Cognac

Cognac (/ˈkɒnjæk/ KON-yak ; French pronunciation: ​[kɔ.ɲak]), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime.

For a brandy to bear the name Cognac, an Appellation d'origine contrôlée, its production methods must meet certain legal requirements. In particular, it must be made from specified grapes (see below), of which Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Emilion, is the one most widely used. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wine when aged in barrels, and most cognacs are aged considerably longer than the minimum legal requirement.

Producing region and legal definitions

The region authorised to produce cognac is divided into six zones, including five crus broadly covering the department of Charente-Maritime, a large part of the department of Charente and a few areas in Deux-Sèvres and the Dordogne. The six zones are: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois and finally Bois Ordinaire. A blend of Grande and Petite Champagne Cognacs, with at least half coming from Grande Champagne, is known as Fine Champagne.

Cognac, France

Cognac (French: [kɔ.ɲak]) is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.

Geography

Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right bank area known as the Saint Jacques district. The town is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela and home to the French Air Force training base 709. Cognac is 400 kilometres (250 mi) southwest of Paris.

Climate

History

Unknown prior to the 9th century, the town was subsequently fortified. During the Hundred Years' War, the town changed sides on several occasions as the result of fighting and treaties in the region.

Francis I granted the town the right to trade salt along the river, guaranteeing strong commercial success, which in turn led to the town's development as a centre of wine and later brandy.

Population

The inhabitants of the town are known as Cognaçais.

Equinox (film)

Equinox (also known as The Equinox... A Journey into the Supernatural, and released on home video as The Beast) is a 1970 American independent horror film directed by Dennis Muren and Jack Woods, and starring Edward Connell, Barbara Hewitt, Frank Bonner, and award-winning science fiction/horror writer Fritz Leiber. The plot focuses on four teenagers having a picnic in the canyons of California who stumble upon an ancient book containing secrets of a strange world that exists alongside humans, and consequently unleash a plethora of evil creatures and monsters.

Made on a budget of a mere six thousand dollars in 1967, Equinox initially gained a reputation as a midnight movie during its theatrical run, but has in later years been noted for its economical yet sophisticated use of stop-motion special effects and cel animation, which were provided by Dave Allen and Jim Danforth; the latter later worked on Flesh Gordon, in which he animated a giant monster similar to the ones in Equinox. The film has been influential to the horror and sci-fi monster genres, receiving praise from filmmaker George Lucas and effects artist Ray Harryhausen; the film has also been noted as a main inspiration for Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1983). It was released on DVD by The Criterion Collection in 2006.

British Youth Band Association

The British Youth Band Association, or BYBA, was formed in 1974 by David Loader, John Johnson and Glen Carter. It aims to promote the marching band activity, to encourage the social aspects of bands and to enhance personal development through all aspects of bands. BYBA has also set up rules for contests, and divided all marching bands into classes. The 1992 season saw 117 units marching across the Novice, Contest, Championship and Premier Classes. By the 2003 season, the system had changed into 40 units marching across Divisions 1,2,3,4 and the Cadets league. The 2007 season saw Division 4 renamed as the Junior Division, and the introduction of the Associate division, allowing for units of any age. As of the 2008 season, BYBA runs eight summer contests annually, as well as the National Championships, an Individual & Ensembles Showcase, the 'On The Road' Tour, the Festival Of Fun & Music, and three regional concerts (Northern, Southern, and Midlands). In 2014, The class system was changed to the Premier Class, Championship Class, Associate Class, Traditional Class and Cadet Class

Equinox (comics)

Equinox (Terrance Sorenson) is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in publications from Marvel Comics.

Publication history

Equinox, the Thermodynamic Man, first appeared in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #23 (July, 1974), and was created by Len Wein and Gil Kane. He also appeared in Giant-Size Spider-Man #1, also in July 1974, and a two-part story in Marvel Team-Up vol. 1 #59-60 (July–August 1977).

After a nearly twenty year hiatus, the character subsequently appeared sporadically, appearing in Marvel Comics Presents #147 (February 1994), Code of Honor #1 (January 1997), Spider-Man Unlimited #12 vol. 2 (January 2006), and Heroes for Hire vol. 2 #1 (October 2006). A Skrull impersonator of Equinox appeared in Avengers: The Initiative #12 (June 2008), and #18.

Equinox received an entry in the All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z #4 (2006).

Fictional character biography

Equinox is an African-American youth who gained superhuman powers due to accidental exposure to his father's malfunctioning equipment after a lab accident. (His mother is Margay Sorenson, head of natural sciences at Bard College.)