Jetblue flight status

Current cards: (list cards, limits, opening date)

• Chase Sapphire Preferred, 5k, 2/23
  
• Amex Platinum, ?, 5/23 (only got this for the 150k SUB, will prob cancel next year)
  
• Discover It, 1.2k, 8/20
  

FICO Score: 769
Oldest account age: ~3 years
Chase 5/24 status: 2/24
Income: ~$180,000
Average monthly spend and categories: dining $600 (fluctuates, might be lower going forward but idk), groceries: $500 I've currently budgeted 10k for travel across the next year, but this is my first year out of college so I don't really know if any of these are long-term accurate estimates. Additionally, I'm also anticipating a decent bit of UbeLyft spending (maybe like 200/month) since I don't have a car in the new place and public transit isn't ideal for some things I want to do.
Open to Business Cards: No
What's the purpose of your next card? Travel or general savings (probably mostly domestic flying but potentially some international); I don't really care that much about luxury travel/business class seating on flights which I know is where most of the redemption value tends to be - trying to optimize for economy value, so I don't know if just a general cashback card is better for that.
Do you have any cards you've been looking at? - BILT (apartment complex is partnered), VentureX/Venture, CFU, Amazon Visa (spend a good bit on Amazon already)
Are you OK with category spending or do you want a general spending card?
-Prefer general spending but if I can get high value out of a category card I'd use it.

Pics linked below! 33F, 5'5", 108lbs, white; CC: painful, swollen, red, oozing big toes bilaterally (please see timeline below). No major medical issues, no meds, do not drink, smoke, or use recreational drugs. USA. Podiatrist recommending removal. Second opinion?
Background: Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my post. I am extremely anxious about the possibility of having both my big toenails removed. Some background info: I danced for two decades and played many sports, which caused problems with ingrowns on my big toenails all of my life. As an adult I am very active and love to wear high heels so they have continued to be a problem. In the last year I found a nail tech who I trust (cleanliness, gentleness, etc.) with my feet and only have pedicures done by her. Typically I leave with my big toes a little bit red, but more comfortable with continued improvement in the days following. In general I only occasionally have issues with the left big toe, but almost always have at least minor issues with the right. After my last pedicure I attended a music festival and was on my feet walking and dancing much more than usual. I did wear shoes I have worn before and not had any issues with. Unfortunately, my toes really took a beating and swelled up more than they ever have before, to the point where I made my first ever podiatry appt (5/26/23; please see details in timeline below). I was also already on antibiotics for a dental procedure, which made the level of inflammation especially concerning. The podiatrist recommended removal of the left toenail, citing that it was loose at the base and unlikely to improve on its own. He also diagnosed a granuloma on the right, and said a portion should be removed permanently.
To say I am freaking out is an understatement. Of course I want to do what is best for my health. I have always been self conscious of my toes, so the anxiety and distress this is causing me mentally is significant. More importantly, I model full time professionally, so having pretty feet is a requirement of the job and this will impact my ability to provide for myself. In addition, I will be traveling all of June (lots of walking, beach & pool time).
My Questions:

• What is the best course of action?
• Should I obtain a second opinion?
• What course of outcome should I expect if I proceed conservatively and hold off on removal?
• Should I continue with this routine (see below for details)?
• How should I handle traveling--footwear, protection, etc.?
• If I must proceed with removal, are there any cosmetic solutions? (This isn't just me being vain here, I need nice feet to protect my job).

Timeline (detailed pics by date below; comparison summary pics here: https://imgur.com/jXEunkp)

• 5/10/23
  • pedicure at usual place, big toes slightly red bilaterally
  • no change (improvement or worsening) over next few days
• 5/17/23
  • start Amoxicillin 500mg 3x daily for dental procedure (21)
• 5/19/23
  • pedicure at usual place, come in with both big toes slightly red and tender, leave with them feeling a bit better
• 5/20/23
  • 2.5 hour flight, music festival night 1, wore comfortable shoes with insoles
  • toes no worse or better than day before
• 5/21/23
  • wake up to both big toes and feet a bit swollen but not too painful
  • clean, apply polysporin and sterile bandage
  • music festival night 2, wore comfortable shoes, drunk girl stomps on my feet
• 5/22/23
  • both big toes swollen, red, angry, warm, and oozing
  • cleaned & dressed as night before
  • fly back 2.5 hours wearing open toed slides
• 5/23/23 -- pics: https://imgur.com/ldKpTOM
  • wake up to left toe extremely swollen, send pics to podiatrist friend for consult; begin following care routine (2-3x/day):
    • 10-15 minute warm water soak with pure epsom salt
    • wash with bactine and vashe
    • dry, then apply polysporin
    • bandage loosely with sterile gauze and self adherent wrap
    • elevate with 10 minutes ice pack per hour for 2-3 hours per day
    • wear loose surgical socks over fresh bandages at night
    • open-toed slides for daytime (but staying off feet as much as possible
• 5/24/23
  • toes look slightly improved, continue routine
• 5/25/23
  • left toe hot to the touch, freaking out so finally make podiatry appt
  • continue routine
  • itchy rash appears on shins that night
• 5/26/23 -- pics: https://imgur.com/2ThAOve
  • recommended discontinuation of Amoxicillin (5 remaining in course)
  • see podiatrist, diagnoses granuloma on right from repeated ingrown irritation; recommends left nail removal as nail base is loose and right toe nail portion for permanent removal
  • ask if we can wait, he prescribes Cephalexin 500mg 2x daily (20), follow-up after completion
• 5/27/23 -- pics: https://imgur.com/RUqcIpq
  • continue routine, toes continue to improve
  • left toe swelling finally goes down, release of fluid by apply slight pressure to top surface
  • friends dog stomps on right toe, swollen area gets bigger and weepy
• 5/28/23
  • continue routine, toes continue to improve
  • rash becomes extremely itchy, start Benadryl
• 5/29/23 -- pics: https://imgur.com/YAgmnCs
  • continue routine, toes continue to improve
  • no pain (unless pressure applied directly to granuloma area on right toe)
  • can walk normally
  • neither toe hot or warm to touch
  • left toenail still slightly loose at base (only slightly so), but significantly improved
  • current status of shin rash: https://imgur.com/sM2Jtkv
  • start Fluconazole 150mg (1x) for yeast infection due to antibiotics

A few notes: toenail polish is gel, and removal will cause further trauma to the nails, hence why I have left it (vs. removing it to get a better view of the natural nails).

How do you focus your credit card spend?
I currently have all Chase cards, and recently got the Citi AAdvantage card (that gives you admirals club access.)
I have a business that spends about 10,000 on credit cards monthly, and then also spends about 14,000 monthly on direct draft things that I think I can change to mailed checks via Plastiq.
I personally use credit cards a lot.
My question … how do you focus your spend? I was going to try to divert about $12,000/month to AAdvantage so that I can get miles and status. However the status with AA doesn’t seem amazing. After enough spend I can get free extra leg room seats if they exist and the occasional first class upgrade if it’s available. I never check bags, and if I ever did it’s so I frequent the $35 or whatever wouldn’t bother me.
Honestly the Citi AAdvantage credit card I got fixed my flying issues - Admirals club is great, and group 4 boarding at a minimum. That gets me on the plane and comfortable and storage for my carry on.
I know platinum, etc, gets me on the plane a little earlier which I value. And having miles to spend on trips is great. My booking of trips is always random and not based around holidays.
But I also want to focus on hotels, but have no currently loyalty at all. And sometimes the best hotels aren’t in a group. Like the Ludlow in NYC has these insane skybox rooms with like 270’ of floor to ceiling windows with ridiculous NYC views but I don’t think it’s part of any group.
Where I live is a small airport that has United and AA only, and both flights are about the same length and both flights goto one of their biggest hubs. So I only fly to one of those two hubs and then fly out from there.
I noticed anecdotally I tend to end up on American flights more than United. I think it’s because of earlier departures for American.
For hotels, I just considered not doing any spend there and just doing the Hilton card that gets you diamond status and be done with it.
My question - how do you figure out how to direct all your spend between credit card points, flights, and hotels?

Hello, I applied for Denmark Visa on May 3rd, 2023 at VFS Global in Ottawa, Canada. I was aware that the processing time for the visa is 15 days, However, on the day of my visa slot, the officer told me that it would take 3 weeks. 3 working weeks have passed and still I haven't gotten my passport. I have my Flight on June 10th, 2023. I tried contacting VFS but I think the IVR is glitched because it did not connect me to an agent and was just repeating the same options over and over again. I also tried sending them a mail, to which they replied after 1 week stating that "The status update has been extended". I really don't know what to do. Did anyone face the same issue? Please Helppp !!

I'll be taking a handful of flights on SQ the second half of the year. I'd like to see whether they'd match my Oneworld Sapphire/Alaska MVP Gold status.
Anyone had luck with this/steps you'd recommend?

Final Fantasy IV is my favorite game of all time, so when they announced some things in this expansion would be based on FFIV, I was starstruck. As I played through Endwalker, I tried to take note of any reference I could find. If I missed any, please let me know!

General:

• Lunar Whale Mount (Digital FanFest/Mogstation), which plays re-orchestrated version of the Lunar Whale theme from the game.
• Rosa, Rydia, Edge minions (Digital FanFest/Mogstation)
• Palom Minion (Pre-order Bonus)
• Porom Minion (Collector's Edition Bonus)
  • Palom and Porom have an interaction based on the hallway scene from FFIV
• The promotional Warrior of Light, who was a Dark Knight in Shadowbringers, has changed into a Paladin, just like Cecil Harvey.
• The Endwalker poster shows the promotional Warrior of Light in the same exact pose as Amano's Cecil artwork.

Tower of Zot:

• This dungeon shares its name with Golbez's base of operations.
• Likewise, the dungeon music is a new version of the tower's theme in the game.
• The large mob, "Armored Fiend", is based on a monster with the same name in FFIV's Lunar Subterrane.
• The bosses "Minduruva," "Cinduruva," and "Sanduruva," also known as "The Magus Sisters," first appeared in FFIV's Tower of Zot, and their designs in FFXIV are heavily based on the original Amano artwork for FFIV's version. Their original names are "Mindy," "Cindy," and "Sandy."
  • The animations when each sister casts spells are the same as in FFIV - a green burst for black magic, and a ring of white cubes for white magic.
    • Turn up your sound effects! They also use the OG sounds!
  • The fight uses similar mechanics to the FFIV fight - Cinduruva will revive Minduruva and Sanduruva if they are defeated first, they utilize reflect, and when all three are alive, will use Delta Attack.

Garlemald:

• "The Eblan Rime" area is named for the Kingdom of Eblan, Edward "Edge" Geraldine's home.
• The Level 90 S-Rank Mark "Armstrong" is the recolored version of the previously mentioned "Armored Fiend", specifically named for the FFIV: The After Years enemy.

Tower of Babil:

• This dungeon shares its name with the tower in FFIV, and similarly shares a strong connection to the moon.
• The first boss, Barnabas, and the NPC with him, Dr. Lugae, are bosses within FFIV's Tower of Babil.
  • Barnabas mistakenly attacks the Doctor before attacking the party.
• The second boss, Lugae, is the robotic/fiend version that shows up after defeating the Doctor.
  • During the Lugae fight, Mini and Toad transformations are required - two of the three transformations prevalent in FFIV (I wish they would have included Piggy)

Mare Lamentorum:

• The Watcher seems to be based on Fusoya, who is known as "The Watcher of the Lunar Sleep". Both live on the Moon and wear long starry robes.
• The giant face on the moon where the entrance to Smileton is a reference to the stone face on the moon in the original game. In the GBA/PSP versions, it is the entrance to the Lunar Ruins. In the 3D version, it is where you fight Proto-Babil.
• The Level 90 A-Rank Elite Mark "Mousse Princess" is based on "Flan Princess", which first appeared as a rare enemy in FFIV's Lunar Subterrane.
• The mob "Mousse" is based on the "White Mousse" enemies on the moon in FFIV: The After Years
• The mob "Dynamite" may be based on the "Balloon"/"Dark Grenade" monsters on the Moon in FFIV.

Bestways Burrow:

• Loporrits are based on Hummingways, the race of rabbits that live on the moon.
• In the 2D versions of FFIV, the character Namingway's role was to rename player characters. Because voice acting was added in the 3D version, he could no longer fulfill this role, and took on several other names throughout the game. Most of these names are taken by Loporrits: Mappingway, Livingway, Recordingway, Campingway, Puddingway, Mopingway
  • Another, Going-my-Way, is involved in a Bestways Burrow sidequest.
  • The landmark "Lovingway's Darlings" is also a Namingway alias.
  • Later, in Old Sharlayan, two more of these names are used: Cheatingway and Jammingway.
    • IF ANYONE FINDS HUMMINGWAY, or WEDDINGWAY, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
• In FFIV, most Hummingways can't talk and instead hum a tune. The sound heard when talking to many Loporrits is that same tune. You can do the hum during the MSQ too!
• The Final Fantasy victory theme that plays when meeting Loporrits seems most similar to FFIV's instrumentation.
• The area music is the FFIV Town Theme (Welcome to Our Town)
• The battle music in the area is the FFIV main battle theme.

Labyrinthos:

• The Lalafell engineer Kokkol is named for the blacksmith Kokkol.
• The "Kokkol's Forge" landmark is named for the location in FFIV's Underworld.

Ultima Thule:

• The Dragons near the first Aethryte appear to be Mist Dragons, the summon used by Rydia's Mother (and previous boss in XIV in the dungeon "The Burn")
• FFIV is full of characters sacrificing themselves to help move Cecil and his party forward - the Scions sacrifice themselves throughout this zone to move the WoL forward.

The Final Day (Trial):

• The trial's arena is a flight through space, very similar to the Zemus/Zeromus fight. Some attack sound effects are also similar.
• Halfway through the fight, the party seems defeated, and the prayers of friends saves the team and pushes them to fight the final phase. This happens during the final fight of FFIV as well.
• Meteion may be based on Maenad from FFIV: The After Years.
  • Both are part of a hivemind of identical young girls
  • Both are sent to other worlds by their creators
  • Both struggle to understand humanity and appear throughout the world leaving destruction in their wakes (the big difference is that one struggles to feel, and the other feels too much).
  • One last survivor of their kind is left and they return to the world with a new outlook and a new lease on life (Meteion as the bluebird and the young Maenad "Cuore", who is taken in by Rydia and Edge).
    • Big thanks to u/Baithin for this theory!

The Stigma Dreamscape:

• The constant references to "4" may be a reference?

Other:

• "Moonward" gear (Level 90 tomestone gear) is based on FFIV characters.
  • Fending is based on Cecil
  • Scouting is based on Edge
  • Aiming is based on Edward
  • Casting is based on Rydia
    • Since someone points this out every time - Healing is technically Rosa's color scheme, but it's still Rydia's outfit, and Maiming may be Dark Knight Cecil's or Kain's color scheme, but still Paladin's outfit. All of the sets are based on the four characters above, but only the four above are the correct color schemes for those characters.

POST 6.0:
Patch 6.1:

• The "Knight in Black" scene is preceded by a bump that says "Meanwhile, elsewhere..." which is text used in FFIV whenever the game shows events not involving the party, usually Golbez.
• The Knight in Black is revealed to be Golbez in 6.2. His armor matches Amano's original art and "Somewhere In The World" plays throughout the scene. Golbez is also referred to as "Man in Black" in the game.
• He speaks with four unseen characters, referred to as "Throne of Earth/Fire/Wind/Water" - which are presumably the four Elemental Fiends, Scarmiglione, Rubicante, Barbariccia, and Cagnazzo.
  • The "Throne of Earth" character speaks like Scarmiglione, with elongated S's.

Patch 6.2:
The Fell Court of Troia (Dungeon)

• Troia is the matriarchal kingdom in FFIV, inhabited mostly by women, that practices fairly strict neutrality/pacifism.
• The music that plays is a much slower, sadder version of the town's theme.
• The arena for the second boss fight is a throne room. It has eight fire cauldrons, and the ceiling has eight points - possibly referencing the 8 Epopts of Troia (the matriarchal rulers).
• The arena for the final boss is "The Garden of the Epopts"
• Scarmiglione is the final boss, with an appearance much closer to Amano's original artwork.
  • He starts the fight by back-stabbing something. In FFIV, his second fight is a back-attack.
  • He summons a horde of zombies. In FFIV, his first fight is with a horde of zombies.
• The FFIV Boss Battle theme, "Battle 2", has been re-orchestrated and plays throughout the fight.
• The FFIV battle transition sound effect in the trailer is taken directly from the original game.
• Golbez has officially been named! Scarmiglione refers to himself as one of Golbez's "Circle of Four"

The Fell Court of Troia (Area)

• When Y'shtola gives the Dark-Robed Voidsent her name "Zero", the music that plays is a re-orchestrated and expanded "Sorrow and Loss" - the song that played during all sad scenes in FFIV. It is also known as Cry in Sorrow and Theme of Sorrow. It is a sad version of the Main Overworld Theme. (Will Zero be Zeromus?!)
• Scarmiglione returns for a second fight in a solo instance. In FFIV, you fight him twice.
  • His call to his minions to: "Come, feassst upon their flesh!" is a reference to his line in the game: "My undead children hunger to feassst upon your flesh! "
  • His line "You will tremble before my true ssstrength!" is a reference to his line in the game: "Impressssive...But my true ssstrength lies in death! And now, you shall join me in it! "

Zero's Domain:

• Sorrow and Loss continues to play as the area theme.
• Common monster-types from FFIV appear in this area, including Mindflayer and Flan.
• Ciriatto is terrified of Barbariccia, the Archfiend of Wind. This is the first reference to her.
  • Not specifically FFIV, but worth noting: Calcabrina, Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, Rubicante, Ciriatto, and Farfarello are all from Dante's Inferno. Farfarello is an enemy in FFV.
• Barbariccia appears. Her body is more covered than previous depictions.

Nisroch/Storm's Crown:

• The theme in this area/trial is "Battle with the Four Fiends", which in FFIV plays when battling any of titular fiends. It is also known as "The Dreadful Fight."
• Barbariccia is the boss fight, and uses haiwind themed attacks. The tornadoes she summons are similar to her tornado attack in FFIV.
• Estinien's line before the fight "You're not the only one who can ride the wind!" is a line spoken by Kain to Barbariccia just before her boss fight in the 3D remake as well as Dissidia. The line was originally "Think you're the only one who can fight in the air?" in the SNES version and later versions of the game replaced it with "Let's see about that."

Patch 6.3
Lapis Manalis:

• The first "Dated Records" references the "Geraldines" as a thorn in the writer's side. Edward "Edge" Geraldine is the Ninja from Eblan, as mentioned earlier.
  • The note also mentions that the Geraldines are trying to take their supplies. Edge can use the Steal ability.
• Cagnazzo is the boss fight, with an appearance somewhat closer to Amano's art, although he stands upright instead of on all fours.
• His giant wave attack after the DPS check is similar to his primary attack in FFIV.

Mount Ordeals:

• This is the location in FFIV where Cecil fights Scarmiglione, thenovercomes his darkness and becomes a Paladin.
  • In the remakes, there are bonus trials here for other characters.
  • Zero's decision on Mount Ordeals to fight with the WoL and his friends and no longer require payment may be her version of "overcoming her darkness."
• Rubicante is the trial boss, and just like the others his appearance is very close to his original Amano artwork
  • Rubicante's dialogue suggests that he respects you as a warrior, a character trait he also had in the original game.
  • His "inferno" ability is one of his attacks in the game.
• An alternate, lyrical version of "Battle with the Four Fiends" plays during this fight. This appears to be based on the Kenichi Maeyamada (aka Hyadain) version. The lyrics have been changed, but the instrumentation is identical.

Patch 6.4
The Aetherfont:

• The final boss is Octomammoth - the third boss in FFIV (second if you don't count the Captain), fought after rescuing Rydia and meeting Tellah.

Another Moon:

• "Another Moon" - A eerier version of the song of the same name that plays on the surface of the moon in FFIV.
• This moon's surface is red, a reference to the Red Moon of FFIV (the game has two moons.)
• During the flashback sequence, Durante mentions visiting "his majesty in Baron" - Baron is the kingdom in FFIV that Cecil (and Rosa/Kain/Cid) are from, and the events in Baron are the catalyst for most of the story.
  • Durante's appearance might be referencing how Golbez looks without his armor from FFTAY.
• Azdaja is turned into Shadow Dragon - Golbez's companion in FFIV.

Voidcast Dais:

• Golbez is the trial boss!
• "Voidcast Savior" - A remix of Battle with the Four Fiends, FFIV Main Theme, the Final Fantasy Prelude, and the Final Fantasy Prologue. (IT'S SO GOOD)
• The black sword he wields is a reference to the Ebony Blade - the weapon equipped by him in flashback scenes in The After Years (obtainable in the present by unequipping it in flashbacks.)
• Golbez's "Binding Cold" attack is what he uses to paralyze the party during their encounter with him in the Dwarven Castle.
• The attack "Black Fang" is an attack that Shadow Dragon uses in that same battle to kill off each party member one by one after Golbez uses Binding Cold.
• The elemental aspects of this fight as well as the poses Golbez takes are references to his role in Dissidia.

Post Trial:

• Z E R O M U S HAS ARRIVED. He is the final boss and ultimate mastermind of the events of FFIV, shown here in his cloaked form. It seems we've skipped his Zemus form.

Post Quest:

• The Golbez we fought is implied to be Durante in Golbez's armor, fighting in Golbez's honor. This supports the previous note that Durante's appearance may be based on the FFTAY Golbez's armor-less appearance.

So guy i booked a flight from Go-first airline from Ahemdabad to Delhi for 7th may. On 4th may i recieve a message that airline has cancelled flight due to operational reasons.
I applied for a refund request on that same day through make my trip. After a few days i recieve a call from airline for approving refund and i told them to do it.
A week passed and there was no news of refund Then i checked MMT app ,they were saying airline hasnt approved you refund request. So, i called the airline and asked for refund status they said they havent approved it due to heavy influx of refund requests and told me to wait. I asked for a deadline or a complain no. And they didnt gave me anything.
Its already been a month. What should i do ?
TL:DR - Airline says due to large no. of requests they havent approved my request. And refuses to give any other details

Per Andy Slater, sounds like the Heat are thinking they're walking out of game seven in Boston with a W.

The Heat have a flight scheduled to Denver, not Miami, after the game tonight, per FAA records.

Source Here

I am flying Europe Traveller on an Avios booking with Blue Exec status. I am considering taking the exit row as I’m 6’3” and the 29” pitch looks tight for the 2.5h flight.
Is there usually any discount if I select this seat at check in rather than in advance? Currently it is 59 CAD, would it be that price at check in as well? I understand Blue status will not be able to select those for free at the 24h mark. 2 weeks out 3/4 of the exit row seats are still available.

Hello everyone!
We're flying BCN-YYZ-DEN this summer. Flight was booked via UA's website using our Chase card. Tickets are basic economy. Only one person in the reservation has Premier Gold. The other 3 are flying in the same reservation but have no status (1 adult and 2 minors under 12). Flight had a 30 min schedule change and now we have a longer layover in YYZ. I contacted United about rescheduling my flight and I asked about the baggage policy. Chat went down so I couldn't do much so I figured I'd come to the experts! What would you suggest we do?
- Should we switch to a flight operated by UA, instead? UA states we'll have to pay for luggage despite having Premier Gold and Chase card.
- Should we keep our AC flight and do nothing?
- Something else? I understand we must take off/land from the same airports we booked originally. Just wondering if there are any advantages to switching to flight operated strictly by UA other than maybe a slightly shorter layover (such as free luggage, priority boarding, better seats...).
Thanks in advance for your help :)

The Ignyte Awards are organized annually by Fiyah Lit Mag.
Congrats to everyone that got nominated! This year's finalists are:

BEST NOVEL: ADULT

for novel-length work (40k words) Works intended for an Adult audience

• BABEL – R. F. Kuang (Harper Voyager)
• KAIKEYI – Vaishnavi Patel (Redhook)
• SIREN QUEEN – Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)
• THE BLOOD TRIALS – N. E. Davenport (Harper Voyager)
• THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER – Simon Jimenez (Del Rey)

BEST NOVEL: YOUNG ADULT

for novel-length (40k+ words) works intended for the young adult audience

• BALLAD & DAGGER – Daniel José Older (Rick Riordan Presents)
• BLOODMARKED – Tracy Deonn (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
• BLOOD SCION – Deborah Falaye (HarperTeen)
• LAKELORE – Anna-Marie McLemore (Feiwel & Friends)
• THE KINDRED – Alechia Dow (Inkyard Press)

BEST IN MIDDLE GRADE

for works intended for the middle grade audience

• RUBY FINLEY VS. THE INTERSTELLAR INVASION – K. Tempest Bradford (Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR)
• THE LAST MAPMAKER – Christina Soontornvat (Candlewick Press)
• THE MARVELLERS – Dhonielle Clayton (Henry Holt & Company)
• WITCHLINGS – Claribel Ortega (Scholastic Press)
• YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, DAVID BRAVO! – Mark Oshiro (HarperCollins)

​
A neat addition this year, from L.D. Lewis' twitter:

This year, we've added a slate of judges aged 12-18 to help select the YA and Middle Grade finalists! The philosophy is that kidlit categories should heavily weigh the opinions of the people they're written for. Simple, no?

​

BEST NOVELLA

for speculative works ranging from 17,500-39,999 words

• BISHOP’S OPENING – R.S.A. Garcia (Clarkesworld)
• EMPIRE OF THE FEAST – Bendi Barrett (Neon Hemlock)
• EVEN THOUGHT I KNEW THE END – C. L. Polk (Tordotcom)
• HELPMEET – Naben Ruthnum (Undertow)
• INTO THE RIVERLANDS – Nghi Vo (Tordotcom)

BEST NOVELETTE

for speculative works ranging from 7,500-17,499 words

• IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SPEAKING TO GOD, ADDRESS GOD WITH THE INFORMAL YOU – John Chu ( Uncanny Magazine)
• MEN, WOMEN, & CHAINSAWS – Stephen Graham Jones (Tor.com Originals)
• MURDER BY PIXEL: CRIME AND RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DIGITAL DARKNESS – S. L. Huang (Clarkesworld)
• THE EPIC OF QU-SHITTU – Tobi Ogundiran (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
• TO CARVE HOME IN YOUR BONES – Aigner Loren Wilson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)

BEST SHORT STORY

for speculative works ranging from 2,000-7,499 words

• GIRL OIL – Grace Fong (Tor.com)
• THE LADY OF THE YELLOW PAINTED LIBRARY – Tobi Ogundiran (Tordotcom)
• THE LOCKED POD – Malka Older (The Sunday Morning Transport)
• THE VOICE OF A THOUSAND YEARS – Fawaz Al-Matrouk (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction)
• WANDERLUST – LP Kindred (Anathema: Spec From the Margins)

BEST IN SPECULATIVE POETRY

• IN STOCK IMAGES OF THE FUTURE, EVERYTHING IS WHITE – Terese Mason Pierre (Uncanny Magazine)
• I SHALL NOT SURRENDER – Beatrice Winifred Iker (Anathema: Spec From the Margins)
• THE RECIPE FOR TIME TRAVEL – Monique Collins (FIYAH)
• WE SMOKE POLLUTION – Ai Jiang (STAR*LINE)
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• Aigner Loren Wilson
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• Beneath Ceaseless Skies
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• Aimee Campbell
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BEST ANTHOLOGY/COLLECTED WORKS

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• The H Word: Horror in a Country that Is Not Afraid of Death – Dante Luiz (Nightmare Magazine)
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While at the airport checking into a flight that someone else had bought for me (I've never flown JetBlue before), I noticed a page saying that for "Blue Basic" carry-on bags are not permitted...
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https://preview.redd.it/av0r7h6r5t2b1.png?width=463&format=png&auto=webp&s=02fa550417b5893d957e84486ee15af580d73810
The image showed one of the items I had, roller luggage but the smallest kind:
https://preview.redd.it/enb1i36a6t2b1.png?width=288&format=png&auto=webp&s=995bebcce27bf845056f5a7192007fc68bdabc9b
Because it said "Bags larger than a personal item brought to the gate will be checked and incur a minimum fee of $65", I read this as "Check in your roller now for $35 or pay $65 at the gate" 😆 Since I already had a laptop bag (shoulder strap kind), and I didn't wanna be checking in while at the gate, I just checked in the roller for $35...
However, when I boarded, they just let me take the roller in the plane and stow in the top compartment, no questions or even a blink, no tags, they didn't make me leave it for cargo storage... on other carriers, when they wanted us to check a bag at the gate, they made us do it and pay for it (rare for me but it happens) and then they tagged the roller and took it to stow in cargo or wherever (then I pick it up at baggage claim).
So anyway, I can't tell if I misread it, or the gate lady saw by my boarding pass a paid checked luggage and let me through (nobody on the plane checked), or if JetBlue was inaccurate/lying to get us to pay for checked luggage that we didn't need to check. If I shouldn't have paid or didn't get what I paid for, I'm not sure of the best way to request a refund (the site seems to be sending me in circles).
I've just never heard of having to pay bag check for a cabin stow...
Edit: Oh look, more evidence for a class-action lawsuit against JetBlue for lying to customers about required fees:
https://www.elliott.org/airline-problems/jetblue-lies-about-new-carry-on-baggage-policy/
Edit 2: Apparently this was the policy they don't specify on the Bags check-in screen that snookers people into paying for things they don't need to that won't be provided anyway:
```Carry-on bag stored in the overhead bin: Must not exceed 22”L x 14”W x 9”H (this includes wheels and handles on the bag)```
https://financebuzz.com/jetblue-baggage-fees#what's-jetblue's-baggage-policy
My cart bag is about that size so the crew let it in. I think what's underlying this is poor workflow design by JetBlue (a sign of a rinky-dink airline), where the crew doesn't see enough info on the pass or system during boarding. What they should have done is just refunded me right then and there for a checked bag that didn't apply... but, JetBlue isn't set up that way. They're set up to extort as much money as possible from their customers by lying to them on their check-in screens, then refuse to refund paid services that weren't done, then tell them they hope to see them again. Maybe it is just fraud until proven otherwise (even poor workflow can be intentional)...

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Hey everyone, so I have started a blog for penning down ideas on reformist psychology. I wrote this little spoof/funny observation type of a article on mental health. Thought I'll share it here as well
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After unending struggles of being forced to avail help from these 2 failing modalities of providing ‘solutions’ to problems people never understood, I had quite an interesting set of realisations on how these two fraternities of thought when personified, behave exactly like an emotionally absent father who feels repulsive upon any display of emotion that isn’t within the spectrum of absolute stoicism and obfuscates his path to meeting standards of functionality at all times, when it comes to psychiatry and how psychology as a field of study behaves exactly like the mother who claims to know you better than you know yourself, no matter how dangerous or nearsighted her approach to form an understanding of you is. Cue ‘Mother Knows Best’, from Tangled.
What’s even more interesting is how ‘specialists’ from both these fields sit under the same roof of any organisation that claims to be a haven for those who seek help for mental health. And the animosity between both fraternities of thought is heavy. The psychiatrists consider psychology to be a waste of time, soft, unnecessarily analytical pseudoscientific quackery with very proto-scientific skillsets to actually solve a neurological-psychiatric issue and chemical imbalances through just words , whereas the psychologists consider psychiatry to be a uselessly barbaric and capitalistic practice of over medicating issues that have a socio-economic, cultural, childhood related background for ‘abnormal’ behaviours displayed.
So they act like a couple that is on the verge of divorce and all they do is blame each other for failing as partners, then blame each other for failing as ‘parents’ (adults) and when they run out of arguments to put blame on each other, both fraternities start blaming the child i.e the patient who simply asked for help, by calling them ‘treatment resistant’ over and over again.
And when nothing works and the child is on the floor with tears of guilt, after a set of adults who claimed to care failed him, they don’t want to take the blame and selectively manipulate the child into believing that the child is the problem, and in the end both fraternities just give referrals to each other. And if somehow the child is able to pick himself up by his bootstraps and reintegrate within the society as usual, they pat themselves on the back for display of impeccable professionalism/parenting.
A conversation between the 3, that is psychiatry as the emotionally absent dad, psychology as the overindulgent mom and client/patient as the helpless child might go somewhat like this.
“Dad please help me, I am miserable.”
“HOW DARE YOU SHOW ANY EMOTION OUTSIDE OF PURE STOICISM AND MAKE A PLEA FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF YOUR WORTH AND HAPPINESS OUTSIDE OF YOUR FUNCTIONALITY RENDERING USE TO A CORPORATE SYSTEM? WELL, ALL I HAVE TO OFFER YOU IS DRUGS THAT WON’T ELIMINATE YOUR MISERY BY ANY CHANCE, THE GRIEF, PAIN AND HURT WON’T SUBSIDE, BUT YOU’LL BE NUMB ENOUGH TO NOT BE ABLE TO EMOTE ANY OF THESE FEELINGS. NOW STOP PESTERING ME FOR HELP, JUST TRUST ME AND LET ME OVERLY MEDICATE YOU FOR NORMAL REACTIONS TO ABNORMAL SITUATIONS THAT WEREN’T YOUR FAULT.
DON’T LET YOUR WOMANLY EMOTIONS COME INTO PLAY AND GET BACK TO FULFILLING THE DUTIES IMPOSED ON YOU, EVENTHOUGH THE EXTRAPYRAMIDAL EFFECTS FROM THESE DRUGS MIGHT DEBILITATE YOU FROM WITHIN.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN’T GET BETTER YOU STUBBORN CHILD, YOU’RE UP TO NO GOOD, GO BACK TO YOUR MOM!
“Mom please help me, I am miserable.”
“OH SO YOU’RE MISERABLE? MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO GET BETTER. THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON TO BLAME FOR YOUR MISERY AND THAT IS YOU. YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO BE MISERABLE BY SIMPLY CHANGING YOUR MINDSET. STOP BEING LAZY NOW AND GET TO WORK. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T GET UP FROM YOUR BED AND ARE SUFFERING EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION AS WELL AS ANHEDONIA? NO I DON’T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR MIND REFUSES TO RECOGNISE WITH A BODY THAT IS CONSTANTLY SUBJECTED TO AGRESSIVE AND PAINFUL STIMULUS AND HENCE TOOK A MENTAL FLIGHT. YOU’RE JUST MAKING AN EXCUSE TO STAY AT HOME. YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
HOW ABOUT YOU TREAT YOUR ANXIETY AND BODY DYSMORPHIA BY SUBJECTING YOURSELF TO EXAM ANXIETY AND PEOPLE THAT MAKE YOU EVEN MORE BODY CONSCIOUS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL DO WONDERS FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. THE ONLY FORM OF HEALING MY FRATERNITY RENDERS FOR OUR CLIENTS IS EXTERNAL VALIDATION OF YOUR THOUGHTS, AND IF YOU DON’T COMPLY WITH THAT IDEA OR ANY OF MY OTHER BASELESS SUGGESTIONS? THEN, YOU CAN’T HELP YOURSELF, AND I CAN’T EITHER, NO ONE WANTS A MISERABLE CHILD LIKE YOU, GO BACK TO YOUR DAD.”
“Maybe if I am the reason I am not getting better, I can find other unconventional ways or people, to survive in the moment and make myself happy. I should not have to explain myself for all I do…right?”
“HOW DARE YOU COME UP WITH YOUR OWN IDEAS TO COPE? OUR FIELDS HAVE A MONOPOLY ON MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND REDUCING THE ABSTRACTION OF YOUR PAINFUL EXPRESSIONS TO A PROCEDURE AND A PROTOCOL IS THE ONLY CORRECT WAY TO GO ABOUT THINGS. YOU CAN’T TRUST IDEAS AND MODALITIES THAT AREN’T EVIDENCED BASED WITH A BRANDED SEAL OF PSYCHIATRIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROVAL.
HOW CAN YOU TRUST ‘NON-PROFESSIONALS’, WHO HAVEN’T MADE A STRUCTURE AND ACADEMIA OF BEHAVIOURAL EXHIBITIONS WE KEEP ISOLATING FROM THE CONTEXT TO SUIT OUR OWN CONVENIENCE? “
HOW CAN YOU LET ILLITERATES THAT DON’T HAVE ACCSESS TO THE SAME GATEKEPT INFORMATION AS US, HUMANISE ANY ASPECT OF YOURS INSTEAD OF BLATANTLY OBJECTIFYING AND MONETISING YOU LIKE WE DO? AND YOU DO OWE US AN EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO, IF YOU DON’T WANT US TO PATHOLOGISE OR MEDICATE YOU THAT IS, SINCE YOU ARE AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR TO YOUR OWN STORY.
“Mom, dad, please stop yelling, I am trying really hard, I just choose not to make a show of everything, and I am tired of being schooled on dealing with the pain, grief and hurt you’ll never form an understanding for. I can’t match up to the unrealistic expectations you have set for me, I can’t function in the ultra specific ways you want me to. All my life I have put up an act, a mask, a happy face with the widest possible grin, but I was crippling on the inside and tried to make myself as small as possible. If my worth outside of the purpose I serve to others as an object of intrigue/pity/aesthetic/resource is negligible to you, then maybe…just maybe…I might want to kill myself, I don’t want to be in pain, I don’t want to be a burden.”
“HOW DARE YOU EVEN MENTION THAT???? THE IDEA OF DEATH MAKES US SO UNCOMFORTABLE, WE WOULD RATHER HAVE YOU SIT AND ROT IN ETERNITY LIKE A MINDLESS ZOMBIE THAN ALLOW YOU EVEN A SINGLE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLEVIATE YOUR PAIN. JUST FOR SAYING ALL THIS, YOU ARE NOW GROUNDED (Institutionalized), YOU WORTHLESS IMBECILE. SO WHAT YOU SPEND EVERY WAKING MOMENT IN EXCRUTIATING DREAD AND PAIN, AS LONG AS YOU’RE ALIVE, WE’RE HERE TO MILK YOUR MISERY AND MAKE YOU FEEL WORSE ABOUT IT. GO TO YOUR ROOM, NOW.
” There’s so many others like me here! They don’t claim to be infallible or offer false assurances to make me better! But in the very least, we are together in our shared misery! It is like fighting a war along side someone else, I am feel less alone in my fight…it’s better than…”
“THEY ARE ALL CORRUPTING YOU, THESE PEOPLE ARE UNRELIABLE NARRATORS TO THEIR OWN STORIES TOO, ALL THEY’LL DO IS DRAG YOU DOWN AND MAKE YOU LIKE THEMSELVES. WE’LL HAVE TO GET YOU AWAY FROM THESE FREAKS WITH NOTHING GOOD TO SAY. TRUST US WE’RE PROFESSIONALS, TRUST US WE’RE YOUR PARENTS.
“Please just leave me, alone, please please please. Please stop banging on my door thinking I owe you access to myself, please.”
“YOU NEED TO STOP BEING SO NEEDY AND ISOLATING YOURSELF FROM ‘HELP’, YOU AGORAPHOBE, WE KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU, WE LOVE YOU, WE CARE ABOUT YOU, WE WANT WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU.’
NOW HOW ABOUT YOU TAKE THESE DRUGS AND PUT YOURSELF TO USE, ALTHOUGH WE CAN SEE YOU CAN BARELY STAND UP CONSIDERING HOW HEAVILY LADEN WITH DREAD, GUILT, PAIN AND MISERY YOU ARE.
WE’RE HERE TO TOY YOU AROUND LIKE A PUPPET TO DEPLETE YOUR EMOTIONS, IDEAS, PERSPECTIVES AND DESIRES SO WE CAN ATTRIBUTE AND ENFORCE OUR OWN IDEAS OF THE REALITY WE CONSTRUCTED FOR YOU, UPON YOU, AND WORK WITH THAT EXCLUSIVELY, BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
“Bloody, kill myself.”
Psychiatry/psychology in their academic status quo are the first systems of thought that treat people like pests and animals while expecting them to magically function like robots.