cyrus and Gaga.

Though the world sometimes appears to be less focused on morality and ethics, it seems to be the reverse on social media. Artists that focus on sex appeal receive a fair amount of interaction, but, may not reach as wide of an audience as those with a focus on values. Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga's marketing strategy is seriously flawed. The degradation of their self-respect has not made their tweets as effective as they could be. 

Artists and celebrities are role models for the rest of society and should remember the responsibility they have to act with ethics and morality instead of pushing themselves to the borderline of prostitution.

Economics discounts the innate good in people

"The fact that you possess a sense of morality, and we do not, gives us an evolutionary advantage..."
-Man of Steel

Or does it?

Is there something bigger we want to reach for or is self-interest our basic resting pulse? 

-The Newsroom

After my Microeconomics class today, this article ("Does Studying Economics Breed Greed?"by Adam Grant) popped up on my +LinkedIn feed. The article cited studies that showed how Economics was creating students with less values and more greed. Very appropriate. And I completely agree. As interesting as Economics is, I was telling my mom earlier this school year why I think it is fundamentally flawed.

Economics virtually asserts self-interest is 100% responsible for explaining how humans act. And it promotes that sense -- that our world is better when we focus on self-interest and maximizing our own utility. It states that this allows society to be more efficient and have more of everything and more is better. In fact, throughout the years, I have been told that Economics can happen because of "greed," and that it actually makes us all better off.

Courtesy: http://blog.tifwe.org/c-s-lewis-greed-and-self-interest/

But I'd like to think that the world doesn't work that way. That there's innate good in each individual. That we can have maximized efficiency while also being moral.

I was also telling my mom the other day that society's focus on economics, the economy, pure dollar signs and percentages, instead of over morals and values, is the exact reason our world economy is where it is today. The reason that 2008, and everything afterwards, happened.

In sports, you can't win a game by merely focusing on "winning." Likewise, you can't fix the economy by only caring about the numbers. In both, it's about the underlying values, whether it's the fundamental skills and teamwork or the sense of instilling morality.

It isn't a greed-less world that we are striving for. Or even one where everyone receives the same resources. Instead, it is one where we can harness greed to truly make the world a better place. It's one where competition, cooperation, ethics, morals and openness are all promoted.

Because we don't want to end up like the people of Krypton.

Ballmer, don't be the jealous goat.

Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, is at it again, complaining about +Google and blaming its dooms on Google's success (http://goo.gl/VMKeJ6 via +ReadWrite). In the past years, Microsoft has gotten so jealous that it has practically forgotten all that's good with itself. And so, a short story...

"A farmer in a village had a goat and a donkey. The farmer used to make the donkey work hard and fed him good food - carrots, radish, corn, etc. The goat was very unhappy since it had to find food on it's own and eat grass. It became very jealous of the donkey.

The goat thought of a plan. The goat thought that if the donkey stopped working, it would get the good food the donkey got from the farmer. So the goat pushed the donkey into a large hole. The donkey was badly hurt and it could not walk.

The farmer became very sad seeing the donkey's bad health condition. He wanted the donkey to recover soon from illness since he had to get work from the donkey. The farmer thought that feeding the donkey with goat's soup might make the donkey recover from illness soon. Hence, the farmer killed the goat and gave the donkey it's soup.

So instead of getting the donkey's food, the goat itself became food for the donkey."

Microsoft is a strong company. With lots of potential. But instead of focusing on how it can fulfill its potential, it has entered an endless cycle, twisting itself into a windsor knot, to try to take out Google. To try and use taxpayer's dollars against a company which individuals choose to use at his or her discretion. To try and get governments to "control" Google, even after the Federal Trade Commission found no wrongdoing.

Ballmer, stop with the fabricated claims Microsoft and +FairSearch.org continually create, especially when Microsoft does the same thing. Stop being a company so jealous of another that you forget all that's good with yourself. Stop getting so hell-bent at destroying Google because you think their success has led to your doom. Stop yourself from deteriorating, caused by your laser focus on Google. Stop being the goat.

Or else one day, Microsoft will vanish into the state of nothing. Don't Scroogle yourself.

Ballmer, you're leaving soon. Stand for something. Leave a legacy of morality at Microsoft. Of instilling values that were lost in the past decade. Of humility. Of innovation. Of truthfulness. Because Microsoft can achieve so much, if it focused on what mattered, itself.

Courtesy of: http://bakesah.blogspot.com/.

Look at +T-Mobile. Look at +Yahoo! These companies were perceived to be doomed. Yet, in the past months, they have refocused on themselves and they're becoming the underdog that people are starting to take seriously again. T-Mobile, whose focus on innovative plans and programs, and not its CEO's harsh criticisms of other carriers, is now a beacon of hope for many people who are fed up with traditional mobile carriers. Yahoo!, whose focus on recreating a gorgeous experience, has attracted back both users and employees.

Microsoft. You can do it. I want a day when I can't wait to get my hands on a Microsoft product. A day when I am excited about Microsoft's releases. But that will not happen when all you do is steer me in the direction of looking at Google.

(short story: http://goo.gl/OKdAAR via Kuttees) 

An open letter to the Scottsdale Unified School District

Education should focus on the students and teachers.

It is that simple. But, last week, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), in the +City of Scottsdale (Official), asked teachers to vote for a proposed rate cut in a manner that disgustingly resembles that of +The Hunger Games. It is unfortunate that time and time again, the SUSD has disregarded the factors that make education great.

According to the teachers, the SUSD gave them two choices:

1. Keep the bonuses and pay at the current level, but cut a number of teachers. 
2. Lower the bonuses and pay from the current level and make no cuts. 

That is pitting teacher against teacher. Why should one employee's contract affect another's? One person's job should not be tied to that of another. That is completely unethical.

To make matters worse, the SUSD decided to circumvent employer-union processes, among others, and skip directly to asking the teachers. While I hold my own opinions regarding labor unions, processes are in place for a reason. The SUSD should understand that and adhere to those specific policies, especially when they have so many abnormal, arduous and special policies and processes of their own that they force students and teachers to follow.

The superintendent, in his speech to the staff, even likened this situation with that of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the recent Boston Marathon bombings, in the sense that it was a community "coming together." Not only is the situation completely unlike either of the examples, but it is an exaggeration of the situation that tries to capture emotion and use it to manipulate people.

Teachers abstained from voting, as they should. Of the 1,570 teachers in the SUSD, only 884 cast their votes. The District needed 70% (or 1,110 votes) of all teachers to approve option 2 to proceed with their proposal.

And that has led to headlines such as +azcentral.com's "Scottsdale teachers won't give up Prop 301 funds to save jobs." It is sad that at the low pay our teachers already receive, and the immoral procedure SUSD chose to use in this instance, as in many others, the AZCentral and other media continue to choose to characterize teachers as greedy.

The article makes no mention of the unethical treatment and method the District went about the process and the long history of irresponsible spending that characterizes and plagues my District.

Last week, teachers protested before and after school on the issue.

Teachers emphasize that they would be willing to take a reduction in their paychecks so as to help save other teachers, who are also their friends. It is not about that -- it is a bigger fight. What they are unwilling to do is be treated like subjects, without respect, time and time again, and asked to determine the fate of others based on the fate of their own. They are unwilling to continue seeing the District ruin education and the future. They want to take a stance against things they see as unethical and irresponsible on the part of the District.

Well, I do too.

I am sad to say this, but, even as a senior who will not be coming back next year, I am sick and tired of the SUSD's gross practices to make cuts that hurt students and teachers, while District officials carelessly and inappropriately waste money and give lame excuses portraying their solutions as the only practical methods.

I have protested SUSD's poor judgement and management in the past, as have many students and teachers. In the past couple years, they have changed start times, modified bus schedules, cut important school programs, packed more students into classrooms, axed teachers and more.

We understand that it is a tough economy. But almost every cut has negatively affected the classroom experience in some way, shape or form, while administrators and management continue to gain more benefits yearly that stress the budget.

Every year, the budget is of discussion. Every year, we cannot meet the budget. Every year, the District asks for more and more cuts.

It is time they fix their own problems for the long-term and come up with a viable solution. Top District officials do not need rental cars to drive to the office. Classrooms do not need technology that students and teachers do not use (though the District claims it is entering the 21st Century... with SmartBoards). The District does not need to purchase things that are not necessary, such as Microsoft Office 365, which is not even offered to either students or teachers; it is just there.

Students, teachers and parents should not have to fight to make sure the District keeps both students and teachers a priority. Teachers should not have to spend time fighting for ethical treatment, especially after a day of teaching. Great education should be the focus of the District -- the best teachers teaching the best content in the best environment to produce the best students.

The District clearly does not have the community's interest in mind, and many times makes decisions that it feels are best without asking for the community's opinions, and it is a shame to see one of Arizona's finest school districts go down this path, just like many others across the nation.

Voice your opinion. Tell the SUSD to put students and teachers first: susd.org. Stand with us and tell SUSD that enough is enough.

• Dr. David J. Peterson, Superintendent (djpeterson@susd.org)
• Dr. Jeff Thomas, Associate Superintendent (jeff.thomas@susd.org)
• Mrs. Pam Kirby, President (pkirby@susd.org)
• Mr. Denny Brown, Vice President (dennybrown@susd.org)

Find photos: https://plus.google.com/110054944436884567109/posts/9XP9e1CH41r?utm_source=chrome_ntp_icon&utm_medium=chrome_app&utm_campaign=chrome.