Woman sees image of Jesus on her iron

A Massachusetts woman who recently separated from her husband and had her hours cut at work says an image of Jesus Christ she sees on her iron has reassured her that "life is going to be good."

Mary Jo Coady first noticed the image Sunday when she walked into her daughter's room.

The brownish residue on the bottom of the iron looks like the face of a man with long hair.

The 44-year-old Coady was raised Catholic. She and her two college-age daughters agree that the image looks like Jesus and is proof that "he's listening."

Coady tells The Eagle-Tribune she hopes her story will inspire others during the holidays. She says she plans to keep the iron in a closet and buy a new one.

Understanding the pros and cons of health overhaul

Maybe you've been reading the health care bill in your spare time. Then perhaps you can answer this question:

If Congress makes history and puts a bill on President Barack Obama's desk by Christmas, how long before the uninsured get medical coverage?

If you said three years or more, you'd be right. Yet many people don't realize that to keep costs down, lawmakers made compromises that might not appeal to consumers.

"There's going to be a long period of great expectations and very modest deliveries," said economist Robert Reischauer, president of the Urban Institute public policy center. That's assuming Democrats prevail.

Some questions and answers on the House-passed bill and the version the Senate will begin debating in the week ahead; both measures were written by Democrats:

Q: How many people would be covered?

A: The Senate bill would cover 94 percent of eligible Americans under age 65; under the House bill, it's 96 percent.

That's a major improvement over the 83 percent now covered, but the safety net would have holes.

Some 16 million eligible people would remain uninsured under the Senate bill and 12 million under the House bill, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That's not counting illegal immigrants, who would not be eligible for government assistance under either bill.

Both bills would eventually require Americans to get health insurance, or face fines.

Q: Why don't lawmakers just provide coverage for everyone?

A: Part of the reason is it would cost more, at least $250 billion over 10 years. The president wants to keep the total cost to about $900 billion. But it means workers and their families would be more than twice as likely to be uninsured as older people, virtually all of whom are now covered by Medicare.

Q: How affordable is the new middle-class coverage going to be?

A: It depends.

Most people would remain in their employer plans. Self-employed people and those working in small businesses would be able to buy coverage through a new insurance marketplace, with government subsidies available for many.

The aid is substantial for lower-income households, but drops off rapidly for the middle class.

Under the House bill, a family of four headed by a 45-year-old making $44,000 a year would pay roughly $2,400 in premiums, or $200 a month, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

A similar family making $66,000 would pay about $6,580 in premiums, or about $550 a month.

That's a bargain compared to current rates, which can top $1,000 a month, but it still may be too much for some family budgets. About one-third of the uninsured say they'd be able to pay $200 a month in premiums, and only 7 percent say they can afford $400.

Q: Twenty-year-olds don't have many health problems. Would they be required to get coverage?

A: You bet.

Unmarried children could stay on their parents' plan until age 27 in the House bill, 26 in the Senate plan. That change would start in 2010.

But those buying coverage for themselves could be in for sticker shock. Insurers now charge the young and healthy much less than middle-age people who are more likely to get sick. Under both bills, age-related premiums would be limited. So the young would pay more than they do now.

"The people who are going to do best are older people with a problematic medical history," said health policy expert Paul Ginsburg, of the Center for Studying Health System Change.

Q: These bills are going to ban pre-existing conditions, right?

A: Yes, but not immediately.

Both bills would forbid insurers from denying coverage to people in poor health or charging them more. That would happen in 2013 under the House bill, and 2014 in the Senate's.

The reason for the delay is that it would be unfair to require insurers to take all applicants right away. The sick would sign up, but healthy people would probably wait until they faced the threat of government fines. Such a situation could raise premiums for everyone.

Q: So if I have a health care problem, I might still have to wait three years to four years for coverage?

A: At Obama's request, lawmakers tried to take care of that by setting aside $5 billion for temporary "high-risk" insurance pools to provide affordable coverage for people whose health is frail.

But there's a problem with the patch.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the money would run out in 2011 unless Congress pumps in more cash.

Q: Older people are concerned about what's going to happen to Medicare. Should they be?

A: Even though cuts in Medicare payments to hospitals and other providers are paying for much of the cost of covering the uninsured, benefits under traditional Medicare aren't reduced.

But those who've signed up for private insurance plans through Medicare Advantage could lose valuable extra benefits, according to the budget office.

For years, the government has been paying the private plans more than it costs traditional Medicare to deliver similar services. The plans used the money to provide extra benefits — mainly lower copayments and deductibles.

Both bills offer cheaper prescription drugs to those who fall into the "doughnut hole," the Medicare coverage gap. The House bill gradually would eliminate the gap. Both bills also provide better coverage for preventive care.

Treat HIV patients sooner

People infected with the virus that causes AIDS should start treatment earlier than currently recommended, the World Health Organization said Monday.

The U.N. agency issued new guidance advising doctors to start giving patients AIDS drugs a year or two earlier than usual. The advice could double the number of people worldwide who qualify for treatment, adding an extra 3 to 5 million patients to the 5 million already awaiting AIDS drugs.

WHO's previous HIV treatment advice was published in 2006. Since then, several studies have shown people with HIV who start drugs earlier than recommended have a better chance of surviving.

WHO now advises doctors to start HIV patients on drugs when their level of CD4 cells — a measure of the immune system — is about 350. Previously they said doctors should wait until patients' levels hovered around 200. In most Western countries, doctors start treating HIV patients when their CD4 count is about 500.

David Ross, an AIDS expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said there is compelling evidence HIV patients should start treatment sooner. People with HIV who aren't on AIDS drugs are more likely to catch a potentially fatal disease like tuberculosis or develop other complications when they do start the drugs, Ross said.

WHO's new recommendations also advise pregnant women with HIV to take the drugs earlier and while breast-feeding. The agency also said countries should phase out the use of the commonly used AIDS drug stavudine because of its toxic side effects. If countries with large outbreaks adopt the guidance, many more people could live longer, healthier lives, said Hiroki Nakatani, a top WHO official in a statement.

Still, WHO's advice raises questions about how countries and donor agencies will pay for the lifelong AIDS treatment. About 4 million people worldwide are receiving AIDS drugs, but another 5 million are still waiting in line. With its new recommendations, WHO guessed that another 3 to 5 million people now qualify for the drugs.

It may also be difficult to convince HIV patients to start the drugs sooner, when some may not have any AIDS symptoms. Putting more patients on the treatment for a longer period of time could also encourage drug resistance.

Ross said many AIDS programs in Africa are already struggling. He added there were anecdotal reports of clinics turning away new patients eligible for treatment because they didn't have enough drugs to treat them.

Some experts said the new WHO guidance could add billions to the cost of global AIDS programs. "WHO may be biting off more than they can chew," said Philip Stevens, a director at International Policy Network, a London-based think tank. "I'm not sure how this will be possible to achieve, other than by cutting lots of corners," he said.

Australia welcomes giant pandas with city party

Two giant pandas from China were welcomed to Australia on Saturday with gifts of bamboo and a city party before settling into their new home, a 25-acre (10-hectare) natural enclosure at the Adelaide Zoo.

Four-year-old male Wang Wang and 3-year-old female Fu Ni are on loan to the zoo for 10 years as part of a joint research program, and their arrival comes amid slightly strained relations between China and Australia.

"It's a dream come true," said zoo CEO Chris West. "It's a journey ended and a journey started."

Twelve life-size panda figures lined the runway at the Adelaide airport, where the animals' flight was met by state Premier Mike Rann and other state and zoo officials holding a "Welcome" sign and branches of bamboo.

An 18-vehicle convoy of floats then left the airport for downtown Adelaide, where a parade through the streets was followed by a public party lasting all afternoon.

The pandas were given a police escort to the zoo, which built an 8 million Australian dollar ($7.25 million) enclosure that includes bamboo plants and refrigerated rocks to keep them comfortable in Adelaide's hot summers. Two Chinese handlers traveled with the pandas and will stay in Adelaide for a few months to help with their adjustment.

"They're in the quarantine area and they're very happy and relaxed," zoo spokeswoman Emily Rice said as they animals settled in to their new quarters, stretching their legs and munching on fruit.

The pandas will be in quarantine at the zoo for 30 days, but will be visible to the public behind glass when their exhibit opens Dec. 14.

West said the pandas are expected to generate more than AU$600 million for the South Australia state economy during their time here, with an anticipated 262,000 overseas visitors and 1.3 million Australians visiting Adelaide to see the animals.

China often sends gifts of its unofficial national mascot to foreign nations as a sign of friendship. Chinese President Hu Jintao offered the pandas as a goodwill gesture during a 2007 visit to Australia.

However, relations have recently become strained between the countries, with Beijing upset over alleged Australian government restrictions on Chinese investment in mining, and the arrest of an Australian mining executive in China.

The two pandas had been living at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Breeding Center in Ya'an City in southwestern Sichuan province, after the Wolong Giant Panda Research Center where they were living was destroyed in a massive earthquake last year.

Only about 1,600 of the animals live in the wild, while another 120 are in Chinese breeding facilities and zoos.

China uses payments from zoos that host loaned pandas to fund research and breeding programs. Under such loan agreements, any panda cubs born overseas to lent animals remain China's property.

5 dead from swine flu at hajj

Five people died from swine flu during the hajj, Saudi Arabia said Sunday, a relatively small number considering the event is the largest annual gathering in the world and is seen as an ideal incubator for the virus.

But some experts warned the true extent of the virus will not be known until pilgrims return to their home countries around the world.

Speaking on the final day of the Islamic pilgrimage, Abdullah al-Rabeeah said authorities recorded 73 cases — including the five deaths — of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu. He said only 10 percent of the some 2.5 million pilgrims were vaccinated against the virus.

"Our safety precautions have secured a very successful and safe hajj for pilgrims from around the world with no infectious disease outbreaks," al-Rabeeah said.

Saudi officials, along with American and international health experts, worked to curb any outbreak during the hajj. Health officials circulated among the sprawling tent camp at Mina where the pilgrims lived and gave the faithful cheek swabs for testing later. They also placed hand sanitizer dispensers on walls in the camps, near public bathrooms and at ritual sites, while pilgrims arriving at Saudi airports were scanned using a thermal camera and offered a free vaccine.

But authorities also are using the pilgrimage as a test case to build a database, watch for mutations and look for lessons on controlling the flu at other large gatherings like the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa.

Despite the relatively minor impact of the virus during the hajj, some experts warn there could be cases reported among pilgrims when they return home.

Al-Rabeeah brushed aside such concerns Sunday, saying some pilgrims have been in the country for almost a month, far longer than the weeklong incubation period.

"They've had enough time to show symptoms of swine flu, and that hasn't happened," he said.

But he also stressed Saudi authorities will continue to monitor pilgrims until they leave the country, and urged other countries monitor the pilgrims upon their return home.

On Sunday, Muslim pilgrims performed the hajj's final ritual at the cube-shaped Kaaba — Islam's holiest shrine.

After three days of throwing stones at walls in the desert valley of Mina in a symbolic rejection of Satan's temptation, millions of pilgrims crammed into buses and trucks for the short trip back to Mecca to circle the Kaaba, marking the traditional end of the hajj.

Many of the men making the pilgrimage had shed their traditional white robes in favor of Western clothing. Many had shaved heads, done on the first day of stoning as a symbol of renewal.

The Muslims believe that they are cleared of all sins if they perform a sincere pilgrimage.

A total of 2.5 million pilgrims attended the hajj this year, the governor of the Mecca region, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, told a news conference, according to the state-run SPA news agency.

Saudi officials earlier had said they expected this year's attendance to be higher than last year's 3 million. But for days, there have been reports that real attendance was lower because of swine flu fears, and Saudi Arabia had recommended that the elderly and very young not come because they are more vulnerable to the virus.

GPS cell phone apps challenge standalone devices

The growth of cell phones with global-positioning technology is making life uncertain for the makers of personal navigational devices that help drivers figure out where they are and where to go.

Manufacturers of standalone GPS products will have to move quickly and smartly to transform their dumb map readers into intelligent devices that can provide a host of services such as traffic avoidance.

Otherwise, they risk obsolescence in a future in which customers view navigation as simply one more application for their phones. Some of the newer apps already closely match what basic, dashboard-mounted gadgets can do.

"You have to redefine the category somewhat, like what Apple did with the iPod Touch," said Ross Rubin, technology analyst for research firm The NPD Group. "That turned it from something that was just a media player into something that accessed the Web."

Garmin, TomTom and other makers of satellite navigational devices could take a lesson from camera makers, which have convinced consumers that they still need standalone devices because there is a significant drop in quality with cameras built into cell phones.

Those GPS manufacturers now must make a similar argument for their devices or add enough extra services to give shoppers a reason to buy.

But there are unique challenges for gadgets primarily used while driving.

"The driver's attention should be on the road, not checking his or her Facebook," Rubin said.

Manufacturers already have begun broadening their GPS products, adding wireless technology to some of their top-end devices to provide up-to-the-minute traffic data, nearby gas prices and weather information. Research firm Berg Insight estimates that more than 80 percent of navigational devices will have wireless capability by 2015.

Other products, particularly pricey units built into a vehicle's dashboard, are coming with the ability to play digital audio files or act as an Internet hub for the driver and passengers.

These features could give manufacturers new revenue streams, as they'd be able to justify monthly subscription fees, which they don't currently charge for basic mapping and directions.

Satellite navigation devices have changed in recent years from being $1,000-and-up toys mostly for the affluent technorati to tools costing less than $200 and used by truckers, rental car customers and errand-running parents.

Although the economic slowdown has hampered sales somewhat, those devices are still popular. Research firm In-Stat estimates that worldwide unit sales will rise 19 percent this year from 2008 and grow 13 percent next year. The NPD Group says U.S. sales are up 4 percent to 4.7 million through September from the same nine months in 2008.

But cell phones are now offering similar GPS-based navigational features — for free on devices with software from one of the Internet's top brands.

Google Inc. recently introduced a free application that calls out turn-by-turn directions, just like the standalone devices do, letting motorists concentrate on driving without having to constantly look at the phone for written directions. The app was launched on the Droid phone for Verizon Wireless a few weeks ago and expanded this past week to include myTouch 3G and the G1 for T-Mobile.

The three main wireless providers, AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp., also sell their own turn-by-turn mapping applications for $9.99 per month — or include the apps in an unlimited data plan.

Besides helping wireless carriers poach potentially thousands of customers, cell phones will likely also accelerate the decline in prices for navigational device — already down 25 percent from last year to an average of $175, according to NPD.

Normally, that means the standalone devices pay for themselves in about a year and a half, as consumers avoid monthly fees for the basic features.

Google's freebie changes the dynamics.

Investors are certainly spooked, greeting Google's Oct. 28 announcement by hammering shares of Garmin Ltd. and TomTom NV. Garmin shares have fallen 22 percent from a high of $39.58 a little more than a month ago. TomTom shares are about half their 52-week high of $13.65.

Company officials acknowledge the increased competition but say their devices still enjoy distinct advantages over cell phones: They have easier-to-use controls and screens that are bigger and can include more information. Maps also are built into the machines and won't suddenly disappear when the wireless network goes hazy.

Standalone devices "will still be an important way for consumers to get directions," said Ted Gartner, a spokesman for Garmin, which is based in the Cayman Islands but has its headquarters in Olathe, Kan. "We're not going anywhere."

But Frank Dickson, vice president of research at In-Stat, said customers who have never used a personal navigation device or don't travel often into unfamiliar areas might not care about the quality difference. They'd be more apt to demand additional functions and value to offset the higher upfront cost of a dedicated device.

At the same time, device makers are trying to make inroads in the cellular market. Both Garmin and TomTom, based in the Netherlands, sell $99 applications for smart phones.

"We consider ourselves to be very portable and we look forward to the growth of navigation across the board," said Tom Murray, vice president of market development for TomTom's U.S. division.

Garmin went one step further this fall, introducing the nuvifone, a cell phone with many of the features of the company's line of devices. Sold though AT&T, the nuvifone has been disappointing, but Garmin says it will release newer versions, including one next year for phones running Android, the Google-made operating system on which Google's own mapping application can run.

In-Stat's Dickson warns that entering the cell phone market may be a mistake because navigational device makers should emphasize their expertise in mapping software and location-based services.

"I can't help but think they're going to get a butt-kicking," Dickson said. "Let's focus on being the best navigation device maker that we can be and if we can integrate some of those other functions, like instant messaging or voice connectivity, then we can do that."

Hawaii among several destinations luring Chinese

HONOLULU – Hawaii, California and Las Vegas are among American tourist destinations vying fiercely for a vast and largely untapped new market segment.

Yes, to be a Chinese tourist these days is to be a widely-sought traveler.

Hawaii has beaches and its famed "aloha spirit" as its siren call. Las Vegas offers gambling and its entertainment-oriented attractions. San Francisco can boast high-end shopping and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Beset by one of the worst recessions in decades, the U.S. destinations are spending significant sums on marketing campaigns in China's most populous regions, and are urging U.S. embassy officials and Chinese airlines to ease the logistical burdens of flying to the United States.

The payoff could be substantial — particularly in Hawaii, the closest U.S. destination to China but which is, at least for now, harder for the Chinese to reach by air.

"It could be huge" for Hawaii, said Ted Sturdivant, who has long published a Hawaii travel guide for Chinese, Japanese and other foreign tourists.

Attracting more Chinese tourists "will bring back a lot of jobs" to Hawaii, Gov. Linda Lingle said recently, after returning from a tourism and economic mission to China.

About a half-million Chinese traveled to all U.S. destinations last year, and that number is expected to grow by double digits in each of the next four years mainly because of China's growing economy and new wealth, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Tourism officials note that the Chinese middle and upper classes each rivals the size of the entire U.S. population, so luring just a fraction would produce huge numbers.

"Everybody looks at China and sees a country with 1.3 billion people and a growing economy, and they say, 'Oh my God, it's the greatest travel market that ever was,'" said Frank Haas, an instructor at the School of Travel Industry Management at the University of Hawaii.

Hawaii's tourism market has generally been propped up by two regions — the U.S. West Coast and Japan. Both market segments declined this year, as did the number of Chinese visitors — this despite a late 2007 agreement that China and U.S. signed lifting some travel barriers.

To lure the Chinese, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has budgeted a total of nearly $2.7 million this fiscal year for marketing there and in Korea, said David Uchiyama, HTA's vice president of marketing. That includes $447,000 to participate in the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, which begins in May.

But for the Chinese traveler, preparations for a trip to the U.S. can still be a hassle. Only the U.S. embassy in Beijing and four consulates located mostly on China's eastern coast handle visa applications, which require an in-person interview. However, traveling in groups, which tourism experts say Chinese prefer, can ease those impediments.

Then there is getting to the United States. There are non-stop flights from Beijing and other Chinese cities to popular U.S. destinations, but Hawaii is not among them. Traveling to Hawaii usually means a stop at busy Narita Airport outside Tokyo.

That could change next year if China-based Hainan Airlines follows through with plans to begin flying to Honolulu from Beijing non-stop. Even so, Hainan at first will fly only once a week to Hawaii. In comparison, Japan has about a dozen daily flights to the islands.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also is eying Hainan, said John Bischoff, a vice president with the organization. The authority may be interested in a deal in which Hainan passengers stop in Hawaii on their way to Las Vegas or during their return to China, he said.

The Chinese tend to travel to the United States for multiple weeks, so it's to the advantage of U.S. tourism officials to cooperate on tour packages and travel agent training, Bischoff said.

However the Chinese get to Hawaii, the islands are counting on them not to be frugal. Chinese travelers spend more than counterparts from any other country — about $7,200 per person per trip, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

But Hawaii's tourism industry knows it needs to make the islands more culturally inviting to the Chinese. Many hotels, restaurants and retail stores have offered Japanese-speaking clerks for years, along with signs and menus in Japanese. Such aid is infrequently provided in Mandarin.

At the request of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Kapiolani Community College, located just outside the tourist hub of Waikiki, has begun offering classes in basic Chinese phrases and customs to travel industry employees.

"What we're really doing with China is sort of just scratching the surface a little bit deeper...and (trying) to get to the level of comfort we presently have with our Japanese visitors," said Barry Wallace, executive vice president for Outrigger hotels.

California drew 237,000 Chinese visitors last year. State and local tourism officials are meeting counterparts in China and offering new travel packages that brand the Golden State as a "dream destination."

Las Vegas' marketing efforts focus less on gaming, since the Chinese can easily travel to Macau for that, said Bischoff. Instead, Vegas highlights entertainment and sightseeing attractions, including the Grand Canyon Skywalk located 122 miles away, which was built by a Chinese American businessman.

"Estimates are," Bischoff added, "that the Chinese tourist market is one of our brightest increasing sources of tourists."