Gillymor - wholly off topic, but your quote reminds me of a story a naval friend of mine likes to make. I don't know for sure if it was his own joke, a real story, or a widely read one. Usually, it went something like this:

I was on the deck a few weeks back when I saw a new greenhorn with a letter in his hand, rejoicing. 'What are you so happy about?' I asked him.

'Whale,' he said (imitating a rural drawl), 'I just got this here letter from home a-tellin' me that th' bathroom on the family farm burnt down.'

'Well, I don't see why you'd be celebrating about that!'

'Fortunate enough, they was able to put out the fire afore it reached the house.'