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If you want to attract women, you have to think like a salesman. Know what your clients want, and tune your product–that’s you–to fit the clients’ needs.

So what we have are five areas that we must market effectively if we want to spark an initial attraction from women. After that, it’s up to you to show what a great guy you are: let her know you’re special, unique, one of a kind. That’s what makes you…a best-seller!

1. Ambition

From an evolutionary stand-point, this one makes complete sense. Think cavemen and cave women in the Stone Age, with some of the weaker cavemen seeking a higher station in the tribe. Who do you think the cave women went for? The men who hobbled along meekly in the bottom of the order…or the men who strived for more and sought a higher place in the pack? Much of a woman’s desire to be with a man who is ambitious and seeks success, is based simply on survival: The more powerful the man, the more likely she’ll survive and live well. Logically, going for a guy who has no ambition means she’s likely to live in poverty and struggle. Not very appealing, is it?

So you have to present yourself as a guy who’s not satisfied with his station in life. This is good for both you and her. If you’re making $6 an hour at McDonald’s and are content to stay there, not many women are going to be attracted to you. But if you’re making $6 an hour and working your ass off to own your own franchise, taking business classes at night so you can learn how to run a business: well, suddenly you’re not so bad-looking!
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Believe me, women will give men a chance, they want to give men a chance–as long as they see potential. Know that quote, “Behind every great man is an even greater woman”? Show you’ve got potential and direction, and you’ll get that great woman.

2. Status

Again, evolutionary instincts of survival make women naturally attracted to men of high status. High status=good living for herself and her children. Fortunately, projecting high status does not have to be difficult; according to Roberts, “Wearing the right clothes, especially nice shoes, can go a long way toward portraying wealth. Taking on the unshaken or unworried attitude of wealthy men can project affluence. Hesitant, irresolute, bland men come across as having lower incomes and being less reliable.” Got that? You don’t have to be a powerful, articulate man yourself-you just have to project similar qualities.

Some of these qualities include:

* Not putting yourself down. Without being a braggart, talk positively about your accomplishments, job position, and possessions-even if they’re not much. If you treat things as a big deal, other people will, too. Conversely, if you downplay your accomplishments and character, women will, too. Your attitude is contagious, so make sure it’s an enthusiastic, enlivening one that people enjoy.

* Act like you deserve good women. Don’t let women assume a higher status than you. Show them that YOU are the one with higher status. You can do this in a number of ways, including not acting impressed by a woman’s beauty or career (say, she’s a model); teasing her about her clothes or makeup; and asking her to buy you a drink. Chances are she won’t, but just by acting like you deserve it, you raise your status! She’s not such an untouchable goddess in the end.

Remember, as well, that women want to EARN a man; they relish the challenge of luring in a winning catch. So play hard to get: talk to other girls, say you’ve got to be leaving just when things are going well, don’t immediately ask for her phone number. If you act like a man who can have his pick of women, then chances are, you will!

* Knowing people of high status. This is a great one. Get to know the people of power: the club owners, bartenders, maitres’d. Position yourself as a sociable person who’s in the know. When a woman sees you getting special treatment and chatting with high-status people, she’ll see right away that you’re someone of importance. It will also reduce the importance of the other factors, such as height, money, and ambition; immediately you’ve proven yourself valuable.

* Social proof/Female acquaintances. Hey, nothing says, “This guy’s attractive” than having females around him. Of course, the hotter they are, the hotter you look, but even just having average-looking female company can only help: it shows women that other women are interested in you. Do your best to get your female friends and family (sisters, cousins) to come out with you. It’s social proof, and it works!

* Wearing nice clothes. “When a man is well dressed,” writes communications expert, Leil Lowndes, “it signifies his ability to provide for her offspring.” You don’t have to be rich and powerful to wear nice clothes. You just have to show that you’re a man of quality, a man headed towards somewhere who pays attention to dress (something women cna never get enough of). Formal clothes, such as a suit, convey that you are serious about success; you desire good things. So just by wearing a nice sports jacket, dress shirt, and slacks, you let a woman know you’re a man with status. You’re a man who could provide for her and her children.

The colors you wear are vital: Studies show that red, burgundy, and black clothes convey high status. So get yourself some slick black suits or formal wear, a red shirt, and one of my favorites (and girls’!), a sleek burgundy button-down shirt. They all convey regality and strength.

In the case of red, you have the added bonus of sexuality, power, and dominance: definitely good qualities to portray! Go and purchase a nice red polo shirt, or red tie for your suit.

If you enjoy white clothes-the color of purity and cleanliness-then make sure you work on your TAN. White clothes against a dark backdrop make you look exotic, sexy, and well-travelled. You don’t have to be an jet-setting playboy, to look like one!

* Winning body language. Women judge men by the way they move and position themselves; it’s part of their superior communication skills to know what a man is thinking or feeling based on his body language. So, position yourself in the right way: don’t slouch, sit upright, gaze at her knowingly, lean into her to initiate intimacy. I’ve got a great column on body language that will teach you the right ways-and the wrong ways-to project high status.

3. Financial Resources According to Matthew Fitzgerald, “Studies with college coeds show that when shown photographs of men dressed in high-status uniforms, ties, expensive watches, etc.) and low-status uniforms, these women would be significantly more willing to enter into relationships with the more expensively-attired males regardless of the man’s physical appearance. To a woman, attraction is simple: green is very good-looking.”

Okay, so not every guy has money for expensive suits and watches, and materialism may not be part of your game. However, if you want to impress women, one of the fastest ways is by wearing snazzy clothes, sporting nice shoes (girls LOVE shoes!), and driving an expensive car. Especially when it comes to designer brands, women are VERY keen at spotting high-quality products. It’s just part of their nature; with expensive possessions come high status and ambition, and a more comfortable lifestyle. Again, this all comes from their instinctual drive for survival and prosperity for themselves and their children. By owning the best, you become the best. At least on the surface.

Ultimately, if you want true love it’s up to you to find women who share the same goals and values. If money and status aren’t the most important things in life for you, don’t chase the girls who do prioritize those things. Don’t go for the shallow, bitchy types who only judge a man by how much he can spend on her.

4. Educational Level

Knowledge really is power, and on top of that, it’s an aphrodisiac! Gone are the days when being smart was acquainted with being a nerd; now, knowledge and intelligence are your friends. It’s the easiest way to money, and the easiest way to success. So show it off a little. Let her know your TALENTS, your interests, your areas of special knowledge. As Roberts writes, “Women are drawn to experts like the Crocodile Hunter, Bill Gates and Chris Rock because they’re experts in their industries.” None of those guys is particularly good-looking, but they’re good at what they do, and parlay their knowledge into success, which drives women wild.

A guy who’s an expert is one who is clearly successful and of higher status. At the very least, having a special knowledge means you have the TOOLS for success, and can provide intellectual stimulation for a girl (which, unless she’s a bimbo with an IQ of 70, is quite important for women).

Additionally, just being in school is a great way to show off your knowledge: “If you’re in school, not only are there more women available, but you’ve already demonstrated to them that you’re getting educated. Otherwise, it’s up to you to come across as reliable and credible without making her feel dumb.”

5. Physical Aptitude

Physical height alone is an easy way to catch a woman’s attention, but it’s not the only thing. Again, evolutionary mechanics come into play here. A man who is tall, strong, and athletic is more likely to fend off threats to the woman and her children. He is also more likely to have a strong immune system, which will further aid their chances of survival. So, you can’t blame women too much for valuing these things: in the world of female attraction, it really is a survival of the fittest. Those who show women they are in shape and healthy are much more likely to survive the dating game! Ergo, athletes, bouncers, firemen get the girls.

As for height, it’s all a matter of perspective. We’ve all seen short guys with tall beautiful women. Neil Strauss himself, the best of the best pickup artists, is just 5′6″ yet gets more beautiful women than we can imagine. How? By believing in himself. By positioning himself as a man of high status. By not bowing down to women of greater height or beauty. And by being a guy women know is fun and energetic to be around. In short, he’s got INNER GAME, and when you have that down, nothing can stop you. You may even find yourself dating women who are taller than you!

But remember, presenting a man who’s healthy and strong, willing to stand up for himself and the girl in a fight: that’s the kind of guy who women will go for, regardless of height. Did you know that men with strong immune systems give off pheromone scents that women are instinctually attracted to? If you pay attention to what you eat and go to the gym on a regular basis, you’re going to build your immune system up, and attract women without even trying! So do it, and watch the number of dates you get, soar.

In the end, men are like books: women judge them by their covers. But inside is an even greater story. So make your cover captivating, and you’ll become a “best-seller” in no time!

James Brito, Relationship Expert

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I recall reading an article in the UK press about the revenge taken by a “woman scorned”.  Her response to her husband’s affair was very dramatic to say the least; she cut the legs and arms off all of his suits and then set about distributing the contents of his celebrated wine cellar around the village in which they lived – one or two bottles on each and every doorstep, together with their morning milk delivery!  Quite inventive.  And then I’m sure we all read about the case of a certain man whose furious wife decided that cutting legs off suits simply wasn’t enough and took a knife to his manhood instead.  I subsequently read that he turned this to his advantage by becoming a porn star;  Apparently so many people wanted to see his “wotsit”, he not only had it sewn back on again, he had a couple of inches added aswell!

This doesn’t appear to be an uncommon occurrence; just Google “cut off his willy” and there are numerous references to this form of revenge.  In fact I did hear that some ladies have taken this one step further, and attached their partners’ manhood to helium balloons so as to ensure that they would not be able to have them sewn back on again. Ouch!

What is the message being conveyed?  Is the aim simply to make sure that they won’t be able to do THAT again?  Or “you hurt me and so I’ll hurt you”, in the spirit of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”?  Or is it to expose their actions to the world at large, to embarrass them just as you feel you have been embarrassed? Is it simply a way of lashing out?  All of the above are intertwined, I’m sure.

Not everyone responds in such a dramatic manner.  Have you watched the film “the women”?  It’s an intriguing film, with Meg Ryan (in the most recent version) playing the housewife who thinks everything is running along quite smoothly….until she discovers her husband’s dalliance with the perfume girl in their local upscale store.  This film depicts every type of woman, all ages, shapes, sizes and mentalities – and each has their own take on how the husband should be dealt with.  The mother’s is the voice of reason (and experience) recommending  a stiff upper lip combined with a period of playing hard to get, and letting him know what he is missing.  Sensible woman – this approach was working rather well, until friends added their opinions into the mix!
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But, how do you control your emotions, and turn a blind eye, when your heart is breaking?  And how do you know if your partner is just having a minor dalliance or if they have really fallen in love?  It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to be logical when your emotions are involved.  Logic and emotions are like “oil and water” and rarely do they mix well in these circumstances.  In fact whenever you are confronted with a situation perceived as a threat (and this type of circumstance definitely falls into that category) your higher brain functions are effectively cut off, ensuring that you cannot think logically.  One has to step back and calm down before your logical brain can re-engage.  Your emotions definitely need to be managed in such circumstances. And hypnosis can be invaluable here.

Whether it’s best to lash out or to turn a blind eye is a matter of personal opinion.  Either way, there’s a lot you can do to help yourself to think logically and deal with an undesirable situation in the most effective manner possible.  And if it does end in a permanent rift, it’s massively important to be your own best friend and to make it as easy as possible for you to move on.  There is an art to moving on after a broken relationship, but you can learn it, and apply it.  Hypnosis is extremely useful in all this as in itself it is a state of relaxation, and allows you to take a step back and think logically;  you can rebuild your confidence and see things from a different angle with a few well placed suggestions…and prepare yourself to attract a better partner into your life.

Roseanna Leaton

BSc (Hons)(Psych), DHP, MIAPH

http://www.RoseannaLeaton.com

Roseanna Leaton

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Behavioral Symptoms To Watch Out For In Your Child

Autism is a complex issue and needs to be handled with the utmost care and understanding. If you find that your child has symptoms of autism, this will pose a challenge to you, and you may find that your child is not behaving like other children, in which case you will need to go to your family doctor so that he can assess the child and if he feels the need, he will refer you to specialists in the field who will be able to diagnose and treat your child.

Signs Of Autism That You Need To Be Aware Of

One of the earliest signs of autism is the fact that the child does not interact socially and is incapable of expressing emotions normally – the child also does not have a feeling of closeness with family and friends as normal children do. Children with autism shy away from bonding or touching other children.

Another sign that you need to be aware of is a communication problem especially with their same age group. Sometimes they are unable to speak and only sounds emanate from them and they gesture to others. There are certain cases where the child talks but mostly they repeat words that they hear and are unable to talk on their own – also if they do speak, it is in a monotonous manner and well below their own age group.

You will need to assess the effect of sensory stimulation on your child. Sometimes children get nervous and agitated at sounds, and at other times they may have a fixation on a certain sound or light for a length of time. It is necessary to consult a pediatrician if your child displays any of these signs.

There are certain rituals that a child with autism may do on a regular basis. If this is not done, the child may be greatly agitated – for instance a child may only eat a particular type of food and desire to wear only certain type of clothes, and if this is not adhered to, will get into a temper and behave in an extremely agitated manner.

It is important to note that if your child displays any of these symptoms, you should consult your doctor who will make an analysis, and advise you as to how you need to handle the situation. If he finds it necessary, he will refer you to a specialist in the field who will be able to make a more detailed analysis, and put your child on to treatment immediately, so that you will be able to give your child the correct treatment which will enable him to live a better life.

Abhishek Agarwal

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What is more rewarding in the world than having your baby dressed in an outfit that has been specially crocheted by yourself like booties or cute sweaters. The Art of Crochet you will find is the easiest of all crafts to learn, even for total beginners of using yarn. It takes just an evening to crochet booties and a matching sweater for baby will take a weekend.

Baby Booties

To make the baby booties just require the basic stiches of : chain stitch (cs), dec (pull up the loop of the next 2 stitches, pull the yarn over then through both of the loops on the hook), and single crochet (SC).

1 Get some worsted weight yarn, equip yourself with a size H crochet hook, and start by 5 CS (Chain Stitch). Turn and SC for 3 chains, 5 SC at the end chain, one SC in bottom loop at each of the next 3 SC stitches. The end chain is then 5 SC to turn the corner.

2 Now 5 SC, two SC in the next stitch; repeat 2 SC in the next stitch, repeat again, 5 SC, 2 SC in the next stitch, SC, 2 SC in the next stitch, SC, and 2 SC in the next stitch.

3 8 SC, 2 SC in the next stitch, 5 SC, 2 SC in the next, 8 SC, 2 SC in the next, 5 SC, and 2 SC in the next.

4 and 5 Even crochet with no increases for these next 2 rounds. Notice the sole as it begins to curve upwards. Once you have done the second round, turn.

6 SC for 5 SC, dec, 3 SC, dec, 5 SC, then turn.

7 SC for 3 SC, dec, 1 SC, dec, 3 SC, then turn.

8 SC for 1 SC, dec, dec, 1 SC, then turn.

9 and 10 SC in each SC, again continuing the rounds, dec one at either side of the top of the bootie for the next two rounds.

11, 12 and 13 Work these 3 rounds evenly, and finish by fastening off.

Repeat, to make the second bootie.

You can, if you wish, put a design on top of the baby booties such as an embroidered flower.

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The booties can be crocheted in many different colours of your choice as they are so simple to make, so that you have a collection.

Sweater

It is easy to make the sweater too, which is designed ideally for fitting a newborn baby up to 6 months. The same type of yarn and hook are used.

1 Chain 45, and turn.

2 SC for the next 5 SC. Next, inc. by 2 SC, Chain 2, and in one stitch 2 SC. For the next 8 stitches SC, inc. by working SC for the next 16 stitches, inc., SC for 8 stitches, inc., and SC to the end.

3-12 Continue working the established pattern, even SC on all, inc. for each loop on Chain 2, until all 10 rows are completed.

13 This is the shaping row: Firstly, crochet the Ch 2 loop, crochet to Ch 2 loop, skip all the stitches till the next Ch 2 loop, and crochet that loop. SC each stitch of the next Ch 2 loop, skip all of the stitches till you reach the Ch 2 loop, SC the loop and then SC for each SC to the end, and turn.

Continue working until the sweater is 6 inches in measurement from the underarm. You can fasten off now.

For the right underarm, pick up and Crochet each SC. Continue working in rounds for the sleeve until it measure the same length as from the underarm as the body. Repeat to make the left sleeve. Finish by fastening off.

From the lower right hand, start by picking up the end stitch and crochet 1 SC each stitch at the front opening, around the collar, back down to the other side of the front of the sweater. The openings in the neck collar are now ready for a ribbon to be run through it, to make the necktie.

There you have it, a crochet sweater that it cozy and warm, with matching booties created by your own hands, especially for your baby. Aah!

Abhishek Agarwal

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Make your own flared skirt! Learn how to sew a flared miniskirt and cut out a pattern in this free video covering clothing and fashion design. Expert: Candi Cane-Canncel Contact: www.candiland.com Bio: Candi Cane-Canncel has been featured on Craft Television shows on The DIY Network, HGTV, as well as tlc’s “Faking It”. Filmmaker: Louis Nathan

Most of you know that the Amazon River is by far the largest in the world, with more fresh water discharge than the next six largest rivers combined, but to appreciate that volume of water, you should join us going upstream in Dawn on the Amazon.

Tucked up tight to shore in the slack current at three quarter throttle, we watch life on the river unfold as it has for centuries, with the native inhabitants living a subsistence lifestyle in harmony with their environment.

We see most people still live like their ancestors, in thatch roof houses built on stilts to stay above the flood, with no doors or windows, and frequently with no walls, with strips of soft bark for floors. A machete, a bucket, and a few pots and pans are their only manufactured implements.

Men and women work together tending a patch of yucca, a small grove of banana trees, with a few lemon, lime, orange, papaya, mango, cashew, or cocoa, and other exotically delicious jungle fruit that most of you have probably never heard of let alone tasted, such as zapote, mamey, ubilla, guaba, shimbillo, macambo, copoazu, caimito and camu camu.

The typical mode of transportation is still the dugout canoe, and nearly always a fisherman is in sight working his net, or an individual or family are canoeing. Women wash clothes in the river, carry water in buckets to their houses, cook over open fires, and nurse babies. Children run up and down the bank waving and yelling at us.

My two favorite guides, Edson and Beto, hurry back to report to our guests that our most important geographical landmark, the confluence of the Maranon and Ucayali Rivers is just around the bend. With cameras in hand, everyone moves to the bow of the boat to record our passing through the beginning of the majestic Amazon River. Our course is the Ucayali fork, to the left going upstream. The north bank of the Ucayali River is the southern boundary of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve (PSNR).

It is difficult to comprehend that the reserve is larger than some countries without cruising to the far, remote entrance, the Pacaya River. After miles of jungle go by, interspersed with rice planted in the flood plains and peanuts planted in the sandy soil uphill from the rice, and we pass many boats and villages, eventually over five million acres begins to take on meaning.

When Dawn on the Amazon turns up the Pacaya River we enter one of the great wetland environments on earth. Within ten minutes it is like being in another world. We see giant Paiche near the opening to a lake. Paiche are the largest freshwater fish with scales. They are unusual for their size and because they have lungs. It is common to find them two meters long and weighing 125 kilos when they surface to breath.

Edson and Beto rush to 84 year old ‘Abuelita’ Eileen, pointing to make sure she sees the cloud of parakeets, I guess there are a hundred, followed moments later by eight to ten large parrots. Before we left Iquitos Eileen told us she hoped to see parrots in the wild. She saw a lifetime worth of parrots along the Pacaya River.

When we came through this stretch of river a month ago we saw fifty sloth, this time only one; curious the ebb and flow of wildlife. We know birds and monkeys easily move to a new tree full of ripe fruit, but it is hard to imagine sloth moving so slowly through the jungle to a new food source.

Hawks are hunting. Horned Screamers honk their loud, liquid call, mixed flocks of Snowy and Great Egrets, cormorants, ducks, and herons, fly or fish close to the boat as we glide upstream. But our unique adventure in PSNR is not about seeing the seven species of monkeys, or the hundred species of birds, nor several dozen pink dolphins, or the iguanas, caimans, capybara, or sloth. We expect to observe them when we enter the reserve. Our adventure is with the most interesting and dangerous primate of all, Homo sapiens.

The ranger in charge of the second check point, Jose, immediately informs us there is an emergency. Six paiche poachers have been spotted hidden away at a lake twenty minutes upstream. With only four rangers in the area, he asks for our assistance. A few years ago the reputations of everyone in the village of Bretana were tarnished when paiche poachers from that village murdered three rangers who tried to confiscate their nets and canoes. Because of that crime, the village is considered dangerous and our boats never stop at Bretana.

Jose wants me to go with them, but with six guests on board I believe my first responsibility is to them. I ask Beto if he would go with the rangers and take our VHF hand-held radio to maintain contact with Dawn on the Amazon. He reluctantly agrees, but is not pleased with these unexpected events. He knows the story of the murdered rangers as well as I do.

Jose has a plan. The poachers have set up camp next to a small stream connecting the largest lake in PSNR to the Yarina River. That stream is too small for Dawn on the Amazon III so we tow the ranger’s boats behind us, and when we come to the stream the rangers and Beto paddle up the stream to the camp. The poachers hear our boat go past and believe they are safe.

We go on to block the only possible escape route, and if necessary to ram their boats and prevent their escape however we can. Beto takes the hand-held radio to maintain communication and one of our cameras to record the evidence.

Beto tells the story: “It was difficult to get through the stream because it was choked with aquatic vegetation. We had to push pole through the water grass, and get out pushing the canoes and Jon boat. It took over an hour to get to the camp. I noticed buzzards pecking at a pile of fish heads and carcasses.

“I saw the infractories, packing their gear to escape. Jose jumped out of the boat to confront them. I heard the conversation get louder and louder. The leader said they were only trying to have a system to survive. Jose argued that it is easy to survive without poaching. The other infractories whispered suspiciously while getting their machetes.

“The rest of the rangers saw the threat and sprang out of the boats as one of the poachers attacked Jose with a machete, aiming a killing blow to the back of his neck. Someone shouted a warning and Jose spun around just in time to grab the attempted murderer’s wrist.

“As they fought for the machete, the poacher screamed, ‘Here we will kill each other.’ Jose wrestled the machete away and threw it in the water. The other rangers formed a circle around Jose and the attempted murderer on the ground fighting.

“The other poachers were closing in threatening with their machetes when I shouted into the radio, ‘Officina, officina, base, base, we have trouble. Send in the other rangers, send help, send help, over.’

“Everyone heard the reply, ‘Help is on the way. Rangers on the way. Keep us informed, over.’ That was all it took to take the fight out of the poachers. They laid down their machetes. That is when I radioed back, ‘It is over. We are OK. Negotiations have begun, no reinforcements necessary, over.’

“I could not understand these negotiations. The infractories always spoke as if they had done no wrong, that we were wrong to bother them. The man who spotted the infractories and informed Jose of their location works for the rangers but lives in the village.

The leader of the infractories shook his finger at him as he threatened, ‘You are the person who let them know we are here! Our trouble is your fault! Make sure I do not see you tomorrow…’

“They were allowed to keep their nets, canoes, spears, and half of the paiche. They had eight large turtles and four medium size turtles in a bag. Jose ordered them to release the turtles. They refused. They argued that since they were allowed to keep half the paiche, they should be allowed to keep half of turtles. After much arguing, all of the turtles were released.

“They were absolutely positive that they should be allowed to stay and fish like honest fishermen. They argued with Jose for an hour, but Jose was insistent that they leave. They refused to go.

“Jose explained that every ranger in the reserve has been notified by radio of their activities and they would be followed and monitored the entire fifty kilometers to the entrance. Still they argued so forcefully to stay that Jose became suspicious and a search was conducted around the perimeter of the camp.

“One of the rangers discovered a freshly killed, fifty kilo paiche covered with leaves. They had the nerve to argue that half of that fish should also be theirs, but even Jose’s patience was running out, and he ordered them to leave immediately.

“As they started paddling downstream, the leader turned and threatened, ‘This is not the end of it. It will not stay like this.’ Jose replied with a threat of his own, ‘I can not believe you would be stupid enough to cause more trouble now that every ranger knows your name, where you and your family live, and what you have done.’”

It is quite possible that Beto’s quick thinking with our VHF radio saved the lives of all the rangers, as well as his own. The rangers rewarded him with a big slab of the fresh paiche. He was kind enough to share with all on board Dawn on the Amazon III. We all agreed that the paiche made some of the best ceviche we have ever eaten, and no one ever ate better fish than the fresh fillets of paiche fried in palm oil.

I have been thinking about men willing to kill or be killed for a fish, and thinking about a system of punishment that lets an attempted murderer go free. I remember near Mayo, Florida, around thirty-five years ago, three game wardens were murdered on an old logging road in the swamp. Many of the mothers of deer hunters in town feared that the murderers might be their sons.

I have personally known poachers in Indiana. The poachers I know are never motivated by survival. Most often it is wildness, a belief that the law does not apply to them, and in some instances, laziness. What is the easiest, fastest way to put meat on the table? Should our paiche poachers be allowed to keep half of their catch? Should they keep their spears, nets, and canoes? These are hard questions to ponder as we continue our journey.

We are escorted upstream by a pod of pink river dolphin. They are protected by legend and custom. The people of the river believe pink dolphins have supernatural powers and it is the worst kind of luck to harm one. They swim at will without fear of poachers.

At the third ranger station we learn that no one has visited since we signed the log book two months ago. This wilderness between the second and third ranger stations seems to be Dawn on the Amazon’s private reserve. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to enjoy this nature experience and is more marvelous still if you know how to value it.

Now if we can just catch the poacher who cut down the Big Leaf Mahogany…

William Grimes

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