But with more than 2, 000 acts in town playing numerous sets over the course of five days, it's best for musicians to think of SXSW instead as a gathering of peers who have already demonstrated their quality and are willing to measure success in increments.

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The hardest decisions, like whether to cancel a day or two of the four-day gathering or to or condense days, will be made at the last second, GOP officials said.

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The torch relay is an event, a happening, the social gathering of communities many of which don't unite round much else these days.

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The days of gathering around the television to watch whatever is being broadcast in a specific time slot are rapidly coming to an end.

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"I think with the improvements in battery technology they would sell better these days, " said Mr Whittle, who is bringing a number of the vehicles to the gathering to sell and offer test drives.

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