Jim strolls into the paint section of a hardware store and walks
 up to the assistant.
 
 "I'd like a pint of canary-colored paint," he says.
 
 "Sure," the clerk replies. "Mind if I ask what it's for?"
 
 "My parakeet," says Jim. "See, I want to enter him in a canary
 contest. He sings so sweet I know he's sure to win."
 
 "Well, you can't do that, man!" the assistant says. "The chemicals
 in the paint will almost certainly kill the poor thing!"
 
 "No they won't," Jim replies.
 
 "Listen, buddy, I'll bet you ten bucks your parakeet dies if you
 try to paint him."
 
 "You're on," says Jim.
 
 Two days later he comes back looking very sheepish and lays $10 on
 the counter.
 
 "So the paint killed him?"
 
 "Indirectly," says Jim. "He seemed to handle the paint okay, but
 he didn't survive the sanding between coats."