Ship of Fools: Memorable Asshole Drillings

Thread: Memorable Asshole Drillings Board: Erin / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by comet (# 10353) on :

Erin and I got along great.

Mostly.

Often.

Well, we actually did and our (relatively rare) emails were always fun and funny. But when you get two tempermental, opinionated, always-right, powerful warrior women in the same "place" there's bound to be conflict.

The beauty of our relationship was that both of us were pretty comfortable ripping into eachother for whatever reason and not worrying about hard feelings later.

The one I'm remembering at the moment: I pretty much hate TV the way Dawkins hates religion. The neverending tube talk on the american national thread in AS often puts me off so I'm not a regular.

Erin loved TV, or at least some of it.

I dont remember the setting, but I had my undies in a bunch over something or other and spouted off about how Americans only ever seem to talk about the fucking boobtube.

Whoops.

She tore me a new one. In the course of her diatribe she said that with such a big and diverse country, national programming was something we could actually have in common to talk about, and it was important to her to find common ground.

A good point.

I still hate TV but I respect the reasons people may want to bond over common ground.

I think I apologized. I hope I did.

What's your reaming story?

[ 05. January 2011, 03:53: Message edited by: comet ]

Posted by Tortuf (# 3784) on :

Erin and I talked when she was awaiting one of the many hurricanes that hit Florida. I was concerned about her well being more than she was at the time. Erin was waiting out the hurricane in a bar where she could get a good view.

I hope she has a wonderful view now.

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

I unwisely tried to defend Barry Bonds against his drug charges. I think Erin pretty much restricted her bile to Barry, but my delicate Spidey sense told me she thought I was an idiot.

I did take it back but am not sure if she saw it. It was months later when the scales fell from my eyes.

Oh and Barry? Screw you. She was right.

Posted by Tortuf (# 3784) on :

Now, to the reaming.

Erin never held back. She would let you know what she thought. Recently, I was lamenting what has happened to Hell and she let me have it with both barrels.

Even as she and I disagreed, I always knew that Erin was concerned about the long term viability of the Ship. Erin always saw the "larger picture" and never let that picture out of her mind. Would that the rest of us could say that.

Posted by Peppone (# 3855) on :

In her 'Guess I'm not a Christian any more' thread, way back.... when? ... I had the deep assholery to suggest that her OP was just 'theatre'.

Fuck! She was on me like terrier on a rat. I gabbled an apology.

That thread was one of the most wrenching I have ever read on the Ship, by the way.

Posted by Campbellite (# 1202) on :

I still have the tooth marks from an enocunter with Erin.

It was during the 2002 midterm elections, and I used the word "Rethuglicans" one time too many for her (in Purg). I was still rather wet behind the ears.

She told me to knock off the crap with that.

In my naivete, I replied, "Erin! I didn't know you cared! :sunny: <--- [smilie no longer available]

She replied, Are you was looking for shore leave?

"Oh, no. I'm just honored to receive a love-bite from your Gatorness."

I am reconstructing that exchange from memory, as the thread in question has long disappeared into the aether.

Posted by RooK (# 1852) on :

Erin made me apologize to the whole Ship after I had posted a particularly horrible and inappropriate attack against a Shipmate. There were no expletives. There was no yelling. But even as I re-read that email I get prickles, unable to shake the feeling of being a helpless mouse at the utter mercy of a big, scaly cat.

Seriously, if I was sane I would need therapy.

Posted by QLib (# 43) on :

Erin and I had a real go ding-dong when the UK and US first went into Afghanistan. I learned a lot from that thread, and particularly Erin's part in it, but it ended amicably.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

quote:
Originally posted by RooK:
There were no expletives. There was no yelling.

Yup - all I got was a 'Not you too, Chorister?', it was all that needed to be said. And far more effective than if she'd laid into me with those big, sharp teeth.

Posted by Robert Armin (# 182) on :

The first time I saw Erin in action sticks in my mind, as I had never seen anything like it before. We had a numerology freak on board, who has getting a roasting. He then picked on Erin - she should have been supporting him as they were both Southerners! I wish I could find her response, but it boiled down to: "You're a visitor in MY house, you don't tell ME how to behave".

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

God had better look out and pull his socks up, that's all I can say.

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :

Back when I was still an Apprentice, I posted a somewhat contraversial opinion about the death of Dr. Kelly.

Erin ripped into me like nothing I had ever known before, or since. In about twenty words she left me with the clear and certain knowledge that should I post such crap again my stay on this website would be measured in picoseconds. I apologised most profusely!

Posted by George Spigot (# 253) on :

We came to blows over a "difference of opinion" about the Iraq War. Later I made a spoof out of someone else's post 9/11 clip art comic that depicted Erin's avatar about to kick some ass. I remember smiling to myself when she mentioned she liked it so much she had stuck it to her fridge.

Rest in peace Erin.

Posted by Silver Faux (# 8783) on :

What Erin wrote was open and honest, if at times a bit scorching.
She would tell you in no uncertain terms if she was exasperated with your posting, or agreed with it.
As for me, she once referred to a comment as being part of my "drunken moronic ramblings;" in a far more complimentary mode, she stated that "even a blind squirrel can find a nut occasionally."

Mostly though, she just showed how deeply she cared about the boards, and was willing to put an amazing amount of time and effort where her mouth - and teeth - were.

Posted by Triple Tiara (# 9556) on :

I never had a major drilling from Erin, though I did sail close to the wind on occasion. There was one funny incident when I posted something, and ended by making a derogatory reference to something Erin had posted a few messages back. I clicked "Add reply", then quickly thought better of it and edited the post, removing the offending sentence. But I did not get away with it. The very next post, within seconds, was Erin saying "I saw that edit!"

I did recount on a thread a few years ago, about how the Ship impinged on daily life, the day I nearly crapped myself when our receptionist rang me and said "Father, there is a lady called Erin at the office who would like to have a word with you". I wondered what I had done!

Posted by Kelly Alves (# 2522) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Silver Faux:
Mostly though, she just showed how deeply she cared about the boards, and was willing to put an amazing amount of time and effort where her mouth - and teeth - were.

Bravo, dude. That is the bottom line.

Posted by Lynn MagdalenCollege (# 10651) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Peppone:
In her 'Guess I'm not a Christian any more' thread, way back.... when? ... <snip> ... That thread was one of the most wrenching I have ever read on the Ship, by the way.

Was that thread preserved anywhere on the Ship?

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

IIRC, the thread was in Hell at the time. I think it was when she was having severe problems with the Episcopal Church; also (don't remember if it was in that thread) she wanted to become Roman Catholic, but wouldn't because of the abuse scandal, etc.

Posted by Peppone (# 3855) on :

I can't remember if it was in Purgatory or Hell; I did search 'Oblivion', if that is that is the right place, but possibly my search terms were too exact.

I don't recall anything in there about joining the RC church! It was about the general horribleness of the Episcopal Church, but also a lot of hard searching about relationship with God. A tough read for me; and seemed to strike a chord with a lot of people - Sine Nomine? Scot? I remember them contributing quite a lot to it.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

I know she mentioned possibly going RC last year, IIRC. I think she may have also mentioned it on the thread in question.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

I think "To Hell With Your Evil Theology", from last July, may be the right thread, but it's no longer in Hell. But I searched on her number and on "abuse" and got a hit. FWIW.

I haven't been able to find the main thread we're looking for, either. Maybe it's stashed in the archive somewhere?

Posted by Peppone (# 3855) on :

I've tried searching for the '..not a Christian any more...' thread, but I'm not getting anywhere. It's very possible I'm not remembering the exact wording.

The thing about the drilling I got: it wasn't a mere case of 'don't question me!' Erin's drillings never were. They could be savage, but they had the effect of making you examine, at the least, what you'd just written and why. Sometimes, to examine more than that. The scalding memory of the rebuke has tempered nearlyeverything I've posted on the boards ever since.

She's not the only one that could do that / does that. I got a savage, sardonic ass kicking from Mousethief once that transformed the way I am a husband to my wife. ("All Crying is Blackmail" thread in Hell.) I think about that drilling a lot, still with shame.

(I'm posting away happily as if everyone remembers each of my personal postings on the the Ship! I don't mean it like that. [Hot and Hormonal]

)

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Some of Erin's posts/threads might be available at the Wayback Machine Internet Archive page for the Ship.

I don't have time to prowl through it, but maybe others can?

Posted by wilson (# 37) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Golden Key:
I think "To Hell With Your Evil Theology", from last July, may be the right thread, but it's no longer in Hell. But I searched on her number and on "abuse" and got a hit. FWIW.

Here's that thread in Limbo

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

And I've checked Google. Many threads are accessible there, and you can see the actual page with the "Cache" link after each hit.

Here's the Tiny URL to access the search results.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

Wilson--

Thanks for the link. Must've screwed up my search.

This is the particular post I was thinking of, about wanting to become RC but couldn't.

Posted by Triple Tiara (# 9556) on :

Yes, Erin mentioned quite a number of times that her heart wanted to be in the RC Church but that she found the leadership and over-zealous RC apologists put her off.

The occasion I remember most was when there was a discussion about confession and she could not understand how the seal of the Sacrament could be maintained if the issue was child abuse. She said she just could not get her head around it.

[ 06. January 2011, 09:47: Message edited by: Triple Tiara ]

Posted by Lynn MagdalenCollege (# 10651) on :

thank you, Peppone, Golden Key, and wilson, for seeking out the thread in question. I'll read through it (or chunks, at least) tomorrow because I'm starting to overload about now... [Tear]

Posted by Flausa (# 3466) on :

Am I the only one still thinking that if only I could say something stupid enough that she'd come back to slap me upside the head?

Posted by PeteC (# 10422) on :

I wish, Flausa. I wish.

Posted by Marvin the Martian (# 4360) on :

We all do.

Posted by Golden Key (# 1468) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Peppone:
I've tried searching for the '..not a Christian any more...' thread, but I'm not getting anywhere. It's very possible I'm not remembering the exact wording.

I was poking around last night on the threads I *could* find. I think it was probably in 2007 or 2008--IIRC, it was in the context of the Episcopal Church splitting off into the Anglican Church of America (?), and the various tangents of that. I searched on "Anglican America" on one of the boards, and found something from 2007.

So the thread you're looking for may still be out there somewhere.

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :

I think I can post this and I know I need to even if I don't know why. I have had very little engagement with Erin. The one time I remember is a thread in Purgatory. I said something was racist she said it wasn't we argued the point a little bit and went our separate ways without changing the way the other was thinking. It was all very two shipmates congenially disagreeing about something. Yes Erin had a bite. But Erin was a shipmate as well. You can remember Erin's bite, I shall remember Erin as a rousing and humorous shipmate who's posts were fun to read.

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :

Good point, rugasaw. Erin in Gator Mode was flashier and more memorable than Erin the shipmate.

But you're right. When she wasn't using her official teeth, she simply posted as a normal well-behaved shipmate. It's easy to forget that.

ETA: Oddly enough, with my memory like a sieve, I remember that exchange.

[ 08. January 2011, 00:02: Message edited by: jlg ]

Posted by Siegfried (# 29) on :

I learned some of my favorite insults from Erin--the choicest (and my personal favorite) being, "You're one load your momma should have swallowed!"

Posted by rugasaw (# 7315) on :

Wow, JLG I am impressed. I thought between how long ago it was and the relative ordinariness of the post nobody would remember it but me.

Posted by jlg (# 98) on :

Well, it's not a clear memory of what points were made, just that both of you had valid points and you were both arguing very respectfully but with personal passion and I couldn't choose a side to agree with.

If you ever need a witness in court, you definitely don't want me!

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