Happy Thanksgiving to Hillary Clinton and her Family

Wishing a warm, lovely, and Happy Thanksgiving,  Mme. Secretary, to you and your family.  We are grateful for the work you do to make the world a better place for all who inhabit this globe.

Daily I thank God that I occupy the same time and space as Hillary Clinton.  I thank God her parents gave her to us.

Happy Thanksgiving as well to all who come to this blog.

Hillary Clinton: 2013 Lantos Institute Laureate

Readers may remember that while she was in Budapest, Hungary in June 2011,  Hillary Clinton participated in the inauguration of the Lantos Institute there.   The foundation named for the late Congressman and presided over by his daughter, Katrina Lantos Swett, has announced that Hillary will receive the Lantos Human Rights Prize on December 6 in Washington, D.C.

Our best compliments, Mme. Secretary, on this well-deserved honor!

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gives a speech during the inauguration ceremony for the Tom Lantos Institute in the Upper Chamber Hall of the parliament building in Budapest, on June 30, 2011. Late US congressman Tom Lantos (in Picture frame) was a Hungarian-born human rights activist and Holocaust survivor. AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK (Photo credit should read ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton To Be Named 2013 Lantos Prize Laureate

November 7, 2013, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice today announced that it will award the 2013 Lantos Human Rights Prize, its highest honor, to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Former Secretary of State will receive the award for her tireless efforts to promote human rights for women around the world and her groundbreaking work on promoting human rights through Internet freedom.  Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include the Dalai Lama, Elie Wiesel, Paul Rusesabagina and Chen Guangcheng. The award ceremony will take in Washington, DC on December 6, 2013. It will be open to press and coverage is invited. 

“Hillary Rodham Clinton has gained global recognition for her leadership in so many critical arenas, but we are particularly proud to recognize the enormous contributions she has made to human rights causes,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “Her proclamation that ‘women’s rights are human rights’ changed the way the world thinks about human rights and opened doors for women in a way that only Hillary Clinton could. Furthermore, Secretary Clinton’s  pioneering work on Internet Freedom has  focused worldwide attention on the urgent need to “tear down the walls” of closed societies that seek to imprison their citizens behind internet firewalls that have become the iron curtains of this “virtual” century, She has also provided a powerful intellectual framework for advancing this central human right of our time.”

In nearly four decades of public service, Hillary Rodham Clinton has served as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, United States Senator and most recently as Secretary of State of the United States. Though she has championed a number of issues ranging from education to health care, Secretary Clinton is revered in the human rights community for her 1995 Beijing speech where she boldly stood up for women’s rights and became a true global champion for those issues. She also broke new ground in 2010 when she declared that governments that fail to allow for Internet freedoms are not only attempting to crush dissent, but to deny human rights.

The Lantos Foundation established the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2009 to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. The prize also serves to commemorate the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, and Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng.

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Note to Press: You are not the boss of Hillary Clinton

Really?  Really????

On Iran Deal, Hillary Clinton Is In The Hiding

(Tuesday, November 26th, 2013)

Top Democrats have all chimed in over the interim deal reached by Iran, with some cautiously supporting the deal as a first step or publicly opposing it.
One voice has not been heard yet, the voice of the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ....

Read more >>>>

On Iran Deal, Hillary Clinton Is In The Hiding

(Tuesday, November 26th, 2013)

Top Democrats have all chimed in over the interim deal reached by Iran, with some cautiously supporting the deal as a first step or publicly opposing it.
One voice has not been heard yet, the voice of the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/203064/on-iran-deal-hillary-clinton-is-in-the-hiding.html#sthash.JC02kOwY.dpuf

On Iran Deal, Hillary Clinton Is In The Hiding

(Tuesday, November 26th, 2013)

Top Democrats have all chimed in over the interim deal reached by Iran, with some cautiously supporting the deal as a first step or publicly opposing it.
One voice has not been heard yet, the voice of the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/203064/on-iran-deal-hillary-clinton-is-in-the-hiding.html#sthash.JC02kOwY.dpuf

On Iran Deal, Hillary Clinton Is In The Hiding

(Tuesday, November 26th, 2013)

Top Democrats have all chimed in over the interim deal reached by Iran, with some cautiously supporting the deal as a first step or publicly opposing it.
One voice has not been heard yet, the voice of the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/203064/on-iran-deal-hillary-clinton-is-in-the-hiding.html#sthash.JC02kOwY.dpuf

On Iran Deal, Hillary Clinton Is In The Hiding

(Tuesday, November 26th, 2013)

Top Democrats have all chimed in over the interim deal reached by Iran, with some cautiously supporting the deal as a first step or publicly opposing it.
One voice has not been heard yet, the voice of the Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

- See more at: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/203064/on-iran-deal-hillary-clinton-is-in-the-hiding.html#sthash.JC02kOwY.dpuf

Then there is this follow-up from Jennifer Rubin.

Right Turn

On Iran, what say you Hillary?

By Jennifer Rubin November 25

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has another problem: What to say about Iran? The conservative America Rising is already taunting her with a “Hillary In Hiding” attack, noting that for one of the greatest secretaries of state in history (isn’t that what President Obama said?), she is depriving us of her wisdom on the single most important national security issue of our time– the potential for a nuclear-armed Iran.

Read more >>>>

First, she has made it clear that she will  begin giving the very personal campaign decision serious consideration next year.   Clear?

Second, I am sure Hillary is simply overwhelmed by Jennifer Rubin's sudden appreciation of  her wisdom.  *Fanning Hillary's face while holding smelling salts under her nose to revive her from a dead faint at this flattery from such unlikely quarters*

Third, back in early 2009, when she first arrived at the State Department,  there was gossip talk of Hillary being kept shrouded, in the shadows, in a burkha promoted by the likes of Dick Morris and Tina Brown among others.  The truth was that she was doing her typical Hillary thing, getting acquainted with her new environment, the people, the responsibilities, and the details.  I kept saying that she was devouring briefs, memos, and treaties,  and when she emerged from her cocoon she was eminently well-versed in all she had studied and decided to reorganize departmental and agency interactions via her Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR) which assessors of her legacy at the department have chosen to ignore.

Now we see the return of the Hillary in Hiding meme which went all viral today.  Just a quick reminder:  Hillary Rodham Clinton is a private citizen now and not obliged to comment on anything in particular unless she personally decides she wants to.   While she was Secretary of State, she had plenty to say about Iran.  The press would do well to delve into these archives and see what groundwork she laid for Secretary Kerry.

This archive contains some of what she had to say about Iran while she was Secretary of State. 



Since she is under no further obligation to respond to the Iran deal as a private citizen,  she should be permitted the liberty all private citizens have to enjoy her Thanksgiving holiday with her family and not be pressured by unreasonable demands from the press.  Happy Thanksgiving, Mme. Secretary.  Have a lovely holiday and a relaxing weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving from Hillary Clinton's Too Small to Fail

Giving Thanks

Here at Too Small to Fail, our staff’s time is usually pretty consumed by the myriad things that we’re responsible for managing on a daily basis – collaborating with individuals and partner organizations, learning about and sharing new research that we think will benefit parents and caregivers, developing creative and engaging content for our different audiences, and so on. All while finding the time to manage our own family responsibilities at home.

But of the course the last item on the list above is most important, as it is the reason why we do what we do, and the critical point of all of our weekly newsletters. Our families and our children are the things we are most grateful for, even if we don’t get to talk about them too much. And we are also grateful for you, because you care enough to join us in this work.

So amidst all of the chaos of our daily lives, we want to take the opportunity afforded to us this week to thank each and every one of you who care about early childhood, and want to know more about how we can all make a difference in young children’s lives. And on that note, we’ll share this moving post from one of our Go Mighty friends and blogger extraordinaire, Laura Mayes, who writes about the things that she’s grateful for as a parent – and how she plans on making gratitude a family affair – in this beautifully moving post.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. We hope you get to enjoy some quality time with the little ones in your life as you share good food, laughter and many memories this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving to all at  Too Small to Fail.  Thank you for all you do.

I thought I would tack on these two articles.  George Lakoff explains how the work done by Too Small to Fail fits into the American value system and how we should be dealing with those who frame efforts at equalization as government intrusion.   Portions of "Evangelii Gaudium"  from Pope Francis provide a values-based rationale for such equalization efforts.   I think they fit here because equalization is what Too Small to Fail is all about.   Everyone should have a fair shot, right from the beginning.

Tweets from Hillary: Cindy McCain's Excellent Op-Ed

Hillary ClintonVerified account ‏@HillaryClinton

Great op ed from another @2SmallToFail leadership council member (and a teacher), @cindymccain . Read it here: http://goo.gl/CJFbAO 

azcentral

Children’s earliest years linked to future success

After graduate school, I made a decision to become a special-education teacher. I can still see myself walking into my first classroom, a little terrified, but excited about what was behind that door.

View on web

Hillary Clinton at #Greenbuild

Hillary spoke at the U.S. Green Building Council tonight at Temple University.  There was a live feed provided, but Silverlight only provided video for me.  I could not get the audio for some reason, but there are some remarks fed by the audience over Twitter.  Thank God for Twitter!

From the reactions on Twitter,  it appears she was a huge hit, but that does not come as a surprise to any of us! Once again, she strolled the stage and spoke without looking at teleprompters.  She cited stats from memory and blew her audience away. WTG Mme. Secretary!

"The work has proven itself. It's time to create new partnerships for the future."
"There's no doubt that green buildings are the best investment you can make."
"We not only can do better, we must do better."
"A small group of committed people can change the world."
"Sustainability needs to be a key goal & priority for America"
"Let's make sustainability the rule, rather than the exception"
"Through the #greenapple day of service, you're getting private sector companies involved in this work."
" The future belongs to those looking over the horizon! "It's time for us to not only do the right things, but the smart things"
"Our debates have been taken over by a small minority that doesn't believe in compromise.
"It's important -for everyone - to not vote for anyone who says they will never compromise."
"We are not a theocracy, we are not a dictatorship. We bring people together and we work it out."
"We need to get back to the way that brings us together - not tear us apart."
"Corporations that have women on their boards tend to be more sustainable"
At Greenbuild, audience member yells @HillaryClinton 2016. 'There are some hecklers that i would never say anything bad about," HRC says.

Here are a few twitpics and a new thing.  Screenshots I got from the livefeed.  I could not hear any audio, but I did get to take my own pictures, so it was not a complete loss.



Here are the videos from Politico.







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From Hillary Clinton's Too Small to Fail: The Effects of Family Instability

Encouraging Stability is Key for Families in Flux

American families have changed dramatically since the 1960s. Whereas two parent households were the norm several decades ago, today families come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can present unique challenges to the stability and long-term development of children if not managed carefully.

According to current data, about 28 percent of households are headed by a single parent. Because of higher rates of divorce or births outside of marriage, roughly half of all children will at some time live in a single-parent home. In addition, many more children now live with parents who are cohabiting rather than married, a situation that can present an uncertain environment for children in the earliest years if partners change frequently.

But shifting family structures are only part of the instability that young children can experience. Even in homes with married biological parents, sudden changes like job loss may result in unmanageable stress for young children. The stress that accompanies major family shifts, such as dramatic income loss, changes in housing, sudden loss of contact between parents and children, or increased parental anxiety can prove harmful to the emotional and mental development of young children.

This is because during the first five years of life, children are still developing the mental, social and emotional tools to handle high levels of stress. In fact, studies have found that family instability exacts a heavier toll on children from birth to the end of kindergarten than to older children.

Sudden changes to family structure and households can contribute to difficulty sleeping in young children, behavioral problems, as well as poorer health outcomes later in life, such as obesity and asthma.

While there are no easy answers to these challenges – especially in relation to work outside the home, or serious life events, like divorce, that result in single-parenthood – there are ways parents can mitigate the negative effects of family instability.

As researchers at the Urban Institute conclude, parents can foster close relationships with friends and relatives, use consistent but sensitive discipline, and maintain consistency in scheduling and child care so children know what to expect from an early age.

For example, research shows that a consistent bedtime for babies and young children is critical for healthy brain development and lends order and stability to their lives. Likewise, finding time to talk with young children, while engaged in other activities like meal preparation or diaper changes, can help with bonding and vocabulary development, and increases quality family time.

Read More:

• A factsheet on family instability, brought to you by Too Small to Fail.
• Research report from the Urban Institute on the harmful effects of family instability.
• Tips for working parents from the American Academy of Pediatrics, on how to find better work-family balance.
• Tips for single parents on how to reduce stress, from Parents.

In The News:

• “The Mysterious and Alarming Rise of Single Parenthood in America”, The Atlantic, September 3, 2013
• “Single Moms Speak Out on Challenges”, NPR, August 28, 2012

Fresh as a Rosebud! At the End of a Busy Day Hillary Clinton Was Still Going Strong

Yesterday, Hillary's engagements began at 8:30 in the morning at Brookings, proceeded through Bill Clinton's being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a trip to Arlington to pay tribute to John F. Kennedy and mingle with Kennedy family members, and an appearance at the Kennedy Center where she co-hosted the premiere of the new movie about Nelson Mandela.  It was a day resembling some of her heavy schedules as secretary of state, but the the film debut was not the end of it.  In the evening, she joined her date at the dinner for Medal of Freedom honorees at the Smithsonian.  She wore a flowered shawl and looked as fresh as the rose centerpieces.

Hillary has some excellent informants.  She knew what the decor was going to be and dressed to blend in so beautifully.  It reminds me of how,  at the State Department,  she knew what venues she would be in and wore colors that picked up those in the environment.  Remember her "flag diplomacy?"  (No one called it that except me, but I have plenty of examples.)