Blue turning red

September 12, 2015 5:35 PM

I think it might be worth nothing here as well as in Rhaomi's amazing post that we now have mefi's own baggymp aka Tom Watson as Deputy Leader of the UK's Labour Party. I don't think anyone else has reached as high a political office?
posted by fearfulsymmetry to MetaFilter-Related at 5:35 PM (51 comments total)

i beg to differ!
posted by clavdivs at 5:39 PM on September 12, 2015 [36 favorites]

Tom Watson: Keeping You Warm
Tom Watson: Keeping You Safe

(Yes, it's really him)
posted by Rhaomi at 5:40 PM on September 12, 2015 [5 favorites]

Congratulations to baggymp -- he was featured on the Best Of MetaFilter blog a few years ago (drafting a speech on, no kidding, "the hive mind as a force for good"), and I feel we got in on the ground floor here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 5:45 PM on September 12, 2015 [9 favorites]

That we know of!
posted by k8t at 6:11 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]

I will not rest until I have uncovered Joe Biden's MeFi sockpuppet name...
posted by oneswellfoop at 6:43 PM on September 12, 2015 [12 favorites]

this is bullshit, I voted #1 quidnunc kid
posted by threeants at 7:19 PM on September 12, 2015 [77 favorites]

I feel bad about the way this guy's political career is going to be over when it comes out he spelled its as it's in an Ask MeFi question.
posted by escabeche at 8:13 PM on September 12, 2015 [10 favorites]

I am captain of my bathtub sometimes.
posted by discopolo at 9:06 PM on September 12, 2015

he spelled its as it's

Naw, it'll be quietly corrected and then the Cabal will have some serious leverage in the Labour Party. "Your Leadership or whatever, it's a shame that Portland ain't got a sister city in your neck of the woods. Its virtue and splendor cry out for a UK companion. Or should I say 'It's virtue and splendor cry out,' know what I mean?"
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:20 PM on September 12, 2015 [2 favorites]

Wow. This is pretty astounding.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:15 PM on September 12, 2015

There is no Cabal, they say...
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:26 PM on September 12, 2015

But I'm the terrible judge of the sea
posted by The Whelk at 11:11 PM on September 12, 2015

No fucking way.

West Bromwich East for the win.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:31 PM on September 12, 2015

This is rad.
posted by rtha at 11:45 PM on September 12, 2015

Congrats all round, not just to baggymp and Corbyn, but to the labour party and frankly the whole damn country.
posted by Dysk at 3:28 AM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

This morning, I've been diving deep into the "literature" on Corbyn's victory and its implications. There was an eclipse between yesterday and today, regardless of your time zone. This portends something, I feel, irrationally.

Congratulations to metafilter's own baggymp!
posted by infini at 3:43 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Mod note: A couple comments deleted. As a quick note, flabdablet has nearly 300 "spouse" relationships in his contacts; pretty sure baggymp isn't an actual spouse, so let's try to avoid confusion with that. Thanks.
posted by taz (staff) at 3:50 AM on September 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

Two Mefi's Own in one day! Surely this means something for our community?
posted by infini at 4:16 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

I hadn't realised there was an actual possibility someone might actually think flabdablet was married to Watson for real.
posted by biffa at 5:36 AM on September 13, 2015

I think that's awesome. But there's no way we can know who in the community is what. Only a few people offer identifying details, a lot of people like communities like this precisely because they can go incognito, and particularly for those in politics, I can understand why they might not self-reveal.

Right, Barry?
posted by Miko at 6:43 AM on September 13, 2015 [7 favorites]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some well-known people going incognito here, but I don't think this particular person was making any effort to conceal his identity. There's also a danger of people impersonating others, but it sounds like that's probably not the case here, either.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:05 AM on September 13, 2015

Mathowie is really Miley Cyrus. His naked work in the Wrecking Ball video was all CGI'd after the fact.
posted by biffa at 7:36 AM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

I already felt great about Corbyn & Watson's win, felt even better on finding out that one of them is MeFi's own, and am practically heart-eyes to read that question escabeche linked to -- open government data is close to my heart both professionally and personally. Hooray!
posted by daisyk at 7:38 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

excuse me but i am the inquisitor of thedas
posted by poffin boffin at 9:06 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

he spelled its as it's in an Ask MeFi question.

Nah, he will just pass it off as a quaint UK spelling, like the way some people insist that "favorites" should be spelled "fauvouriutes." There is no winning with the People of Chaucer on this point.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:16 AM on September 13, 2015 [17 favorites]

Tom Watson is pretty kickass.

He hasn't been around since 2009 or so, so is he still a MeFite?
posted by Nevin at 9:20 AM on September 13, 2015

He hasn't been around since 2009 or so, so is he still a MeFite?

You're a MeFite until you hit the red button. Then you're an ex-MeFite, or the term I prefer to use, a MeFi alumnus.
posted by grouse at 9:28 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

$5 in
Button out

Not as scary as blood in / blood out. Maybe the $5 could be waived with a beating and a blood oath
posted by aydeejones at 9:30 AM on September 13, 2015

When you're a MeFite
You're a MeFite for life,
From your first one-line comment
Til flabdablet makes you his wife.
posted by benito.strauss at 10:07 AM on September 13, 2015 [19 favorites]

If I was him, and I knew I was on this trajectory, I'd have plonked down my $5 for a sockpuppet
posted by infini at 10:47 AM on September 13, 2015 [3 favorites]

like the way some people insist that "favorites" should be spelled "fauvouriutes."

Wait until you find out some Brits pronounce the surname "Featherstonehaugh" as "Fanshaw".
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 11:06 AM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

You're a MeFite until you hit the red button. Then you're an ex-MeFite, or the term I prefer to use, a MeFi alumnus.

I prefer MeFought.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 11:11 AM on September 13, 2015 [9 favorites]

....spelt "MeFeatherstonehaught."
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:13 AM on September 13, 2015 [9 favorites]

*prevents keyboard spillage just in time*
posted by infini at 11:16 AM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

....spelt "MeFeatherstonehaught."

But pronounced "throat-warbler mangrove"
posted by briank at 11:47 AM on September 13, 2015 [4 favorites]

In my imaginary version of Metafilter, Malcolm Tucker is the most prolific poster to the blue.
posted by michaelh at 12:55 PM on September 13, 2015 [6 favorites]

MeFought....spelt "MeFeatherstonehaught."

is this a variant of the penis tattoo joke?
posted by Namlit at 1:39 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

We're a community of made of usernames and aliases. There are 60,000+ of us, and we're a pretty erudite bunch. I think we can only say he's the known user to reach highest political office. I've always assumed we house, incognito, all kinds of notable folks. (Assigning jobs in political office to random posters based on individual posts is one of my favourite games. "You'll Never Guess What MetaFilter User Is Actually Madeline Albright!")

Also hats off to Tom and I am genuinely thrilled but just for context, UK politics is... flatter? than US politics. No doubt he will still take the Underground to work and still go to his local, and certainly his constituents can still book in to see him on a Friday to complain about housing wait lists, cracked pavements, and spotty rubbish collection. He will still get told off by irate nanas and get Christmas cards from his constituents. On top of the usual business of being an MP, the new gig is going to be a lot more party grind, and very little popular glamour.

But oh I hope he enjoys it, and oh, I hope he's extraordinary at it!
posted by DarlingBri at 4:14 PM on September 13, 2015

So which one of us is Donald Trump?
posted by double block and bleed at 4:40 PM on September 13, 2015 [2 favorites]

You'll Never Guess What MetaFilter User Is Actually Madeline Albright!")

Oh no you found me out
posted by The Whelk at 4:44 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh! the sef-linker. Heh, well done. Tom for deputy.
posted by unliteral at 5:58 PM on September 13, 2015

So which one of us is Donald Trump?

So. Many. Possibilities.
posted by Miko at 8:34 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh no you found me out

I just keep coming back to find out what pin you're wearing.
posted by Miko at 8:55 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

I imagine there are more people with the names of politicians than actual politicians.
posted by Glenn Grothman at 9:38 PM on September 13, 2015 [1 favorite]

You're a MeFite until you hit the red button. Then you're an ex-MeFite, or the term I prefer to use, a MeFi alumnus.

MeFite Emeritus.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:08 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

That title should be reserved for former mods.
posted by Too-Ticky at 5:51 AM on September 14, 2015 [5 favorites]

They're Moderators Emeritus.

Not to be confused with Moderators Anonymous, which has meetings around the world at local bars.
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:12 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

But pronounced "throat-warbler mangrove"

Raymond Luxury Yacht: I want to be on MetaFilter!

Interviewer: Well you can't.
posted by Celsius1414 at 11:20 AM on September 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

His advice on seeking political office. Didn't even get best answer.
posted by Segundus at 11:17 PM on September 14, 2015 [4 favorites]

Otoh, how many of the best answers won?
posted by infini at 2:18 AM on September 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

it makes me sad how non-applicable that advice is to American politics - even local.
posted by Miko at 6:52 AM on September 15, 2015