#Top Architects in Texas

[contemporaryarchitect]

Contemporary Architects in Austin: Spotlight on Modern Residential Design by Winn Wittman Architecture

Austin, Texas, a city known for its eclectic culture and booming tech scene, is also a hotbed for contemporary architecture. Among the notable names shaping the architectural landscape in Austin is Winn Wittman Architecture, a firm renowned for its innovative and modern residential designs. This article delves into the contributions of Winn Wittman and highlights what makes his firm a leader in the field of contemporary architecture in Austin.

Winn Wittman Architecture: A Pioneering Force in Austin

Founded by the visionary architect Winn Wittman, Winn Wittman Architecture has established itself as a key player in Austin's contemporary architectural scene. The firm is celebrated for its cutting-edge designs that blend modern aesthetics with functionality and sustainability. Wittman’s approach to architecture is characterized by his ability to create spaces that are not only visually striking but also cater to the unique lifestyle needs of his clients.

Defining Modern Residential Architecture

Modern residential architecture by Winn Wittman Architecture is marked by its emphasis on clean lines, open spaces, and the integration of natural light. The firm often employs a minimalist approach, focusing on the essentials and creating a harmonious balance between the indoor and outdoor environments. This design philosophy is particularly evident in projects like the "Rock House," a stunning residence that seamlessly integrates with its natural surroundings while offering luxurious modern living.

Incorporating advanced technology and sustainable practices is a hallmark of Wittman’s residential designs. Energy-efficient systems, eco-friendly materials, and innovative construction techniques are integral to his projects, ensuring that each home is as environmentally responsible as it is beautiful.

Contributions to Austin's Architectural Landscape

Austin’s architectural diversity is greatly enriched by the presence of contemporary architects like Winn Wittman. His work adds a distinct modern touch to the city's skyline, reflecting Austin's progressive and forward-thinking ethos. The firm’s projects often become landmarks, admired for their creativity and sophistication.

One of Wittman’s notable contributions to the Austin residential scene is the "Zilker House," which exemplifies his ability to merge contemporary design with the practicalities of daily living. This residence features expansive glass walls, sleek geometric forms, and a strong connection to the surrounding landscape, embodying the essence of modern residential architecture.

Embracing Innovation and Sustainability

Winn Wittman Architecture’s commitment to innovation is evident in its use of cutting-edge materials and construction techniques. The firm is at the forefront of incorporating sustainable practices into residential design, such as utilizing solar power, water conservation systems, and recycled materials. This forward-thinking approach not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of Wittman’s projects but also contributes to their long-term sustainability and energy efficiency.

A Visionary Leader in Contemporary Design

Winn Wittman’s influence extends beyond his architectural projects. As a thought leader in the field, he actively participates in the architectural community, sharing his insights and inspiring the next generation of architects. His work has been featured in numerous publications and has received accolades for its innovation and excellence.

In summary, Winn Wittman Architecture stands out as a beacon of contemporary design in Austin. The firm’s modern residential projects are a testament to Winn Wittman’s vision and his commitment to creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful. For those seeking a blend of luxury, innovation, and sustainability in their homes, Winn Wittman Architecture represents the pinnacle of modern residential architecture in Austin.

[perrymarsh490]

Winn Wittman Architecture – One of the leading architecture firms in Austin

If you looking to turn your dream of having a magnificent home into reality, then the first and foremost thing to do is to consult one of the top architects in Texas. No matter what kind of theme you have in mind, a renowned architect would leave no stone unturned to give wings to the same. Fortunately, there is no dearth of great architects and architecture firms in Austin who are known for delivering a stunning visual and functional appeal to any space.

Maybe you want to design a two-story addition with a family room on the lower level and a master bedroom and bathroom on the upper level. Or perhaps you've always wished to add a wraparound terrace and French doors to the kitchen. No matter what your goal comprises, all significant remodeling projects may profit from the professional design assistance of a seasoned, licensed architect.

An architect has the education and expertise to provide a thorough plan based on your unique wants and preferences, one that is deeply rooted in the style of your current home and mounted in the right proportions. However, the skill of creating and refining a vision of the completed product that you can see and comprehend is what actually makes a Los Angeles designer important. And architects are experts at seeing not only the big picture, but also the lots of tiny steps between concept and execution.

Now when it comes to choosing the best architect for contemporary home design, Winn Wittman Architecture comes out as a foremost choice among homeowners.

They are internationally-recognized architecture firms in Austin that help people, throughout Texas and the US, design their perfect home. A modified, investment-grade contemporary home is an element that few will ever achieve. But for those who understand the value of a personal sanctuary, an average house just won’t do.

Specializing in residential, contemporary home design, Winn Wittman is one name that has been defining new quality benchmarks in the field of interior design. The leading Texas architects relies on an exclusive, co-creative process to comprehend your unique aspirations and convert that into the ideal modern home suited to your lifestyle. They are focused on creating designs that are livable and designed intelligently with the owner’s needs in mind. They custom-tailor their scope of architect services to react to your needs, dreams and long term goals. They are the folks you would love to contact when you want to be as thrilled about your home as you were about your tree fort when you were a kid!

One of the top architects in Texas is Winn Wittman, AIA. Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, The Robb Report, Luxe, Green Building and Design, Hinge, The Discovery Network, and HGTV are just a few of the magazines that have featured his work. He graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. and the University of Texas at Austin with an M.Arch. For his designs of the Wittman Panel, Winn has received several honors and prizes from the American Institute of Architects World Architecture News and "Best Green Innovation" from Green Building and Design. He belongs to both the Texas Society of Architects and the American Institute of Architects.

[mechaknight-98]

Road Trip (NSFW) FT Nayeon and Tzuyu

Author's Notes: I just wanted to write a short little 1500 word jaunt but no my brain made it 7500. No matter. It was a fun ride (Pun intended.) Not currently sure what the rest of the release schedule is going to be right now, but there will probably something smaller maybe two however enjoy this special holiday release.

 Driving from Anaheim, California to Houston, Texas is the worst. It’s not the most terrible thing I’ve ever had to do, but it’s in the top 20. Still, it was worth it. I was going to see my favorite K-pop group, Twice, and I would fly back after dropping off the rental. "Take photos," my dad convinced me. So, here I was, driving thousands of miles.

During one of my photo ops stops, I noticed a broken down van, smoke billowing from the engine. Three people were standing outside of it. I sucked my teeth.

“Sucks to be them,” I thought. As I passed, something told me to stop. I didn’t want to, but I did so against my better judgment. I stopped and walked over to them.

“Hey, do y'all need help?” I called out.

A feminine, accented voice responded, “Oh God, yes!” As I neared, I recognized two of the three faces. It was the matnae and maknae of Twice.

“Ehh, Nayeon and Tzuyu?” I said, bewildered.

“Ehh?” Nayeon replied, “You know us?” She added, and I nodded. Tzuyu laughed.

“Good, so no intros needed. You asked if you could help us. Can you drive us to the hotel?”

Tzuyu ran up to me and hugged me tightly, her eyes holding the cutest puppy dog pout. I sighed, resigned to my fate, and said, “Sure, let’s grab your stuff and go.” That’s when you approached.

“Thank you so much,” you said. “I’ll make sure the company pays you back for this.” I shrugged at your words, but you insisted. We loaded everything into the car and raced off to the hotel (metaphorically, of course). On the ride there, it was Tzuyu and me in the front, with Nayeon and you in the back.

“So, what’s your name?” Tzuyu asked with a hint of flirtiness.

“DJ, and you… don’t answer that. I already know… sorry, muscle memory.” I replied. Tzuyu laughed at my gaffe, as did Nayeon. You, of course, got it. They’re stars while you and I are seemingly normal.

“So, who is your bias?” Nayeon inevitably asked.

“That’s a setup… but I’m stupid, so Tzuyu,” I replied confidently.

Nayeon laughed and scoffed, then looked at you with a “Can you believe him?” look.

“Oh, so I’m your favorite,” Tzuyu acknowledged. I nodded, then turned on the Bluetooth for the radio. Tzuyu began to rock out to my heavy playlist as it started.

“Ugh,” Nayeon scoffed.

“I can play other stuff. I take non-country requests,” I replied. You laughed at my response, as you had been catering to the diva for the past few days. Conversely, the maknae piped up,

“No, I like this music. Especially this band. Chaeyoung introduced me to them.”

“Wait! Really? Chaeyoung introduced you to Architects, Tzuyu?” I asked, intrigued.

Tzuyu nodded before saying, “But please call me Chewy.” I gave her a thumbs-up as I continued driving. As we landed in New Mexico, I decided to get some photo ops at the Area 51 museum. Before stopping, I apologized to the rest of the passengers.

“Sorry, just wanted to get some pictures,” I explained. You and the girls nodded as I got out. Nayeon, being her sexy but conceited self, asked me to take some pictures at a nearby station. I obliged, and she posed.

“Be sure to send me those later because I look sexy,” she said confidently. I nodded as Nayeon went back to you. Meanwhile, Chewy politely asked me to take some pictures of her, which I happily obliged.

Her photos bordered more on the cute side, but when she wasn’t taking photos, she made some quite suggestive and flirty comments.

For example, when I showed her one taken with a silly hat on, she said, “Oh, that’s so nice. You make me glow, but can you make me squirm and scream?” Her tone was hushed enough so only I could hear her. I turned to her, and she just gave an innocent smile as if she wasn’t spouting filth.

I chuckled, which she mirrored as we talked.

“So, DJ, are you a professional photographer?” Chewy asked politely.

“Nope, working on getting there though,” I replied.

Chewy nodded before asking another question, “What’s stopping you?”

I laughed and partially joked, “Mostly money and experience. Once I have those, I’ll be there.” Chewy laughed and said,

“Well, I think you’re pretty good.”

While we were talking, Nayeon scoffed, “Chewy is swooning.”

“Really?” you asked.

“Can’t you tell? She’s been extra doe-eyed with him. She’s going to eat him alive, but that’s just her. She always goes for the kind and naive ones.”

“Hey, you used to be like that too, if memory serves correctly,” you countered.

“We were in high school, and I didn’t know any better,” Nayeon rebuked, and you laughed.

“Let Chewy have her moment. He seems nice.”

“That’s the problem,” Nayeon scoffed. While no one was looking, though, she leaned in and sneaked a kiss on your cheek.

“Thank you for ‘being my manager’ for this tour. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have,” Nayeon admitted. You smiled at her words before saying,

“You’re welcome, Nabong.” Nayeon’s lips curled upwards in a mischievous grin.

“I think I may need one of your full-body massages,” Nayeon said, emphasizing the word “massage,” letting you know what she meant. You smirked and said,

“Anything for my favorite bunny.”

After taking pictures, I continue the drive to the hotel. Conveniently, we're all staying at the same place.

You, Nayeon, and Tzuyu check in while I search for parking. When I finally enter, I try to be discreet.

"Um, one room for Dracul Bram?" I ask in a low tone. The hostess looks at my ID, then up at me with a confused but amused grin.

"Room 104," she says, "behind the check-in station and around the corner." I give her a thumbs-up and head towards my room.

I would have made it if not for someone behind me calling out, "DJ, where are you going?" I turn to see Chewy waving me over. She’s at the bar with you, Sana, another manager, and Nayeon. Resigned, I join you all.

As I approach, Sana laughs and says, "Oh wow, you’re so tall." I shrug, while you notice Chewy glaring at Sana. You chuckle internally, recognizing that Chewy is interested in me. Nayeon shoots you a knowing look, also noticing Chewy's reaction.

When I sit down, Sana quickly starts her flirty "interview."

"So, DJ, I hear you're quite the photographer?" Sana purrs.

"Um, still an amateur. I lack the funds and experience to be considered 'professional,'" I reply. Sana smirks.

"So why don't we help you get more experience? How would you feel about being my photographer for the concert in Houston?" My mind stalls as I try to process her proposal. The air grows thick, and while I'm dumbfounded, Tzuyu glares at her unnie. You and Nayeon laugh, recognizing the game Sana is playing. Chewy, completely unaware, takes the bait.

"But unnie, I thought you liked Mark a lot more. Maybe you should take him, and I'll take DJ?" Chewy proposes.

"Game, set, match," Nayeon whispers in your ear.

Sana smiles and replies to Chewy, "I don't know. You said DJ takes really good pictures, and I haven't seen them yet..." Before Sana can finish, Chewy quickly says,

"Fine... I'll take the room with Dahyun," Chewy sighs.

"Deal," Sana quickly agrees with a smile. I'm still reeling from the initial proposal as this deal unfolds around me.

Before I can fully process what just happened, the bartender approaches, asking for our drink orders. Chewy, still flustered from her exchange with Sana, quickly orders a soda. Nayeon orders a cocktail, and Sana, with a smirk, opts for something stronger. You and I both go for something simple, trying to keep up with the rapid-fire interactions around us.

"DJ, how did you end up driving from California?" Nayeon asks, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.

"Well, I wanted to see you guys perform and take some photos along the way. My dad thought it would be a good idea," I explain, feeling slightly more comfortable now that the conversation has shifted to neutral territory.

Chewy brightens at this. "So, you like road trips and photography? That's a fun combination."

"Yeah, it's been an adventure," I admit, smiling at her enthusiasm. "And now, unexpectedly, I'm here with you all."

Sana, not one to let the spotlight shift too far, interjects, "Well, it's lucky for us that you stopped to help. Nayeon and Chewy would have  been stranded otherwise." Her tone is light, but there's a genuine appreciation beneath it.

"Definitely," you agree, raising your glass in a toast. "To unexpected adventures."

Everyone raises their glasses, and the mood relaxes further. As we chat, Nayeon nudges you and whispers something in your ear, causing both of you to laugh. 

Chewy, noticing this, leans in closer to me. "So, DJ, tell me more about your photography. What kind of subjects do you like to shoot?"

I start to answer, but I'm interrupted by a sudden buzz from Nayeon's phone. She glances at it and then groans. "It's our manager. He needs us for a quick meeting."

Sana rolls her eyes but stands up. "Duty calls. DJ, it was nice meeting you. Don't forget about our deal."

Chewy stands up reluctantly, giving me a small, shy smile. "I'll see you later, DJ."

As they head off, you stay behind for a moment. "You handled that well," you say, clapping me on the shoulder. "Welcome to the world of K-pop chaos."

I laugh, feeling more at ease. "Thanks. I think I'm going to need all the help I can get."

"You'll be fine," you assure me. "Just keep being yourself. They seem to like you already."

With that, you head off to join the others, leaving me at the bar to reflect on the whirlwind of the evening. As I sit there, I can't help but feel a mixture of excitement and nervousness about what the next few days will bring.

I decide to pay the tab before finishing my drink and heading to my room. I upload the picture to my tablet before sending the photos to Chewy and Nayeon. While going over them one of the pictures of Chewy stands out. I send it to my phone and make it my wallpaper while keeping my home screen something more nerdy. After that, I decided it was for the best if I went to sleep for the night. 

After I finally got comfortable and passed out you and the rest of the girls get out of your meeting. Nayeon Dramatically absconds with you to her room while Chewy checks her phone she notices my pictures. She smiles and sends me a cute little message. She is a little sad when I don't respond. She also decided to turn early.

You on the other enter your room hand in hand with Nayeon. She beams at you ready for her “massage”. She begins to strip for you and your smile grows wide.

“You always look like a kid in a candy store,”

You smile then reply, “With how hot you are can you blame me?” Nayeon grins and looks at you happily.

“Oh, I'm going to enjoy this,” she lies on the bed and spreads her long legs. You marvel at her thick thighs and buoyant ass. Nayeon beams as you stare at her “Well come on fuck me,” she says with an arrogant smile that drives you wild wild. You strip to her as she does her “sexy” shimmy she does whenever she's feeling herself. You line yourself up with her entrance. You rub her clit and pussy with your rod as she patiently waits. After a few minutes of teasing, she jams you inside her.

“Oh yes,” she moans as you bottom out in her. Her tightness takes your breath away as you wait for her to stop clenching you. When her body finally acclimated you begin to thrust in and out of her. She moans uncontrollably as you begin to thrust harder and harder.

“Yes, Yes, Yes,” she moans deliriously from the pleasure. You groan as you feel her tighten before she climaxes. You watch as her body arches back and her slick floods out of her. As she covers you cock and crotch in her cum you keep fucking her until you reach your high. You flood her with semen as you reach your orgasm. As the two of you come down from your mutual high you gaze at the clock.

“Shit! We can't do anymore because we have to get up early tomorrow,” you say stressed Nayeon nods before and the both of you pass out. 

I wake up early the next morning, shower, get changed, and get ready for the day. When I walk out, you, Sana, the other manager from last night, and Chewy are all waiting for me.

“Oh good, we didn't miss you. Congratulations, you've been selected to drive in Twice’s caravan,” you say to me.

I blink a couple of times before saying, “Huh?”

Chewy laughs and responds, “We are still missing one van, so we figured since we are all going to the same place, you could help us out again.” I process the information slowly.

Confused, I look at the group and realize that I’ve been temporarily enlisted into Twice’s caravan. Today, I’ll be driving the manager (Sam), Sana, and Chewy. I blink a few times but relent, “You all know I'm flying back, right?” I ask, concerned.

You nod and say, “As are we.”

I shrug and say, “Well, okay then.”

You clap your hands together. “Good, see you at the next hotel in Houston.” I nod quietly as I pack up. The girls and Sam follow me to the car. As we load up, Sana asks, “Hey DJ, you're big and strong. Can you help me with my bags?” I nod and lift her bags into the trunk. Sana smiles and caresses my arms.

“I knew you could do it,” she says seductively. I nod as Sana goes to sit. Chewy walks close to me, and instinctively I load up her bags. Chewy smiles, and we get ready to go. She takes her seat in the front with me. As I check to see if everyone is buckled, Sana flashes me a flirty smile. Once everyone is secure, I start driving.

Fifteen minutes into the drive, Chewy asks me what music she should put on. I catch myself before saying, “Put on Lorgar’s audiobook.” Instead, I suggest she put on the Whiplash playlist. She does so and is surprised when "Perfect World" by Twice is the first song. I catch the smiles aimed at me, then the confused look when the second song, "Backbreaker" by Fit For a King, comes on. Initially, my passengers are confused, but as they listen to more of the playlist, they start vibing with me.

After about six hours of driving, we make our first stop at a gas station. I take a few pictures of the desert and plains, which Sana sneaks her way into. When I finish, she gets close to me and says, “Oh, you're really good.” I thank her for the compliment, while also noticing Chewy sitting a little way off with a forlorn but cute pose. I snap a few photos before going into the convenience store section of the gas station and grabbing her a snack. When I walk out toward her, I sit next to her and hand her the snack. She looks at me and pouts, “I can't eat that. It will go straight to my thighs.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And why would that be bad? You have the sexiest thighs,” I say. Tzuyu giggles.

“You're just saying that,” she responds. I shake my head, resisting the impulse to pull her closer.

“You are super pretty, and I think one honey bun won't be the end of the world. Fifteen in two hours, though…that might be a problem,” I joke. Tzuyu smiles and leans on my shoulder.

Sana and Sam watch from a distance.

“Oh, she's got him,” Sam says with a laugh. Sana nods with a pout.

“He just looks so cuddly,” Sana laments.

“Yeah, I get that, but you get all the attention. Let Chewy have this one,” Sam replies.

Sana pouts again. “Okay.”

When we all get back into the car, the next song up is "In the Mouth of Madness" by Nightmares. Chewy enjoys it and asks about their other albums. I wince as I tell her this is their only one. She frowns but understands. After that, "Cheer Up" comes on, garnering a few more smiles.

"You like us," Chewy says.

I nod and reply, "Well, yeah. If it weren't for you all, I wouldn't have gotten through the pandemic. I was alone and isolated for most of it, and you nine got me through by being this giant pastel pink sign saying, 'Things will get better!' So I fought on." Chewy smiles warmly.

Sam hears this and says, "The little Once that could." I chuckle along with the rest of the car.

After a few more hours, we arrive at the last hotel. Curiously, we are the first to arrive, beating out the rest of the vans. Cameras and flashes surround the car as we step out. Momentarily blinded, I grab Sana's and Chewy's bags and help them check-in. When I go to check into my hotel, Sam stops me.

"We got you a room," he says. I nod and gratefully take the room key as we head to the elevator.

"Chewy likes you," he says out of the blue.

"What? No," I scoff.

Sam's eyes narrow. "Yes, she does. I have never seen her this engaged with someone, especially someone outside of Twice."

"She's just being nice," I say, still in disbelief.

Sam rolls his eyes as we exit the elevator. "You say that, but she loves the whole knight-in-shining-armor thing. She eats it up, and you being the bashful knight type—she's going to eat you alive."

"You make it sound like she's a maneater," I respond, confused.

Sam grins wickedly before entering his room. "She is, but she has picky tastes. Anyway, be careful—or not."

Left alone with a lot to process, I lie down and think about the day.

"Do I like Chewy back?" I ponder. 

"If I do, am I willing to give up my anonymity to be with her?"

My thoughts halt when I get a DM from Chewy saying, "Hey, can you come to my room? I need help ordering food." Without hesitation, I go. My heart had already chosen for me. When I get to her room, she’s in shorts and a crop top with a giant heart shape on it. She smiles at me.

"That was fast," she teases.

I smile and say, "Well, anything for royalty, I guess." She looks confused.

"Your song, 'Queen of Hearts,' and your shirt," I explain. Chewy looks down and laughs.

"Okay, I thought that was your first humor miss."

"I am always missing," I reply. Chewy smiles and pats the bed next to her. I walk and lie down next to her. She nestles closer as I help her order room service, wrapping herself around me tightly.

A knock on the door interrupts us. I go to open it, and Dahyun, Sana, Nayeon, and Jihyo arrive, along with you, Sam, and another manager, this one female.

"So, you're the Machine God I’ve been hearing so much about. The name's Sara," the female manager says, amused.

I look at her, confused.

Sara rolls her eyes as she says, "Oh, don't give me that puzzled look. You drove here straight without any breaks except a couple of stops for gas."

I nod, understanding now, as I walk back to the bed with Chewy. When I sit back down, you and Nayeon notice how Chewy moves her legs onto my lap.

"Oh, someone is staking her claim," you whisper calmly.

Nayeon whispers back, "I wonder how long until she drops the shyness and he sees her true self."

"Oh, it'll happen before we head back. I can see it in her eyes. She wants him badly, and she's barely containing herself. We probably delayed it tonight."

"What was that?" Sara asked, catching your whispered conversation with Nayeon.

"Oh, nothing, just discussing what we should order for room service after we leave," you reply quickly.

Sara isn't convinced. "Right," she says sarcastically, before turning to me.

"So, DJ, what does DJ stand for?"

Expecting this question, I sigh. "Promise not to laugh?" Everyone looks at me, puzzled but nods.

"My name is Dracul Marcus Bram Jr., but my family calls me DJ," I say. The room falls silent before Sara responds.

"Okay, I see why you prefer DJ, but I think Dracul is pretty badass." I give a thumbs up and try to blend back into the group dynamics. The doorbell rings, and Chewy jumps up excitedly. "I'll get it, Drac," she says, kissing me on the cheek. My mind blanks for a moment. I sit there, stunned, as Chewy fetches the food and returns. Seeing my dumbfounded expression, she smiles.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

Still processing, I hear Sam laughing. When I finally regain my composure, I feel an unexpected calm and confidence.

"I just didn't expect that," I reply. Everyone hears the newfound steadiness in my voice and is taken aback. Usually, when Tzuyu shows her real self to someone she likes, they become more timid. This is the first time anyone has taken her advances in stride.

Tzuyu feels a shift inside herself. In her mind, I transform from "Cute Teddy Bear" to "I want this man to father my children," though only for a moment before settling on "Datable Material."

The silence grows uncomfortable, so I say, "The food looks good, Chewy. We should eat before it gets cold." For the first time, Chewy is the one flustered. She giggles and smiles, bringing the food over. She got a burger, and I got a quesadilla—though it might have been called something else, it had all the ingredients.

Tzuyu and I eat comfortably while the others watch. You notice a change in our body language. We're no longer timidly stealing glances or shyly flirting. Chewy gives me ravenous looks, and I reciprocate with calm, measured passion. If you were more observant, you would have noticed our touches growing more frequent until we were holding hands.

The atmosphere between us shifts. Instead of a bashful princess and her shy knight, we exude the air of two confident equals—me, the composed diplomat, and her, the assertive Empress. Her eyes say she wants to devour me, and I feel the same urge. Yet, with an audience, the battle must wait. We're so engrossed in our little world that we don't notice the others leaving until the door closes and Dahyun says, “Goodbye.” We wave politely, but as soon as the door closes, Chewy grabs me and pulls me in for an emotional, sloppy kiss.

I love it and let her take the lead this time. She broke the kiss. She was frantic, “should I go fast? Should I savor you and make a mess of you?” Tzuyu said as her mind raced. 

I smirked and calmly replied, “It's not a race,” 

Tzuyu gave me the sexiest and most ferocious glare before she said “I am going to drain every single last drop of cum from you and make you scream my name all night,” I surrender to her fervor this time as she brings me in for another kiss. I guess savage maknae wasn't a cute nickname. Her kisses were messy but also extremely hot. She was vicious but she knew what she wanted and I was going to let her have it. 

While she kissed me I felt her hand slip into my sweatpants. I feel her hand reach my rod and she begins to slowly stroke.

She breaks the kiss and stares at me luridly. 

“Ah Tzuyu,” I moan out. Tzuyu smiles

“Whose cock is this?” she asks innocently

“Yours,” I moan she nods happily. 

“Good. Now I'm going to suck my cock and you're going to paint my face. Can you do that for me?” she asks hungrily. I nod as she pushes my sweatpants down and moves to my cock. She continues her glacial pace that I both hate and love. She looks up at me her gaze is ferocious as she devours me. Drool pools around my shaft as sloppily engorged herself. She comes up for air and resumes stroking me.

“Do you like it?” she asks innocently. I nod helplessly. She goes to my frenulum and teases it with her tongue. I moan her name again. She smiles and goes back down on me. I try to hang on but everything about what she's doing to me has me on edge. I tilt her face up bring her lips back to mine and kiss her. Her eyes are wide the entire time with surprise but she happily accepts the kiss. When we break it she smiles. 

“I appreciate your adoration,” she says before slapping me,

“But tonight I'm in control,” she says firmly I nod.

“I'll let that transgression slide because you're so cute, but next time I won't be so forgiving,” I nod and feel my cock twitch in her hand. She notices 

“Are you close babe?” she asks sweetly. I nod and she does everything in her power to get the largest load possible. 

“Oh fuck Tzuyu,” I scream out as I cum all over her face. She smiles as she gets up. She sauntered off like a satiated predator. As I lay there the weight of what just happened hits me. My cock despite having just orgasmed is still rock hard and overwhelming my body with thoughts of pinning Tzuyu down and railing her. When she does get back she is fully nude and sauntering back for seconds. Our eyes narrow as both our predatory natures rise to the surface. Who will be the first to submit? we ask each other with our eyes. I get up and approach her I strip down as well before reaching her. She looks up into my eyes. I see vulnerability but also a deep fathomless lust. I kiss her forehead which makes her smile acutely and then I bend her over the bed and impale her.

“Oh fuck Dracul,” she yells as I fully rest myself inside her. I wait for her to stop shaking, and then I start thrusting. Tzuyu loses it as my cock ravages her pussy. I put one hand on her hips and the other firmly groped her breast. She moans uncontrolled. I take my time with her body searching for the best angles hoping to get her off. Eventually, I find the winning combination of thrusts, touches, and kisses as she yells, “fuck Dracul I'm cumming.” her womanhood tensed and tightened around me before she squirted profusely over my cock. When she finishes I pump my load into her causing her to orgasm again. 

We fall into bed and pass out after that when I wake up we are spooning and my cock is still deep within her. Feeling me stir she moans as she jolts awake she turns to me and trapezes on top of me before she begins to ride me. Her hands pin mine as she aggressively ruts and grinds into me like an animal in heat. With her ferocious tempo neither of us last long as we cum together. She smiles as she gets off of me and my cum drips down her thighs. 

She goes to shower, giving me a chance to do the same in my room. When I finish, I notice a message on my phone:

“I didn't say you could leave. Meet me downstairs for breakfast.”

Tzuyu’s possessiveness is both sexy and annoying, but I comply. When I arrive, she’s sitting with Chaeyoung and Dahyun, looking relaxed and pleased. I grab a light breakfast of an omelet and toast and join them. They all smile and wave as I sit down.

“So, you're DJ?” Chaeyoung asks. I nod and extend my hand for a shake, which she accepts. Then, I surprise them by praying over my food. 

While we eat, you and Nayeon join us. You notice a few bite marks on my neck and discreetly point them out to Nayeon, who laughs more openly. When Dahyun asks about it, you casually say, “Inside joke.”

You grab a plate for Nayeon, who’s “too exhausted” to do much herself. As you sit back down, Nayeon gives you a mischievous glance before turning to Tzuyu and me.

“So, Tzuyu, did you enjoy DJ last night?” she asks.

I laugh and start to get up, but Tzuyu grabs the edge of my shirt, stopping me. I sit back down as she responds, “I did. He was great. Why? Are you jealous?”

The group falls silent. You look at a stunned Nayeon, then an amused Tzuyu. I marvel at Tzuyu, who turns to me and asks,

“So, what are your plans for today?”

I take a moment to gather my thoughts before replying, “Well, I was planning to visit a couple of tourist sites, play some Commander, and then catch the Rockets game tonight.”

Tzuyu eyes me cautiously before responding, “Okay, but get back as quickly as you can. I have some things I want to discuss with you for tomorrow’s concert. We have a soundcheck today.”

I nod and ask when the soundcheck is. She gives me the time, and I reply, “Oh, I can make that.”

Tzuyu smiles and says, “Perfect!”

  After breakfast, we all split up. Tzuyu corners me, and I can see the arousal in her eyes.

“Do you think you could spend more quality time with me tonight?” she asks. I nod, and she smiles before kissing me. Her tongue pierces down my throat, leaving me breathless.

“Be ready. Yesterday, I only got a taste, but tonight I'm going to devour you,” she says firmly, making me squirm. I nod and give her a timid thumbs-up, fighting the urge to let her have me right there. Tzuyu smiles as she walks away.

When I get to my rental car, you manage to find me.

“My boss has been looking over your work, and he's impressed. He wants to offer you a spot for the rest of the tour,” you tell me. I sit in the car, shocked, before responding,

“How much would the pay be? I’d have to quit my job.”

You eye me nervously and ask, “How does USD 150,000 for the rest of the stops sound?”

I blink at you a couple of times, then calmly say, “That works.”

You also hand me a check for $30,000 to cover the rental, gas, and any other minor expenses. I look at you and sigh.

“I’m going to use this to buy more professional camera equipment since everything else is already accounted for and budgeted,” I reply.

You smile and say, “Well, then you'd better hurry.”

I nod and leave, allowing you to go back to Nayeon with a dumb grin on your face.

Nayeon smiles and says, "Based on your look, I assume he took the deal."

You laugh, relieved, and nod, replying, "Yes, and the dummy is using the money to buy more professional gear."

Nayeon gives you a confused look before asking, "Wait, why is that dumb?"

"Well, short answer: we were going to have him use the gear we already had. But since he's doing all this work to get better, newer gear, we get a return on the rentals. So he's saving us money, and we don’t get used gear. Plus, he's the only one liable,” you say, elated.

Nayeon nods and laughs at my over-eagerness. “Okay, great! Now we 

have some unfinished business,” Nayeon replies.

You approach your starlet with the fervor she deserves. She smiles as she watches you strip bare excited to have you inside her once again. You approach her bare body and begin to kiss her feet, because if there is one thing that Nayeon loves it's being worshiped. so you start with kissing her feet, then you meander to her thighs where you let loose upon them. You spent almost an hour kissing biting and licking her thighs until Nayeon couldn't take it anymore

"Fuck me till I beg you to stop" She whined. You smiled before taking your cock out and plunging into her. 

"Ah Fuck," Nayeon moaned as her pussy acted more like a constricting snake than the bunny she moonlighted as. you moan as you impale her. 

"how are you still so tight?" you ask. Nayeon laughs as she coils around you tightening her pussy even more. 

You two begin to fuck in earnest. You grind ruthlessly into each other's hips as both of you attempt to maximize pleasure for yourselves. You loved that you could be as selfish as you wanted being Nayeon's lover because she was equally as selfish. it made all things with her so honest. you lift her hips to get deeper trying to hit her cervix which Nayeon loved despite the soreness it gave her. when you feel your tip hit her cervix Nayeon moans, and you keep pounding into her tight pussy. 

Her walls continue to get tighter miraculously as you push in and out of her forcing her to take more and more of you. her eyes roll into the back of her head as her tits bounce due to the force of your thrust into her. her blissed-out face makes you smile, and yet somehow her pussy tightens around you again. As she starts convulsing she starts cumming violently around your cock. you groan and push through feeling her walls forcibly trying to milk you. you push past the tightness and look at her.

"I love how fast you cum Nabong. It's so hot," you say as Nayeon moans all around you. you keep thrusting into her while her mind is broken by the pleasure she feels. eventually, you can't hold it anymore and you cum inside of her. You moan as she moans your name before flooding her guts with your seed. After that, she begs you not to go again due to her sensitivity.  

While Nayeon and you were having fun, I was getting a myriad of things done throughout the city. After finishing lunch, I got a text from Tzuyu asking me to meet her at the soundcheck, which was a bit earlier than anticipated. So I headed to the venue. I was stopped at the gate by security, but just then, Jeongyeon arrived. She laughed at me waiting and said to the security guard,

"Why is Tzuyu's photographer being held up by you?" The man went pale. Jeongyeon grabbed me and took me with her.

"You're lucky I was here; otherwise, you'd have been stuck until we left," she teased.

"Thanks, Jeongyeon-noon," I said. Jeongyeon looked at me, disgusted.

"Nope, I hate it. Just call me Jeongyeon," she said firmly. I nodded.

"One last question. Do you know where Tzuyu will be?" Jeongyeon nodded and had me follow her.

We arrived at the staging room. She opened the door, and Tzuyu looked up, making eye contact with me before her face erupted into a smile and a light giggle. Jeongyeon smiled and said, "Don't have too much fun, lovebirds," and then left for another area.

Tzuyu scowled, then turned to me with a happy smile, beckoning me to sit next to her by patting the couch. She hugged me and said, "What took you so long, babe?"

I replied plainly, "I didn't have any credentials according to the security guard, and Mal couldn't vouch for me." Tzuyu nodded as she cuddled me.

"Did you have fun before at least?" she asked happily. Dahyun walked in before I could answer.

Her cute, bewildered look was adorable as she asked, "OH! Am I interrupting something?" I shook my hands, and Tzuyu confirmed she wasn't.

Dahyun sat next to us and pulled out her phone. "I was mostly doing banking stuff since Mal gave me a check for helping you all."

Tzuyu nodded and smiled, "Okay, well, it's good to see you." I gave Chewy a thumbs-up, and she smiled. Dahyun took the lull in the conversation to talk to me.

"So, DJ. How are you feeling about all of us so far?"

"I love it. This is the most... interesting time I have had in a while, so I can't complain too much." Dahyun smiled and said,

"That's great."

I nodded at Dahyun as Chewy nestled closer. As we settled in, a camera flashed. Stunned and confused, I waited for my eyes to readjust, then saw Sara and Sana holding their phones, laughing.

Sara turned to Sana and said, "Oh, got the two lovebirds nesting." Sana laughed with Sara as they walked out. Chewy held me tighter. About 18 minutes later, all of the girls were called for the full run-through. I got up, but before I could join them, you stopped me and handed me multiple badges.

"Here are your badges for the soundcheck and tomorrow's concert," you said firmly. I nodded.

You nodded then said, "Now I know you are hired to be Tzuyu's photographer, but feel free to get some shots of the other girls here and there." I nodded in affirmation.

"Great. Now, last thing: have fun. This is meant to be work, but nothing says we can't enjoy it. Although, based on the noises I heard last night, you certainly know how to have fun."

I laughed and threw you a curveball, "Yeah, I’m sure you do as well with Nayeon." You looked at me, shocked.

"You picked up on that?" you asked, bewildered.

I nodded and said, "Just because it seems like I am not paying attention doesn't mean I am not."

You nodded before saying, "Remind me not to underestimate you."

I smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone does."

You furrowed your brow, then said, "I won't make a habit of it. So, what did you get today?"

"I got the Nikon Z6III, a Z8, and Z9 cameras, and five various Z-mount lenses."

"Wow, you must like Nikon, but question. Why only on hold? You need them, right?"

"I do, but not right now, and I am waiting for the check to clear. So if you are messing with me, I'll know beforehand."

You considered my words. "Hm, that's quite cunning of you."

I shrugged and replied, "If you think so." You laughed before signing off.

I spent the rest of the soundcheck recording videos and taking pictures while weaving in and out of the "crowds." You watched from afar and noticed my shooting style. It's exceptionally patient, which you found surprising, but you didn't watch me for long as your manager duties and your love for a specific bunny-associated idol forced you to pivot your focus constantly. after the Soundcheck, I head back to my rental followed by Chewy, Mina, and Chaeyoung. we hop in and Mina says, 

"So Mr. Bram if that is your real name I have a question for you. What are your intentions without Maknae?" I look at her then Chewy then at Chaeyoung. I consider saying something dumb but decide on the rational option. 

"I like her and I hope she likes me back. otherwise, just take it slow I guess," Mina eyes me suspiciously but relents.

When we arrive back at the hotel I was expecting a quiet night with Chewy, but I am quickly thrust into a party with the rest of Twice as they get out their pre-concert jitters. 

it was hectic among other things. there was drinking, karaoke, dancing, and other shenanigans. I was able to steal a few moments with Chewy and we were able to discuss the photos I took today. She also liked the photos I took of the other members. 

"Hey, lovebirds. No discussing work," a drunk Nayeon said to us as we chatted on the edge of the "party." 

I tapped out at about 12:45 AM, while the Extroverts of the group plus Nayeon (she is an honorary extrovert) Mina, Jeongyeon, and Momo kept going. I got to my room and was surprised to hear a knock on the door. I open it and Chewy is waiting outside. I wince before saying,

"I am sorry Chewy but I can't do anything else tonight." Chewy smiles before saying

"Good me too. I just wanted to cuddle tonight." I give her a thumbs up and we get in the bed before passing out. I wake up before her and shower. after the shower, she looks at me with a hungry look. I sigh and say,

"As much as I would like to spend more time with you I have too much to do." Chewy rolls her eyes before getting up to kiss me and then shower herself. 

"Fine but can I ride with you?" I nod and we get ready.

fast forward we pick up the cameras and lenses. I also pick up more memory and a few other essentials. I charge all of them at the hotel as Chewy and I float around doing our various concert preparations. When we have to leave you and Sara ride with me while the girls ride together. We arrive at the venue and it's on from there.

I hustled around the venue, my camera clicking away as I captured the energy of the final preparations. The air was thick with excitement and a touch of nervousness. Tzuyu spotted me from across the room and made her way over, her face lighting up with a smile.

“Wish me luck,” she whispered, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. Her eyes sparkled with determination.

“You don’t need it, but good luck anyway,” I replied, grinning back at her.

The lights dimmed, and the roar of the crowd surged through the arena. The concert had begun. I moved through the crowd, capturing the electrifying performances, the fans’ ecstatic faces, and the sheer energy of the night. 

Now and then, Tzuyu would glance my way, our eyes meeting for a brief moment amidst the chaos, a silent connection that kept me grounded.

After the concert, the atmosphere was jubilant. The group members hugged each other, celebrating their success. 

Tzuyu found me in a quieter corner, her face glowing with happiness and exhaustion.

“Thank you for being here,” she said, pulling me into a tight hug. “Not just for the photos, but for me.”

“Anytime,” I replied, holding her close. she tried to protest due to being sweaty and smelly but I informed her that we were well past that

Just then, you approached us, holding an official-looking document. “Well, you made it. (I nod) I take it you had fun? (I nod again) Good well there is only one last bit of business. Are you willing to do the rest of the tour?”

I looked at Tzuyu. Her eyes were hopeful, yet she remained silent, not wanting to sway my decision. I thought about the journey, the connections I had made, and the possibilities that lay ahead.

“I’d love to,” I said, smiling as I took the contract. Tzuyu beamed with joy.

As the celebration continued, Tzuyu and I slipped away to a quieter spot on the rooftop, overlooking the city lights. The night was cool, and the city seemed to sparkle just for us.

“We did it,” Tzuyu said, leaning against the railing, her hand entwined with mine.

“We did,” I agreed, looking out at the horizon. “And it’s just the beginning.”

“Promise me something,” she said, turning to face me. “No matter how crazy things get, we make time for moments like this.”

“Promise,” I said, sealing it with a kiss.

We stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the city lights casting a soft glow around us. At that moment, I felt a sense of peace and anticipation. The future was uncertain, but it was bright, filled with endless possibilities.

As the night wore on, I reflected on my journey. From a chance encounter to this incredible moment, I found love, friendship, and a new path in life. And for the first time in a long while, I was truly excited for what lay ahead.

Tzuyu and I shared a final kiss under the stars, ready to face whatever the future held, together. 

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Badash at NCRM:

Sixteen Republican-led states in partnership with former top Trump aide Stephen Miller have filed a lawsuit against the federal government to prevent President Joe Biden from implementing his plan that would protect half-a-million American families from being ripped apart, while providing a path to citizenship when one spouse married to a U.S. citizen does not have legal status. Currently, there are about 500,000 undocumented adults married to U.S citizens, who have been in the country for at least a decade, and would qualify to apply for President Biden’s program. Another 50,000 children believed to be subject to possible deportation would also be protected under the new Biden rule. The sixteen states, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are claiming President Biden implemented the policy back in June for “blatant political purposes,” the Associated Press reports. “Under the policy, which started taking applications Monday, many spouses without legal status can apply for something called ‘parole in place,’ offering permission to stay in the U.S., apply for a green card and eventually get on a path to citizenship.” Miller is the architect of the Trump administration’s program to intentionally separate migrant children from their parents and even from their own siblings. NBC News reported that in a meeting with top officials, Miller said of his 2018 “zero tolerance” plan to break apart families: “If we don’t enforce this, it is the end of our country as we know it.” Now, Miller is the founder of the right-wing organization America First Legal. On social media, AFL claims they filed the lawsuit to “block a new Biden-Harris executive amnesty that provides a path to citizenship for over 1 million illegal aliens currently in the United States,” a number far-higher than the Associated Press’s. Paxton reposted AFL’s social media claim. Requirements for Biden’s program are strong and specific: applicants must have lived in the United States for at least ten years and present documents supporting their claim of having been in the U.S. for at least a decade, not pose a security threat “or have a disqualifying criminal history,” pay a $580 fee, “and fill out a lengthy application, including an explanation of why they deserve humanitarian parole,” the AP reports.

President Biden’s policy would allow applicants to avoid having to leave the country, and instead apply for “parole in place,” then “apply for a green card and eventually get on a path to citizenship.”

Stephen Miller and GOP AGs sue for the right to be cruel to multi-status families.

[mariacallous]

Last month, as they sought details on what happened in a failed hiring effort, members of the Texas A&M University Faculty Senate suspected they weren’t getting the full story from top administrators.

President Kathy Banks pleaded ignorance in the hiring debacle surrounding Kathleen McElroy, telling faculty members she was unsure what led to McElroy’s claims that Texas A&M offered her a position—with tenure—in a newly formed journalism department only to change the terms of the deal due to concerns over her race (Black), her research and her past work at The New York Times.

Banks, over and over again, claimed to have no knowledge of a change in the contract. But by the time she left the online meeting, faculty members felt strongly the president wasn’t providing straight answers.

“We’re being lied to on a lot of fronts,” one professor said in the July 19 meeting.

“It cries out that we’re not being told a straight story,” another faculty member said.

A day later, on July 20, Banks retired abruptly, citing “negative press” over the hiring spectacle. She made no mention of the distrust expressed by faculty members or the pushback she had faced.

By July 21, the faculty’s concerns had been validated in a report from the Texas A&M system’s Office of the General Counsel that showed Banks’s direct involvement in the McElroy case, with the president’s fingerprints all over the decision to yank the offer and replace it with a nontenured option. The report spelled out, in clear facts, that Banks—under pressure from legislators and regents to drive Texas A&M in a conservative direction—was the architect of the failed hire.

(Banks did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.)

Even on its own, the dishonesty Banks displayed in the McElroy case would have likely sunk any presidency. But for Banks, the McElroy situation came two years into a contentious term, marked by clashes with professors and a top-down leadership style that eroded support from constituents across campus.

At the campus level, the story can be taken as one of hubris and dramatic missteps, but zooming out, the Banks tenure reflects the perils of the modern presidency amid increasing politicization of higher education, especially in red states where skepticism of academe is high.

Two Years of Tensions

Banks assumed the presidency in June 2021 after nine years at the helm of the engineering department. Banks had joined Texas A&M in 2012, coming over from Purdue University.

As dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M, Banks was celebrated.

“I must state that initially, when she was named president, I was very optimistic,” Raymundo Arróyave, a Texas A&M materials science and engineering professor, said by email. “In balance, despite the fact that I disagreed with some of the policies that she implemented as dean (this is usual, faculty do not agree with administration 100 percent of the time), I thought that she had been a transformational dean. Our college doubled in the number of students, faculty, footprint, etc. So, she was very effective at elevating the college and had similar hopes for the university.”

But, he added, “Dr. Banks quickly made it clear that her presidency was going to be [one] of dramatic changes. Many of those changes were poorly justified and poorly communicated (lack of effective communication was a common shortcoming of her tenure as dean, by the way).”

The first controversy of the Banks presidency began behind closed doors. Early in her presidency, Banks sought to establish her vision and introduce sweeping changes at Texas A&M. Those changes came in the form of recommendations from MGT Consulting in fall 2021 that included academic consolidation and reorganization, restructuring of certain administrative positions, and various programmatic changes.

But some with direct knowledge of those conversations suggest the recommendations from MGT Consulting were largely dictated by Banks. The president saw the recommendation process as a way to put forth her own ideas and let MGT Consulting take the heat when those proposals were met with resistance, said a source who served in the president’s cabinet.

“She said, ‘Our job is to tell them what we want to do, they’ll write it up in a report, and then, when there’s public criticism, we’ll say we’re following the advice of the consultants,’” the former cabinet member said, speaking anonymously due to concerns about career repercussions.

In conversations in the summer of 2021, senior leaders allegedly dictated to MGT Consulting the recommendations that the firm would later put forth as their own ideas, the source alleges.

“President Banks directly said, ‘Let’s put some things in there that we know the faculty will not like. And then we can reject them so it will look like we’re listening to them.’ The whole process was a PR sham to begin with,” the former cabinet member told Inside Higher Ed, noting that they were unsure of what poison pills were inserted since they did not work on faculty issues.

(MGT Consulting did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Higher Ed.)

Blowback to the MGT Consulting recommendations was immediate. Faculty raised concerns about combining the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Science and the College of Geosciences into a new College of Arts and Sciences. While the university offered little public rationale for the change, recent public documents released by Texas A&M related to the McElroy scandal indicate that—according to a text message from Jay Graham, a member of the Board of Regents—Banks had said the academic consolidation was “to control the liberal nature that those professors brought to campus.” (Neither Graham nor system officials responded to questions about that claim.)

Plans to eliminate tenure for librarians also prompted objections from faculty, particularly as administrators refused to explain the rationale for months before eventually making the argument that a reorganization of the library was needed to streamline and simplify operations to emphasize student needs. Despite the objections of faculty, nearly 30 librarians lost tenure or tenure-track status last year. Others decamped to different departments to maintain tenure.

Outside of the controversy generated by the MGT Consulting report, Banks also stirred anger on campus by announcing plans to kill the print edition of the student newspaper in February 2022 before backing away from that decision. Two months later, Banks defunded Draggieland, an annual drag show run by student organizations in partnership with the university. That decision, made with no initial explanation, prompted outcry from students and LGBTQ+ organizers. Officials would later assert that Draggieland was self-supporting due to ticket sales.

Last July brought changes to Texas A&M Qatar, an overseas outpost operated in conjunction with the Gulf nation’s government. Texas A&M reorganized the Qatar campus, eliminating rolling contracts for faculty in favor of fixed-term deals while consolidating power under one dean and limiting research activities for professors in non-degree-granting units, as outlined in a Banks memo.

Faculty members decried the top-down decision-making, arguing that the elimination of rolling contracts would undercut recruiting efforts and academic freedom at A&M Qatar. As these changes played out, faculty members on the main campus accused Banks of ignoring shared governance and leaving them out of important decisions as she pursued her own agenda.

A Faculty Senate resolution last August accused Banks of a “lack of commitment to meaningful shared governance” that was “promulgating a mistrust of future administrative decisions.” The “absence of shared governance” was “exacerbated by a lack of transparency,” the resolution stated.

As discontent with Banks continued, Karen Wooley, a distinguished professor in the department of chemistry, wrote a letter to Banks in December accusing her of “causing substantial disruptions and threatening the integrity” of Texas A&M, according to various media reports.

In January, Banks announced efforts to increase communication and provide more face time for faculty and staff with university administrators as well as the formation of two new committees to “improve our continuous evaluation and feedback” led by senior administrators, among other changes.

But the January olive branch from Banks did little to settle faculty concerns. By April of this year, frustration with the president’s top-down management style had reached a boiling point. A poll of members of the Council of Principal Investigators, a group of faculty members who help guide research efforts at Texas A&M, found “widespread discontent” and alleged that administrators had created an environment rife with fear and intimidation, The Texas Tribune reported. The poll, inspired by Wooley’s letter, found 89 percent of CPI members had similar concerns.

A Faculty Senate Showdown

By the time Banks met with the Faculty Senate on July 19, tensions on campus were high. The story of how McElroy’s hiring fell through was opaque at the time, and the faculty wanted answers. Instead, Banks deflected their concerns, downplaying her role in and knowledge of the hiring debacle.

Arróyave, the materials science professor, pressed Banks with hard questions, later telling Inside Higher Ed that there was “too much confusion as to who wrote the offer letters, who modified them, who was aware of the additional contract negotiations, etc.” Based on his experience with Banks as engineering dean, Arróyave said he “found it difficult to believe that she was not aware of the contract negotiations.”

The distrust of Banks by faculty members in the meeting was palpable.

Concerns swirled about the influence of outside organizations such as the Rudder Association, a powerful conservative alumni group, and others who were celebrating the failed hire. What faculty didn’t know at the time was that Banks had worked with José Luis Bermúdez, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to restructure McElroy’s offer. Bermúdez—who resigned amid the scandal—schemed with Banks on the plan to change the role McElroy was stepping into, as demonstrated in documents later released by the Texas A&M system.

Emails and text messages between university officials, including Banks, indicate that McElroy’s past as a Black woman who worked for The New York Times and researched diversity, equity and inclusion issues was a potential headache for Texas A&M. Banks stressed that it was important to slow-walk the hire until after the end of the legislative session in May, and Bermúdez told a subordinate that it would be “poor optics” to hire McElroy with DEI under fire in Texas. (Lawmakers implemented sweeping restrictions on college DEI offices and work last session.)

As administrators deliberately delayed the process, McElroy dropped out of the running.

“I believe that KM has pulled out. Department just got query from Texas Tribune. I’ll make sure that everything is referred over to Kelly,” Bermúdez texted Banks on July 10, seemingly referring to Kelly Brown, associate vice president of marketing and communications at A&M.

In the exchange that followed, Banks would go on to call McElroy an “awful person” for going to the press and noted, “we have a lot of skeptics about the whole concept of journalism,” while directing Bermúdez to pause the search for a director of the nascent program.

Text messages between regents, released as part of Texas A&M’s internal review, demonstrated that board members also seemed to be exerting influence over the departmental hiring decision.

“Please tell me this isn’t true,” Graham texted Banks and system chancellor John Sharp about plans to hire McElroy. “But since it’s not April Fools Day, I assume it is. I thought the purpose of us starting a journalism program was to get high-quality Aggie journalist[s] with conservative values into the market. This won’t happen with someone like this leading the department.”

Another regent, Mike Hernandez, questioned McElroy’s résumé—calling The New York Times “biased and progressive leaning” and suggested tenure approval would be “a difficult sell.”

(Neither Graham nor Hernandez replied to requests for comment.)

Texas A&M would soon settle with McElroy for $1 million. (McElroy, who remains in her position as a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, did not respond to a request for comment.)

Outside Influence in Texas

The McElroy hiring controversy has since been followed by another scandal at Texas A&M in which opioid researcher Joy Alonzo was suspended by system officials and investigated for comments she allegedly made about Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a powerful figure in Texas.

The investigation ultimately cleared Alonzo of wrongdoing, and system officials claim that all policies were followed appropriately. But the two controversies combined have raised lingering questions about the political influence exerted on Texas A&M by state lawmakers and others.

A spokesperson for the flagship campus largely deferred questions to system officials but emphasized, in response to an inquiry about outside political influence, that “Texas A&M prioritizes maintaining an environment that encourages academic freedom, critical thinking and intellectual diversity.”

A Texas A&M system spokesperson did not answer a list of detailed questions from Inside Higher Ed, instead sending a link to a news release summarizing the recent legislative session. Pressed for answers, system spokesperson Laylan Copelin deferred questions to the university.

In a recent editorial, however, Sharp discussed the dual scandals with McElroy and Alonzo.

“Regarding the events in Dr. McElroy’s hiring process, it is difficult to recognize the alma mater I dearly love and to which I owe so much. Texas A&M is far better than this!” Sharp wrote in an opinion piece for The Austin-American Statesman. “A few, however, forgot our Core Values.”

Sharp touched lightly on academic freedom concerns, defending his actions in the Alonzo controversy, and pointed to legislation to codify tenure in state law—after it came under attack from legislators—which he noted was a win for both “academic freedom and accountability.”

But some faculty members worry less about outside influence and more about what direction a politicized Board of Regents and university officials want to take the university and system.

“This is not outside influence. It is clear that (at least some of) the maximum authorities of the system would prefer a more conservative disposition by the faculty and university. Frankly, I think it is highly contradictory to denounce identity politics and then call for the production of ‘conservative journalists’ out of the new journalism school,” Arróyave said, noting broad concerns about the worrisome “interference of politics and ideology into academia.”

Since both the Alonzo and McElroy controversies, university and system officials have stressed the importance of academic freedom and resistance to outside influence on the institution. But as recent documents made clear, the pressure isn’t just from Texas lawmakers—it is also coming from the inside, with regents appointed by Republican governor Greg Abbott, many of whom donated generously to his campaign, intent on pushing Texas A&M in a conservative direction.

[numetaljackdog]

Top 100 favorite albums as of March 2023 (full list under cut)

1. Radiohead - Amnesiac

2. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (Bonus Edition)

3. Rina Sawayama - Sawayama (Deluxe Edition)

4. Black Dresses - Forget Your Own Face

5. 100 gecs - 10000 gecs

6. Laura Les - i just dont wanna name it anything with "beach" in the title

7. 100 gecs - 1000 gecs

8. Bring Me the Horizon - Sempiternal (Deluxe Edition)

9. Linkin Park - Meteora

10. Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns

11. System of a Down - Toxicity

12. Radiohead - Kid A

13. Toby Fox - UNDERTALE Soundtrack

14. Linkin Park - Reanimation

15. My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade / Living with Ghosts (The 10th Anniversary Edition)

16. Radiohead - OK Computer

17. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues

18. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight (Deluxe Version)

19. 100 gecs - 100 gecs

20. My Chemical Romance - Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

21. Laura Les - hello kitty skates to the fuckin CEMETARY

22. Torres - Silver Tongue

23. Left At London - t.i.a.p.f.y.h.

24. Nirvana - Nevermind (Deluxe Edition)

25. food house, Gupi & Fraxiom - Food House

26. Chevelle - Wonder What's Next (Expanded Edition)

27. Tallah - Matriphagy

28. Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony

29. Motionless in White - Creatures (Deluxe Edition)

30. Limp Bizkit - Significant Other (Explicit Version)

31. Limp Bizkit - Three Dollar Bill, Y'all $

32. Ada Rook - UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE I LOVE YOU

33. Laura Jane Grace - Stay Alive

34. Jethro Tull - Aqualung

35. Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia

36. BACKxWASH - HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING

37. Bayside - Interrobang

38. Black Dresses - Forever In Your Heart

39. Three Days Grace - One-X

40. Sophie - Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

41. 100 gecs - Snake Eyes

42. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory EP

43. Kittie - Spit

44. BACKxWASH - I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES

45. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

46. Toby Fox - Deltarune Chapter 2 (Original Game Soundtrack)

47. Chongo - Mad Rat Monday

48. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

49. Motionless in White - Infamous (Deluxe Edition)

50. Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls (Expanded Edition)

51. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Deluxe Version)

52. My Chemical Romance - I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love

53. Spineshank - The Height of Callousness [Special Edition]

54. The Used - The Used

55. Linkin Park - Live in Texas

56. Baroness - Yellow & Green

57. Death Grips - The Money Store

58. Nirvana - In Utero - 20th Anniversary Remaster

59. Hozier - Wasteland, Baby!

60. Radiohead - In Rainbows

61. Bring Me the Horizon - There Is a Hell, Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let's Keep It a Secret

62. Three Days Grace - Human

63. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

64. Limp Bizkit - The Unquestionable Truth (Pt. 1)

65. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (2018 Remaster)

66. Bring Me the Horizon - POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR

67. Bring Me the Horizon - That's The Spirit

68. Go! Child - Coffee And Ramen

69. Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water

70. We Are The Union - Ordinary Life

71. Chevelle - This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)

72. Evanescence - Fallen

73. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

74. Jamie Paige - Bittersweet

75. Hayley Williams - Petals For Armor

76. Nirvana - Bleach

77. For the Likes of You - Withered

78. Bring Me the Horizon - Suicide Season Cut Up!

79. Lena Raine - Celeste (Original Soundtrack)

80. Holy Grail - Ride The Void

81. Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny

82. a-ha - Scoundrel Days

83. Demon Hunter - Storm the Gates of Hell

84. Black Flag - Damaged

85. Masakazu Sugimori - Phoenix Wright - Ace Attorney OST

86. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

87. Alexisonfire - Crisis

88. Various Artists - Queen of the Damned

89. Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks

90. Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill

91. Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits

92. Architects - Holy Hell

93. Laura Les - REMIXES 2017

94. Linkin Park - Living Things

95. brian david gilbert - songs with videos without videos

96. Frost Children - SPIRAL

97. Parkway Drive - Horizons

98. Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra (Deluxe)

99. Various Artists - Phineas and Ferb

100. Vanilla Ice - Hard To Swallow

[amazingarchitecturewebsite]

Live Oak Ridge Residence in #WestLakeHills, Texas by KOA - Keyes Office of Architecture @keyesofficeofarchitecture. Read more: Link in bio! Photography: Leonid Furmansky @_leonidfurmansky. KOA - Keyes Office of Architecture: Set within the rolling terrain of West Lake Hills, Texas, the Live Oak Ridge Residence is designed to take advantage of the surrounding tree-top views. The goal was to create a home that could be both private from the street and open toward the rolling hills… #usa #texas #архитектура www.amazingarchitecture.com ✔ A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography ‎#معماری (at West Lake Hills, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnDzwuIM8EK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fidantemel]

BASICS »

Name: Fidan Aksel Temel

Nickname: Fi, Dani, Aks

Birthday & Age: April 14th, 1992 & 32

Hometown: Briar Ridge, SC

Length of time in Briar Ridge: Moved to Briar Ridge around age 1 and left at 18 for university in Texas, returned somewhere around 8 years ago

Neighborhood: Downtown

Occupation: Owner of Oblivion Designs & architect

Gender & Sexuality: Cis female & bisexual

DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER »

trigger warnings: car accident mention, drug addiction, domestic violence mention, and suicide.

Even though Fidan was born in Izmir, Türkiye to Aydin and Sevda Temel, she remembers nothing of those origins. The only means she has for the history of her roots comes from the stories of her parents and older sister, Meliha. She has since visited Türkiye in her young adult years during a pilgrimage over east in the world.

Growing up in Briar Ridge was perfect for a creative child like Fidan. It was a place the girl’s imagination could flourish, especially with the nurturing and encouragement from her immigrant parents.

When Fidan was supposed to be focusing in school on her coursework, she was busy drawing buildings and furniture from visions and ideas in her head. On the weekends her mother would take her to the flea market and a few other shops with her and they would pick up relatively inexpensive pieces for Fidan to work with. Teachers easily picked up on her sketches and the detailed plans she would make in her notebooks, something they would couple with her strong scores in mathematics, and encouraged Fidan on a path to work in architecture and design.

When she was sixteen she would take a ride into the city and photograph buildings, to the point where she collected so many great shots around the city that she amateurly published a photo book showcasing the beauty and artistry that could be found where most didn’t give more than a passing glance to.

To Fidan's surprise the book sold out in the few stores that actually carried it.

By then she was in shop classes; woodworking and welding. She devoured any kind of art class she could get her hands on as well as any type of crafts class. It wasn’t that she had the bug for art or working with her hands, it really was something innate for her. Something her father would say she got from him.

University was really where she figured out exactly what she wanted to do with her life. Professionally, at least. When she'd been just fourteen her older sister Meliha had been in an awful accident that resulted in some brain trauma. In the immediate recovery and with significant memory loss, no good answers from doctors, while she left Post-Its of reminders around Meliha's hospital room, Fidan contemplated a future in neurology. She wanted to help. Seeing her sister's pain and suffering twisted her heart but as Meliha began to make some recovery, the artist in her couldn't resist a change from pre-med to architecture. The bachelor degree hung proudly in her office was earned from Rice University, one of the top architecture schools in the country.

By the time of graduation she had already launched her own furniture business, custom designs and perfectly crafted, the business was titled Oblivion Designs. When she popped onto the scene, taking on an offer from a prestigious firm in the nearest big city, she made quite the notable reputation in the industry.

Gone away from home for the first time, living in Houston for university, had been life changing in good and bad ways. Aside from her academic success, Fidan met a young man and fell too hard for one of the university's top sports stars. The first two years of their relationship had been a dream, something that belonged in a sweet Hallmark movie someday, but that definitely hadn't been the way that it ended.

An injury changed everything for an athlete whose whole life surrounded a sport he might no longer be able to play. Narcotic pain medications had become an addiction and when in need for a fix he'd become a monster. Any physical abuse had been rare and minor, at least that's how Fidan chose to see it, a push/shove here or there was manageable. Only, as pain medication morphed into a heroin and cocaine addiction, the violence also shifted and got worse. That's when Fidan got out, knew things were done and he needed help beyond the support she'd tried to offer. Overdoses and failed attempts at rehab were not how she wanted to finish off her experience at university. The finality of their breakup destroyed him and one day he'd shown up at her place with a gun.

Being a witness to someone she love's deterioration, resulting in them taking their own life, had turned hers upside down. When Fidan returned home to Briar Ridge she was different. Like something dark and heavy had clung to her. Too thin, withdrawn, and despondent the only thing that helped had been the love of her family and once a week therapy. Eventually she'd been able to put on a mask and act as though everything were fine as she began conquering a career.

Shortly after settling in at the firm in the big city, Fidan began making customs once again. The firm was giving her experience and exposure while she grew her own business on the side, and as time moved on Fidan found herself moving away from the company and more into her own clientele that she’d managed to garner.

WANTED CONNECTIONS »

I’m pretty open here! With Fidan having mostly grown up in Briar Ridge I would love childhood friends, high school friends, and neighbors. Neighbors in childhood and neighbors following her return from university. If your character was in Texas at any point I would love uni friends or people she met/known from that time. Someone that might have known her late ex. Always appreciate new friends, clients, customers, and yoga/workout buddies. Exes, former flings, bad or good dates turned friends. I’m happy to plot anything beyond!

[datascraping001]

Electrical and Roofing Contractor Data Scraping

If you’re looking for an electrical and roofing contractor online, it’s about to be much simpler. That’s because many of these contractors usually have information on their websites about the services they provide. It’s important to find a Contractor Data Scraping Service or software that can help you get everything you’re looking for in one place.

Electrical and Roofing Contractor Data Scraping Services

This offer is perfect for any contractors looking to collect data from local businesses. We will provide you with the most up-to-date information about your industry and save you time in the process. Updates come out weekly, and we make it easy to order custom reports. Moreover, this offer provides an automated system that scrapes data from Home Advisor's directory, so it's easier than ever to get accurate information.

Contractor Data Scraping

The DataScrapingServices team employs a variety of techniques in data scraping, including web scraping, third-party services, and APIs. Our top priority is customer success, and with this in mind, you’ll find affordable rates for every budget. You can also rely on us for support when it comes to gathering key contact information about those in your network or for individual use. We know that accuracy is important when recording key contacts, so we utilize our data-scraping expertise to collect this information quickly.

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DataScrapingServices is an expert in scraping data from various websites using contractor data scraping services.

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If you are looking for Contractor Data Scraping Services and Electrical and Roofing Contractor Data Scraping then email us at info@datascrapingservices.com.

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Skype: nprojectshub

[sa7abnews]

DOJ finds transcripts from damning Biden report thanks to footnote and more top headlines

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/doj-finds-transcripts-from-damning-biden-report-thanks-to-footnote-and-more-top-headlines/

DOJ finds transcripts from damning Biden report thanks to footnote and more top headlines

‘FOOT’ CHASE – DOJ suddenly locates transcripts from damning report on Biden’s poor memory thanks to fine print. Continue reading …‘GOING TO BE THERE BUT…’ – JD Vance is open to debating Walz but hints at what could change his mind. Continue reading …‘HOW DARE YOU’ – Area outside of Kamala Harris campaign event erupts into chaos, police forced to respond. Continue reading …‘REALLY BOTHERED ME’ – Sports radio legend breaks rule not to mention politics, lets his opinion about Trump be known. Continue reading …FOURTH DOWN FAIL – NFL wife who went viral after Taylor Swift wore designer’s jacket rejects Kamala Harris. Continue reading …–NO ‘MAGIC WAND’ – Unearthed video shows longtime Dem rebuked student loan forgiveness before flip-flopping. Continue reading …‘BEYOND CONTROL’ – Trump says under Biden-Harris admin, the US has ‘new category’ of crime. Continue reading …’QUESTIONABLE’ – Climate justice group that trains federal judges accused of ‘corruptly influencing courts.’ Continue reading …FLIP-FLOP – Harris campaign ‘playing politics’ by announcing her stance on key issues: strategist. Continue reading …Click here for more cartoons… FLASHBACK – Kamala Harris repeatedly pushed ‘equity vs. equality’ message as VP. Continue reading …STATE MEDIA – Biden instructs media to ‘start writing’ that his inflation policies are ‘working.’ Continue reading …‘BIT OF A HONEYMOON’ – The press is giving Kamala Harris a free ride, Trump campaign official warns. Continue reading …MASK OFF MOMENT – Former Obama official says Harris has no ‘moral obligation’ to talk to press if it will hurt her chances of winning. Continue reading …-SAVANNA DERETICH – I watched as Gov. Tim Walz let my home state of Minnesota burn. Continue reading …HUGH HEWITT – Morning Glory: How bad could a Kamala Harris presidency be? Continue reading …-LAURA INGRAHAM – ‘Kama-chameleon’ is trapped. Continue reading …JESSE WATTERS – Guest host Rachel Campos-Duffy says the media is ignoring ‘one of the biggest stories of the year.’ See video …SEAN HANNITY – Kamala was the architect, along with Joe, of every miserable failed policy decision. Continue reading …GREG GUTFELD – It turns out that the Trump mess was no bug in the system. Continue reading …SPACE INVADERS – ‘Squatter Hunter’ warns worst intruders in America are those who have ‘nothing to lose.’ Continue reading …BREAKING RANKS – American Society of Plastic Surgeons breaks consensus of American medical establishment on transgender care. Continue reading …AMERICAN NEWS QUIZ – Test yourself on an ageless advertising wonder, marketing blunder and rolling thunder. Continue reading …PINT-SIZED PRODIGY – Texas boy, 7, takes blue ribbon in baking competition, beats out every adult. Continue reading …MIGHTY ROAR – Just in time for a special occasion, Thabo the lion at the Memphis Zoo announces his presence. See video …CAITLYN JENNER – I’m trying to protect and support women in sports. See video …EMILY AUSTIN – Kamala Harris is ‘horrible’ at thinking on her feet. See video …What’s the weather looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn  Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Entertainment (FOX411) Fox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoThank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Friday.

[custombuildershouston]

The Future of Luxury Home Building: Forecasting Costs in and Beyond

Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, is a popular hub for luxury real estate. Did you know that the sales of homes valued at more than USD 10 million have increased by 75 percent? (https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/houston-ultra-luxury-homes-18655866.php) Yes, you read it right! The strong and diverse economy and cultural richness are among the top factors accounting for the growing demand for high-end homes.

When it comes to constructing your dream home, having an idea about the costs is crucial. Are you wondering about the cost to build a house? Read on to explore everything in detail!

Trends of Luxury Homes in Houston

In recent times, there is a growing shift towards sustainable designs and eco-friendly homes. More and more people in Houston are looking for properties that can significantly lower the impact on the environment and enhance energy efficiency. Another popular trend is the integration of smart home technologies to increase convenience and improve the quality of life. Moreover, the demand for building dedicated work-from-spaces is also on the rise.

Cost of Building Luxury Homes in Houston

Before you partner with the luxury home builders in Houston, getting an idea about the costs is essential. Delve into the prominent costs you must take into account!

Land Acquisition

When you decide to build your dream home, acquiring a plot of land is the first step. This cost can vary a lot based on location, size, and zoning laws. For instance, if you are willing to construct your luxury homes in premium areas like The Woodlands and River Oaks, the costs are likely to be higher. However, if you choose the suburban areas, the costs will significantly decrease.

Site Preparation and Permits

The land condition, the need for grading, and the potential complexities of the foundation can all have a significant impact on the cost of your luxury home building. Moreover, before you start the construction, obtaining necessary permits and complying with the local regulations is crucial, adding to the overall costs.

Design and Architectural Planning

The design phase is where your luxury home actually starts taking shape. In this phase, you need to collaborate with skilled designers and architects to translate your vision into a feasible and detailed plan. The level of complexity of your design will determine the cost.

Construction Materials

The Houston market can provide you with access to a variety of building materials, from cost-effective standard materials to high-end luxury ones. Opting for top-grade materials can increase your overall cost. However, they will stand the test of time and offer you better returns on your investment.

Level of Customization

Every homeowner wants to make their luxury house stand out in the locality. That is why they opt for customized layouts. Custom floor plans, bespoke finishes, and personalized features can add up to your costs. Based on your budget, you can decide the level of customization you can afford.

Conclusion

The luxury home building market in Houston keeps evolving at a rapid pace. Are you ready to construct your dream house with unique features to match your lifestyle? Partner with the experts of Marwood Construction and avail of the best solutions.

[contemporaryarchitect]

Innovative Excellence: Exploring Contemporary and Luxury Residential Architects in Austin

In the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, where innovation meets tradition, a new wave of contemporary architects is reshaping the skyline and redefining luxury living. From sleek modernist residences to opulent urban retreats, these architects blend cutting-edge design with timeless elegance, creating spaces that inspire and captivate. In this article, we delve into the world of contemporary and luxury residential architects in Austin, exploring their visionary designs, distinctive styles, and the essence of luxury living they bring to the city.

Contemporary Architects Austin:

Austin's architectural landscape is evolving, driven by a wave of contemporary architects who embrace bold forms, sustainable principles, and innovative materials. This section of the article showcases the work of leading contemporary architects in the city, highlighting their avant-garde designs and their impact on Austin's urban fabric. From minimalist masterpieces nestled in the hills to avant-garde mixed-use developments, these architects push the boundaries of conventional design, creating spaces that resonate with the city's progressive spirit.

Modern Residential Architect:

In the quest for modern living, discerning homeowners turn to modern residential architects who specialize in crafting homes that marry form and function seamlessly. This segment explores the role of modern residential architects in Austin, showcasing their knack for creating light-filled interiors, fluid spaces, and indoor-outdoor connections. Whether it's a sleek urban loft or a sprawling hillside estate, these architects infuse each project with contemporary flair and a sense of understated luxury, elevating the art of modern living.

Austin Residential Architects:

Austin's diverse neighborhoods provide a canvas for residential architects to express their creativity and cater to a range of lifestyles and preferences. This part of the article shines a spotlight on Austin residential architects who excel in crafting custom homes tailored to their clients' needs and aspirations. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of local building codes and regulations, these architects navigate the complexities of the design process with finesse, delivering homes that embody the essence of Austin living.

Luxury Architect Austin:

For those seeking the epitome of luxury living, luxury architects in Austin offer bespoke design solutions that epitomize sophistication and refinement. This section delves into the world of luxury architects who specialize in creating high-end residences that exude opulence and exclusivity. From private estates with panoramic views of the city to ultra-modern penthouses in the heart of downtown, these architects spare no expense in delivering unparalleled luxury and comfort to their discerning clients.

In conclusion, the contemporary and luxury residential architects in Austin exemplify the city's ethos of innovation, creativity, and livability. Through their visionary designs and meticulous attention to detail, they shape the built environment of Austin, leaving an indelible mark on the city's architectural heritage. Whether it's pushing the boundaries of modern design, reinterpreting traditional architectural styles, or crafting bespoke luxury residences, these architects continue to inspire and delight, shaping the way we live and experience the world around us.

[dankusner]

Dallas Navigator: a guide to the city, from cocktails to cowboy culture

Cowboy culture is currently captivating the world in a new way.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album has dominated the charts this year, rodeo fashion is back in vogue, and several Texan cities have witnessed an economic and population boom over the past decade.

And of the set, it’s Dallas that’s caught our attention.

Together with its sister city, Fort Worth, it forms the largest metroplex in Texas and the Southern US, and DFW International Airport is the third largest in the world.

With multiple cultural projects in the works, an exploding art market, and the most hotels currently under construction of any city in the US, there’s much more to the ‘Big D’ than the rodeo — although that’s still a huge draw, too.

So whether you’re in town for business, pleasure or an extended layover, here are our top spots to explore in Dallas.

What to see and do in Dallas

Where to stay

Hôtel Swexan

Hôtel Swexan (Swiss meets Texan) is Dallas’s most anticipated and unique new hotel of the past few years.

It may occupy a shiny new 22-storey glass tower by Kengo Kuma, but the interiors overseen by Harwood International founder Gabriel Barbier-Mueller have an old-world aesthetic – particularly in the many restaurants and lounges.

The hotel’s 134 guest rooms include eight individually designed suites, and the rooftop pool bar offers panoramic views across downtown.

Hôtel Swexan is located at 2575 McKinnon St, hotelswexan.com

Where to eat and drink

Bar Colette

Melon and Prosciutto aperitivo at Bar Colette

Melon and Prosciutto aperitivo at Bar Colette

Bar Colette offers a moody, contemporary vibe for stylish young professionals to enjoy a variety of original craft cocktails, like the tequila-based Rhu-Barbie, or one of the lighter Two Sip options.

Opened in 2023 to rave reviews, the space was founded and designed by brothers Brandon and Henry Cohanim, who looked to 1960s Italian for decor inspiration.

Along with the cocktails and an extensive spirits and wine list, the bar menu includes an indulgent Caviar Waffle.

Bar Colette is located at 3699 McKinney Ave #306, barcolette.com

Georgie Steakhouse

Designed by Brooklyn-based GRT Architects, the studio behind interiors of New York’s buzziest restaurants, Georgie is a reimagining of the traditional Texan steakhouse both in terms of style and menu.

Burnt orange velvet booths, rattan and tambour panelling and curved architectural elements set the scene for chef Curtis Stone’s award-winning cuisine.

Georgie Steakhouse is located at 4514 Travis St Suite 132, georgiedallas.com

What to do

Rodeo Bar

You can’t come to Texas without visiting a saloon, and Rodeo Bar in the downtown Adolphus Hotel offers the perfect balance of chic and kitsch.

The joint first opened in 1981, but four decades later has received a refresh by local studio Swoon that maintains the 1980s honky tonk vibe, but has upped the style stakes.

Neon artworks, leather armchairs and the jukebox all retain the original cowboy attitude, while the bar and grill are now accompanied by a basement entertainment space.

Whether this is your first rodeo or not, you’re guaranteed a fun time.

Rodeo Bar is located at 1321 Commerce St, adolphus.com

Winspear Opera House

Located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, this futuristic 2,200-seat performance venue was designed by Foster+Partners as a 21st-century reinterpretation of a traditional opera house.

From the exterior, the transparent core of the building glows red from within and pierces through an extensive square canopy of steel that surrounds and shades the building and its landscaped park.

Inside, a giant crystalline chandelier hangs above the stalls and balconies are wrapped in gold leaf.

Winspear Opera House is located at 2403 Flora St, attpac.org

Where to shop

Miron Crosby

Searching for a pair of authentic and stylish cowboy boots? Look no further than Miron Crosby, a luxury craft-forward brand with an equally chic store in Highland Park Village, designed by Gill Brown of Maplewood and Javier Burkle of Burkle Creative.

Created by sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means, who grew up on a West Texas cattle ranch, this Dallas-based operation carries men, women, kids and even bridal styles – all made with traditional production techniques and offering customisation too.

Miron Crosby is located at 25 Highland Park Village #201, mironcrosby.com

Nasher Sculpture Center Shop

The store located inside the Renzo Piano-designed Nasher Sculpture Center is an art lover’s paradise, stocking a wide variety of books on historic and contemporary sculptors – many of which accompany the museum’s fêted exhibition programme – and design-led objects that make perfect gifts and keepsakes.

The interiors by Charles Sparks + Company are intentionally minimalist, in keeping with Piano’s travertine and glass architecture, and the space acts as a connector between the public realm, and the museum’s galleries and garden.

Nasher Sculpture Center Shop is located at 2001 Flora St, nashersculpturecenter.org

[homerefurbishmentimprovement]

The Texas Hill Country: Nature’s Best Blending

The Texas Hill Country is at the heart of nature's best blending, where outdoor activities and a peaceful way of life describe the state. The rolling hills are picturesque, with sceneries including numerous rivers and lakes providing water activities such as kayaking, fishing, and swimming. The area also has lovely small towns, home builders in spring branch tx each unique, filled with friendly people and histories that reach back to the original settlers of Texas.

A Cultural Hub in Nature

The Texas Hill Country is not just beautiful in its own right, but it is also a happening place full of culture—local wineries, local breweries, galleries, and live music. This area hosts many festivals and events throughout the year, from wildflowers in the spring until the fall harvest. Living in the Hill Country is, therefore, not only a delight to the eyes but is also culturally enriching.

Finding the Perfect Home

For those considering making this dream region home, the most important thing will be getting the perfect house. River Hills Homes comes in here.

River Hills Homes: Custom Homes Tailored to You

All they do is custom-build homes that perfectly reflect the lifestyle and aesthetic requirements of their client. They design and build homes guided by a deep appreciation and cognizance of local landscapes and architectural styles to blend naturally with the surroundings. As a result, River Hills Homes can proudly call itself a personalized experience.

The Design Process: From Vision to Reality

It always begins with an in-depth consultation to get a feel for what a client's vision might be, as well as their needs and budget. From here, experienced architects and builders work to detail that vision with the client, ensuring every step is meticulously crafted.

Quality and Sustainability

Whether it's a quiet cottage overlooking a tranquil river or a ranch-style home with spread views from the hills up high, River Hills Homes has it all. Quality and sustainability are the hallmarks of a River Hills home. Utilizing only the top-grade materials, along with the most up-to-date construction technology, one would look for beauty that would last a lifetime and be both durable and energy-efficient. Sustainability is undoubtedly an essential issue in the Texas Hill Country because, here, many cherish their natural environment.

Custom Design Options

There are also some custom designing options available in River Hills homes, such as suiting the taste and lifestyle of an individual. This can range from modern design with sharp lines and open spaces to more traditional work with an old-world appeal. The team within their staff could offer options for whatever interests you. They can also suggest finishes, fixtures, and landscaping to complement your taste, custom home builders new braunfels tx thus making it a project in your style.

Making Dreams a Reality

Many people dream of living in the Texas Hill Country, but that reality can be affordable through River Hills Homes. Such devotion to high standards, personal service, and green building practices is ideally combined with anyone's desire for a perfect home built in this beautiful part of Texas. Whether you've moved to the area to enjoy its beautiful scenery, rich culture, or friendly communities, River Hills Homes can help enable ways to take advantage of everything the region offers from a residence that feels truly like home.

[shivam95]

Jobs After Business Analytics

Pursuing a degree in business analytics opens up a wide range of exciting career opportunities across various industries. With the increasing importance of data-driven decision making, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is soaring.

Jobs After Business Analytics in Different Countries

In today's data-driven world, businesses across various industries are recognizing the immense value of business analytics professionals. With a Masters in Business Analytics, you can unlock a wide range of exciting job opportunities in diverse sectors. Let's explore some of the industries eagerly seeking skilled professionals for jobs after business analytics. Business Analytics salary ranges from lowest to highest. Here are some of the top jobs you can explore after completing a business analytics program:

1. Business Analyst

Business analysts are essential to any and every business. They work closely with stakeholders to understand business needs and develop data-driven solutions to improve operations and drive growth. Key responsibilities include:

Understanding business requirements and identifying opportunities for improvement

Developing and implementing data-driven solutions

Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure effective communication and implementation

2. Data Scientist

Data scientists are highly skilled professionals who combine coding skills with statistical analysis to uncover valuable insights from large datasets. Key responsibilities include:

Mining valuable data from various sources

Using AI and ML tools to analyse big data

Preprocessing and cleansing unstructured data

Verifying the integrity of big data

3. Marketing Analyst

Marketing analysts support marketing efforts by analysing trends and optimizing marketing strategies. Key responsibilities include:

Understanding trends in current market conditions

Creating and reviewing marketing campaigns

Researching best platforms for campaigns

Gathering data from customer feedback

4. Data Architect

Data architects design and install data management systems to ensure efficient data storage and retrieval. Key responsibilities include:

Designing data architectures to meet business needs

Implementing data storage solutions

Ensuring data security and integrity

Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure effective data usage

5. Market Research Analyst

Market research analysts gather and analyse data to understand market trends and consumer behaviour. Key responsibilities include:

Conducting market research to identify trends and opportunities

Analysing data to inform business decisions

Developing and implementing market research strategies

Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure effective communication

Top colleges for MS in Business Analytics

Here are the top colleges for a Master's in Business Analytics in the US:

MIT Sloan School of Management:

Ranked #2 globally for a Master's in Business Analytics, MIT Sloan offers a 12-month STEM-designated program that is highly sought after by top employers like Amazon, Deloitte, and JP Morgan.

University of Texas at Austin - McCombs School of Business:

Ranked #9 globally, the 23-month MSBA program at McCombs has an average GMAT score of 704 and average starting salary of $97,000.

USC Marshall School of Business:

Ranked #4 globally, the 24-month MSBA program at USC Marshall has an average GMAT of 722 and average starting salary of $100,863.

UCLA Anderson:

Ranked #1 globally, the 15-month MSBA program at UCLA Anderson has an average GMAT of 710 and average starting salary of $135,273.

NYU Stern:

Ranked #7 globally, the 12-month MSBA program at NYU Stern has an average GMAT of 732 and average starting salary of $87,800.

University of California, Davis - Graduate School of Management:

Ranked #6 globally, the 24-month MSBA program at UC Davis has an average GMAT of 678 and average starting salary of $131,000.

Jobs After Business Analytics in Different Countries

Jobs after business analytics are available in various countries across the globe. Here are some examples of job listings in different regions:

Europe

Business Analyst - Liquidity Reporting & ALM: A premier client seeks a Business Analyst with Liquidity Reporting & ALM experience for a capital markets project in Europe.

Business Analyst - Business Intelligence: A Senior Business Analyst role is available to join a MIS/Business Objects team in Europe, focusing on key business and finance reporting and data analysis.

India

Global Business Analyst Jobs: Over 3,000 Global Business Analyst jobs are available in India, with new listings added daily.

Germany

Business Analyst (m/w/d) Product Management: A Business Analyst role is available at JeGa Consulting GmbH, focusing on product management in Germany.

Business Analyst (m/w/d) Strategy Office: CHECK24 Vergleichsportal GmbH is seeking a Business Analyst for their strategy office in Germany.

United States

International Business Analyst Jobs: Over 563 International Business Analyst jobs are available in the United States, including roles like Business Systems Analyst and Senior Business Analyst.

United Arab Emirates

Business Analyst - Dubai, UAE: Cobblestone Energy is seeking a Business Analyst for their operations in Dubai, UAE.

These job listings show the diverse range of jobs after business analytics available across different countries and regions.

Conclusion

Pursuing a business analytics course can open up a wide range of jobs after business analytics. From business analysts to data scientists, marketing analysts, data architects, and market research analysts, there are many roles that leverage the skills and knowledge gained from such a course. With the increasing demand for data-driven insights, professionals in business analytics are in high demand, offering lucrative career prospects and competitive salaries. If you are considering a career in business analytics, now is the perfect time to start your journey.

[nickgerlich]

Back To The Mall

Sometimes I like to return to the well of a topic we have already touched on, albeit only a few days ago. It’s just that the topic lends itself to so many discussions, and can be explored in much greater depth by revisiting it. And it helps when it is one of your favorite discussion topics.

I’m talking about the shopping mall, y’all, not because I love to shop, but because when I ponder their very existence, I see more than just retailing. They are a shining example of social engineering.

When Austrian architect Victor Gruen designed the first fully enclosed mall in the US, the Southdale Center in Edina Minnesota, he envisioned a new Main Street, a new Central Business District (CBD) for the modern era. Whereas we had previously gone downtown to tall department stores with mom-and-pop shops sandwiched between, we could now go to one place and never have to step foot outside this climate-controlled behemoth that was a world unto its own.

With the new emphasis on inward-facing commerce, malls did not have to look pretty on the outside. They could just be nondescript big boxes, with the major tenants’ names on their end cap buildings but little more. It could be described as Brutalist architecture, a fad that took root in the 1950s.

Thanks to a story about malls running on CNN.com, I was nudged to digress a bit. Good timing, too, since Retail is one of our topics of the week.

Shopping malls and casinos have two things in common: No windows, and no clocks. The goal is for the folks on the inside to completely lose track of time, to get lost in their escape from reality, to part with more of their hard-earned cash. And yes, it was cash back then, not plastic.

When you are cognizant of time, or the weather outside, or darkness, etc., your mind starts to drift back to reality. As soon as that happens, it’s all downhill for both the retailer and casino operator.

In some regards, the enclosed mall is like the manufactured community represented in The Truman Show, so utterly fake yet completely believable. Everything is orchestrated and scripted, and as long as you suspend rational thought, you are one with the eco-system.

I am not so old that I was around for Gruen’s masterpiece to open, but I wasn’t far off. I recall growing up in Harvey Illinois, one of Chicago’s south suburbs. I lived a middle class existence, with a younger brother, a father who took the train every day to his job downtown, and a mother who held down the fort. We went shopping at what was then a marvel of retail, the Dixie Square Mall that opened in 1966.

As malls go, it was actually quite different from what we see today. It had a JC Penney and Montgomery Ward as anchor tenants, but then also had a supermarket, a rarity in the modern era. I guess they weren’t thinking too much, because if you buy groceries, the odds are good you need to get home with your perishables, and not venture into the department stores or other shops. On a hot summer day, your burgers could be grilled before you ever got home.

There was also a large centerpiece artsy thing, not exactly a fountain, but it looked like one with hundreds of nylon strings or whatever vertically hung from the ceiling, and water or oil droplets slowly cascading downward on those lines, only to be recycled back to top in a never ending loop. Well, at least that’s how I remember it. It was mesmerizing, and you could look at it for hours. Gruen envisioned these centerpieces as being where shoppers congregated for conversation, taking a break from their shopping.

I also recall the Woolworth, basically a huge so-called dime store filled with trinkets, toys, crafts, fabric, and the like. And next door was the Harvest House Cafeteria, not much unlike the Furr’s Cafeterias we have had in Texas. You went through a line, pointed to the things you wanted, and someone handed it to you. It wasn’t a three-Michelin-star experience, but for middle class folks, it may as well have been. “Meatloaf…some mashed potatoes…green beans, …oh, and a slice of lemon meringue pie, please. Thank you.” We went often on Sundays after church.

As we have already discussed, malls eventually starting falling into disfavor, their carefully constructed micro-environments contributing to the ennui of multiple generations. And as for Dixie Square, it met its demise much sooner than most malls, because by November 1978, it was shuttered after only 12 years of existence. Turns out that Harvey underwent a different kind of social change, this time white flight as the city became increasingly black. Crime shot up. There were muggings and shootings, and no one wanted to shop there, especially after dark. I must also point out that back then Chicago was very racist. Everyone hated everybody else.

Director John Landis rented the vacant mall in 1979 to shoot a scene for The Blues Brothers movie, featuring a chase scene that found cops in pursuit of Elwood and Jake Blues right through a well-stocked mall. You can imagine the chaotic scene, or watch it online. They trashed the place, not bothering to clean it up, and left it for Mother Nature to reclaim.

That mall soon became legendary among Urban Explorers. Murders and drug deals did not deter people from wanting to check it out, myself included. I went in the summer of 2010—yeah, it was still standing—but by 2012, after decades of deciding who would pay for the asbestos abatement, it was demolished.

In many regards, Dixie Square became emblematic of a failed social experiment, the very one championed by Gruen. In fact, Gruen, who was a socialist, came to loathe his contribution to society. Then again, the notion of climate-controlled environments was popular back then, witnessed in little terrariums people bought for their homes, usually with multiple strata of differently colored sand, pebbles, and cactuses. By the late-80s, we even had Biosphere 2, a fully enclosed research facility in Arizona designed to study the living systems of Earth.

Along the way, as malls grew in popularity, we lost the heart and soul of our communities. Downtowns became ghost towns. The neon nights of old, with each shop sporting its own luminescent sign hung over their doorway, flickered and went away, replaced by the banalities of our suburban existence.

Maybe the current trend away from malls will cause us to reconsider our collective past, and find us clamoring about to build new city centers, complete with department stores and the little shops in between. I have my doubts, but a guy can dream. The answer will probably be somewhere in the middle, with, as I have said before, a lot of strip malls all outward facing. It’s better than the mall as we know it.

As for this grand social experiment, we can say that it served us for a season, but in the end, the rats in the maze won out and we rebelled.

Dr “Let’s Re-Engineer This” Gerlich

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