Walter Payton Bio

Walter Payton’s Hall of Fame-worthy career set an example for every NFL player to come after him. Even though Payton passed nearly a decade ago, Bears fans remember him to this day as if he had only retired last week. Sportscasters still measure new players against Payton, an intimidating standard to be sure.

Payton was born in Columbia, MS in 1954 and came to the game relatively late in life for an NFL player. It was not until high school that he discovered his talent for and love of the game. He continued to play in college at Jackson State in Mississippi.

Fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, Walter was also the fourth pick in the 1975 NFL draft going to Chicago. With his rookie season starting slow with only 679 total yards and 7 touchdowns, his final rookie game against New Orleans was a vision of what was to come when he ran for 134 yards-a site unseen in Chicago since the Gale Sayers days.

In his second season with the Bears, Walter reached 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns and was named the NFL’s most valuable player in 1977. In 1977, the Bears made the playoffs where Walter ran for 274 yards in one game, a record that wasn’t broken until the year 2000.

Known affectionately as “sweetness” Payton was a favorite with fans and teammates alike for his personality and his impressive record n the gridiron. IN his 13 year NFL career, Payton racked up an astounding 16,726 yards, 110 touchdowns and 77 100-yard rushing games.

Payton made it look easy, with 1,000 yards dashed in each season between 1976 and 1981. Payton played in every Pro Bowl from 1979 until his retirement. His rushing record has been broken since, but is record may still stand today were it not for NFL strikes which cut short the 1975 and 197 seasons.

Things got even better for Chicago once Coach Mike Ditka came on board. Ditka aggressively recruited new players to support Payton. In 1984, the Bears led their division and Payton broke Jim Brown’s running record. The day he broke the record, he dedicated his feat to those athletes whose careers were tragically cut short by injuries and illnesses.

The Bears hurrah came in 1984 where they finished the season 10-6, the first time they made the post-season since 1963. It was then in 1986, that the Bears beat New England in the Super bowl with an ending score of 46-10-a game to be remembered, even if New England stopped Walter’s running or scoring attempts-he now had a Super bowl ring and started what is still called “The Super bowl Shuffle.”

In 1987, Walter Payton said goodbye to football with a tremendous send off at Soldier Field in Chicago. Walter was not one to slow down after his retirement from the NFL and sat on the Bears Board of Directors in 1988, started a CART racing team, and opened a restaurant brewpub. In 1993, his greatest triumph was achieved by being named to the NFL’s Hall of Fame.

Payton stunned the world in 1999 with his announcement that he had been diagnosed with the rare autoimmune disease Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Payton was placed on an organ transplant waiting list (it wasn’t his style to use his fame to receive treatment before those even sicker than himself). Tragically, he would pass away in November of that year.

The number 34; Payton’s is one which instantly brings a smile to the face of any Bears fan. The foundation started by Payton’s wife Connie is yet another of his legacies, urging the people of Illinois to become organ donors. To this day, people in Chicago feel that they lost something truly special when they lost this remarkable man.

Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Behaviors By Age

I find the majority of my articles come from my deep well of personal experience as a parent. So it should come as no surprise when I share another one of my stories with you. I had just finished going to the mat with 3 of my children to once again get them out the door in time for school. It was tiring and exasperating. And I realized this was a regular occurence. So where had I missed the boat? After dwelling in this non-productive arena for a while, I decided to change that stinking thinking and approach the idea of what was to be expected from my kids based on how old they are.

With a new direction and drive, and one that didn’t involve blame casting on anyone, I was excited to find out if I was on to something. Immediately grabbed my Total Transformation book, which is never too far away, I began looking for the wisdom on what to expect by age. I use the workbook and the CDs a ton for reference.

There were places that discussed what behavior goes with what age and it was cool, too, to find discussions on consequences and rewards by age, which I will tell you about further on. But what I found that was most intriguing was 7 different parenting roles, yes like acting type roles. And in reading through this, I was astonished to find that this was where I was going to find the answer to change in my morning routine.

The 7 Permissive Parenting Roles

The 7 different roles are Bottomless Pockets, Over-Negotiator, Screamer, Ticket Puncher, Savior, Martyr, and Perfectionist. How enticing…and then not so excited when I realized that I did most of these roles with ease. For the morning ritual, I was The Martyr.

The Martyr’s goal is to eliminate a sad, upset child. So they takover everything for the kid and constantly ask less from them. I recognized these parenting skills(?) in me and I wasn’t thrilled. James Lehman has a way of teaching in a straightforward way. It sounds simple and logical, you know the kind of stuff you need to have. And it is vital to have when things starting getting crazy.

Ok so what about all those things that correspond to age? Behavior, consequence, reward. James Lehman breaks it down this way.

Ages 5-9 - Kids like to still be with their parents and adults. Some independence is beginning to show in their relationship with friends with guidance from parents. Consequences here might encompass early bedtime, removal of electronic toys, and reflection time in their bedroom. Rewarding would be an extended bedtime, point/sticker systems, and getting a break from chores.

Ages 10-14 - Children at this age are just beginning to struggle with a sense of themselves. In addition, they are practicing independence, while still requiring a great deal of parental supervision and support. Connections to peers are becoming primarily important in their lives. Judgment can be poor when an older teen is offered choices and activities. Consequences might be losing TV time, being grounded from activities, or losing phone time. Rewards include use of cell phone, gaining computer time, and getting to choose the food for dinner.

Ages 15-17 - It is imperative that kids this age are striving toward being independent and growing in this area. They are highly involved with their friends and activities that for older teens. You can use anything surrounding vehicle usage and phone/computer time as both rewards and consequences.

This is just the short list of age appropriate behaviors and how to use them in discipline because I picked out the ones that fit my morning “dispute”. Total Transformation has more both of this and the parenting styles too.

Posted in Family | No Comments »

Beware of Newsgroups

Protecting Your Children from Newsgroups: What You Should Know

Frequently known as bulletin boards, online newsgroups act as open forums for groups of people who share similar interests. Those who participate in a newsgroup can post and read messages, as well as upload and download content.

Popular newsgroups focus on a variety of subjects that can differ between politics and economics or from video games and sea creatures. Some forums are more limited while others are open to anything that pops into your head.

Once a posting is made, anyone with access to the internet can read and respond to the material. There are currently more than 100,000 newsgroups on the Usenet website, with an estimated 20,000 of them being active. Although newsgroups might appear harmless on the surface, there are many reasons to keep your children away from the material they contain.

Here is why newsgroups are unsafe for children:

Similar to online communities , newsgroups also possess the mentality that there are no restraints to what can be posted. For example, stories can be posted that include child molestation or even promote it.

It is hard to digest, but pedophiles often use newsgroups as a medium to connect with other pedophiles in hopes of sharing child pornography or other unimaginable things. There have also been reports of criminal organizations leveraging internet technology in attempt to make drug connections via newsgroups. You would be appalled at what occurs in these forums, as they are a popular hangout for all types of unscrupulous groups and individuals.

Parents with children who regularly use the internet should really be concerned about newsgroups. Most of these forums are un-moderated, with no one overseeing the material. Even those that appear innocent often stray off into inappropriate content when the original subject was related to school work.

For a child to view content that includes sex, pornography, hate, rasicm, and much more they just need to visit a newsgroup site on a computer that has an internet connection. A child will be damaged emotionally by some of the content available and it could even cause them to develop a desire for some of the filth.

Besides that, your kid could download explicit content and hide it from you. Again, anyone can make a phony profile and attempt to contact your child, so they can lure your child out of the house. These are just a few main reasons to be cautious of these internet sites. Please love your child enough to protect them from possible danger.

Saying No to Newsgroups

All kinds of demented people are in our world today who have been given a great hiding spot via the internet. To any parent who cares about their child getting involved with the dangers that are in these forums three tips are available that should help you protect your child.

1.) Keep your child’s activity in online forums limited. If they are a part of such a community, make sure it is being moderated accordingly and that the topics are appropriate.

2.) You can make sure your child understand the dangers of putting photos or personal information on these sites.

3.) Internet filtering software can restrict your children entirely from these social communities. Newsgroups and other sites that may contain undesired material can be filtered out by you using a filter.

Educating yourself is the first step to understanding the threat of newsgroups. The second step is putting your knowledge into action and keeping your kids away from these dangers.

Posted in Family | No Comments »

Police Dog Shot

Webnesday March 18, 2009, a police dog was shot after a routine traffic stop attempt.

Spokane sheriff’s office reports that, an officer attempted to pull 22-year-old male, Johnnie L. Longest over for reckless driving around 10:20pm. Longest sped off in the stolen Honda Civic and lost the officer in a short chase, but he was later seen leaving an alley and the chase resumed.

Longest, high-centered the Honda on a concrete divider near Division and Rich, where he then left the car and fled on foot. The police dog then caught up to Longest who pulled a gun and shot the dog. Longest then turned the gun towards the officer but was to late. The officer shot and wounded him first.

Longest who has a record for vehicle theft as well as drug possession, was conscious and talking as he was rushed to the hospital where he later died Wednesday morning.

Thankfully, the police dog is reported as being in stable condition at a pet emergency clinic.

Update: Wounded Spokane police dog won’t work again

Although the wounded Spokane police dog is expected to recover from his wounds, Var probably won’t work again.

A spokesman for the Spokane County sheriff’s office, Sgt. Dave Reagan, says Var was brought out of retirement to help police and now has bullet fragments in his leg.

The dog also was grazed on the head in the Tuesday night shooting after tracking a reckless driving suspect into a Spokane alley.

The dog’s officer-handler returned fire and killed the suspect, 22-year-old Johnnie Longest. The car he had been driving was stolen.

Var is out of a pet clinic and back home with his handler.

Posted in Police Dog | No Comments »

Police dog bites man already in custody

I hate to see this happen, it gives police dogs a badd name.  A man, who was arrested for having drugs in his vehicle, was bitten by a police dog while in custody, according to the Brunswick County, N.C., Sheriff’s Department.

A Leland, N.C., police officer stopped Vincent Eloyd Hill, 26, about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on Highway 74-76 in the Leland area, according to a release. The officer found several packets of what police suspected was heroin and a handgun inside the vehicle and arrested Hill.

Leland police called for a K-9 officer from the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department to assist them. While Hill was standing next to the sheriff’s K-9 vehicle, the deputy’s remote control activator was accidentally pushed as the deputy searched Hill’s vehicle.

The deputy’s dog exited the vehicle and when the dog did not see the deputy handler, the dog bit Hill, who suffered abrasions and minor bite wounds to his lower abdomen, according to the release. The dog obviously assumed his handler was in trouble. Hill was treated and released from New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Hill is being held at the Brunswick County jail pending an appearance before a magistrate.

via Breaking News - Myrtle Beach Online.

Posted in Police Dog | No Comments »

What are the Benefits of Internet Filtering

Today, the world of technology is all around us and part of our everday lives. Point and case to this is the fact that one out of every two homes has more than one computer that has internet service.

With that said, implementing an Internet flitering tool in your PC has become a necessity in the home environment for child protection.

As a parent you realize it is your responsility to guide and protect your children. The dangers on the internet are real, would you allow your child to play on the railroad tracks? or play on the interstate? yet what can be pumped through are computers is just as dangerous. It is our job as parents to protect our children.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of Internet filtering and the types of websites that can be blocked by the use of an Internet filter.

Pornography Online:

A good Internet filter will block websites that promote pornographic material which will prevent you from worrying about your child accessing objectional subject matter.

Hate Crimes and Violence:

A good internet filter will block any material that inhances violance and crimes of hatred.

Instant messaging:

A internet filter will give you the control of who you allow your child to chat with. Instant messaging has become a means that those who would want to hurt your children and lure them away will use.

Web-Based Email Sites:

You can get free email accounts from a number of sites such as Hotmail, Yahoo, and Gmail, however, most of these sites also offer instant messaging as well. The popularity of these sites has caught the attention of those who wish to intrude into your home to flood it with spam and other inapprpriate material. A filter lets you fight back.

Websites That Promote Drug Use:

There is a never ending host of websites that will try to entice your children into using drugs, Stop this with a filter on every computer in your home.

Websites That Promote Terrorism:

There are websites that provide step-by-step instructions on how to make a bomb or perform a cyber-terrorist threat. An Internet filtering tool is beneficial in blocking these objectionable sites.

Objectionable Game Websites:

Many of the online games that are avilable contain objectionable and violent content and are offered for free. In addition, many of these websites have an online chat feature where predators can hang out and mask themselves as a child. Internet filtering is capable of filtering out these sites.

Social Networking Websites:

Social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook are infested with online predators as world news has so clearly pointed out to us. It is possible to block these sites throught the use of an Internet filter.

Peace Of Mind:

I’ll close with this, what more can give you peace of mind while your child is online than to know that you have fulfilled your responsibilty of making sure they are protected.

You can control want comes into your home via the internet. Please do some research and find the filter that will best suit your needs.

Posted in Content Filter | No Comments »

Megan the police dog helps catch Southfields drug dealers

Megan the police dog helps catch Southfields drug dealers.

7:00am Tuesday 17th March 2009

Megan is a police dog who is due our thanks for already leading the police to arrest two drug dealers earlier this month.

Having received a call to report two young men acting suspiciously near a ground flat on March the 2nd, Megan was called on duty to search the Keevil Drive area of Southfields.

Due to Megan the men, knowing their day had come, made a run for it throwing drugs as they went. PC Ben Cheal from the Safer Neighborhoods Team (SNT) caught and arrested one, as the other, hoping he was luckier, was caught by response team officers.

The police dog Megan easily sniffed out the drugs and led police to what is believed to be a large quantity of crack cocaine. The two men are charged with possession and intent to sell class A drugs.

Applauded by (SNT) Sergeant Nigel Mussett, Police dog Megan and her handler PC Wilson are given much due praise for tracking down and recovering the drugs.

Posted in Police Dog | No Comments »

Travelling With Your Family On Cruises

Summer vacations are probably the most popular of vacations. Many parents don’t like taking their children out of school so they wait until the summer to take their vacation. Because of this, many travel agents offer package holidays to give incentives to get more families to do their traveling in the off months. Still, given a choice, most families choose summer to do their traveling.

The first thing you need to do is make a reservation, after you decide on a destination, of course. Although you may have one specific destination in mind, some factors need to be considered when choosing the final destination. These factors include if you are traveling with children, the ages of the children, and the cost of traveling. Considering these factors is the best way to choose a destination that best fits the needs of you and your family. You can now make the reservations.

Many places don’t require reservations such as certain hotels, campgrounds, amusement parks, etc. while you may be able to get by without reservations, it would be much better to be prepared. In the summer, many of the popular vacation “hotspots” get busy very quickly with tourists and families like yours.

Without reservations, you could find yourself without accommodations. If you’re not real experienced in vacationing and planning, you may want to go through a travel agent. They are experienced in getting every detail of your vacation. They don’t, however, come free of charge.

If you are trying to cut corners on your traveling plans, this is one area where you can save money. Many families choose to make their own reservations. There are some very helpful software programs and online programs that will help you plan your vacation. You type in your destination from Benidorm to Yosemite, how fast you plan on driving and how many hours per day you plan to drive as well as how many stops you plan on making and how often. This software is awesome. It will tell you what roads are under construction. Where you will be at each rest stop and where you will be at the end of the day. You can then make your reservations.

Regardless of if you stay indoors or outdoors, it’s important to make some reservations to assure you’re not left out in the cold, literally. In the summer months, it’s almost more important to make reservations if you’re camping then staying in a hotel. More and more families are camping now making the campgrounds fill up quickly especially in the summer months. Gone are the days when you can just throw your tent in the first field you see and go to sleep. You need to always plan ahead.

Posted in Family | No Comments »

Gourmet Dog Food from Home

Make your dog your own version of gourmet dog good by preparing them homemade dog food. Reduce the risk of your dog eating dangerous bacteria or other substances that are sometimes found in dog food purchased in stores. Protect your pet from dangerous foods on the market, just as you protect your family from foods that have been recalled or are considered unsafe.

Dogs need to have meat, starch and vegetables for a healthy diet. You can easily create your own blend of these foods from home. Homemade dog food can be as simple as mixing beef, rice and carrots. Dogs also love to eat ground turkey. The important thing is to ensure that your homemade dog food has all three key ingredients for your dog.

Eggs and other dairy foods should also be added to your dogs food. Rice, potatoes and even pasta can be used to provide your dog with the necessary starches for their diet. Beef and ground turkey are most commonly used in recipes for homemade dog food. Liver and kidney meats provide many nutrients for your pet, not to mention a taste they will enjoy.

You will want to cook meat products before you mix them with other ingredients to make your homemade dog food. Many recipes call for you to mix all ingredients together and then cook or bake them for awhile. Think of it as making a casserole for supper, the only difference is this meal is for your pooch not your family.

Homemade dog food can be made by purchasing a book with recipes for homemade pet foods. You can also use the internet in order to locate an assortment of recipes so that you can prepare safe and healthy meals for your pet from home.

Homemade dog food can provide the healthiest and safest meals for your dog. You can find recipes online or by talking to your pets veterinarian. You should talk to their vet in any case before you start mixing up homemade dog food. They can aid you in preparing menus that will provide your dog with food they love and ingredients they need.

Posted in Family | 1 Comment »

The Internet is Dangerous for Children

What makes the internet dangerous for children is often their natural curiosity to learn. These dangers can arise from many different circumstances and varied responses.

Children are at risk. From online predators to life long addiction to pornography, the ways and means are endless.

Because of the pornography industry’s ever increasing income that can produce more than the Detroit’s big three, they are not going away anytime soon.

Since the internet can be a faceless, nameless entity, it is vital that parents be involved to ensure that strangers don’t lure young people into giving out information, or even worse meeting up with them. Every parent should be active in the activities their children are involved in, the internet is no exception.

Social sites that encourage meeting with others should be monitored closely. Your Childs profile should be set to private, and as the parent needs to have the control over who is friends who is not.

By far, monitoring is the parents best protection for their child, a filter is an added tool.

A well designed filter will give a parent the peace and mind knowing that even when they can’t be there, safeguards are in place.

The filter must be fast, tamper proof, and only edited by a third party. This removes the possibilities of incidental removal or allowing undesired sites. Another method is monitoring.

Software that collects the online activity of each family computer will help a parent know what their children are searching for, and what has been found!

A good filter will let you monitor as well as filter. Some software will let you take screenshots and monitor time limits and more. A good search will help you choose the right filter for you.

Protecting our children is a serious responsibility. The best method to protecting children online is monitoring them, keeping the computer in general living areas, not in the bedroom.

Using monitoring and filtering software will provide parents the tools to let their families surf safe.

Posted in Content Filter | No Comments »