MCDONALDS SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE TO OLYMPIC VIEWERS

UGH! McDonalds is an official sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics. Not the best message. 


Listed below is the nutritional information of the sponsor as well as a few words from a two time Olympic gold metal winner. 

Food Item	Calories	Calories from Fat	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Trans Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)
Hamburger	250	80	9	3.5	0.5	25	520	31
Cheeseburger	300	110	12	6	0.5	40	750	33
Double Cheeseburger	440	210	23	11	1.5	80	1150	34
McDouble	390	170	19	8	1	65	920	33
Quarter Pounder®+	410	170	19	7	1	65	730	37
Quarter Pounder® with Cheese+	510	230	26	12	1.5	90	1190	40
Double Quarter Pounder® with Cheese++	740	380	42	19	2.5	155	1380	40
Big Mac®	540	260	29	10	1.5	75	1040	45
Big N’ Tasty®	460	220	24	8	1.5	70	720	37
Big N’ Tasty® with Cheese	510	250	28	11	1.5	85	960	38
Angus Bacon & Cheese	790	350	39	17	2	145	2070	63
Angus Deluxe	750	350	39	16	2	135	1700	61
Angus Mushroom & Swiss	770	360	40	17	2	135	1170	59
Filet-O-Fish®	380	170	18	3.5	0	40	640	38
McChicken ®	360	150	16	3	0	35	830	40
McRib ®†	500	240	26	10	0	70	980	44
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich	420	90	10	2	0	70	1190	51
Premium Crispy Chicken Classic Sandwich	530	180	20	3.5	0	50	1150	59
Premium Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich	530	160	17	6	0	95	1410	52
Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich	630	250	28	7	0	75	1360	60
Premium Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich	470	110	12	3	0	80	1440	54
Premium Crispy Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich	580	200	23	4.5	0	65	1400	62
Southern Style Crispy Chicken Sandwich	400	150	17	3	0	45	1030	39
Ranch Snack Wrap® (Crispy)	340	150	17	4.5	0	30	810	33
Ranch Snack Wrap® (Grilled)	270	90	10	4	0	45	830	26
Honey Mustard Snack Wrap® (Crispy)	330	140	16	4.5	0	30	780	34
Honey Mustard Snack Wrap® (Grilled)	260	80	9	3.5	0	45	800	27
Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap® (Crispy)	330	140	15	4.5	0	30	810	35
Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap® (Grilled)	260	80	9	3.5	0	45	830	28
Mac Snack Wrap	330	170	19	7	1	45	690	26
Small French Fries	230	100	11	1.5	0	0	160	29
Medium French Fries	380	170	19	2.5	0	0	270	48
Large French Fries	500	220	25	3.5	0	0	350	63
Ketchup Packet	15	0	0	0	0	0	110	3
Salt Packet	0	0	0	0	0	0	270	0
Chicken McNuggets® (4 piece)	190	100	12	2	0	30	400	11
Chicken McNuggets® (6 piece)	280	160	17	3	0	40	600	16
Chicken McNuggets® (10 piece)	460	260	29	5	0	70	1000	27
Barbeque Sauce	50	0	0	0	0	0	260	12
Honey	50	0	0	0	0	0	0	12
Hot Mustard Sauce	60	20	2.5	0	0	5	250	9
Sweet ‘N Sour Sauce	50	0	0	0	0	0	150	12
Chicken Selects® Premium Breast Strips (3 pc)	400	210	24	3.5	0	50	1010	23
Chicken Selects® Premium Breast Strips (5 pc)	660	360	40	6	0	85	1680	39
Spicy Buffalo Sauce	60	50	6	1	0	0	800	1
Creamy Ranch Sauce	170	160	18	3	0	10	270	2
Tangy Honey Mustard Sauce	60	20	2	0	0	5	140	10
Southwestern Chipotle Barbeque Sauce	60	0	0	0	0	0	210	15

Garrett Weber-Gale, a swimmer who won two gold medals at the 2008 Summer Games, writes a blog that often focuses on two of his passions outside the pool, food and cooking. In his most recent post, he devoted what he calls his “Tuesday Tweet of the Week” to those McDonald’s commercials.

The commercials are accurate, Mr. Weber-Gale wrote, in that there are McDonald’s restaurants and that McDonald’s food is available to Olympic athletes. “In my experience, eating in the dining hall at the Beijing Olympics, I’ve seen firsthand that many athletes do in fact eat McDonald’s,” he added.

“Some even eat it right before their events,” Mr. Weber-Gale wrote. “I even know a couple personally (including ones who won medals).”

He, too, ate food from McDonald’s, he wrote, but only “after my Olympic events were over,” as “a rare treat.”

“Most Olympic athletes do not eat at McDonald’s during their competition schedule,” Mr. Weber-Gale wrote. “In fact, many athletes turn their nose up at the thought of it.”

“While training to compete at high levels of sport can and sometimes does include infrequent fast food and junk, generally it does not,” he added.

In a phone interview on Wednesday, Mr. Weber-Gale called the commercials “technically correct,” adding, “They’re not specifically saying Olympians are eating it to fuel themselves.”

Still, he said, McDonald’s ought to “exercise some type of social responsibility” given the problems with obesity and overeating in the United States.

McDonald’s is “a big Olympic sponsor” and “gives a lot of money to theUnited States Olympic Committee,” he acknowledged, but “the fact of the matter is, everyone knows McDonald’s is not healthy for you.”

Mr. Weber-Gale, who has a frequent presence on Twitter (G_WeberGale), helped found a company, AthleticFoodie, devoted to encouraging healthier eating. He is probably one of the few Olympic gold medalists to provide recipes on his official Web site (GWGSwims.com), for dishes like smoked turkey whole wheat pizza.Share on twitter

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ALTA SIERRA HOME APPRECIATION JULY 2012

This is a 10 year home appreciation chart for an Alta Sierra (95949) home which is 2,900 sq. ft. on half an acre. While home values continued to erode in 2012, they seem to be moving off the bottom and the trend of falling prices look to be reversing.

	Neighborhood	City	County	National
Median Home Value	$352,000	$306,400	$310,600	$152,300
Home Appreciation	-4.2%	-4.2%	-4.2%	-3.0%

If you would like to know the current value of your home please feel free to give me a call.

Scott Hopper - Realtor, 530-477-2277

"If you enjoy reading my blog, please keep me in mind when you or a friend needs a real estate professional"

EAGLE SCOUT HOSTS YOUTH SOCCER TOURNAMENT BRRPD

I am currently working on my Eagle Scout Project in which I will build two walkways at the turf field by Magnolia Intermediate School. In order to fundraise for my project I am hosting a six on six soccer tournament on September 1st and 2nd. Right now I am trying to get the word out to as many people as possible. So if you could forward the information to all of your soccer friends and anyone else that you think would be interested I would appreciate it a lot. 

Thanks again, 

Ryan Silva 

Tournament Director

530.210.1673

Bear River Recreation and Parks will also require a signed waiver from every player.

PENCE IS BAY BOUND THREE GIANTS SENT EAST

The San Francisco Giants have acquired two-time All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence and cash from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for outfielder Nate Schierholtz, minor league catcher Tommy Joseph, and minor league right-handed pitcher Seth Rosin.

Pence, 29, batted .271 (108-for-398) with 17 home runs and 59 RBI in 101 games for the Phillies this season. He was leading the team in hits, home runs, RBI, runs scored (59), total bases (178) and walks (37). Among the National League leaders, his 22 go-ahead RBI are tied for the most in the league while his 10 game-winning RBI are tied for the ninth-most. He's also appeared in 101 games this season, tied for the third-most in the NL behind San Diego's Chase Headley (103) and Atlanta's Michael Bourn (102).

DISTRICT 11 AND 54 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL WHY SO GOOD

Sacramento is know as the state's capitol but over recent years it is becoming known as Northern California's Little League baseball capitol. Over the course of a summer many teams play the game where as team's from Sacramento's District 11 and District 54 have played until the end.

Woodcreek Little League's 9-10 All-star team, who represented District 54, not only won the Nor-Cal Division 2 title in 2012 but also in 2011. Click here  for Woodcreek Little League's 9-10 year old All-star Nor-Cal title story. The 9-10 Little League division does not have a state title so this is the last game of the season.

Tri-City Little League's 10-11 All-star team, who represented District 11, won the Nor-Cal title in Watsonville in a 10-0 mercy rule game over River River Park Little League. Click here for the championship game story.  The 10-11 Little League division does not have a state title so this is the last game of the season.

Rocklin Little League's Junior All-stars, who represent District 11, are competing at the West Regional in Vancouver Washington. Click here for the West Regional schedule.

While I'm not 100% sure what makes the Sacramento area's Little League teams so good year in and year out, but there are a few things that these programs do have in common. First great coaches many of which are ex-ball players who teach skill development, they offer fall baseball to there players which has an emphasis on fundamentals and in addition many of the boys play within year around travel baseball programs. When you look at the dedication of the high quality coaches who give so much of themselves, I notice it is not the boys who have earned these titles it is the adults who were chosen to lead. Boys who are 9 through 14 are just kids who want to do well, they are mold-able, coach-able. The real difference within the Sacramento region is the right coaches are coaching the boys the basics of the game and it shows when they get on the larger stages. Click here for the Little League International tournament television schedule.

Nice work coaches!

NEVADA UNION HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2012 PREVIEW

Nevada County is 25 days away from one of the biggest events of the year. It is not the Nevada County Fair nor is it one of it's many festivals but the opening kickoff of the Nevada Union Miners football season. 

The Miners are a top notch program which is coming off a 7-4 season. Both Maxpreps and the Sacramento Bee have stated they will be one of the teams to keep an eye on for a section title.

NU quarterback Kyle Cota will be back under center for the Miners in 2012. In 2011 he compiled 1768 passing yards while completing .663 percent of the time. 

New Addition - Cole Hannum who in 2011 played for Marysville.

Mark your calendars for a road trip to Elk Grove on September 21, this could be one heck of a game.

I have posted additional information about the team below. It looks like it is going to be another great football season in Grass Valley.

 Nevada Union (Grass Valley) 
Coach: Dave Humphers
Update: The Miners return a wealth of talent and gain a spectacular newcomer with the section's first WOW summer transfer. Former Marysville star RB/LB Cole Hannum is now in Grass Valley, giving NU three terrific linebackers as he joins Tanner Vallejo (Boise State) and Hank Humphers, son of the veteran coach who is his 22nd season as head man. Hannum rushed for 1,827 yards and 16 scores last season for Marysville. NU has good lines, team speed, a crafty quarterback in Kyle Cota and an active defense. It's all there for a title run.


Tanner Vallejo selected to the 2011 All-Section Team


Nonleague of note: NU opens with McQueen (Reno, Nev.), then renews the best rivalry in the section from the 1990s and early 2000s with No. 3 Grant, before No. 5 Pleasant Grove.
Projection: The Miners won D-I section titles in 1993, '94, 2007 and '09 under Humphers, who said this group is just as talented. Players understand and appreciate NU history, too. Winners of the brutally difficult Sierra Foothill League generally win section titles, as did Del Oro and Granite Bay in recent seasons.

NEVADA COUNTY REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE 7/30/12

As many of you know, homes in your neighborhood are selling and many of which are sold in just a few days. I would like to offer you as a reader of my Blog the opportunity to follow the sales activity around your home. Please email me at scott.hopper@eracornerstonerealty.com with your address and I will place you into my email data base. This data base will send you any sales activity within a geographic area. I will generally cover a one mile radius so if you want the search to be larger please include that as well.

Currently there are just two listings of single family homes located in downtown Grass Valley (Hughes Rd. at $49,000 and  East Main St. at $189,000) as well as three in downtown Nevada City (Broad St at $695,000, Cottage St. at $793,000 and Secret St. at $1,090,000). The market is tight!

The market has change in the past six months so if you have thought about selling, now might be the time to give me a call. The inventory of single family homes currently on the market in Nevada County stands at 484 units. Just one month ago there were 592 and as an example, in 1997 there were over 1,400 homes for sale in Nevada County. 

What does this means to you as a home owner? As inventory gets tight, prices tend to rise. 

Earnings of most large corporations which trade on the New York Stock Exchange have met or beat their market expectations, which shows the economy is improving. Interest rates are still very low so many first time home buyers are purchasing, thus reducing the already tight inventory even more. If you would like to sell and move up to a larger or even down size to a smaller property you may want to capitalize on today's market strength.

Now moving to the other side of the transaction. Buyers are looking for great deals, but with the inventory being so low, sellers are holding on to their asking price as buyers don't have many choices. I will use downtown Nevada City and Grass Valley as your example. If you would like to purchase in either quaint small town their are only five homes. Sellers do not and are being encouraged by the agents not to take the low ball offer. There are more buyers in the market than there are sellers, so get pre-qualified and write offers or you may miss the boat.

The bottom line here is, if you would like to become more familiar with what is currently occurring on your street, in your neighborhood or the county, please ask me as I would like to help.

Scott Hopper - Realtor, 530-477-2277

"If you enjoy reading my blog, please keep me in mind when you or a friend needs a real estate professional"

ALTA SIERRA DEER

Currently in Alta Sierra there are deer moving all over the place include many fawn. While driving in my neighborhood recently the two fawn in the photo were almost hit by two cars and a truck. The young deer have no idea where to stand, eat, walk or cross the road, but we the driver do know they are there. Please use caution and slow down.

NEVADA COUNTY SWIMMING HOLE - YUBA AT HWY 49

Summer is the time when you go tot the river and jump and frolic in your favorite favorite swimming hole. Over the weekend I took my kids to the Yuba river below the 49 bridge, it was a great day and the water was cold as well as refreshing.

We took our mask, snorkel and swim fins and while exploring the under water caves, I found a fishing hook with some line attached. My children used the new found treasure and  raided the cooler of our cheese that I had brought for a snack and put it on the hook. They caught two fish while hand lining.

Now for the negative. There were people playing loud music on the main beach which forced everyone around them to listen as well. There were many families who also viewed pot smoking as well as people drinking beer from bottles. Really drinking from bottles?

All in all it is a great spot to spend the day, but maybe not in the heat of the summer when non-locals do not follow our local customs.

The spot has easy access as well as signs that state there is no smoking, drinking alcohol and no glass.

REDUCE LINE TWISTS IN A FISHING REEL

Have you ever gone fishing with new line on your reel and had the line have loops and twists? Well let me shed some light on how to put line on a fishing reel without having it twist like Chubby Checker or have a birds nest that would make big bird jealous. The open faced reel can be the king of twists and loops, while the bait casting reel can generate some of the biggest bird nests.

Let us start with why this happens to the open faced reel. When the line goes on the reel you must keep consistent pressure on the incoming line,  if you do not you will have loops. The twists in your line come from putting the line on with the two spools in positioned in opposite direction (installing line to an open faced reel should never done by sticking a pencil through the center hole and allowed to spin like a wheel).  You must have the spool of the reel as well as the new line positioned in the same direction. If not you will spend the day fighting your line and no a fish.

Installing line to an open faced reel -  feed the line through all of the eyelets (starting with the rod tip to the reel) on my rod, tie a loop in the line about the size of a dime. Then poke a bit of the line through the loop to create a noose. Now put the line under the bail, then slip the noose over the spool.  Place the new line spoon on the floor in front of you so the line will be pulled off the side of the spool (the line and reel are now a lined).  Have a seat, now place the butt of the rod between our legs (rod holder), you will need one hand to reel the reel and the other for applying the consistent pressure to the line.

Place the other hand near the eyelet closest to the reel you will want to hold the rod as well as the line. Slowly reel the line from new line spool into the eyelets of the rod then into your hand that is holding the rod and line like you would a baseball bat. Slow consistent pressure is what you need here. Going fast will put loops in your line and you will not know it until you have cast ten or so times.

The loop is generated when you have loose line in your reel. As you make a cast and then retrieve the line into the reel while fishing , the line goes on the reel’s spool much tighter than the line that is underneath thus creating a loop.

If the loop is not pulled out you will most likely have a monofilament mess and of course it will happen at the least opportunistic time.

While installing line to an open face reel has its challenges the bait caster has a few of its own.

Installing line to a bait casting reel- first feed the line thought the rods eyelets as you did with the open  faced reel and when you have fed the line to the reel just tie the line to the reel‘s spool and trim the excess line. The consistent  pressure to the line is administered the same way as well. The big difference is the way the new line spoon is held.

You will need a pencil and bare feet. Put the pencil thought the center hole of the spool like a bike wheel, now hold the pencil with the spoon with your toes. Put the butt of the rod between your legs (rod holder), now with one hand wind the reel while the other hand will hold the line and rod (pressure to line). Your feet will be holding the pencil with the spool.

When putting line on a reel make sure both spools are facing the same way this minimizes twists while you have consistent pressure on the line it self this will reduce twist in your line. By all means go slow. Installing new line on a reel may seem easy, but if done wrong it could cost you fishing time, money or possibly a fish of a life time.

We have all heard the line “it’s only as strong as its weakest link.” When putting the statement into the contexts of your rod, reel and line, well it is safe to say that the weakest link is the line. If a fisherman takes good care of his or her line (not leaving it to the elements, mainly the sun) one could expect to fish an entire season with the same line. I’m not one of those people so I’m forced to change my line once in the spring and then again in the fall. I have also found that the poundage of the test does not matter as to the frequency of changing. The bottom line on line is take care of it and it will take care of you.

YOUTH SPORTS WINNING IS IMPORTANT

Winning. How is winning important and to whom? I have pasted and article below by Michael A. Clark of Michigan State University. 

Winning! How Important Is It in Youth Sports? By Michael A. Clark Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Michigan State University

The answer to this question depends upon who is responding. For the young athletes themselves, the answer evidently is, "Not very." When a national sample of youth, aged 10 to 18 years, were asked why they participated in sports, "to win" was not among the top ten reasons for girls and was only seventh on the list for boys. Moreover, when these same young people were asked what they would change about sports, "less emphasis on winning" made the top ten on the list for both genders. Attitudes about the importance of winning change with the athletes' ages. Younger athletes are more interested in the "fairness" of their games, while older athletes become more concerned about winning. But even then, many young athletes say that they would rather play on a losing team than "sit the bench" on a winning team.

Administrators and officials often emphasize participation over competition in the rules for contests and the guidelines they prepare for coaches. Especially for younger players, rules often require equal amounts of playing time for all, while discouraging keeping scores or records. The number of programs taking this approach seems to be growing. Such programs proclaim, "Everyone is a winner!" The administrators mean this sincerely, but they often seem to have little idea of exactly how to turn the slogan into reality.

However, if coaches and parents were asked how important winning is to their child's success in sports, many of them clearly would respond, "VERY!" Even when program directors refuse to keep game scores or won-lost records, the other adults involved (the coaches and parents) know exactly what the results are. For them, winning in youth games is important, and so quickly it develops that "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," as legendary football coach Vince Lombardi is supposed to have observed. Adults who believe that an accent on winning is essential to success make much of the best record or leading scorer; they hand out championship trophies and name most valuable players.

Coaches, parents and spectators who focus on winning in these terms are viewing youth sports as they likely would view adult endeavors. This thinking often results in mistaking the winning or losing of contests with the success or failure of the contestants or even with whether the athletes are good or bad people. Concentrating solely on the final score as the important outcome of games causes people to develop a very narrow definition of winning. The consequences of this are potentially damaging to young athletes.

The way out of this dangerously narrow view of winning in youth sports may lie in what Coach Lombardi actually said: "Winning isn't everything, but striving to win is." Vern Seefeldt, director of the Youth Sports Institute, reinforced this point when he observed, "Striving to win is the essence of sports." By placing the emphasis on the athletes and their effort, winning is redefined in such a way that it comes within the reach of all.

But how is effort defined and measured?

In part, the answer lies in observing the athletes at play. It is relatively easy to see whether young athletes are taking the competition seriously or are simply "playing the game." The former requires a sincere effort, made by athletes who know the skills and strategies of the sport and who execute them as ably as possible within the spirit of the rules; the latter may occur at any level of play and is apparent by in the athletes' lack of enthusiasm and effort.

Each performance must be evaluated within the context of the sport. Scoring points, lowering times or improving distances are relevant, because they imply something about the effort made. Equally important are knowing what defense the opponents are using, being able to "stick" a dismount or understanding when to ice the puck. Making a kick turn, using a scissors takedown or shooting a left-handed lay-up (and executing these moves correctly while competing) also are expressions of effort and, therefore, success. In short, making an effort to be competitive involves a complex set of tasks, which differ from sport to sport.

Moreover, it is obvious when athletes are failing to put forth the proper effort to make each minute of a contest competitive. "Games" often are referred to as "contests," and at some time, every coach, player or spectator has been involved in games that have ceased to be contests. When this happens, everyone "loses." The clues are many and varied: the players appear to be "going through the motions", coaches cease to worry about strategies, officials make strange decisions or "no-calls", spectators lose interest and leave or begin socializing. But most importantly, as Seefeldt observed, "playing a game as if you don't care (with a lethargic effort) takes all the fun out of sports." When the games are no longer contests, playing them ceases to be fun. The players mock "winning" such games, for they sense how hollow victory is in such situations.

The challenge is for the adults associated with youth sports to redefine winning in terms of effort and to restructure play to promote effort. Some potential changes lie in:

Creating balanced competitions so that outcomes are in doubt. Helping players set achievable, individual goals. Teaching athletes to measure their success in terms of attaining such goals. Celebrating with and rewarding players who reach their goals.

The first point focuses on the motivation of young athletes. Generally, young athletes want competitions to be fair and for the outcome to be in question. If these conditions are met, they will make a maximum effort. Otherwise, they are likely to spend their time complaining about how unbalanced the teams are or how unfair the game is. It is adults who "stack" teams and want to win by lopsided scores; young athletes tell researchers that fairness is the essence of the games they play.

Meaningful and attainable goals are essential to success in any activity, but never more so than in youth sports. Children should have clearly defined goals to work for and learn, and they deserve to be intimately involved in establishing these goals. Individual goals are much more effective than group or team goals. They allow each athlete to know exactly what needs to be accomplished.

With individual goals clearly defined, athletes should expect to have their efforts measured against advancement towards these goals. Reaching these goals can only be accomplished through learning and executing the essentials of the sport. Thus, the goals become the means of measuring effort; did the athletes make the kind of effort in each practice and competition that moved them closer to achieving their stated goals, or was the effort inconsistent, weak or lackluster? If a player's effort was aimed at achieving the goals, then the performance was a success, no matter what the score of the competition.

Finally, when the previously determined goals are reached, the athlete's achievement should be recognized and honored. In addition to motivating the athlete, this acknowledges the importance of striving to meet the goals, to be competitive, to make the effort.

Making the effort is within the reach of any athlete and is appropriate for all athletes. Consequently, it constitutes a definition of winning that can be applied to all situations. Adults who use it will go far toward ensuring that young athletes have positive experiences.

In this context, the proper questions for adults to ask are not "Did you win?" or "How many points did you score?" Rather coaches and parents should want to know "Did you give your best effort?" or "Did you do something better than you previously could?" Young athletes often can answer "Yes" to these questions, even when the scoreboard stands against them.

This redefinition of winning makes it possible to accommodate a variety of views of youth sports. The most vocal critics of competition in youth sports are the able to see the benefits of making it possible for all athletes to become winners. The staunchest advocates of highly competitive sports generally will recognize the value of setting goals and weighing performance in terms of effort toward reaching the goals.

The result of defining "winning" in terms of effort rather than outcome is to make youth sports more humane, meaningful, satisfying and enjoyable. In this way, the correct answer to the question "How important is winning?" becomes "VERY!" Striving to win and giving one's best effort are objectives that every coach, player, parent or adult can, and should, support.