On 19/09/2011 10:40 AM, Invisible wrote:
>
> I wasn't aware that I was.


Well I for one, don’t like being referred to as a nutcase.

> I'm just exasperated that I asked a simple
> question who's meaning is obvious, and yet people are splitting hairs
> over semantic quibbles.

Therein lies the problem. You think the meaning is obvious and others, 
myself included, read it differently.

> (Which I guess just means that nobody actually
> knows the answer... which is cool, I guess.)
>

I think that you have been given the answer.

>
> And when I say "it's raining cats and dogs here", I don't /literally/
> mean that small quadrupedal carnivorous mammals are accelerating towards
> the surface of the Earth due to the local spacetime deformations caused
> by the Earth's immense mass. What I *actually* mean is that we're
> experiencing copious quantities aqueous precipitation in the lower
> troposphere.
>
Yes that is an idiom which is a colloquial metaphor. Well understood.

> People do this ALL THE TIME. Our language is full of phrases that don't
> /literally/ mean what they say, or that say one thing which is really an
> imprecise summary of a much more complicated idea, but everybody
> understands what that idea is so it's fine.
>

Indeed idioms are fine, a blind friend of mine will say. “I’ll see you 
next week.” Even though he cannot see. The meaning is understood.
The problem here arises with the topic. Using “designed” or 
“deliberately manufacture” implies sentience in the changing of the 
object whether by an internal or external power. Since life forms cannot 
grow or cause their offspring to grow, say bigger teeth or a more 
virulent poison, just by wishing it. That only leaves a godlike power to 
intervene. Hence everyone is picking you up on it.
Has anyone written to say that they agree with you? And assuming that it 
isn’t beat Andrew up, week. Does that not tell you something?

> And if that makes me an idiot... well, I guess I'll go sit quietly in
> the corner. I'm almost sorry I even asked.

I bet you are and you're not. :-P

-- 
Regards
     Stephen

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