Latest news with #PaulBunyan
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
3 Things That Prove Car Buyers Don't Want EVs to Be Weird
The first mass-market electric vehicle (EV) was the Nissan LEAF, introduced in 2010, and it seems Nissan's goal was to separate the LEAF from gas-powered models by looking strange. The solid proboscis front fascia, the amorphous headlights that crept up to the A-pillars, the odd round rear haunches, and the protruding butt all made for an almost alien-like craft. And that was just the exterior. For more than a decade, automakers have tried to make electric vehicles stand out by making them… well, weird. Early EVs often looked and felt like they were from another planet. It was all part of a strategy: If you're going to drive the car of the future, shouldn't it look futuristic? But a funny thing happened on the way to mass EV adoption: car buyers balked. Turns out, most people don't want to drive a pod on wheels or relearn how to operate a vehicle just because it's electric. What consumers really want are EVs that fit seamlessly into their lives, not ones that scream, "I'm different!" Here are three things that prove car buyers want EVs to be familiar, rather than looking like weird rolling spacecraft. In the early EV days, standing out was the name of the game. It wasn't just the LEAF that worked too hard to be noticed. The BMW i3 was easily the brand's least fetching model with some of the worst bodywork we've ever laid eyes on. Sure, it looked like nothing else on the road, but that's not always a good thing. The original Toyota Prius-while not an EV but a hybrid pioneer-looked like Paul Bunyan was insulted by its environmental efforts and stepped on the nose of a once normal-looking subcompact sedan. But as more buyers entered the EV market, especially mainstream consumers who weren't early adopters or tech nerds, it became clear that outlandish designs were a turnoff. Today, many of the best-selling EVs are the ones that look like regular cars. They prove you can ditch the gas without ditching good taste. Take the Ford F-150 Lightning, for example. It looks nearly identical to the gas-powered F-150, the best-selling vehicle in America for decades. The typical bystander can't distinguish between the two, and that's no accident. Ford specifically chose to preserve the familiar shape and utility of the truck because it knows its customers don't want to drive a spaceship; they want to haul lumber, go camping, and tow boats, just like a gas truck owner. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 may look sleek and futuristic, but the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6-both of which sell well-strike a balance between distinctive and practical, without being too radical. Even Tesla, a brand known for innovation, has stuck with relatively minimalist, subdued exterior styling on its most successful models, the Model 3 and Model Y. They're clean and modern, yes, but not weird. Okay, so there's the Cybertruck, but we all know how that's going. Then there's the 3rd-generation Nissan LEAF, a conventional-looking modern crossover that shed all of its old weirdness. If that's not enough proof, consider the new crop of EVs: the Honda Prologue, the restyled Toyota bZ, the Chevy Blazer EV, the Hummer EV, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. These are EVs meant to look like real cars, and that's the hot trend now. If you think that some of the cabins in EVs were annoying and strange, you're not alone. One of the more frustrating trends in early EVs was the push to reinvent the wheel-literally and figuratively-when it came to controls. Carmakers, perhaps trying to emphasize that EVs were different, often went overboard with gimmicky interfaces. The first Nissan LEAF's bizarre interior looked like it came out of a '90s B sci-fi flick with its doughy white steering wheel and the orb-like shifter. It's the kind of stuff that makes the ovular 1996 Ford Taurus cabin look conventional. It also seems that numerous EV manufacturers thought their vehicles should have a tablet-sized center screen that controlled everything from the radio to the air vents. How about when Tesla eliminated stalks and buttons altogether in favor of a touch-and-swipe interface? For a while, EV cabins felt more like iPads on wheels than traditional cars. The result for drivers was often frustration with the unfamiliarity and the steep learning curve. Minimalism isn't always a good thing, tantamount to eyeglass frames that clamp on the nose with no temples to grab. Even Tesla's controversial decision to remove traditional turn signal stalks in the updated Model S and Model X has drawn widespread criticism. Many drivers are simply not ready to rewire their muscle memory every time they drive. Now, there appear to be more EVs that utilize physical controls, relatively standard shift knobs, and ergonomics that contribute to intuitive operation. The Chevy Blazer EV is one of them. It has big screens, yes, but switchgear to complement it. Hyundai and Kia have smartly kept a mix of physical and digital controls, allowing for a user experience that feels both modern and comfortable. The interior of the Honda Prologue is about as conventional as they get. If you were to get inside without knowing it's an EV, you'd never guess by looking at the dash, center stack, and center console. It has a normal-looking steering wheel, big stalk controls, and plenty of buttons and knobs for audio and climate. The lesson here is simple: car buyers might be open to new powertrains, but they don't want to relearn how to drive. Familiarity builds comfort, and comfort builds sales. Another clue that buyers want familiarity in their EVs is the transition away from names that were meant to set EVs apart from gas models. The Mercedes-Benz EQS and the Volkswagen ID series stand out the most. Both naming conventions seemed to have backfired. The EQS sedan and SUV don't carry the same panache as the S-Class or GLS-Class, as much as the electric versions try to follow in the footsteps of their gas-powered stablemates. VW's ID series is just plain awkward, especially when paired with non-words like and ID.2all. Even Toyota misfired with its hard-to-remember bZ4X name. Once you could finally memorize the name, you realized you didn't know which letters were uppercase or lowercase. Nobody should have to think about that. Now, it's just called bZ, and Toyota might do away with that shortly. Smarter name choices by manufacturers included the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Kona Electric, and the Chevrolet Blazer EV, all recognized model names with electric labels attached to them. It's not just ditching what's strange, it's capitalizing on what has already worked. In the EV race, it has taken only a little over a decade for automakers to figure out that departing too much from what's familiar is bad and that radical reinvention isn't always the way to win hearts or wallets. As EVs begin to feel more like the cars people already love-visually, ergonomically, and functionally-they're proof that making the kind of improvements people care about results in better sales. Of course, EV buyers don't want their vehicles to be boring. They just don't want them to be weird. Give them something familiar, with all the benefits of electric driving and none of the alienation, and they're on board. Onlookers might say, "That's electric?" because they can't tell the difference, and that just might be the best kind of compliment. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Picking Wisconsin's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking
Picking Wisconsin's football schedule by NCAA Academic Progress Rate and U.S. News ranking The difficulty of Wisconsin's 2025 football schedule is well documented. As we've outlined both before and after spring practice, the slate is by far the Big Ten's toughest and among the most challenging in the entire sport. The team hosts two clear-cut national title contenders in Ohio State and Oregon, plus travels to play another in Alabama. The schedule also includes games against College Football Playoff hopefuls Michigan, Washington and Illinois, and projected top-30 teams in Iowa and Indiana. That all doesn't include Minnesota, which has claimed Paul Bunyan's Axe in three of the last four years. The preseason consensus is that Wisconsin would do extremely well to make a bowl game, let alone return to an eight or nine-win pace. Therefore, it may require more than just an assessment of wins and losses to evaluate the program's progress in what will be year three of the Luke Fickell era. For more on the team's specific outlook, here are our post-spring game-by-game predictions. That is all an on-field assessment of Wisconsin football and its upcoming opponents. Unrelated to football, how does Wisconsin compare to those schools academically? In the last few weeks, we've outlined Wisconsin's place in the Big Ten in both the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate and the latest U.S News & World Report rankings. Those placements: No. 5 (991) and No. 6 (No. 39 nationally), respectively. Now, how do those standings compare to the team's upcoming opponents? In other words, who is the smartest school Wisconsin football plays in 2025? Week 1 vs. Miami (OH) RedHawks Academic Progress Rate: 959 U.S. News Ranking: No. 136 Wisconsin has little trouble besting Miami (OH) academically and shouldn't have much trouble on the football field. The RedHawks are ESPN SP+'s No. 96-ranked team in the sport entering the season. If we were to make picks based solely on APR, U.S. News ranking, or SP+, Wisconsin is 1-0 in every scenario. Week 2 vs. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Academic Progress Rate: 959 U.S. News Ranking: No. 273 The same blurb from the opener against Miami (OH) can apply to this contest. Wisconsin has a significantly higher standing in APR, U.S. News' ranking and SP+. Week 3 at Alabama Crimson Tide Academic Progress Rate: 998 U.S. News Ranking: No. 171 This is where Wisconsin's schedule begins its significant on-field challenge. Alabama is SP+'s No. 2 team entering the season, trailing another team on the Badgers' schedule. None would be surprised if this becomes the Badgers' first loss of the year. Off the field, while Wisconsin holds a much higher U.S. News ranking than Alabama, it falls short in APR. Get more (Alabama) news, analysis, and opinions on Roll Tide Wire Week 4 vs. Maryland Terrapins Academic Progress Rate: 962 U.S. News Ranking: No. 44 Maryland is part of a large group of schools on Wisconsin's schedule with similar academic rankings. While the Terrapins' latest APR is significantly lower than the Badgers', only five spots separate the two schools' U.S. News ranking. Week 6 at Michigan Wolverines Academic Progress Rate: 996 U.S. News Ranking: No. 21 To spoil the article's title, Michigan is the top-ranked academic school on Wisconsin's 2025 schedule. It ranks just No. 3 in the Big Ten, behind UCLA (No. 15 nationally) and Northwestern (No. 6). This is one of the few matchups where Wisconsin is outperformed in all three categories — APR, U.S. News ranking, and SP+ rating. Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire Week 7 vs. Iowa Hawkeyes Academic Progress Rate: 982 U.S. News Ranking: No. 98 Wisconsin edges Iowa in APR and U.S. News ranking. The on-field matchup is more of a question, especially after the Hawkeyes crushed the Badgers 42-10 last season. This game will go a long way toward deciding Wisconsin's 2025 season. Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire Week 8 vs. Ohio State Buckeyes Academic Progress Rate: 1000 U.S. News Ranking: No. 41 No football program in the country has a better APR than Ohio State. Additionally, none are ranked higher in ESPN SP+. Wisconsin only owns a four-spot edge over Ohio State in U.S. News' rankings. Badgers fans hope the on-field matchup is somehow just as close. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire Week 9 at Oregon Ducks Academic Progress Rate: 946 U.S. News Ranking: No. 109 Wisconsin has a prohibitive academic edge over Oregon, besting the football program's APR by 45 points and the school's U.S. News ranking by 72 spots. The same can't be said for the on-field matchup. The Ducks are No. 7 in SP+, fresh off a 13-1 2024 season that included a Big Ten title. Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire Week 11 vs. Washington Huskies Academic Progress Rate: 978 U.S. News Ranking: No. 46 Wisconsin closes the season with four must-win games. Washington, which has high expectations entering year two under Jedd Fisch, is one of those critical matchups. Given that Wisconsin edges Washington in both listed academic metrics, the on-field matchup will hopefully follow suit. Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire Week 12 at Indiana Hoosiers Academic Progress Rate: 982 U.S. News Ranking: No. 73 If games were picked based only on U.S. News ranking, Wisconsin would be 9-1 after its matchup against Indiana. The only loss in that scenario is to Michigan in Week 6. Of course, the word 'football' carries significant weight in the name of the sport, 'college football.' Week 13 vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Academic Progress Rate: 971 U.S. News Ranking: No. 33 Wisconsin dropped behind Illinois in this year's U.S. News Ranking. The program also may be falling behind on the football field, as Bret Bielema's Illini are fresh off a 10-win 2024 season and enter 2025 with expectations of a College Football Playoff breakthrough. Week 14 at Minnesota Golden Gophers Academic Progress Rate: 992 U.S. News Ranking: No. 54 Wisconsin closes with an all-too-familiar matchup. The program barely edges Minnesota in SP+, forecasting yet another coin-flip matchup. Given that Minnesota has won three of the last four in the series, including a 24-7 triumph at Camp Randall Stadium to close 2024, it's reasonable to call this matchup a must-win. In summary, the Badgers would do well if games were decided in the classroom. They beat 10 of their 12 opponents in the latest U.S. News rankings, plus eight of 12 in NCAA APR. We'll now see how the on-field product compares to that projection. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liquid Mike Announce New Album Hell Is an Airport, Share 'Groucho Marx' and 'Selling Swords': Stream
The post Liquid Mike Announce New Album Hell Is an Airport, Share 'Groucho Marx' and 'Selling Swords': Stream appeared first on Consequence. Michigan rockers Liquid Mike have announced their new album, Hell Is an Airport. The sixth studio effort is out in full on September 12th, but you can hear the lead singles, 'Groucho Marx' and 'Selling Swords,' below. Vocalist and guitarist Mike Maple revealed that the album's title originated from the idea of airports as liminal spaces. 'Airports are these weird, intermediary spaces that have always made me feel like I'm stuck in limbo. This album deals a lot with themes surrounding feeling stuck and unable to crawl out,' he said in a press statement. 'Airports are stressful and congested and bureaucratic and never sleep; I imagine hell operates very much like an airport.' In a couple of days, Liquid Mike are kicking off their tour of North America. The first seven-date leg is alongside band Drug Church, and starts on May 17th in Ottawa. The second leg is in support of Descendents, with their first performance on July 29th in Charleston. They'll play concerts along the East Coast with the final show set for August 9th in New Haven. See the full schedule below, and get tickets here. Liquid Mike's latest album, Paul Bunyan's Slingshot, was released last February. Artwork: Tracklist: 01. Instantly Wasted 02. Lit From the Wrong End 03. Crop Circles 04. Double Dutch 05. AT&T 06. Selling Swords 07. Meteor Hammer 08. Grand Am 09. Groucho Marx 10. '99 11. Claws 12. Bad Lung 13. Liam Gallagher 14. Hell Is an Airport Liquid Mike 2025 Tour Dates: 05/17 — Ottawa, ON @ 27 Club # 05/18 — Hamilton, ON @ Bridgeworks # 05/20 — Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's # 05/21 — Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon # 05/23 — Indianapolis, IN @ Turntable # 05/24 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme # 05/25 — Covington, KY @ Madison Live # 07/29 — Charleston, SC @ Music Farm + 07/30 — Charlotte, NC @ The Underground + 07/31 — Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa + 08/02 — Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater + 08/03 — Wilmington, DE @ The Queen + 08/05 — Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom + 08/07 — Albany, NY @ Empire Live + 08/08 — Allentown, PA @ Archer Music Hall + 08/09 — New Haven, CT @ College St. Music Hall + # = w/ Drug Church + = w/ Descendents and Teen Mortgage Popular Posts First Look at Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale in Madden Movie Drummer Chris Adler Opens Up on What Led to Firing from Lamb of God Morris, Alligator in Happy Gilmore, Dead at Over 80 Years Old Jazz Pianist Matthew Shipp Derides André 3000's New Piano Project: "Complete and Utter Crap" Stephen King's The Long Walk Movie Gets Long-Awaited Trailer: Watch Say It in Ghor: How Andor Brought a Brand New Language to Star Wars Subscribe to Consequence's email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.
Spectator
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Why Londoners still love Ally Pally
It was conceived as a 'people's palace' – and, as it turns 150 this week, Alexandra Palace continues to fulfil this brief admirably. There is something for everyone, and it's not too sniffy about who 'everyone' describes. Hence the annual mayhem around the winter darts tournament, when everywhere between Muswell Hill and Wood Green is crawling with groups of very drunk men dressed as Smurfs, monks or the cast of Scooby Doo. The Royal Opera House this isn't. But that doesn't mean there aren't more lofty, less populist offerings. I recall when Alexandra Palace's theatre reopened in 2018 after an £18 million restoration, it debuted with an ENO production of the lesser-known Britten opera Paul Bunyan – hardly an obvious money-spinner. And between Luke Littler and Benjamin Britten lies everything else: craft shows, dog shows, antique fairs, wellness festivals, evangelical prayer meetings. I'm told a recent knitting and stitching event was mobbed. There's an ice rink, a pitch and putt golf course, and a boating pond where you can hire a pedal boat shaped like a dragon. There's the famous 5 November firework display. One summer recently, they set up a giant waterslide. There is also, reputedly, a lively dogging scene in one of the car parks – though this may be apocryphal. I've yet to go. As well as the darts, they do a lively trade hosting other second-tier sports – most famously, snooker. An unimpressed Ronnie O'Sullivan denounced it last year as 'dirty and disgusting'. I think he meant the place to play in rather than the rumoured nocturnal dogging. A look at the events listed this month gives a flavour of just how eclectic Ally Pally routinely is: 'make your own toy car', the London Gay Men's Chorus, ice hockey matches, a street food festival, a tribute show to Paris in the jazz age, Iggy Pop. The latter, which I'm contemplating attending, is more in the vein of what has tended to draw me over the years. I've seen, among others, the White Stripes, the Pixies, the Chemical Brothers, Michael Kiwanuka, Fontaines D.C. I recall seeing the National there a decade or so ago, when it seemed the entire audience was bearded men in checked shirts. Then there was, during lockdown, the odd spectacle of Nick Cave playing to an empty auditorium for paid subscribers streaming at home. Music purists knock the building's acoustics. But give me standing at Ally Pally any day over sitting at the O2 – a venue I have been avoiding for 15 years and counting, so much do I hate its airport atmosphere. The strangest gig I went to there was one of the most recent: Four Tet decided to do away with the tired notion of a visible performer on a stage by getting rid of the stage completely. In practice, this made the gig like being in a very, very large nightclub with all 10,000 people present wondering what was going on. This was merely mild eccentricity, though, compared to some of the strangeness of the past. There was the '14 Hour Technicolour Dream' – a shambolic extravaganza from Pink Floyd in 1967, when the whole place was seemingly on LSD. Or the apparently serious suggestion by the GLC in the late 1970s that Ally Pally should become the base of a super-stadium where both Arsenal and Spurs would be based. Great idea, lads. It has craft shows, dog shows, antique fairs, wellness festivals, evangelical prayer meetings – and reputedly, a lively dogging scene in one of the car parks Decades before that, it was used as an internment camp for German prisoners in the first world war and as an anti-Luftwaffe signal-jamming station in the second. It was also hit by a doodlebug. Admittedly, Alexandra Palace is not the easiest place to get to if you're not local. The walk to Wood Green tube station is a long one, so the much closer overground station struggles to cope on gig nights. And the nearest pubs – the Victoria Stakes in Crouch End and the Starting Gate towards Wood Green (both named for the horse races that took place here until 1970) – can go from being completely dead to absolutely heaving in a couple of minutes flat. But as I am local, this isn't an issue for me. I usually go by bike. It's a hell of a ride to get up to the top of what my cyclist friends call Le Col d'Ally Pally, but it's worth it when you come out of a show and can freewheel practically all the way home. It's also a fine-looking thing, a magnificent bit of high Victoriana, with that dramatic hilltop setting, 400 feet above sea level, which makes it a striking sight from any viewing point – its trademark giant TV aerial London's equivalent of the Eiffel Tower. While the views from Ally Pally are as fine as you get anywhere in the city. And it never fails to amaze just how vast it is. It makes Battersea Power Station look diminutive. I just wish we still had its counterpoint to the south, Crystal Palace, but that burned to the ground in 1936 – the same year Ally Pally broadcast the UK's first television signal. And it nearly went the same way, twice. Ally Pally's planned 1873 opening was delayed by two years because of fire, and it had it even worse in 1980, when a fire that began in an organ led to half the site being damaged, resulting in its closure for the best part of a decade. Reputedly, the affectionate nickname was coined by Gracie Fields, whose impresario husband ran it for a spell. It certainly stuck – the formal name, Alexandra Palace, is rarely spoken aloud. I have lived beneath Ally Pally for 25 years now – and it has loomed over my life in that time, both physically as a perpetually visible monument from the lower-lying suburbs that surround it and as a cultural hotbed. There can be few surviving Victorian enterprises which have lived up to their foundational mandate so well, even if the things that draw 'the people' may have evolved significantly since 1875. In those days it was pantomime and music hall. Now it's drinking large quantities of lager while wearing fancy dress – or knitting. In an era of civic decline, when the most ambitious enterprise to improve London has been the rebranding of a handful of train lines with more right-on names, Alexandra Palace stands as a monument to quite how much could once be achieved. And it's still giving people what they want a century and a half on.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bemidji State, Northwest Tech to launch first-ever esports program in 2026
Apr. 14—BEMIDJI — A collaborative effort between Bemidji State, Northwest Technical College and Paul Bunyan Communications will result in a new program offering focused on technology and innovation. Beginning in 2026, BSU and NTC will boast their first-ever esports program. Starting out as a club, hopes to expand the program into an intercollegiate varsity sport are on the horizon. "Esports is one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States, and its appeal extends to the breadth of the diverse communities of northern Minnesota," BSU and NTC President John Hoffman said. "Esports is about more than just gaming. This competition is about preparing students for life skills and career skills: teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving in a dynamic, innovative, fast-paced environment." Stakeholders from BSU, NTC and Paul Bunyan Communications announced the development during the latter's GigaZone Gaming Championship and TechXpo, which was held at the Sanford Center on Saturday. The ever-increasing popularity of esports served as the catalyst for conversations surrounding a program at BSU and NTC that Paul Bunyan Communications could support financially. "When we were thinking about who could make this work — and not only work, but work well — Paul Bunyan was the first on the list," BSU Athletic Director Britt Lauritsen said. "We know that in order to do esports well, we have to invest in the innovation and technology, and we have to find the experts in the field." Partnering with Paul Bunyan Communications stemmed from a longstanding working relationship and philanthropic support for BSU and NTC. "This has been a project we've wanted to do for a long time," said Allyssa Joseph, vice president of advancement and executive director of the BSU Alumni and Foundation. "There had been many conversations about esports at BSU. Ultimately, we have the right team in place." At a crossroads with athletics and BSU's Technology, Art and Design Department, the esports program will make itself at home in Bridgeman Hall in the newly imagined GigaZone Esports Lounge. The lounge will feature all the necessary technology required for eager e-athletes to compete. "BSU's investment in esports and the addition of the GigaZone Esports Lounge is a game-changer for students and our region," Paul Bunyan Communications CEO Chad Bullock said. "This partnership reflects our shared commitment to the future of education, technology and providing esports opportunities right here in northern Minnesota." Next year's inception of esports will be the first baby step aimed at expanding the world of competition to BSU and NTC's student body. "The world of esports and gaming is very diverse," Lauritsen left off. "We want to start with this big idea and allow as many folks from many walks of life from both campuses to be able to participate. "We'll start off in a club setting. Once that's set up, we will go into the competitive space, start doing tournaments and really have that varsity roster that we've always dreamed of." Those wanting more information on the esports program can contact the BSU admissions department at admissions@ or (218) 755-2040; or NTC admissions at admissions@ or (218) 333-6600.
