My son worked in the television/convention industry building and maintaining staging, lighting, often running cameras. They were having a "dress rehearsal" for one company's stockholder meeting which would include an evening banquet. At the close of a banquet speech, the CEO would make a statement like, "If we really stick together, this company can fly!" At that point, a cage of 30 trained doves would open from the ceiling and fly in formation around the room three times before returning to their cage.

Knowing just what birds can do, my son had misgivings; however, at the rehearsal the evening prior, everything went perfectly.

When the evening arrived, everything went according to plan, except that the meeting ran rather long. When the CEO came to the dramatic moment and made his statement, "This company can fly!" the heat had taken its toll. The cage flew open and out dropped 30 dead doves onto the tables, into the diners' plates, some still flopping as they gasped their last.

The only thing that "flew" was people leaving the dining hall.