Personal Ponderings

Inspired by a recently received grand bathroom reader (True Remarkable Occurrences; John Train, Clarkson N. Potter) I began wondering about some common figures of speech than do nor make any sense. To read this fine book, I go and take a dump. I can also take a whiz in the snow out back. Take it where? Is it just lying around somewhere it should not be? One would think we would wish to leave such things, not take them with us.
Recently I have noticed the phrase "on the ground" cropping up all over the place - my morning paper, the radio, TV; everybody is citing "sources on the ground " or "activists on the ground", or "facts on the ground". Even NPR and the BBC do this. So are there airborne activists, sources and facts? That fly around and look at stuff? Why don't we ever hear from them? Perhaps some are in the rivers and oceans? Why not just say where these sources etc. actually are? Of course they are on the ground, unless they are birds or drones. Or fish.

Activist on the ground?

Here is something else I ponder- do deaf people worry about the sounds of flatulence? Does being deaf enhance the sense of smell enough to give them the same joy of flatulence that hearing people have from the sound of a robust release of pent up wind?

Just a few items to occupy the mind on a cold winter day.