21.   Small in and of itself, that event came on top of accumulated global distress.

22.   Sports events come to you live, more often than not.

23.   So now the post-touchdown event had come down to a who-has-the-best-vertical-leap competition.

24.   The event came only hours after the IRA stated that it would not restore the cease-fire it abandoned last Friday.

25.   The event comes less than a week after Bush outlined a comprehensive energy policy that was shaped in part by the same lobbyists and executives.

26.   The facts are that the events are coming off, and most fans are having fun most of the time.

27.   The event comes amid growing investor disappointment at the performance of Internet startups such as Wired Ventures that rely chiefly on strong editorial to drive advertising or subscription revenue.

28.   The second watershed event came not a week later.

29.   The snowboarding event came on a day when heavy snow in the Nagano region continued to play havoc with the skiing schedule.

30.   Then came the event that would, quite unintentionally, establish its identity.