Given our grid system, you get a lot of people looking for things with the same address, but a different quadrant, all the time.

aigh quadrant, what does that even mean. no wonder I get lost in DC every damn time I go there.

Cities like NY and Chicago have enough critical mass that unless you are in some specific areas the tourists aren't really a bother.

The tree lighting is a great example.

Downtown Indianapolis has an artificial feel, but I think there are also locals around. But there's a whole mall/hotels/convention center complex that takes up a lot of space and I think was all built around the same time. I kind of love it.

If you want to see a gold medal example of mismatching tone and audience, check out this "everything you know is wrong AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT'S RIGHT" article on IO9: [link]

Some of the best hackle-raising I've seen in a while, from someone who doesn't seem to be trolling.

And a really badly written article, because all it does is yell the headline at you for a couple more screens, interspersed with pictures that are too small to get detail from.

I *love* it. People are so irritated and unimpressed with him.

Oh man, I saw a huge Cassandra Clare poster in a bookstore window last week. Took me aback.

That always throws me. How did she weather the plagiarism thing and make the jump from fic plagiarist to fiction author with huge posters in bookstores?

That always throws me. How did she weather the plagiarism thing and make the jump from fic plagiarist to fiction author with huge posters in bookstores?

I wonder this, too. And bunches of my babygoths keep enthusiastically recommending her books to me.

"Crime makes you stupid," And, apparently, pays just fine. What a bitch.

I'll never forget at the DC F2F, heading back to the hotel from the Air & Space Museum. We got to Constitution Ave, and like clockwork, everyone from the Northeast looked both ways and kept walking while everyone from California stayed patiently on the curb waiting for the light to change. I think that was the first time I'd heard that jaywalking tickets were a real thing.

I totally wait for lights. Partially to follow the rules and partially because cars have crunchy metal shells and I am squishable.

Two assholes turned left in front of me today when I - going straight - had the right of way. I am never getting over that here apparently.

Of the cities I have been to in the U.S., I was incredibly displeased with Orlando. It was the fakest damn city I have ever been to. It probably was where my conference was, but I could not find any locals or "real" non-tourist people. I think I would jump off a bridge if I had to live there.

I'd hate living there but Dad and I went exploring before we had to get to the airport in Feb and we found some amazing places. A lake with swan-shaped boats and then a big neighborhood with actual brick streets. And the neighborhoods would change so abruptly. It was really neat. I was sorry we didn't have a few more hours. There weren't a lot of great areas and the places that felt like a giant strip mall were soul crushing, but there were places with real character there too.

Ugh. My sister's iPhone got stolen this week. At work, in a window when only four or so people could have had access. (She locks up at night, and by 8:30 the next am it was gone. Only a few staff members would have been there.)

But now, even though she had Verizon suspend it, they've apparently read her emails and accepted some Facebook friend requests - including one that makes her really uncomfortable. Even without that aspect, so fucking creepy.

Oh, smonster the big dress up event is in late March and in Portland. I don't know if 2013's date is set yet. It probably is. Let me go search.

Got it! "The 2013 date for the 11th Annual VMB has been set for Saturday March 30th, with a prequel the night before (3/29)."