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MUNIR AKRAM   —  PUBLISHED on Oct 18 2015 PRIME Minister Nawaz Sharif will be in Washington next week for a ‘working visit’. Normally, this would be a good opportunity for him to secure official and private-sector American cooperation to accelerate Pakistan’s economic development. With improved security and a relatively stable macro-economic environment, Pakistan is well placed today to promote rapid, investment-led growth. Unfortunately, after recovering from the crisis created by America’s ‘kinetic’ actions in 2011 (Raymond Davis, the Abbottabad incursion and the Salala attack), the Pakistan-US relationship appears to be headed for another showdown. The first ominous signs emerged during US National Security Adviser, Susan Rice’s visit to Islamabad several weeks ago, during which threats of halting reimbursements for Pakistani counterterrorism operations were held out unless Islamabad acted more forcefully against the Haqqani network. Simultaneously, proposa...

Jan. 18th, 2014             Photos Courtesy of Sony There were a lot of cool things at this year's CES, but my favorite is probably  Sony's new 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector . Unlike other projectors, this one doesn't have to be mounted on the ceiling or anywhere else far back from the surface area it's projecting upon. As anyone who has ever stood up in front of one of those models knows, that setup isn't necessarily ideal — well, not unless you  really  like making shadow puppets. Breaking tradition, Sony designed their Ultra Short Throw Projector to sit right up against whatever surface you're using as a screen (whether it be an actual screen or just a white wall). The streamlined design is sleek and unassuming, able to fit into whatever décor theme you may have in your home — or even outside on a covered patio.  From as close as 20 inches, the company promises that the unit will beam a 66" to 147" 4K...

A NYC Taxi driver wrote: I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the w...