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Build a Marriage that Goes the Distance
- Whitney Hopler Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Updated May 12, 2021
Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Craig Groeschel's book, Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage that Goes the Distance, (Multnomah Books, 2007).
Unhealthy marriages and divorces are so commonplace that you may wonder whether a close and lasting marriage is even possible for you. You may be tempted to settle for whatever spouse you can find and just hope that somehow it'll all work out.
But there's a better way. If you make wise decisions before and after marriage, you can prepare yourself to experience a marriage that goes all the way to God's best for you.
Here's how you can prepare for a marriage that goes all the way:
Pursue Jesus first.
Your relationships will never work well without Jesus as your number one priority. Devoting most of your time and energy to finding a spouse will actually sabotage your chance for a good future marriage, because your focus is in the wrong place. Instead of focusing on romance, focus on building a strong relationship with Jesus, and in the process, He will transform all aspects of your life – including your love life. Rather than looking to another person to complete you, realize that only Jesus can complete you. Seek to become the person God wants you to become – independent of marriage – so that when the time is right for you to get married, you'll be doing so as someone who is already healthy and strong. Remember that before you can enjoy true, lasting love with another person, you must first know God's love. The more you become like Jesus, the better prepared you'll be to give and receive His love in marriage.
Remove the pressure.
Let go of unrealistic expectations that put unnecessary pressure on you. For example, don't worry about having to find the only person God intends to be your spouse out of every other possible candidate on the planet. No such magical person exists. The reality is that there are many people you could possibly marry, and if you do your part to meet and get to know some them, God will help you build a strong marriage with one of them. Also, be sure you don't put too much pressure on any romantic relationship you have by trying to make it work when it's foundationally flawed. Dating an unbeliever, for instance, is something you shouldn't do under any circumstances since it's a prescription for guaranteed grief. And if you're not attracted to someone or your personalities aren't clicking, be honest with both yourself and the other person rather than trying to force a relationship to work. Don't settle for less than God's best for you. Remember that, in your search for your future spouse, you can't find the winner if you're dating a runner-up.
Build relationships gradually.
Proceeding too fast in a relationship can cause damage to both you and the other person. Give your relationships the time they need to develop properly. Think of a relationship as driving a car with five gears. In first gear, your goal is simply to build a friendship with the other person. You invite the person to participate in your world while you do the same in his or her, often spending your time together doing activities with groups of people.
In second gear, you spend more time alone together, but being careful to guard your heart while you do so. Ask yourself questions like these: "Is this person becoming more like Jesus?", "Does this person have strong and growing character?", "Does this person have the right kind of friends?", "Is this person responsible – financially, relationally, emotionally, intellectually?". If you can answer "yes" to all those questions, ask some more: "Is our attraction increasing?", "Are we helping each other grow closer to God, rather than drawing each other away from Him?", "Do people I respect think highly of this person?", "Do I believe God is blessing this relationship?", "Are we growing in our understanding of one another? Do we like what we see?"
In third gear, you mutually agree to pursue the possibility of marriage. Seek advice from mentors; read books about marriage; pray together; get to know each other's families; open up about your life, hurts, and dreams; and talk about your possible future. But keep in mind that while you're exposing your heart, you must still guard your sexual integrity. Pray regularly for God's help to do so. Pay attention to whatever warning signals you see that could cause significant problems in marriage. Be willing to either break up or tackle the challenging work required to deal with baggage – both your own, and that carried by the other person.
Once you both agree that God is directing you toward marriage, you can enter the fourth gear: engagement. During your engagement, focus much more on planning your marriage than on simply planning your wedding. Discuss such important topics as career choices, living arrangements after marriage, financial management, bearing and raising children, choosing a church in which to serve, and how you each hope to grow spiritually together. Be sure to keep guarding your sexual integrity, so you won't have regrets once you're married. At the right time, enjoy proceeding to fifth gear: marriage.
Guard your sexual integrity.
Protecting yourself sexually before you get married will help you enjoy the best sex life once you're married. Consider the physical and emotional damage that occurs with premarital sex, and resolve not to suffer the spiritual damage it brings: the loss of God's blessing. Consider the many benefits that can come from waiting until marriage to have sex, including learning to be faithful (if you can keep your promise to God, you're likely to be able to keep your marriage vows to your spouse), honoring your future spouse, learning how to enjoy sex without an element of danger, and writing an inspiring love story to share with others. Set boundaries to help you and the other person avoid compromising your sexual integrity: no sleepovers, no undressing, no deep conversations late at night, etc. Pursue God's healing for any emotional wounds you might have suffered in any previous relationships that weren't healthy. Guard your eyes, capture sinful thoughts, run from temptation, invite others to hold you accountable, state your standards upfront in dating relationships, spend time with people who are honoring God, and repent quickly after you fail in any way in your quest to guard your sexual integrity.
Don't play house.
If you think that moving in together may improve your odds of a successful marriage, you're wrong. Statistics show that only 40 percent of people who live together actually get married, and the divorce rate for people who live together before marriage is at least 33 percent higher than for those who don't. Don't compromise your standards by living together before marriage, or you'll end up compromising your relationship. If you've already moved in together, move out and stop having sex right away. Understand that sex affects your emotions so powerfully that it clouds your judgment, making it possible for both of you to feel like your relationship is right without it actually being right. Take a cooling-off period and use that time to have God reclaim your mind and emotions, helping you discern whether or not your boyfriend or girlfriend is truly right for you. Promise each other that you'll never ask each other to compromise, you won't hurt each other's relationships with God, and – if God leads you to – you'll commit to a lifelong marriage together. Keep in mind that being involved and being committed are completely different. Pursue only God's best for your relationship.
Break up when you need to do so. Don't avoid or delay breaking up when it becomes clear that a person with whom you're in a relationship you're in isn't God's best for you. If you're worried about hurting the other person's feelings, just remember that it's far kinder to break up now than it is to have him or her continue to invest time and emotions in a relationship that won't lead to marriage. Look for warning signs that let you know it could be time to break up: like someone who lives consistently without integrity, someone who draws you away from God and into sin, someone who your friends and parents are opposed to you dating, someone who has bad relationships with his or her own parents, someone who doesn't maintain any long-term friendships, someone who is obviously drifting away or running from God, someone who's overly jealous, someone whose finances are a mess, someone who often tears you down instead of encouraging you, someone who's prideful, and someone to whom your attraction isn't growing. When breaking up, talk in person rather than just over the phone or in writing. Tell the truth, lovingly. Afterward, limit your contact so you won't be tempted to restart a relationship that isn't best for you. Make time to grieve the relationship, stay active, and expect that, in time, you'll heal.
Rewrite the story of your life.
Whether you are discerning marriage or already married, if your life story has been moving in the wrong direction, invite God to write the rest of your story His way. Learn from your mistakes. Confess your sins, and embrace the forgiveness and healing that God offers. Rely on God's grace to grow. Recognize that your identity lies solely in who God says you are – not in what has happened to you. Break free from the shame of your past by realizing that, while what's done is done, God can work all things together for good, and you can choose to move into a better future.
Set your priorities wisely.
Make sure that you place God first and your spouse second in your life, no matter what the situation. While you should care about good things like your children, career, friends, volunteer work, and hobbies, you shouldn't devote more time and energy to them than you do to your relationships with God and your spouse. And be sure to eliminate bad things from your life – things that drain your time and energy unnecessarily, like debt or an addiction.
Keep the passion alive.
The passion in your marriage is likely to fizzle unless you proactively nurture it. Don't stop pursuing the love of your life after you get married. Be creative about ways to keep the passion alive in your marriage.
Deepen intimacy.
Do everything possible to deepen intimacy with your spouse once you're married. Deal with sin, secrets, and silence that block the intimacy God wants you to have. Practice successful communication techniques, such as making sure your body language and tone of voice match your words. Be open and honest with each other, sharing your fears, hurts, and dreams. Learn how to listen carefully and compassionately to each other.
Embrace your different roles.
Discover and appreciate the different ways God made men and women. Get to know the unique roles He has designed for husbands and wives. If you're a husband, learn how to lead your family. Take ultimate spiritual and financial responsibility for your family, and protect them physically and emotionally. Remember that leading never means controlling. If you struggle with trying to control your family rather than serving them in love, repent and ask God to help you. If you're a wife, look to God alone – not your husband – to ultimately meet your needs. Spend more time working on your internal qualities (like your character) than you do on your external qualities (like your hair or clothes). Don't waste your time on the futile task of trying to change other people. Instead, pray and focus on your own growth. Build your confidence and don't settle for less than the way you deserve to be treated. Instead of competing against each other, work together to complement each other and enjoy achieving more as a couple than what either of you could achieve on your own.
Build healthy habits.
If you develop certain habits before you get married, you'll likely enjoy the benefits after you get married. Deal with the emotional baggage from your past. Surround yourself with spiritually healthy friends, and ask them to mentor you. Learn how to listen well. Overlook little offenses and unintended hurts, while forgiving significant offenses with God's help. Learn how to view situations from other people's perspectives. Practice facing and resolving conflict (which is unavoidable in marriage). Learn how to manage your finances well, getting out of debt, and giving generously. Cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus.
Base your marriage on a covenant.
Don't settle for a marriage that's based just on a contract, where your relationship is contingent on how well each of you lives up to your expectations for each other. Instead, base your marriage on a covenant in which you commit to loving each other unconditionally – just as God loves you.
Adapted from Going All the Way: Preparing for a Marriage that Goes the Distance, copyright 2007 by Craig Groeschel. Published by Multnomah Books, a division of Random House, Inc., Colorado Springs, Co., www.mpbooks.com.
Craig Groeschel is the founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv, one of America's first multi-campus churches. Since its inception in 1996, LifeChurch.tv has grown to one of the nation's largest congregations, with more than 20,000 attending one of its 45 weekly worship experiences at 10 locations. Craig is the author of two previous books, Chazown and Confessions of a Pastor, and he has appeared on such programs as The Today Show, Weekend Today, and NBC Nightly News. He and his wife, Amy, live near Edmond, Oklahoma, with their six/ children. Craig and Amy's passion is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.


text:
from our friends at the Agenda Project:
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Bloomberg and the Banks
Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength
This group has been around since 2010 but I just heard about them this week. Patriotic Millionaires are individuals earning over $1 million a year who think their income group should pay higher taxes. There were some names there that surprised me. Rick Steves, whose television show and books have been a favorite in my house for years, is on the list. Apparently his bliss led him to a sizable income.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
FI Hawks Return to Nest
Franklin Institute Hawk fans rejoice!!! The Hawkwatcher blog reported on Tuesday that the Red Tailed Hawks are returned to the nest at the Franklin Institute. They are also exhibiting bonded pair behavior. So it is likely they will rebuild the FI nest and raise their young in it. They are bringing sticks to the nest to rebuild it. This is great news!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Changing the Rules to Rig Elections
State Sen. Dominic Pileggi has introduced SB 538. This bill would change the way Pennsylvania awards its electoral votes. This affects presidential elections. Right now Pennsylvania, like all but two other states, awards all its electoral college votes to whichever candidate wins the popular vote in the state.
Pileggi's bill would award two of Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote and divide the other 18 votes by percentage of popular vote results. Dividing electoral votes was suggested by Republicans (including RNC Chair Reince Priebus):
Republicans alarmed at the apparent challenges they face in winning the White House are preparing an all-out assault on the Electoral College system in critical states, an initiative that would significantly ease the party's path to the Oval Office.
Senior Republicans say they will try to leverage their party's majorities in Democratic-leaning states in an effort to end the winner-take-all system of awarding electoral votes. Instead, bills that will be introduced in several Democratic states would award electoral votes on a proportional basis. ("The GOP's electoral college scheme," by Reid Wilson, National Journal 12/17/2012).These bills are only being introduced in states that have voted Democratic in recent presidential elections. Republican states are keeping the "winner take all" standard electoral plan. Thus Republicans would gain electoral votes in Democratic states without losing any of the votes in Republican states.
The Republican State Senators in Pennsylvania who supported Pileggi's bill are:
If your senator is on the list and you have strong feelings you might get in touch with them.
Gosling and Upton Explain Sequester
Gawker has published an online comic book featuring Ryan Gosling and Kate Upton explaining the upcoming sequester. Entertaining: http://gawker.com/5986069/kate-upton-and-ryan-gosling-explain-the-sequester
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sequester Effects on Pennsylvania
This evening the White House released reports on the sequester's impact on individual states. The Pennsylvania report is several pages long so in lieu of re-posting it, I'm providing the link:
Check your local papers for more nuanced stories on the report.
Harrisburg's Klan Haven
Rummaging around the Internet this week I stumbled over something I hadn't known before; an odd trivia bit from Pennsylvania's history. The Ku Klux Klan operated an orphanage in Harrisburg that burned in 1926. Apparently a new building was constructed. The orphanage was called Klan Haven. If you search Google books you can find some background information on it. Who knew?
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Whatever Happened to Those Blog Features
There are a few standard blog features that have fallen by the wayside. Perhaps some explanation is in order:
PA in the WSJ: I used to note all the Pennsylvania-related stories in a week's worth of Wall Street Journals. For some time most of the news was bad. No one likes reporting bad news, so I stopped. Maybe I'll pick it up again later.
Bain in PA: I started a series of posts about companies based in PA that received significant funding from Bain Capitol. The first few were easy enough that was low-hanging fruit. The others required a greater understanding of financial matters than I possess. So I stopped.
Campaign finance reports: Last year was a busy at work so there was less time for blogging. Also there were not only the standard campaign reports, but some candidates had more than one committee. Following all the relevant committees would have required more time than I had available. Maybe this year it will be more feasible.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Free Admission at Constitution Center on Sunday
On Sunday, February 24, the National Constitution Center is welcoming the public, free of charge, to enjoy the museum. This includes the main exhibition The Story of We the People, the multimedia presentation Freedom Rising, Signer's Hall, and the special exhibit on the Rise and Fall of Prohibition. There are also special programs for African American History Month, including a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln and a copy of the first printing of the Dred Scott Decision. The free admission is courtsey of PwC.com
I've visited the NCC, most recently this past fall. Their main exhibit is interesting and there are a lot of interactive spots along the way. You can sit in a jury box, go into a voting booth, see yourself taking the presidential oath of office, listening stations for major events in US history. Kids like it and I did as well. The Freedom Rising show includes live actors, video, audio, and great visual effects. It's a great show. The Signer's Hall has life sized statues of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Ben Franklin's hand is shiny from people shaking it. I just have one note, for Dr. Who fans -- don't blink while in the Signer's Hall. You'll know what I mean when you see it.
If you don't have other plans for Sunday, make a point of taking advantage of this free offer.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Dress Code for the PA Legislature
Jenice Armstrong wrote an article for the Philadelphia Daily News today, "Pa. state rep. gets snubbed for violating dress code." The article focuses on the refusal of the representative standing in for the speaker to acknowledge a representative who was wearing African garb. Apparently there is a dress code for state reps and men are supposed to wear a suit and tie.
I noticed this sentence:
Brown's outfit was within the dress code for female representatives, which requires them to wear a dress or skirt.Seriously??!!! Women in the state house can't wear pants to work in Harrisburg? I am flabbergasted. That's just bizarre. In the depths of winter, on a day like today, if a female representative knows she will have to be out in the elements for part of the day can't wear nicely tailored wool slacks to keep warm?
No wonder so few women run for state rep. One hopes the rule book allows women to drive and own property, but maybe not ....
White House Interns for Spring 2013 Announced
Interns from Pennsylvania or attending Pennsylvania colleges:
Cho, Grace Hometown: Vienna, VA; The Pennsylvania State University, PA
Davey, Sarah Hometown: Holland, PA; American University, DC
Feltz, Luke Hometown: Williamston, MI; Gettysburg College, PA
Jones, Marisa Hometown: Coopersburg, PA; The University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice, PA
Maisel, Michael Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; New York University, NY
Mayers, Katarina Hometown: San Marino, CA; Villanova University, PA
Nembhard, Travis Hometown: Commack, NY; Villanova University School of Law, PA
Richardson, Camille Hometown: Berwyn, PA; Columbia University in the City of New York, NY
Schermer, Phillip Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA; University of Michigan, MI
Venkataramanan, Rajiv Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; Georgetown University Law Center, DC
Patrick Murphy on Guns
Another MSNBC blog entry from the former PA congressman:
"Message to Congress: It's been two months since Sandy Hook. Act!" by Patrick Murphy, MSNBC 2/12/2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sequester in PA
from the inbox:
Study: Sequester Would Cut 78,454 Jobs in Pennsylvania. According to a 2012 study by George Mason Professor Stephen Fuller, the automatic spending cuts affecting Department of Defense and non-Department of Defense discretionary spending would lead to significant job losses in every state.
· Sequester Would Cost Pennsylvania $4 Billion in Total Lost Income. [The Economic Impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on DOD & non-DOD Agencies, Professor Stephen Fuller, 7/17/12]
Study: Sequester Would Slash Critical Maternal and Child Health Services. The American Academy of Pediatrics studied the impacts that sequestration will have on Pennsylvania and projected that:
· 21,100 mothers and young children would lose access to food assistance and critical health care.
· 8,250 fewer children would receive vaccinations.
· 95,400 fewer women, children and families would receive critical preventive health care.
· $160 million would be cut from the NIH's research projects based in Pennsylvania
[American Academy of Pediatrics, 10/1/12]
Study: Sequester Eliminates $91 Million in Education Funding, Affecting Thousands of Pennsylvania Students. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analyzed how sequestration would impact education in Pennsylvania and concluded that the state would lose $91,931,000 in federal funding for critical education programs. These cuts include:
· $21.8 million would be cut from special education funding, affecting 13,410 students.
· $2.2 million would be cut from grants for career and technical education, affecting 8,330 students.
· $2.1 million would be cut from need-based grants that would help 68,500 low-income Pennsylvanians pay for college.
[NEA, February 2013]
Monday, February 18, 2013
Auditor General Cuts Costs
In his first month in office, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today said he is already reducing costs, improving efficiency in the face of budget and technology changes.
"I said in my swearing-in speech that we would start by getting our own house in order and we are doing just that," DePasquale said. "We've already made changes to printing practices that will save more than 3.3 million sheets of paper annually — that's enough paper to line the PA Turnpike from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, twice."
In the past month, the department began cutting operational costs and conducting a comprehensive review of its out-dated information technology infrastructure.
Aside from reducing printing and paper cost, DePasquale highlighted a variety of actions to reduce costs and improve efficiency, including:This all sounds great except that last one -- our local press needs our support, and the online versions do not contain everything in the print versions, at least unless you pay subscription fees.
• Reducing the department's fleet by 44 automobiles; • Reducing travel expenses; • Reviewing all leases to identify additional efficiencies and cost reductions; and • Eliminating the purchase of all hard-copy newspapers and the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Food in Jars: For You or a Friend
Local food blogger Marissa McClellan has published a book on home canning called Food in Jars, based on her blog with the same name. It is full of recipes that can be made in the smallest of kitchens, and designed for small households, perfect or urbanites and suburbanites.
I went to high school in a rural setting and a lot of the farm wives had elaborate canning sessions to store away a year's worth of green beens or pickled beets for the winter. Food in Jars is a little more cosmpolitan with the standard jams and jellies but also things like cranberry ketchup, sweet cherry butter, basic picked jalapeno peppers, and honey roasted peanut butter. There is an entire chapter on tomatoes. Most recipes make between 3 and 6 jars.
No special equipment is required beyond what one would find in a basic kitchen set up (other than the jars and lids, which you can pick up in stores), though a jar lifter and a wide mouth funnel would come in handy. For an inexpensive shower or housewarming gift a few friends could get a themed gift of the book and those two pieces of equipment.
For the non-cook or aspirational cook, just looking at the pictures is fun. I especially like the ribbon used to tie the jar rings together. The book reminds me of the homey smells of my adolescence and the planning and resilience personified by the rows of canned food in my mother-in-law's cellar.
It's a good book by an excellent local author. Available on Amazon (print and Kindle) and likely in local bookstores.
Will PA See Downton Abbey's Next Season?
Uh oh. After the season finale of Downton Abbey this evening there was an alarming comment. Patrick Stoner went into a full fledged fund drive. He specifically mentioned that WHYY had lost funding from Pennsylvania. He mentioned it several times. I thought he was about to cry, and not only because he just found out that Matthew died. Now the whole world knows our shame.
I am a WHYY member and donated an additional $100 to the organization during the year. Note to the governor and legislature -- don't mess with Downton Abbey.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Prez O's Plan: Ensure Hard Work Leads to a Decent Living
from the inbox:
The President's Plan to Ensure Hard Work Leads to a Decent Living
There's a basic bargain in America. It says that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you're willing to work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to find a good job, feel secure in your community, and support a family. President Obama has fought for the middle class, and has made historic investments in making sure that there are ladders of opportunity for those working hard to make it to the middle class.
The President's plan builds on the progress we've made over the last four years to expand opportunity for every American and every community willing to do the work to lift themselves up. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution to the challenges we face. It will take a collaborative effort—between business and federal, state, and local officials; faith-based and non-profit organizations; kids and parents—to ensure that hard work leads to a decent living for every American. The President's plan:
· Rewards hard work by raising the minimum wage to $9.00: Right now, a full-time minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year. That means too many Americans who are putting in an honest, hard day's work are living in poverty. That's unacceptable. The President's plan raises the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00, which would directly boost wages for 15 million workers and reduce poverty and inequality.
· Provides high-quality preschool for every child: Let's give every child the fair shot he or she deserves. For America to succeed in the 21st century, we must have the most dynamic, educated workforce in the world, and that education has to start early in life. But today, most four-year-olds aren't in a high-quality public preschool program. The President's plan partners with states to expand high-quality preschool to every child.
· Partners with communities to help them rebuild and put people back to work: A child's zip code should never determine her destiny; but today, the neighborhood she grows up in impacts her odds of graduating high school, her health outcomes, and her lifetime economic opportunities. This year, the Administration will begin to partner with 20 communities that were hardest-hit by the recession to help get them back on their feet. Working with local leaders, the President's plan targets resources at creating jobs, public safety, education, and housing.
· Creates pathways to jobs for all Americans: The President's plan offers incentives to companies that hire Americans who've got what it takes to fill a job opening, but have been out of work so long that no one will give them a chance anymore. His plan also supports summer and year-round jobs for low-income youth. This is in addition to his plan to equip Americans with the skills they need for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the 21st century.
· Expands early childhood opportunity for all Americans: In addition to providing access to high-quality preschool for every child, the President is proposing to make a significant investment in early learning opportunities for our youngest children—birth through age three—by expanding Early Head Start, child care, and other health and education programs.
· Strengthens families: The President is proposing to remove financial deterrents to marriage for low-income couples; as well as continuing to support the critical role that fathers play in enhancing the intellectual, emotional, and financial well-being of their sons and daughters.
Big Bloggy Welcome to World Class Blog
Our friends at the Economy League are posting at their World Class Blog, with weekly entries leading up to the World Class Philadelphia Summit on March 18. Check them out at : http://worldclassgreaterphila.org/blog
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
College Scorecards
As mentioned in the President's State of the Union address, the Department of Education is now posting scorecards for the nation's colleges and universities. The URL is whitehouse.gov/scorecard
Each report contains:
The College Scorecard provides students and families with clear information through an interactive tool that lets them choose among any number of options based on their individual needs – including location, size, campus setting, and degree and major programs. Each Scorecard includes five key pieces of data about a college: costs, graduation rate, loan default rate, average amount borrowed, and employment. These data will be updated periodically, and the Department plans to publish information on earnings potential in the coming year.
Montco Court of Common Pleas Dem Candidates
The Montgomery County Democrats have released the names of their candidates for the Court of Common Pleas:
Steve Tolliver has criminal and extensive civil trial experience and has tried cases in both state and federal courts over his thirty years of practice. He has served as Regional Director of the National Bar Association and as a member of the Hearing Review Committee of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He began his career as a private practitioner and served as a chief assistant city solicitor, and is a former shareholder of Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin. He currently serves as corporate litigation counsel for Aetna Life Insurance Company. Tolliver resides in Cheltenham Township.
Gail Weilheimer is an experienced trial attorney and has litigated hundreds of jury and bench trials, as well as numerous hearings in both the public and private sector. She began her career as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. She also served as an adjunct professor at Widener School of Law and as an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. She is currently Senior Counsel for Wisler Pearlstine, LLP, where she is a member of the firm's Education and Municipal Law Groups. Weilheimer is a resident of Abington Township.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Biden's Eye Issue
During the State of the Union address Vice President's eyes looked dark and squinty. Turns out he has a scratched cornea. This is a very painful injury and I wish him a speedy recovery. You can read more at "
Dr. Arkoosh's Very Busy Day
Health care advocates will join uninsured workers, physicians, disability groups, and faith leaders to call on the state legislature to reject Governor Corbett's recommendation and move to accept the $43 billion in new federal funding that has been set aside for Pennsylvania to extend coverage to up to 700,000 adults. The group will hold a press conference at 1pm in Harrisburg on Tuesday to kick off a statewide campaign targeting the Governor and lawmakers to seize this historic opportunity.
The Affordable Care Act gives states the opportunity and the funding to extend Medicaid coverage to working adults making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (roughly$15,900 for an individual and $32,400 for a family of four in 2014). Under the new law, the federal government will shoulder 100% of the cost of extending coverage from 2014-2017 and 90% in the years after that.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Same Sex Spouses to Receive Military Benefits
Today Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that same-sex spouses of active members of the military will begin receiving protections that were previously denied to them, including the issuance of military identification cards, access to family support initiatives, and joint duty assignments. The Secretary noted that the Pentagon was doing what it could, within the constraints imposed by the discriminatory so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:
"Today's announcement by the Pentagon that it will provide same-sex spouses of active service members some of the limited protections it can, within the discriminatory constraints imposed by the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, is a positive step that will help families and align with the military's goals of treating service members fairly, while at the same time underscoring just how great a burden DOMA imposes on families and employers," said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry. "All members of our armed forces provide the same service, make the same sacrifices, and take the same risks to protect our country – and the military, like many employers – would like to treat its people equally. But DOMA's gay exception means that the federal government, including the Pentagon, may not provide family protections to families or even respect married couples as married, if they are gay. The problem is not what the military and employers would like to do; it's that the law is tying the hands of employers and the military for no good reason. It is time to overturn DOMA and get back to the practice of federal respect for married people and families, especially those serving our country."
Grace Livingston Hill Exhibit in Langhorne
When I was in high school my mother recommended an author to me. Grace Livingston Hill wrote formulaic romance novels with religious overtones. All of them seemed to have social mobility themes as one of the pair would be wealthy and the other of much more modest means. The books were set in the Great Depression or earlier in American history. I liked historical fiction and so read all of her books that our public library had. They seemed worn but still in fairly good shape. My mother had read Hill's books growing up; for all I know my grandmother had as well.
Grace Livingston Hill started publishing in the 1880's and stopped in the late 1940's. That's a long career. Even more amazing -- some of her books are still in print and Amazon also has several of her books available for the Kindle. She may be the most popular novelist that most people have never heard of.
Masland Library at Cairn University in Langhore has a Grace Livingston Hill exhibit on display through May. If you are in or near Langhorne in the next few months, think about stopping in and having a look.
Mark Your Calendars
A few items for your calendar:
Philadelphia City Council is partnering with Philabundance, the region's largest hunger relief organization, for an evening of song, dance, and comedy. The talent is courtesy of the City Council. The event is Thursday, Feb. 21, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Tickets are $100. This sounds like a very entertaining evening. Tickets available online.
Then you'll have time to save up for the Support Center for Child Advocates annual benefit reception and auction. The Support Center has been the nation's leading pro bono legal and social service advocacy organization for 36 years. The event is Wednesday, April 10, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Crystal Tea Room. Tickets are $125.00 and sponsorship opportunities are available. Ticket sales and more info online.
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Bing Pulse and SOTU
from the inbox:
With President Obama's State of the Union address coming up next Tuesday, the majority of Americans will tune in to hear the POTUS's outlook for the country and has plans for the next four years. However, today "tuning in" to the State of the Union means more than just sitting down in front of the television.
A recent Bing survey found nearly 75 percent of Americans identified themselves as active participants or observers in online political discussions. With that in mind, Bing will launch www.bing.com/politics on Saturday as a resource for:· The exclusive Bing Pulse, which will for the first time enable Americans to give real-time feedback on the President's speech. The Bing Pulse will allow people to join the conversation by "voting" every five seconds on their reactions to the President's speech.· Up-to-the-minute non-partisan news, and the ability to filter it from left to right-leaning sources· The conversations that are trending on Twitter at that moment· Original videos of former President Jimmy Carter and former Speaker Newt Gingrich on the address· Live streaming of the speech itself
Friday, February 08, 2013
Papers, Per Diems, and Pensions
Let's contrast that with the folks in the state legislature. A lot of the people who work there are also hardworking and some take a pay cut to work in the public sphere. But there are some that maybe aren't so pure of heart.
Take per diems (please!), the money state legislators are given each day they are traveling on the state's business to cover the costs of doing so. The legislators are not required to provide any receipts nor is the per diem limited to the amount spent; it is simply paid. A system like this is definitely open to abuse. A bill is going to be, or has been, introduced in the State House to limit per diems to days the legislature is in session or committees meet. ("Pa. lawmaker proposes per diem reform," by Dennis Owens, abc27.com, 2/07). There is some information about the bill on the state legislative site. It looks like HB460 and HR50 are the relevant bill / resolution numbers. Given the history of the legislature I do not think it likely these bills will pass, but I do think voters should pressure their elected officials to do something about per diems.
Pensions are a related issue. The governor says the pension system for state workers needs to be overhauled. Here's a bit of history:
The retirement systems were not always in the red. In the late 1990s, the systems were flush because Wall Street was booming. With investment money pouring into the systems, the Legislature voted and Gov. Tom Ridge endorsed a measure to allow the state and school districts to stop contributing their shares. Employees made theirs.
While the state's contributions were frozen, state lawmakers gave themselves a 50 percent pension hike, and a 25 percent hike for state workers. ("Corbett's pension reform plans could face opposition," Steve Esack, Morning Call, 2/05)
Note the workers continued to pay into the system but the state did not. If the legislature changes the pension rules for state workers they will surely have to change it for themselves. Or else face the wrath of the voters (remember the BonusGate backlash?).
While the newspaper reporters might take pay cut to keep their jobs I can't see the legislature doing anything similar. It's no fun being that cynical and I hope they prove me wrong.
Thursday, February 07, 2013
A Few Thoughts on Payday Loans
CNNMoney posted an article today by Blake Ellis called "Debt collection horror stories," that mentioned Pennsylvania. A debt collector in PA is accused of setting up a fake courtroom and pretending to have legal authority, holding fake court proceedings (the state Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against the firm). Other stories in the article have debt collectors calling people and saying they will lose their children, threatening to kill their pets, and dig up deceased relatives. Some of the people receiving these calls have already paid their debts.
There is currently legislation in the Pennsylvania State House regarding debt collection agreements (see HB 67 and HB 68). I would review the State House Journals for those days but the most recent issue available online is Oct. 16th. Kimmel & Silverman, a PA law firm that hosts a blog on debt collection, posted an entry on January 29th recounting stories of debt collectors harrassing people on Facebook.
One way people get trapped debt and have trouble getting out is through payday loans, which are short term high interest loans that borrow against a future paycheck. The borrower often can't pay the loan (especially the interest) and roll it over into another loan, which also can't be repaid, and into a spiraling and ever increasing debt. Last year the Pennsylvania legislature considered a bill that would make payday loans easier to obtain. You can read more about that at the Stop Payday Loans in Pennsylvania website.
The Pennsylvania Treasury Dept. website suggests an alternative to payday loans, called Better Choice:
If you have a payday or cash advance loan, you're probably paying extremely high interest rates and fees. And if you have to roll over your loan and pay even higher fees for that privilege, you may be caught in a never-ending cycle that's digging you deeper into debt. Developed by the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association and the Pennsylvania Treasury, the Credit Union Better Choice Loan is a smart alternative to payday lending that helps you save more of your hard-earned money—and even start saving for your future.Definitely a better choice.
Corbett Budget Analysis Buffet
Most newspapers and a number of organizations have weighed in on Gov. Corbett's proposed budget. Here are a few that you might have missed.
John Micek, PennLive
"Wealthy School Districts Reap Benefits of Governor's Budget Plan" / Education Law Center
"2013-14 Budget Analysis," / Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
New PCN Show on Education
PCN is partnering with the Education Policy and Leadership Center on a monthly news program on education. Starting February 13 at 9:00 p.m. and on the second Wednesday of the month thereafter, "Focus on Education" will feature an introduction by EPLC president Ron Cowell, followed by a panel discussion. The first program will focus on violence in schools.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Pew News Quiz
The Pew Research Center has compiled a 13 question quiz on current events. There are some straight question, some match photo with name, a couple of symbols, and so on. After completing the quiz you can answer a few demographic questions and then, if you wish, see how you stack up against others that took the quiz.
You can see how many question you got right, and what percentage of others who took the quick did better or worse than you did. For more detail there is a lengthy chart showing how different demographic groups did on each question. Not surprisingly those who have more education did better. On most questions people who were older did better; the exception is on the questions pertaining to international matters. That was curious. It's interesting to look over all the data.
It's a quick quiz and, for those who have a few minutes of spare time, worth the time.
Another Attempt at Restructuring Electoral Votes
The New Castle News is reporting that Pennsylvania State Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi intends to introduce legislation that will award the commonwealth's electoral votes by percentage of votes received. Previous attempts to change the current "winner take all" system to one based on congressional districts were defeated. The latest plan would give a presidential candidate who won 40% of the votes in Pennsylvania 40% of Pennsylvania's electoral votes. (source: "State lawmakers to look at Electoral College" by John Finnerty, February 2)
"I think it's something that a lot of states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red ought to be looking at," Priebus said of the plan to change how electoral votes are granted. (source: Reince Priebus backs electoral vote change, but it's state decision," by Patrick Marley, Wilwaukee Journal Sentinal, Jan 31).Pennsylvania's congressional, state house, and state senate districts, drawn without regard to county and municipal boundaries in convoluted shapes, are embarrassment enough. We don't need to make things worse by changing the electoral vote system, especially when it is being done for clearly state political reasons. These changes are not being suggested in states that vote Republican -- the electoral votes in those states would not be changed. So even if, nationally, a Democrat won the popular vote, he or she would still lose the electoral college vote because states that have been voting Republican would not split their electoral votes.
This is why people hold politicians in such low regard.
SEPTA and the Flower Show
from the inbox:
SEPTA can take its passengers "across the pond" without leaving the Delaware Valley when they ride one of the Authority's buses, trains or trolleys to the 2013 Philadelphia Flower Show, "Brilliant!", a tribute to Great Britain. The Flower Show will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 2-10.
Riders don't need their passports for this excursion. SEPTA's "One Day Independence Pass" and "Family Independence Pass" offer customers convenient, economical and unlimited one-day travel on all SEPTA trains, trolleys and buses. The Flower Show is open Saturday, March 2 from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, March 3 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Monday-Friday, March 4-8 from 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 9 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and Sunday, March 10 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Showgoers can beat the morning and evening commuter crowds by traveling to the Convention Center before and after rush hour. Independence Passes are not valid on Regional Rail trains arriving to Center City before 9:30 a.m. on weekdays.
The One Day Independence Pass costs $11 per person. The $28 Family Independence Pass
provides unlimited travel for one family of up to five people, traveling together on any one day,
on all regularly scheduled SEPTA service (at least one person, but no more than two, must be 18 years of age or older). While additional fees apply on Regional Rail travel to and from Trenton and West Trenton, NJ, passengers still save when purchasing Independence Passes over individual rail tickets.
Passes can be purchased in advance — they are not activated until the date they are punched by a SEPTA operator, cashier or conductor. Independence Passes are sold at all SEPTA Regional Rail Ticket Offices, SEPTA Sales Offices, the Transit Gift Store and SEPTA Sales Office at 1234 Market Street and online at shop.SEPTA.org. Independence Passes can also be purchased on board SEPTA Regional Rail trains.
As an added bonus, SEPTA customers can purchase discounted Flower Show tickets — $28 for adults and $15 for children ages 2-16 —at all major SEPTA Transit Sales Offices and Regional Rail Ticket Offices.
Monday, February 04, 2013
Koplinski Announces for Lite Gov
Brad Koplinski, a Harrisburg City Councilman and a Democrat, has announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor. Koplinski has set up a website, www.koplinski2014.com, with a bio, issue statements, and, of course, a donations page. The official announcement is slated for Monday, Feb. 4th, in the State Capitol.
Breaking the Glass Slipper
A non-political side note, since most people are distracted by the Super Bowl, about shoes.
Women's shoes are losing the Cinderella focus. Shoes on display in mainline shoe stores are no longer necessarily a small size 6. You see a lot of size 7's and above on the display racks. And long pointy toes (witch shoes) are another strike against the stereotype of small dainty feet. This may mean a lot of things but one is that women no longer feel a need to meet the tiny foot ideal.
Men's shoes, on the other hand, seem to be going in the other direction. I've noticed lately in meetings that there is a new style in men's shoes. We all sit through meetings that don't always hold our attention all the time. I often look at shoes in situations like that. From what I've seen men in high profile jobs are now wearing shoes with narrow toes than traditional men's shoes. Those in medium level jobs still wear boxy toed shoes but the corner office crowd seems to be adopting a leaner footed look. Can kitten heels be far behind?

subset: commoncrawl


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The second half of the book dragged in parts -- first, there was the battle of La Rochelle, which has something to do with Catholics vs. Protestants. Frankly, action scenes tend to bore me. I guess I have a hard time imagining them in my head. Also, there was a section of five or six consecutive chapters about Milady that just went on and on. I kept trying to slog through them but I'd read a chapter and put the book down, but it was hard to get started again. I only had a hundred pages to go and I just wanted things to get wrapped up.
The parts of this book that I loved best basically included one or more of the Musketeers, and D'Artaganan -- for me, it started to get boring if it focused on the other characters. I don't know if these sections weren't as well written, or the story just dragged, but things definitely perked up if one of them was in the scene. Of course the best scenes of all are the ones when they're all together, usually with some witty banter. I did get bored with Milady's scheming and Cardinal Richelieu's plotting, though the ending was pretty satisfying.
So -- a good book, overall, though I can't say that I'd ever want to read it again. I do want to get to The Count of Monte Cristo someday, though is length is a little intimidating. I'll have to wait until I get through some of the other Big Fat Books on my TBR shelf before I attempt it.
And for those of you who have not seen the trailer for the upcoming film adaptation of The Three Musketeers:
Looks fairly ridiculous -- I don't remember any flamethrowers in the book, nor any scenes with Milady dodging bullets Matrix-style! Script by Andrew Davies (who brilliantly adapted so many classics for the screen including Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House, two of my favorites) yet directed by Paul Anderson best known for Resident Evil. Riiight.
Thanks again to Allie of A Literary Odyssey for organizing this readalong. I look forward to reading all the other postings.


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Professor: TESOL
John Macalister is a TESOL Professor at Anaheim University and Head of the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and immediate past president of the Applied Linguistics Association of New Zealand. His work in language curriculum design and language teaching methodology have been highlighted in two books published by Routledge and co-authored with Professor Paul Nation. One of the defining characteristics of John's work is the link between research and practice with a recent example being the design of an English curriculum for trainee seafarers in Kiribati, an island republic in the Central Pacific.As well as Kiribati and New Zealand, John has worked in Namibia, Thailand, Cambodia and Vanuatu.
Kia ora tatou, and welcome. I'm excited to begin teaching on the TESOL program at Anaheim, and look forward to getting to know you and to learn about the challenges in your part of the world over the next few weeks.
- John Macalister, I.S.P. Nation. (2011) Case Studies in Language Curriculum Design. New York:Routledge.
- I.S.P Nation, John Macalister. (2009) Language Curriculum Design. New York:Routledge.


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On this date in 1917, Sgt. John Thomas Wall of the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment was shot at dawn during the horrific Battle of Passchendaele, for cowardice.
Passchendaele (or the Third Battle of Ypres) was a futile, weekslong attempt by the western allies to break through in Flanders, a stalemate bought at the price of hundreds of thousands of casualties on each side. Pounding August rains that turned trenches and no-man's-lands into sucking bogs amplified the misery, and perhaps factored into Wall's situation.
At 2 a.m. on August 10, Wall's platoon crawled out of trenches and up Bellewarde Ridge. Theirs was a part of the 25th Division's attack on Westhoek and while this attack would capture that village, it did so at the cost of 1,291 casualties — and an exposed right flank that left Westhoek open to withering German fire from the adjacent Glencorse Wood.
Detail view of the section of the battlefield attempted by Wall. Click for a wider, but still local, perspective.
John Wall had enrolled in the army in 1912, as a 16-year-old drummer boy. He made sergeant during the Great War, which means that by this point he'd already survived three years of this hell and no disciplinary lapse prior to his fatal one suggests that he was anything other than exemplary soldier.
But on this occasion, Wall turned up on the evening of August 11 not at Westhoek but back in the reserve trenches.
Evidence to his field court-martial a few days later established that his platoon had become lost in the dark and at a lieutenant's order huddled for safety in a small concrete dugout under German bombardment. Several of their number were requisitioned for a patrol, leaving only Wall and two other men — but the onset of more German fire pinned them down until 5 or 6 p.m. on August 11th. Exhausted and seeing no friendly forces, they fell back under a thunderstorm to their starting position. This was Wall's whole defense: one of good-faith soldiering, with no recourse to excusing a failure by dint of fatigue or shellshock.
This detailed and sympathetic-to-Wall telling speculates that the remarkably severe punishment Wall received might have been a statement by brand-new regimental commander Alexander Johnston — he was a famous Hampshire cricketer before the war — to assert his authority, given that this, his very first operation in charge, had been such a bloody disaster.
The same post also produces this at-ease letter from Wall to his sister on the eve of his trial, either hoping to soothe his family from the mouth of the grave or else completely oblivious to the impending danger his officers posed to his own life and the future happiness of a forever nameless Belgian girl.
I now take the pleasure of writing these few lines in answer to your most kind and ever welcome letter which I received quite safe. Pleased to hear that you are in the best of health as it leaves me quite well at the present time of writing. Well dear Emily, I received the photo alright and I think he looks very nice it is as you say he does look wicked. Its a nice little boy all the same. Dear Emily, I received the tobacco alright. I wrote back and answered your parcel. They must have crossed on the way. Well dear Emily I had a letter from home the other day they are all getting on alright there at present. We are having soon lovely weather over here very hot the people are all busy harvesting now. You asked me if I have heard about the draft well yes. I have heard about them. Well dear Emily I haven't married that Belgian girl not yet. I don't think I shall not till after the war nor where we are because we are not allowed to. Well dear sister, I think I have said all for this time and I will close my short letter in sending my best hope and kisses from your loving brother Jack XXXXXX
P.S. Remember me to all. Thanks very much for the tobacco and photo.
And as an opposite keyhole glimpse from the far side of the dread procedure, this Warfare Magazine article* captures the testimony of a Private Eustace Rushby of the 1/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment, who was apparently part of Sgt. Wall's firing squad.
The first execution I saw was at Kandis, not far from Doullens, in September 1916, near a Flying Corps aerodrome, and the other occasion was behind Poperinge, and this was September 1917. The firing squad consisted of eighteen men and the witnesses would be anything up to fifty, including ten men from four regiments. I was in the firing party at Poperinge. We found out afterwards that he was from a Worcester Regiment. There were six men lying, six kneeling, and six standing, and we were rehearsed before the victim arrived. We would receive instructions beforehand, but during the actual event there was not a word, not a sound, it was all done by signal. As soon as we fired, we dropped our rifles down where they were, and stepped back clear in our three ranks, and they would come along and check to see that we'd fired. Anyone who refused to fire or fired wide would be severely dealt with. The shooting took place in an orchard. The man was led out by two red caps with a gas helmet round the wrong way. They would warn you it was an order, but they knew it was no good choosing someone who would point blank refuse to fire or whose nerve wouldn't allow them to do it. We were excused fatigues or guard duty for a week.
* We would be remiss on a site such as this not to excerpt another story from the same article, of a nearby farmer who was suspected of signaling the Germans under guise of his routine labors, and was summarily shot.
There was a windmill at Reninghurst, near Ypres, and the guard who was on duty that day noticed that the sail started to go around, stopped, then started to go round again. And he said, 'That's funny, there's no wind, but it keeps stopping and starting.' He couldn't understand it, so he got it into his head to call out the guard. The duty officer took some men and observed what was going on and then went and arrested a Belgian who was using the position of the sails to signal to the enemy. I'd seen this farmer on several occasions going about his normal work. Anyway, they took him away and about half an hour afterwards somebody came along and said, 'They've shot that bloke,' and we said, 'Really?' He said they must have tried him straightaway and brought up a firing squad and shot him.
On this day..
- 1751: James Welch and Thomas Jones, the right guys this time
- 1678: Five at Tyburn
- 1594: Thomas Merry and Rachel Merry, lamentable tragedie
- 1952: Wolfgang Kaiser
- 1943: Michal Kruk, Przemysl Pole who aided the Jews
- 1771: Matthias Klostermayr, the Bavarian Hiasl
- 1833: Antoine LeBlanc, billfolded
- 1707: Pierre Fatio, Genevan Gracchus
- 1811: John Andrews, whisky man
- 1635: Francisco de Nava, precipitating a church-state conflict
- 2006: 27 at Abu Ghraib Prison
- 1872: Patrick Morrissey, by a future U.S. president


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Britain's security services faced questions on Friday over whether they could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a busy London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers.
Suspects Michael Adebolajo, 28 and Michael Adebowale, 22, are under guard in hospital after being shot and arrested by police after the murder of 25-year-old Afghan war veteran Lee Rigby on Wednesday. They have not yet been charged.
Adebolajo, filmed justifying the killing as he stood near the body holding a knife and meat cleaver in bloodied hands, was born in Britain to a Nigerian immigrant family. Adebowale is a naturalized British citizen born in Nigeria.
Another man and a woman have also been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, an early indication that police are investigating whether the attack was part of a wider plot.
Prime Minister David Cameron said a parliamentary committee would carry out an investigation into the role of the security services. Britain's MI5 domestic spy agency had been aware of the men, but neither was considered a threat, a government source told Reuters.
Dramatic video footage showing the moment when police shot the two men was published on a British newspaper's website on Friday. The shaky, 10-second clip shows one of the men sprinting towards a police car with a knife in his hand before he is shot and tumbles to the ground.
"It is important for the public to know that the security services and the police are operating properly," former London police chief Ian Blair told BBC radio.
In an emotional news conference, Rigby's family said their "hearts have been ripped apart".
"You don't expect it to happen when he's in the UK. You think they're safe," said his tearful widow Rebecca Rigby, mother of their two-year-old son.
The attack has been condemned by mainstream British Muslim groups. It will increase attention on radical organizations like Al Muhajiroun, which organizes provocative demonstrations against British troops and was banned in 2010.
Adebolajo, who converted to Islam and took the name "Mujahid" - warrior - attended lectures by Al Muhajiroun's Syrian-born founder Omar Bakri, who was banished from Britain in 2005. Bakri praised the attack and said many Muslims would consider the victim a military target.
"I used to know him. A quiet man, very shy, asking lots of questions about Islam," Bakri told Reuters in northern Lebanon. "It's incredible. When I saw that, honestly I was very surprised - standing firm, courageous, brave. Not running away."
Bakri said Adebolajo had lost contact with Al Muhajiroun in 2005. Bakri's successor as leader of the organization, Anjem Choudary, has said Adebolajo was in contact until two years ago.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said there would be a thorough investigation into the role of the police and intelligence agencies. The incident underlined how "difficult it is in a free society to be able to control everyone", he added.
The attack was the first Islamist killing since July 2005, when four suicide bombers struck London transport. At that time, questions were also raised about the security services after it was revealed two of the bombers had been identified in a surveillance operation but were not followed up.
Sources familiar with the investigation have said no sign has emerged so far of direct links between the attack and an Islamist insurgency in the suspects' ethnic homeland Nigeria. Their surnames suggest they are from the Christian south of Nigeria, not the Muslim north where insurgents are active.
A Nigerian government source said there was no evidence the Woolwich suspects were linked to groups in west Africa.
The murder, just a month after the Boston Marathon bombing, revived fears of "lone wolves" who may have had no direct contact with al Qaeda but plan their own attacks. The simplicity of the attack may have made prevention particularly difficult.
Peter Clarke, the former head of London's Counter Terrorism Command who led the investigation into the 2005 bombings, said if the men did turn out to be acting alone, it showed the difficulty the security services faced in trying to stop them.
"Instead of having to dismantle an organisation, you are having to investigate and counter an ideology," he told Reuters.
The two men used a car to run down Rigby outside Woolwich Barracks in southeast London and then attacked him with a meat cleaver and knives, witnesses said.
The pair told bystanders they had killed a British soldier in revenge for wars in Muslim countries, but did not say how they had identified him. Rigby was not in uniform and was working locally as an army recruiter.
Britain has been on high alert since the killing. Adding to security concerns, fighter jets were scrambled on Friday to escort a Pakistan plane following a security threat. Two men were arrested suspicion of endangering an aircraft.
MI5 has 4,000 staff in Britain, up from up from 1,800 on the eve of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Though al Qaeda has made no successful attack on Britain since 2005, Britain has been the target of at least one credible terrorist plot every year, according to security chiefs.
Richard Barrett, former head of counter-terrorism at the Secret Intelligence Service MI6, Britain's foreign spy agency, said it would be impractical to track every person who expressed radical views in case they tipped over into violent extremism.
"To find the signals, the red flags as it were, I think is enormously hard," he told the BBC.


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Hear Tanya & Joanna speak about PNRT
Psychotherapist Stacey Dombrowsky, Rogers TV show host of Mind Matters sits down with authors of UnderMind, Tanya Chernova & Joanna Andros, to discuss the subconscious programs of success and sabotage. Click the play button to hear this fascinating interview.
National Talk Show Host Teresa Kruze of Living Clean Living Well sits down with Joanna and Tanya of PNRT for a profound look at why people sabotage their greatest dreams and how to breakthrough addiction, depression and more. Joanna & Tanya also take live calls addressing today's most pressing concerns.


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Captured and accused of piracy, privateer Blaise Risner, captain of the Golden Stallion, finds himself in a clinch - literally - with Confederation Admiral Peter Keller, who promises to see justice done by way of hard labor. But when the chemistry between them rivals the heat of the twin Talixin suns, the dominant admiral decides he wants to handle the rehabilitation of the provocative pirate himself. After their first close encounter, Blaise figures that serving Keller in such a personal capacity won't be such a terrible sentence.
Keller dispenses his own forms of painful justice and sensual discipline, which usually involve a not-so-resistant Blaise on his knees bound and determined to give as good as he gets. The privateer can't deny that suffering the handsome admiral's punishments makes him burn like the fires of the Horsehead Nebula. Serving in the roles of prisoner and captor defines their 'relationship', but no power can stop a shooting star ... the star of startling passion that flares every time they touch.
Just when Blaise thinks he can navigate the treacherous asteroid field of emotion to find common ground with Keller, an interstellar war tears them apart. Through it all, Blaise's desire for his captor stands as tall and strong as the monoliths of Maraven, and he'll go to the very edge of the galaxy and back if that's what it takes to crack the ice around the admiral's heart.
Cover Artist: Dan Skinner/Cerberus Inc