New Coast Guard Headquarters at St. Elizabeths

 

New Coast Guard Headquarters, Almost Heaven

Coast Guard Headquarters is Striking, Surprising, and Sustainable

Judge L Steverson, Yahoo Contributor Network

The new, state-of-the-art U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters on the site of historic St. Elizabeths Hospital is a dream come true. The U S Coast Guard has finally found itself a home worthy of its own lofty opinion of itself. It is not Heaven, but it is as close as one could possibly hope to get in this world.
Like Heaven, one has to pass through Hell to get there, daily. It is in Anacostia the worst, low rent, crime infested area of South East Washington, DC. A majority of the inhabitants of Anacostia appear to be over fed, under nourished, and unemployed. It is a crime infested area that most people would not be caught dead in after dark. Most D.C. metro area residents recoil in fear at the sound of infamous "Anacostia," known mostly for its extreme poverty, high homicide statistics, and the ever lurking danger of getting lost in its maze of streets.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Washington,_D.C./Anacostia
The building was designed to house the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component agencies. The U S Coast Guard was intended to be the lead agency. However, in the hearts and minds of most Coast Guard members, this is the Headquarters of the Department of the Coast Guard and DHS is a sub-agency, along with o ther agencies; such as, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Defense, Interior, and Health and Human Services have contributed components.
The U S Coast Guard is the World's preeminent International Law Enforcement Agency.
By law, the Coast Guard has 11 missions:

• Ports, waterways, and coastal security
• Drug interdiction
• Aids to navigation
• Search and rescue
• Living marine resources
• Marine safety
• Defense readiness
• Migrant interdiction
• Marine environmental protection
• Ice operations
• Other law enforcement

Today's U.S. Coast Guard, with nearly 42,000 men and women on active duty, is a unique force that carries out an array of civil and military responsibilities touching almost every facet of the U.S. maritime environment.
http://www.uscg.mil/top/missions/
In 50 years the Coast Guard has reached its pinnacle among other Washington DC Federal Agencies. In the 1960s, it was located in the Volpe Building, at 7th and D street SW, as the lead Agency in the Department of Transportation.
I know from experience how much the Coast Gard has wanted its own building in Washington, DC. Having worked in the Volpe Building as a Coast Guard officer in the Legal Office and the Office of Personnel from 1972 to 1979, I am aware of the numerous times senior Coast Guard officers have lamented the fact that the Coast Guard did not have its own building.
http://www.constitutioncenterdc.com/
The Coast Guard finally was able to move up among the hierarchy of Federal Agencies when it moved to the Buzzard Point location. The accommodations were not up to those of the Volpe Building, but it was not co-located with lesser Federal agencies. Because of the undesirable location, many saw this move as a sort of fall from grace. However, location was not as important as exclusivity.
http://dc.citybizlist.com/article/navy-set-officially-occupy-former-coast-guard-hq-buzzard-point
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2013/08/as-coast-guard-settles-into-new-home.html
Now, the Coast Guard has it all, location and exclusivity. And, on top of it all, the DHS appears to not be coming to share the new building due to a shortage of appropriated funds.
http://perkinswill.com/work/us-coast-guard-headquarters.html
In one sense, the vassals have taken control of the castle, erected a moat, and the drawbridge is up. Next to the Pentagon, this new Headquarters is a paradise and it is the most expensive building in Washington,DC. It has a newly constructed physical plant with all of the latest high tech gadgetry. The exterior is ecological eye-candy; it is architecturally beautiful with large spacious recreational green areas for loitering and refreshing the spirit. There are deer and other natural wild life running through the trees and plants. This new building repairs and reflects the surrounding landscape.
http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB101617

The interior sports acoustically low noise in the common areas, and large individual cubicles for the support staff so that each can have their own space. The offices are large and comfortable. Getting an office with a window is no problem because the construction material of smoked glass and steel affords maximum visibility for even the clerical personnel. The style is reminiscent of the steel and glass construction found in Hamburg, Germany and some of the banks built in Hong Kong by I M Pei.
http://www.pcf-p.com/a/f/fme/imp/b/b.html
The conference rooms and auditorium are well equipped with high tech and high definition accessories. They rival the large screen instant replay monitors in the most modern sports arenas. There is no bad seat in the auditorium. Even the farthest removed spectator to any presentation or ceremony has instant and constant visual and acoustical access to the proceedings. The Coast Guard which is renowned for pinching pennies and trying to save the Government money, spared no expenses in designing and building this new state-of-the-art facility. But, that is usually what happens when one is spending someone else's money.

The co-educational workout rooms are top of the line. They include steam rooms and showers with large screen high definition televisions in front of the exercise machines. The facility is of the same caliber as one would expect to find in any Hilton or Ritz Carlton five-star luxury hotel.

http://perkinswill.com/work/us-coast-guard-headquarters.html
Much of the credit for the relocation and the modern construction belongs to VADM Manson K. Brown. His last act of grace to the Coast Guard before retiring in May of 2014. It was only fitting and proper that he bequeath to the Coast Guard this new and perhaps final resting place, as a token of his appreciation for allowing him to write his name and story across a large page of American and Coast Guard history. VADM Brown did well and his performance of duty was above and beyond the call of duty, but he was deprived of writing one final large piece of History; he was denied the honor of going down in History as the first Black Commandant of the U S Coast Guard. Nevertheless, the milestones that he left along the road of History will not be surpassed in the near or distant future. He had a good ride and it was a mutually respectful and loving parting from active duty to a much deserved retirement for VADM Brown.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/vice-admiral-retires-from-us-coast-guard-as-the-top-ranking-black-officer/2014/05/14/95fd2ba4-db95-11e3-bda1-9b46b2066796_story.html

The physical address of Coast Guard Headquarters is 2701 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. S.E. This address cannot be used for mailing or visiting the campus (if using GPS, this address takes you to Gate 1, which can only be used by Coast Guard personnel accessing the campus via bike, over-sized vehicle or walking).
The new Coast Guard Headquarters GPS address is 2699 Firth Street SE, Washington, DC, 20593.
Download a map of the St. Elizabeths campus.


http://www.uscg.mil/baseNCR/pages/maps.asp


http://www.uscg.mil/baseNCR/documents/visit_instructions.pdf




http://www.uscg.mil/strategy/docs/HeadquartersLogisticsInformation_20140401.pdf

Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner Of Social Security Administration, Failed To Get Confirmed

On February 14, 2013, Carolyn W. Colvin became the Acting Commissioner of Social Security.  Prior to this designation, she served as the Deputy Commissioner, having been confirmed by the United States Senate on December 22, 2010 as President Obama’s nominee.  In addition to her role as the Acting Commissioner of Social Security, Ms. Colvin serves as a Trustee to the Social Security Board of Trustees.

Senate cancels vote on Obama Social Security pick.

Obama pick to head Social Security runs into more trouble; Senate cancels confirmation vote.

(By Stephen Ohlemacher, AP)

WASHINGTON (AP)(14 Dec. 2014) -- President Barack Obama's pick to head the Social Security Administration has run into more trouble after Senate Democrats canceled a procedural vote on her nomination.
Obama nominated Carolyn W. Colvin to a six-year term as commissioner in June, and Colvin's nomination cleared one procedural hurdle in the Senate Saturday, Dec. 13. However, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., canceled an upcoming vote, making it likely Colvin won't get a vote until next year, when Republicans take control of the Senate.
Colvin's nomination would have taken up valuable floor time as the Senate rushes to finish its year-end business. Senators could speed the process but that would require a bipartisan agreement.
Colvin's nomination first ran into trouble when a group of Republican senators said they would try to block it while investigators look into a $300 million computer project at the agency.
The project, which doesn't work, predates Colvin's tenure — she has been acting commissioner since Feb. 2013. But an inspector general's investigation is ongoing.
"I don't know how the Senate can, with good conscience, vote to confirm anyone with this type of ongoing investigation going on around their immediate office," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said in a floor speech. "It may very well turn out that Ms. Colvin did nothing wrong, but we need to know for sure."
Colvin defended her integrity and her long career in government in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
"I've worked in government my entire life. There's never been a suggestion, personal or professional, of any wrongdoing," Colvin said in the interview, which had been scheduled before the controversy erupted.
"I'm certainly not ending my career with that," Colvin continued. "I came out of retirement to help this organization, not hurt it."

Six years ago, Social Security embarked on an aggressive plan to replace outdated computer systems overwhelmed by a flood of disability claims. But the project has been racked by delays and mismanagement, according to an assessment commissioned by the agency over the summer.

The new computer system is supposed to help workers process and manage disability claims. But the project is still in the testing phase and the agency can't say if it will ever be operational or how much it will cost.

Colvin, 72, first worked as a deputy commissioner at Social Security in the 1990s. She left the agency in 2001 to become director of human services for the District of Columbia. She later had a similar job in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Colvin returned to Social Security in 2010 as deputy commissioner.

Throughout her career, Ms. Colvin has managed programs that help people with their healthcare and financial needs.  She previously held key executive positions at Social Security Headquarters: Deputy Commissioner for Policy and External Affairs (1994–1996), Deputy Commissioner for Programs and Policy (1996–1998), and Deputy Commissioner for Operations (1998–2001).

Prior to returning to SSA, Ms. Colvin was the Director of Human Services for the District of Columbia (2001-2003); the Director of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (2003-2007); the Chief Executive Officer of AMERIGROUP Community Care of the District of Columbia (2007–2008); and, the Special Assistant to the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Transportation (2009-2011).  In addition, Ms. Colvin served as the Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Human Resources (1989-1994).

Ms. Colvin has received numerous awards and recognition for her managerial expertise and creativity, including Maryland’s Top 100 Women Award from the Daily Record (2005) and the Women of Achievement Award from Suburban Maryland Business and Professional Women (2005).  She has served on a variety of boards and commissions, including the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

Ms. Colvin earned her graduate and undergraduate degrees in business administration from Morgan State University.  Additionally, she completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University, the Maryland Leadership Program, and the Greater Baltimore Leadership Program. Ms. Colvin is from Maryland and currently resides in Anne Arundel County.  She has one son and six grandchildren.

"COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE'

A prominent Black pastor, Bishop E. W. Jackson Sr., President of the group STAND, Staying True to America’s National Destiny.

It is time for Black Christians to have the faith and courage to refuse to associate with the Democratic Party that has become anti-Christian, anti-Israel, anti-Church, anti-Bible, anti-life, anti-family and anti-God. In addition to a litany of other short comings, it is becoming painfully apparent that ‘Calculus’ is not a course that would be found on Barack Obama’s college transcripts–if ever they would be released–when he finally came out in support of ‘same-sex marriage,’ to open the purse strings in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community–just before attending a big fund raising dinner hosted by actor George Clooney in the summer.
Now comes the cost/benefit calculus…
What can Obama expect to win by embracing the LGBT community?
The net statistical result of that move was to pitch for the vote of some portion of the 1 percent of gay households in America, as identified in the 2000 U.S. Census that was referred to in the first LGBT section of the 2010 U.S. Census document. It is important to note that the racial breakdown in the gay community closely resembles the general population, except that only 8 percent were black, versus 13.1 percent of general population, while whites made up 78 percent of the gay households.
As to the voter turnout rate and party affiliation in the gay community there does not seem to be a plethora of data, except for alleged exit poll data from the 2004 and 2008 presidential races, wherein 25 to 27 percent of self-identified LGBT voters claimed they voted Republican implying, at most, that 60+ percent were Democrats and Independents.
Therefore, even if we assumed a White voter turnout rate of 78 percent, and assumed that 63 percent of the gay community is Democrat and 27 percent are Republican (supported by the existence of the gay ‘Log Cabin’ Republican group), the best case expected vote benefit to President Obama would be just 0.49 percent.
On the flip side, what can Obama expect to lose by embracing the LGBT community?
According to Jerome R. Corsi’s September 21st article in Black Christian News, it could President Obama the election; because that singular move ‘broke the camel’s back’ for a nationally prominent black pastor, Bishop E. W. Jackson Sr., President of the group STAND, Staying True to America’s National Destiny.
Jackson is calling on all Christian African-Americans to leave the Democratic Party en masse.
President Obama and Attorney General Holder have decided not to enforce the law of the land and uphold the rule of law when it comes to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). The White House and DOJ have decided to shirk their responsibilities and violate their oaths of office and refuse to enforce DOMA in order to advance the President's liberal homosexual social agenda. Since the repeal of the  Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy in the military, the white House and the Pentagon have use the armed forces to advance the same sex marriage agenda of the homosexual sexual agenda. Military chaplains who refuse to perform same sex marriages are being forced out of the military. These chaplains believe marriage is only proper between a man and a woman.
Military chaplains are among the most affected by Obama's social activism. they are being forced to resign, threatened with early retirement, or transferred to very undesirable locations because of their moral beliefs and their consciences which will not allow them to perform immoral ceremonies.
A federal court is required to enforce the law of the state where it is located. The laws of marriage are controlled by the individual States. When DADT was repealed the DOD promised that State laws would be upheld when it came to marriage and civil unions. In May 2012 a homosexual marriage-like ceremony was performed at Fort Polk Louisiana. This was a clear violation of State law (Louisiana) and Federal Law (DOMA).  Louisiana law bans homosexual marriage and civil unions. They are not recognized in Louisiana regardless of where they are performed. Even those performed in other states are not legal in Louisiana.
The military should not be exploited in order to challenge marriage laws in the remaining 44 States that have not lost their sanity and allowed homosexual marriage. Despite Obama and Holder's unilateral refusal to enforce the law of the land, DOMA still remains the supreme law of the land. It is mandatory that the DOD follow the DOMA that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The President's focus as Commander in Chief should be on advancing the best interests of the service members. This one factor is believed to have contributed to the alarmingly high rate of suicide among service members. Our brave men and women deserve better. Our supportive dependents waiting at home for their loved ones in the military deserve better.

"COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE"

This is the first time there has been such a political realignment since the 1960′s, when the black community deserted the Republican Party (which ended slavery), in favor of the Democrat Party to support President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘War on Poverty.’
The National Urban League released a report in July titled, “The Hidden Swing Voters: Impact of African-Americans in 2012,” which concluded that if the national turnout rate of African-American voters went back to the 2004 rate of 60 percent, instead of the 65 percent who turned out in 2008, Obama could lose the election.
Corsi also confirmed that African-American voters ‘were a deciding factor’ in Obama’s 2008 victories in North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana and Florida.

However, at this time President Obama has already lost Indiana by every measure, and polling continues to show that North Carolina is not in the cards for him in 2012 either–highlighted by the fact that the state passed a law banning ‘same-sex marriage’ by a wide margin–just months before the Democrat National Convention was held in Charlotte.
Jackson says black Christian ministers have begun resisting the Obama administration’s determination to advance an LGBT agenda, and that they are here to say the Democratic Party has shown itself to be so inimical to the biblical values of Christians and Jews that it is time for a mass exodus.

The Democratic Party has turned its back on us; it’s time to turn our back on them.

As President Barack Obama has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a terrible decision maker–should we be surprised now?
The ‘end of an error’ is near.
Amen.
(By: Jeffrey Klein)

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS!

People take reading books for granted, especially now that they are available electronically. Not so long ago, there was a whole generation of children that did not have access to books in this country, not because there was a lack of books, nor because they were illiterate, but because of the color of their skin. Black children had no right to step across the threshold of a public library and read or borrow books.

Back in 1963, London Steverson, a young black man, a senior at an all black Woodstock High School, in Memphis, Tennessee, wanted to write a senior term paper on the topic of martial arts. The school had only a small library with a limited selection of books. There were no books on karate, taekwondo, judo, aikido, or kung fu in the school library. In fact there were no books at all on martial arts. So, when Mr. Steverson inquired concerning any other library that he could possibly use for his research, the school librarian, Mrs. R. J. Roddy, informed him that there was a public library in Memphis, TN. It was a much bigger one, and it had a large selection of books on many topics, but it was for whites only. Before Mr. Steverson lost all hope for his term paper, Mrs. R. J. Roddy told him, she could call the librarian in that other "whites only" library and see what books they had on the subject. It turned out that there were quite a few books on martial arts. The library sent over a two page list of titles. Mr. Steverson looked through the list and picked out some books that he thought he could use as references. Mrs. R. J. Roddy called back and told the librarian which books Mr. Steverson wanted, and they sent the books to his school by special delivery. He does not remember whether his books were the only ones sent to his school, but looking back, he is amazed at what lengths they were willing to go to keep him out of a public library. But unbeknownst to him and to everyone around him, a little seed was planted in Mr. Steverson's heart and soul, when he was denied access to the Memphis, Tennessee public library.

"It was not until a few years later when I was a cadet at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) that the implications of the incident really hit home" he said. "I was now at an all white college and had access to a well stocked library, not like the small library at Woodstock High, which had little more than some magazines, news papers, periodicals, and Readers' Digest Condensed Books."All this was taking place during the 60s when the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. People were marching and sitting-in, and highlighting the inequities of the segregated public accommodations. "The more I used the library at the USCGA, the more I became aware of the great deprivation that I had suffered in high school in Memphis, TN. And many people all over the South were still suffering." he said.

So he began to develop a real love for books and an appreciation for what books could do for the spirit. He began to go to the drug stores in New London, Connecticut, and buy paperback books. At first, he bought any book he could afford, like James Mischner's "Hawaii'. He kept and treasured every book he purchased and slowly they began to stack up. Then, later as he traveled to foreign countries, he expanded his collection with foreign books. He joined book clubs, The Book of The Month Club, and later The Folio Society.

He has visited and used many libraries all over the country, except the one in Memphis. One day, more than 40 years later, when he visited Memphis, TN, his nieces and nephews asked him if I had been to the Benjamin Hooks Public Library. He said no. In fact, he never really associated going to a public library in Memphis, TN, based on his childhood experiences. "The idea felt strange to me because I had never been inside the Memphis Public Library, I did not think I was welcome" Mr. Steverson stated. He took his wife and children and has accomplished a major milestone in his life 44 years later. He was finally able to step foot inside the public library in his hometown, and on top of it all, apply for library card. The lady was an older white lady from Connecticut, who was processing his application. The lady was surprised that a 60 year old man born and raised in town, had never had a library card there. "I explained to her that when I had lived in Memphis, Blacks were not allowed to use the public library, and I had left Memphis at age 17." She was amazed and I was pleasantly taken aback that my minor children and I were getting library cards for the first time at the same time." His whole family became a member as a symbol to his freedom to read books anywhere.

"One day I looked around and I had so many books I did not know what to do with them" he said "nearly every room had wall to wall bookshelves filled with various books. Every room in his house had books in it, from the front door to the back door. Within 6 months of getting the library card, he moved to Hungary. "When the packers came to our home with boxes, we were surprised that the bulk of out possessions were books. We had over 400 boxes of books." There were high school, college, and law school text books, along with novels and books of every description. They were the accumulation of over 45 years of collecting books.

When he arrived to Hungary, his wife began to take him to visit the elementary and high schools she had attended. He found that every school was teaching English diligently to their students, and they discussed the idea of donating some of the books to her alma maters' libraries. Then, one day he visited the County Library in Veszprem. (ekmk.hu) To his surprise there was an American Corner in the library. American Corners are a State Department supported program that provides, without American personnel, a public diplomacy outpost - library, discussion forum, program venue and Internet access - available for the use of the local population in a host country. The American Corner had two shelves of English language books and plenty of space. The American Corner was also near the local university. Mr. Steverson decided that this was the best place to donate his books because they would get the most exposure to English speaking and reading people. After showing the Director some samples of the types of books that he had, she was delighted to accept all the books he could donate. The donation was called the Steverson Book Collection and since the initial donation, the collection has expanded from one corner to three corners in Hungary, helping students and teachers, Hungarians, foreigners and ex-patriots to have access to a wide variety of books and knowledge. The seed planted in 1963 has come to grow, blossom and bear fruit. Mr. Steverson has fulfilled a lifelong dream of helping young and old alike to have access to books and learning. His dream carried him even further than he had ever dreamed, giving him the opportunity to help a whole nation have access to something that he did not as a child.

http://www.amazon.com/socialNsecurity-Confessions-Social-Security-Judge/dp/1449569757

Steverson Collection Book Club

The American Corner in Veszprém provides up-to-date, accurate, and tailor-made information on issues related to the U.S. Citizens of the region are welcome to visit the Corner to gain information about the the American educational system, arts, sciences, and economy. In addition to that, our aim is to create links and foster communication between Hungary and the U.S. The Corner focuses mainly on educational, cultural and business issues connecting the two nations. Besides providing basic services, we organize conferences, meetings, exhibitions, and performances.

Detailed Info Website:http://www.americancorner.hu
Company Overview:The American Corners (AC) program is a United States Department of State-sponsored initiative inaugurated worldwide more than 10 years ago.
American Corner Debrecen is a cultural and information center supported by the Embassy of the United States, the City Council of Debrecen and the University of Debrecen.
Mission:The basic function of the American Corner is to make information about the United States available by providing access to current and reliable information about the U. S. via book, video, and DVD collections, the Internet, and through a wide range of local programs.
We hope to bring the American culture closer to the Hungarian people and therefore foster international cooperation.
Products:Knowledge, cheerfulness, friendship... ALL FOR FREE :)

After the Opening Ceremony of the Steverson Collection on 23 April, 2009 the
American Corner Veszprem was excited to announce the start of the
Steverson Collection Book Club. The Club's aim is to give the reading public a chance to get
acquainted with the vast collection of books in the generous donation from Judge London
Steverson and his family. This Book Club is be run by booklovers, for booklovers.
The members are at the heart of all the club does.

Variety is at the heart of our Club. The Steverson Collection contains thousands of used and rare English language books on a variety of subjects of interest; such as, History, Humor, Satire, Myths & Legends, Philosophy, Poetry, Shakespeare, Religion, Reference,
Travel & Leisure, Exploration (The Silk Road, The Spice Route, The
Northwest Passage, Antarctica, The North Pole, and more..)

Steverson Collection Book Club meets every Tuesday in the American Corner.
Do you like reading? Join the unique Steverson Collection Book Club. Meet new friends. Memberhip is free, the language English. win a valuable English language book every month. Date and time: 16:30-17:30, September 27, 2011. Venue: American Corner, Eötvös Károly County Library and Cultural Institute, Veszprém, Komakút tér 3.

Join The Steverson Collection Book Club and meet new friends from 16:30-17:30 every Tuesday at the American Corner. Do you like reading? Are you interested in English language books? Memberhip is free, the language of the program is English. Date: August 30, 2011. Venue: American Corner, Eötvös Károly County Library and Cultural Institute, Veszprém, Komakút tér 3.

(Hungarian)
(Részletek) Steverson gyűjtemény könyvklub (Steverson Collection Book Club)
Minden kedden 16:30-17:30-ig az Amerikai Kuckóban.

Szeretsz olvasni? Érdekelnek az angol nyelvű könyvek? Csatlakozz az
egyedülálló Steverson-gyűjtemény könyvklubjához, és ismerkedj meg új
könyvekkel és új barátokkal! A részvétel ingyenes, a program nyelve
angol.

Időpont: 2011. Augusztus 30. 16:30-17:30.
Helyszín: Amerikai Kuckó, Eötvös Károly Megyei

Judge London Steverson and Tony Curtis Forever Linked By Time and Honor.



Tony Curtis died September 30, 2010 at the age of 85. He will be remembered as both a Hollywood heartthrob and an actor with a gift for comedy. As the author of his own story he was met with mixed reviews. He was the son of Hungarian immigrants. On April 23, 2009 at about 5:00 PM at the American Embassy in Budapest, Hungary he was awarded the Cultural Diplomacy Award by Ambassador April Foley with Jeffrey Levine, the Charge d'Affaires, and Carolynn Glassman, the Cultural affairs Officer at the Embassy.

Mr. Curtis was not the only person to receive the Cultural Diplomacy Award that day in Hungary. Earlier in the day at the American Corner in Veszprem, Hungary Judge London Steverson had been presented with a Cultural Diplomacy Award. It was the opening day of the annual America Week Celebration in Hungary. The highlight of the day was the official opening of the Steverson Book Collection at the Veszprem Public Library. The Steverson Collection was a donation of over 5,000 books to the American Embassy and the people of Hungary from Judge Steverson's own personal collection. Judge Steverson's wife was born and raised in Veszprem, Hungary.

Marjorie Kehe of the Christian Science Monitor had this to say about this talented Hungarian-American. Curtis wrote his own life story twice, once in "Tony Curtis: The Autobiography" (1993) and then again in "American Prince: A Memoir" (2008).

In general, "The Autobiography" was better received. Library Journal wrote, "This is Tony Curtis's story in his own words, and it is a corker. His depiction of a boyhood as a poor New York City street kid ... is moving as well as philosophical and is a recurring theme throughout his life and remarkably diverse career.... This is a literate, first-class "star" autobiography, frank and absorbing but not for the prudish."

Publishers Weekly, however, was tougher on Curtis, commenting that,"If Curtis's vanity didn't interfere, one could more readily sympathize with the man as a survivor of a mean childhood and the drug addiction from which he is recovering. Unfortunately, he blames most of his troubles on others, beginning with his parents."

USA Today said of "An American Prince" that it was "[f]illed with fond recollections of [Curtis’s] friendships with the famous and powerful but punctuated, too, by harsh words for Hollywood legends he says did him wrong…. Curtis spares few intimate details about his years as a Hollywood lothario, including his teenage affair with a redheaded, ponytailed Marilyn Monroe.”

Most readers, however, seemed to feel that while Curtis's recounting of his childhood in a tough Lower East Side Manhattan neighborhood (the son of Hungarian immigrants, he didn't learn to speak English till he was 5) was absorbing, Curtis's bragging about his conquests of the opposite sex (he was married five times and had many affairs) was unappealing. ("Fun for a while, then kerplunk .... falls, like a promising cake gone bad," wrote one Amazon reader.)

In the end, however, it is not Tony Curtis the writer or even the man who will be remembered as much as it will be Tony Curtis the actor, star of "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957), "The Defiant Ones" (1958), "Some Like It Hot"(1959), and "Spartacus" (1960). And perhaps that would have been fine with the man who wrote, in "American Prince," that “All my life I had one dream and that was to be in the movies.”

SLAVE LABOR AND THE BUILDING OF WASHINGTON, DC.

I had an extraordinary experience today (6/17/20100. I was welcomed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to the U.S. Capitol. She was greeting those guests who had come to honor the memory of the slaves who contributed immeasurably to building this Temple of Freedom. I sat with my longtime friends—former Congressman J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) and Republican National Chairman Michael Steele.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)—who marched with Dr. King for civil rights in the 1960s—spoke movingly of the role of those enslaved black Americans who toiled through Washington’s sultry summers and through those bitter cold winters. These slaves worked for $5 a month. That money was paid not to the slaves themselves, but to their masters! The very foundations of our U.S. Capitol were put in place by hands that bore the cold manacles of bondage. It’s a stirring story which John Lewis—who felt the lash of the segregationists on his own back—told with eloquence.

Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) co-chaired the House-Senate committee that made possible today’s ceremony. She and J.C. Watts unveiled plaques honoring the labors of those American slaves. For two hundred years, Sen. Lincoln reminded us, there had been no recognition in the Capitol of the work of the slaves.

The high point of today’s event had to be the telling—and telling over and over—of the story of Philip Reid. This young black man had worked for sculptor Thomas Crawford. When the Statue of Freedom that Crawford crafted in his studios in Rome eventually came to America from Italy, the plaster cast had been disassembled. Crawford had died. A dispute on these shores caused a crisis. How to re-assemble the cast so that a bronze statue could be fashioned?

None of the free citizens of Washington knew what to do. But Philip Reid knew. He showed how to rig a block-and-tackle and the workers very slowly tugged at the plaster cast until the first seam was revealed. He did this for each of the five successive sections of the Statue of Freedom.

Thanks to Philip Reid, we now have this magnificent 19-foot monument that stands majestically atop our U.S. Capitol dome. She was put in place in time for President Lincoln’s Second Inauguration. By the time that statue came to stand on her lofty pedestal, Philip Reid and his brothers in toil were free men.

Several of the speakers—Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) re-told the Philip Reid story, or portions of it. That’s actually good and long overdue. The silence of the centuries now yields to a swelling chorus of the Union. Today was one of those rare moments when Republicans and Democrats, Americans black and white, could come together for justice.

I was proud to be a part of history today. But I have one suggestion: we should re-name the Rayburn Room where we met today the Philip Reid Room. There was some confusion getting to the ceremony, since there is already a Rayburn House Office Building just across Independence Avenue. It would be no disrespect to the already greatly honored Speaker Sam Rayburn at long last to give Philip Reid his due.

In that way, we can honor this respected artisan, his labors, and the labors of all those black Americans who worked to build up this Temple of Freedom.
(Ken Blackwell)

The STEVERSON COLLECTION Book Club is for book lovers.
(Find the Steverson Collection at www.ekmk.hu)
After the Opening Ceremony of the Steverson Book Collection on 23 April, 2009 the American Corner Veszprem was excited to announce the start of the
Steverson Collection Book Club. The Club aims to give the reading public a chance to get acquainted with the vast collection of books in the generous donation from Judge London Steverson and his family. This Book Club will be run by booklovers, for booklovers. The members will be at the heart of all the club does.







Variety will be at the heart of The Club. The Steverson Collection contains thousands of used and rare English language books on a variety of subjects of interest; such as, History, Humor, Satire, Myths & Legends, Philosophy, Poetry, Shakespeare, Religion, Reference, Travel & Leisure, Exploration (The Silk Road, The Spice Route, The Northwest Passage, Anrarctica, The North Pole, and more...)








We read books for what’s inside them, but there’s something inexpressibly pleasurable about the look, touch, even the smell, of a beautiful book. One can never hope to experience such pure pleasure from reading a book on-line. A electronic page-turner has its advantages, but not such a pleasure as this one.
That’s why The Steverson Collection Book Club exists, to make available beautiful editions of the world’s greatest books… and we have a passion for what we do.


(Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Ambassador April Foley, and Judge London Steverson.)



GREAT AFRICAN AMERICANS.
These talented men and women of color challenged misconceptions and rewrote history. They blazed trails,brokered power,pioneered medical procedures,hurdled barriers, and created musical and literary masterpieces. Theire stories are stories of courage and sacrifice, of struggles and victories, or triumphs and tragedies. Their struggles inspired Senator Barack H. Obama to seek the Presidency of the United States and their struggles will inspire tomorrow's heroes. Their history is an integral part of American History. It is American History.












Thurgood Marshall was the only Black leader in America during the
Civil Rights era who could say that he defeated segregation where it really counted; that was, in the courts. He legal strategy was based on the U. S. Constitution.






























Steverson Collection at www.ekmk.hu

THE OXFORD BOOK OF ENGLISH DETECTIVE STORIES. A collection of 33 stories that show the scope, vigour, and enduring facination of the detective story is here edited by Patricia Craig. Beginning in the 1089s with the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and continuing to the present with P D James, Michael Gilbert, and Ruth Rendell. Here you have the cream of crime.







An atlas ia an inspirational source of travel and general knowledge at your fingertips.



History as it really happened - Gripping accounts of great events
spanning over 4,000 years. Our story begins with hieroglyphics and
ends with the BlackBerry.







P. D. James mysteries, that include all of her works.
The perfect English country house murder mystery - subtle, intelligent
and gripping to the very end, Cover Her Face is an outstanding
contribution to the genre by one of its greatest practitioners.

By concentrating on the actions and experiences of soldiers rather
than on the strategies of generals, The History of VietNam War, WWII, and
other Time-Life series revolutionised our understanding of the nature
of combat. At its heart are reconstructions of the battles of
Agincourt, Waterloo and the Somme; Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and others.







Fifty Days That Changed the World ( Ten Days/JFK/ Cuban missile
crisis, etc) unravels the causes and consequences of the most
significant days in history, revealing how each one left its imprint
on the course of future events.

Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Motown, Diana Ross, etc This magisterial study
encompasses four millennia of musical achievement, beginning with the
temple songs of ancient Mesopotamia and concluding with the revolution
caused by modern mass communications.




Graham Greene's 22nd novel is a return to the Cold War territory he explored
in The Quiet American and Our Man in Havana. With typical aplomb, he
creates a shadowy world with very human characters who, if difficult
to love, are never easy to condemn.


Today, East Berlin's Alexanderplatz is a sprawling mass of concrete featuring acres of chain stores, neon signs, billboards advertising toothpaste and an endless stream of cars. Amidst it all, a big statue of Karl Marx casts a disappointed eye over what remains of his legacy.

It's hard to believe this drab expanse of East German architecture was once the physical and emotional heart of the city.





Return to those thrilling days of yesteryear with John LaCarre's novels and Robert Littell's THE COMPANY, A Novel of the CIA.











ADOLF HITLER. Much has been written about Hitler, yet he remains a creature of legend, myth, and misconceptions. the books in this collection will paint a picture of Hitler- as man, politician, and military leader,- more complex and comprehensive than any ever published.
Mein Kampf- Hitler's blueprint to the age of chaos. Translated by Ralph Manheim. As Thomas Mann said "It is supremely difficult to translate Hitler's German into English that is readable, but Mr Manheim ahs done an excellent job." In 1933 two publishers realized the historical importance of this book. they were Houghton Mifflin and Hurst & Blackett. It did not become a best seller until 1942. It must be read and constantly remembered as a specimen of the demagoguery that people can believe and that always menaces the world when men grow tired of thinking for themselves.




Novels, love stories, Sidney Shelton, Judith Krantz, etc are
intoxicating stories of passion and loss, adventure and intrigue, vast in scope and peopled by memorable personalities, evocatively illustrated with period
photographs.

Intrepid's Last Case chronicles the post-WWII activities of Sir William Stephenson, whose facinating role in helping to defeat the Nazis was the subject of the best seller A Man Called Intrepid.


Ken Follett writes a breathtaking best seller surrounding the days before the Normandy Invasion. Set in England and occupied France, the female Secret Agent, code named Leopardess, leads an assault on a German communications center with an all female team of daredevils.





A great first novel by Ivana Trump, former wife of Donald Trump.
Ivana is vibrant, passionate and no stranger to the caprices of romance. she writes of a woman of charm and courage whose life surpasses even her own grandest fantasies.

















An explosive insiders look at Bill Clinton and Hollywood beauties by
Joe Esterhaus, a Hungarian writer in America.

Where does language come from? How does it evolve? Why is a 3-year-old
child a grammatical genius? These are some of the questions to which
Steven Pinker turns his dazzling insight and expertise.
(Find out in the book The History of Writing; Man and His Symbols,...)


GOETHE'S FAUST. A parallel translation of German and English, with an introduction by WalterKaufmann. Both in poetic beauty and in comprehension from the original, this is one of the best translations ever of Faust.

Tsars and maidens, witches and wizards, enchanted castles and vampire
lairs, orphans and fools, sorceresses and talking animals: these are
the stuff of Russian legend.

Books that chronicle of the great American West, the Great War Chiefs, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, cowboys and indians, and The Oregon Trail remain very popular.


"The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe.
Tom Wolfe’s modern classic tells the thrilling story of the United
States’ pioneering space missions. Alan Shephard, Charles Yeager and
John Glenn were among the aviators with ‘the right stuff’, that
elusive quality beyond mere bravery.

The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire chronicles the final years of
the ancient Roman Republic and the rise to power of Octavian, who
emerged from the chaos to become ruler of the world.

Steverson Collection at www.ekmk.hu
Pope John Paul II- Widely regarded as the best single-volume account
of the papacy, charts the 2,000 year history of one the most powerful
institutions in the world.

Delbert, Art Buchwald, et al A product of a golden age of political
and literary humour, a rare combination of elegance and comic oddity
reminiscent of Saki and Wilde.


Art books, eg, Florence: birthplace and crowning glory of the Italian
Renaissance. From the grandeur of the Duomo to the marble of the
Medici chapel, from Giotto's frescoes to Michaelangelo's David - what
other city can compare, what other age compete with this one
miraculous flowering of genius?

An art history book with a difference - explore image-making from
prehistoric times to today.
A magnificent collection that reveals Leonardo´s brilliance and
prescience. A new edition includes writings on almost every subject imaginable and through Leonardso's personal notes, we gain insights into his passions,
peoccupations and eccentricities.

With clear descriptions providing in-depth analysis, a variety of dictionaries
that are invaluable for students and professionals, and provide a
fascinating wealth of information for the general reader.
With almost 3,500 A-Z entries ranging across painting, sculpture,
drawing and the applied arts from classical times to the present day,
it provides the reader with information in succinct and readable form
about styles, techniques, collections, artists and critics.

BIOGRAPHIES that capture --Bogart, Bacal, Gabor, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Princess Di, Nelson Mandella, Rock Hudson, Ronald Raegan, Marlon Brando, Anthony Quinn, Alexander Haig, Marilynn Monroe, Princess Grace, MAO, Stalin, Lenin, Gorbachev, Ribbentrop and many more..























































































Casanova’s most formative and brilliant adventures to provide the highlights of one of the most entertaining autobiographies ever written.

A definitive work on William Blake.

Comprehensive and authoritative biographical books, covering all areas of human achievement across
the arts, science, technology, sport, politics, philosophy and
business.
Winston Churchill describes his military adventures with
enormous zest, but also paints a poignant picture of life before the
First World War, etc
For those who know Churchill only in his later years as a dignified
statesman, our books tell the story of his early life. describes his military adventures with enormous zest, but also paints a poignant picture of life before the
First World War.

For more than two years, Anne Frank and the Franks and another Jewish
family lived like ghosts in a cramped set of rooms at the back of an
office building in Amsterdam.
John Adams--John Adams - revolutionist, political theorist. One of
five acclaimed biographies of America's Founding Fathers .
Benjamin Franklin, the unrivalled polymath and intellectual architect
of so many revolutionary ideas.
Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence.
George Washington, commander-in-chief of the army and America's first
president.
Camp Pastor---On arriving at Auschwitz in February 1944, more than 500 of his fellow deportees were sent straight to the gas chambers, but
this preacher was one of the 'lucky' ones.
Schindler's List tells one of the most amazing stories to come out of the horrors of the Second World War. How a womanising, heavy drinking Nazi industrialist turned into the saviour of over 1,000 Jews is a tale that needs no embellishment.

In her correspondence as in her novels, Jane Austen's voice is
unmistakable. Witty and observant, intimate and gossipy.
Steverson Collection at www.ekmk.hu






This is a unique book. A first of its kind filling a gap that has existed for decades. Finally here it is for both new and experienced parents. Early on many find it a challenge to provide foods that are healthy and nutritious for their children. Even if one succeeds, continuing to feed children a wide variety healthy foods filled with vitamins and minerals is a difficult task. Neglect of this part of parenting has resulted in many cases of overweight but under nourished children. This book is a valuable aid to aid parents, new or experienced. It will assist parents in putting healthy and nutritious foods on the children's plates three times a day. This book recommends meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner for three weeks. Initially it is recommended that the book be followed. Later, as different recipes are mastered, it is suggested that the parent vary the meals according to their own preferences.
(Available from Amazon.com.
Paperback: 112 pages
Publisher: Lulu.com (March 8, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 143031706X
ISBN-13: 978-1430317067
Price: $19.98 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping.)




The Rules of Power.
1. Never outshine the master.
Always make those above you feel confortably superior. In your desire to please or impress them do not go too far in displaying your talents or you might accomplish the opposite; i.e., inspire insecurity. Make your masters appear more brilliant than they are and you will attain the heights of power.

2. Never put too much trust in friends; learn how to use enemies.
3. Conceal your intentions.
4. Always say less than necessary.
5. So much depends on reputation. Guard it with your life.
6.Court attention at all costs.
7. Get others to do the work for you, but always take the credit.
8. Make others come to you. Use bait if necessary.
9. Win through your actions, never through argument.
10.Infection. Avoid the unhappy and unlucky.
11. Learn to keep people dependent on you.
12. Use selective honesty and generosity to disarm your victim.
13. When asking for help, appeal to peoples' self-interest, never totheir mercy or gratitude.
14. Pose as a friend; work as a spy.
15. Crush your enemy totally.
16. Use absence to increase respect and honor.
17. Keep others in suspended terror: Cultivate an aire of unpredictability.
18. Do not build fortresses to protect yourself. Isolation is dangerous.
19. Know who you are dealing with; do not offend the wrong person.
20. Do not committ to anyone.
21. Play a sucker to catch a sucker. Seem dumber than your mark.
22. Use the surrender tactic. transform weakness into power.
23. Concentrate your forces.
24. Play the perfect courtier.
25. Re-create yourself.
26. Keep your hands clean.
27. Play on people's need to believe to create a cultlike following.
28. Enter action with boldness.
29. Plan all the way to the end.
30. Make your accomplishments seem effortless.
31. Control the options. Get others to play with the cards you deal.
32. Play to people's fantasies.
33. Discover each person's thumbscrew.
34. Be royal in your own fashion. Act like a king to be treated like one.
35. Master the art of timing.
36. Disdain things you cannot have. Ignoring them is the best revenge.
37. Create compelling spectacles.
38. Think as you like, but behave like others.
39. Stir up waters to catch fish.
40. Despise the free lunch.
41. Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes.
42. Strike the shepard and the sheep will scatter.
43. Work on the hearts and minds of others.
44. Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect.
45. Preach the need for change, but never reform too much at once.
46. Never appear too perfect.
47. Do not go past the mark you aimed for. In victory, learn when to stop.
48. Assume forlessness.
49. Thank God; count your blessings.









Steverson Collection at www.ekmk.hu