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Normally I’d say that alcohol and vehicles don’t mix – but in this case I think we’ve found a nice compromise. With a sober driver and a gaggle of tipsy riders in back, this 7-seater electric beer bike might be one of the weirdest ways to get your brew on. And since I found it on my favorite collection of ridiculous EVs on the internet, it’s a great addition as this week’s Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week.

What’s not to like here?!

Built on what appears to be a steel buggy frame, there’s a driver’s bench up front and space for drunk tourists in the rear.

Four of the six victims passengers get a set of bicycle pedals so that they can pretend they’re actually doing something productive while day drinking, and the last two can enjoy the comfort of a hard plastic bench seat to pass out on. At least the driver’s bench has some foam in it, but that rear bench looks like it’s made out of airplane tray tables.

I’ve got a sneaky suspicion those pedals do absolutely nothing, though it’d be pretty cool if they were actually connected to the drivetrain.

The real power comes from a 3,500W motor on the rear axle. It’s not huge, but this isn’t a particularly fast vehicle either. It only gets up to 25 km/h (15 mph), but the world goes by pretty quickly when you’re day drunk with a reaction time that can be measured in seconds.

The electric beer bike runs on a 48V system and has a massive 400Ah battery, meaning you’ve got a freaking 20 kWh battery! I think this beer bike might have more range than a Nissan Leaf!

It’s definitely got more beer capacity than a Nissan Leaf, that’s for sure. There are not one but two wooden casks, though I think that one in front might be fake. Something about having a steering wheel passing through it screams “not watertight” to me.

Realistically speaking, that rear keg is probably fake too. I’m not sure where the beer actually comes from, but there are a pair of taps on the world’s smallest (and most mobile) wet bar, so it must come from somewhere. Like manna in the desert, this electric beer bike is ready to roll up and rock your socks off right when the clock hits 5 PM. Or noon. Whatever. You’re on vacation.

I know this thing is probably meant for tourist towns (remember what those were like?) and other events, but I really want to just own one of these as a personal vehicle. Imagine pulling up to work in this. Or using it for an Uber. I really want to see that text message: “Hi Jim, your driver will be arriving shortly. Remember to check the license plate (123456) and the car details (blue Chinese Beer Bike). Have your mask on and enjoy your ride.”

How can that not be a five star ride every time?!

With lights, fenders and even an awning (wouldn’t want you to get sunburned while you’re getting drunk and dehydrated), there’s some nice thought put into this electric beer bike. Check out the short video clip above to see it in action!

I’m not saying this electric beer bike is worth the $6,500 that the vendor is charging for it. But I’ve also been known to buy crazy electric vehicles on Alibaba before, and this is tugging at my heart strings in a dangerous kind of way.

I might just need to become my local beer bike entrepreneur around town. With the right markup, how long can it take to recoup that startup cost?! I mean, I’d be kind of crazy NOT to but it, right? Right. Guys?

I just hope there’s a plan for how to get it home if the battery ever runs out or (more likely) the thing just breaks down. Somehow I don’t see six drunk college students being much help when its time to push 1,300 kg (2,900 pounds) of bike-car.

But at least we’ll have something to drink while we wait for the tow.


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Susan Buckner: Grease star who played Patty Simcox dies

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Susan Buckner: Grease star who played Patty Simcox dies

Grease star Susan Buckner, who played Patty Simcox in the classic musical, has died aged 72.

The American actress died peacefully on Thursday 2 May surrounded by her loved ones, publicist Melissa Berthier has said.

A cause of death has not been given.

Buckner was best known for her role in Grease where she played the Rydell High cheerleading pal of Sandy – played by Olivia Newton-John.

In a memorable scene, Bucknell gives a rallying cry for the school when she says: “Do the splits, give a yell, show a little spirit for Old Rydell! Way to go, red and white, go Rydell, fight, fight, fight.”

Bucknell’s daughter Samantha Mansfield said after her mother’s death: “She was magic. She was my best friend. And I will miss her every day.

“I was lucky I had such a lighting rod of a mother and now I have her as an angel.”

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Born in Seattle, Buckner made her name on the pageant circuit, being crowned Miss Washington in 1971 before representing the state at the Miss America competition the following year.

She channelled her experience into the entertainment industry, becoming a member of the singing and dancing group The Golddiggers, which featured on The Dean Martin Show.

She also made appearances on The Mac Davis Show, Sonny And Cher, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

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Following her appearance in Grease in 1978, Buckner starred in TV shows including The Love Boat, BJ And The Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and When The Whistle Blows.

She also starred in the 1981 Wes Craven horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone, as well as in Police Academy 6: City Under Siege in 1989.

Buckner later took a step back from Hollywood and became a mother to her two children, Adam Josephs and Mrs Mansfield.

She is also survived by her grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.

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Drake: Shooting at rapper’s mansion leaves security guard seriously injured

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Drake: Shooting at rapper's mansion leaves security guard seriously injured

Police are investigating a shooting at the Toronto mansion of Canadian rapper Drake.

A security guard, who had been standing outside the gates of the property, was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in the attack.

The shooting happened early on Tuesday morning, soon after 2am local time (7am UK time) near Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood.

A suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, police said in a post on X.

A representative for the Toronto-born five-time Grammy award winner said Drake was not injured, Sky’s partner network NBC News reported.

Police said they could not confirm if Drake was at home at the time of the incident.

But they were “in contact with his team and they are cooperating”, Inspector Paul Krawczyk said.

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Police said they were investigating the incident and had not yet established a motive.

Canadian broadcaster CBC reported a police source as saying the guard appeared to have been shot in a drive-by attack.

Toronto Police investigators work outside of 21 Park Lane Circle after a security guard was shot outside the Bridle Path mansion of Canadian rap star Drake in Toronto, Ontario, Canada May 7, 2024. REUTERS/Arlyn McAdorey
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Police at the scene of the shooting. Pic: Reuters

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

It added that according to the initial report, the man suffered a gunshot wound to the upper chest and was unconscious when officers arrived.

The victim then underwent surgery in hospital, CBC added.

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Is ‘Drake’s new track’ actually Drake?

Kendrick Lamar performs on the Pyramid stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival in 2022. Pic: Reuters
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Kendrick Lamar. File pic: Reuters

Drake, 37, is currently embroiled in a high-profile feud with US rapper Kendrick Lamar.

They have both released new diss tracks as the feud between them intensifies with brutal verses dragging in their families.

Drake and 36-year-old Lamar – whose fourth album won a Pulitzer Prize – have for years been exchanging thinly veiled barbs.

But the flurry of diss tracks shows how their animosity has become more personal and a lot less subtle.

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Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, is one of the world’s biggest-selling musicians.

He has had 13 number one tracks in the US, including God’s Plan, Work featuring Rihanna, and One Dance with WizKid and Kyla.

The Hotline Bling performer is Spotify’s most streamed male artist of all time.

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Friends creators reveal final episode scripts were leaked by an insider in 2004

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Friends creators reveal final episode scripts were leaked by an insider in 2004

The creators of Friends have revealed that parts of the script for the final episode were leaked by an insider ahead of the show airing.

Simply titled The Last One, millions tuned in as the episode brought the hit comedy to a close 20 years ago, on 6 May 2004, finally resolving the decade-long “will they, won’t they?” romance between Ross and Rachel.

It was the end of an era for its stars – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer – and fans around the world.

Friends: The Reunion sees the cast back together on screen for the first time in 17 years. Pic: Sky/ Warner Media/ HBO
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The six Friends stars got together on screen for the first time in 17 years for a reunion in 2021. Pic: Sky/Warner Media/HBO

Looking back at the final shows in an interview with NBC’s Today show in the US, Friends creators Marta Kauffman and David Crane revealed details of the leak.

“Oh my god, we tried so hard to keep it a secret!” Kauffman said. “We were desperate to keep it a secret and it got out. And it was an inside job.”

Scripts sent out ahead of the premiere of the final episode were numbered, Crane explained.

“We knew how many people knew what it was going to be,” he said. “So it did, through an element of… it became a behind-the-scenes detective show.

“It was frustrating, but at the end of the day, what are you gonna do?”

FILE - Matthew Perry arrives at the premiere of "The Invention of Lying" in Los Angeles on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009. Perry, who starred as Chandler Bing in the hit series ...Friends,... has died. He was 54. The Emmy-nominated actor was found dead of an apparent drowning at his Los Angeles home on Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Times and celebrity website TMZ, which was the first to report the news. Both outlets cited unnamed sources confirming Perry...s death. His publicists and other representatives did not immediately return messages seeking comment. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
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Matthew Perry, who died in 2023, was given the final line of the series. Pic: AP

Part of the script that leaked included the details of Ross and Rachel finally getting back together, Kauffman said.

But when asked if the mystery of who released the information was solved, she replied with a smile: “Ish.”

“Ish,” Crane repeated.

After 10 series and 236 episodes, as well as Ross and Rachel’s reunion, the final instalment saw Monica and Chandler leaving their famous Manhattan apartment and moving to the suburbs as new parents to adopted twins.

Perry, who died last year, aged 54, wrote about the finale in his 2022 memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing.

Read more from Sky News:
Matthew Perry obituary: The one who made everyone laugh
The Friends reunion: The one where they got back together

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“Before that final episode, I’d taken Marta Kauffman to one side,” he wrote. “‘Nobody else will care about this except me’, I said. ‘So may I please have the last line?'”

His character Chandler did indeed have the last line. As the Friends decide to go for one last coffee before the move, he simply asks, “Where?”, in a trademark sarcastic but poignant joke about the fact that so much of their time on screen has been spent in the Central Perk coffee shop.

“It’s incredibly poignant. It’s a legacy for him, one of his many legacies,” Kauffman said.

Friends has found a new generation of fans in recent years after being picked up by streaming sites.

Earlier this year, two scripts for The One With Ross’s Wedding, season four’s famous two-part finale filmed in London, sold at auction for £22,000 after being found in a bin.

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