But watching and waiting in the sun is no easy task, and snacks and water breaks are hard to come by.

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So to all those getting worked up about them, just sit back and let nature take its course, safe in the knowledge that the only thing more certain than Hear'Say breaking up, is the fact that there will be five more new manufactured bands waiting to take their place in the sun for a few months.

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As thousands of bused-in police academy cadets gathered along the route to prepare for the procession, Olivero and his wife, Yelitza Acuna, hid from the sun while waiting in a block-long line to buy flour, coffee, butter and other food staples they said have been hard to come by for about two years.

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It seemed only minutes later, with the sun barely on the treetops, that the carriages were waiting out front.

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There is little doubt, however, that the software giant is warily waiting for Google and Sun's next move.

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The reason the eye sees the flash as green, according to Dr Young, is that someone waiting to watch it will usually have been staring at the setting sun for several minutes.

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What everyone has been waiting for is something as rare as a simultaneous eclipse of the sun and the moon: a time when the four Beatles (and their widows), both Apple companies and EMI are all on the same side.

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