Span

I'm working on a manuscript with a two-column setup (as essentially all manuscripts for respectable journals). I want several of the figures to span the entire width of the page. Easy: \begin{figure*}...\end[figure*}. Great, it goes to the top of the page. Then the next figure should go to the bottom of the page, right?

Wrong. The fucking figure goes to the end of the manuscript. *AaaHaaHaarghx!*

It took me a while to realize that this behavior is actually the one you expect by design. Jesus.

\usepackage{stfloats} takes care of this mess in the most uncelebrated way. 😉