[pct-l] Williamson attempting to regain unsupported PCT

[Carol]

Reinhold. Just to clarify this one point, Diane did not call your *buddies* stupid. She said that she thought that the *records* were "kinda stupid." 

Dictionary.com lists five definitions for the word stupid: 

"stu·pid
[stoo-pid, styoo‐] Show IPA adjective, stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est, noun 
adjective
1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.
3. tediously dull, especially due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.
4. annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.
5. in a state of stupor; stupefied: stupid from fatigue."

It's really quite different to call a person stupid (definitions 1 and 5) than to say that a thing is stupid (definitions 2--4.) My guess is that she meant that they were pointless (definition 3.) 

Given that she has hiked the PCT and understands the wildly varying conditions that exist on an imaginary line that is constantly changing in many ways, I would think that Diane is thinking that there is no comparing one hike to another. That is just my guess. But one thing is sure: She did not call your buddies stupid. I could break her sentence down into its component parts in order to identify the noun that she was defining in her sentence, but that would be kinda stupid (definition 4, "annoying or irritating".)

Carol



On Sep 9, 2013, at 9:02 PM, Reinhold Metzger wrote:

> [pct-l] Williamson attempting to regain unsupported PCT
> 
> Diane,
> You are dancing in circles.
> The crazy thing I agree with, but when you call my buddies "STUPID"
> just because they challenge themselves to see how fast they can go,
> I take exception with that insult.
> I know Scott and Brian and many of the other speed hikers.
> They are not stupid..they just like challenging themselves a little
> more than you.
> 
> I think you owe all of them a apology.
> 
> Like I said...in nature not all things are created equal.
> Some of us are born with 4 cylinders, some of us are born with 8
> cylinders.
> There are tortoises and there are rabbits.
> The 4 cylinders and the tortoises will forever complain that the
> 8 cylinders and the rabbits are going to fast.
> Just because challenging yourself and speed hiking is not your cup
> of tea does not mean that those who do are "STUPID".
> Your way of hiking is not the one and only correct way.
> I say let the 4 cylinders and tortoises go on their journey their
> own merry way and let the 8 cylinders and rabbits roam down the
> trail at whatever speed.
> As long as they enjoy their journey, it does not matter what speed
> they are traveling at.
> 
> JMT Reinhold
> 
> -----------------------------------
> 
> Diane wrote:
> I don't think speed hikers are crazy. Well, all hikers are a little
> crazy, including me. I think doing a long trail as a record attempt
> is a silly thing to do so I have a only minor interest in it, and
> don't hold it to the esteem verging on worship that a lot of other
> people do. What is absolutely crazy, in my opinion, is seeing hiking
> a long trail as a sport with winners and losers, with people who
> succeed and people who fail.
> 
> On Sep 9, 2013, at 10:00 AM,pct-l-request at backcountry.net  <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>  wrote:
> 
>> /  From: "Dan Welch" <welchenergy at gmail.com  <http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l>>
> />/  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Williamson attempting to regain unsupported PCT
> />/
> />/  I think it's kind of amusing that thru hikers may consider speed
> />/  hikers a
> />/  bit crazy.  To the rest of the world thru hikers are more than a
> />/  bit crazy!!
> />/
> />/  To each, his own! (aka HYOH)
> />/  Timberline
> /
> 
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"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle." Philo of Alexandria, c. 20 BCE – 50 CE