薄熙来岳母 + 老兵

choi

(1) 薄熙来岳母给中央写信，求见女婿. VOA Chinese, Jan 16, 2013.
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 130116/1584789.html

My comment: Before I departed from Taiwan in 1984, I had not see 布礼. I do not know what it means, and I can not find its meaning in the Web.

(2) 钓岛之争若开战 谁再为国去卖命. VOA Chinese, Jan 16, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 130116/1584689.html
("星期二，在深圳人大会议期间，近百名曾参加1979年越战的老兵在会场外示威，要求解决退伍军人的社保问题")

Note: A few years ago, I was surprised to learn from New York Times that an American soldier who died in active duty did not recieve much. The deceased does get a government-funded funeral with honor guard, flag and all that, under Section 578 of Public Law 106-65 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2000.  
(a) James Barron, For Families of Fallen Soldiers, the 2nd Knock Brings $12,000. New York Times, Jan 26, 2005
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/nyregion/26gratuity.html
("death gratuity" began in 1908; "Everyone in the military is now automatically insured for $250,000 through a group life-insurance program that charges modest premiums"/ military now pays up to $6,900 for funeral expenses)

The amount has not been raised since.
(b) Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP); Regular Army: Active Duty; Benefit Fact Sheet. US Army, undated
http://myarmybenefits.us.army.mi ... vivor_Benefit_Plan_(SBP).html?serv=147Survivor
(table: Benefit Plan (SBP) Eligibility; heading: Continuing Eligibility)

But US Army does not pay much. Go to
http://www.goarmy.com/
and select the pull-down menu in the tag "Benefits" at the top horrizontal bar.


(3) 前六四学生告湖南司法厅拒发律师资格证. VOA Chinese, Jan 16, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 130115/1583946.html
(43岁的罗茜)

(4) 中国国产片票房的危机与转机. VOA Chinese, Jan 16, 2013
http://www.voachinese.com/conten ... 130115/1583938.html
("据中国国家广播电影电视总局的统计，2012年，全国电影票房收入170.7亿元，其中，国产片收入82.7 亿元，进口片收入87.9亿元")

My comment: This report as well as a few English-language reprots published by US media does not say if Chinese movie makers increase or decrease their box-office revenues in 2012, compared from a year or years ago. So there is no way for me to judge if Chinese studios are in financial trouble.