“Nightmares on Campus” published in FRANK8 digital magazine. Click for full article.

Excerpt:

For most of us, sleep is our best friend. There’s nothing more comforting than the thought of diving face-first into a pile of pillows, swaddling yourself under a mountain of blankets, and mentally checking out for a good eight hours. But for those of us who are plagued by less-than-pleasant dreams and are haunted by the things that go bump in the night, the hours between dusk and dawn may not be the most anticipated part of the day.

There is no shortage of research on why we dream and how our dreams correlate to other psychological issues, but there is still so much we don’t know about the human brain, and thus, much that remains unknown about our subconscious — and unconscious — minds.

It can be quite unnerving to really analyze some of the nightmares that plague us. From being a child who is sitting in the backseat of a car made of dismembered body parts, to feeling the hot breath of a wolf growling next to your face while you are trapped in sleep paralysis, to the all too common teeth-falling-out-of-your-skull nightmare — there is no shortage of horrifying stories about what goes on in our minds when we lay our heads down to rest.

Excerpt:

Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Mayan, Babylonian, Persian, Mongolian: all are empires that have made a lasting impact and imprinted themselves in our memories throughout history. The common denominator between them, though, was the length of time they existed. These empires had hundreds —sometimes thousands of years to grow and spread, which becomes obvious when we look at all they accomplished.

Along the western tosca of South America, we can find a civilization just as widespread and powerful, but which rose and fell al within the span of 10 years. The Inca Empire, which covered parts of modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, began in the year 1438 CE when the Inca king Pachacútec began conquering surrounding civilizations and absorbing them into his own empire. It lasted until 1533 CE, when the Spanish arrived and eventually killed Inca Atahualpa.

Paulo Puma, 31, a tour guide from Cusco, has ben leading groups of visitors for many years. As part of his tours, he explains the many ways the Inca Empire rose greatness in such a short period of time and how the culture lives on to this day. Although Inca civilization dates back to 1198 with Inca Manco Cápac, the empire existed only within the 100 years between Inca Pachacuti and the last Inca Atahualpa. During this century, the empire grew to cover over 772,200 square miles of South America, engulfing previous surrounding civilizations.

Excerpt:

Lima has a reputation of being a gray and gloomy city, so perhaps this is why its residents make a point of creating artwork that is anything but dull.

There is no shortage of artwork to see or buy; however, much of it—like in any major city—is mass produced and generic. That doesn’t mean that it is impossible to find original work; on the contrary, actually. I all but stumbled upon a field of artists proudly showcasing their pieces for all to see.

On the outskirts of Parque Kennedy, a beautiful green area in the heart of Miraflores, in the huge city of Lima, a group of artists display their work every weekend in hopes of selling some pieces. They set up their stands, position their canvases and let their images do all the talking.

Unlike many other vendors I’ve encountered in Lima, who are aggressive in their technique of pushing sales, these artists let their work speak for themselves.

They greet you as you pass by, encouraging you with a smile, but they will let you browse in peace, while also making themselves available for questions and compliments.  

Artist Manolo Martínez was no exception. He sat calmly behind his canvases, his face hidden in the shadow of his art, and it wasn’t until I peeked around the stand to ask for his prices that he made himself known.

Excerpt:

Firms and companies around the country are updating their technological communications to deal with the growing threat of unions. We explain why it is absolutely necessary to harness the power of digital communication in a modern age.

DWC is the first firm to make full use of digital media to reach your new workforce. We can help employers close the gap on the unions’ digital strategies. While still incorporating traditional campaign methods, we also integrate data driven digital and social media strategies to deliver messaging to employees. DWC reaches employees of all generations using the ways that they best receive information. 

No other firm in the industry can reach your employees where they are as effectively as DWC can.