title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting ("rinha de galos") was banned in 1934 with the help of President Getúlio Vargas through Brazil's 1934 constitution, passed on 16 July. Based on the recognition of animals in the Constitution, a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling resulted in the ban of animal related activities that involve claimed "animal suffering such as cockfighting, and a tradition practiced in southern Brazil, known as 'Farra do Boi' (the Oxen Festival)", stating that "animals also have the right to legal protection against mistreatment and suffering".


title: Cockfight

text: Canada's Criminal Code include animal cruelty legislation, which criminalize any kind of fighting or baiting of any animal of bird. These laws have been amended and made more restrictive over time, and as of 2018 include bans on fighting, promoting, arranging and profiting from fights, as well as breeding, training and transporting of animals for the purpose of fights and keeping of arenas for the purpose of animal fights, for animals of any kind.


title: Cockfight

text: Chilean Law no. 20.380 on Animal Protection of 25 August 2009 explicitly exempts various forms of 'animal sports' in Article 16: 'The norms of this law will not apply to sports in which animals participate, such as rodeo, cowfights, movement to the rein and equestrian sports, which will be governed by their respective regulations.'


title: Cockfight

text: In Colombia, cockfighting is a tradition, especially in the Caribbean region and in some areas of the Andean interior. Cockfights are held during the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in Valledupar. In August 2010, the Constitutional Court of Colombia rejected a lawsuit that sought to prohibit bullfighting, and cockfighting with the argument that they constitute animal abuse. In March 2019, the same court confirmed such rule, under the argument that cockfighting and bullfighting are traditions with cultural roots in some municipalities of the country. The "Asociación Nacional de Criadores de Gallos de Pelea" organizes an international cockfighting championship.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting was immortalized in the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García Márquez, in episodes such as the events that led to the death of Prudencio Aguilar, or the fondness for it by José Arcadio Segundo. Cockfighting was one of the main subjects of "La Caponera", a TV adaptation of Juan Rulfo's novel, "El gallo de oro", aired in Colombia and other countries in the region during the late 90s.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfights have been illegal in Costa Rica since 1922. The government deems the activity as animal cruelty, public disorder and a risk for public health and is routinely repressed by the State's National Secretary for Animal Welfare. The activity is also rejected by most of the population, as 88% of Costa Ricans dislike cockfights according to recent polls of the National University. Since 2017, the activity is punishable with up to two years of prison.


title: Cockfight

text: In Cuba, cockfighting is legal and popular, although gambling on matches has been banned since the 1959 Revolution. The state has opened official arenas, including a 1,000-seat venue in Ciego de Ávila, but there are also banned underground cockfighting pits.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting was so common during the Cuban colonization by Spain that there were arenas in every urban and rural town. The first official known document about cockfighting in Cuba dates from 1737. It is a royal decree asking, to the governor of the island, a report about the inconveniences that might cause cockfights "with the people from land and sea" and asking for information about rentals of the games. The Spaniard Miguel Tacón, Lieutenant General and governor of the colony, banned cockfighting by a decree dated on October 20, 1835, limiting these spectacles only to holidays.


title: Cockfight

text: In 1844, a decree dictated by the Captain General of the island, Leopoldo O'Donnell, forbade to non-white people the attendance to these shows. During the second half of the 19th century, many authorizations were conceded for building arenas, until General Juan Rius Rivera, then civilian governor in Havana, prohibited cockfighting by a decree of October 31, 1899, and later the Cuban governor, General Leonard Wood, dictated the military order no. 165 prohibiting cockfights in the whole country since June 1, 1900.


title: Cockfight

text: In 1909, the then-Cuban president José Miguel Gómez, with the intention to gain followers, allowed cockfights once again, and then regulations were agreed for the fights.


title: Cockfight

text: Up to the beginning of 1968, cockfights used to be held everywhere in the country, but with the purpose of stopping the bets, the arenas were closed and the fights forbidden by the authorities. In 1980, authorities legalized cockfights again and a state business organization was created with the participation of the private breeders, grouped in territories. Every year the state organization announces several national tournaments from January to April, makes trade shows and sells fighting cocks to clients from other Caribbean countries.


title: Cockfight

text: In the Dominican Republic, cockfighting is legal, but according to "Dominican Today" 'increasingly rejected by society' as of December 2018. There is at least one arena ("gallera)" in every town, whereas in bigger cities larger "coliseos" can be found. Important fights are broadcast on television and newspapers have dedicated pages to cockfights and the different "trabas", the local name for gamefowl breeding grounds. Those dedicated to the breeding and training of fighting cocks are called or . The cocks are often outfitted with special spurs made from various materials (ranging from plastic to metal or even carey shell) and fights are typically to the death. Public perception of the sport is as normal as that of baseball or any other major sport.


title: Cockfight

text: Holding cockfights is a crime in France, but there is an exemption under subparagraph 3 of article 521–1 of the French penal code for cockfights and bullfights in locales where an uninterrupted tradition exists for them. Thus, cockfighting is allowed in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, where it takes place in a small number of towns including Raimbeaucourt, La Bistade and other villages around Lille. However, the construction of new cockfighting areas is prohibited, a law upheld by the Constitutional Council of France in 2015.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfights have no tradition in Germany. They are illegal under increasingly stringent criminal law since 1871.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting is legal in Haiti. Nevins (2015) described it as 'the closest thing to a national sport in Haiti', being organised every Sunday morning in places across the country. Sharp spurs are attached to the roosters' feet to make them extra lethal, and the fight usually ends with the death of one of the animals.


title: Cockfight

text: In Honduras, under Article 11 of 'Decree no. 115-2015 ─ Animal Protection and Welfare Act' that went into effect in 2016, dog and cat fights and duck races are prohibited, while 'bullfighting shows and cockfights are part of the National Folklore and as such allowed'.


title: Cockfight

text: The Supreme Court of India has banned cockfighting as a violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, but it remains popular, especially in the rural coast of Andhra Pradesh, with large amount of betting involved, especially around the festival of Sankranti.


title: Cockfight

text: All forms of gambling, including the gambling within secular cockfighting, were made illegal in 1981 by the Indonesian government, while the religious aspects of cockfighting within Balinese Hinduism remain protected. However, secular cockfighting remains widely popular in Bali, despite its illegal status.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting is illegal but widespread in Iraq. The attendees come to gamble or just for the entertainment. A rooster can cost up to $8,000. The most-prized birds are called Harati, which means that they are of Turkish or Indian origin, and have muscular legs and necks.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting was introduced to Japan from China in the early 8th century and rose to popularity in the Kamakura period and the Edo period. Cockfighting endured in some Japanese regions even after being banned in 1873, during the Meiji period.


title: Cockfight

text: There are cockfight bans in the country's capital, Mexico City, and in the states of Sonora and Coahuila since September 11, 2012, and in Veracruz since November 6, 2018


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting is tolerated in the Mexican states of Michoacán, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Sinaloa, and Veracruz, mostly during regional fairs and other celebrations. Cockfights are performed in "palenques" (pits). Cockfighting remains legal in the municipality of Ixmiquilpan and throughout Mexico.


title: Cockfight

text: The two parties to the bird fights are traditionally distinguished by red and green, typically by wearing a scarf or badge hanging on the belt. Cockfighting may be combined with a musical show. Fairs and regional festivals of the country's municipalities are held in venues called "palenques" of roosters. These consist of a ring made of wood whose center is full of compacted earth for the best 'performance' of the roosters. In the center, a box 4 meters per side and lines that cross from center to center each side are marked with lime. Finally, the last square, measuring 40 cm on each side, is marked in the center of the arena, where the roosters are taken the third time they are released.


title: Cockfight

text: In the Netherlands, organising or attending cockfights is illegal and punishable by up to three years imprisonment, or a fine of up to 20,500 euros.


title: Cockfight

text: The act of cockfighting is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, as is the possession, training and breeding of cocks for fighting.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting was a popular sport in rural Pakistan; however, "betting is illegal under the Prevention of Gambling Act 1977". Betting is illegal, but police often turn a blind eye towards it. In Sindh, people are fond of keeping fighting cock breed, known as "Sindhi aseel" in Pakistan. These cocks are noted being tall, heavy and good at fighting. Another popular breed is called Mianwali Aseel. In "Sindh" Gamblor or Khafti uses Almond and other power enhancing medicines to feed the fighter cocks.


title: Cockfight

text: Law 308 on the Protection of Animals was approved by the National Assembly of Panama on 15 March 2012. Article 7 of the law states: 'Dog fights, animal races, bullfights – whether of the Spanish or Portuguese style – the breeding, entry, permanence and operation in the national territory of all kinds of circus or circus show that uses trained animals of any species, are prohibited.' However, horse racing and cockfighting were exempt from the ban.


title: Cockfight

text: Organising fights between all animals, both in public and private, is prohibited in Paraguay under Law No. 4840 on Animal Protection and Welfare, promulgated on 28 January 2013. Specifically:


title: Cockfight

text: According to the "Encyclopedia of Latino Culture", Peru "has probably the longest historical tradition" with cockfighting, with the practice possibly dating back to the 16th century. Cockfighting is legal and regulated by the government in Peru. Most pits ("coliseos") in the country are located in Lima. Cockfighting and bullfighting are exempt from Peru's animal protection laws.


title: Cockfight

text: In October 2018, over 5,000 Peruvians signed a petition that called for a constitutional ban on "all cruel shows using animals" including cockfighting and bullfighting, which was accepted and taken into consideration by the Supreme Court of Peru. However, with only three of the five required judges agreeing with the petition, on 25 February 2020 the Court ruled that it could not declare the animal fighting practices unconstitutional, leaving the applicants with no further option of appeal. A week before the verdict, thousands of other people had marched through the streets of Lima in support of the animal fighting practices.


title: Cockfight

text: There is no nationwide ban of cockfighting in the Philippines but since 1948, cockfighting is prohibited every Rizal Day on December 30 where violators can be fined or imprisoned due to the Republic Act No. 229. It further is supplemented by Presidential Decree No. 449 or the Anti-Cockfighting Law of 1974 which allows cockfights only on Sundays, certain holidays, and on certain other occasions, and only at licensed cockpits.


title: Cockfight

text: On March 14, 2020, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that cockfighting is temporarily banned in the Philippines due to the prohibition of mass gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic and community quarantines across the Philippines.


title: Cockfight

text: Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte banned cockfighting in Davao City since April 16, 2020, also due to the coronavirus pandemic.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting in Poland is banned. The law bans any animal cruelty in general, there are no specific laws for cockfighting. Likewise in many other European countries, this activity used to be popular up to the 18th century. In the Silesia area it used to be popular longer, even in the 19th century. It was usually held on the Day of Saint Gall (16 October). This activity was banned on most of the territory of Poland after the Partitions of Poland and before the country regained its independence in 1918. In western areas that were held by Germany, it was banned in 1871 by § 360 p. 13 of the Penal Code of the German Reich. In eastern areas that were held by Russia, it was banned in 1903 by § 287 of the Penal Code of Tagancev Nikolaj Stepanovič. After regaining independence these laws were still in power until new laws were passed. The first animal-cruelty law in independent Poland was passed in 1928 as a presidential decree and it was in power until 1997. It was added to the official Penalty Code in 1997 by § 35 points 1-2 in chapter 11. Currently, the penalty for the act is up to 3 years in prison or it might be up to 5 years if the cruelty is more drastic.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting is banned in Spain except in two Spanish regions: the Canary Islands and Andalusia. In Andalusia, however, the activity has virtually disappeared, surviving only within a program to maintain the fighting breed "combatiente español" coordinated by the University of Córdoba. Spain's Animal Protection Law of 1991 recognizes an exception for these regions based on cultural heritage and a history of cockfighting in the region. Animal rights organizations have sought to ban the bloodsport nationwide, but have not been successful in advancing legislation through the Spanish Parliament.


title: Cockfight

text: Cockfighting was banned outright in England and Wales and in the British Overseas Territories with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835. Sixty years later, in 1895, cockfighting was also banned in Scotland, where it had been relatively common in the 18th century. A reconstructed cockpit from Denbigh in North Wales may be found at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff and a reference exists in 1774 to a cockpit at Stanecastle in Scotland.


title: Cockfight

text: , cockfighting is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. The last state to implement a state law banning cockfighting was Louisiana; the Louisiana State Legislature voted to approve a ban in June 2007, which went into effect in August 2008.


title: Cockfight

text: Additionally, the 2014 farm bill, signed into law by President Obama, contained a provision making it a federal crime to attend an animal fighting event or bring a child under the age of 16 to an animal fighting event.


title: Cockfight

text: The cockfighting ban was further extended by federal law to include U.S. territories—American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands—effective at the end of 2019, as signed into law in the 2018 farm bill by President Trump. In Puerto Rico, cockfighting is popular and has been considered a "national sport" since at least the 1950s. According to a National Park Service report, it generates about $100 million annually. There are some 200,000 fighting birds annually on the island. Puerto Rico's Cockfighting Commission regulates 87 clubs, but many non-government sanctioned "underground" cockfighting operations exist. On December 18, 2019, estimating that cockfighting employs 27,000 people and has a value to the economy of about $18 million, Puerto Rico passed a law attempting to keep the practice legal despite the imminent federal ban. In 2021, governor Pedro Pierluisi announced the government would support a legal effort before the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the ban. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case, "Ortiz-Diaz v. United States", in October 2021, leaving the federal ban in place.


title: Cockfight

text: The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, a federal law that made it a federal crime to transfer cockfighting implements across state or national borders and increasing the penalty for violations of federal animal fighting laws to three years in prison, became law in 2007. It passed the House of Representatives 368–39 and the Senate by unanimous consent and was signed into law by President George W. Bush.


title: Cockfight

text: The Animal Welfare Act was amended again in 2008 when provisions were included in the 2008 Farm Bill (P.L. 110–246). These provisions tightened prohibitions on dog and other animal fighting activities, and increased penalties for violations of the act.


title: Cockfight

text: Major law enforcement raids against cockfighting occurred in February 2014 in New York State (when 3,000 birds were seized and nine men were charged with felony animal-fighting in "Operation Angry Birds", the state's largest-ever cockfighting bust) and in May 2017 in California (when the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department seized 7,000 cockfighting birds at a ranch in Val Verde, California, one of the largest cockfighting busts in U.S. history). In 2014, Princess Irina of Romania pleaded guilty in federal court to operating a cockfighting ring in Oregon.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Gradient boosting is a machine learning technique used in regression and classification tasks, among others. It gives a prediction model in the form of an ensemble of weak prediction models, which are typically decision trees. When a decision tree is the weak learner, the resulting algorithm is called gradient-boosted trees; it usually outperforms random forest. A gradient-boosted trees model is built in a stage-wise fashion as in other boosting methods, but it generalizes the other methods by allowing optimization of an arbitrary differentiable loss function.


title: Gradient boosting

text: The idea of gradient boosting originated in the observation by Leo Breiman that boosting can be interpreted as an optimization algorithm on a suitable cost function. Explicit regression gradient boosting algorithms were subsequently developed, by Jerome H. Friedman, simultaneously with the more general functional gradient boosting perspective of Llew Mason, Jonathan Baxter, Peter Bartlett and Marcus Frean.


title: Gradient boosting

text: The latter two papers introduced the view of boosting algorithms as iterative "functional gradient descent" algorithms. That is, algorithms that optimize a cost function over function space by iteratively choosing a function (weak hypothesis) that points in the negative gradient direction. This functional gradient view of boosting has led to the development of boosting algorithms in many areas of machine learning and statistics beyond regression and classification.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Like other boosting methods, gradient boosting combines weak "learners" into a single strong learner in an iterative fashion. It is easiest to explain in the least-squares regression setting, where the goal is to "teach" a model formula_1 to predict values of the form formula_2 by minimizing the mean squared error formula_3, where formula_4 indexes over some training set of size formula_5 of actual values of the output variable formula_6:


title: Gradient boosting

text: Now, let us consider a gradient boosting algorithm with formula_12 stages. At each stage formula_13 (formula_14) of gradient boosting, suppose some imperfect model formula_15 (for low formula_13, this model may simply return formula_17, where the RHS is the mean of formula_6). In order to improve formula_15, our algorithm should add some new estimator, formula_20. Thus,


title: Gradient boosting

text: Therefore, gradient boosting will fit formula_23 to the "residual" formula_24. As in other boosting variants, each formula_25 attempts to correct the errors of its predecessor formula_15. A generalization of this idea to loss functions other than squared error, and to classification and ranking problems, follows from the observation that residuals formula_27 for a given model are proportional to the negative gradients of the mean squared error (MSE) loss function (with respect to formula_8):


title: Gradient boosting

text: So, gradient boosting could be specialized to a gradient descent algorithm, and generalizing it entails "plugging in" a different loss and its gradient.


title: Gradient boosting

text: In many supervised learning problems there is an output variable and a vector of input variables , related to each other with some probabilistic distribution. The goal is to find some function formula_31 that best approximates the output variable from the values of input variables. This is formalized by introducing some loss function formula_32 and minimizing it in expectation:


title: Gradient boosting

text: The gradient boosting method assumes a real-valued . It seeks an approximation formula_31 in the form of a weighted sum of functions formula_35 from some class formula_36, called base (or weak) learners:


title: Gradient boosting

text: We are usually given a training set formula_38 of known sample values of and corresponding values of . In accordance with the empirical risk minimization principle, the method tries to find an approximation formula_31 that minimizes the average value of the loss function on the training set, i.e., minimizes the empirical risk. It does so by starting with a model, consisting of a constant function formula_40, and incrementally expands it in a greedy fashion:


title: Gradient boosting

text: Unfortunately, choosing the best function formula_23 at each step for an arbitrary loss function is a computationally infeasible optimization problem in general. Therefore, we restrict our approach to a simplified version of the problem.


title: Gradient boosting

text: The idea is to apply a steepest descent step to this minimization problem (functional gradient descent).


title: Gradient boosting

text: The basic idea behind the steepest descent is to find a local minimum of the loss function by iterating on formula_46. In fact, the local maximum-descent direction of the loss function is the negative gradient.


title: Gradient boosting

text: formula_55. This is the direction of steepest ascent and hence we must move in the opposite (i.e., negative) direction in order to move in the direction of steepest descent.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Furthermore, we can optimize formula_50 by finding the formula_50 value for which the loss function has a minimum:


title: Gradient boosting

text: If we considered the continuous case, i.e., where formula_36 is the set of arbitrary differentiable functions on formula_60, we would update the model in accordance with the following equations


title: Gradient boosting

text: In the discrete case however, i.e. when the set formula_36 is finite, we choose the candidate function closest to the gradient of for which the coefficient may then be calculated with the aid of line search on the above equations. Note that this approach is a heuristic and therefore doesn't yield an exact solution to the given problem, but rather an approximation.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Gradient boosting is typically used with decision trees (especially CARTs) of a fixed size as base learners. For this special case, Friedman proposes a modification to gradient boosting method which improves the quality of fit of each base learner.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Generic gradient boosting at the "m"-th step would fit a decision tree formula_20 to pseudo-residuals. Let formula_76 be the number of its leaves. The tree partitions the input space into formula_76 disjoint regions formula_78 and predicts a constant value in each region. Using the indicator notation, the output of formula_20 for input "x" can be written as the sum:


title: Gradient boosting

text: Then the coefficients formula_81 are multiplied by some value formula_62, chosen using line search so as to minimize the loss function, and the model is updated as follows:


title: Gradient boosting

text: Friedman proposes to modify this algorithm so that it chooses a separate optimal value formula_86 for each of the tree's regions, instead of a single formula_62 for the whole tree. He calls the modified algorithm "TreeBoost". The coefficients formula_81 from the tree-fitting procedure can be then simply discarded and the model update rule becomes:


title: Gradient boosting

text: formula_90, the number of terminal nodes in trees, is the method's parameter which can be adjusted for a data set at hand. It controls the maximum allowed level of interaction between variables in the model. With formula_91 (decision stumps), no interaction between variables is allowed. With formula_92 the model may include effects of the interaction between up to two variables, and so on.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Hastie et al. comment that typically formula_93 work well for boosting and results are fairly insensitive to the choice of formula_90 in this range, formula_91 is insufficient for many applications, and formula_96 is unlikely to be required.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Fitting the training set too closely can lead to degradation of the model's generalization ability. Several so-called regularization techniques reduce this overfitting effect by constraining the fitting procedure.


title: Gradient boosting

text: One natural regularization parameter is the number of gradient boosting iterations "M" (i.e. the number of trees in the model when the base learner is a decision tree). Increasing "M" reduces the error on training set, but setting it too high may lead to overfitting. An optimal value of "M" is often selected by monitoring prediction error on a separate validation data set. Besides controlling "M", several other regularization techniques are used.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Another regularization parameter is the depth of the trees. The higher this value the more likely the model will overfit the training data.


title: Gradient boosting

text: An important part of gradient boosting method is regularization by shrinkage which consists in modifying the update rule as follows:


title: Gradient boosting

text: Empirically it has been found that using small learning rates (such as formula_99) yields dramatic improvements in models' generalization ability over gradient boosting without shrinking (formula_100). However, it comes at the price of increasing computational time both during training and querying: lower learning rate requires more iterations.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Soon after the introduction of gradient boosting, Friedman proposed a minor modification to the algorithm, motivated by Breiman's bootstrap aggregation ("bagging") method. Specifically, he proposed that at each iteration of the algorithm, a base learner should be fit on a subsample of the training set drawn at random without replacement. Friedman observed a substantial improvement in gradient boosting's accuracy with this modification.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Subsample size is some constant fraction formula_101 of the size of the training set. When formula_102, the algorithm is deterministic and identical to the one described above. Smaller values of formula_101 introduce randomness into the algorithm and help prevent overfitting, acting as a kind of regularization. The algorithm also becomes faster, because regression trees have to be fit to smaller datasets at each iteration. Friedman obtained that formula_104 leads to good results for small and moderate sized training sets. Therefore, formula_101 is typically set to 0.5, meaning that one half of the training set is used to build each base learner.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Also, like in bagging, subsampling allows one to define an out-of-bag error of the prediction performance improvement by evaluating predictions on those observations which were not used in the building of the next base learner. Out-of-bag estimates help avoid the need for an independent validation dataset, but often underestimate actual performance improvement and the optimal number of iterations.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Gradient tree boosting implementations often also use regularization by limiting the minimum number of observations in trees' terminal nodes. It is used in the tree building process by ignoring any splits that lead to nodes containing fewer than this number of training set instances.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Another useful regularization techniques for gradient boosted trees is to penalize model complexity of the learned model. The model complexity can be defined as the proportional number of leaves in the learned trees. The joint optimization of loss and model complexity corresponds to a post-pruning algorithm to remove branches that fail to reduce the loss by a threshold. Other kinds of regularization such as an formula_106 penalty on the leaf values can also be added to avoid overfitting.


title: Gradient boosting

text: Gradient boosting can be used in the field of learning to rank. The commercial web search engines Yahoo and Yandex use variants of gradient boosting in their machine-learned ranking engines. Gradient boosting is also utilized in High Energy Physics in data analysis. At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), variants of gradient boosting Deep Neural Networks (DNN) were successful in reproducing the results of non-machine learning methods of analysis on datasets used to discover the Higgs boson. Gradient boosting decision tree was also applied in earth and geological studies – for example quality evaluation of sandstone reservoir.


title: Gradient boosting

text: The method goes by a variety of names. Friedman introduced his regression technique as a "Gradient Boosting Machine" (GBM). Mason, Baxter et al. described the generalized abstract class of algorithms as "functional gradient boosting". Friedman et al. describe an advancement of gradient boosted models as Multiple Additive Regression Trees (MART); Elith et al. describe that approach as "Boosted Regression Trees" (BRT).


title: Gradient boosting

text: A popular open-source implementation for R calls it a "Generalized Boosting Model", however packages expanding this work use BRT. Yet another name is TreeNet, after an early commercial implementation from Salford System's Dan Steinberg, one of researchers who pioneered the use of tree-based methods. XGBoost is another popular modern implementation of the method with some extensions, like second-order optimization.


title: Gradient boosting

text: While boosting can increase the accuracy of a base learner, such as a decision tree or linear regression, it sacrifices intelligibility and interpretability. For example, following the path that a decision tree takes to make its decision is trivial and self-explained, but following the paths of hundreds or thousands of trees is much harder. To achieve both performance and interpretability, some model compression techniques allow transforming an XGBoost into a single "born-again" decision tree that approximates the same decision function. Furthermore, its implementation may be more difficult due to the higher computational demand.


title: Government of Maharashtra

text: The Government of Maharashtra is the state governing authority for the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a democratically elected government with 288 MLAs elected to the Vidhan Sabha for a five-year term.


title: Government of Maharashtra

text: Maharashtra has a Maharashtra Legislature which consists of two Houses, the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) and the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). As is the case in a parliamentary system, the government is formed by the party, alliance or group of assembly members who command the majority in the Lower House. The Lower House majority leader becomes the Chief Minister and selects the cabinet members from both Houses. In case an unelected person becomes the Chief Minister, they must be elected to either House within the following six months.


title: Government of Maharashtra

text: On 30 June 2022 Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 30 June 2022, on resignation of his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde leads a government consisting of his Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (Shinde group) party and Bharatiya Janata Party


title: Gun laws in the United States by state

text: Gun laws in the United States regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition. State laws (and the laws of the District of Columbia and of the U.S. territories) vary considerably, and are independent of existing federal firearms laws, although they are sometimes broader or more limited in scope than the federal laws.


title: Gun laws in the United States by state

text: Forty-four states have a provision in their state constitutions similar to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. The exceptions are California, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York. In New York, however, the statutory civil rights laws contain a provision virtually identical to the Second Amendment. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court held in "McDonald v. Chicago" that the protections of the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms for self-defense in one's home apply against state governments and their political subdivisions.


title: Gun laws in the United States by state

text: Firearm owners are subject to the firearm laws of the state they are in, and not exclusively their state of residence. Reciprocity between states exists in certain situations, such as with regard to concealed carry permits. These are recognized on a state-by-state basis. For example, Idaho recognizes an Oregon permit, but Oregon does not recognize an Idaho permit. Florida issues a license to carry both concealed weapons and firearms, but others license only the concealed carry of firearms. Some states do not recognize out-of-state permits to carry a firearm at all, so it is important to understand the laws of each state when traveling with a handgun.


title: Gun laws in the United States by state

text: In many cases, state firearms laws can be considerably less restrictive than federal firearms laws. This does not confer any "de jure" immunity against prosecution for violations of the federal laws. However, state and local police departments are not legally obligated to enforce federal gun law as per the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in "Printz v. United States".


title: Sanjay Dutt filmography

text: Sanjay Dutt is an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 1981, opposite Tina Ambani, in his father Sunil Dutt's romantic action film "Rocky" (1981). "Rocky" was ranked at tenth highest-grossing Bollywood films of 1981. After appearing in a series of box office flops, he starred in Mahesh Bhatt's crime thriller film "Naam" (1986). Dutt received critical acclaim for his performance, and it became a turning point in his career.


title: Sanjay Dutt filmography

text: In 1991, Dutt appeared in Lawrence D'Souza's Indian romantic drama film "Saajan" (1991)"," starring alongside Madhuri Dixit and Salman Khan. For his performance, Dutt was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He was nominated again for the same award for his performance in "Khalnayak" (1993)"." Dutt won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor—for portraying a young man who later becomes a gangster in "" (1999). He also received critical acclaim for his performance. Dutt next appeared in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's crime thriller film "Mission Kashmir" (2000). For his performance, Dutt was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.


title: Sanjay Dutt filmography

text: In 2003, Dutt appeared in Rajkumar Hirani's directorial debut: comedy-drama film "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S." (2003). He played Munna Bhai, who attends medical school to obtain an MBBS degree. The film was successful at the box office, grossing in India and worldwide. Dutt won Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role.


title: Sanjay Dutt filmography

text: In 2006, Dutt starred alongside Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan, and Boman Irani in Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama film "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" (2006), the sequel to in the sequel to "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.". The film received critical acclaim, and Dutt went on to win several awards, including Screen Award for Best Actor (Critics), and Zee Cine Critics Award for Best Actor – Male. Dutt has frequently collaborated with directors Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Mahesh Bhatt. Apart from acting, Dutt has hosted season 5 of "Bigg Boss" (2011—2012) alongside Salman Khan.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his roles in the television series "Roc" (1991–1994) and the television film "The Piano Lesson" (1995), the latter of which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. His other accolades include three Primetime Emmy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Dutton has also appeared in many feature films such as "Alien 3" (1992), "Rudy" (1993), "Menace II Society" (1993), "A Time to Kill" (1996), "Cookie's Fortune" (1999), and "Gothika" (2003).


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Dutton was born January 30, 1951, on the east side of Baltimore, Maryland. His father was a truck driver and his parents divorced when he was four. He grew up in Baltimore's Latrobe Homes public housing project. In his youth, Dutton dropped out of school before finishing middle school. He had a short-lived stint as an amateur boxer with the nickname "Roc", a nickname derived from "Rockhead", due to rock throwing battles which took place during Dutton's childhood.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: In 1967, when he was 16, Dutton got into a fight that resulted in the death of a man Dutton claimed had attacked him with a knife.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: After the knife fight, Dutton pleaded guilty in 1967 to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison, which he began serving at the Maryland House of Correction in Jessup, Maryland. Out on parole after 18 or 20 months, he was arrested on robbery and handgun charges. He was sentenced on the handgun violation and sent to the Maryland Penitentiary, near his boyhood home, for three more years. A fight with a guard added on another eight years. In reference to this, Dutton later said, "I got three years for killing a black man and eight for punching a white man."


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: During his prison term, Dutton was stabbed by another prisoner and nearly died. He became interested in radical movements and the Black Panther Party.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Several months into his second prison term, Dutton was sentenced to six days of solitary confinement for refusing to clean toilets. Prisoners were allowed to take one book and, unintentionally, he grabbed an anthology of black playwrights. He enjoyed the book so much that upon release from solitary he petitioned the warden to start a drama group for the winter talent show. The warden agreed on the condition that Dutton go back to school and get his GED. Dutton accomplished that and eventually completed a two-year college program at Hagerstown Junior College (now Hagerstown Community College) in Hagerstown, Maryland, graduating with an Associate of Arts degree in 1976.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Dutton was paroled on August 20, 1976. After his release from prison, he enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University (now Towson University) in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. After his time at Towson, Dutton earned a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama in 1983.


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: In 1984, Dutton made his Broadway debut in August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", winning a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1988, Dutton played Leroy Brown in "Crocodile Dundee II" and a killer in the television miniseries "The Murder of Mary Phagan" opposite Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey. In 1990, Dutton earned a second Best Actor Tony nomination for his role in another Wilson play, "The Piano Lesson". Dutton co-starred in "Alien 3", the debut film of director David Fincher, then co-starred in 1993's "Rudy". Other films he has appeared in include "Get on the Bus"; "A Time to Kill"; "Cookie's Fortune"; "Cry, the Beloved Country"; "Surviving the Game"; "Menace II Society"; "Secret Window"; and "A Low Down Dirty Shame".


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: Dutton won Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2003 for his roles in "The Practice" and "Without a Trace". He was previously nominated in 1999 for his guest-starring role as Alvah Case in the HBO prison drama "Oz" in its second-season premiere episode. For this role, he was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Also in 1999, he starred in an ensemble cast in "" in which he played the Mayor of New York City. Dutton gained acclaim for his comedy show "Roc" shown on FOX television (but produced by HBO) from 1991 to 1994. His work in this role won him an NAACP Image Award. He co-starred in the popular but short-lived 2005 CBS science fiction series, "Threshold".


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: In 2000, Dutton directed the HBO miniseries "The Corner". The miniseries was close to his heart, for Dutton grew up on the streets of East Baltimore. It was adapted from "The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood" (Broadway Books, 1997) by David Simon (a reporter for the "Baltimore Sun") and Ed Burns (a retired Baltimore homicide detective). "The Corner" won several Emmys in 2000, including Best Miniseries. Dutton won for his direction of the miniseries. He worked with Simon previously in a 1996 episode of "".


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: He starred as Montgomery County, Maryland Police Chief Charles Moose in the 2003 made-for-TV movie "", and appeared in Season 2 of "The L Word". Dutton also appeared in "Another Toothpick," an episode of "The Sopranos". He guest starred on "House M.D." as the father of Dr Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), and on "Sleeper Cell: American Terror" as the father of undercover FBI agent Darwyn Al-Sayeed. He also directed two episodes of "Sleeper Cell".


title: Charles S. Dutton

text: On October 9, 2007, HBO announced that it had arranged a deal with Dutton where he would develop, direct, and star in series and movies for the network. He also appeared in the 2007 film "Honeydripper". On February 14, 2013, Dutton returned to TV in "Zero Hour", playing the role of a priest. In 2013, Dutton played Detective Margolis in the horror film "The Monkey's Paw".


title: Highland cattle

text: The Highland (; ) is a Scottish breed of rustic beef cattle. It originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Western Islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed, able to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region. The first herd-book dates from 1885; two types – a smaller island type, usually black, and a larger mainland type, usually dun – were registered as a single breed. It is reared primarily for beef, and has been exported to several other countries.


title: Highland cattle

text: The Highland is a traditional breed of western Scotland. There were two distinct types. The Kyloe, reared mainly in the Hebrides or Western Islands, was small and was frequently black. The cattle were so called because of the practice of swimming them across the narrow straits or kyles separating the islands from the mainland. The cattle of the mainland were somewhat larger, and very variable in colour; they were often brown or red.


title: Highland cattle

text: These cattle were important to the Scottish economy of the eighteenth century. At markets such as those of Falkirk or Crieff, many were bought by drovers from England, who moved them south over the Pennines to be fattened for slaughter. In 1723 over Scottish cattle were sold into England.


title: Highland cattle

text: A breed society was established in 1884, and in 1885 published the first volume of the herd-book. In this the two types were recorded without distinction as 'Highland'.


title: Highland cattle

text: In 2002 the number of registered breeding cows in the United Kingdom was about ; by 2012 this had risen to some . In 2021 it was ; the conservation status of the breed in the United Kingdom is listed in DAD-IS as endangered/at risk. The number of unregistered cattle is not known.


title: Highland cattle

text: Although a group of cattle is generally called a herd, a group of Highland cattle is known as a "fold". This is because in winter, the cattle were kept in open shelters made of stone called folds to protect them from the weather at night.


title: Highland cattle

text: In 1954, Queen Elizabeth ordered Highland cattle to be kept at Balmoral Castle where they are still kept today.


title: Highland cattle

text: From the late nineteenth century, stock was exported to various countries of the world, among them Argentina, Australia, Canada, the Falkland Islands, the former Soviet Union and the United States. Later in the twentieth century there were exports to various European countries. In 2022 the breed was reported to DAD-IS by twenty-three countries, of which seventeen reported population data. The total population world-wide was reported at just over , with the largest numbers in France and Finland.


title: Highland cattle

text: Highland cattle were first imported into Australia by the mid-nineteenth century by Scottish migrants such as Chieftain Aeneas Ronaldson MacDonell of Glengarry, Scotland. Arriving in Port Albert, Victoria, in 1841 with his clan, they apparently drove their Highland cattle to a farm at Greenmount, on the Tarra River, preceded by a piper. Samuel Amess, also from Scotland, who made a fortune in the Victorian goldfields and became Mayor of Melbourne in 1869, kept a small fold of black Highland cattle on Churchill Island. They were seen and survived in Port Victoria during the late 1800s, but other folds were believed to have died out in areas such as New South Wales. In 1988 the Australian Highland Cattle Society was formed. Since then, numbers have been growing and semen is being exported to New Zealand to establish the breed there.


title: Highland cattle

text: Highland cattle were first imported into Canada in the 1880s. The Hon. Donald A. Smith, Lord Strathcona of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Robert Campbell of Strathclair, Manitoba, imported one bull each. There were also Highland cattle in Nova Scotia in the 1880s. However, their numbers were small until the 1920s when large-scale breeding and importing began. In the 1950s cattle were imported from and exported to North America. The Canadian Highland Cattle Society was officially registered in 1964 and currently registers all purebred cattle in Canada. Towards the end of the 1990s, there was a large semen and embryo trade between the UK and Canada. However that has stopped, largely due to the BSE (mad cow disease) outbreaks in the United Kingdom. Today, Highland cattle are mainly found in eastern Canada. In 2001 the population for Canada and the United States of America combined was estimated at .


title: Highland cattle

text: The Danish Highland Cattle Society was established in 1987 to promote the best practices for the breeding and care of Highland cattle and to promote the introduction of the breed into Denmark.


title: Highland cattle

text: The Highland Cattle Club of Finland was founded in 1997. Their studbooks show importation of Highland cattle breeding stock to Finland, dating back to 1884. The Finnish club states that in 2016, there were Highland cattle in Finland.


title: Highland cattle

text: The first record of Highland cattle being imported to the United States was in the late 1890s. The American Highland Cattle Association was first organised in 1948 as the American Scotch Highland Breeders Association, and now claims approximately members.


title: Highland cattle

text: They have long, wide horns and long, wavy, woolly coats. The usual coat colour is reddish brown, seen in approximately 60% of the population; some 22% are yellow, and the remainder pale silver, black or brindle/dun. The coat colours are caused by alleles at the "MC1R" gene (E locus) and the "PMEL" or "SILV" gene (D locus).


title: Highland cattle

text: They have an unusual double coat of hair. On the outside is the oily outer hair—the longest of any cattle breed, covering a downy undercoat. This makes them well suited to conditions in the Highlands, which have a high annual rainfall and sometimes very strong winds.


title: Highland cattle

text: Mature bulls can weigh up to and heifers can weigh up to . Cows typically have a height of , and bulls are typically in the range of . Mating occurs throughout the year with a gestation period of approximately days. Most commonly a single calf is born, but twins are not unknown. Sexual maturity is reached at about eighteen months. Highland cattle also have a longer expected lifespan than most other breeds of cattle, up to 20 years.


title: Highland cattle

text: All European cattle cope relatively well with low temperatures but Highland cattle have been described as "almost as cold-tolerant as the arctic-dwelling caribou and reindeer". Conversely due to their thick coats they are much less tolerant of heat than zebu cattle, which originated in South Asia and are adapted for hot climates. Highland cattle have been successfully established in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland such as Norway and Canada.


title: Highland cattle

text: A fold of semi-wild Highland cattle was studied over a period of 4 years. It was found that the cattle have a clear structure and hierarchy of dominance, which reduces aggression. Social standing depends on age and sex, with older cattle being dominant to calves and younger ones, and males dominant to females. Young bulls will dominate adult cows when they reached around 2 years of age. Calves from the top ranking cow were given higher social status, despite minimal intervention from their mother. Playfighting, licking and mounting were seen as friendly contact.


title: Highland cattle

text: The meat of Highland cattle tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands are largely insulated by their thick, shaggy hair rather than by subcutaneous fat. Highland cattle can produce beef at a reasonable profit from land that would otherwise normally be unsuitable for agriculture. The most profitable way to produce Highland beef is on poor pasture in their native land, the Highlands of Scotland.


title: Highland cattle

text: The beef from Highland cattle is very tender, but the market for high-quality meat has declined. To address this decline, it is common practice to breed Highland "suckler" cows with a more favourable breed such as a Shorthorn or Limousin bull. This allows the Highland cattle to produce a crossbred beef calf that has the tender beef of its mother on a carcass shape of more commercial value at slaughter. These crossbred beef suckler cows inherit the hardiness, thrift and mothering capabilities of their Highland dams and the improved carcass configuration of their sires. Such crossbred sucklers can be further crossbred with a modern beef bull such as a Limousin or Charolais to produce high quality beef.


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: Kim Hye-yoon (born November 10, 1996) is a South Korean actress and model. She first became known through her portrayal as Kang Ye-seo in JTBC's television series "Sky Castle" (2018–2019) and received her first leading role with MBC's "Extraordinary You" (2019).


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: Kim Hye-yoon debuted as an actress with 2013 KBS2 TV Novel's "Samsaengi", as the teenage era of a supporting character. After landing a memorable role in 2014 OCN's crime thriller "Bad Guys", Kim focused on her studies and only made guest appearance for several dramas, as she had received full scholarship in 2015 to Konkuk University, one of Korea's leading universities. She majored in film studies and some of her works were featured at various student film festivals.


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: Leading up to her college graduation in February 2019, Kim began auditioning for bigger roles, including for JTBC's satire drama "Sky Castle". The massive success of the series, along with her distinctive role as an ambitious and unfriendly but ladylike high school girl, launched her to stardom and won her the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best New Actress.


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: In 2019, Kim starred as the protagonist for the first time with MBC's school fantasy "Extraordinary You", based on the hit Daum webtoon "July Found by Chance". She received further recognition, winning both New and Excellence Actress at the MBC Drama Awards.


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: Kim received her first leading role in film with 2020 production "The Girl on a Bulldozer". In the same year, she also confirmed to star in the 2021 pre-produced JTBC series "Snowdrop", in which she reunited with the production team of hit drama "Sky Castle".


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: Near the completion of "Snowdrop" filming process, Kim received the offer to star in tvN's 2021 historical procedural "Secret Royal Inspector & Joy". The drama premiered ahead of "Snowdrop".


title: Kim Hye-yoon

text: In 2022, Kim performance as Goo Hye-young in the mystery drama film "The Girl on a Bulldozer" has received critical acclaim and garnered her several awards in prestigious show such as the Blue Dragon Awards and Grand Bell Awards for Best New Actress. She also received Rising Star Asia Award in New York Asian Film Festival as well as Best New Actor/Actress in Korean Film Producers Association Awards.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is referred to as the "Spiritual Capital of Andhra Pradesh". It is located at a distance of 150 km from Chennai, 250 km from Bangalore and 415 km from Amaravati. It is one of the eight "Swayam vyaktha kshetras" ("Self-Manifested Temples") dedicated to Vishnu. Tirupati is a municipal corporation and the headquarters of Tirupati (urban) mandal, Tirupati (rural) mandal, and the Tirupati revenue division.


title: Tirupati

text: It is the 7th most urban agglomerated city in the state, with a population of in 2011 and around 1,004,615 in 2021.<ref name=https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/tirupati-population></ref> census, it had a population of 287,035 making it the 9th most populous city in Andhra Pradesh. It is the second biggest city in Rayalaseema after Kurnool. For the year 2012–2013, India's Ministry of Tourism named Tirupati as the "Best Heritage City". Tirupati has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under Smart Cities Mission by Government of India.


title: Tirupati

text: According to "Varaha Purana", during "Treta Yuga", Rama resided here along with Sita and Lakshmana on his return from Lankapuri.


title: Tirupati

text: As per the "Purana", a loan of one crore and 11.4 million gold coins was sought by Balaji from Kubera for his marriage with Padmavathi. To pay back the loan, devotees from all over India visit the temple and donate money.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati was developed by Pallava Kings from 6th century onwards. The city became a great Vaishnava centre during the time of Ramanujacharya in 11th century, from where Srivaishnavism spread to other parts of Andhra Desa. Srikurmam Temple in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh bears the inscription saying "Tirupati Srivaishnavula Raksha". Tirupati survived the Muslim invasions by accepting to pay Jizya to the Muslims.


title: Tirupati

text: The temple town for most of the medieval era part of Vijayanagara Empire until the 17th century and its rulers contributed considerable resources and wealth notable by Krishna Deva Raya and Achyuta Deva Raya, Sadasiva Raya and Tirumala Deva Raya.


title: Tirupati

text: The city has many historical temples including the Venkateswara Temple which bears 1,150 inscriptions in the Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada languages. Out of 1150 inscriptions 236 belong to Pallava, Chola and Pandya dynasties, 169 belonged to Saluva dynasty, 251 belonged to Achyuta Deva Raya period, 130 belonged to Sadasiva Raya period and another 135 originated in Aravidu dynasty. which specify the contributions of the Pallava Kingdom around the ninth century CE, Chola Kingdom around the tenth century CE and the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century CE.


title: Tirupati

text: During the 15th century, Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya sung many songs in praise of the holy town in Telugu.


title: Tirupati

text: He compared it to be divine, including the rocks, streams, trees, animals, and adds that it is heaven on the earth. One example of such a song is:


title: Tirupati

text: There was no human settlement at Lower Tirupati until 1500. With the growing importance of Upper Tirupati, a village formed at the present-day Kapilatheertham Road area and was named "kotturu". It was later shifted to the vicinity of Govindarajaswamy Temple which was consecrated around the year 1130 CE. Later the village grew into its present-day form around Govindaraja Swamy Temple which is now the heart of the city. It has now gained a lot of popularity as a tourism place.


title: Tirupati

text: In 1932, Tirumala Venkateswara Temple was handed over to Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams by the TTD Act of 1932. In 2006, Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) and TTD together conducted "Tirupati Utsavam" which focused on the history of development of Tirupati town, kings who visited Tirumala and their contribution for development of the temple. The fourth World Telugu Conference, a conference for furtherance of Telugu language, was conducted at Tirupati during December 2012 for three days. In January 2017, the 104th Indian Science Congress (ISCA) meeting was held in Tirupati.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati is located at in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh state in southern India. Tirupati lies at the foot of Seshachalam Hills of Eastern Ghats which were formed during Precambrian era. One of its suburbs, Tirumala, which is the home to Sri Venkateswara Temple, is also located within the hills. Tirupati Urban agglomeration includes Tirupati (City), renigunta,chandragiri, and census towns Akkarampalle, Avilala, Cherlopalle, Mangalam, Peruru, Settipalle, Thummala gunta (part), Timminaidupalle, Tiruchanur, Tirupati (NMA). Tirupati is surrounded by Srikalahasti towards the east, Puttur towards the south, Puthalapattu towards the west and the Seshachalam hills towards the north. Swarnamukhi River originates in Chandragiri Hills and passes through the Tirupati City before reaching Srikalahasti in the east.


title: Tirupati

text: At the point on the Tirupati – Tirumala ghat road, there is a major discontinuity of stratigraphic significance that represents a period of remarkable serenity in the geological history of the Earth. This is referred to as Eparchaean Unconformity. This unconformity separates the Nagari Quartzite of the Proterozoic from the granite of the Archean. In 2001, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared the Eparchaean Unconfirmity to be one of the 26 "Geological Monuments of India".


title: Tirupati

text: Silathoranam, a natural arch and a distinctive geological feature, is located in the Tirumala Hills at a distance of from Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Arch measures 8 metres in width and 3 metres in height and is eroded from quartzite of Cuddapah Supergroup of Middle to Upper Proterozoic (1600 to 570 Ma) by weathering agents like water and wind.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateswara National Park is a national park and biosphere reserve which is part of Seshachalam Hills. The total area of the park is . The park is home for about 1,500 vascular plant species belonging to 174 families. Some of the rare and endemic plant species like red sanders, "Shorea talura", "Shorea thumburggaia", "Terminalia pallida", sandalwood, "Syzygium alternifolium", and "Psilotum nudum" occur in this region. "Cycas beddomei", a species of cycad in the genus Cycas, is found only in the Tirumala Hills.


title: Tirupati

text: About 178 species of birds from this national park have been identified which includes the globally threatened yellow-throated bulbul, grey-fronted green pigeon, critically endangered Oriental white-backed vulture, large hawk-cuckoo, blue-faced malkoha, yellow-browed bulbul, Indian scimitar-babbler and Loten's sunbird. Among predators the leopard is quite common, along with the wild dog. Among reptiles, the most interesting species is the gliding lizard, found in some deep forested valleys. Another important reptile of this national park is the golden gecko.


title: Tirupati

text: Established in 1987, Tirupati Zoo or Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park is a zoo located at Tirupati and is Asia's largest zoo, with an area of 5500 acres. It is built on the concept of Hindu mythology. It exhibits only animals that are mentioned in the ancient epics like "Ramayana", "Mahabharatha", and "Panchatantra". The enclosures are named based on Indian mythology. It hosts a wide range of animals such as deer, monkeys, lions, tigers, bears, elephants, peafowl, grey pelicans, marsh crocodiles, and starred tortoises.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana shala is a home for cattle received as a donation (Godanam). It was established in 1956 by TTD and renamed to S.V. Gosamrakshana Shala in 2004. It is located at Chandragiri Road, Tirupati. It is maintained by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams based on the funds received under the Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Shala Trust. Activities of the trust include providing a good environment, management, and feeding for the cattle. The milk and its products produced here are used by TTD for daily rituals at Sri Venkateswara Temple and other TTD temples.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati has a tropical wet and dry climate, designated "Aw" under the Köppen climate classification. In winter the minimum temperatures are between . Usually summer lasts from March to June, with the advent of rainy season in July, followed by winter which lasts until the end of February. The city experiences heavy rainfall in November during the northeast monsoon season. The highest rainfall in 24 hours was on 16 November 2015, during the 2015 South India floods, with . Cyclones commonly hit the Coast of Nellore, and bring heavy rain to the city.


title: Tirupati

text: Census of India, the Tirupati city municipal corporation had a population of 287,035. The total population constitute, 145,977 males and 141,058 females — a sex ratio of 966 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 940 per 1000. There were 24,643 children are in the age group of 0–6 years. It had an effective literacy rate (7+ copulation) of 87.55%. The urban agglomeration had a population of 459,985, of which males constitute 231,456, females constitute 228,529 — a sex ratio of 987 females per 1000 males and 41,589 children are in the age group of 0–6 years. There are a total of 356,558 literates with an effective literacy rate (7+ population) of 85.22%.


title: Tirupati

text: Telugu is the official and the most commonly spoken language (87.98%). It is followed by Urdu (5.50%) and Tamil (3.40%), Hindi (1.01%) which are spoken in small numbers.


title: Tirupati

text: The city celebrates all major Hindu festivals which includes Sankranti, Ugadi, Krishna Janmashtami, Maha Shivaratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Deepavali, Rama Navami, Kartik Poornima etc. Srivari Brahmotsavam is a nine-day event, celebrated during the months of September–October, the temple of Tirumala witness lakhs of devotees. During this festival, the processional deity Malayappa of Venkateswara Temple, along with his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, is taken in a procession in four mada streets around the temple on different Vahanams. Tirupati also celebrates a carnival named as Tirupati Ganga Jatara, held during second week of May every year. This is a week long festival where Gangamma (Grama Devatha) is worshiped. The tank behind the temple of Padmavathi Temple, Tiruchanur has Padma Pushkarini, where Chakra Snanam will be held on last day of Annual Padmavathi Brahmotsavams (Panchami Teertham). It will witness lakhs of Devotees taking a dip in the holy waters.


title: Tirupati

text: Vaikunta Ekadasi, the day on which it is believed that Vaikunta Dwarams will be opened and the most important Vasihnavite festival, is celebrated in Tirumala and Tirupati with grandeur. Rathasapthami is another festival, celebrated during February, when Venkateswara's processional deity (Malayappa) is taken in a procession around the temple on seven different vahanas from early morning to late night.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Krishna janmastami also known as Gokulashtami is celebrated with great fervor at Tirupati. The Lotus Temple belonging to International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) will be illuminated with lamps and paintings displaying themes from Srimad Bhagavatham. The celebrations include offering prayers to Sri Krishna, Utlotsavam, Annamayya Kirtana alapana, Geetha Parayanam etc. On this day 'Gokulashtami Asthanam' will be held at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. TTD will also celebrate the janmastami at Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshana Shala where prayers will be offered to cows, horses and elephants. The Maha Shivaratri and Kartik Poornima are the most auspicious occasions celebrated in Kapila Theertham.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati is world-famous for Tirupati Laddu. It is the prasadam at Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala. Tirupati Laddu had got Geographical indication tag which entitles only Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to make or sell it.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams established Sri Venkateswara Museum, one at Tirumala and the other at Tirupati. It has a wonderful collection of Tirupati temple architecture and historical artefacts, such as ancient weaponry, pooja items and idols. It has a comprehensive photo gallery that gives a unique insight into the Tirupati region's culture and traditions. It also boasts a meditation centre. In 1988–89 Archaeological Survey of India had established an Archaeological Museum in the Chandragiri fort at Chandragiri. It exhibits rich collection of stone and metal sculptures of Hindu gods and other cultural vestiges retrieved from other historical places like Gudimallam, Gandikota and Yaganti. It also includes galleries for medieval weaponry swords and daggers, coins and paper documents.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati Assembly constituency is one of the 175 assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, India. Tirupati is part of Tirupati (Lok Sabha constituency). Gurumurthy Maddela of YSR Congress Party is the sitting Member of Parliament for Tirupati (Lok Sabha constituency)


title: Tirupati

text: Bhumana Karunakara Reddy of YSR Congress Party is the sitting Member of Legislative Assembly for Tirupati (Assembly constituency) and B. R. Sirisha Yadav of YSR Congress Party is the mayor for Tirupati Municipal Corporation. C. Bhaskar Reddy of YSR Congress Party is the Chairman for Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA).


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC) oversees the administration of the city. Tirupati was constituted as a municipality on 1 April 1886; it was upgraded to a second grade municipality on 1 October 1962, to a first grade municipality on 12 December 1965, to special grade municipality on 13 February 1970, and to selection grade municipality on 7 October 1998. Tirupati Municipality was upgraded to a municipal corporation on 2 March 2007. The area of the municipal corporation at the time of formation was . While, at present the area of the city is . Tirupati has been ranked among the top ten cleanest cities in India as per Swachh Survekshan 2022 report.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) is the urban planning authority. It was constituted in the year 1981, with Tirupati town and 89 villages under its jurisdiction. In 2008, it included Srikalahasti, Puttur and 69 surrounding villages. At present TUDA covers an area of .


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati has the status of Urban Police District; it has 25 police stations. Tirupati temple was deployed with 100 Octopus (Organisation For Counter Terrorist Operations) commandos to look over its security. This was formed by Government of Andhra Pradesh in the year 2012. The elite commando force has been specially trained for in house intervention, hostage rescue and Israeli combat technique Krav Maga.


title: Tirupati

text: At Alipiri, security zone was established to screen vehicles and pilgrims entering Tirumala, to safeguard the hills from terrorists and anti-social elements. To assure more safety in Tirumala-Tirupati, the government of Andhra Pradesh started a project called "Safe City-Tirupati": the Tirupati temple and the city will be placed under 24*7 CCTV surveillance with 3000 CCTV cameras, monitored from a command-and-control centre. Baggage scanners and Explosive detectors are installed at several places.


title: Tirupati

text: Electricity to the city is distributed by Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL), headquartered at Tirupati. The city mostly depends on groundwater for its needs, though it also gets water from Telugu Ganga canal and Kalyani dam. There are five dams in the vicinity: Kalyani Dam, Papavinasanam Dam, Gogurbham Dam, Pasupudara Dam, Kumaradara Dam, Akasa Ganga. all in the Tirumala Hill ranges. Of these dams Papavinasanam, Gogurbham, Pasupudara, kumaradara, and Akasa Ganga completely cater the water needs of Tirumala and Venkateswara Temple while 49% of Kalyani Dam water is being supplied to Tirumala and remaining water will be supplied to Tirupati.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati falls under the Tirupati Telecom District of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. BSNL is planning to establish 27 Wi-Fi hotspots in the city. The city also had a Regional Passport Seva Kendra(PSK). PSK-Tirupati will cover Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh and will come under Visakhapatnam Passport Office.


title: Tirupati

text: The city ranked sixth in India among the 200 cities that competed during Swachh Survekshan – 2018 conducted by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India. According to the National Urban Sanitation Policy, the city was ranked 117th in the country in 2009–10, with a total of 39.363 points. As a part of 'Swachh Tirupati', Tirupati Municipal Corporation has started household waste segregation programme. As of May 2015, 150 Tonnes of waste is being collected per day from households within the municipal limits. The city is the 11th most cleanliest city with 66 points in the cleanliness scorecard published by Union Tourism Ministry of India.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati is a medical hub with major hospitals situated in its vicinity. Many of these are either run under State government or run/funded by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital is one of the largest in the state of Andhra Pradesh, and the main government hospital for the Rayalaseema region. It is started in the year 1962 with a donation of Rs.5 lakhs from Sri Radha Krishna N. Ruia and 15 lakhs from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. At present it has 750 beds. Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) is another major medical institute, founded in 1986.


title: Tirupati

text: Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) has 250 beds; it was established in 1985 by TTD to treat patients with polio myelitis, cerebral palsy, congenital anomalies, spinal injuries, and orthopaedical impairments. A non-profit organisation, it is run with funds from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams and donations from the public. Government Maternity Hospital (GMH) in Tirupati is the largest maternity hospital in the state of Andhra pradesh in terms of number of deliveries. Established 50 years ago, GMH is thronged by Pregnant woman from Chittoor, YSR kadapa, Nellore, Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh and few areas of Tamil Nadu. GMH was named "best hospital" under the "sterilization and institutional deliveries category" from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the year 2013. Aswini Hospital in Tirumala is a general hospital in Tirumala maintained by TTD.


title: Tirupati

text: The entire economy directly or indirectly depends on Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). TTD is headquartered at Tirupati. Established in 1932, TTD is an independent trust which manages Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other temples in Tirupati and all over the world. It is also involved in several social activities. As Tirupati is a major religious tourist destination, the hospitality industry is also a major industry which includes many 3 star hotels and lodges.


title: Tirupati

text: Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) is also headquartered at Tirupati. Gandhi Road, Prakasam Road, V.V Mahal Road, AIR Bypass Road are highly commercial areas in the city. Major brands of automobile, textile, mobile, electrical and electronic companies have their outlets in Tirupati.


title: Tirupati

text: APIIC Industrial Park is located at Gajulamandyam, Renigunta. Industries like Sri Venkateswara Cooperative Sugar Factory Limited, AshwiniBio Pharma Ltd and others are situated in this park. Amara Raja factory is located at Karakambadi, Renigunta. Lanco cement factory is located at Eerpedu mandal. The majority of the city residents are employed under TTD. Zoho, an Indian software development company has an office in Renigunta and has been operating from this office since 2018.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateshwara Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Hub is a dedicated mobile handset and electronics manufacturing facility located at Tirupati. The Hub is spread over Acres out of which Celkon is established in acres, Micromax in acres, Karbonn in acres and Lava in acres with a total investment of Rupees 2000 crores. Dixon Technologies has a manufacturing unit in this hub, where they are producing Smart TVs for Xiaomi.


title: Tirupati

text: Tourism sector is of great importance to the city. It is because of the presence of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and a number of other temples in and around the city. It attracts large number of tourists which helps the tourism department of the state in generating revenue. Tirumala is said to be one of the most visited religious sites on earth, and Tirupati Temple is currently a Guinness World Record holder for most visited temple in the world. Tourism comprises a large portion of the Tirupati economy.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirumala Venkateswara Temple is the most notable temple for being the worlds richest Vaishnavite temple of Venkateswara. Beside Venkateswara Temple, the city is known for many other ancient temples, such as Padmavathi Temple at Tiruchanur, Govindaraja Temple, Kapileswara Temple at Kapila Theertham, Kalyana Venkateswara Temple, Srinivasamangapuram, Thathayyagunta Gangamma Temple of goddess Gangamma is the Gramadevata of Tirupati, Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple etc.


title: Tirupati

text: Besides historic temples, there are other tourist destinations in and around the city. Chandragiri Fort is a historical fort, built in the 11th century located in Chandragiri. The fort also host an Archaeological Museum maintained by Archaeological Survey of India. Established in 1987, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati is the largest zoo park in Asia, which covers an area of 5532 acres. Tirupati also hosts a Regional Science centre. A Space Exposition Hall which has a digital Planetarium, first of its kind in Andhra Pradesh and an Innovation Space are added to this centre now.


title: Tirupati

text: Tiruchanur, Alipiri, Chandragiri, Renigunta, Kapila Theertham, NTR Circle, Rangampeta, Tilak Road, Karakambadi, Vedantha Puram, Gajulamandyam, Balaji Colony, Mangalam, Daminedu, Bairagi patteda, Settipalli, Thondavada, Padipeta, Vikruthamala, Korlagunta, Gandhi Road, SV Auto Nagar, Cherlopalli, and Sri Krishnadevaraya Circle (Leela Mahal) areas are the notable neighbourhoods of the city.


title: Tirupati

text: The city is well connected to major cities through national and state highways. The National highways passing through Tirupati are, National Highway 71 which connects Madanapalle and Kadiri, National Highway 140 connecting Tirupati with Puthalapattu. Within Tirupati Urban Development Authority Limits, there are two additional national highways, namely, NH 716 AND NH 565. NH 716 connects Renigunta part of Tirupati to Chennai and Muddanur (via Kadapa and Rajampet).NH 565 on the other hand connects NH 71 to NH 65. it starts from Yerpedu area of Tirupati and ends at Nakrekal in Nalgonda district.


title: Tirupati

text: Constructed one in 1944 and the other in 1974, there are two all-weather, asphalt ghat roads between Tirupati and Tirumala. There is a total of of roads within the Tirupati Municipal Corporation Limits.


title: Tirupati

text: APSRTC is the state owned transport service, which operates buses to various destinations from Tirupati bus station complex. The bus station comprises three mini bus stations to various destinations, such as Srinivasa bus station for west-bound destinations, Sri Hari bus station for east bound destinations and Yedukondalu bus station is utilised for bus services to Tirumala. Balaji Link bus station at Alipiri is also used for bus services to Tirumala. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams runs free buses from the railway station and central bus stand to Alipiri for pilgrims. The buses to Tirumala are known as Sapthagiri Express.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati is in close proximity with the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Hence, direct buses from Tirumala to Chennai, Bengaluru, Jayanagar, Bangalore, Vellore, Kanchipuram are run by APSRTC Sapthagiri Express. KSRTC, TNSTC and SETC also operates their services to Lower Tirupati. There are also private transport which operate in the city.


title: Tirupati

text: There are two footpaths from Tirupati to Tirumala. These paths are called "Sopanamargas" and are mostly used by pilgrims. The first (and oldest) path starts from Alipiri and has 3550 steps, totalling . At Alipiri there is a temple dedicated to Venkateswara called Padalamandapam. There are four Gopurams (temple towers) along the way. The other path, called "Sri Vari Mettu" starts from Srinivasa Mangapuram and is long. Both paths are completely roofed and pass through seven hills (part of Seshachalam Hills).


title: Tirupati

text: is classified as an "A1 station" in the Guntakal railway division of South Central Railway zone. and are the satellite stations, used for decongesting rail traffic at the main station. In addition to these, Tirupati also has Chandragiri, Yerpedu and Renigunta Junction Railway stations to serve the needs of the people of the city.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateswara Airport is located from the city centre and has daily flights to Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolhapur,Pune, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, Shirdi, Rajahmundry, Gulbarga, Hubli, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The closest international airport is Chennai International Airport which is from Tirupati. Tirupati Airport is being upgraded to an international airport. The new terminal was inaugurated on 22 October 2015.


title: Tirupati

text: The primary and secondary school education is imparted by government, aided and private schools of the School Education Department of the state. Majority of them are named after presiding deity of Tirupati temple, Venkateswara and his consort goddess Padmavati.


title: Tirupati

text: There are several universities and colleges including state government and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam sponsored such as, Sri Venkateswara University, established in 1954; Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam, a dedicated women's university; Medical colleges include Sri Venkateswara Medical College and Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women. Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) is also a medical institute, Sri Venkateswara Vedic University to preserve, foster and promote oral traditions of Vedic, Agamic and Cognate Literature, with focus on right intonations. Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, a university established for higher learning in Sanskrit studies, Traditional Sastras and Pedagogy. Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University to strengthen education and services in the fields of Veterinary Science, Dairy Technology and Fishery Science in the State of Andhra Pradesh. Sri Venkateswara Institute of Traditional Sculpture and Architecture (SVITSA) run by TTD is one of the two institutions in India offering courses in traditional sculpture and architecture to students. Seven diploma courses are offered in subjects such as temple architecture, stone sculpture, Sudai aculpture, metal sculpture, wood sculpture, traditional painting and traditional Kalamkari art. Indian Culinary Institute, Tirupati is the first culinary institute in India established by Ministry of Tourism (India).


title: Tirupati

text: The city has Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) and IIT Tirupati which were allotted by Government of India to the state of Andhra Pradesh. There are three law colleges, namely, Sri Venkateswara College of Law, Anantha College of Law, and Dr. Ambedkar Global Law Institute.


title: Tirupati

text: Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel (SVBC), the first 24-hour Telugu devotional channel dedicated to broadcast Hindu devotional programmes and live telecasts of poojas performed at Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, is telecasted from Tirupati.


title: Tirupati

text: Started in 1949, "Sapthagiri" is a spiritual monthly magazine based at Tirupati and published in Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, Tamil and Kannada languages. Both SVBC channel and "Sapthagiri" are run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.


title: Tirupati

text: Telugu newspapers "Andhra Bhoomi", "Saakshi", "Eenadu", "Vaartha", "Andhra Jyothi", and "Andhra Prabha"; and English newspapers "Deccan Chronicle", "The Hindu", "Indian Express", "Times of India", and "The Hans India", are available in the city. The Hindu, Sakshi, Andhrajyothi, Eenadu and other dailies have their printing and publication offices set up here.


title: Tirupati

text: Tirupati has All India Radio station and is served by FM stations like 92.7 Big FM, 93.5 Red FM, and 104 Enadu FM.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Shawn Travis Kemp Sr. (born November 26, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Orlando Magic in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Reign Man", he was a six-time NBA All-Star and a three-time All-NBA Second Team member.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp attended Concord High School in Elkhart, Indiana. At the prestigious B/C All-Star Camp on his first day, Kemp outplayed highly regarded prep star Terry Mills. A four-year varsity starter, he was considered to be one of the top four or five players nationally his senior year, and led his team to the state championship finals. Kemp ended his high school career as Elkhart County's all-time leading scorer and the owner of Concord's career, single-game and single-season scoring records. Despite his achievements and accolades, Kemp was bypassed for the title of Indiana Mr. Basketball; Woody Austin won the award that year instead. There has been some speculation that Kemp was purposely passed over for the award because he verbally committed to the University of Kentucky and did not express interest in staying in-state to play college ball (Austin committed to Purdue University.) Kemp was selected to the 1988 McDonald's High School All-American team (considered one of the best classes of all-time), along with such notable players as Alonzo Mourning. Kemp scored a team-high 18 points for the West in a losing cause. The final score was 105–99 in favor of the East.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: During his senior year, Kemp signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball at the University of Kentucky. Kemp failed to score the minimum of 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, and was forced to miss his freshman year under the NCAA's Proposition 48 rules. Jim Hahn, Kemp's high school coach, did not like the idea of Kemp being in Kentucky without playing basketball, saying "To have Shawn in a college environment without basketball, the one thing he loves, was, I felt, a big mistake. It even crossed my mind to advise him to go right into the NBA, and the only thing that stopped me was the fact that so few players have done it." Kemp decided to enroll at Kentucky. However, he left the team in November 1988 after he was accused of pawning two gold chains that had been reported stolen from his teammate Sean Sutton, the son of then Kentucky head coach Eddie Sutton. Sean Sutton did not press charges, but Kemp transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Texas. After a semester at TVCC, where he did not play, 19-year-old Kemp declared himself eligible for the 1989 NBA draft.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Kemp in the first round of the 1989 NBA draft. Although extremely athletic, Kemp was the youngest player in the NBA at that time and struggled to find his place. In his first season in Seattle, Kemp was mentored heavily by teammate Xavier McDaniel. As the season progressed, so did Kemp's skills, which propelled him into stardom. Kemp began to find his place in the NBA as a star during his second season with the SuperSonics. Together with Gary Payton, Eddie Johnson, Ricky Pierce and Nate McMillan, they became a highly successful squad.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: After Kemp's second NBA season, he picked up the nickname "Reign Man" after the SuperSonics' announcer Kevin Calabro saw a poster with the name and thought it fitting to add to his radio broadcasts.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: In 1992 during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors, Kemp dunked over center Alton Lister, which colloquially became known as "The Lister Blister".


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp played for the US national team in the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, winning the gold medal. He also appeared in the MTV Rock N' Jock annual celebrity basketball game.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp's career peaked in 1995–96, when he and Payton led the SuperSonics to a franchise-record 64 wins and their first NBA Finals appearance since 1979. They faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who were coming off an NBA record 72 wins. The SuperSonics pushed the heavily favored Bulls to six games before losing. In the Finals, Kemp posted per game averages of 23.3 points on 55% shooting from the field, 10.0 rebounds and two blocks. Shawn Kemp finished a close second in Finals MVP voting, almost becoming the second player to win the award despite being from the losing team.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: During his time in Seattle, Kemp occasionally played during the offseason on an outdoor court in Seattle's Belltown district.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp signed a contract extension with the SuperSonics in 1994. The league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) precluded any adjustment to that contract until October 1997. He was upset by the situation, but his agent, Tony Dutte, understood that no negotiation was permitted. During this time, the SuperSonics signed Jim McIlvaine to a seven-year, $33.6 million contract, exceeding Kemp's salary. Kemp threatened to refuse to play in the upcoming 1996–97 season and held out of training camp for 22 days. Despite this absence, Kemp helped lead the SuperSonics to another 50-plus-win season as they dispatched the Phoenix Suns in five games in the first round, only to lose to the Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler and Charles Barkley-led Houston Rockets in a seven-game series in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Following the 1996–1997 season, Kemp was part of a trade sending him to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks forward Vin Baker to the SuperSonics, and Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill from the Cavaliers to the Bucks.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp played three seasons with the Cavaliers while battling weight problems and often appeared to lack the drive that made him such a force in Seattle. Despite this, he posted career-high numbers for points per game in 1997–98 and led the Cavaliers to the NBA Playoffs, where they faced the Reggie Miller-led Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers lost to the Pacers in four games despite Kemp averaging 26 points with 13 rebounds per game in the series.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: During the lockout shortened 1998–1999 NBA season, Kemp reportedly showed up to training camp weighing 280 pounds, though Cleveland's then general manager Wayne Embry revealed that he was actually 315 pounds. Other sources cite Kemp's weight as being "north of 400 pounds, easy." Though unable to shed the weight, Kemp managed to average 20.5 points and 9.2 rebounds.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after the 1999–2000 season. The trade reunited Kemp with Bob Whitsitt, who had originally brought Kemp to Seattle. However, Kemp's play began to decline significantly. The last few years of Kemp's professional basketball career were riddled with problems stemming from his weight, as well as cocaine and alcohol abuse. His first season in Portland ended early when he entered drug rehabilitation.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp was signed as a free agent for the Magic, and helped the Magic reach the playoffs despite the loss of starting small forward Grant Hill. During his one season in Orlando, Kemp played in his 1000th NBA game. In their first round series, the Magic took an early three games to one lead before losing to the Detroit Pistons in seven games. Following the 2002–03 season, Kemp was replaced by free agent forward Juwan Howard.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: In April of the 2005–06 NBA season, Kemp's NBA comeback chances looked promising. The eventual Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks considered adding Kemp to their roster in time for the NBA playoffs. Mavs' coach, and former Sonic teammate, Avery Johnson scheduled a personal workout to take place in Houston, where Kemp trained for several months. Kemp failed to appear because of undisclosed reasons. The two parties tried to reschedule a workout but the NBA refused to grant Dallas an injury exception (for a 16th player). Kemp did not get a second chance to join the Mavericks that season.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: In June 2006, three months after a drug arrest, the "Denver Post" reported that Kemp had slimmed down to the playing weight of his All-Star days and was determined to join an NBA team, possibly the Denver Nuggets, and finish his career "the right way." The Nuggets ultimately turned their attention away from Kemp, signing power forward Reggie Evans. Kemp drew some interest from the Chicago Bulls in September 2006, but missed his scheduled workout.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: During the half time of the SuperSonics' game on November 5, 2006, Kemp was announced as one of the 16 members of the SuperSonics' 40-year anniversary team. After having the longest ovation of all the players, Kemp said after the celebration that he would play with a team in Rome and was still considering a comeback to the NBA. Kemp, however, did not secure a position on an NBA roster during the 2006–07 season.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: On August 18, 2008, Kemp signed a one-year contract with Premiata Montegranaro of Italian League. Despite being almost 39, he was said to be in good shape. The Premiata deal came about due to the good relationship between Kemp and Roberto Carmenati, the new Team Director of Montegranaro. Kemp reported to the team, played in three preseason games, then returned to Houston to assess his home for damage from Hurricane Ike. Kemp and Premiata Montegranaro decided to part ways, and the contract was rescinded.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: After his active career he tried to bring basketball back to Seattle. Kemp bought a mansion in Seattle in 2003 for $2.4 million, the year he retired from the NBA. In 2008, he listed the property for sale in the real estate market at a value of $3.7 million.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp has seven children with six different women. His oldest son, Shawn Kemp Jr., played basketball for the University of Washington, and another son, Jamon, played basketball at Southeastern Louisiana University.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp appeared on the 2009 season premiere of "Pros vs. Joes". A photograph of Kemp dunking over Hakeem Olajuwon appears on the cover of "NBA Jam Extreme".


title: Shawn Kemp

text: Kemp was the owner of a sports bar in Lower Queen Anne, Seattle, named Oskar's Kitchen. The establishment closed in 2015. Kemp now owns a part of Amber's Kitchen on 1st Avenue in Seattle, as well as a controlling interest in several Seattle venues.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: In October 2020, Kemp along with Matt Schoenlein and Ramsey Hamide opened a cannabis dispensary in Seattle named Shawn Kemp's Cannabis. He was joined at the grand opening by former teammate Gary Payton, whose Cookies brand cannabis strain he sells at the shop.


title: Shawn Kemp

text: On April 4, 2005, Kemp was arrested in Shoreline, Washington for an investigation of drug possession. Kemp and another man were found with a small amount of cocaine, approximately 60 grams of marijuana and a semiautomatic pistol, according to the King County Sheriff's Office. On April 29, Kemp was formally charged with drug possession and pleaded guilty. Kemp was again arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Houston, Texas on July 21, 2006.


title: Da Brat

text: Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album "Funkdafied" (1994) sold one million copies, making her the first female solo rap act to receive a platinum certification, and the second overall female rap act (solo or group) after Salt-N-Pepa.


title: Da Brat

text: Throughout her career, she has earned two top ten hits on the "Billboard" Hot 100, "Funkdafied" and "Not Tonight", the latter with Lil' Kim, Lisa Lopes, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez. Brat has also had commercial success with other songs including "I Think They Like Me", plus several remixes of Mariah Carey's songs, including "Loverboy", "Always Be My Baby", "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination", "Honey", and "Gotta Thing For You", a hip-hop-inspired version of the Bobby Caldwell song "What You Won’t Do For Love". Brat has received two Grammy Award nominations.


title: Da Brat

text: Da Brat was born on April 14, 1974, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised primarily in the West Side district of the city. Her father is David Ray McCoy, a businessman, and mother, Beverly Calloway, a city bus driver. Her parents never married. Brat was subsequently raised in two different households. Da Brat lived part of the time with her mother and grandmother and attended an Apostolic church four times a week, where she sang in the choir. She is the paternal half-sister of LisaRaye McCoy. Da Brat attended Kenwood Academy during her sophomore and junior year, where she ran track and played basketball. She graduated from the Academy of Scholastic Achievement, a continuation charter school that caters to at-risk students in 1992.


title: Da Brat

text: In 1992, Da Brat's big break occurred when she won the grand prize in a local rap contest sponsored by "Yo! MTV Raps". For the prize, she met the young rap duo Kris Kross. They introduced her to their producer, Jermaine Dupri, who signed her to his So So Def label. Da Brat's debut album "Funkdafied" was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at number 11. The album went platinum, making her the first female solo rapper to sell one million copies. The single "Funkdafied" reached number 1 on the rap singles chart and number 6 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. Her follow-up single from the same album, "Give It 2 You," reached number 26 on the Hot 100.