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DECEMBER 2012 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu12 ♦ FRENCH LIFEOperating system supportMayday Application supportcomputer services Network supportpc • mac • network System securityVirus and Malware removal-Call for friendly no-obligationassessment and advice-Haute-Vienne & surrounding areassiret 500 443 536 0001505 55 68 47 33 06 82 26 31 54Phil Monaghan - maydaymayday@orange.frLE MOULIN DU BREUILBAR, RESTAURANT, TERRASSEClosed Tuesday pmand all day WednesdayEvenings byreservationRestaurant open lunchtimeand evenings - Vegetarianoption always availableCome and visit us and relax alongside the River Creuse23140 PIONNAT – Tel 05 55 80 37 70info@lemoulindubreuil.com www.lemoulindubreuil.comFrance's growing obesity problemFlying in the face of the imageof a nation who watchwhat they eat, portrayedby books such as MireilleGuiliano's best-seller, French WomenDon’t Get Fat, new statisticsshow that 7 million of France's 63million people are now consideredobese and over 20 million are overweight.The number of obese peoplein France has doubled in the last 15years.The figures come from a recentstudy and also show that the largestrise in obesity is being seen inFrance's youth, with 18- to 24-yearoldsshowing the most significantweight gains.Most do now acknowledge thatFrance has a growing obesity problemand that the title of MireilleGuiliano's best-seller may needupdating. The country's expandingwaistline, especially amongst theyounger generation, has also ledmany to look inward towards thechanges in French culture that arecausing so many to put on weight.Ten years ago, the average lengthof a French meal was 1 hour and22 minutes. Today, it is around halfan hour. Many young professionalsand students are these days optingto have fast food or a sandwich astheir meal of choice at lunchtime -a phenomenon known as le snacking- rather than eat a cooked mealwith friends or family. A recent Ipsosstudy found that six out of tenyoung French people say they eat atleast half of their meals in front of ascreen of some description.The disappearance of the sitdownfamily meal has not only hada social impact on families, but alsoon the nation's diet... and its waistline.Another factor is the rise of fastfood. In a country that prides itselfon its haute cuisine and that isfor the most part vehemently anti-American and resistant to culturalimperialism, the success of Mc-Donald’s has been a phenomenon.France is today the largest per capitaconsumer of McDonald’s in theworld and the company’s secondbiggest market outside of the US.A key factor in McDo’s successhas been its acceptance by France’snotoriously protective agriculturalindustry. By sourcing 80% of itsproduce locally, it has brought theFrench farmers onside and avoidedany protests from that sector. It hascontinued to push healthier optionsin an attempt to shed its 'unhealthy'image and has even trialled a McBaguettein order to appeal to moreFrench diners.Despite salad on the McMenu, thefact still remains that repeated visitsto McDonald's are going to haveyou loosening your belt faster thansubsisting on home-cooked meals.The government is trying to actto save us from our own gluttony,however, with France’s food ministerGuillaume Garot proposingtraffic light-style warnings on foodlabels to indicate high sugar, salt orfat content. Adverts are already runon television and radio encouragingpeople to eat well and avoid snacking,vending machines have beentaken out of schools and the governmenthas raised taxes on sugarydrinks.The latest move in the battle ofthe bulge is to quadruple the taxpayable on palm oil. The “NutellaTax”, so called because palm oil isone of the principle ingredients ofthe popular chocolate and hazelnutspread, is expected to raise €40 millionper year for France.Nutella is Europe's favourite breakfastchocolate spread, with some235,000 tonnes produced annually byItalian company Ferrero of FerreroRocher fame. In France alone, it is believedthat 100 million jars of Nutellaare consumed annually.Not only do many consider palmoil to be bad for health, it is also acontroversial ingredient for ecologicalreasons (see Arthur Smith's articleon the opposite page).Malaysia is one of the world's toptwo palm oil exporters and alongsideIndonesia, accounts for 85 percent of global production. The MalaysianPalm Oil Council hit back atFrench claims that its product wasdetrimental to the environment andfuelling obesity. “Malaysia is deeplyconcerned with French SenatorYves Daudigny's proposed 300% taxincrease on palm oil,” the council'schief executive said in a statement.“Palm oil is a healthy, natural andimportant product, which 240,000small farmers in Malaysia are proudto produce. Contrary to SenatorDaudigny's comments, every nutritionaland food expert concludesthat palm oil is in fact free of dangeroustrans fats, free of GMOs andcontains valuable vitamins.”The makers of Nutella said theywould not change the recipe evenif France, its biggest market, endorsesproposals to quadruple thetax on palm oil. Frédéric Thil,French director for Ferrero told LeParisien: “The arguments are unfairand the repercussions wouldbe catastrophic.” ■French town set to escape apocalypseIf you believe the Mayancalendar, the next big datefor the end of the world isDecember 21, 2012. All is notlost, however, for those of us wholive in France, as many believe thatthe sleepy town of Bugarach, nearCarcassonne, will be the one placeon earth to be saved.Bugarach, with a population ofjust 200, has long been consideredmagical, partly due to whatlocals claim is an “upside-downmountain” where the top layersof rock are older than the lowerones and the internet is awash withmyths about the place: its mountainis surrounded by a magneticforce; it is the site of a concealedalien base; or even that it containsunderground access to anotherworld. Some online rumoursclaim that on December 21 themountain will burst open to revealan alien spaceship that will rescuethose nearby from the apocalypse.As the date predicted by theMayan calendar as the end ofhumanity approaches, a Frenchgovernment body set up to monitorsects and cults has turned its focuson Bugarach. The watchdog,Miviludes, was set up in 2002 totrack the activity of sects, after a lawpassed the previous year made it anoffence to abuse vulnerable peopleusing heavy pressure techniques,meaning cults can be outlawed ifthere is evidence of fraud or abuse.The influx of New Age visitorsin recent years has pushed upproperty prices in the area, but alsoraised the threat of financial scamsand psychological manipulation,Miviludes said in its report. “I thinkwe need to be careful. We shouldn'tget paranoid, but when you seewhat happened at Waco in theUnited States, we know this kind ofthinking can influence vulnerablepeople,” Miviludes presidentGeorges Fenech told Reuters.During a visit in 2011, Miviludesfound six settlements in thesurrounding countryside, set upby members of the AmericanRamtha School of Enlightenmentand a number of other “gurus”and messianic groups have beenorganising fee-paying conferences© 2008 - Rainer Zenz (WikiCommons)The new "Nutella Tax" is one move aimed at tackling France's obesity problemat local hotels.Those looking to join one of thesecults and dodge the apocalypse willbe disappointed, however, as Frenchofficials have now banned access tothe Pic de Bugarach to avoid a rushof New Age fanatics, sightseers andabove all... journalists.Eric Freysselinard, France's topofficial in the area, told AFP: “Weare expecting a few visionaries,a few people who believe in thisend of the world, but in extremelylimited numbers. We are expectinggreater numbers of people who arejust curious, but in numbers wecannot determine. Above all, weare expecting lots of journalists.”A hundred police and firefighterswill control approaches to the tinyvillage of the same name at the footof the mountain, and if too manypeople turn up, they will blockaccess there too.Over the years, films,documentaries and websites havepromoted the idea that the ancientMayan calendar, which is madeup of 394-year periods calledbaktuns, predicts that doomsdayis on December 21 2012. Expertsestimate the system starts countingat 3114 B.C. and will have runthrough 13 baktuns, or 5,125 years,around December 21 this year. ■siret: 510 357 155 00017Double DRenovations & Home ImprovementsAll types of building work, groundwork,renovations, decorating and maintenanceFosses septiquesRoofingTilingKitchen and bathroom fittingConservatoriesPlaster boardingMasonryCarpentryetc. etc.Covering depts: 03, 23, 63, 87Telephone:05 55 65 00 2906 33 19 99 64Email:- double-d-23@live.fr
LIMOUSIN PLASTERINGMARK COLYER - LIMOUSIN STUKADOORSFor a free quotation & friendly advice call Mark or Mareike onTel: 05 55 54 95 63 - Mob: +44 (0)7867 983 751mcolyerplasteringandtiling@orange.frwww.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ DECEMBER 2012FRENCH LIFE ♦19 years experience in:● Solid plastering ● Skimming ● Dry Lining● Rendering ● Plasterboard StudworkSpecialist in French lime & English plastering techniquesCovering depts 23, 87, Northern 19 & Southern 36Oil palm plantations vs orang-utans13Siret: 539 941 450 00014Regular environment contributor, Arthur Smith from Harlequin Developments,takes a look at the palm oil industry and its effect on nature and also turns hiseye towards Christmas.Several Sumatranorang-utans,including threemother and babypairs, were recentlysaved from a tiny patch of forestthat was being bulldozed. Theirhome was being destroyed tomake way for another oil palmplantation, and it was beingdone by a company which is amember of an industry groupresponsible (supposedly) forprotecting their habitat.Palm oil is an ingredientfound in up to half ofprocessed foods, and is alsoincreasingly being used asa biofuel in petrol tanks andpower stations. The expansionof oil palm plantations intohigh conservation value forestsis recognised as a leadingthreat to critically endangeredspecies including orang-utans,elephants and tigers.Palm oil is everywhereyou look these days and it'sin so many food products.The reason for its popularity?It's not only versatile,but very, very cheap.Palm oil is a wonderfulproduct, but it's how we obtainit and its widespread overusethat should be of concern.Palm oil can only be sourcedin large quantities from severalregions, the major producersbeing Indonesia and Malaysia.The demand for the productis furthering the destructionof tropical rainforest habitatsthat are cleared to be usedas plantations. While manyspecies are threatenedthrough such clearing, thecreature that gains the mostattention is the associatedplight of the orang-utan.I'm a big supporter ofrenewable energy andcurrently work in the industry,but when I hear the words“palm oil” and “electricity”in the same sentence, itsends a chill down my spine.It seems that severalcompanies in Europe havesecured planning permissionto burn palm oil to generateelectricity. Usually it wouldn'tbe financially viable to doso, but biofuels gain greensubsidies that triple the valueof the electricity produced.Its supporters say that evengrowing, processing andtransporting the oil to Europestill provides substantialreductions in greenhousegases when measured againstcomparable fossil fuel oils.Greenpeace have labelledsuch power stations as“orang-utan incinerators”.Deforestation aside, usingfood as fuel is just not onin my opinion. A few yearsago, a UN food expert wentso far as to say that usingfood crops as fuel was a“crime against humanity”.In my modest opinion,people need to connectmore with how their food isgrown, and to connect morewith their energy sources.With that connection oftencomes a greater appreciation.Destroying forests thousandsof miles away removes thatconnection, a case of out ofsight, out of mind.-------------------------On the subject of fuel…It seems that, in the UK atleast, the high cost of fuel isencouraging people to live onbenefits because driving towork makes it uneconomicalto get a job.Travel-to-work costs reducethe extra income gained fromgetting a job by 40 per centsays a recent report by theInstitute of Economic Affairsthink tank.Crucially they say the costsinvolved in filling a tank makeit less likely that people willabandon benefits and get a job.The report concludes,“Motoring taxes may increasewelfare dependency by raisingtravel-to-work costs, meaningmany potential workers may bebetter off on welfare benefitsthan entering employment”.Don’t you just love thinktanks? Could it be that peoplehave to travel further to get ajob than was the case in thepast, and that in itself increasesthe cost of commuting?Perhaps a better, moreaffordable, and reliable publictransport system would help.Not only would it enablepeople to travel to workeconomically, but it might helpstop some of the associatedpollution that is becoming evermore noticeable in big townsand cities.-------------------------It may be a storm in a teacup (sorry), but some majorEuropean high street storeshave slammed 'Brussels' over adecision to impose a 'CrockeryTax' on cheap cups, plates andbowls imported from China.A new duty is soon to comeinto force, and it will add up to60% to the wholesale price ofthe cheap imports.Some 80 per cent of allEuropean imports of crockerycome from China, whichbenefits from low wages andproduction costs. Presumablymost go to Greece which has along tradition of not doing thewashing up!The move by the EuropeanCommission is the latestin a number of trademeasures designed to protectmanufacturers in Europeagainst competition from cheapChinese imports.So it seems that ‘food miles’ hasnow escalated into ‘plate miles’.On that note, and withChristmas approaching, ifyou’re thinking about a gift forAunt Agatha, what about a nicepiece of Limoges porcelain?Support your local industry…I’d like to wish all the readersa Merry Christmas and a HappyNew Year, and remember,when someone asks you whatyou want for Christmas, thinkabout what you actually need.PS. I am assuming that ifyou are reading this, theChestnut Soup with Bacon and Thyme CroutonsThis is a cheery and warming soup for Christmas, and if you do not want to preparefresh chestnuts, tinned or jarred work just as well.Ingredients (Serves 4):225g Peeled and drained chestnuts (450g Unpeeled if using fresh chestnuts)1 Small chopped onion 1 Small chopped carrot1 Stick of celery, chopped 1.2l Pork stock, or vegetable stockSalt and pepper to seasonFor the Croutons:110g Stale white bead, cubed 4 tbsp Olive oil2 Rashers smoked bacon, finely chopped½ tsp Fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped1. For the soup, place all the soup ingredients into a large saucepanon a medium heat. Bring up to a simmer, season, place a lid on thepan and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes if using tinned or jarred chestnuts, 45 minutes for fresh.2. While the soup is simmering, heat the oil in a large frying pan, cook the bacon for 3 minutes ona medium heat, then add the bread and thyme. Turn up the heat, stirring until the bread is goldenbrown and the bacon is crunchy.3. Turn the contents of the pan onto kitchen paper and dab to remove the oil. Then when your soupis ready, blitz with a blender until it is smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Pour into bowls,sprinkle with bacon, croutons and thyme and serve.Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year from George & MildredRecipes provided by Chef George. Written and compiled by Francesof La Grande Maison (Table et Chambres d'Hôte), Chénérailleswww.grandemaison-chenerailles.comworld hasn’t ended on 21stDecember, as the Mayancalendar predicted. It makesme smile to think that someCentral American Indian livedand died not knowing howmuch concern he would causeto future generations, nevermind the books, newsprint,and films his calendarspawned.■Arthur SmithHarlequin Developmentswww.harlequindevelopments.comTel: 05.55.68.67.56Mob: 06.06.60.46.97Fish and Chipswww.lesnackshack.comTel: 05.55.68.24.19 Mob: 06.76.69.43.63Dates for DecemberWE WISH EVERYONEMonday 3rd Champsac“A HAPPY CHRISTMAS”Wednesday 5thBussiere PoitevineANDFriday 7th St. Sebastien - take away 6-8pm “A VERY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR”Saturday 8th AigurandeTuesday 11th Chateauponsac** PLEASE NOTE **Thursday 13th PersacWE ARE CLOSED THROUGHOUTFriday 14th FromentalJANUARY AND FEBRUARY** We will be serving from 6pm to 8.30pm at all of ourvenues unless stated otherwise.AND RE-OPEN IN MARCH 2013Le Snack Shack is a traditional British ‘Fish and Chip Takeaway’, offering a varied menu direct from the U.K.We serve the best Icelandic Cod, cooked in a crispy, golden batter accompanied by chips and mushy peas or curry sauce.Our full menu can be found on our website - www.lesnackshack.comTake away and eat in the comfort of your own home or feel free to have a drink alongside your meal at the bar.Siret: 517 841 839 00015
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