Love Story

Every adult life could be said to be defined by two great love stories. The first – the story of our quest for sexual love – is well known and well-charted. The second – the story of our quest for love from the world – is a more secret and shameful tale. And yet this second love story is no less intense than the first.

Alain de Botton

Pixy

The Real Adrian Mole

Slushkiller is an enormous essay about writers’ reactions to rejection letters from publishing houses. As someone who has received quite a few rejection letters when jobhunting, I’m shocked as to how personally some of these people take it.

I submit for your approval:

What bothered you the most about this letter?

She looked forward to seeing it in print?! Yeah, well, me too, baby! And if it’s such a wonderful #!#@#! novel, then why did you reject it? Hey, I’ve been dumped before — I can handle it.

I would hate to be in a relationship with this stable individual.

[via Metafilter.]

Across the Dimensions

in 1997, a condom manufacturer delivers a small case of its product to the White House. The rest of Bill Clinton’s second term is quietly uneventful.

— Today in Alternate History.

[via MetaFilter.]

Shuffling forward

Twenty-eight years on the planet today, though some would say that I’m really from Mars.

Perfect excuse for a curry I’d say.

Why doesn’t it look as tasty as the menu?

Ever wonder why photographs of food on packaging never looks as good as the finished product? This post on the Motley Fool goes some way to answering that question.