An attendant key is a key which when inserted in the appropriate lock of a slot-machine, displays much information about the slot-machine, including the target level of percentage pay-out which has been set, the current level of pay-out and how full the machine is. This information is invaluable to a professional gambler who can use it to locate slot-machines which are ready to pay out. Research Attendant Key
Baha'ism is a religion founded in Iran by Baha'ullah with about five million adherents throughout the world. Following the suppression of the millenarian Babi movement Babism in Iran and the execution of its leader, the Bab, in 1850, Baha'ullah declared himself in 1863 to be the new prophet heralded by the Bab. Baha'ullah acknowledged the revelations of earlier prophets such as Jesus and Muhammad, but held that the single identity of God must be re-taught by new prophecy to each generation.
Baha'is believe in the spiritual progression of the world to unity and their ideal is an international community with one language. Baha'i temples are open to the faithful of all creeds. A Universal House of Justice administers the religion, with its centres in Haifa and Akko (Acre) in Israel. There is no clergy or ritual; spiritual practice includes daily private prayer and an annual period of fasting, which ends with the festival of Now Ruz, the Persian New Year at the spring equinox. Baha'is stress the equality of women and the importance of monogamous family life.
Although Baha'is regard the Koran and Muhammad with reverence, to Muslims the Baha'is are heretics who have displaced the Koran from its position as the final and most important revelation; this has led to persecution in Iran since the religion's inception, with renewed force since the Islamic revolution of 1979. Furthermore, the location of the Baha'is world centre in Israel has led to an association of Baha'is with that country and made the Baha'is a target of anti-Semitic sentiment. Research Baha'ism
Competition scams are frauds which became prevalent during the late 20th century in which sophisticated, persuasive mailings are sent to people suggesting that the recipient is the winner of a prize, and requesting money from the recipient in order to release the valuable prize. Competition scams are generally operated from the USA, Canada and Australia and particularly target people in Britain, especially the elderly. The British office of fair trading in 2004 found more than 300 competition scams to be in operation, with each earning thousands of pounds each week from gullible and often naïve people from all walks of life and ages. They also discovered that the criminals operating the individual frauds exchange information and that a recipient responding favourably to one scam would subsequently be targeted by many others also, the recipients name and address being added to a special mailing list called by the perpetrators of the frauds a 'sucker list'. Research Competition Scam
The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) popularly known as the Tamil Tigers are a Sri Lankan revolutionary force, formed in the mid-1970's, which has been involved in an armed struggle against the government of Sri Lanka in an attempt to gain independence for the Tamils of the island. The LTTE argue that the Tamils are a distinct people and their nation Tamil Eelam - should be recognised as independent and distinct. The LTTE were allegedly the first paramilitary organisation to employ 'suicide bombers' whereby a member delivered a bomb to a target, in person, and detonated it killing themselves in the process. Research LTTE More information about LTTE
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
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