The most complex and best illustrated English book of its time, it recounted in detail the experiences of hundreds of people who were burnt alive for their religious beliefs. John N. King offers the most comprehensive investigation yet of the compilation, printing, publication, illustration, and reception of the Book of Martyrs. He charts its reception across different editions by learned and unlearned, sympathetic and antagonistic readers. The many illustrations included here, most of which are reproduced for the first time, introduce readers to the visual features of early printed books and general printing practices both in England and continental Europe, and enhance this important contribution to early modern literary studies, cultural and religious history, and the history of the book.
The most complex and best illustrated English book of its time, it recounted in detail the experiences of hundreds of people who were burnt alive for their religious beliefs. John N. King offers the most comprehensive investigation yet of the compilation, printing, publication, illustration, and reception of the Book of Martyrs. He charts its reception across different editions by learned and unlearned, sympathetic and antagonistic readers. The many illustrations included here, most of which are reproduced for the first time, introduce readers to the visual features of early printed books and general printing practices both in England and continental Europe, and enhance this important contribution to early modern literary studies, cultural and religious history, and the history of the book.
Kent Couch and Fareed Lafta had said they hoped to clear at least 400 miles, which would mean a landing somewhere near southwestern Montana on Sunday morning, but ended up landing about 30 miles northeast of their starting point, flight organizer Mark Knowles told The Associated Press.
This afternoon, slow winds carried them off course to Washington State. Couch told ABC News from 11,000 feet in the air that he was "very disappointed in the wind speeds" and that they were making "not very good progress."
"We are only going 3 miles an hour at 11,000 feet," Couch said.
To land, Couch and Lafta used a Red Ryder BB rifle to shoot out enough balloons to help them have a smooth landing.
If they had remained aloft for longer than 13 and a half hours, they would have beaten the world record.
Eight hundred pounds of ballast, in the form of barrels of red Kool-Aid, were on board with the men. They were also equipped with a GPS, a satellite phone and parachutes.
"It seems simple -- you know, just putting some balloons on a lawn chair and taking off, but it gets a little more complicated than that," Couch said.
The pair plans to embark on another flight together in the fall, this time in Iraq.
"The ultimate goal is to do this in Iraq and do a fundraiser to raise awareness for the orphans in Iraq," Couch said. "There's over three and a half million of them over there that are just, you know, victims of their civil war."
In 2008, Couch gained national attention when he floated 235 miles from Oregon to Idaho in a solo flight in his balloon-carried lawn chair.
"It's just an awesome thing to be able to go up, float just like a cloud would, and just float along the earth, no noise whatsoever," he said. "If you're going 50 miles an hour, you're going as the wind goes, so you don't have any wind on your face, it's just, it's just like you're paralyzed up there in the sky, just floating along. It's an amazing feeling."
Also ReadWASHINGTON – Mortgage rates have skated near record lows for weeks. But now it can finally be said: Long-term rates in the United States have never been lower.
This week, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 4.01 percent, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said in its weekly report. That's the lowest since it began keeping records in 1971.
For months, Freddie had pointed to data from the National Bureau of Economic Research showing that rates were lower in the early 1950s, when long-term mortgages typically lasted just 20 or 25 years.
But Freddie says that's no longer true: Today's average 30-year rate is even lower than the average 20- or 25-year rate was in the 1950s.
The NBER's data show that between July 1950 and February 1951, long-term rates averaged 4.08 percent. Today's average 30-year rate is 4.01 percent. Both are higher once you include the extra fees most buyers pay. Those fees are called points; one point equals 1 percent of a loan amount.
If you include fees and points comparable to today's low rates, the 1950-51 average would be 4.33 percent, Freddie Mac said Friday. Today's average on the 30-year, with extra fees factored in, is 4.17 percent.
The average on a 15-year fixed mortgage, a popular refinancing option, also ticked down to 3.28 percent this week. Economists say that's the lowest rate ever for that loan.
Mortgage rates tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which has risen this week to around 2 percent. A week ago, it touched 1.74 percent — the lowest level since the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis started keeping daily records in 1962. As recently as July, the 10-year exceeded 3 percent.
Rates on mortgages could fall further after the Federal Reserve announced last week that it would take further action to try to lower long-term rates.
Still, low rates have so far done little to boost home sales or refinancing. Many would-be buyers or homeowners don't have enough cash or home equity to get a new loan.
The Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country Monday through Wednesday of each week.
(Reuters) – The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will release a final rule early next year requiring lenders to make sure prospective borrowers have the ability to repay their mortgages, the acting head of the agency said on Tuesday.
The rule, required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law, would establish minimum underwriting standards for most mortgages and is intended to combat home lending abuses that contributed to the 2007-2009 financial crisis.
The rule was originally being written by the Federal Reserve, which issued an initial proposal earlier this year. The consumer bureau, however, took over the process when it opened its doors for business on July 21.
"We plan to issue a final rule early next year in order to provide clarity to the market as quickly as we can, without sacrificing the quality of our analysis," Raj Date, the Treasury Department official running the bureau, said in remarks prepared for delivery at a conference sponsored by the American Banker.
A key issue is what type of legal protections lenders will receive if they offer straightforward loans -- such as those without interest-only payments and excessive fees -- defined by the rule.
Banks are pushing for full legal protection, a "safe harbor," while consumer advocates want borrowers to have at least some legal recourse if they feel a lender did not meet the standards laid out in the rule.
(Reporting by Dave Clarke in Washington; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)
Two days before the release of the iPad 2, Apple unveiled its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 4.3
"The world's most advanced mobile operating system keeps getting better. Download the free iOS 4.3 Software Update and get new features that let you do even more with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The software update is free. It's easy. And you can download it right now," Apple said on its iOS Web site.
At its iPad 2 press event last week, Apple said iOS 4.3 would drop on March 11. Though there were rumors that the OS would launch on Tuesday afternoon, Apple instead released it earlier today. It is supported on all iPads, the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch, and recent iPhones.
At that event, Apple provided a sneak peek at what's included in iOS 4.3, including enhanced Safari performance, iTunes home sharing, AirPlay improvements, slider switch rotation, and a personal hotspot for the iPhone 4.
The Safari improvements include the Nitro JavaScript engine, meaning iOS will run Java twice as fast, Apple's Scott Forstall said last week. With iTunes home sharing, meanwhile, users can wirelessly stream content over a home Wi-Fi network from the PC to the iPad.
Apple also added updates to AirPlay. If you're sharing photos, for example, you can now use slideshow transitions on the iPad to your Apple TV and vice versa. The slider switch on the side of the tablet, meanwhile, can now be used as a rotation lock or a mute button.
With iOS 4.3, a personal hotspot will let people share their iPhone 4 Internet connection with the iPad. The Verizon iPhone already has a hotpost option, and AT&T confirmed recently that users can purchase a bundled 4GB data and hotspot iPhone 4 package for $45 per month.
At the iPad launch, Apple chief Steve Jobs also said that iMovie for iPad and GarageBand for iPad will be available in the App Store on March 11 for $4.99 each.
We know high school students are extremely busy. Between homework, after-school activities, and everything that comes along with applying to college, you barely have a moment to breathe, let alone research and apply for scholarships. But it's worth it. The more free money you get for college now, the less you have to pay back in student loans later.
It's imperative that you start early, not only to save yourself the stress that often comes along with procrastination, but also because as the year progresses, you won't be the only one with a huge workload. Your teachers and advisers--the very people you'll rely on for letters of recommendation for scholarship and college applications --will be busy with dozens of recommendations, on top of grading papers and projects and wrapping up the year.
Above all the advice I'm about to give you on how to ask for a letter of recommendation for a scholarship application, make sure you at least heed this: Ask early, and ask nicely. Your teachers, mentors, boss, clergy, or whomever else you decide to ask do not have to say yes to you. If you don't give them enough time--and especially if you don't ask nicely--they may turn you down.
Follow the rest of these guidelines, and you'll be all but guaranteed a fantastic letter of recommendation, which will hopefully lead to a nice-sized check toward your future.
Who should I ask? Pay attention to the scholarship focus (community service, academics, sports, etc.), and ask the person who knows you the best regarding this area of your life. If the scholarship is searching for someone who has given back to the community, don't go straight to your math teacher for a recommendation--unless of course he or she also happens to be the adviser of the high school volunteer club and you've been an active member.
[Find out how to turn your community service into college cash.]
Is there anyone who's off limits? Yes. Don't ask relatives or friends to write you a letter of recommendation. Even if they are a witness to your fantastic tennis abilities, they're almost always biased. Scholarship evaluators won't take these letters seriously and your application could be thrown out.
Just how early should I ask? Give your recommender five to six weeks to write the letter. The more time you give your recommender, the better your letter will be. They'll be less rushed, more thoughtful, and more interested in sitting down to brag about you when they don't have a million things going on. As soon as you decide to apply for a certain scholarship, think critically about who you're going to ask, and then ask that person immediately--preferably five or six weeks before the scholarship deadline.
[Learn 4 hints to avoid missing scholarship deadlines.]
How should I go about asking someone? Even if you see this person on a daily or weekly basis, it's important that you send a formal, written request via E-mail (if it's been a few months since you've been in contact, consider giving him or her a heads-up in person that you'll be E-mailing the request). Include the instructions for completing your recommendation, along with the details I list below. When all the information is in one place like this, it is easier to save. Many E-mail programs allow users to flag messages and set reminders; if your recommenders choose to use these features, they'll have everything in one place when they're ready to sit down and write.
What information should I provide in my E-mail? The more information you give your recommender, the better. Clergy, teachers, and school staff see hundreds of people every week. Even if you've had a great relationship with that person, do not assume that they'll remember everything about you. In your E-mail, include the following information:
-- Your full name
-- The past classes in which you were enrolled with the teacher, or, if you're not asking a teacher, a brief reminder of your history with the person
-- Why you need a letter of recommendation
-- The focus of the scholarship and what the letter should focus on (i.e., your involvement with your church, your academic performance in a class, your experience in the theater department)
-- Instructions on what needs to be done with the letter. Ask them to write the letter on formal letterhead, and tell them whether to give the letter to you or mail it. If it's the latter, provide the address along with an envelope and a stamp for their convenience.
If they haven't responded, when should I follow up? After a few weeks, you'll want to follow up to see what the status is of your letter, especially if you haven't received a reply. Though you don't want to be rude, you do have a right to know whether or not they are planning to write you a letter. It doesn't hurt to ask nicely if they've considered writing you a recommendation. They may have missed your E-mail or it may have slipped their mind. Above all, don't let any of these eventualities stop you from applying for a scholarship. If they won't or can't write you a letter, you still have time to ask someone else.
Is there anything else I need to do? Don't forget to say "thank you!" After the letter and your application have been mailed, be sure to send your recommenders a formal thank you note. If you're lucky enough to receive the scholarship, make sure you tell them and thank them again, either in person or with a card. They'll be thrilled to know that they helped you receive money toward college.
Michelle Showalter joined Scholarship America in 2007 and is an alumna of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
We know high school students are extremely busy. Between homework, after-school activities, and everything that comes along with applying to college, you barely have a moment to breathe, let alone research and apply for scholarships. But it's worth it. The more free money you get for college now, the less you have to pay back in student loans later.
It's imperative that you start early, not only to save yourself the stress that often comes along with procrastination, but also because as the year progresses, you won't be the only one with a huge workload. Your teachers and advisers--the very people you'll rely on for letters of recommendation for scholarship and college applications --will be busy with dozens of recommendations, on top of grading papers and projects and wrapping up the year.
Above all the advice I'm about to give you on how to ask for a letter of recommendation for a scholarship application, make sure you at least heed this: Ask early, and ask nicely. Your teachers, mentors, boss, clergy, or whomever else you decide to ask do not have to say yes to you. If you don't give them enough time--and especially if you don't ask nicely--they may turn you down.
Follow the rest of these guidelines, and you'll be all but guaranteed a fantastic letter of recommendation, which will hopefully lead to a nice-sized check toward your future.
Who should I ask? Pay attention to the scholarship focus (community service, academics, sports, etc.), and ask the person who knows you the best regarding this area of your life. If the scholarship is searching for someone who has given back to the community, don't go straight to your math teacher for a recommendation--unless of course he or she also happens to be the adviser of the high school volunteer club and you've been an active member.
[Find out how to turn your community service into college cash.]
Is there anyone who's off limits? Yes. Don't ask relatives or friends to write you a letter of recommendation. Even if they are a witness to your fantastic tennis abilities, they're almost always biased. Scholarship evaluators won't take these letters seriously and your application could be thrown out.
Just how early should I ask? Give your recommender five to six weeks to write the letter. The more time you give your recommender, the better your letter will be. They'll be less rushed, more thoughtful, and more interested in sitting down to brag about you when they don't have a million things going on. As soon as you decide to apply for a certain scholarship, think critically about who you're going to ask, and then ask that person immediately--preferably five or six weeks before the scholarship deadline.
[Learn 4 hints to avoid missing scholarship deadlines.]
How should I go about asking someone? Even if you see this person on a daily or weekly basis, it's important that you send a formal, written request via E-mail (if it's been a few months since you've been in contact, consider giving him or her a heads-up in person that you'll be E-mailing the request). Include the instructions for completing your recommendation, along with the details I list below. When all the information is in one place like this, it is easier to save. Many E-mail programs allow users to flag messages and set reminders; if your recommenders choose to use these features, they'll have everything in one place when they're ready to sit down and write.
What information should I provide in my E-mail? The more information you give your recommender, the better. Clergy, teachers, and school staff see hundreds of people every week. Even if you've had a great relationship with that person, do not assume that they'll remember everything about you. In your E-mail, include the following information:
-- Your full name
-- The past classes in which you were enrolled with the teacher, or, if you're not asking a teacher, a brief reminder of your history with the person
-- Why you need a letter of recommendation
-- The focus of the scholarship and what the letter should focus on (i.e., your involvement with your church, your academic performance in a class, your experience in the theater department)
-- Instructions on what needs to be done with the letter. Ask them to write the letter on formal letterhead, and tell them whether to give the letter to you or mail it. If it's the latter, provide the address along with an envelope and a stamp for their convenience.
If they haven't responded, when should I follow up? After a few weeks, you'll want to follow up to see what the status is of your letter, especially if you haven't received a reply. Though you don't want to be rude, you do have a right to know whether or not they are planning to write you a letter. It doesn't hurt to ask nicely if they've considered writing you a recommendation. They may have missed your E-mail or it may have slipped their mind. Above all, don't let any of these eventualities stop you from applying for a scholarship. If they won't or can't write you a letter, you still have time to ask someone else.
Is there anything else I need to do? Don't forget to say "thank you!" After the letter and your application have been mailed, be sure to send your recommenders a formal thank you note. If you're lucky enough to receive the scholarship, make sure you tell them and thank them again, either in person or with a card. They'll be thrilled to know that they helped you receive money toward college.
Michelle Showalter joined Scholarship America in 2007 and is an alumna of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
