college friend was forced to leave skool for a semeser to pay off bookies . however, he did provide this classic example of fatalism. - when playin poker, anytime someone bitched about a bad beat Joe would unsympathetically say "F!^%k ya if ya can't take a joke " trying to steam the guy . I never thought it funny Until - at Wheeling Downs horsetrack Joe bet his last and only $800 on a 14-1 shot (a tip from a guy who had hit before) with our bookie . This was it for Joe . He owed the book 5 grand- if he wins he's clear with the book - if he loses he drops out and it's off to work in the steel mills . BTW, this was in 1969 . So we drive off To Wheeling to watch the race . joe's horse finishes neck and neck . it takes an agonizing amount of time for the results to post - Joe's horse lost . He wants to wait to see the photo . We go over to the wall where they'll put it up . Noone's talking cuz we know Joe's situation . I'm standing next to him when they post the photo . Joe and I are first in line - he stares at it a good 30 seconds(closest photo finish i've ever seen) and then I hear it - a barely audible whisper - "F!^%k me if 'I' can't take a joke"