Go to Cosmic Variance at once to read Julianne Dalcanton's musings on why spherical jerks (not the word she uses) are preferable to the asymmetric ones:
No one is surprised when a known, calibrated asshole acts up. We all just adjust the gain on our emotional response and carry on. I've been quite fond of many assholes through the years, and when I look back, the one trait they shared was that while they may have been ornery, they were at least predictable.
Go read the whole thing to explore the topology of the muppethuggers she's been having to deal with lately.
More like this
Actually, not jackass, but asshole, but this is a family blog, at least as far as post titles are concerned.
Happy Saturday! Some links for you. Science first:
The depressing math of swine flu, ICUs and ventilators
(from driftglass)
...what he said. I was going to write about how Rep. Joe Wilson, who during last night's presidential address shouted "You lie!", shouldn't be criticized for being rude or uncivil.
i cannot imagine why you are finding this so interesting these days. but yes, nobody likes people who express hypocritically variable behavior depending on circumstances and the individuals involved.