Anecdata: I've noticed both of these pervasively across circles of people I've met. My guess is that for
1) There is a strong group think culture here that expects everyone to conform to their definition of "normal" and if you dont, then you'll get shamed and
2) Most people dont notice how flakey/late they are because most people are flakey and late and just assume they're "normal". But for those of us who are comitted and on time, its mind boggling and drives one mad.
Regarding 1, I guess that is true about politics. Regarding 2, I just don't see it except for a few asshat VC's I've only dealt with once (after the first meeting I had no interest in working with them).
- You like commitment and people who can make up their mind.
I hear these a lot, but this hasn't been my experience at all. The people I meet are rarely offended and don't flake out on me.