I collect funny stories because they are infallible 
indexes of public grievance. You cannot only predict, 
but pinpoint areas of grievance by the jokes that 
circulate. There are now floods of bilingual jokes, as 
well as Newfie jokes. Perhaps you have heard of the 
big Newfie breakthrough: the first hernia transplant 
. . . etc. The reason for the flood of Newfie jokes is 
quite simply the shift of the Newfoundland 
population from rural to urban areas. There is a new 
interface, creating much irritation. East Berliners 
express their grievances by pointing to the great 
Russian breakthrough: the crossing of glow-worms 
with body lice now permits the entire population of 
Russia to read Pravda in bed at night!