History

The stadium was built in 1969 as the home of Irthlingborough Diamonds, after the land was bought from the water board. In 1978, Nene Park became the first United Counties League stadium to have floodlights, which were officially turned on by Bobby Robson. He was watched by future Rushden & Diamonds manager Brian Talbot, who was still in his playing career at the time.

In 1992, when Irthlingborough Diamonds merged with Rushden Town to form Rushden & Diamonds, Nene Park was extensively redeveloped. This saw the stadium torn down and rebuilt under the financial guidance of Max Griggs. The new stadium also has conference facilities in the Diamond Centre, which features three hospitality rooms and was opened by Prince Charles in 1995.

An unusual feature of the stadium are the model owls in each corner, to deter birds from nesting in the roof.

Donkey’s Tail () was a Russian artistic group created from the most radical members of the Jack of Diamonds group. The group included such painters as: Mikhail Larionov (inventor of the name), Natalia Gontcharova, Kazimir Malevich, Marc Chagall, and Alexander Shevchenko. The group was influenced by the Cubo-Futurism movement. The first and only exhibition of the group took place in Moscow in 1912. In 1913, the group fell apart.

The most common story is that the term arose after the Massacre of Glencoe due to a resemblance in the playing card and Sir John Dalrymple coat of arms. Another story is that the order for no quarter at the Battle of Culloden written on a nine of diamonds by the Duke of Cumberland. However, the term is first recorded in 1710, which definitely rules out any connection with Culloden, but does fit a possible connection with Glencoe. Another story is that Mary Queen of Scots death warrant was signed on the nine of diamonds by Elizabeth I.

Other less popular theories include the term deriving from a tax levied to pay for nine diamonds stolen from the crown of Scotland or that the term is a mispronunciation of “The Cross of Scotland” due to a resemblance in the patterns of St. Andrew’s Saltire and the playing card.

A plausible but mundane explanation is that the term comes from a card game “Pope Joan” (first mentioned in 1732) where the nine of diamonds is called the “Pope”. As Scotland has traditionally been a strongly Protestant country the Pope would be in a sense its curse.

• Armed Islamic Group (GIA, from French Groupe Islamique Armé), a terrorist Islamist group in Algeria.
• Gaming Intelligence Agency, a now defunct videogame news source.
• Garuda Indonesia Airways, an Indonesian airline.
• Gemological Institute of America.
• Ghana International Airlines
• 1980s supermodel Gia Marie Carangi.
  
• Gia, a 1998 film about Carangi.
• Gia, a number one single on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart from 2004, recorded by Greek/German singer Despina Vandi.
• Gia people, an Indigenous Australian people
• GIA Publications, Inc. (formerly the Gregorian Institute of America), a Roman Catholic music publisher.
• Glasgow International Airport, an airport in Scotland.
• Government Information Awareness, a website which collects information about government programs, plans and politicians from the general public and numerous online sources
• GIA - The artistic name for a Canadian art designer.

• Eric Ambler: The Light of Day (filmed as Topkapi)
• Eric Ambler: Passage of Arms
• S.R. Crockett: The Raiders
• Rudyard Kipling: A Smuggler’s Song (poem)
• Daphne du Maurier: Jamaica Inn (although this is also concerned with wrecking)
• J. Meade Falkner: Moonfleet
• Ian Fleming: Diamonds Are Forever (James Bond)
• Martha Grimes: The Lamorna Wink
• Mollie Hunter: The Lothian Run
• Winsome Pinnock: Mules
• Barbara Smucker: Underground to Canada (smuggling slaves to freedom)
• Russell Thorndike: The Doctor Syn novels
• Michael Wall: Amongst Barbarians
• Raelynn Hillhouse: Rift Zone

• A blue diamond, the most famous example being the Hope Diamond
• The Blue Diamond, the name assigned in 1954 to the air demonstration unit of the Philippine Air Force. In 1960, this was changed to The Blue Diamonds.
• Blue Diamond, Nevada, a census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States
• Blue Diamond Growers, a California-based agricultural cooperative and marketing organization that specializes in almonds
• The Blue Diamond (comics), a 1940s superhero from Timely Comics, a forerunner of Marvel Comics
• Impatiens namchabarwensis or Blue Diamond Impatiens, a member of the Balsaminaceae family
• The Heart of the Ocean, an important element in the 1997 Titanic film.
• Blue Diamond (truck platform), a collaborative agreement between Ford Trucks and Navistar International (previously IHC)
• A Viagra tablet (informal)

Blue Diamonds may refer to:

• Blue Diamonds, a Dutch 1960s doo-wop duo best known for their chart-topping single “Ramona”
• “Blue Diamonds”, a song from Rusted Root’s 2002 album Welcome to My Party
• “Blue Diamonds”, No. 92 Squadron RAF aerobatic display team.
• “Blue Diamonds”, a song from The Long Winters’ 2003 album When I Pretend to Fall

The B-side is a mix of excerpts of other Diamonds and Pearls tracks that serves to promote the album. There was no extended version of the song released. The U.K. B-side included some of the mixes on the “Cream” maxi-single.

UK 7″

1. “Diamonds and Pearls” (LP Version) – (4:45)
2. “Q In Doubt” – (4:00)

US 7″ and Japan CD

1. “Diamonds and Pearls” (Edit) – (4:20)
2. “X-cerpts from the Songs: Thunder, Daddy Pop, Strollin’, Money Don’t Matter 2 Night, Push, Live 4 Love” – (5:04)

UK 12″

1. “Diamonds and Pearls” (LP Version) – (4:45)
2. “Housebangers” – (4:23)
3. “Cream” (N.P.G. Mix) – (5:47)
4. “Things Have Gotta Change” {Tony M. Rap) – (3:57)

one

UK CD

1. “Diamonds and Pearls” (LP Version) – (4:45)
2. “2 the Wire” (Creamy Instrumental) – (3:13)
3. “Do Your Dance” (KC’s Remix) – (5:58)

During the Cold War, Soviet scientists developed the diamond synthesis technology because diamond is the best substrate for strategic semi-conductor electronics that are less susceptible to the electromagnetic pulse of nuclear blasts. The Soviet technology fell into American’s hands after the downfall of the Soviet Union. The technology is no longer used for weapon development, but for gem stone production.

While visiting Moscow in 1995 someone asked retired Army General and West Point graduate Carter Clarke if he wanted to buy a diamond making machine. Three months later he visited Moscow again with the scientist Reza Abbaschian and brought 3 of the machines and also 3 Russian scientists to Sarasota, Florida. After 7 years of research and development in cooperation with experts from the University of Florida his company brought high quality diamonds onto the market.

Carbon, in graphite form, is mixed with a metal flux in a cylindrical shape. A tiny seed diamond is placed at the bottom of the cylinder. The metal and graphite are subjected to extreme pressure, 850,000 lbf/in³ (5.9 MPa) and temperature, 3000 °F (1600 °C) for four days. During the period, the carbon atoms within the molten metal crystallize on top of the seed diamond. A three carat (600 mg) bright yellow gem quality diamond is produced inside the resolidified metal cylinder at the end. The metal cylinder is then dissolved in mild acid until the diamond crystal is extracted.

With the addition or elimination of certain impurities under controlled conditions, diamonds of various color can be produced. Since nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere, this process is more likely to produce bright yellow diamonds than any other color. The yellow tint occurs when approximately five out of each 100,000 carbon atoms in the diamond crystal lattice are replaced with nitrogen atoms. It is ironic because natural yellow diamonds often have higher value than white diamonds.

History

After releasing their demo Bandits at 6 O’Clock in 2001, the band received multiple offers for a record contract and subsequently signed in Scandinavia with Face Front / WME (and Massacre Records outside of Scandinavia) for the release of their 2003 debut album Demons and Diamonds. The album received acclaim in Norwegian and international music press and was even appreciated by the mainstream Norwegian press — rare for a band in this genre.

Following the success of Demons and diamonds, the band played several gigs and festivals in Norway, Germany, and Scandinavia from 2003 through 2005.

Recording and mixing of the follow up album Love and Destruction was finished in the summer of 2005. However, due to matters in the hands of the record label it took quite a while to make administrative arrangements and bring this album to the public, It was finally released Friday 19. May 2006 and followed up by a Norwegian tour together with Paul Di’Anno (although prior to the release) as well as a major European tour supporting King Diamond (May-June 2006).

There are at least six different species that have been identified as having diamonds, including Salix bebbiana, S. pseudomonticola, S. arbusculoides, S. discolor, S. scouleriana, and S. alaxensis. Other species may also be found with diamonding. Diamond Willow is also a common name for Salix eriocephala, also known as Heartleaf Willow.

The diamonding is usually found with a branch at its center or is found in the Y of a tree. Diamonding in willow does not seem to be specific to an area that willows grow in, and where one bunch of willow will have diamonds, the next clump of willows may have none at all. Although diamond willow is often thought of as being a northern phenomenon, of the boreal forest, there is mention of diamond willow growing as far south as Missouri.

Diamond willow is prized by wood carvers and furniture makers for its strong contrasting colors (red and white) and its sculptural irregularity of shape.

Diamond formation and shape

The tree grows diamond-shaped cankers in response to the fungus. The cankers seem to result from the tree growing away from the site of attack. This usually happens at the crotch of a branch on a larger branch or main stem. If the branch is relatively small it seems to die very quickly. If the branch is larger, it may continue to grow and the diamond is formed on the branch and the stem. By growing away from the fungus, new layers of growth occur further and further away from the site of the fungal attack. Thus the affected area gets larger and deeper. If the tree has been affected in several places close together, then the diamonds run into each other. This can result in pronounced ridges if some sapwood continues to survive, or it may strangle the small ridge of sapwood, which then dies.

The shape of the diamonds seems to vary from one clump of willow to the next, although there may be some general tendencies within a single species. Some stems will form long narrow diamonds; others will be short and wide. Usually all the diamonds on the stems in one clump will have similar growth patterns. If the new layers of sapwood do not move back very much each year, then the diamonds will be deep bowl- or cleft-shaped. These stems will be able to survive longer than those whose diamonds are flat and open.

The bark that is left overtop of the diamond changes quite markedly from the bark over the living sapwood. Depending on the species of willow, the living bark is usually smoother and slightly lighter in color. The bark over the diamond usually becomes rougher and somewhat darker. It also becomes tougher and adheres much more to the underlying wood. The sapwood is white to cream in color–again depending on the species, but also on the location. The heartwood is reddish-brown. This color tends to darken with exposure to light over a number of years.

If one stem in a clump of willow is affected, then all of them are likely to be. However, the neighboring clump may be completely without diamonds. As a side note, Lutz reported seeing Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) in Alaska that had depressions very similar to those in diamond willow.

• Carver’s Companion