Hasta La Gadget!

For a gang that includes at least two movie stars, a Nobel Prize laureate, and the lead singer of KISS, American-Israelis sure aren’t getting the love they deserve.

In part, that’s by design: Not too long ago, Israelis living abroad were still regarded by the compatriots as traitors to the common Zionist dream. They were, in former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin’s memorable phrase, a gaggle of cowards. The only permissible path took American Jews–like Rabin’s predecessor in office, Golda Meir — from the United States to Israel, the only place where Jewish life could thrive in full.

That was then. In the four decades that passed since Rabin’s first term in office, Israelis have succeeded in creating a vibrant community for themselves anywhere from the banks of the Hudson to the coast of the Pacific. Far from being the furniture movers of yesterday’s stereotypes, these ambitious individuals now occupy the highest rungs of many industries. Natalie Portman is, perhaps, the group’s most visible representative, but the list goes on and on, from Avi Arad, the head of Marvel Studios, to fashion designer Yigal Azrouel to horror movie maestro Oren Moverman.

Israel’s pioneers Theodore Herzl, David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, and Moshe Dayan.

That a small nation like Israel has produced so many high-profile, talented people should come as no surprise. As Start-Up Nation, the now-famous book about Israel’s stellar high tech industry, argued, the country’s combination of scarce resources, constant existentialist pressure, and diverse population have all contributed to remarkable achievements. Also, being themselves, for the most part, the children or grandchildren of immigrants, it makes sense that Israelis making a life abroad would adjust more quickly and fully to the jarring experience of leaving their roots behind.

But while there’s so much to be cheerful about, the challenges also abound. No one these days will call an Israeli living outside the Motherland a coward, but Israeli expats themselves — scarred, perhaps, by past prejudices — were traditionally slow to form cohesive communities, seeing affiliation with other Israelis as a sign that their assimilation in American society was far from complete.

Thankfully, that, too, is rapidly changing. Now successful and visible in so many realms of American life, Israeli-born individuals are increasingly attracted to preserving and cultivating their unique cultural heritage, realizing that it is possible, in this age of affordable transatlantic flights and constant Internet connection, to feel at home in New York while tuning in, say, to the latest soccer game from Haifa. The organization I work for, the Israeli-American Council, produces scores of sold-out events for Israeli-Americans and their children; other newly formed organizations do as well, and our success indicates the tremendous demand for Israeli music, culture, and community.

This awareness is welcome, but it stands to benefit more than just the American-Israeli community, a relatively small group whose numbers, given the aforementioned political sensitivities, have always been difficult to accurately gauge. With natives of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and Be’er Sheva finding their way to Los Angeles and Chicago and Philadelphia, the American-Jewish community, too, is receiving a much-needed infusion. With many of its traditional institutions struggling to maintain their memberships, the Jewish community has much to gain from a population of increasingly organized Israelis who enrich the fabric of American Jewish life with their sensibilities and their passion for their heritage.

This month, the Israeli-American Council is hosting five Celebrate Israel Festivals across the country. As Israeli-Americans all over the nation celebrate their homeland’s independence, look past the rowdy parties and you’ll find something more meaningful and long-lasting, a new and vibrant group learning how to feel comfortable in the ever-expanding fabric of American communal life.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

After Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to die on Friday, death penalty opponents quickly condemned the verdict.

Massachusetts law forbids the death penalty, but capital punishment was an option because the case was tried in federal court and the Department of Justice decided Tsarnaev’s crimes, which killed four people and injured 264 others, merited the sentence.

“Today’s verdict does not reflect the values of the majority of people in our Commonwealth,” The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts said in a statement. “His verdict is an outlier, and does not change the fact that Americans increasingly reject capital punishment.”

The statement pointed to an April Boston Globe poll that found that “less than 20 percent” of Massachusetts residents “believe Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be put to death.”

Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, said sentencing Tsarnaev to die “is not justice.”

“We condemn the bombings that took place in Boston two years ago, and we mourn the loss of life and grave injuries they caused,” Hawkins said. “The death penalty, however, is not justice. It will only compound the violence, and it will not deter others from committing similar crimes in the future.”

Hawkins added, “There remains no evidence showing that the death penalty deters crime or has any effect in reducing terrorism.”

The Boston Bar Association, which opposes the death penalty, offered a more muted response.

“While the Boston Bar Association opposes use of the death penalty in any case, we respect that it was a difficult process for each juror and we respect the legal process that was so carefully followed in this case,” BBA President Julia Huston said in a statement.

In April, Bill and Denise Richard, whose 8-year-old son was killed in the bombing, penned a piece in The Boston Globe asking the DOJ to spare Tsarnaev’s life by taking the death penalty off the table.

“As long as the defendant is in the spotlight, we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours,” they wrote. “The minute the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family.”

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Dear Carrie,

For the past three years, my 29-year-old daughter has been working for a good company that offers a 401(k), but she still hasn’t started to contribute. She says she can’t afford it. How can I convince her to get going?

— A Reader

Dear Reader,

I wish I had enough space in this column to share with your daughter the myriad stories I’ve heard from women about their retirement worries. At 29, your daughter may feel she has lots of time to save, but just talk to someone 65 or 75 who’s struggling with limited retirement income, and the need to start saving early comes through loud and clear.

In fact, there’s been a fair amount of press recently about how women are falling behind in retirement savings. There are lots of explanations: women put others’ needs first; or they believe they can rely on their husbands for retirement; or they’re more risk averse when it comes to investing. But the hard truth is: We need to take care of ourselves.

Statistically, women live longer than men — and according to a report by the Department of Health and Human Services, A Profile of Older Americans (2012), almost half of all women 75 and older live alone. Yet, a publication by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Women and Retirement Savings (2013), reports that only 45 percent of American working women participate in a retirement plan. Another hard reality is that women still earn roughly three-fourths of what men earn, which means their Social Security benefits are less.

To me, all this adds up to a clear wake-up call — one that women would be smart to heed as soon as they start working.

But knowing you need to do it and actually getting started are two different things. You might open your daughter’s eyes with this information, but the way to really get her going might be to give her some practical guidance. Here’s my advice.

Get the details
Help your daughter focus on her 401(k) options. First, does the company offer both a traditional and a Roth 401(k)? Contributions to a traditional 401(k) are tax deductible, which would lower her taxable income now, however she’d pay income taxes on withdrawals come retirement time. With a Roth 401(k), there’s an upfront tax deduction, but withdrawals at retirement are tax-free. If it’s available, a Roth can be a good choice for a young person who will likely be in a higher tax bracket come retirement.

Next, have her find out if there’s a company match and how much that is. As an example, let’s say your daughter’s company matches 50 cents on the dollar of her 401(k) contribution up to six percent of her salary. At the very least, wouldn’t she be able to contribute that six percent in order to gain an additional three percent?

Do the math
The longer your daughter waits to contribute to her 401(k), the more money she’s leaving on the table. Seeing how much money she already may have missed out on may be a good incentive to reprioritize. She should go over her fixed and flexible expenses to see where she could cut back. With some real numbers in front of her, it will be easier to figure out what percentage of her salary she could direct toward her 401(k). She can start small and then increase the percentage as her salary increases.

Also, since a 401(k) contribution automatically comes out of her paycheck, she’ll quickly get used to living on a slightly smaller monthly income.

Have confidence
The next step is for your daughter to get her savings working. Over the years, researchers have shown that women are less confident than men about investing and are more risk-averse. The DOL’s Women’s Bureau states that women tend to invest more conservatively than men. But while men may profess to be more confident and more comfortable with investment risk, this isn’t necessarily the wisest approach — and can actually be detrimental in terms of investing outcomes. The key here is to understand what constitutes ‘smart’ risk, which means looking at what you want to accomplish and your timeline, and then investing in a diversified mix of investments for the long term.

At 29, your daughter can confidently take some smart risk. She has the time to ride out market ups and downs. You might review the investing choices in her 401(k) with her and discuss the relative merits of each. Encourage her to choose a couple of diversified funds and watch what happens.

Don’t waste another minute — or dollar
Your daughter may feel she can’t afford to contribute to her 401(k) now, but I say she can’t afford not to. She should consider that if she starts saving and investing now, she could stick with saving just 10 to 15 percent of her annual salary for the rest of her working life. However, if she waits, she’ll be facing the prospect of having to save 20 percent, 30 percent — or more. And if she doesn’t save at all, she may be faced with a far less secure future in which she won’t be able to comfortably afford even the basics. I can’t imagine a stronger incentive to get going!

Looking for answers to your retirement questions? Check out Carrie’s new book, “The Charles Schwab Guide to Finances After Fifty: Answers to Your Most Important Money Questions.”

This article originally appeared on Schwab.com. You can e-mail Carrie at askcarrie@schwab.com, or click here for additional Ask Carrie columns. This column is no substitute for an individualized recommendation, tax, legal or personalized investment advice. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, consult with a qualified tax advisor, CPA, financial planner or investment manager.

COPYRIGHT 2015 CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC. (MEMBER SIPC.) (0515-3377)

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

via Stockvault.net

“Perhaps it takes courage to raise children.”
-John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Advocates. Partners. Heroes.
Brave. Fierce. Honest. Flawless.

These are only some of the words that describe three courageous mothers inspiring us all with their mental health advocacy: Kristin Guest, Cinda Johnson, and Liza Long. These women are my compatriots in the stand against this public health emergency that affects every single one of us. As we celebrate Mother’s Day in May, (also the month dedicated to mental health awareness) I pay a special tribute to these women who are a true gift to the world of advocacy.

Cinda Johnson

With daughter Linea via Facebook

Cinda has been an advocate for many years, working as a special education professor, and has personal experience with mental health challenges through the journey with her daughter, Linea, who lives with bipolar disorder. In 2012 , they co-wrote the book Perfect Chaos, which was groundbreaking in sharing their poignant story as a family on the path to recovery. Cinda is an inspiring public speaker on this topic and has been a pioneer in encouraging people to speak out authentically about their experiences to end the isolation that can be so painful to people living with these challenges.

Kristin Guest

Kristin and Mary

Kristin has demonstrated stunning strength and courage after losing her daughter, Mary, to suicide in 2013. Kristin and her family are revolutionaries in the way they have handled this unspeakable devastation and grief. In the obituary announcing their family’s sad news and loss, they were honest about the cause of their daughter’s death to suicide. This was a nobel action to take and an important one in helping to shed light on this topic that is hidden and silent. They also created a fund in Mary’s memory to sponsor our mental health prevention symposium next week. We are so grateful for this gift and opportunity to be able honor Mary and her work as a special education teacher specializing in work with children who have behavioral challenges. Kristin truly leads by example with her unwavering courage and honesty.

Liza Long

via Facebook

Liza has set a new bar for authenticity in advocacy, and her fierce truth-telling in her blog post “I Am Adam Lanza’s Mother” motivates us all to be as open and direct as we can be about these difficult topics. Liza’s unprecedented courage, and unrelenting advocacy has been a game changer for our cause. As she says in our video interview below, “Liza & Janine Unplugged,” we all need role models – and she is definitely one of mine! I am grateful to call Liza a colleague and friend as she has become a true icon of mental health advocacy!

And here’s to all mom’s on all days who are parenting children with mental health challenges – let’s honor and support them not just on Mother’s Day but everyday!

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Recently, I traveled to Hong Kong to check in on the tech, fintech and start-up scene including the Hong Kong Trade And Development’s Spring Electronics Fair. Just like any other trip, I fretted a bit over what to pack, what to wear? After all, Hong Kong is a fashion mecca, shopping destination, and everyone is wearing the latest trends.

What was everyone wearing this season in Hong Kong? Wearable technology, that’s what!

Wearables are one of the hottest new frontiers in tech: Last year, 71 percent of 16-24 year olds reported wanting to don wearable tech according to a GlobalWebIndex survey written up in Forbes. And research firm IHS has predicted that global shipments of wearable tech will reach 130.7 million by 2018, a significant jump from 51.2 million in 2013.

It’s part of the so-called “quantifiable self” movement: Older and younger generations alike want to use wearable technology to monitor their health and fitness, track their movements, navigate the world and alert loved ones in the case of emergencies. The market even includes military, industrial and infotainment applications.

With its advanced IT knowledge, access to manufacturing hubs, booming business environment and active co-working and incubator scenes, Hong Kong is playing an important role in the development of the wearable industry. Indeed, wearables were all the rage at Hong Kong’s Electronics Fairs this Spring and last Fall. The Spring fair included a seminar titled “Wearable Electronics are in Vogue.”

Some Hong Kong accelerators, which offer mentorship and support to startups, are even exclusively focused on wearables. For example, late last year, AIA Group, Hong Kong’s largest insurer, teamed up with business incubator Nest to create an accelerator dedicated to startups working on health-care related wearables. The AIA-Nest Accelerator is a 12-week program in Hong Kong that will offer mentoring and support to eight entrepreneurs from Asia. The program began on March 2 and concludes on June 4, when the participants will present their offerings to an audience of investors. Working space will be available for the startups in the government-funded Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp.

What’s more, some Western wearables hardware makers are heading to Hong Kong to get closer to the centers of manufacturing in Asia. Soundbrenner, for instance, a German company that makes a wearable, vibrating metronome for musicians, is one startup that recently moved to the territory. Though they developed its first prototypes in Germany, the founders felt that their geographic location was hindering them. After they met Manav Gupta, CEO of Brinc, a Hong Kong-based hardware accelerator, at a local pitch competition, they packed up and decamped for Hong Kong to join the accelerator’s program.

Below is a sampling of a handful of Hong-Kong-based wearables companies, including one that has been around for decades and others that have just launched.

1. Simple Wearables is a health-care wearable based in Hong Kong that aims to protect the elderly and give their far-flung family members greater peace of mind. The device the firm offers can detect a fall, alerting emergency services to go to the rescue if necessary. The company is currently working with a hospital group to receive 100 products for testing in the Phillippines, where CEO and co-founder Angelo Umali’s 92-year-old grandmother lives. Umali designed and built the application himself. He has degrees in electrical engineering from UCLA and Stanford, and this is his third company.

2. Clothing, which is based in both Finland and Hong Kong, specializes in wearable biometric sensors embedded in clothing. The company developed the first heartbeat and rate sensor for a shirt back in 1998, so it’s been around for a while. Customers include Adidas, Garmin and Under Armour, among others, as well as some hospitals, who use Clothing+ to monitor heart beat and breathing in patients. The Clothing+ app also allows for the storage of data.

3. CityU Apps Lab and Hong Kong’s CDAHK (Chiropractic Doctors’ Association of Hong Kong) have developed an app called “Posture Check” to help consumers correct bad posture. The app requires the user to take two pictures of himself, one front and one side and line these up with a simple skeleton. The app then gives you feedback on your posture and suggests exercises you can do, along with chiropractic options. One of the challenges they faced was designing an app that was easy to use and would not cause anxiety if the analysis was off in the event of user error.

4. Faze In, another Hong Kong-based company, started to produce smart watches five years ago, and now it is working to develop devices that link with smartphones and tablets via mobile apps. Last year, the company launched its proprietary line of EZIO smartwatches, which features incoming call alerts, message and email notifications and an out-of-range alarm. The watches are designed in Italy, manufactured in China and sold in Southeast Asia and European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.

Want to be “in fashion?” Find out more about business development in wearables in Hong Kong, the support services available to wearables startups and growing demand for wearables among mainland Chinese.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.