Quirky News of the Web — November 2010

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There are always smaller headlines that tend to go unnoticed. They are the headlines that let us know how individualistic and unique some of the interactions on the web can be, and how much social media is shaping our world in ways that we could not have fathomed 20 years ago.

Therefore, the Quirky News of the Web section will be dedicated to those pieces of news that might go unnoticed but still pack quite the punch.

Ugly People Need Love Too

TUBB Love

The Ugly Bug Ball is a site for those who are “aesthetically challenged”, people who have been fighting ridicule and loneliness their entire lives because of their looks. The site offers a safe space for people to “dive into an ocean of uglies and have more choice“. To mark the success of their approach, the website is celebrating their first engagement. Tom Clifford, who describes himself as a person who has “a face that makes children cry“, met Janine Walker and they fell in love and plan on getting married soon, the website awarded the couple with a free honeymoon to Borth in Wales.

I Think You Need More Distraction With Your Studies

LSBF

If you thought that Facebook is taking you away from you studies, why not bring your studies to Facebook. The London School of Business Finance, a British university that offers distance learning degrees, has released an online Facebook application which allows people to earn their MBA’s on Facebook. The application provides courses, lecture material, videos and other learning tools for free and the student only pays when he/she takes the exam. For as little as $23,000, you will be able to poke your friends and earn your MBA all at the same place.

To Abort or Not to Abort… That Is The Question

Abortion is very thorny and divisive issue, but there is one thing that both the pro-life and pro-choice camps can agree on and that it is a very traumatic choice to make that should not be trivialized. So when news broke about a couple putting up their decision to get an abortion for vote on the internet, a lot of the people called them on their bluff as just another misguided pro-life shtick. A week later, the couple came clean about their birthornot.com website, and how they have no desire to abort but wanted to “spark” conversation about the heartlessness of abortion. The result of this hoax was that his wife lost her job, and it further illustrated how little the pro-lifers understand the pro-choice’s position. More than 2 million votes have been cast.

Got Milk?

Breast Feeding through Facebook

While Facebook is not too keen about breast-feeding pictures, but a breast feeding club is quickly flourishing on the Website. Eats on Feets is a network that helps to connect mothers whose child need supplemental breast milk with others in their area that have extra milk to give. The groups have spread to 98 communities in all 50 states and in 22 countries as well. While sharing breast milk is an age old practice that has been stigmatized and died off in modern societies, now through Facebook nursing mothers have another option before having to turn to the bottle.

An Aussie’s Plea to Have a Thanksgiving

In a freaky mix-up, an Australian guy – James West – has been included in the email discussion of an American’s family Thanksgiving dinner preparations for the past 3 years. This year, he came clean about his in-advert inclusion in a Youtube video and expressed his interest to come to the states to have dinner with the Trans family asking “I would really like to come to Thanksgiving in America and make a story about the entire experience. Can I?” and they replied by extending him an invitation to their Florida home. He documented the journey on his Twitter account and seemed to enjoy his time with the Trans and even promised to be back to attend the wedding of one of the daughters. And that’s what Thanksgiving is all about!

So are there any pieces of news this month that you would like to share? An item you liked? Share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.