Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Dating site caters to the 'ugly' LONDON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The creator of TheUglyBugBall.co.uk said the British dating site is the world's first to cater exclusively to people who "weren't blessed with great looks." Advertisement Howard James of London said the dating site for the "aesthetically challenged" excludes "anyone who is overtly pretty or attractive," The Sun reported, The Sun reported Friday. "It's a sad fact that up to half of the U.K. is made up of ugly people yet amazingly nobody has ever thought of providing a dating service for them," James said. "Some of these will be moderately ugly, but others will have fallen from the ugly tree and hit every branch on their way down." James said nearly 1,500 people have joined the site since it went live Monday. Man stole bike to see probation officer EDMONTON, Alberta, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- A Canadian man who admitted to stealing a bicycle told a judge he needed the bike because he was afraid of missing an appointment with his probation officer. Advertisement Michael Letendre, 19, of Edmonton, Alberta, told Judge Darlene Wong he stole the bike June 9 and rode it to the police station because he was worried about being sent to jail for missing his appointment with the probation officer, the QMI Agency reported Friday. "It's more a crime of stupidity than anything," said Nicole Sissons, Letendre's defense lawyer. Letendre, who pleaded guilty to theft and several breaches of his probation, was sentenced to 4 months in jail with 70 days credit for time served. Germany tries to love 'ugly' architecture BERLIN, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Some architects in Germany say the country has many ugly buildings that should be embraced and appreciated rather than demolished. In the frantic rush of construction that swept the country to rebuild after the destruction of World War II, plenty of architectural "missteps" were made as boxy concrete eyesores went up in cities everywhere, Der Spiegel reported Friday. Getting rid of them all would amount to a vast, and expensive, re-reconstruction project. As an alternative, many architects suggest, it may be time to admit that ugliness has its virtues -- and time to begin recognizing that fact. "I think it is very important, when it comes to buildings that everyone agrees are ugly, that we find methods that encourage people to see them in a different, more appreciative light," Turit Frobe, an architect at the Berlin University of the Arts, says. Advertisement In some cities, "ugly" architectural leftovers have been successfully turned into public art. In others, concrete edifices have served as billboards, carrying giant "Love Your City" banners. "Many cities don't take care of these buildings because they are no longer fashionable," Frobe says. "But if they just let them sit there and don't do anything with them, there is no way for people to develop a positive feeling toward them." A city's signature buildings, some of which may indeed be hideously ugly, can help residents develop a feeling of identity, she says. Wis. gov. candidate top stein-holder MILWAUKEE, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Mark Neumann won a contest by holding a beer stein with his arm fully extended for nearly 7 minutes. Republican Neumann was the last to lower his arm during the competition at the Old German Beer Hall in Milwaukee, leading the crowd to chant his name, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Friday. Video of the February event, which was billed as the opportunity to celebrate Carnival with the candidate, can be viewed on YouTube.
