Your Ex’s New Partner Seems Nice, Which Is Frankly an Act of War
You went looking for a reason to feel superior. You found someone kind, with a rescue dog and a lovely laugh. An essay on losing, thoroughly.
MAKE THIS WORSE →THE MAGAZINE · ISSUE 44 · NOVEMBER 2026
THE MAGAZINE
Long-form disappointment about life, work, money, love and technology.
The Passive-Aggressive Email Threat Scale: From ‘Just Checking In’ to Your Exit Interview
From 'Just circling back' to 'Per my last email' and beyond: a ranked threat scale for the politest way to end a career at work.
MAKE THIS WORSE →Why Everyone on LinkedIn Is Apparently Changing the World (The World Disagrees)
'I'm humbled to announce.' 'What my toddler taught me about B2B sales.' A translation guide to the most desperate website on Earth.
MAKE THIS WORSE →An Open Reply to the Recruiter Who Found Me ‘Perfect’ for a Job I Can’t Do
Dear recruiter: thanks for the 'exciting opportunity' that matches none of my skills, in a city I've never lived in, for a salary you'll never share.
MAKE THIS WORSE →Texting Etiquette for People Who Read Into Full Stops (Correctly)
Is "ok." with a full stop a threat? Yes. How long before you reply? Irrelevant. An FAQ for anyone who has stared at the word "sure"…
MAKE THIS WORSE →27 Signs You’re Pretending to Have Your Life Together (You Don’t)
One candle you'll never light. A planner that dies in February. $12 in savings. Score yourself. The number won't help.
MAKE THIS WORSE →Terms and Conditions of Being My Teenager’s Parent (Updated, Non-Negotiable)
Clause 2.3: the parent shall not sing in the car when friends are present. Clause 4.1: snacks, indefinitely. The full terms. You've already agreed.
MAKE THIS WORSE →Support Ticket #4471: Why Does Everything Need an App Now, and Why Does It Hate Me
I wanted to park my car. I had to download an app, make a password and verify my email. A support ticket from a man losing…
MAKE THIS WORSE →How to Look Busy at Work Without Accomplishing Anything (Like Your Boss)
The purposeful walk. The spreadsheet wall. The 11:47pm email. Eight techniques for appearing indispensable to a company that will replace you anyway.
MAKE THIS WORSE →Transcript: The Thermostat Negotiations, Round 312 (No Survivors)
Official minutes from the longest-running peace talks in any household: what temperature the house should be. No agreement. The energy company won.
MAKE THIS WORSE →The Small Humiliations of Parenthood, Ranked by Damage
Corrected by a four-year-old. Out-negotiated by a toddler. Singing about a bus in public. The daily humiliations of parenthood, ranked without mercy.
MAKE THIS WORSE →“We Should Hang Out Sometime”: A Field Guide to the Plan That Will Never Happen
"We should hang out sometime" is not a plan. It is a friendship being buried without a ceremony. A field guide to the phrase, and to…
MAKE THIS WORSE →Newsletter / Issue No. 444
THE WEEKLY DISAPPOINTMENT
One email a week. Advice you didn't ask for, statistics about your decline, and observations that will quietly ruin your Sunday.
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