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Lowe Vector Catalog
From the late 1970s until the early 1990s, Lowe Alpine Systems offered a military line of packs called Vector. I owned a Woodland LCS-85 pack which is similar to the LCS-84 seen here, but I had also used an OD LOCO at 3ID LRS. LOCOs are rarely found with the rappelling harness as those were used long after the packs were discarded. These are pages from their catalog from the mid-80s.
"In 1978 in response to their experience in the U.S. Special Forces, Greg and Mike Lowe began designing to the needs of the U.S. Army and Marines as well as search and rescue organizations. Today, based on wide ranging input from outdoorsmen, hunters, rescue groups, SWAT teams and the military, Vector has become the leader in backpack design and innovation."
This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 21st, 2017 at 19:00 and is filed under History, Packs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
17 Responses to "Lowe Vector Catalog"
Strike-Hold says:
Wow, there's a blast from the past! 🙂
I remember seeing the LCS-84 system when it came out and thinking it was pretty rad. A bunch us were very keen to those picked up and issued by the 82nd – in fact, I'm pretty sure I remember one of my buddies writing a long recommendation to that effect.
Of course we never got them. Had to use ALICE gear and rucksacks only because nothing else was approved or jump-certified.
Whatever happened to this company?
mupp says:
Lowe Alpine are still going, they supply the Irish defence forces with Bergans/patrol packs etc…
Much more than that. they also designed packs that are commercially used by the British army and the rucksacks for the Royal Netherlands army. Very popular nowadays.
"Much more than that."
Hey now…you'll hurt my feelings…. 🙁
Thanks – I know they're still active on the civilian side, I didn't know if they're still active on the military side. Thanks again.
corsair says:
Lowe Alpine is owned by the same company who own's Rab. Since that purchase, they've pulled back most of their North American business, particular with the market dominance of Osprey, the emergence of Dueter and ready availability of TNF, REI & Gregory. Their Triple Point Ceramic waterproof shells were the heat at the time, then cam along inexpensive 2.5-layer constructed shells and that just cut the legs out from under high-priced shell technology not named Gore-Tex.
I do believe these were the genesis of the CFP-90 ruck and the LBV/ELBV I was issued. The little day pack off the CFP-90 was the only part of the whole ruck that was worth a damn.
Kirk says:
The problems with the CFP-90 and everything else from about that time frame stemmed from the folks at contracting going with the low bidders on all the work; I had a CFP-90 manufactured down in St. George, Utah by whoever got the contract, and that thing set beside one of the actual prototypes from Lowe…? Well, let's just be polite, and say that the Lowe product was a thing of beauty and precision manufacture. The one from the general-issue contract? An abomination; half of the seams failed on that thing the first time I took it out, and it cost me a fortune to have it repaired and reinforced. Everything on it had been "value-engineered" to death, and even the pack cloth wasn't as good as the Lowe product.
Lowe did some excellent design work, but the necessary translation to mass-production? Horrible things happened.
Exactly what I was implying. They took a well thought out and quality item and hired someone to make an issued turd for a couple bucks. I blew out three CFP90s in as many years and let's not wax poetic that I was a front line trooper either, just an ordinary AF security troop carrying his gear to and fro work, deployments, occasional field exercises and the infrequent foot movement. The internal frame parts were the softest aluminum I'd ever seen and the bolts would strip out of them. Seams would burst all over. Not ideal at all. I kept an ALICE in ready reserve just in case.
Now, the two exceptions are the very first CFP90s were actually decent rucks. They used a heavier weight pack cloth, I'd say a 1000d compared to the later, lighter material that always blew out. I've still got one of the original day packs that's over 20yrs old now that's been from here to there many times and is still holding up very well. The other is its padded waist belt. If you integrated that thing onto your LBV you had a thing of pure comfort and joy. It was ALICE clip compatible and unless you needed the eyelets of the issued pistol belt to lash something down you'd never miss it.
I was issued the Vector. It was a bad idea from the start and we all knew it. While not terribly uncomfortable to wear, it was heavy and over-optioned. It kind of seemed like a ALICE with a mountaineering bag shape.
Brando says:
We had an awesome Lowe ruck in 1/10SF back in the early 90s – I think it was the CF90. It could almost fit a case of Maisel's-Weisse.
TexasKrypteia says:
I was issued a CF90. Used it for a few mountain ops, but mainly stuck with the mountain Alice ruck. I did "acquire" a second Vector that I cannibalized for my custom H Harness.
Keld says:
I bought the Vector Salient and the Samson rucks. Best rucks I have ever used.
I love the history of the industry that you find on this page…kinda makes me miss the gear guru page. I would really enjoy seeing more legacy catalog segments like this!
tm says:
Big +1 to that.
I had a civilian Lowe pack in the mid-80s. Almost as large as the LCS-84, with the "Torso-Trac" suspension system. I like the pack, and it was sturdy (even survived a mountain goat chewing most of the way through one of the shoulder straps in Glacier National Park). But the Torso-Trac sucked. You couldn't screw the tightening screws tight enough to keep it from slipping under a heavy load (fortunately for me I'm tall, and needed it almost at the top of the slide anyway). And after several years, the plastic became brittle and shattered, making the pack useless and unrepairable. I threw it away after that. Great pack otherwise, and it's not a coincidence that they stopped using that suspension system shortly after this catalog was printed.
I still have the pack, but the torso trac bit the dust


My god! Look at my circulation co-worker over there! Are they shopping for shoes? There's work to be done! Why, when I was over on the phones station it was amazing how hard I worked. I was a blaze of fire! I processed an entire bin of incoming requests in six minutes! A whole cart in six minutes!
Of course, for the other 54 minutes I was, um, shopping for shoes.
And that's really what it comes down to. There is not a one of us at my library who is not, at least occasionally, dissatisfied with the productivity of everyone else. Tempting as outraged superiority can be, mostly this is an impulse to be resisted.
I have consistently found that when we measure the work rate of others we measure it against our own highest possible personal work rate. If I knocked myself out shelving five swollen carts of fiction books seven years ago as flood waters were rising in the library, and I was on a coffee high, that will forever be the standard by which all my co-workers must be measured in every single moment of every working day.
So let me say it again: We measure the work rate of our co-workers by our highest and most perfect work accomplishments, by the rare level of work we perform when we are motivated, engaged, well-treated, happy, lucky, and feeling like it.
Since we can't possibly measure our own work rate against ourselves we must measure it against others. And so we measure it against the worst possible work rate of our co-workers. Sue, for instance, spent an hour socializing and talking about her vacation with half a dozen people. So surely I am allowed to sit here and read this interesting book at my leisure.
We work at a library. Everyone is always allowed to sit and read an interesting book for god's sake! That's the first thing to keep in mind.
But I might also want to keep in mind that after Sue chatted with everyone endlessly about her vacation, she went and cleaned up the entire Children's Room, which was in total chaos, a freaking mess, on a crazy day, and she did it totally alone, while the librarian just sat there!
Luv luv luv!!! The your blog! Best thing on the net. And there's a lot on the net!
Well, at the very least this is the only place on the net that has swearing.
But, um, anyway, this is really nice of you to say. Thank you.


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Home Padma Shri Recently, What Amazing Thing Has Been Done By The Modi Government That Surprised You Too?
Recently, What Amazing Thing Has Been Done By The Modi Government That Surprised You Too?
Narendra Modi Padma Shri
The Narendra Modi government has conferred the Padma Award to ordinary Indians for their selfless work. The government of the people is truly here.
Tulsi, who has planted thousands of trees for more than 60 years, has been honoured with Padma Shri.
Padma Shri honours Harekala Hazabba, who sells oranges for 30 years and builds schools for the poor. Harekala Hazabba hails from Mangalore in Karnataka. Hajbaba is illiterate to say but is spreading the light of knowledge in the society. According to a report published in Deccan Chronicle, Hajabba, who has lived by selling oranges for the past 30 years, has added a pie to make a school for poor children in his village. Now the government has honoured him with the Padma Shri.
Padmashri award to Langar Baba, the Messiah of the patients.
84-year-old Jagdish Lal Ahuja suffering from cancer will be awarded the Padma Shri. He was once a millionaire. For years, he is going through a phase of crony, anchored for patients outside PGI, but does not let anyone go to bed hungry.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Students observe sun, measure Earth's radius
By Kurt Hyde
Students measured shadows beneath the sunshine between X and Y buildings. They stood with rulers, pencils and paper, ready to record the information on March 21, the day of the vernal equinox.
Physics 1403 students used measurements from their shadows to calculate the radius of the Earth.
Chaz Hafey, astronomy and physics lab coordinator, led the students as they used calculation methods similar to those used around 240 B.C. by Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek mathematician, geographer and astronomer. Hafey said the project was selected on the day of the equinox because the math is easier when the sun is directly over the equator.
Anahita Sidhwa, astronomy professor, said Eratosthenes is said to have used the shadow of a stick, but he personalized this exercise by having students work in pairs, and each member measured the other person's height and the length of their shadow.
Each student calculated the circumference of the Earth using measurements pertaining to his or her own body.
"It looks like everyone's [calculation] was about 20 percent low," Sidhwa said.
Hafey said he was pleased with the accuracy considering the equipment used and because the lab was scheduled before the solar noon that day.
If the lab was scheduled an hour later, Hafey said, the calculations would have been closer to the known radius of the Earth.
Student Addie Rule said she had fun measuring her shadow. "I really do enjoy this class," she said.


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The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin is an adventure game by Arxel Tribe. It is the sequel to Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon. It was released in October 2000 for Windows. The game is inspired by the work of Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho. A sequel, The Secrets of Alamût was released in March 2001.

The two games were later released as one game by DreamCatcher Interactive in North America under The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin title. The first game was called Part 1 and The Secrets of Alamût was called Part 2.

Development

Engine

Graphics

The 3D graphics of the game were created using the Maya software featured on Silicon Graphics computers. Firstly, 3D modelling was done using character model sheets (seen in three poses: face-on, profile, and back), as well as the ground plans and elevations of the sets. Texture was then added to the core wire frames. Secondly lighting and colouring was added by illustrators, often using the brush tool. Next the animation team placed the virtual cameras and defined their movements. Finally post-production was done to polish the cinematic scenes.

Other
Over 20 crew members from this project collaborated on the video games Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Final Cut, Seven Games of the Soul, Jerusalem: The Three Roads to the Holy Land, and Mistmare.

Legend saw releases in the United Kingdom, France, United States, Canada, Belgium, Russia, and Brazil. Secrets saw releases in United Kingdom, France, United States, Russia, and Germany.

A quiz on The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin was included on the game's main page, with the winner receiving a copy of Paulo Coelho's latest book. The Secrets of Alamût was created with the participation of Egypt Nile Cruises, Timberland, and Lexpress.fr. This was because a competition was conducted for the release of The Secrets of Alamût which ended on 25 April 2001; the prizes were two trips to Egypt, 15 Timberland jackets, and a 150 copies of the game.

Plot and gameplay
Taking place in the 13th century, the player takes control of Ay-Sayf, who is a former Knight Templar and Crusader. He is on a mission to meet a false prophet named Simon. The Secrets of Alamût is a continuation of this story

The game is a first-person point-and-click adventure  that follows the gaming conventions of titles such as Myst, in which the player must traverse a series of static clickable screens to move around, and manipulate a series of carriable items to solve puzzles and progress. The games have an inventory system, and unlike their predecessor have a 360-degree freedom of movement.

Reception

The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin
In 2000, Adventurearchiv reviewer Annemarie said that the abrupt ending and difficult "star" puzzle tarnished her complete enjoyment of the game. Jeux Video thought the game was limited in terms of the interactivity of the gameplay. Game Genie's James Allen explained that in his opinion there wasn't a single redeeming feature to the game, tying it with Airport Tycoon and Hot Wired as the worst game he'd reviewed; he asserted that it "sucked" and soured his opinion of adventure games, and claimed he'd "I'll never let [Dreamcaster Interactive] live that down". GameKult described the game as flat and lacking in fun. Jeanne Muse wrote in UHS in 2001 that the timed sequences may cause annoyance to gamers. Westlake of Game Over Online expressed that the game was mediocre; not bad but not recommendable either. Randy Sluganski of Just Adventure asserted that despite it being historically based, he did not consider the game to be educational. Gordon Aplin of Quandary noted that while the story is interesting it does not come to a complete resolution. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News writer Phil LaRose gave the game a scathing review, commenting on its "relatively primitive technology", "simplistic gameplay", and "decided incoherence". In 2002 Balmoral Software noted that the game lacked humour and instead favoured a darker tone. In 2008, Avsn-nikki of Adventurespiele thought that the graphics were impressive for the time period, but didn't stand up to contemporary standards. In a four-page review in the Polish site Gry Online, among other comments Boleslaw Wojtowicz praised the Arabic inspired musical soundscape. SK Online wrote that the game contained masterpieces of graphic design. PC Games wrote that tightness, lightness, and grippiness of Coelho's work was not translated to the game. Masha Arimanova of Game.EXE described the experience as "complex, but fleeting".

The Secrets of Alamût
Adventure-Archiv suggested that the only reason this game and its prequel were released separately was because of business reasons; to make more money. Game Captain thought the puzzles were average and disliked that there was sometimes a need to use trial and error. In contrast, G Base thought the puzzles were logical and well thought out. Randy Sluganski of Just Adventure noted that the game forced the player to think about deep concepts that other video games wouldn't present. Universal Hint System's Jeanne Muse thought that the fact you have to uninstall Legend to play Secrets despite them being two parts of the same story reduced the game's replayability. Media & Games Online Network described the game as "old-fashioned" and noted it would disappoint FPS fans. SK Online liked the way the narrative tackled internal conflicts and dilemmas. Gordon Aplin of Metzomagic and Quandary thought the game's finale offered a "truly thought provoking" piece of dialogue. 4Players.de wrote that the game should appeal to puzzle enthusiasts, although felt that those who are a fan of superlative graphics should wait for Myst III: Exile. PC Games described the title as an "unimpressive decal of Myst". Masha Arimanova of Gaming.EXE thought the game was more exciting, harmonious and satisfyingly contradictory than its prequel.

References

External links
 Main page for The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin
 Main page for Secrets of Alamut
 MobyGames The Legend of the Prophet and the Assassin entry
 MobyGames Secrets of Alamut entry

2000 video games
Arxel Tribe games
Classic Mac OS games
DreamCatcher Interactive games
Paulo Coelho
Point-and-click adventure games
Single-player video games
Video games developed in Slovenia
Video games set in the 13th century
Windows games

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/TotalDramaWaneyihtamMaskwak
Characters / Total Drama Waneyihtam Maskwak
Create New - Create New - Analysis FanficRecs FanWorks Fridge Haiku Headscratchers ImageLinks Laconic PlayingWith Quotes Recap ReferencedBy Synopsis Timeline Trivia WMG YMMV
Total Drama's cast got so big that the page had to be split into several pages. This page is for the season 5.2 contestants in the Waneyihtam Maskwak (Confused Bears) team.
Killer Bass
Screaming Gophers
New World Tour Contestants
Mutant Maggots
Toxic Rats
Pimâpotew Kinosewak (Floating Salmon)
Ridonculous Race Newcomers
DramaRama
Beardo, The Human Soundboard
"Hello, my name is Bee-air-dough."
Voiced by: Clé Bennett
Teams: Waneyihtam Maskwak (Confused Bears)
Badass Beard: The biggest one in the show, to the point where he is named after it.
Big Fun: Unfortunately, him trying to be this is what caused his elimination.
Black Dude Dies First: Or in this case, gets eliminated first.
Expy: He's been confirmed to be one to Reggie Watts due to his physical appearance and his beatboxing skills, while his sound effects gag is based off Michael Winslow "The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects".
Flat Character: Even with his audition tape revealing his Hidden Depths, he's not developed all that much.
Funny Afro: It looks like a microphone.
Hidden Depths: His audition video is an All There in the Manual example.
"I am pretty shy, and until I warm up to new people I tend to make noises and be generally be bothersome. I hope that if I am selected, my team can see past that and give me a chance to show them what a great guy I truly am."
Hoist by His Own Petard: A non-villainous example; his noisemaking leads to his early elimination.
I Just Want to Have Friends: His audition tape reveals that he wanted to be on the show to make friends. Considering that he was the first contestant eliminated after annoying all of his teammates, this didn't work.
It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": He pronounces his name "Bee-air-dough" in his audition video; however, everyone else pronounces it much like "weirdo".
Joke Character: He doesn't really have any purpose than to make funny noises.
The Load: During the first challenge all he does is run in slow motion and make weird sound effects to try and make people laugh.
Meaningful Name: He has an awfully large beard for a teenager.
One-Shot Character: Despite some mentions later in the season, Beardo only makes one on-screen appearance.
The Prankster: He often uses his funny sound effects for this, which unfortunately leads to his early elimination.
The Quiet One: He doesn't talk much.
Suddenly Voiced: He talked in his audition video and after his elimination.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To Beverly as he is a big, black fellow who doesn't talk, and is eliminated quite early.
Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma: His audition video is a textbook example of Shatner Commas. Here's the transcript again, but this time with the commas as he uses them.
"I, am pretty shy, and until I, warm up to new, people I tend to, just make noises and be, generally, bothersome. I hope that if I, am selected my, team can see past that and give me, a chance to show them what a great guy I, truly am."
We Hardly Knew Ye: He gets eliminated first, plus we don't really know anything about him since he doesn't talk much. Staci, the first one ousted from Revenge of the Island, got two episodes of screen time whereas Beardo only gets one. He does get a couple of mentions later in the season, though.
Dave, The Normal Guy
"I really should've written down what I wanted to say, but the only pen I could find was all chewed up, and not by me. Kind of grossed out just thinking about it. As a competitor I'd be vicious, all about the money. Not there to make friends, know what I mean? Keep people at arms length, grab that cash! I'm gonna play this cold."
Voiced by: Daniel DeSanto
Adorkable: His unsuccessful attempts to make a move on Sky can be interpreted as such.
Ambiguous Disorder: His repetitive behaviors and intense desire to be clean hint towards Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, while his intense fear of abandonment from Sky, emotionally unstable, and extremely impulsive decisions hint towards Borderline Personality Disorder.
Ambiguously Brown: Much like Noah, his skin is tan but it's not really clear what his ethnicity is.
Ax-Crazy: Becomes this in the finale after his Face–Heel Turn, taking delight in hurting Sky.
Back for the Finale: He was randomly chosen as Sky's helper.
Bald of Evil: His hair is burned off between the first and second legs of the final challenge; however, he doesn't become villainous until the third leg.
Batman Gambit: In "A Blast from the Past", he convinces Shawn, who believes that the island is infested with zombies, that Team Kinosewak are zombified, motivating Shawn to participate. Unfortunately, Shawn hits Jasmine hard in the head, which puts a major kink in their relationship.
Beware the Nice Ones: Becomes bitter and resentful upon discovering that Sky has a boyfriend.
Butt-Monkey: He suffer many injuries and humiliations during the season with the peak being in the last episode, where he winds up bald, goes crazy when he discovers that Sky already has a boyfriend and, in the last shot of the episode, is abandoned on the island and attacked by the robo-bear.
Card-Carrying Villain: He plays himself off as such in his audition tape, where he says that he'd be "vicious" and only focused on trying to "grab that cash", after which he admits he's "gonna play this cold".
Characterization Marches On: His fear of germs completely vanishes after "This is the Pits!" to focus purely on his obsession towards Sky.
The Complainer Is Always Wrong: Nobody other than Sky listens to him when he complains about the flaws in his teammates' plans.
Create Your Own Villain: He pulls a Face–Heel Turn in the finale due to finding out Sky had a boyfriend that she hadn't gotten a chance to break up with before showing interest in Dave.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He has shown competence to his team's surprise (and his own) on a fair few occasions.
Deadpan Snarker: As his team's Straight Man, he snarks occasionally.
Dave: (after he pulls his parachute's ripcord, only to find feathers in his pack) Yup. Feathers. I get it. Funny.
Did Not Get the Girl: Especially after finding out that the "girl" already has a boyfriend, upon which his Sanity Slippage gets even worse than it already was.
Entitled to Have You: Develops a really nasty case of this in the finale, feeling that since he sacrificed his game for Sky, he's entitled to being her boyfriend. He ends up having a Face–Heel Turn after learning that Sky had a boyfriend the entire time.
Expy: Fresh TV have confirmed he's based off Mitch Martin.
Face–Heel Turn: After finding out that Sky is already in a relationship, he does everything in his power to keep her from winning the prize money.
Fallen Hero: He wasn't exactly nice to begin with, but he becomes significantly more villainous after his Sanity Slippage in the finale.
Final Boss: In the season finale, after he realizes that Sky already has a boyfriend, making him the final villain of the second part of season 5.
Flanderization: A very rare example where this happens to a character during their debut season (and one that only lasted 13 episodes no less!). His feelings for Sky and status as The Load gets exaggerated as the season goes on to the point where he's a complete wimp by the time of the finale.
Foil:
To Noah. Both come off as being Deadpan Snarkers who are reluctant to help their team, but their characters quickly diverge after this. Noah couldn't care less what anyone else thinks, actually knows his limits and is still able to be an asset to his team when he feels like it. Dave constantly has something to prove, keeps stepping outside his capabilities and ends up paying for it, and is the biggest load to his team after Beardo and Leonard are eliminated. Furthermore, both have an arc of pursuing a girl which had an effect on their in-game performance, but while Noah did manage to win her over and may have had a Relationship Upgrade, Dave Did Not Get the Girl and became a Green-Eyed Monster determined to get revenge on her.
To Mike. Both have a similar color scheme and a mental disorder that proves to be troublesome, and are part of a couple (with Sky and Zoey respectively) that serve as a major plot throughout their seasons. However, while their relationships seem similar at first, they end up going in near opposite directions. Both relationships involved trust issues between the two lovers, but for Mike and Zoey it was the boy keeping secrets, while for Dave and Sky it's the girl who is withholding the truth. Mike was able to pull through due to his love of Zoey, while it's Dave's love for Sky that destroyed him and left him a wreck. Mike ended up getting the girl and the money, while Dave Did Not Get the Girl or the money and is left with an Uncertain Doom.
Hair-Trigger Temper: He's prone to snapping at Beardo and Leonard for not contributing anything to the team.
Hypochondria:
Has self-diagnosed himself with several allergies, none of which have been proven. Lampshaded by Chris after Dave gets hit with a balloon filled with itching powder.
Dave: (scratching himself) Itching powder?! Really?! I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to this!
Chris: (over the intercom) Everyone is allergic to it! It's itching powder!
Though in "Mo' Monkey Mo' Problems", his allergy to flowers is implied to be legitimate.
Hypocrite: He complains that all his teammates other than Sky are useless in the first few episodes when he himself complains more than lending a helping hand.
Imaginary Love Triangle: He has a big crush on Sky and Ella has a crush on him, but he doesn't know about the latter.
I'm Not Here to Make Friends: He states this in his audition video, but once he's on the island he quickly abandons this policy in favor of pursuing a relationship with Sky.
Irony: He's supposed to be the normal guy but end up losing his mind.
Jerkass: Due to him believing that he is the Only Sane Man on his team, he can come off as this at times. Downplayed in that he's not trying to be mean to his teammates so much as he's just annoyed by them.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's insensitive, short-tempered, and whiny but was shown to be a fairly nice guy as long as no one upsets him (saving Ella from drowning after she got electrocuted, trying to offer Shawn relationship advice)
Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: While he had undergone Sanity Slippage starting from "Hurl And Go Seek", he jumps off the deep end in the finale.
Just Friends:
Sky attempts to view her relationship with him as this due to not wanting to date someone she'd eventually have to compete against and also because she's already in a relationship with someone else. Unfortunately, Dave doesn't take this too well.
Dave sees his relationship with Ella as this. While Ella is initially saddened by this revelation, she gets over it and doesn't hold it against Dave.
The Lancer: Whether Shawn or Sky is The Leader in a particular episode, Dave contrasts their competence and tolerance of their team's quirks with his own tendencies (see The Load) and frequent complaints about everything.
The Load: Downplayed While not as bad as previous examples, he is one of the less useful members on his team and physically the weakest, especially when he's hindered by his mysophobia. However, he is still capable of competing, especially earlier in the season. He took out both Rodney and Topher in the balloon challenge, and actually knocked Jasmine off the platform in the dueling stick challenge.
Love Is a Weakness: Both Sugar and Sky know this and take full advantage.
Love Makes You Dumb: His common sense takes a severe blow after he falls for Sky, resulting in him trying various misguided stunts (such as trying to tame a bear and pretending to be a jerk) in order to impress her. Needless to say, it doesn't work.
Sky: (dismayed) He was brighter before, wasn't he?
Love Makes You Evil: His love for Sky led to his heart getting broken, which ultimately caused his Sanity Slippage and seeking vengeance on Sky.
Meaningless Villain Victory: In Shawn's ending, Sky failed to get any prize money, exactly as he'd solely dedicated himself towards when he had his Face–Heel Turn. He doesn't seem to be remotely pleased about this, though, more upset about missing out on half of the prize.
Never Trust a Trailer: The trailers for Pahkitew Island said that Dave was "The Nice Guy." Although he could be nice at times, he's truly a critical and whiny person who loses his sanity at the end.
No Respect Guy: Early in the season when he was actually the Only Sane Man who was Surrounded by Idiots, though this later subsides when his unlikable traits accumulate and he becomes a hindrance to the team himself.
Not Good with Rejection: Each time Sky rejects him, Dave loses more and more of his sanity.
Oblivious to Love: He was unaware that Ella had developed a crush on him.
Odd Friendship: While Dave despises most of his team for being weird, he's actually on good enough terms with the zombie-phobic Shawn to forage for food and share dating advice with him. However, it's unknown where they stand after the events of "Lies, Cries and One Big Prize", which had the two get into a fight and ended with Dave not caring when Shawn was buried in an avalanche.
Only Sane Man: Aside from Sky, he sees himself as the only sane member of his team. To an extent, this is a fairly reasonable assumption, considering his team consists of a guy who makes silly noises, a roleplayer who thinks he's a wizard, a girl who dresses like a princess and constantly sings, a ditzy pageant queen, a paranoid zombie-phobic extremist, and later on a purple-haired midget who thinks he's a super villain and laughs like a maniac all the time. It's still ambiguous if he really counts as sane when all's said and done, though.
Opposites Attract: With Sky.
Sanity Slippage: Undergoes some after Sky rejects him at the merge. Luckily, he knows this and votes himself off before it can get any worse. Unfortunately for him, it worsens when he realizes that Sky already has a boyfriend.
Ship Sinking: Dave loves Sky and they have some Ship Tease during the show. Unfortunately in the finale, Sky is already spoken for, resulting with Dave's Face–Heel Turn.
Surrounded by Idiots: In "So, Uh, This Is My Team", he asks in the confessional if he could vote for four people.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Believes this will be the case when Sky is switched to the opposing team in episode 7. Unfortunately, he didn't take into account how serious Sky and her teammates were about the competition.
Terrified of Germs: His contestant bio states that he has mysophobia and he is seen rubbing his hands with disinfectant in his audition video. He gets nervous whenever a challenge involves getting dirty, and freaks out when he's covered in pig grease in "I Love You, Greased Pig!". In "This is the Pits!" he is seen in the fetal position after his team escape the underground tunnels by climbing out through the outhouse confessional, covered in waste water.
Dave: SANITIZER! I NEED HAND SANITIZER! AND SANDPAPER FOR SCRUBBING!
Took a Level in Jerkass: His frustration at his teammates causes him to take a level or two during the first few episodes. Then The Reveal of Sky having a boyfriend causes him to take several more.
Two-Faced Aside: After hearing Jasmine's idea to open a combination cage-fighting school and flower shop.
Dave: That is the coolest idea I've have ever heard!
Dave: (in the confessional) Horrible idea.
Uncertain Doom: The final shot of "Lies, Cries and One Big Prize" ends with Dave having been accidentally left on Pahkitew Island, about to be attacked by Scuba Bear. As Pahkitew Island ultimately turned out to be the current final season of the series, however, it's unknown what happened to him after this.
Unresolved Sexual Tension: His attraction with Sky is full of this. It's obvious that both have feelings for each other, but they keep getting held back due to Sky not wanting attachments, Sugar trying to keep them apart, or Dave's creepy behavior putting Sky off.
Woman Scorned: Gender-Inverted Trope. He didn't even want the money, but he was intent on making sure Sky didn't get it. If he managed to win half by stopping Shawn and Sky, he was planning on burning his half in front of her out of spite.
Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: While his behavior in the finale certainly makes him qualify as a villain, it's difficult not to feel sorry for him when considering the series of events that built up to this.
Yandere: A rare male example, he does not take the news about Sky already having a boyfriend well, going as far as hindering Sky's chances at the million.
Ella, The Fairytale Princess
"My name is Ella. I was a huge fan of Total Drama World Tour. I memorized all the songs from that season and performed them at the local mall in a one person flash mob! The nice security man told me I had a beautiful voice, and that I was banned from the mall."
Voiced by: Sunday Muse
Actual Pacifist: Due to her all loving nature, she cannot bring herself to do anything even remotely violent or cruel. As shown in "I Love You, I Love You Knots", she even refused to shock the opposing team because she thought it was "too mean".
All-Loving Heroine: She is impossible to anger, although hurting her animal friends will make her upset.
Ascended Fangirl: In her audition video, she says that she was a huge fan of Total Drama World Tour.
Attention Whore: Downplayed. While she actively draws attention from her singing, it isn't so much her seeking attention, but more that she simply loves partaking in the action.
The Beastmaster: She easily befriends birds, a pig, and a bear.
Because You Were Nice to Me: Fell in love with Dave after he saved her from drowning and returned her shoe to her in "A Blast From The Past".
The Chick: Of Team Maskwak.
Cloudcuckoolander: Ella is shown to be this, as she usually sings at inappropriate times, such as when she's falling off a blimp without an actual parachute, though she survives unharmed.
Cute, but Cacophonic:
Downplayed; while she is not a bad singer, as animals are attracted to her voice, the other campers find Ella's constant singing annoying, particularly Sugar.
In her audition video, she says that she was banned from her local mall, also as she was singing "Please pick me!", the thin walls in her apartment has also caused Mr. McGillis to tell her to keep it down, to which she promptly apologizes.
Chris is also especially annoyed by Ella's signing to the point where he threatens to boot her from the show if she sings again in "A Blast from the Past". Chris follows through on his threat in the following episode, after Sugar sells her out by sending an anonymous letter to him.
Ella: ♪Good morning, other team!♪ Who would like to hear a song?
Chris: (over the loudspeaker) NO ONE, Ella!
The Cutie: A songbird whose personality is as angelic as her singing voice.
Dissonant Serenity: Instead of panicking when she got a fake parachute, she's glad that the teddy bear in her pack is safe, and she starts to sing a song after grabbing a tambourine from Leonard's pack and finding a little birdie.
Dumb Is Good: She is excessively nice to EVERYONE, but she's fairly naive, as she believes Leonard is a real wizard.
Every Proper Lady Should Curtsey: She does this when introducing herself in her audition video.
Everything's Better with Princesses: Even if she's a fake one, she's designed to look like a Disney princess.
Expy: She is part Snow White, part Cinderella, and part Aurora.
Flashmob: In her audition, she mentions that she sang every song from Total Drama World Tour in her local mall as a one person flash mob. She is now banned from the mall as a result.
Friend to All Living Things: In typical Snow White fashion.
Genki Girl: Besides her singing, Ella's perkiness in general also gets on Chris' nerves.
Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Her bedroom has plenty of stuffed animals.
Girly Girl: Quite possibly the most girly character in the entire series.
Girly Run: She does this in "A Blast from the Past" as she retrieves one of her team's dueling sticks.
Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Ella desperately wants to be Sugar's friend and absolutely does not understand why Sugar hates her so much.
Graceful Loser: She isn't upset when she's disqualified from the competition in "Mo Monkey Mo Problems". Instead, she comments that she's glad she can return to singing freely and then proceeds turn her elimination ceremony into a musical number.
Hair Decorations: Her pink hair ribbon.
Heroic BSoD: She suffers from one in "Mo Monkey Mo Problems", after Dave tells her that he is attracted to Sky and not her. During the challenge, she is barely emotive until her teammates needed her to serenade a bear in order to get Dave free and try to get it to spit their monkey out.
Hoist by Her Own Petard: A rare heroic example. Chris gives Ella an ultimatum during the elimination ceremony of "A Blast from the Past": if she sings again, she is automatically eliminated. Unfortunately, the trope is invoked an episode later when her team needed her to sing to a bear to save Dave and retrieve their monkey, and Sugar tells Chris that Ella sang.
I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: She accepts the fact that Dave loves Sky.
Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: The light to Sugar's dark.
The Load: Downplayed. While she at least tries to help her team and sometimes successfully does so, her actions are often viewed as hindering.
In "So, Uh, This is My Team?", she retrieves a bucket of glitter instead of any useful building material.
In "I Love You, Greased Pig!", she sings and dances with the pig, which slows her down; however, she does actually complete her leg of the challenge, unlike Leonard.
In "I Love You, I Love You Knots", after undoing her knot, she offers to help Rodney, her opposition, and she is hesitant to push the button to shock Team Kinosewak to win the tiebreaker. However, Clucky the chicken snatches the remote out of Ella's hand, shocking Rodney and the rest of his team.
Magic Skirt: Invoked by means of her little bird friends.
Meaningful Name: The second half of "Cinderella".
Mind-Control Music: While not exactly mind controlling, her singing has a very unusual, powerful hold on nearby animals.
Music Soothes the Savage Beast: She can calm and attract any animal using her beautiful voice. Her team even realizes the power her singing holds over other animals and even requests her to sing to the bear in order to subdue it in "Mo Monkey Mo Problems".
Naïve Everygirl: She tries her best to befriend Sugar, oblivious to the fact that Sugar neither likes nor trusts her.
Nice Girl: One of the nicest, if not the nicest, character in the whole series; she is an Actual Pacifist who just wants to be everyone's friend.
Non Sequitur: After she gets electrocuted by Max in "A Blast from the Past", she gives one of these just before Chris goes to commercial.
Ella: (trying to climb on to Chris' platform) Do you know where I can find the white rabbit? (falls back into the water)
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: She is visibly depressed after she realizes that Dave wasn't attracted to her.
Perpetual Smiler: It's very rare to see her without a smile on her face.
Pimped-Out Dress: Subverted. She reveals, through song, that her outfit is actually a skirt and blouse.
The Pollyanna: Despite numerous attempts to break her, Ella usually maintains her sunny disposition. She even takes her elimination in stride, singing a song before she is shot out of the Cannon of Shame. However, as a Double Subversion, she is visibly depressed when she realizes that Dave is attracted to Sky and not her, but she gets better, and still remains friends with both Dave and Sky.
Princess Phase: Implied. She acts and dresses as a fairy tale princess, even though she's a teenager.
Princesses Prefer Pink: The only parts of her outfit that aren't pink are her sleeves.
Spontaneous Choreography: Though other than the animals joining in on occasion, she's usually the only one who participates.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute:
Like Dawn, Ella is a Friend to All Living Things.
She is a overly-trusting Naïve Everygirl, similar to Zoey.
Ella bares a number of similarities to Lindsay: both are labelled as "Princesses", both have major conflicts with "Queens" (Heather for Lindsay, Sugar for Ella) which end in their elimination, both placed 9th in their debut seasons, and both are associated with the same light, fluttery music.
Vocal Evolution: Her voice is higher than it was in her audition tape.
Wide-Eyed Idealist: Believes everyone is good at heart, even when they physically abuse her on a regular basis (as Sugar does). Chris seems to be the only exception.
Leonard, The LARPer
"Time to cast a spell."
Teams: Waneyihtam Maskwak (Confused Bears), The [LARPers]
For tropes from his time on the Ridonculous Race go here
Adorkable: Sugar's the only one who thinks so.
Ambiguous Disorder: He has a serious case of Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality, believing his "magic spells" to actually work.
Black and Nerdy: Very much so. He's always seen cosplaying as a wizard, although in his case he actually believes he is one.
Catchphrase: "It worked!", "Marvelous!"
Cloud Cuckoolander: He takes his LARPing a bit too seriously, and it has caused him to be very distant from reality.
Fang Thpeak: While he doesn't have fangs, he does have a very noticeable lisp as if he did.
Flat Character: He's super into roleplaying... And that's all the show bothers to tell us about him.
Geek Physiques: He's tall and somewhat scrawny.
Implied Love Interest: To Sugar.
In the Hood: He has never been shown with his hood off, and it is currently unknown what color his hair is (or if he has any for that matter).
Joke Character: Performance-wise, he is one of the worst (if not the absolute worst) Total Drama contestants of all time.
LARP: His label is literally "The LARPer".
The Load: Recites "magic spells" instead of physically helping his team, due to thinking his spells actually work in real life. Lampshaded by Shawn in "Lies, Cries, and One Big Prize" when he says he would be fine with anyone as a helper so long as it wasn't Leonard.
The Millstone: After Team Maskwak eliminates Leonard, they never lose to Team Kinosewak again, winning five out of the next six challenges. note However, in "Mo Monkey, Mo Problems", Ella was disqualified after Sugar sent an anonymous letter to Chris saying that she broke his "no singing" rule, and "This Is the Pits" was declared a no contest since no one won the challenge by Chris' Exact Words.
Reality Ensues: The result he gets every time he tries to cast a spell.
Serious Business: His LARPing. It was the reason why he and Dave had a conflict.
Small Name, Big Ego: He is overconfident that his "magic" will help him win.
Too Dumb to Live: When a tall rock pile is about to topple on top of him, rather than running like a normal person, he outstretches his arms and attempts to cast a force field.
We Hardly Knew Ye: Only lasts two episodes before he is eliminated; however, he does get mentioned in the last three episodes.
Wizard Beard: Wears a fake one as part of his LARPer costume.
Shawn, The Zombie Conspiracy Nut
"In my mind, I'm always running from zombies, and if you're not, you're crazy!"
Voiced by: Zachary Bennett
The Ace: Along with Jasmine, he excels in all areas of survival.
Action Duo: With Jasmine, especially in "Scarlett Fever".
Action Hero: His approach to the game centers around pulling off impressive physical feats, and kicking ass. Though his by no means Dumb Muscle and being a Genius Bruiser in his own right.
Amazon Chaser: He falls for Action Girl and Statuesque Stunner Jasmine.
Anti-Hero: Somewhere between the Disney and Classical subtypes. While he is certainly not a villain and is quite friendly to almost everyone, he has quite a few non-heroic traits, such as having a very self-centered survivalist style of thinking and being a bit of a coward.
The Apocalypse Brings Out the Best in People: Subverted the first time where it leads to his What the Hell, Hero? moment, but the second time round he seizes the opportunity and redeems himself.
Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Moments after Chris told the players that they could safely navigate the crystal cave as long as they didn't take any crystals, Shawn took a crystal because it was shiny.
Berserk Button: Any mention of the word "zombie" will either cause him to cower in fear, run for his life, or massacre anything in sight.
Character Development: His development from a zombie-fearing Dirty Coward to an Action Hero who decimates a whole legion of Chris Robots.
Charles Atlas Superpower:
He trained himself to shoot "snot rockets" because he thought it might come in handy one day.
He can also perform armpit serenades flawlessly. Chris was even moved to tears by his performance!
Cloud Cuckoolander: He not only believes zombies are real, but that the world has already fallen to a Zombie Apocalypse, and that being situated on an isolated island will increase his chances of survival. He's also known to come up with crazy conspiracy theories that keep getting crazier.
Conspiracy Theorist: He believes the government is secretly developing a zombie virus and a Zombie Apocalypse is inevitable.
Cowardly Lion: He comes off as being quite cowardly or quirky, but time after time he will pull off something that shocks and amazes everyone around him.
Crazy Survivalist: Shawn's defining trait. He's thoroughly convinced that the world will succumb to a Zombie Apocalypse and has been spent his entire life training for it. While this has made him The Ace when it comes to surviving, he's also overly paranoid and will often show quirks of believing others of being zombies.
Cuckoo Snarker: While he spends every other moment spouting nonsense about how a Zombie Apocalypse is impending, he's also prone to be the snarky Only Sane Man just as much.
Shawn: I can't hear you over your insanity!
Dirty Coward: Has a habit of running away during challenges when he thinks he's seen any sign of a zombie. However, he slowly overcomes this trait and becomes more selfless.
Doomsayer: One of his defining characteristics. In fact the original label he was promoted with was "The Paranoid Doomsayer".
Easily Forgiven: By Jasmine in the ending where he doesn't win the money to try and split it with her.
Establishing Character Moment: For Shawn, it was either cowering in fear on the plane when Rodney says "brains", or showing off his athletic prowess by flipping through the air when salvaging from the scrapheap.
Everything's Deader with Zombies: The inclusion of a character with a zombie gimmick in a reality show, is itself an example of this.
Expy:
Of Shaun of the Dead, both being zombie apocalypse survivor themed characters with similar sounding names.
Also of Peeta Mellark, another guy who also camouflaged himself with natural materials... and who also learnt it from cake-decorating for a bakery.
Foil: Shawn can be seen as one to Owen and Cameron, as the socially-weird male finalist of each generation. Like his predecessors he's a Nice Guy, a coward, and has No Social Skills. However, while his predecessors both performed very poorly in physical areas, Shawn displays genuine skill and athleticism that allows him to perform well in challenges. His load status instead comes from his zombie paranoia.
Genius Bruiser: He is one of the best fighters in the series, yet is still fairly intelligent, having an encyclopedic knowledge of wilderness survival and zombies.
Genre Savvy: About zombies (of course), which serves as both a blessing and a curse.
Heroic Sacrifice: In "Hurl And Go Seek!", he sacrifices himself to slow down the "zombies" in order to give Jasmine a chance to escape.
Homeschooled Kids: Word of God only.
Huge Girl, Tiny Guy: With Jasmine.
Hypocritical Humor: When he finds out that Jasmine has claustrophobia he comments that it's sad when someone lets fear control their lives. This is coming from the guy who lets his zombie paranoia control his whole life.
Ineffectual Loner: He has nothing against his team, but he refuses to sleep with them due to his zombie paranoia.
In-Series Nickname: He's been given the name "Zombie Boy" by Jasmine and Chris.
Jerkass Ball: Despite being a nice and polite guy, he's perfectly happy to repeatedly badmouth Jasmine in the confessional after hearing that she intends to use her share of the money for a flower shop and cage-fighting school, which he believes to be a stupid expenditure. This comes back to haunt him in the finale.
Jerkass Realization: His constant badmouthing of Jasmine in the confessional comes back to bite him hard in the finale, when Chris airs all the footage for her to see.
Jerk Justifications: His often cold, distant nature is explained as being due to him refusing to form attachments, as he considers them a weakness in a Zombie Apocalypse.
The Leader: Shares this role with Sky on Team Maskwak, depending on the episode and whether he's acting quirky or not. He takes over full-time once Sky changes teams, albeit for one episode.
Lightning Bruiser: Shawn is a very skilled hand-to-hand combatant, but he also possesses Super Speed.
Loners Are Freaks: Subverted. While he does go off on his own sometimes, his teammates still like him and consider him a vital part of the team.
Love Is a Weakness: The reason he was originally reluctant to get into a relationship with Jasmine. As he believed becoming attached to her would make him hesitant to take her out should she became a zombie.
Master of the Mixed Message: According to Jasmine in "Mo Monkey, Mo Problems":
Jasmine: I'm done with zombie boy's mixed messages. First he's all sweet, then he hits me with a dueling stick, then he brings me flowers?
Must Have Caffeine: Word of God states he regularly consumes caffeine to stay alert, though it's never seen in the show.
Nice Guy: So long as no one mentions zombies, he's generally polite to everyone, even to those he doesn't like or finds annoying.
Nice Hat: His toque.
No Social Skills: Subverted, while his zombie paranoia initially came off as weird, he is fairly nice and well-liked by his team.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business: His response when Sugar offers to form an alliance with him:
Shawn: I RATHER BE EATEN BY A ZOMBIE!!
Oddly Visible Eyebrows: Over the top of his toque.
Official Couple: Becomes this with Jasmine after the merge.
The One Guy: When it's down to the final four in Pahkitew Island.
The Paranoiac: As part of his Doomsayer characterization.
Real Men Wear Pink: Takes great pride in having worked at a bakery because his cake decorating skills allow him to camouflage himself in the wild.
Salt and Pepper: He's the salt to Jasmine's pepper.
Screams Like a Little Girl: Taking after Harold.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Played straight early on, but he learns to rise up late in the season.
He fled when he thought Dave was going to kiss him.
He also bails from the scene fairly often at any sign of zombies, but his best one was probably in "A Blast from the Past".
Shawn: Zombies! I'm outta here!
Ship Tease: With Jasmine, which eventually gets upgraded to Official Couple.
Spotlight-Stealing Squad: He has substantial focus throughout the season due to his Ship Tease with Jasmine, his friendship with Dave, his zombie gimmick, and his Character Development from a Dirty Coward Doomsayer to a selfless Action Hero. Also considering he's a finalist, this makes him the overall the most focused on contestant in Pahkitew Island.
Super Speed: In "I Love You, I Love You Knots" as he chases after Dave, he manages to cover the distance between them of at least 10 ft, in the space of a second.
To Harold due to his personality and role in the overarching story. As both are socially awkward boys with a huge arsenal of hidden talents, both are cowards with Girly Screams, and both become involved with a much larger dark-skinned girl. Furthermore they both had to partake in a talent show, where their talent unexpectedly wowed the judge and gave them the highest score.
His physical appearance of wearing a toque and whiskers, as well as his homeschooled background are also similar to that of Ezekiel.
Took a Level in Badass: At the start of Pahkitew Island he was a Dirty Coward who would run at the first sign of danger, but by the end he regularly destroys killer robots.
Unresolved Sexual Tension: Had this with Jasmine due to a combination of his cowardice and a misunderstanding causing Jasmine to lose her trust in him. He eventually earns her trust back and they become an Official Couple.
Wallpaper Camouflage: Paints himself the same color as tree bark and perfectly camouflages himself against a tree during "Twinning Isn't Everything".
What the Hell, Hero?: When he brutally knocks Jasmine into the lake using a jousting stick (having mistaken her for a zombie), she angrily hefts him up by his shirt and tells him she doesn't want to see him ever again. She remains upset for a full 4 episodes until he redeems himself by selflessly sacrificing himself for her in "Hurl and Go Seek!". Shawn almost blows his chances with Jasmine again after revealing in the confessional that he thought her plan for the money was stupid.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: As his character gimmick, Shawn is completely paranoid over the prospect of a zombie apocalypse.
Zombie Apocalypse: He believes one has happened in "A Blast from the Past", but it was actually Amy covered in vines. A similar incident occurs in "Hurl and Go Seek!", where food-poisoning causes the other contestants to turn pallid and zombie-like.
Sky, The Athlete
"I'm not here to meet boys, I'm here to win!"
Voiced by: Sarah Podemski
Teams: Waneyihtam Maskwak (Confused Bears), Pimâpotew Kinosewak (Floating Salmon)
Action Girl: As an Olympian in the training, she is one of the most athletic girls in the series.
Arch-Enemy: Sugar, after "Scarlett Fever".
Badass Adorable: She's quite cute and pretty, especially to Dave, but is one of the most physically competent players in the game.
Balloon Belly: She gains one after she drank a large jug of mineral water as a dare. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty.
Sky: (in the confessional) You know that feeling you get when a volcano is about to go off in your gut, and you have no idea which end's gonna blow? (her stomach growls) Yeah.
Berserk Button: She does not tolerate unsportsmanlike conduct at ALL and was ready to attack Scarlett and Max for electrocuting Ella in "A Blast from the Past" (granted, Max was the one who did it, but it was Scarlett's idea).
Charles Atlas Superpower: An unintended side effect of all her athletic training is that she can belch extremely powerfully, as explained in the quote under Gasshole below.
Clingy Jealous Girl: Averted. While seeing Ella being affectionate towards Dave clearly causes her discomfort, she doesn't hold it against either of them, and even tries to comfort Ella when Dave rejects her.
Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: She keeps Ella from breaking into song at inappropriate times, especially after Chris threatens to kick Ella off the show if she sang again.
Determinator: Absolutely determined to win at (almost) any cost.
Establishing Character Moment: In the first episode, she immediately displays her impressive athletic skill by sliding and flipping off of a tree in her path as she falls from the zeppelin.
Erotic Dream: She had one about a muscled up Dave in episode 7.
Gasshole:
She belches when she is nervous, especially when she is around a guy she likes. For her talent show act in "Pahk'd With Talent", she used her super-strong belches for target shooting, displaying Improbable Aiming Skills by destroying two targets in a single belch, while Chris sat in between them and remained unharmed.
Sky: It's not that weird. All my Olympic training makes my abs and diaphragm ridiculously strong. When I really load up on carbonated water, I can burp out a campfire.
After landing in dank-smelling water, Dave's first assumption is that Sky's been farting before realizing they're underneath the Outhouse Confessional. This combined with the quoted section of Balloon Belly above suggests that it'd be unwise to get behind her as well.
Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Her necklace, part of her blouse, and her high tops.
Guile Hero: Usually subverted, but she attempts to be this way to Sugar in "Pahk'd with Talent". She briefly crosses over into Manipulative Bitch territory when she uses Dave's feelings for her in the finale.
Hypocrite:
She says in "A Blast from the Past" that she doesn't like underhanded playing... Cut to three episodes later and she's playing dirty as well. Granted, Jasmine was putting her under pressure to work with the team, but still...
She expects her competitors to be sportsmanlike, yet she's prone to becoming a Sore Loser.
I'm Not Here to Make Friends: A variation: "I'm not here to meet boys, I'm here to win!"
I Did What I Had to Do: Rejecting Dave at the merge to focus on the competition. She didn't want to, but his Sanity Slippage was starting to affect her as well.
Innocently Insensitive: In "Mo Monkey Mo Problems", Sky is elated to hear that Dave likes her; however, this revelation is the reason why Ella showed up to the meeting area depressed. Sky tries to be more sensitive to Ella's feelings but fails.
Just Friends: How she attempts to view her relationship with Dave. Unfortunately, in the finale, Dave doesn't take the news of Sky already having a boyfriend outside of the game lightly.
The Leader: Shares this role with Shawn on Team Maskwak, depending on the episode and whether or not Shawn is acting quirky. As she often motivates the team or gives instructions.
Male Gaze: Sky gets a few butt shots, but not to the same extent as Courtney or Zoey.
Manic Pixie Dream Girl: To Dave.
Master of the Mixed Message: In regards to Dave's feeling for her. She eventually reciprocates them, but is reluctant to act on her own feelings because she still has a boyfriend at home and she feels that a relationship on the show will only screw up her game. Her failure to tell Dave the former is what drives him insane.
Motivational Kiss: To Dave in final.
Nice Girl: She's friendly and compassionate. However, she does have a strong competitive streak that surfaces throughout the season and becomes more overt in the final few episodes, where she acts fairly catty towards her main opponent Shawn ("Wow, English much?") and throws an outright temper tantrum at one point.
Only Sane Woman: Aside from Dave prior to his Sanity Slippage, she is the only member on Team Maskwak with any common sense.
Opposites Attract: With Dave.
Passionate Sports Girl: As you can tell from her title.
Pintsized Powerhouse: She's the smallest girl in the season, but one of the most physically capable contestants on the show.
Plucky Girl: Sky strives to see the best in people. She can be encouraging and will give advice to those who require it. However, she is firmly, and sometimes aggressively, against anyone who exhibits foul play. She also faces difficulty when her nerves and emotions get the better of her and cloud her judgement.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Even though she didn't necessarily agree with the idea of building a wizard tower in "So, Uh This Is My Team?", she went along with it because the majority of the team wanted to build it and she felt it was better to build something rather than nothing.
Second Place Is for Losers: As a Passionate Sports Girl, she has a strong belief in this.
Ship Sinking: Dave loves her and they have some Ship Tease during the show. Unfortunately in the finale, Sky is already spoken for, resulting in Dave's Face–Heel Turn.
Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: Her audition tape (along with Shawn's) was never shown alongside the rest of the participants', though for a very good reason. Her audition tape reveals that she has a boyfriend named Keith, who she wished to break up with but didn't have time to, and during the season finale Chris shows this tape to Dave, which kick-starts the latter's Face–Heel Turn.
Sore Loser: Threw a temper tantrum when she thought she was about to lose to Dave and Jasmine in the finale.
Spotlight-Stealing Squad: She has a substantial amount of focus in the season, especially her Ship Tease with Dave, as well as her involvement with the Ella-Sugar conflict, which eventually results in her own rivalry with the latter.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Subverted. Once she and Dave are placed on separate teams, she's pressured into turning against him for the sake of the competition, and their relationship begins to deteriorate from this point onwards.
Super Speed: In an adrenaline rush, she puts on an inhuman burst of speed in "Pahk'd With Talent".
Early on she was frequently compared to Zoey due to her physical appearance, her Action Girl persona, and to some extent, her relationship with Dave.
She's also similar to Courtney as both are fierce competitors who value winning over relationships and friendships.
She also acts as a substitute to one of Mike's split personalities, Svetlana, since both are Passionate Sports Girls who happen to be genuinely nice people.
Team Mom: She holds her team together, and tends to their individual problems when required.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak: While she actively loves sports, she won't shy away from romantic interactions with Dave.
Tsundere: Type B towards Dave at first; however, it turns into Type A as the season goes on.
Unresolved Sexual Tension: Her attraction with Dave is full of this. It's obvious that both have feelings for each other, but they keep getting held back due to Sky not wanting attachments, Sugar trying to keep them apart, or Dave's creepy behavior putting Sky off.
Sugar, The Pageant Queen
"Nobody but me is winning this here pageant!"
Voiced by: Rochelle Wilson
Animals Hate Her: The theme song has her being attacked by animals after she pushes Ella off the cliff.
Arch-Enemy:
Pre-merge, Sugar's hatred towards Ella possibly stems from her beauty pageant days, seeing the prettiest girl as competition.
Post-merge, Sky wants to win fair and square while Sugar is not above cheating and manipulation.
Attention Whore: Justified, given that she is a beauty pageant contestant.
Bare Your Midriff: Sugar appears wearing a (too little) pink shirt, and capri pants.
Berserk Button:
Scuffing her pageant shoes.
Anyone else using "pageant talk", especially Ella.
Beware the Silly Ones: Don't let her dumb country girl appearance fool you. She's actually a competent and ruthless manipulator who made it all the way to the semi-finals.
Big-Bad Ensemble: With Scarlett of Pahkitew Island. She eventually takes up the mantle of sole Big Bad after Scarlett is eliminated, only to be eliminated herself right in the penultimate episode.
The Big Girl: Of Team Maskwak, being one of the physically strongest members who is not known for using her brain.
Big Eater: If there's something, anything that so much as looks edible to her, it goes right down the hatch. Her appetite could even rival that of Owen's. In "Mo Monkey, Mo Problems", she is seen licking the glass on the vending machine.
Sugar: I could eat the legs off a table...and we ain't even got one.
Bitch Alert: Ignoring her audition tape, Sugar's Establishing Character Moment in the show proper has her pinning Topher against the wall, threatening to kill him for scuffing her pageant shoes.
Book Dumb:
In "Mo Monkey Mo Problems", it's shown she has an inability to count.
In "This Is The Pits!", she apparently thinks buses make train sounds.
In "Pahk'd With Talent", she also climbs to the very top of a tree (when the challenge is to maneuver across trees) as she believes there might be a bridge or a bus stop up there.
Cannot Tell Fiction from Reality: She thinks Leonard is a real wizard and Max is actually an Evil Genius.
Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: Sugar's very unique when compared to her predecessors before her. Most of the other villains were played seriously with an occasional moment of humor, while Sugar is used as comic relief the majority of the time with an occasional moment of seriousness and remains Laughably Evil even when she officially takes over as the Big Bad. She's also the least 'clever' villain with the majority of her predecessors being skilled Manipulative Bastards and chessmasters, while Sugar only boasts a bit of scheming here and there, with her making it far mostly due to dumb luck with little influence on her part.
Cruella to Animals:
In "Mo Monkey, Mo Problems", she reaches her hand down a monkey's throat to get a coin it swallowed.
She's also quite abusive to several animals in "Three Zones And A Baby".
Deep South: She has a particularly strong accent that's more at home in Alabama than Alberta and has a lot of the tendencies associated with the trope in fiction.
Depending on the Writer: Sugar displays Ping-Pong Naïveté. Sometimes she's a complete ditz with no common sense, other times she possesses enough cunning to manipulate others and play a part in their downfall. The episodes where she is the Big Bad even try to portray her as both.
Disc-One Final Boss: Like Scarlett, she too is eliminated before the finale.
Disproportionate Retribution: In "So, Uh, This is My Team?", she threatens to throw Topher out of the zeppelin at over 30,000 feet for supposedly scuffing her pageant shoes.
Distaff Counterpart: She seems like a female Evil Counterpart of Owen.
The Ditz: She reasons that Leonard is smart, simply because she can't understand half of what he says.
Dreadful Musician: To the extent that she actually was eliminated due to this.
Dumb Blonde: Downplayed. While she is certainly Book Dumb, she's Street Smart (somewhat) and knows how to play with emotions.
Early Installment Weirdness: In her debut episode, she seemed embarrassed when Beardo made it sound like she farted, but later episodes have her proudly letting it rip herself with absolutely no shame.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: The reason she hates Ella so much is because she thinks Ella's sweet personality is a facade like hers.
Sugar: THAT'S PAGEANT TALK! MY TALK!
Evil Counterpart: To Owen. She's as equally a Big Eater and a gasshole, but while Owen is an All-Loving Hero, Sugar is the Big Bad. Essentially she's what Owen could have been if he chose to be a villain.
Extreme Omnivore: As stated above, she'll eat anything that remotely looks like food. The list includes: a live tarantula note She assumed it was part of an Eat That challenge but it actually wasn't, a glowing slug note Which had the bizarre side effect of making light shine out her belly button, a rotten egg note Which was supposed to be eaten by someone else as a punishment but Sugar got to it first, some kind of canned meat and mayonnaise mixture which expired in 1976 note It gave everyone else food poisoning within minutes, but took hours to give Sugar a slight stomachache despite her finishing first and eating all the leftovers, and some eggs in a bird's nest note Shell included. She also burps out a live baby bird afterwards. In Sugar's own words:
Sugar: Mama says I got the stomach of a raccoon. Prob'ly from eatin' all that raccoon. Guess you are what you eat!
Fartillery: She knocked out Chris, Sky, and a whole cave full of bears with one of her farts. Owen would be proud.
Fat Bitch: She doesn't care who she hurts in order to win, especially Ella.
To Ella, being set up as a complete opposite. Both girls love to perform, dress in pink, and are ditzy. However, Ella is an Actual Pacifist and by far the kindest character on the show who wishes to help everyone smile, while Sugar is rude and selfish with an inflated ego and antagonized several other contestants. It's even seen in their labels, with Ella being a princess and Sugar being a queen. Ironically both of them get eliminated due to their singing.
To Sky. Sky is athletic, smart, and believes in fair-play. Sugar is overweight, unintelligent, and constantly stoops to cheating. It's little surprise that they become Arch Enemies by the end of the season.
For the Evulz: Unlike all the antagonists before her, she doesn't appear to be motivated by the prize money. She competes fiercely because that's just her nature, and she antagonizes her fellow contestants for the fun of it. This eventually becomes subverted in "Sky Fall" where we learn that she is aware of the money and plans on using it for her college funds. But even with this revelation, it doesn't justify many of her crueler actions like borderline attempted murder (pushing Sky off a cliff in "Sky Fall").
Gasshole: She farts after falling on her face in the commercial for Darwin's Food Safari, which also happens to be part of her audition tape. She also belches a lot, typically after eating, and when Sky reveals that her talent for the talent show is belching, Sugar scoffs "Belching ain't a talent, it's a way of life!"
Hair-Trigger Temper: When the sweet facade drops, she's shown to be very quick to anger. Especially if it has anything to do with Ella.
Hate Sink: Being a jerkish, dumb and disgusting girl, it's no surprise that no one likes her.
Hidden Depths: She's planning on using the million dollars for her college funds. Plus, lack of regular knowledge and difficulty telling apart fiction and reality aside, her cutthroat competitive skills and ability to exploit people's mental/emotional weak spots get her extremely far. If one only saw her audition tape, they'd think she was a harmless country idiot.
Hoist by Her Own Petard: Sugar's naive stupidity finally gets her good when her own made-up challenge ended up costing her her chance to go to the finale.
Hypocritical Humor: She detested Ella's singing, yet she gleefully sings commercial jingles that sound far worse than any of Ella's songs.
Improbable Aiming Skills: In "Mo Monkey Mo Problems", she managed to throw a coin into the slot of a vending machine that was a few hundred feet away. It's never made clear if she actually has excellent precision or if she was just that lucky.
Ironic Name: Sugar is anything but sweet.
Irony: Sugar eliminated Ella by getting her to sing, but she ends up being eliminated herself as a result of her poor singing.
Jerkass: She's a cheating, manipulative, jerk who takes immense pleasure in seeing Ella get hurt.
Jerkass Has a Point: In "Scarlett Fever", after Shawn demolishes Chris' "promo-bots", Chris berates the group for destroying his "clones". Sugar retorts by saying that Chris should have been down in the island's control center disarming the self destruct instead of sending the campers and trying to escape the situation in his helicopter.
Kick the Dog: She is especially cruel towards animals (and Ella).
In "Three Zones And A Baby" she could've sneaked past a rattlesnake sleeping on top of a sleeping lion, but instead she punches the snake which leads it to bite the lion, which then eats the snake.
Shawn: Yeah, you scare me quite a bit for a living person.
However, she treats a greased pig quite well, even baby talking to it.
Kick the Son of a Bitch: When the remaining contestants manage to break into Scarlett's control room in "Scarlett Fever", Sugar tackles Scarlett to the ground, and the former hogties the latter by her own hair.
Laser-Guided Karma: Sugar did end up getting eliminated because of Chris' dislike of singing, which is surprising because she was responsible for Ella's elimination by telling Chris that she sang.
Laughably Evil: She's almost always Played for Laughs and used for comic relief, providing most of the season's humor through toilet jokes or her being The Ditz. This even extends to when she takes over as Big Bad.
Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: The dark to Ella and Sky's light.
The Load: She has done a fair few things that weigh her team down.
She forces Dave to pick Leonard for the final leg of the race (despite him being completely useless) in "I Love You, Grease Pig".
Her repetitive attempts to get Ella eliminated even at the cost of a win.
She eats the banana the team needed for the monkey in "Mo Monkey Mo Problems".
However, she deliberately slows Sky down in "Sky Fall" in order to eliminate her.
Lampshaded by Sky in "This is the Pits!" when she suspects Sugar of eating one of the crystals even though the true culprit was Shawn.
Manipulative Bitch: Sugar knows how to play with people's emotions.
Morality Pet: Leonard appears to be this for her. Even, her last words before being blasted off the island were about seeing him again.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: She is a cartoon, teenaged carbon copy of Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson, even having a name related to a sweet tasting food.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
She tried to put one down on Ella in "I Love You, I Love You Knots", but gets restrained by Dave and Shawn.
In "Scarlett Fever", she beats down Scarlett after the latter attempted to blow up the island.
Only Friend: Leonard (by the end of the season), though she also appears to respect Max.
Pragmatic Villainy: She has done the occasional "good deed" now and then, but it's never out of the kindness of her heart.
Revenge Before Reason: Early on, she wants her team to lose simply to get rid of Ella.
Sugar: (as everyone else on Team Maskwak cheers for Ella) Shock her, Rodney! Shock her!
Dave: If Rodney wins, we all get shocked.
Sugar: It'd be worth it.
Sadist: She laughs every time Ella gets hurt and calls Ella nearly getting hurt twice her best day ever. She also enjoys others pain too. Not as much, but she still enjoys it.
Serious Business: Her pageants.
Simpleton Voice: Downplayed. While she is certainly Book Dumb, Sugar is a lot more cunning and sinister than her hick accent suggests.
Slasher Smile: After she takes up the mantle of Big Bad.
Shipper on Deck: For Scarlett and Max. She even cries when they're put on different teams.
Sugar: Their love was so beautiful!
Ship Tease: With Leonard. She even calls out to him as she's eliminated.
Shrunken Organ: Her skull is apparently so abnormally thick it has squeezed her brain partly into her neck, presumably accounting for her less than stellar intellect.
Small Name, Big Ego: As a beauty pageant queen, she certainly has an overinflated opinion of herself.
The Smurfette Principle: To team Mashwak after Sky and Max switch teams.
Spotlight-Stealing Squad: She has made more enemies than any other contestant in the season, and is the most focused on antagonist this time round. As well as frequently stealing the show with gross-out gags in a manner similar to Owen.
Stupid Evil: As evidenced by some of the tropes associated with her, she's arguably the dumbest antagonist on the show thus far making one wonder how she was able to survive all the way to 3rd besides forced contrivances.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: She is physically a Distaff Counterpart to Owen, but personality wise she's more like his Evil Counterpart.
Third-Person Person: Sometimes uses this for emphasis.
Token Evil Teammate: Not counting Max who changed over to the team for one episode, and Dave's one episode of villainy in the finale, she is the only antagonistic member of the Team Maskwak.
Too Dumb to Live: In "This Is The Pits!" as the cavern begins to collapse, Sugar screams at the top of her voice "It's a cave in!", thereby causing an actual cave in.
Two Words: I Can't Count: In "Mo Monkey Mo Problems", she lists off three qualities then says she possesses "both".
Unfriendly Fire: Has attempted this numerous times with Ella, sometimes not even bothering to pretend it's an accident.
Un-Evil Laugh: Her Evil Laugh sounds nothing like a stereotypical villain's, and more like she's chuckling at something funny.
Unknown Rival: To Ella who seems completely oblivious to how much Sugar despises her.
Your Makeup Is Running: Happens quite frequently, but it's particularly creepy in "Hurl and Go Seek!", where it adds to her zombie complexion.
Alternative Title(s): Total Drama Wanihtam Maskwak
Total Drama Pimapotew Kinosewak
Characters/Total Drama
Total Drama Ridonculous Race Newcomers


Here's a list of resources for teachers looking to do a unit on sound waves or music as vibrations.
I've picked through some websites to find ones that I thought would be the most useful. Many of them are science or physics lessons as opposed to music lessons, but they'll work well in a music class.
Simple explanations of vocab, such as "frequency," and lots of YouTube vids.
Experiments: Skip to numbers 40-51.
I also recently purchased this Science of Sound lesson plan by Pitch Publications: Acoustics. I plan on using it during my school's STEM fair!


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All About The Jaguar E-Type
Since the Jaguar E-type came to fruition in 1961, it has regularly topped lists compiled by designers and car enthusiasts alike as an extraordinary object of desire. Innovative and streamlined, with its immensely long bonnet, aluminium body and monocoque – The jaguar E-Type was a trailblazing automobile that set a precedent for motorsporting design for years to come. Famously depicted as the 'the most beautiful car in the world' by Enzo Ferrari, the original Coupe and Roadster models are a clear symbolism of the glamour and excitement of the swinging 60s, with racing drivers and celebrities eager for their own slice of breathtakingly beautiful British engineering. Indeed, the E-type is amongst Britain's most celebrated cars – and with good reason. When 70mph was rapid for the average family runabout, this car could reach a staggering 150mph. With its 3.8-litre straight-six engine sourced from the XK, and a new independent rear suspension design that went on to be a hallmark of Jaguar models for four decades – it's no surprise that its considered to be of, if not the greatest, sports car of all time. In motor sports, the Jaguar E-Type was best known for its tremendous success in SCCA Production sports races with Group44, taking the B-Production championship in 1975. This car even managed to defeat the Nissan Z-car team in 1980 to become the national C-Production SCCA champions! Nearly 60 years on, the Jaguar E-type Reborn programme will see Series 1 E-types restored to their original specification for future generations of enthusiasts and collectors to buy directly from Jaguar Classic. Its legacy still carries on, seen in the F-type models and E-type reloaded; a hefty price tag attached to such an iconic automobile. As the creators of the E-type, Jaguar Classic's craftsmen are more than just technicians and engineers. They're passionate custodians of one of Britain's greatest ever brands and automobiles. This love and enthusiasm is exemplified in their quality craftsmanship and design, proudly portraying the genuine icon of the twentieth century.
It's history lives on…
Jaguar E-Type Cufflinks… We are delighted to announce that we have partnered with classic motor cars, to showcase the best of engineering and design from around the globe. We started with aircraft and the iconic Tornado GR4, and have launched cufflinks made from the famous HST (Intercity 125) and shortly, the bullet train. Now, we are set to release the first of what we hope will be a range of automotive products, in the form of the legendary E Type. Made from the original engine components of a 1961 series 1 fixed head coupe, these are a small, loving rendered piece of British automotive history. The classic motor cars have provided the designed material, graphics and packaging for these iconic products – facilitating the production of one of the most iconic automobiles that Britain has ever seen!
Tagged car, christmas, classic car, cuff links, cufflinks, dresswear, e-type, formal wear, gift, gift for him, jaguar, jaguar e-type, occasion, present, restoration, series 1, shirt
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A legend says that once upon a tiem there was a man called Valentine who was a priest. They say he was sent to prison because he helped young couples get married which was against the law. No one knows for sure whether he really existed, but everyone knows the holiday that commemorates his deeds - St. Valentine's Day. Loev it or hate it, but every February thousands of people start hunting for cards, chocolates and heart-shaped balloons in order to celebrate this day with their partner. So we decided to add some new colours inside the well-known holiday. Meet some truly touching ideas that will melt anybody's heart for sure!
What Did You Do Before BuzzFeed?
Guys Vs Girls Valentine's Day!
What it's like: Being Single on Valentines Day!
BuzzFeed Desserts Tested EP 2: DIY Valentine's Day Treats!


Disunionist is an acceptable word in Scrabble with 12 points. Disunionist is an accepted word in Word with Friends having 15 points. Disunionist is a 11 letter long Word starting with D and ending with T. Below are Total 176 words made out of this word.
Disunionist Meaning :- An advocate of disunion- specifically- of disunion of the United States.
Note There are 5 vowel letters and 6 consonant letters in the word disunionist. D is 4th, I is 9th, S is 19th, U is 21th, N is 14th, O is 15th, T is 20th, Letter of Alphabet series.


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COVID-19 and R&D Tax Credits – What businesses need to know – ForrestBrown
COVID-19 and R&D Tax Credits – What businesses need to know
Jenny Tragner
4 May 2020 (Last updated on 3 June 2021 )
In response to the COVID–19 pandemic (and the ensuing lockdown restrictions), the government announced a raft of measures to protect jobs and keep companies afloat.
At ForrestBrown, we received (and continue to receive) numerous questions about how businesses can access research and development (R&D) tax incentives alongside the government's Coronavirus funding.
In this blog, we provide an accurate appraisal of the situation for businesses and clear up some inaccuracies we have seen published elsewhere.
If you are an accountant, we have a specific version of this article for your attention: What your clients are wondering about R&D tax credits, COVID-19 and state aid.
FAQs about COVID-19, State Aid and R&D tax relief
Can I claim R&D tax relief alongside other COVID–19 reliefs?
What are some common myths around COVID–19 and R&D tax relief?
I've had to adapt or transform my business model during the last twelve months. What associated costs can I claim R&D tax relief for?
How does the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) affect R&D tax relief?
How do the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and Bounce Back Loans (BBL) affect R&D tax relief?
What are the other forms of COVID–19 support – and how do they affect R&D tax relief?
How have R&D tax relief claim processing times been affected by the COVID–19 pandemic?
What allowances is HMRC making for businesses disrupted by the COVID–19 pandemic?
The short answer is yes. But the full answer is more nuanced.
R&D tax relief comprises two separate incentives: the SME R&D tax credit and the Research and Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC). The more generous SME credit is Notified State Aid and the less generous RDEC is not.
To be eligible for SME relief, R&D expenditure must not have been subsidised, so receiving a grant will exclude any R&D expenditure funded with that grant money from an SME claim.
Many of the Coronavirus emergency measures are also Notified State Aid. A project cannot be included in an SME R&D tax credit claim if it has received another form of Notified State Aid.
Subsidised expenditure (or a subsidised project in the case of Notified State Aid) may, however, be eligible for an RDEC claim. As a result, large companies, who are only eligible to claim RDEC, don't need to worry about many of the interactions covered here.
The key to using any kind of grant or subsidy alongside R&D tax reliefs is careful planning on a project by project (not entity) basis. The principle remains the same as other types of grant funding and R&D tax credits.
Worth remembering: Your business must be a going concern to claim R&D tax relief. You won't receive a credit if you are in liquidation or administration. It is also important to note that you cannot rely on your R&D credit payment as the only means to remain solvent.
The best way to optimise your future position is to get an expert on your side. If you need expert help, get in touch right away.
The pandemic has, understandably, been a difficult and confusing time for many of us. As the UK adjusted to life in an ongoing pandemic (and as we finally emerge from it), many misconceptions have taken hold.
R&D tax relief, like many other things, has been affected by its share of myths and misconceptions. These myths include:
Government COVID–19 support and R&D tax relief cannot be used at the same time:
See the above section for a full explanation, but this is simply untrue. Yes, there are nuances and this area can be complex – but with careful planning different forms of State Aid can coexist peacefully.
You can claim R&D tax relief for any and all COVID–19 adjustments:
A few reckless 'advisers' have pushed the idea that improvements and adjustments to make workplaces COVID secure qualify for R&D tax relief.
One particularly egregious example counselled that eligible projects included building bike storage and using a dedicated meeting room for social distancing purposes. Common sense will tell you that bike storage is not R&D.
We have worked with a number of businesses who have carried out genuine R&D projects triggered by the impact of COVID-19, but we would caution any business to consider their projects carefully in the context of the legislative definition of R&D.
HMRC will ignore any COVID relief I've received when looking at my R&D tax relief claim
All throughout the COVID—19 pandemic HMRC has promised to be pragmatic. But 'pragmatic' is not the same as ignoring clear laws on the use of State Aid and how these different subsidies interact. The law is the law, as the old saying goes. Any advice that runs contra to this should be viewed with suspicion.
My R&D tax relief claim has been 'accepted' by HMRC
Talk of 'accepted' claims is a linguistic quirk that's slipped into usage among certain advisers. There is no such thing: HMRC doesn't 'accept' the claims that they process. Even if you've received money from your claim, HMRC can recoup any benefit it believes was paid out in error.
In recent times, HMRC has brought on an extra 100 staff to its R&D tax compliance team. These extra personnel are working their way through claims submitted during the pandemic and enquiry cases are on the increase.
I've had to adapt or transform my business model during the last 12 months. What associated costs can I claim R&D tax relief for?
There is absolutely scope for R&D to take place if you had to pivot, adjust or roll out new products or processes in the past year. Indeed, ForrestBrown has worked with many businesses that have carried out R&D in response to the crisis.
That said, the standard for what constitutes R&D remains unaltered (for now at least, an ongoing consultation could alter this). The government currently defines R&D for tax purposes as activities that seek to:
Achieve an advance in overall knowledge or capability in the field of science or technology.
Resolve scientific or technical uncertainty.
With that in mind, you can claim for the following associated costs:
Staffing costs
Subcontracted R&D (subject to restrictions if claiming under RDEC)
Externally Provided Workers (EPWs)
Payments to the subjects of clinical trials.
As discussed earlier, there is some uncertainty and potential complexity if you claim R&D tax relief and your business has utilised any COVID–19 support. If you do want expert help, get in touch right away.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) allows companies to "furlough" employees, and the government will pay up to 80% of the salaries of those workers (up to a cap of £2,500).
Between 1 August 2020 and 31 October 2020, this government contribution decreased by 10% each month and the scheme was set to end on 31 October 2020. However, just as it was due to close, a new, month-long national lockdown coincided with the scheme's extension until March 2021. This deadline was extended further until 30 September 2021 in the Chancellor's Spring Budget 2021.
Based on HMRC's advice on the scheme, if an employee is furloughed, they cannot undertake any work for the business during the furlough period. This includes providing services or generating revenue.
Furloughed workers and R&D tax credits
When an employee is furloughed, they will not be carrying out any work, and therefore will not be directly and actively engaged in R&D activities.
HMRC has provided detailed guidance on the interaction between CJRS and R&D. Where staff normally engaged in R&D activities have been furloughed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. HMRC considers that those employees cannot be regarded as being directly or actively engaged in relevant R&D during those times.
Further details may be found in HMRC's Corporate Intangibles Research and Development Manual at CIRD83200.
While we expect that some businesses will have been forced to reduce their R&D spend during this difficult period, others have reported an increase in innovation, as they look for new opportunities. Many businesses benefitted from the stability and cash flow of their R&D claim and have adapted the timing of their claim to reflect this.
If there are no available competent professionals in the business – how can an R&D claim be submitted?
To ensure the correct information is submitted to HMRC, input from the company's competent professionals is essential to the preparation of a robust and accurate R&D tax credit claim.
It may be possible to prepare a protective, estimated R&D claim if your competent professionals have been furloughed. Contact us to find out how.
If a competent professional is not available when your R&D claim is being prepared, the first thing to do is to check whether any other technical staff can step in to support the claim preparation. It is worth noting that statutory directors may be furloughed, but can still carry out their statutory duties, including accounts and tax filings, while furloughed, which means they may be able to help.
If you do need to file with estimated figures, they should be reasonable and as accurate as you can manage. The estimated figures can then be replaced with final figures once the competent professionals return to work.
Companies should be mindful of the statutory deadline for filing an R&D claim (two years from the end of the accounting period), and also that if their final figures are lower than the estimates, they will have to repay the difference and may face additional questions from HMRC or even penalties.
For that reason, it really pays to engage a specialist to help with filing an estimated claim, to protect you from risk. HMRC will be sympathetic where key staff are furloughed, but the company remains responsible for the accuracy of its claims.
CBILS was announced shortly after the government's 2020 Spring budget as a form of government funding to help businesses through the worst effects of social distancing. The scheme offered loans to SMEs where the government will pay the first 12 months of interest payments and any lender-levied fees.
Notified State aid and R&D tax credits
CBILs are (like SME R&D tax credits) Notified State Aid and we have seen much misinformation in this area. Some commentators have asserted that one always precludes the other, others have asserted that CBILS can be ignored when preparing an SME R&D claim.
Both of these are incorrect. One precludes the other only on a project basis (not an entire entity basis). If a project has received one form of Notified State Aid funding, then it cannot receive another. So a project funded with money from a CBILs loan cannot then feature in an SME R&D tax credit claim. But, it can still be included in an RDEC claim.
Because the rules work on a project-by-project basis, a business can receive a CBIL and claim SME R&D tax credits, but this interaction can be complex and the best thing to do is talk to an expert who deals with R&D tax credits every day.
For more information on different types of innovation funding and Notified State aid read our blog Innovation Funding.
Bounce Back Loans and R&D tax credits
On 27 April 2020, the government launched the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) scheme, which launched on 4 May. This scheme was targeted at small and medium-sized businesses affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) and enabled them to apply for loans of up to £50,000.
The government guaranteed 100% of the loan and a condition of the scheme was no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months.
In terms of the interaction between Bounce Back Loans and R&D tax credits, Bounce Back Loans are a Notified State Aid, and therefore similar guidance applies as for CBILS. However, always check the paperwork for the grant award, as this will clarify the status of the grant. If in doubt, check with an R&D specialist who will know what to look for.
Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF): These grants will generally be de minimis aid unless the total de minimis aid that the company receives exceeds the de minimis threshold (€200,000 over three years). Over the threshold, the grants will be Notified State aid. Because de minimis aid is aggregated, even if small amounts have been received under SBGF, it is still necessary to check the status in each case.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF): These grants are Notified State Aid, so any retail, hospitality or leisure companies should be aware of potential conflict if they are making R&D tax credit claims.
Future Fund: Via the Future Fund, the government offers loans that convert to equity, where a company raises matched funding privately. This measure would not normally affect a company's R&D tax credit claim.
R&D grants and loans from Innovate UK: The State Aid status of these will be confirmed in each case within the grant documentation. Innovate UK grants and loans, however, are almost always Notified State Aid. They are typically specific to an R&D project, so companies in this situation often make claims under both SME R&D tax credits and RDEC.
When the pandemic hit, HMRC quickly communicated that it understood the importance of ensuring payments reached companies quickly. HMRC initially deployed additional resources to help with processing R&D claims, which helped them maintain good turnaround times as the pandemic took hold.
HMRC has delivered efficient processing times for R&D claims throughout the pandemic. Timings around RDEC claims specifically slipped a little due to the Christmas busy season, but HMRC has been providing regular updates to ForrestBrown (as a member of the R&D Consultative Committee) throughout.
It's worth noting that additional security checks on larger payments may delay the cash reaching a company.
What allowances are HMRC making for business disrupted by the COVID–19 pandemic?
R&D tax credits will be offset against debts which are subject to a Time to Pay arrangement. It is worth considering whether expediting the preparation of your R&D claim may help with upcoming tax liabilities.
HMRC understands that businesses will have been disrupted by COVID-19 and will be sympathetic to those facing problems with meeting filing deadlines. They may accept a late R&D claim submission if COVID-19 prevented filing on time. If you're in this position, please do get in touch to discuss your options.
Ask an expert about COVID-19 funding and R&D tax credits
This article is intended to help you, but circumstances vary and it is no replacement for trusted specialist advice where your specific case can be considered. Speak to ForrestBrown today if you have any concerns about COVID, State Aid and R&D tax.
Jenny Tragner Director
Jenny is a chartered accountant with almost 20 years of experience working in tax. In that time, she's worked on R&D tax relief claims for some of the UK's best-known innovators, from big pharma to vehicle manufacturers to household FMCG brands. As one of the UK's leading R&D tax policy… Read More
More about Jenny
Read next: Accountants: What your clients are wondering about R&D tax credits, COVID-19 and state aid