‘I’d rather flip burgers than flip dead bodies out of a pickup truck'


Blasts from NL's past

— The Harbour Grace Standard, April 13th, 1895.
“A minister wished to ascertain what influence the hard times had upon his congregation, and said at the close of the sermon, ‘I would ask everyone who is still able to pay his debts to rise from his seat.’ The whole congregation arose, with the exception of one man. The parson then asked that all those who were unable to meet their bills should rise. Thereupon the aforementioned solitary individual got up, whose features revealed a terrible struggle of one fighting hopelessly against the vicissitudes of this world. The minister regarded him attentively, yet kindly. ‘How is it my friend,’ he said, ‘that you are the only person who cannot pay his debts?’ Sir, I publish a newspaper, and these, my brothers who rose just now, are all subscribers and —' but the minister interrupted him hastily. 'Let us pray,' he said."

— Sunday Herald, St. John’s. April 13th, 1947.
“Liquor Rationing in NFLD May Never End — The two bottle a week liquor rationing, which has been in force in Newfoundland since the start of the war, due to a possible shortage of liquor, may indeed become a definite rationing policy in this country. Newfoundlanders, on a percentage basis, consumed very little alcohol up to 1939, but with the influence of troops and outside interests, as well as the increasing earning power of the average Newfoundlander, allowed greater consumption of alcoholic beverages to such an extend that now liquor consumption is at an all-time high in Newfoundland."

— The Gander Tymes, April 26th, 1979.
“Gander’s Recreation Committee has signed a contract to bring The Johnny Cash Show to Gander. Johnny and his Company will perform at Gander Gardens on Saturday, May 12. Tickets for the event are priced at $8.50. The Committee feels that all those interested in seeing the star will get an opportunity to do so, because if there’s a great enough demand, Johnny will perform a second show the same evening.

— The Labrador South Review, Red Bay and Forteau, April 25th, 1981.
"The Canada Works decade of the 1970s cut to the very roots of our pride and dignity and sapped our independence, striking most severely at the younger members of our society. We were taught, carefully, explicitly, and repeatedly that Government would give us all we needed.
•••
“I may only catch the dumb ones.”
— Memorial University professor Robert Lewis on students who plagiarize (April 17-23rd, 2005 Independent).
•••
“I hope they’re not doing it for the paycheques because my God, I’d rather flip burgers than flip dead bodies out of a pickup truck.”
— Luc Levesque, Gulf War veteran on Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan. (April 30th, 2006 Independent.)
•••
“That’s my motto (to outlive the assholes). I’ve got a T-shirt … they’re like dust mites, there’s millions of them.”
— Retiring CBC personality Anne Budgell on the Crown corporation’s executive management, April 20th, 2007 Independent.

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