But even in San Francisco, reality sometimes intervenes, and before the autumn of 2001, economic downturn and dot-com overload brought the party to an end.

At the news conference today, Mr. Eyre said that each season began in perfect balance on the drawing board and that reality then intervened.

On August 15, Sharon said that, while he had hoped Israel could keep the Gaza settlements forever, reality simply intervened.

Political reality intervened.

Then reality intervened.

But reality soon intervened.

But reality intervened in the form of the Iran-Iraq war.

But technological and political realities intervened.

Just as the euphoria begins to sweep one away, however, the city's realities always intervene.

Then reality intervened like the closing of an iron-bound door.