#the Australian swimmers are even worse

[whumpdoyoumean]

Whumptober #18

xxx let's break the ice

It’s been close to two hours since Napoleon fell off the back of the yacht, leaving Illya to fight the THRUSH operatives on his own, and he’s already starting to tire. He’s always been a competent swimmer, but he hasn’t the practice, nor the build, that the Russian has. Kuryakin could have breakfast in France, swim the English channel, and be in Dover in time for afternoon tea. If it had been him that fell in, he probably would have caught up with the yacht and stopped it with his bare hands. 

But no. It’s Napoleon who’s been forced to take off his favorite steel-toed boots to keep from being dragged to the bottom of the ocean and tread water until help comes. He’d tried floating, but muscle is dense. And his lung capacity at present is shit which doesn’t help either. 

Probably has something to do with all the water he’d inhaled. Oh, and the fact that he was knocked off The Veronica by three bullets hitting him squarely in the chest. The new synthetic polymer vest Waverly had somehow got his hands on had done its job, at least. And the water is mercifully warm, so hypothermia should be a ways off yet. But breathing hurts and is taking a lot of energy--energy that would be much better spent keeping his head above water.

God but he’s tired, though. 

And Illya should be back by now. 

If he’s coming back.

Which he better fucking be, because death by drowning is not on the list of Napoleon’s ideal ways to go out. Not unless it was preceded by an epic fight at the top of a waterfall that ended with him taking his mortal enemy over the edge with him, like Sherlock Holmes. 

That would make Kuryakin my Watson, he thinks. It almost makes him smile.

Time passes. He’s contemplating trying to float again, just to give himself a bit of rest, when things go from bad to worse in the form of a muscle cramp, deep in his upper calf. The abrupt sharp ache catches Napoleon off guard and he barely has time to swear before his head goes under, the steady rhythm of his arms and legs suddenly disrupted. He comes up coughing and sputtering and hissing in pain as he tries desperately to stay afloat. 

Panicking would be the worst thing for him to do right now. Unfortunately, Napoleon is rarely the kind to do things halfway, and his already aching chest begins to tighten, his frantic movements doing nothing to keep him from going beneath the surface of the water again.

He’s under longer this time before he makes his way, flailing, to the surface again. He manages to stay up long enough that he can stretch his leg a bit, pointing his toes toward his knee and gritting his teeth against the pain until it subsides. He even manages to get his rhythm back and start treading water again.

But the damage is done. His already low energy reserves are all but depleted. He’s running on fumes now. His limbs ache from trying to stay afloat, his head pounds from coughing, his chest hurts from…everything. Mostly he’s exhausted, the kind of bone-tired that covers one’s brain in layers of cotton wool and makes eyelids grow heavy. The kind of tired that doesn’t care how much Napoleon Solo doesn’t want to drown.

And the kind of tired that doesn't hear the distant motor of a boat headed directly toward him. 

xxx 

It’s been close to three hours since Napoleon fell off the back of the yacht, and Illya is close to panicking. He and the back-up team that had finally arrived have spent half of one of those hours searching for Napoleon. 

“Agent Kuryakin,” one of them begins in his Australian accent. Illya knows what the man is going to say so he holds up a hand, not looking away from the binoculars he’s holding.

“We keep looking until I say so. Waverly told you I am in charge, yes? Then these are my orders.”

The man lingers by his elbow for a moment before muttering, “Yes, sir.”

Illya continues his slow sweep back and forth, watching desperately for any sign of his cowboy. Any other day, the clear blue sky and the equally blue, sparkling water might be beautiful. On this day, though…It looks like an endless, watery graveyard, stretching in every direction, interrupted by nothing, nothing, more nothing, except a single tiny black shape--

He turns, pointing, to the man driving the boat. “There! I see something!”

The boat turns and speeds up and Illya raises the binoculars again as they get closer to the black spot that’s beginning to look more person-shaped, and his heart leaps. 

“It is Agent Solo! Hurry!” 

It isn’t long (though it doesn’t feel that way) before he doesn’t need the binoculars to see his partner. He hasn’t seemed to notice the boat’s approach, and that makes Illya worry.

“Can you go faster?” he calls over his shoulder. 

“Nah, mate,” the man at the wheel yells back. “She’s already at her top speed.”

Illya hums in annoyance. They’re getting close now, and Illya can see that the American seems to be struggling, his arm movements sloppy and uncoordinated. His head briefly dips under the water and Illya’s heart jumps. 

“We’re getting close, I’m gonna slow the engines. Don’t wanna risk him getting caught in the propellers,” the driver says.

Illya barely hears him because at that moment, Napoleon’s head dips under the water again, and this time it doesn’t come back up. 

“Bozhe moi!”

His body is moving before he has time to think about what he’s doing, and he dives off the back of the boat, ignoring the shouts of the Australians as he swims toward where he’d just seen Napoleon disappear. He’d hated learning to swim as a child, and despised the exercises he’d endured as a young soldier, forced to swim the frigid waters of Lake Valdail in full gear.

He’s grateful for it now.

He’d been the fastest in his division. Even when the others removed their gear to give themselves an advantage, they had a hard time keeping up with him. So here, in this tropical water with no heavy pack on his back and much more at stake than his pride, Illya Kuryakin is more than just fast.

He gets to the place where Napoleon had been moments before, takes a deep breath, and dives. 

When he surfaces a few moments later, his arms are full of a frighteningly motionless American. 

“I have him!” he shouts hoarsely, swimming himself and Napoleon toward the boat. Two of the men are waiting with outstretched arms, and between the three of them they wrestle Napoleon onto the boat. 

“I don’t think he’s breathing,” one of them says, while the other helps Illya clamber aboard. 

“Move!” Illya pushes the one that had just spoken to the side, then falls to his knees next to Napoleon’s pale, unmoving body. A steady stream of every Russian swear word he can think of flows from his mouth as he feels for breath and finds none. He places one hand over the other and laces his fingers, then puts the heel of his palm in the center of Napoleon’s chest and pumps.

Raz, dva, tri…He counts to thirty and then tilt’s Napoleon’s head back, pinching the American’s nose shut before placing his mouth over Napoleon’s and trying not to think about how wrong this feels (he’s never known the cowboy’s lips to be so cold and uninviting) before doing two breaths.

There’s no response.

“Come now, Solo,” he mutters, starting compressions again. He does another rescue breath, and is getting ready for a second when a tremor runs through Napoleon’s whole body. Illya leans away just in time to avoid being hit by the violent expulsion of water and bile that erupts from Napoleon.

“Get him on his side!” someone yells, but Illya is already moving, rolling Napoleon onto his side and holding him as he chokes and gasps, his body trying to rid his lungs of sea water and fill them with air all at once.

“There you go,” Illya says quietly, patting Napoleon on the back and trying not to wince at the painful barking sounds of his coughing. “We need to get him back!”

“On it,” the driver calls, and the engines are turning over a second later. 

The man who had so helpfully pointed out Napoleon’s lack of breathing earlier disappears into the  cabin and returns with a blanket, which Illya accepts gratefully, draping it over the American.

The coughing finally dies down and Napoleon takes a long, deep breath, dark lashes fluttering, and then he grimaces, one corner of his mouth lifting as his brow furrows. His shivering arms tighten against his chest.

“Kuryakin?” His voice is low and raw and damaged sounding, but right now Illya wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“Like you broke my ribs. Hey, listen…” He opens those lovely, lovely blue eyes and twists his head to look at Illya.

“Yes?”

“Do you think…do you think maybe…”

Illya’s heart thumps. “What is it, Solo?”

“Do you think you could dive down there and get my boots?” He grins broadly, his stupid teeth chattering slightly, and Illya rolls his eyes, reaching down to the blanket it and throwing it over Napoleon’s face with a flick. He lets out an indignant “Hey!” in response.

“I should have let you drown,” Illya says, knowing full well that he would rather drown than lose the irritating, cocky, devastatingly handsome American.

xxx to be continued…

#whumptober2022 #no.18 #let's break the ice #treading water #the man from uncle #tmfu #near-drowning #napoleon solo #illya kuryakin #napollya #whumptober #my writing #my fic #whump

[racingtoaredlight]

Opening Bell: July 18th, 2023

There aren’t very many things capable of making a trip to New Brunswick even worse than it already is. Exposure to Agent Orange is certainly one of those things.

It seems like Russia wants to try to mess with global food prices again.

If you’ve ever wanted to take part in an extremely vital Maine election despite not living there, now’s your chance.

I would pay genuine cash money to hear an Australian person utter the phrase “huge cylinder” a few times. 

Finally, aggressive dolphins have been viciously attacking swimmers at a beach in Japan. Haven’t the dolphins done enough to those people?!

#Opening Bell

[moonflower1605]

Chapter - 15

(Ella's POV)

I woke to a ship’s whistle & a voice on the intercom-some guy with an Australian accent who sounded way too happy.

“Good morning, passengers! We’ll be at sea all day today. Excellent weather for the poolside mambo party! Don’t forget million-dollar bingo in the Lounge at one o’clock, & for our special guests, disemboweling practice on the Promenade!”

Annie sat up in bed. “What did he say?”

I groaned, still half asleep & mumbled.

“The happy guy said...bowling practice?”

Annabeth stuck her head in the suite where Percy & Tyson were & said.

“Disemboweling practice?”

Once we were all dressed, we ventured out into the ship & were surprised to see other people. A dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast.

A dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. Crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers.

Nobody asked who we were. Nobody paid us much attention. But something was wrong.

As the family of swimmers passed us, the dad told his kids: “We are on a cruise. We are having fun.”

“Yes,” his three kids said in unison, their expressions blank. “We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool.” They wandered off.

“Good morning,” a crew member told us, his eyes glazed. “We are all enjoying ourselves aboard the Princess Andromeda. Have a nice day.” He drifted away.

“Guys? Is it just me? Or do you guys feel like this is weird,” I whispered. “They’re all in some kind of trance.” No one answered me.

Then we passed a cafeteria & saw our first monster. It was a hellhound-a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line & its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs. It must’ve been young, because it was small compared to most-no bigger than a grizzly bear. Still, my blood turned cold. I’d almost gotten killed by one of those before.

The weird thing was: a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind the devil dog, patiently waiting their turn for the eggs. They didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

“Not hungry anymore,” Tyson murmured.

Before any of us could reply, a reptilian voice came from down the corridor, “Ssssix more joined yesssterday.”

Annie gestured frantically towards the nearest hiding place-the women’s room-& all three of us ducked inside.

Something-or more like two somethings- slithered past the bathroom door, making sounds like sandpaper against the carpet.

“Yesss,” a second reptilian voice said. “He drawssss them. Ssssoon we will be sssstrong.”

The things slithered in the cafeteria with a cold hissing that might have been snake laughter.

Annie said. “We have to get out of here.”

“You think I want to be in the girls’ restroom?” Percy asked.

I stifled a laugh & said, “She means the ship, Percy! We have to get off the ship.”

“Smells bad,” Tyson agreed. “And dogs eat all the eggs. Annabeth is right. We must leave the restroom & ship.”

Then I heard another voice outside-one that chilled me worse than any monster’s.

“-only a matter of time. Don’t push me, Agrius!”

It was Luke, beyond a doubt. I'd never forget his voice.

“I’m not pushing you!” another guy growled. His voice was deeper & even angrier than Luke’s. “I’m just saying, if this gamble doesn’t pay off-“

“It’ll pay off,” Luke snapped. “They’ll take the bait. Now, come, we’ve got to get to the admiralty suite ^ check on the casket.”

Their voices receded down the corridor.

Tyson whimpered. “Leave now?”

Percy, Annie & I exchanged looks & came to a silent agreement.

“We can’t,” I told Tyson.

“We have to find out what Luke is up to.” Percy said.

“And if possible, we’re going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to Mount Olympus.” Annie added.

Annie volunteered to go alone since she had the cap of invisibility, but I convinced her it was too dangerous. Either we went together, or nobody went.

“Nobody!” Tyson voted. “Please?”

But in the end he came along, nervously chewing on his huge fingernails.

We stopped at our cabin long enough to gather our stuff. We figured that we would not be staying another night aboard the zombie cruise ship, even if they did have million-dollar bingo.

I didn’t want Tyson to carry everything, but he insisted, & Annie told us not to worry about it. Tyson could carry three full duffel bags over his shoulder as easily as I could carry a backpack.

We sneaked through the corridors, following the ship’s YOU ARE HERE signs toward the admiralty suite.

Annabeth scouted ahead invisibly. We hid whenever someone passed by, but most of the people we saw were just glassy-eyed zombie passengers.

As we came up the stairs to deck thirteen, where the admiralty suite was supposed to be, Annie hissed, “Hide!” & shoved us into a supply closet. I heard a couple of guys coming down the hall.

“You see that Aethiopian drakon in the cargo hold?” one of them said.

The other laughed. “Yeah, it’s awesome.”

I held Percy's arm & squeezed it. That voice sounded familiar...

“I hear they got two more coming,” the familiar voice said. “They keep arriving at this rate, oh, man-no contest!”

The voices faded down the corridor.

“That was Chris Rodriguez!” I said. “You remember-from Cabin Eleven.”

I knew Chris from the summer before. He was one of those undetermined campers who got stuck in the Hermes cabin because his Olympian dad or mom never claimed him.

Now that I thought about it, I realized I hadn’t seen Chris at camp this summer. “What’s another half-blood doing here?” Percy asked.

Annie shook her head, clearly troubled. We kept going down the corridor. I didn’t need maps anymore to know I was getting close to Luke. I sensed something cold & unpleasant-the presence of evil.

“Guys,” Annie stopped suddenly. “Look.”

She stood in front of a glass wall looking down into the multistory canyon that ran through the middle of the ship.

At the bottom was the Promenade-a mall full of shops-but that’s not what caught Annie’s attention. A group of monsters had assembled in front of the candy store: a dozen Laistrygonian giants, two hellhounds, & a few strang creatures-humanoid females with two serpent tails instead of legs.

“Scythian Dracaenae,” Annabeth whispered.

“Dragon women.” I muttered.

The monsters made a semicircle around a young guy in Greek armor who was hacking on a straw dummy. A lump formed in my throat when I realized the dummy was wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.

As we watched, the guy in armor stabbed the dummy through its belly & ripped upward. Straw flew everywhere. The monsters cheered & howled. Annie stepped away from the window. Her face was ashen.

“Come on,” Percy told us. “The sooner we find Luke the better.”

At the end of the hallway were double oak doors that looked like they must lead somewhere important. When we were thirty feet away, Tyson stopped.

“Voices inside.”

“You can hear that far?” I asked.

Tyson closed his eye like he was concentrating hard. Then his voice changed, becoming a husky approximation of Luke’s. “-the prophecy ourselves. The fools won’t know which way to turn.”

Before I could react, Tyson’s voice changed again, becoming deeper & gruffer, like the other guy we’d heard talking to Luke outside the cafeteria. “You really think the old horseman is gone for good?”

Tyson laughed Luke’s laugh. “They can’t trust him. Not with the skeletons in his closet. The poisoning of the tree was the final straw.”

Annie shivered. “Stop that, Tyson! How do you do that? It’s creepy.”

Tyson opened his eye & looked puzzled. “Just listening.”

“Keep going,” Percy said. “What else are they saying?”

Tyson closed his eye again.

He hissed in the gruff man’s voice: “Quiet!”

Then Luke’s voice, whispered: “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Tyson said in the gruff voice. “Right outside.”

Too late, I realized what was happening.

I just had time to say, “Run!” when the doors of the stateroom burst open & there was Luke, flanked by two hairy giants with javelins, the bronze tips aimed at our chests.

“Well,” Luke said with a crooked grin. “If it isn’t my three favourite people. Come in.”

Link to the next chapter is here.

Link to the prev chapter is here.

Comment, like & share.

Take care my lovely readers.❤️

Alice signing off.

XOXO.

#percy jackson #percy jackson x oc #x oc #sea of monsters

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[jelzorz]

fics fighting fires: 7

With a massive shout out @dragonnguard, who asked for Ruthari trying to teach Rayla to swim in exchange for their donation to our hardworking Australian Firies. You guys have been absolutely amazing so far, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to take a pause on commissions because they’re starting to pile up! If you would still like to donate in exchange for fic @aaravosed is also taking commissions and sending all proceeds to bush fire relief!

-

It’s a little irrational. Ethari, for the life of him, can’t figure out where it comes from. Tiadrin had even  warned them before they left, but there’s no part of it that makes sense.

“She’s not fond of water,” she’d said, while Lain helped Rayla settle in. The little one’s been in their home often enough that it wasn't so hard a task, but there were trunks of things this time around and a spare bedroom to decorate just the way she likes. “Bathtime’s alway been a chore, and she doesn’t like being left alone anywhere her feet can’t touch the bottom.”

It was funny, at the time. Ethari still remembers having to bite back his laugh. “She’s a bit like a shadowpaw cub, is she?”

Tiadrin’s lips had twitched in only that way a parent’s might - the ‘you have no idea what you’re in for’ more obvious in her eyes than in any response she might have been able to give. “A bit,” she’d said carefully.  “We’re sorry to leave her with you.”

“We’re more than happy to take her,” Ethari had said. “I’m just sorry you have to go. It will be lonely without you. Rayla will be for certain.”

Tiadrin had chuckled ruefully, more disappointed in her and Lain’s selection for the Dragon Guard than she’ll ever admit. “She’ll understand in time.” She’d said. She’d hoped.

She and Lain had left that night, and at first, Ethari had attributed the intensity of Rayla’s fear to the fact that her parents had gone away. Coming home from the forge to Runaan with a terrified six year old was becoming something of a routine in their household, and six months in, Runaan decides he’s had enough.

“I’ll need your help,” he says, his lips thin, his eyes determined. “She’s going to try to run.”

“This is not a good idea,” warns Ethari, but, at the end of it all, Runaan is right. Rayla can’t be scared of water forever, and learning to swim is an important life skill for any growing elf. At the very least, it’s only the bathtub. Rayla’s still so little that when she sits in it, only her eyes peek over its rim. 

They put her in swimmers (she fights them the whole time. In her words, she’s “six, not stupid.”) and sit her down in the tub. It’s empty for now. Runaan sits on the edge of the beaten copper. Ethari sits cross-legged behind her. 

Rayla’s so frightened she’s shivering as she eyes the faucet.

“This isn’t so bad, is it?” says Ethari gently, hands on her shoulders both in comfort and in case she tries to bolt. “Runaan and I aren’t going anywhere. We’ll be right here with you.”

“I don’t wanna do this,” she whines, struggling against his grip. “Please, I don’t wanna -”

“It’s dry, darling,” says Runaan. He catches Ethari’s eye, caught between laughter and frustration.“There’s not even any water yet.”

Rayla shakes her head, those big lilac eyes filling with tears. “I want Mum,” she cries. “I want Mum to come home. I don’t like this.”

“Surely you’re not scared of it,” says Ethari.

“No,” she sneers. Her grimace betrays her. “I just don’t like it.”

“There’s nothing not to like,” Runaan tells her earnestly. “Promise. Assassin’s honour. Watch, okay? We’re just going to turn on the faucet -”

Rayla wails. Shoves her tiny elbows painfully into Ethari’s stomach. Kicks Runaan in the crotch in her struggle out of the tub. She escapes down the hall before Ethari can catch her - Runaan’s doubled over and hasn’t quite recovered, and while there’s little wind left in Ethari’s lungs, Runaan’s definitely got it worse. 

“I did tell you this was a bad idea,” grunts Ethari, picking himself out of the bathtub.

Runaan bristles and says nothing else.

#ruthari #runaan #ethari #rayla #the dragon prince #fics fighting fires

[threadbareturnbacks]

I just love how competitive male swimmers are just absolute himbo meat heads. They spend every free moment from 9 to 22 with their head in a pool, going in a straight line, eating everything in sight. Every interview their eyes are so empty, their smiles are so big, their muscles are so rippling, their skin is so clear. They just exist in a pure state of tablua rasa. What a delight.

#swimming #Olympics #these boys i swear #its every nationality too #the Australian swimmers are even worse #just an absolute delight #they are like show dogs at Westminster #big fan

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All of our Davey Chloromatic higher level Digital Salt Chlorinators were perfect and shimmering together, and they were completely easy and easiest to use. We carry a large number of different brands. It is ideal to contact us if you need to replace your pool equipment. As a result, we'll be able to discuss with you exactly what you'll have and what will be the accompanying replacement as soon as possible. There's nothing worse than replacing your pool's products with something that's small; however, it's critical for the swimming pools and family's health that most pool equipment is projected easily so that we hit the optimal sterilisation degrees to help keep your pool clean and hassle-free during the season. When you decide to stop using liquid chlorine to fix your Waterco, Zodiac.

We have a professional installation service available

The right pool filter will depend on the amount of maintenance needed, the moderateness, and the competence of the options available to you. You may want to consider a sand pool filter that is trouble-free and inexpensive. In-ground swimming pools are a common option in many areas. Pool Equipment price has one of the largest selections of sand filters in Perth, with top-of-the-line labels. Zodiac Sand Filters are an excellent choice for reliable, easy-to-use swimming filters. We sell a lot of Series filters, which are Australian-designed and have been a popular option for pools for decades. If you're looking to save water quickly, one of those cartridge filters may be the way to go. They don't want to waste pool water while also saving your gallons of drinking water. In comparison to sand filters, they can show up to twice as much ground and garbage. Cartridge filters are ideal for smaller baths, spas, and pools all over the world.

Pool robot cleaners are more popular than other types of automatic pool cleaners because they are more effective. Robotic Pool Cleaners Perth is one of the robots available for in-ground pools of all shapes and sizes.

Autonomous filter:

Maintain the efficiency of your swimming pool setup with the help of several pool store near me. Since liquid contamination is more widely known, the first problem may be a lack of sodium hypochlorite or delivery or little leeway. Most pool owners who do not have a salt water chlorine generator use liquid chlorine to control sanitizer levels in the pool. Although forcing, purchasing, travelling, setting off, and using liquid chlorine is undeniably not a pleasurable cycle, the fluid remains erratic, rapidly loses power, and can be hazardous to the eyes, skin, and flake out. Without a doubt, not the best thing to bargain for all of the time. Although a saltwater pool's chlorine levels can need to be adjusted from time to time, this can usually be accomplished with puck or granular types of contamination, eliminating the need for liquid chlorine altogether.

Your home will be delivered quickly

Pull has an additional benefit: it allows the customer to scale dividers, corners, and seats after they have been adjusted to exude the water line at the end. Robots are extremely simple to operate. Simply remove them from the water and turn the switch "on." There are no canals, buoys, knocks, or promoter pumps that are needed. Cleaners are meticulous. Those that are willing have in-built hardware, including detectors, controls, and logic to help the customer learn more about the pool. Our retail pool store near me has a variety of pumps, chlorinators, as well as a variety of pool filters and cleaners. Best price pool equipment is based in Perth, and we provide our clients with the most reliable products and practical client solutions, ensuring that the pools are well-maintained and enjoyable to swim in.

The fastest-growing item classes from a local pool store. It is the greatest invention, a devoted gathering of swimming proprietors from Australia. With so many new robots entering the market, it's worth asking why this is happening and what differentiates robots from other cleaning products. One response is the financial reward. In comparison to almost all remaining pool cleaners, robots have a plethora of end-client highlights.

The Vortex-Pro was designed not only to suck the crap out of a tub, but also to scour the top. Some brushes are often designed to work independently in a hurry.

Chlorinator's Base chlorine

What is the product of Chlorinator's Base chlorine and fixing? Since salt does not react with water like other synthetic chemicals, the inherent component of salt that you put in your pool will most likely remain there throughout the year and into the next. Do you draw the salt down attention levels when you drain the water from the swimming pool? In a typical pool, you would need to carry a single bunch or two of salt to finish your frame and keep the salt level at 3000ppm. In reality, the following season, you'll just need a few sacks to get the season started.

This is a much more straightforward cycle than merely applying contamination to a fluid arrangement every now and then. People with skin problems or swimmers who are sensitive to chlorine, such as those who have reddish eyes, are particularly interested in the benefits of salt frameworks. If you're used to swimming in regular baths, you might notice that your eyes are less red, your skin is less dry and bothersome, and your clothes and swimsuits are less perishing in the water.

The way you can communicate the chlorine smell in your skin and particularly in your hair for substantial periods of time once you exit the pool is probably the most serious complaint about chlorinated pool water. Although this chlorine odour is usually attributed to a buildup of chloramines in the water, and while it can theoretically be avoided in any pool with the use of break point chlorination and proper pH adjustment, saltwater pool owners report less chlorine smell after bathing than pool and spa owners.

If you want to find a pool store near me, you have the choice of asking and collecting in our pool store, or even bringing your stuff with you. The VX55 4WD is much superior to the rest. It was designed to provide the best pool cleaning experience possible. The Zodiac VX55 4WD is equipped with the most cutting-edge technology for private and commercial swimming pools, making pool cleanup super or easy. Pool cleaners from Zodiac are easy to use and maintain. It was appropriate for all types of in-ground pools.

Visit our website:

https://poolwiseliving.com.au/

[olympictickets]

Olympic Swimming: Shayna Jack scandal that has embarrassed Australia

Australian swimming is being accused of falseness after Tokyo 2020 Olympics hopeful said she returned an abnormal drug test just days after teammate Mack Horton's high-profile protest against a Chinese rival supposed of a doping crime.  Fans who want to watch the live-action of Olympic Swimming can get Olympic Swimming Tickets online.

Swimmer Shayna Jack publicized on Sunday that she had tested positive for anabolic agent Ligandrol, which is common in bodybuilders, that a continuance a sample has confirmed the forbidden substance.

The reaction to Horton's actions was aggressive and spread quickly. China's state-run media blamed Australia of being a "second-class citizen of the West" and of "white supremacy". Horton has complained as a clown and monsters left death threats.

But Shayna Jack admission has decanted petrol on the flashpoint. She has been attacked with hecklings in both Chinese and English that have criticized Australia as a "nation of cheats". Some posts feature emoji of medicines. This country of Australia is as rubbish as your swimmers. You're doing drugs and losing face.

Jack has reportedly squatted down at home in Brisbane with her family as she protests her virtuousness and oaths to clear her name. She has insisted she had no idea how the forbidden substance got into her system, though it has been suggested she could have taken dirty supplements.

"I have not slept much, and I feel a sense of hollowness, she said she had to provoke the challenge of facing judgment from people who don't know me, my position remains fixed, clean sport must be an urgency for all athletes, all sports and all nations,".

The four-time World Championship medalist has refined a the pristine image through her Instagram account, which has now been tidied by monsters. Hard, but fair, is the Australian way. Cheats, especially those from other countries are readily convicted.

Horton was extensively celebrated in Australia for his stand against Sun, who has denied recent claims of sacrilegious doping protocols. But Horton has also been blamed for highlighting a specious double-standard, even before Shayna Jack’s case was made public.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, columnist Andrew Wu said: "He does not seem to have too much of an issue with other athletes who violate anti-doping rules, such as teammate Thomas Fraser-Holmes, who… was one of two Australian swimmers to serve 12-month suspensions starting in 2017 for missing three drugs tests in the space of 12 months."

The governing body of Australia did know about Shayna Jack’s shock test result when Horton refused to share the support with his Chinese opponent. Leigh Russell (Chief Executive), said his protest was "difficult" to watch knowing that the doping scandal would soon explode.

The previous head of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority considers that Swimming Australia should have reacted to Jack's positive test far sooner. By covering up and not telling the truth, it makes the story bigger and worse, Richard Ings told the ABC. The reaction of Chinese fans to these scandals comes as China enjoys increasing sporting success and prepares to host the next Winter 2022 Olympics.

"We know that China has increasingly given significant attention to its engagement in global sports, and Chinese online commentators are certainly very patriotic, Sun Yang made very particular comments about not only Mack Horton showing disrespect towards him but also disrespect to China. I think that further fueled the flames on this particular matter."

Australia's relationship with China has been disturbed by allegations of meddling in domestic politics and concerns about cyber-intelligence. Canberra has also recently raised concerns about China's treatment of ethnic Uighurs and its detention of an Australian writer.

"The Australia government will be very cautious to try to isolate this matter, to put in a silo,".

Olympic fans can get Olympics Tickets through our trusted online ticketing market place. OlympicTickets2020.com is the most consistent source to book Olympic 2020 Tickets.

#summergamestickets olympictickets olympic2020tickets tokyoolympictickets olympicswimmingtickets

[robertjameshomeservices]

5 Steps to Design Your Own Brand

You have decided to start your own business or may have already done so. However, you likely have no idea how to make it look like a professional brand.

Maybe you are not even convinced that you need to brand your business?

Robert James and James Home Services: Many service providers get so caught up with doing the “work” that they think it is all that matters to their clients. You may honestly believe it is all about mowing lawns, cleaning houses, washing dogs, fixing computers, making burgers or delivering coffee.

It’s not .

It is true that you must deliver your service to a high level to keep your clients coming back. But—first, you have to get the clients; beat out the competition, if you will.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression!

I know we’ve all heard this many, many times. It is just as true in the small business world as it is anywhere else; perhaps even more so. Many small, family businesses ignore the need to make the BEST first impression to get in front of a potential new client to give a quote, much less earn their business.

The Pro Marketer however, knows it is all about the first impression.

That is how you get the client to contact you to begin with.

When there are other people providing the same service, how do you stand out?

In the beginning, it doesn’t matter who provides a better service, it’s about who is better at getting their attention.

This is one of the biggest advantages the franchise networks have on the independent operator. In most franchise networks, the branding is professional and reflects a professional service that a client expects from the service provider.

If your branding promises professional friendly service, then the client expects professional and friendly. If your branding looks amateur or cheap, or worse, looks like you couldn’t even bother to make an attempt—what message are you sending?

If you were a potential new client, looking for the service you are providing, would you call you?

So, how can you as an independent small business owner create the image that will position you favourably against the larger, more well-known brands?  It is vital that you invest in the branding of your business from day one. Each day you then reinforce the brand in your marketplace.

If you can believe it, it takes anywhere from three to six exposures to your brand for the average person to recall it.  And do not worry about overexposure—there is no such thing.

The investment in your branding is as vital as the equipment you need to run your business. You can’t run a successful dog washing business without a dog bath or without professional branding.

How do you decide what it should look like? Where do you start?

I’ve outlined some simple, proven steps to get you going:

1)   Choose a Clear, Descriptive Name that Attracts Your Target Clients

At James Home Services we were a "Home Services"business, not just a cleaning business; offering a wide range of home services. If you want home services done just call “James.”The image of the butler then connected to the image of James the Butler, which became part of the customer’s collective subconscious. My surname being “James” certainly did make it somewhat easier.

The business name should say what you do. It should be what your clients would search for when they are looking for your services.   If you are a “commercial cleaning business” be sure to make that very clear. If you claim to be a "home cleaning business" and chase both markets, it can be very confusing. Marketing towards home clients is very different than marketing to commercial cleaning clients. Make up your mind in the beginning and name your business that way.

Be creative with your name and make it easy to remember. If you work in a particular geographical area it is fine to put that in your name. That can be an advantage to gaining local clients but could work against you if you plan to expand to a wider territory.

As an Example - Mooloolaba Home Cleaning Services is perfect if you plan to build your business of cleaning homes in Mooloolaba. It is nearly the perfect word search for your business. Sea Breeze Home Services is perfect for a Coastal home services Market.

Ninja Computer Solutions is great for the guy who can fix those annoying computer issues. Everyone ends their personal “Computer Ninja” who can just turn up and take down those computer demons.

2)   Decide on “The Look" You Want for Your Business.

Take the time to brainstorm on it. What is the overall style that you are after?  The colours, the feel, and the image? Are you going for an upscale, mid-range, or lower-end image?This will likely depend on your target market. It is a “look” that you personally can take ownership of?  It is the logo that will be on your uniforms, business cards, website, and all of your signage. Be sure you love it as you are going to have to live with it—hopefully, for a very long time.

The "look” should be relatable to your target clients. If you are marketing to the top-end market, then design a top-end look. Use colours and images that reflect the premium market you are aiming for. Once you decide on "The Look," it is vital to be consistent in everything you do in your business.

3)  A Professional Logo is a Big Advantage

Create a clever "logo” for your business. The Logo image is what will stick in the minds of your clients. Think about all the businesses that come to mind, you will likely remember the image as the business. It is very hard to even imagine "McDonalds"without thinking of the Golden Arches, don’t you think?

Your logo should flow into your business name. We were James Home Services and the image of James the “friendly butler” clearly flows with it.

If you’re anything like me, you probably can't draw. I'm about to give you a "Family Business Life Hack.” It is called the "Upwork”. I absolutely love Upwork (www.upwork.com). With Upwork you can hire professionals from all around the world to get your idea transformed into reality. No matter your need, you can find help on Upwork.

4)   A “Tagline” that tells the story

At James Home Services our first tagline was, “Prompt, Professional, Friendly Service.” It told our story, it was exactly what we offered and exactly what our clients expected.

As we grew and our marketing evolved, we positioned ourselves directly against our main competitors. Our service was more upmarket. We invested in a professional spokesperson, champion swimmer Tracey Wickham (Olympian, World Record holder and Commonwealth Games gold medallist).

We evolved our tagline to “Gold Medal Service” which served us for over 15 years. Over the years, our spokesperson changed to Steven Bradbury, the last man standing speed skater, (Winter Olympian and Australians first winter Olympics gold medallist); but our tagline stayed the same—it continued to tell our story.

Tell your own story with your tagline.

5)  Feedback from Focus Groups

If you have doubts about the images for your business, ask a group of your target market the questions—a focus group. Always give the possible alternatives and get them to rate them from best to worst. And then, be sure to invest the time to get very clear on what your business will look like when it is done.

Most family-run business don't do these secrets. Many larger organisations even attempt to ignore these marketing realities. It just doesn't work.The business owner must have a clear, consistent look for their business. If there is no clarity, then the client will get confused and go elsewhere. Built to a professional standard and correctly implemented, your brand will become the most valuable intellectual property asset that you ever own.

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. A professional business owner makes it count!

The Gold:

·      Your business needs a “brand.”

·      Most family businesses fall into the trap of ignoring the necessity of making the BEST first impression.

·      Be creative with your name and make it easy to remember.

·      Decide on “the look” you want for your business.

·      Create a clever “logo.” The logo image is what will stick in the minds of your clients.

·      Tell your story in your tagline.

·      When in doubt of any of your images ask a group of your target market for their opinion.

Robert James and James Home Services,

20 year franchisor, Best Selling Author,

Franchise and Family Business Coaching Specialist .

Originally Posted: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-steps-design-your-own-brand-robert-james/

#robertjamesandjameshomeservices #robertjameshomeservices #business #jameshomeservices

[junker-town]

Nobody does ugly sports uniforms like Australia

Sygma via Getty Images

Avert your eyes!

Australia is a relatively small country with an astoundingly impressive sporting history. They’ve won the Rugby World Cup twice, the Cricket World Cup five times, and are eighth in the all-time Olympic medal tally — just three medals behind China, whose has a population 60 times the size.

But perhaps Australia’s greatest contribution to world sports is that of ugly attire, especially in the early 90s. There was this carefree attitude towards dressing the nation’s athletes that led to a wonderful duality where these objectively beautiful athletic humans were wearing the most disgusting clothing imaginable.

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics

I don’t know what was happening during the 1992 Olympics, but Australia was lost. Look at what swimmers had to wear in the pool.

This is a kid’s first attempt to make something in Microsoft Paint. They can’t decide on one design, so they just go with 5, mash them together and create something horrific. Still, it’s not nearly as bad as ...

The 1993 Cricket Uniforms

PA Images via Getty Images

Is that a side shin pocket? What’s with the color blocking? I get this was early-90s Adidas so they had to keep the pinstripes to be on brand, but this showed an absolutely lack of awareness on how this would look on a cricketer.

Still, this isn’t nearly as bad as ...

The 1995 Cricket uniforms.

Getty Images

Hooo boy. Stars, stripes, width variation. I think the thing about the Australian color palette of green and gold is that it’s already so jarring that less is more. The best Australian uniforms have known this, but for some reason in the 90s companies kept thinking that they could just cram all sorts of stuff on Aussie jerseys and they’d look fine. They were wrong.

As ugly as these are, they’re not as bad as ...

The 2000 Olympic uniforms

Sygma via Getty Images

I’d forgotten these existed. So I’m looking through photos of Australia at the Olympics opening ceremony and then spy this. Someone, somewhere thought to themselves “this whole green and gold thing is fine, but you know what it’s missing? RED!”

Not to mention the fact they wound the world’s least-flattering clothes to put on athletes. These are donation pile clothes in every episode of Queer Eye. They’re horrific, and somehow still not as bad as ...

2004 Olympic uniforms

Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Okay, now you’ve just decided to get rid of the entire nation’s color scheme for some generic green with a big star motif. The designer had to know how bad this was because after the jacket they were like “f*** this, I’m just putting them in a white t-shirt and pants and calling this done.”

This is so, so, horiffically bad — yet somehow it’s not as bad as ...

WHATEVER THE HELL THIS IS 2018

Getty Images

I just bamboozled you. I bet you thought this was all going to be past looks that seem dated. Australia wore THIS in the year TWO THOUSAND AND EIGHTEEN against Korea in an exhibition soccer match.

And I know you think I’m lying, but I promise you there’s something worse. A uniform so hideous you are absolutely not ready for it ...

1994 World Cup qualifier uniform

Getty Images

Oh god no. The pattern extends down the sides of the shorts, because YEAH THAT’S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE NEEDED. Imagine if an alien, who couldn’t see color had digested about 1/8th of Jackson Pollock’s portfolio and then designed these.

I’m convinced, even in these very specific circumstances, that it still wouldn’t be as bad as the 1994 World Cup qualifier uniforms.

[poolshopnearme]

pool store near me

We have a wide variety of cleaning services that are second to none. We have nearly all brands of variable speed pumps, sand filters, salt chlorinators, pool cleaners, automatic pool cleaners, compounds, and a variety of other items in stock at Zodiac VX55. Pool heaters and solar-powered heating systems are examples of items we have.

We sell pool covers and rollers, as well as a variety of other accessories. Pool Filter Robotic Pool Most Useful for Eyes Premium stuff with promises Wall scaling and water line cleaning.

Davey Chloromatic

All of our Davey Chloromatic higher level Digital Salt Chlorinators were perfect and shimmering together, and they were completely easy and easiest to use. We carry a large number of different brands. It is ideal to contact us if you need to replace your pool equipment. As a result, we'll be able to discuss with you exactly what you'll have and what will be the accompanying replacement as soon as possible. There's nothing worse than replacing your pool's products with something that's small; however, it's critical for the swimming pools and family's health that most pool equipment is projected easily so that we hit the optimal sterilisation degrees to help keep your pool clean and hassle-free during the season. When you decide to stop using liquid chlorine to fix your Waterco, Zodiac.

We have a professional installation service available

The right pool filter will depend on the amount of maintenance needed, the moderateness, and the competence of the options available to you. You may want to consider a sand pool filter that is trouble-free and inexpensive. In-ground swimming pools are a common option in many areas. Pool Equipment price has one of the largest selections of sand filters in Perth, with top-of-the-line labels. Zodiac Sand Filters are an excellent choice for reliable, easy-to-use swimming filters. We sell a lot of Series filters, which are Australian-designed and have been a popular option for pools for decades. If you're looking to save water quickly, one of those cartridge filters may be the way to go. They don't want to waste pool water while also saving your gallons of drinking water. In comparison to sand filters, they can show up to twice as much ground and garbage. Cartridge filters are ideal for smaller baths, spas, and pools all over the world.

Pool robot cleaners are more popular than other types of automatic pool cleaners because they are more effective. Robotic Pool Cleaners Perth is one of the robots available for in-ground pools of all shapes and sizes.

Autonomous filter:

Maintain the efficiency of your swimming pool setup with the help of several pool store near me. Since liquid contamination is more widely known, the first problem may be a lack of sodium hypochlorite or delivery or little leeway. Most pool owners who do not have a salt water chlorine generator use liquid chlorine to control sanitizer levels in the pool. Although forcing, purchasing, travelling, setting off, and using liquid chlorine is undeniably not a pleasurable cycle, the fluid remains erratic, rapidly loses power, and can be hazardous to the eyes, skin, and flake out. Without a doubt, not the best thing to bargain for all of the time. Although a saltwater pool's chlorine levels can need to be adjusted from time to time, this can usually be accomplished with puck or granular types of contamination, eliminating the need for liquid chlorine altogether.

 Your home will be delivered quickly

Pull has an additional benefit: it allows the customer to scale dividers, corners, and seats after they have been adjusted to exude the water line at the end. Robots are extremely simple to operate. Simply remove them from the water and turn the switch "on." There are no canals, buoys, knocks, or promoter pumps that are needed. Cleaners are meticulous. Those that are willing have in-built hardware, including detectors, controls, and logic to help the customer learn more about the pool. Our retail pool store near me has a variety of pumps, chlorinators, as well as a variety of pool filters and cleaners. Best price pool equipment is based in Perth, and we provide our clients with the most reliable products and practical client solutions, ensuring that the pools are well-maintained and enjoyable to swim in.

The fastest-growing item classes from a local pool store. It is the greatest invention, a devoted gathering of swimming proprietors from Australia. With so many new robots entering the market, it's worth asking why this is happening and what differentiates robots from other cleaning products. One response is the financial reward. In comparison to almost all remaining pool cleaners, robots have a plethora of end-client highlights.

The Vortex-Pro was designed not only to suck the crap out of a tub, but also to scour the top. Some brushes are often designed to work independently in a hurry.

Chlorinator's Base chlorine

What is the product of Chlorinator's Base chlorine and fixing? Since salt does not react with water like other synthetic chemicals, the inherent component of salt that you put in your pool will most likely remain there throughout the year and into the next. Do you draw the salt down attention levels when you drain the water from the swimming pool? In a typical pool, you would need to carry a single bunch or two of salt to finish your frame and keep the salt level at 3000ppm. In reality, the following season, you'll just need a few sacks to get the season started.

This is a much more straightforward cycle than merely applying contamination to a fluid arrangement every now and then. People with skin problems or swimmers who are sensitive to chlorine, such as those who have reddish eyes, are particularly interested in the benefits of salt frameworks. If you're used to swimming in regular baths, you might notice that your eyes are less red, your skin is less dry and bothersome, and your clothes and swimsuits are less perishing in the water.

The way you can communicate the chlorine smell in your skin and particularly in your hair for substantial periods of time once you exit the pool is probably the most serious complaint about chlorinated pool water. Although this chlorine odour is usually attributed to a buildup of chloramines in the water, and while it can theoretically be avoided in any pool with the use of break point chlorination and proper pH adjustment, saltwater pool owners report less chlorine smell after bathing than pool and spa owners.

If you want to find a pool store near me, you have the choice of asking and collecting in our pool store, or even bringing your stuff with you. The VX55 4WD is much superior to the rest. It was designed to provide the best pool cleaning experience possible. The Zodiac VX55 4WD is equipped with the most cutting-edge technology for private and commercial swimming pools, making pool cleanup super or easy. Pool cleaners from Zodiac are easy to use and maintain. It was appropriate for all types of in-ground pools.

Visit our website: https://poolwiseliving.com.au/

[macabrecabra]

Is something burning or is something just recently blown up? Junkrat finally makes his debut into Aquawatch!

Junkrat is a landshark, the catch all term for human/Mer hybrids. The mer half is the species known as the Greater Spinned Hammerhead Wave Ripper, a rare and often destructive species.

Junkrat’s story is mostly known as he’s told it in his own words being he can actually speak to staff and given Overwatch has records confirming many parts of the wild tale....but read for yourself by clicking the read more...

Junkrat is a, like mentioned above, a landshark, one of the most hated hybrid species and one that has more or less been manufactured unnaturally but truth be told, most hybrid species are unnatural. The term hybrid is used to indicate a species is made of two known and established cryptoid species. 

  Comparatively though, landsharks have more impact on humans thus they tend to be villianized the most. Landsharks are partially human, some appearing nearly human and others more mer, but most suffer terribly and only a scant few can survive to live long lives. Nearly all landsharks are manufactured though as human genetics tends to make smaller mers and lessen their natural defenses that make containing them difficult. Thus poachers will capture healthy mers able to carry and artificially impregnate them.

Thus you get the worse affront against mer-cryptoids that Overwatch is highly keen on snuffing out: Mer-Mills.

Junkrat’s mother was kept in one of these places and Junkrat was born to her with the rest of a litter of half mutated landsharks. The weakened mother couldn’t produce the milk to feed the children, could barely even react given the cramped, unsanitary conditions being maintained as well as the drugs pumped in constantly.  Greater Spinned Hammerhead Wave Rippers are large and dangerous creatures, prone to violence and blowing up human ships for “sport” by launching the spines on their back. However the blood of these creatures can be used to manufacture an oil that works better than gasoline meaning hunting them down is of great importance. However, extinction would mean loss of a cash opportunity so many are captured alive and forced to produce landsharks which are easier to harvest.  for their blood which is then turned processed. Technically illegal but most governments will turn a blind eye. Junkrat has this blood in his veins and the development of back spines allowing him the “detonate” talents of his mother’s species and the immunity to extreme heat. Add to that though is the very unique ability to actually speak and communicate in English, picking up a strong Australian accent due to where he learned English in his formative years. Junkrat is the only mer able to communicate with staff directly and translate other mer-speak more or less. Getting good translations out of him though is the hard part as some things he speaks about like it is common knowledge/terminology. 

Junkrat was a strange case in that his liter, being mostly dead landshark whelps, wasn’t really harvested carefully and he managed to wriggle back into his mother’s tank. The large mer seemed vaguely aware of him there, enough that she made some attempts to rouse herself to raise him. The mer-mill staff thought it amusing enough, cracking jokes but left Junkrat there where he grew up with a half-dead mother barely able to respond socially. Thus he started “talking” to the humans, picking up the English and Australian slang. Eventually though the novelty with the staff was dying off and it was becoming more important to make a profit.

At about five years old, by Junkrat’s rough estimation, he was taken from his mother’s tank, branded with a tattoo on the left forearm, and shoved in a cage tank with a dozen other half starved landshark whelps of various other species. Problem was that the others couldn’t read....Junkrat could. He’d watched the staff. He made his escaped and managed to get out through a water intake pipe to freedom. Freedom though turned out to be a desolate Australian wasteland, the facility far from any ocean and more or less a death sentence. He only survived being a landshark, able to travel upright where he snuck into a watercooler of some local hunters and burrowing into the icy water among beers. The hunters were more than a little shocked to find a mer-child in their cooler.... a freaky half-fish that they sold off to a side show just outside Perth where he became the amazing fish boy.

Unclean conditions and more mercryptids and land cryptoids kept in miserable cages to perform for excited populations, only legal due to local political corruption and perceived “good conditions and happiness” of the “animals”. The place went up in an explosion a year later with the mers and land cryptoids running free and was called an “eco-terrorist attack” by local news.

Little did they know it was a landshark who rigged it all to go up and then who made his escape into the open ocean, sort of swimming free. He was never the strongest swimmer but he managed to find his way to a landshark colony and for a time lived with them before a cull order was put out due to the constant stealing by the landsharks of beach goer possessions and and raiding the shoreline for food.

Poachers were hired under the table to remove the colony but one of the ships was sabotaged from underneath, exploded sky high and the second ship nearly also went up in flames but the “saboteur” was caught and to their surprise it was one of the landsharks. This savage retaliation had the poacher leader find a use for Junkrat other than a quick cull: Pit fighting. The left forearm and lower leg were amputated to slow Junkrat down and make it harder for him to escape and replaced with crude replacements, ones that didn’t fit right and scarred up the stumps and more than once caused harm. It was also meant as a way to remove the tattoo designating him as property to a rival business and avoiding any “ownership” issues. Then Junkrat spent the next few years fighting tooth and claw for life in pit fights against larger species. Eventually though the audience just wanted to see a slaughter and see the maniac landshark get chomped and he was pitted against a large beachhog taniwha that had been starved to the point it was biting anything that moved. During the fight though, Junkrat managed to convince Roadhog not to eat him in return for literally breaking the door protecting the audience.... a very hungry very angry beachhog taniwha doesn’t show much mercy in those circumstances. The two escaped again into the ocean and from there on out, kept close together, raiding and plundering up the shoreline for food and other items. Around this time Junkrat had an idea that he and Roadhog could find a way to get inland and go free his mother and “siblings” from the place he grew up.

A mad cap idea that was put on hold when they went a bit to far upriver and Roadhog ended up stuck in a muddy river, slowly drying up in Australia’s brutal sun. Overwatch was called in when the strange pair was spotted and after initial confrontation, managed to capture both and bring them in.

Detaining Junkrat was hard given he could speak (mostly cussing them all out) and able to blast his way out using his own unique blood as an ignition fluid for it in combination with his spines. Eventually he was calmed down enough to engage in conversation, Mercy leading it and getting some information out of him. It would only be later at seeing the care and work Overwatch did to help mers, a first time sight in Junkrat’s life, that he began to open about why he and Roadhog were stranded at all.

Overwatch was able to track down the facility and burst in, finally shutting down the mer-mill. Records showed there were over a hundred mer cryptoids there at one point or another although only ten were found alive. Hundreds of landsharks were found, over 85% were deformed and unable to survive even with corrective surgeries. 15% were malnourished and already pass the point of saving as well. Only 5% were rescued and nursed to health and able to be helped to live a somewhat normal life. Of the ten full-blooded mers found, Junkrat’s mother was among them, close to giving out, extremely sick, and rendered infertile due to the constant artificial breeding. She was brought back to Overwatch and after many tense weeks, managed to pull through. Remarkably she did remember Junkrat and they re-united, the  waveripper reacting positively and affectionately as if he was a full-blooded individual of their species. Still, she did not wish to remain in Overwatch and was released back to open ocean after a private goodbye with her only surviving offspring.

Junkrat was a bit despondent and hasn’t not commented on what was said in the goodbye, opting instead to bury himself under Roadhog and avoid everyone. He has since bounced back and gone back to his explosive ways, running amuck in the base, causing Symmetra to shriek when he gets in her tank and messes up her reef or giving Mei a fright when he goes “boom “ too close. A little menace, but he claims he’s just having fun....as he steals all the cute plushies to give to Roadhog.

He serves often as a translator for the mer-speak of the others although his translations are as colorful as you are imagining them to be. Not to mention he tends to embellish things, forget other things, and use a lot of what is termed “mer-lish lingo”, direct translations or references for what mers call things, that makes the translations even harder to understand.

Junkrat is the most likely mer to be seen out of the tank as he is allowed to come and go as he pleases as long as he behaves and doesn’t blow up too much. Still he tends to avoid contact with visitors as he doesn’t like being stared at like some “freak”. He prefers to lounge about the office area, racing office chairs down the hallways with Torbjorn, answering telemarketers to chat with them, and building mockships to blow up in the harbor with Reinhardt or Roadhog.  He is one of the weaker swimmers, a fact often compensated by hitching rides on Roadhog. Also he can’t handle extreme pressures of deep ocean survival which seems to put him out for some reason.

His coloration is not a healthy shade. Given the conditions he grew up in, a lot of the molted grey spots indicate early malnutrition in his youth. The prosthetics have been re-aligned to be comfortable and no longer locking up to allow him better movement although he was not too keen on getting complete replacements like they were a badge of honor or reminder of what he went through. For a landshark though, he IS usually tall.

Mercy handles care of the Beachog Taniwha and Junkrat as both need the most medical expertise, Roadhog more for his dietary needs and Junkrat more for his....everything. Hybrids tend to develop problems so careful monitoring is needed to make sure nothing lethal occurs in his biology. Also she is the only one that is not easily ruffled by their antics and the only one that can get Junkrat to behave somewhat.

Lots of text but I hope you enjoyed  = w =

#Aquawatch #Overwatch AU #Junkrat #Jamison Fawkes #Mercy #The junk son has arrived

[ktrosesworld]

Have you ever ...?

I was tagged by @whovianfloozy ... thank you this was a really interesting one

Have You Ever:

- Said “I love you”? Yes, many many times in every way possible

-Waited all night for a phone call? Not really, my folks usually gets the news to me ... sometimes even before I knew there was news to be worried about

- Stayed out literally all night? Yes, I remember staying up all night lying on a blanket looking at the stars talking to a guy about anything and everything ... really really romantic ... right up until we discovered that we had placed our blanket on a discarded hamburger and had been laying on it all night ... yup bit of a mood killer that ;)

- Snuck out? I’ve snuck out of meetings because I was bored stiff and wasn’t essential to be there

- Smoked a cigarette? Nope never have never will ... I just never saw the attraction of it

- Slept in a bed with a person of the same sex? Yep. When I was 16 ... it was this group exchange thing and the girl said I hugged her like a teddy bear all night

- Stolen money from a friend? Nope, I’m usually the one giving it to people

- Been on an airplane? sooooo many times ... I’ve even been in a tiny plane that had to fold it’s wings and propellors down so the passengers could get out

- Slept all day? This has become much more of a regular thing since I was diagnosed with Lupus ... when the doctors are playing with my medication there are just days where I can’t get out of bed

- Missed someone so much it hurt? oh my yes ... sometimes it still hurts and it’s been over 20 years now

- Fallen asleep during school? No, but I’ve come close ... let me tell you a double period English on an hot Australian summer’s day when the teacher decides to get the class to take turns reading out loud the most boring book ever is a major struggle

- Been lonely? Most definitely ... the worst is loneliness in a relationship

- Cheated at a game? No, I’m such a goodie two shoes!!! I’m sure my life would be better if I did

- Gotten lost? Oh Yes! It’s the best part of travelling :)

- Been in a car accident? Does spinning my car 360 degrees on a dirt road count?

- Had detention? Nope, once again goodie two shoes ... I got told to pull my socks up once ... sadly I took the teacher literally *sigh* my only excuse is that I was 6 at the time

- Given money to a homeless person? Yes, back when I had a salary I donated to several charities and would empty my purse of coins on the way to and from the station 

- Been so happy you cried? I cried each time I found out I was pregnant ... cried worse when I lost each of them

- Regretted loving someone? Yes and no, with age I can look back and see the faults on both sides ... my regrets are more about opportunities I ran away from because of loving some of those shits

- Got in trouble with the law?  ummm I got breathalyzed once ... the police officer laughed at me because I’d never done it before and he had me to get to blow twice before he could get a reading ... I did say goodie two shoes

- Have you ever had a secret admirer? yes ... once at high school and once at a workplace ... I felt bad because both times I really wasn’t interested in either of them and crushed their hearts :(

- Been scuba diving? Nope, despite living in an area of the world known for it’s swimmers I’m not very good at it

- Broken a bone? No, I’ve twisted my ankle pretty seriously a few times but no broken bones

- Been told you have an accent? Heaps of times now that I’ve moved to DTland ... no one guesses Australian though ... I’ve had New Zealand and South African a lot ... and in Malaysia I was asked if I was Scottish once *shrug* I never understood that one

#this tagging life

[kevingbakeruk]

Young Muslim volunteers transport group of elderly people to Christmas lunch in ‘wonderful’ act of charity

A group of Muslim volunteers has been praised for providing a free taxi service to get the elderly to a Christmas lunch in an act of festive goodwill that was described as “wonderful”.

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) transported 100 pensioners from across Huddersfield in Yorkshire to several local halls for the get-together.

They brought their own transport for their act of charity which included specially adapted vans for the disabled, as many of the group were in wheelchairs or on walkers.

Islamophobia even ‘worse under Trump than after 9/11 attacks’

The volunteers then handed out gifts and posed for pictures around the tables before the group dined and were later brought back home, the revealed.

Nadeem Ahmed, the Yorkshire head of the AMYA, told the publication: “It was such an honour to extend a helping hand and to bring a smile to the faces of so many people.

“We felt like a family with the people we helped and that is how they felt too.

“People may wonder why we take time out to help, but we enjoy doing the voluntary work we do because it is our religious obligation. Islam encourages us to help alleviate hardships and respect and honour our elders.”

“People may wonder why we take time out to help, but we enjoy doing the voluntary work".#Huddersfield: Young Ahmadi Muslim volunteers drove 100 elderly people to a lunch on #ChristmasDay | Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK | #LoveForAllHatredForNonehttps://t.co/37pgu6ljKMpic.twitter.com/cRTK1eNe7h

— Ahmadiyya UK (@AhmadiyyaUK) December 26, 2017

Robert Iredale, who helped organise one of the Christmas lunches at Milnsbridge Village Hall, said: “We had about 30 people and they all had a smashing time. One woman said she’d been invited to family but she came to us to see her friends.

“As an organiser the Ahmadiyya Muslims make my job easy! It is a great big help.”

“They are wonderful. All our volunteers are - this year we had to turn volunteers away! People are so generous with their time.

“It’s very easy to tell bad news, but the volunteers that help us are excellent.”

The AMYA organisation said the act of charity by their branch in Yorkshire was part of a nationwide service of goodwill the group provided on Christmas Day. It had planned to carry out 2,000 visits to vulnerable people, including in homeless shelters, to hand out warm meals and gift bags, it said.

On New Year’s Day it will do a clean-up of Britain’s streets, involving 500 members who will go out litter picking after 7am prayers.

The AMYA organisation said in a statement on its : “This campaign is particularly important to us as we feel that it offers our youth vital training and personal development, which helps to shape them into productive, conscientious and well integrated members of British society.

UK news in pictures

UK news in pictures

27 December 2017

Sheep are driven to another field in the Cotswolds after overnight snow caused travel disruptions across parts of the UK

PA

26 December 2017

Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his third goal, Tottenham’s fifth, during the Boxing day Premier League match against Southampton at Wembley. He broke Alan Shearer’s record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, scoring 39 from 36 matches. Kane also finished 2017 as Europe’s leading scorer ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who has 54 goals from 63 appearances in all competitions. Harry Kane has 56 from 52.

AFP/Getty

25 December 2017

Swimmers get out of the water after taking part in the Christmas Day Serpentine swim in Hyde Park, London

Reuters

24 December 2017

Stuart Broad of England bowls during a nets session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. The fourth Ashes test starts on Boxing Day

Getty

23 December 2017

Staff members console each other as they survey the damage after a fire destroyed a number of buildings at London Zoo. An aardvark has died and four meerkats are missing. Eight zoo workers have been treated by paramedics after a desperate attempt to save the animals from the blaze, which broke out in a petting area.

22 December 2017

Druids, pagans and revellers gather in the centre of Stonehenge, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge. Despite a forecast for cloud and rain, a large crowd gathered at the famous historic stone circle, to celebrate the sunrise closest to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The event is claimed to be more important in the pagan calendar than the summer solstice, because it marks the ’re-birth’ of the Sun for the New Year.

Getty Images

21 December 2017

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, British Defence Minister Gavin Williamson in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May sign a treaty between the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the field of defense and security

EPA

20 December 2017

A protester wears a 'STOP BREXIT’ hat outside the Palace of Westminster

Reuters

19 December 2017

The Choristers of St Paul’s rehearse for a series of services and concerts over the Christmas season at St Paul’s Cathedral in London

REUTERS

18 December 2017

Joe Root, the England captain is interviewed after Australia regained the Ashes. England lost by an innings and 41 run runs in the third test at the WACA in Perth

Getty

17 December 2017

Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been jailed in Iran, on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe says he believes there is “still a chance” she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together.

PA

16 December 2017

Oxford Street in London is filled with shoppers with 8 shopping days before Christmas

Rex

15 December 2017

Jonny Bairstow of England headbutts his helmet to celebrate his century during day two of the Third Test match in the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at the WACA in Perth, Australia. Bairstow was embroiled in controversy at the beginning of the tour after lightly headbutting Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft in an exchange in a bar

14 December 2017

People at the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service

PA

13 December 2017

Wax figures of Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wearing a Christmas Jumper at Madame Tussauds

EPA

12 December 2017

Victims and family of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, Nicholas Burton (left), Sandra Ruiz (second right), Karim Mussilhy (right) and a girl who asked not be named (second left), hand in a petition to Downing Street, asking for an overhaul of the public inquiry.

PA

11 December 2017

A homeless man on the streets of Manchester. Many people are spending the night on the streets in freezing temperatures as the Met Office continues to issue weather warnings across the country. The Shelter charity has said that more than 300,000 are now homeless across Britain, equating to the population of a city the size of Newcastle

Getty

10 December 2017

Pedestrians walk over the Millennium Bridge with St Paul’s Cathedral pictured in the background as snow falls

AFP/Getty Images

9 December 2017

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, right, with interpreter at centre, during their meeting in Tehran, Iran. Johnson is expected to discuss the fate of detained British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran’s government.

AP

8 December 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels

AFP/Getty Images

7 December 2017

Nick Dunn, one of the so-called Chennai Six is greeted by his sister Lisa as he arrives at Newcastle Airport after being released from India after serving four years in jail on weapons charges.

PA

6 December 2017

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) greets Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, George Adesola Oguntade ©, and his wife, Modupe Oguntade, during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in central London

AFP/Getty

5 December 2017

800 abandoned buckets appear at Potters Field Park, London, in a moving tribute to the 800 children who die every day, on average, due to a lack of clean water and sanitation. Just one bucket in the installation, part of WaterAid’s #Untapped appeal, could hold almost enough safe drinking water for one child for a week. Every £1 donated to the #Untapped appeal until 31st January 2018 will be matched by the UK Government.

WaterAid / Ollie Dixon

4 December 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May smiles to European Union President Donald Tusk as she attends Brexit negotiations’ meetings

AFP/Getty

3 December 2017

The last Supermoon of 2017 sets over Whitley Bay, Northumberland

PA

2 December 2017

The crowd reacts as England’s Dawid Malan fails to stop a boundary during the first day of the second Ashes test match

REUTERS

1 December 2017

England manager, Gareth Southgate, jokes with Belgium manager, Roberto Martinez, after their sides were drawn in the same group during the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Getty Images

30 November 2017

A supporter of Lauri Love, who is accused of hacking into U.S. government computers, wears a Donald Trump mask as he protests in front of the Royal Courts of Justice in London

AP

29 November 2017

A sign reading 'We want our future back’ is displayed in front of Westminster during an Anti-Brexit Demonstration

Rex Features

28 November 2017

This year’s innovative V&A Christmas Tree, The Singing Tree, is shaped from a cloud of floating words, contributed by visitors, and is created by leading stage and performance designer Es Devlin.

Rex Features

27 November 2017

David Jones and Margaret Tyler wait outside Kensington Palace after hearing about the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Rex

32/44 26 November 2017

Sailors from the Royal Navy perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace for the first time in its 357-year history

PA

33/44 25 November 2017

Arlene Foster gives her leader’s speech during the annual DUP party conference at La Mon House

Getty Images

34/44 24 November 2017

Ex-England footballer Michael Owen prior to riding in a charity race at Ascot racecourse

Rex

35/44 23 November 2017

Shoppers pass a promotional sign for 'Black Friday’ sales discounts on Oxford Street

AFP/Getty

36/44 22 November 2017

Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond poses with the budget box at 11 Downing Street

EPA

37/44 21 November 2017

Protestors hold up a banner during a protest held in solidarity with the University of London cleaners’ strike

Petros Elia

38/44 20 November 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May greets Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo outside number 10 Downing Street

Getty

39/44 19 November 2017

Grigor Dimitrov reacts to winning the Men’s Singles Final with the trophy, during day eight of the NITTO ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London

PA

40/44 18 November 2017

Central Scotland MSP Richard Leonard is congratulated by Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar at the Glasgow Science Centre after he was announced as the new leader of Scottish Labour

Jane Barlow/PA

41/44 17 November 2017

British Military Working Dog Mali poses for a photograph with his handler, Cpl. Daniel Hatley, after receiving the PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for his heroic action in Afghanistan

Reuters

42/44 16 November 2017

Theresa May chats with resident Val Lay during a visit to a housing estate in London

AFP/Getty

43/44 15 November 2017

Richard Radcliffe leaves the Foreign Office with his local MP Tulip Siddiq, following a meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

Marc Ward/REX

44/44 14 November 2017

Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah after being awarded a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II

PA

“Moreover, it enables us to demonstrate the motto of our community: Love for all, hatred for none.”

The Ahmadiyya is a branch of Islam that follows the teachings of the Koran and the 19th century spiritual leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

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from TAXI NEAR ME http://taxi.nearme.host/young-muslim-volunteers-transport-group-of-elderly-people-to-christmas-lunch-in-wonderful-act-of-charity/ from NOVACAB https://novacabtaxi.tumblr.com/post/173305475286

[cynthiabryanuk]

Young Muslim volunteers transport group of elderly people to Christmas lunch in wonderful act of charity

A group of Muslim volunteers has been praised for providing a free taxi service to get the elderly to a Christmas lunch in an act of festive goodwill that was described as “wonderful”.

Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) transported 100 pensioners from across Huddersfield in Yorkshire to several local halls for the get-together.

They brought their own transport for their act of charity which included specially adapted vans for the disabled, as many of the group were in wheelchairs or on walkers.

Islamophobia even 'worse under Trump than after 9/11 attacks'

The volunteers then handed out gifts and posed for pictures around the tables before the group dined and were later brought back home, the revealed.

Nadeem Ahmed, the Yorkshire head of the AMYA, told the publication: “It was such an honour to extend a helping hand and to bring a smile to the faces of so many people.

“We felt like a family with the people we helped and that is how they felt too.

“People may wonder why we take time out to help, but we enjoy doing the voluntary work we do because it is our religious obligation. Islam encourages us to help alleviate hardships and respect and honour our elders.”

“People may wonder why we take time out to help, but we enjoy doing the voluntary work".#Huddersfield: Young Ahmadi Muslim volunteers drove 100 elderly people to a lunch on #ChristmasDay | Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK | #LoveForAllHatredForNonehttps://t.co/37pgu6ljKMpic.twitter.com/cRTK1eNe7h

— Ahmadiyya UK (@AhmadiyyaUK) December 26, 2017

Robert Iredale, who helped organise one of the Christmas lunches at Milnsbridge Village Hall, said: “We had about 30 people and they all had a smashing time. One woman said she’d been invited to family but she came to us to see her friends.

“As an organiser the Ahmadiyya Muslims make my job easy! It is a great big help.”

“They are wonderful. All our volunteers are - this year we had to turn volunteers away! People are so generous with their time.

“It’s very easy to tell bad news, but the volunteers that help us are excellent.”

The AMYA organisation said the act of charity by their branch in Yorkshire was part of a nationwide service of goodwill the group provided on Christmas Day. It had planned to carry out 2,000 visits to vulnerable people, including in homeless shelters, to hand out warm meals and gift bags, it said.

On New Year's Day it will do a clean-up of Britain's streets, involving 500 members who will go out litter picking after 7am prayers.

The AMYA organisation said in a statement on its : “This campaign is particularly important to us as we feel that it offers our youth vital training and personal development, which helps to shape them into productive, conscientious and well integrated members of British society.

UK news in pictures

UK news in pictures

27 December 2017

Sheep are driven to another field in the Cotswolds after overnight snow caused travel disruptions across parts of the UK

PA

26 December 2017

Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his third goal, Tottenham's fifth, during the Boxing day Premier League match against Southampton at Wembley. He broke Alan Shearer’s record of 36 Premier League goals in a calendar year, scoring 39 from 36 matches. Kane also finished 2017 as Europe’s leading scorer ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who has 54 goals from 63 appearances in all competitions. Harry Kane has 56 from 52.

AFP/Getty

25 December 2017

Swimmers get out of the water after taking part in the Christmas Day Serpentine swim in Hyde Park, London

Reuters

24 December 2017

Stuart Broad of England bowls during a nets session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia. The fourth Ashes test starts on Boxing Day

Getty

23 December 2017

Staff members console each other as they survey the damage after a fire destroyed a number of buildings at London Zoo. An aardvark has died and four meerkats are missing. Eight zoo workers have been treated by paramedics after a desperate attempt to save the animals from the blaze, which broke out in a petting area.

22 December 2017

Druids, pagans and revellers gather in the centre of Stonehenge, hoping to see the sun rise, as they take part in a winter solstice ceremony at the ancient neolithic monument of Stonehenge. Despite a forecast for cloud and rain, a large crowd gathered at the famous historic stone circle, to celebrate the sunrise closest to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. The event is claimed to be more important in the pagan calendar than the summer solstice, because it marks the 're-birth' of the Sun for the New Year.

Getty Images

21 December 2017

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, British Defence Minister Gavin Williamson in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May sign a treaty between the Republic of Poland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on cooperation in the field of defense and security

EPA

20 December 2017

A protester wears a 'STOP BREXIT' hat outside the Palace of Westminster

Reuters

19 December 2017

The Choristers of St Paul's rehearse for a series of services and concerts over the Christmas season at St Paul's Cathedral in London

REUTERS

18 December 2017

Joe Root, the England captain is interviewed after Australia regained the Ashes. England lost by an innings and 41 run runs in the third test at the WACA in Perth

Getty

17 December 2017

Photos of Richard Ratcliffe and his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been jailed in Iran, on display at their home in north London. Mr Ratcliffe says he believes there is "still a chance" she may be released from an Iranian prison in time for a dream Christmas together.

PA

16 December 2017

Oxford Street in London is filled with shoppers with 8 shopping days before Christmas

Rex

15 December 2017

Jonny Bairstow of England headbutts his helmet to celebrate his century during day two of the Third Test match in the 2017/18 Ashes Series between Australia and England at the WACA in Perth, Australia. Bairstow was embroiled in controversy at the beginning of the tour after lightly headbutting Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft in an exchange in a bar

14 December 2017

People at the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Service

PA

13 December 2017

Wax figures of Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wearing a Christmas Jumper at Madame Tussauds

EPA

12 December 2017

Victims and family of victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, Nicholas Burton (left), Sandra Ruiz (second right), Karim Mussilhy (right) and a girl who asked not be named (second left), hand in a petition to Downing Street, asking for an overhaul of the public inquiry.

PA

11 December 2017

A homeless man on the streets of Manchester. Many people are spending the night on the streets in freezing temperatures as the Met Office continues to issue weather warnings across the country. The Shelter charity has said that more than 300,000 are now homeless across Britain, equating to the population of a city the size of Newcastle

Getty

10 December 2017

Pedestrians walk over the Millennium Bridge with St Paul's Cathedral pictured in the background as snow falls

AFP/Getty Images

9 December 2017

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, and Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani, right, with interpreter at centre, during their meeting in Tehran, Iran. Johnson is expected to discuss the fate of detained British-Iranian woman Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is serving a five-year prison sentence for allegedly plotting to overthrow Iran's government.

AP

8 December 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker address a press conference at the European Commission in Brussels

AFP/Getty Images

7 December 2017

Nick Dunn, one of the so-called Chennai Six is greeted by his sister Lisa as he arrives at Newcastle Airport after being released from India after serving four years in jail on weapons charges.

PA

6 December 2017

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (L) greets Nigeria's ambassador to the United Kingdom, George Adesola Oguntade (C), and his wife, Modupe Oguntade, during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in central London

AFP/Getty

5 December 2017

800 abandoned buckets appear at Potters Field Park, London, in a moving tribute to the 800 children who die every day, on average, due to a lack of clean water and sanitation. Just one bucket in the installation, part of WaterAid’s #Untapped appeal, could hold almost enough safe drinking water for one child for a week. Every £1 donated to the #Untapped appeal until 31st January 2018 will be matched by the UK Government.

WaterAid / Ollie Dixon

4 December 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May smiles to European Union President Donald Tusk as she attends Brexit negotiations' meetings

AFP/Getty

3 December 2017

The last Supermoon of 2017 sets over Whitley Bay, Northumberland

PA

2 December 2017

The crowd reacts as England's Dawid Malan fails to stop a boundary during the first day of the second Ashes test match

REUTERS

1 December 2017

England manager, Gareth Southgate, jokes with Belgium manager, Roberto Martinez, after their sides were drawn in the same group during the Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

Getty Images

30 November 2017

A supporter of Lauri Love, who is accused of hacking into U.S. government computers, wears a Donald Trump mask as he protests in front of the Royal Courts of Justice in London

AP

29 November 2017

A sign reading 'We want our future back' is displayed in front of Westminster during an Anti-Brexit Demonstration

Rex Features

28 November 2017

This year's innovative V&A Christmas Tree, The Singing Tree, is shaped from a cloud of floating words, contributed by visitors, and is created by leading stage and performance designer Es Devlin.

Rex Features

27 November 2017

David Jones and Margaret Tyler wait outside Kensington Palace after hearing about the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Rex

32/44 26 November 2017

Sailors from the Royal Navy perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace for the first time in its 357-year history

PA

33/44 25 November 2017

Arlene Foster gives her leader's speech during the annual DUP party conference at La Mon House

Getty Images

34/44 24 November 2017

Ex-England footballer Michael Owen prior to riding in a charity race at Ascot racecourse

Rex

35/44 23 November 2017

Shoppers pass a promotional sign for 'Black Friday' sales discounts on Oxford Street

AFP/Getty

36/44 22 November 2017

Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond poses with the budget box at 11 Downing Street

EPA

37/44 21 November 2017

Protestors hold up a banner during a protest held in solidarity with the University of London cleaners' strike

Petros Elia

38/44 20 November 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May greets Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo outside number 10 Downing Street

Getty

39/44 19 November 2017

Grigor Dimitrov reacts to winning the Men's Singles Final with the trophy, during day eight of the NITTO ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London

PA

40/44 18 November 2017

Central Scotland MSP Richard Leonard is congratulated by Glasgow MSP Anas Sarwar at the Glasgow Science Centre after he was announced as the new leader of Scottish Labour

Jane Barlow/PA

41/44 17 November 2017

British Military Working Dog Mali poses for a photograph with his handler, Cpl. Daniel Hatley, after receiving the PDSA Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for his heroic action in Afghanistan

Reuters

42/44 16 November 2017

Theresa May chats with resident Val Lay during a visit to a housing estate in London

AFP/Getty

43/44 15 November 2017

Richard Radcliffe leaves the Foreign Office with his local MP Tulip Siddiq, following a meeting with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson

Marc Ward/REX

44/44 14 November 2017

Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah after being awarded a Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II

PA

“Moreover, it enables us to demonstrate the motto of our community: Love for all, hatred for none.”

The Ahmadiyya is a branch of Islam that follows the teachings of the Koran and the 19th century spiritual leader Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

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