Inspirational Radioactive Wolves

When I think of unspoiled wilderness, I often mentally refer to the Chronicles of Narnia. This children's book series so beautifully illustrates a world before human influence and destruction. A simpler, greener time, when the animals roamed free and the land was pure.
From my understanding, many ruined ancient civilizations across the globe are the result of ecosystem destruction, followed by fleeing of the destroyers (i.e. homo sapiens) and a gradual return of the land to its natural state.
Alas, us silly humans are at it again: this time the destruction was nuclear (i.e. Chernobyl), the people left, and surprise! the wilderness returned...
What joy to watch the "radioactive wolves" story on PBS, as the Canis Lupus flourish and howl atop abandoned buildings within the hot zone. The Russian scientists seem a bit perplexed at this new nature preserve and study it closely. They even shipped bison to the area as the animals seem to do well there. The observable birth defect rate amongst these animals, although increased, was in fact lower that one would assume (no, this is not pure Narnia after all) but nevertheless, it's the best today's wildlife can hope for.
Of course the question proposed by all this is: how come this low level radiation affects the animals minimally? I believe the answer lies in the November Discover magazine. Sperm. Humans with their humanity (or is it perversion??) allow everyone to mate. Weak, tall, small, smart, dumb, old-- you name it--we'll allow it. Thus the genetic material sent forth in our sperm is becoming increasingly weaker. Nevertheless, the "cruel" (wiser?) animal world, only allows the strongest to mate. The alpha wolves have the babies, and everyone else in the pack is assigned babysitting duties only!
Of course this is only my theory, and only time will tell if the birth defects increase as the animals continue to reproduce in this radiated area. But in the meantime--I finally have hope, that the animals will prevail and outsmart us after all.

Why Do I Dislike What Everyone Else Likes??

I am not afraid to know who I am. Increasingly I have become aware that most people around me just want something different out of life than I do. In these times of "constitutional rights" -do I even have the right to not want what everyone else does?
Here's my list of top offenders:
1-McMansions- So they say this trend is winding down. Phooey! --I have not seen it here at all, people in Alaska still look for big, bigger and biggest homes.

2-Costco- It would be like a national sin to reveal that I am afraid of Costco. So "they" tell me to go during the week, not Saturday--tried it, and I was still scared. Nothing but giant items on creepy warehouse shelves about to fall on your head. Not to mention the giant people buying buckets of mayonnaise and chicken wings. A true haunted house, I return only for their very good pizza price...(Alaska pizza is highway robbery)

3- WalMart- Even though I have never entered a Wal-Mart, I can't support it. Then I read that some fancy US reporter is going to China to see why their economy is working...duh reporter--ever been to Wal-Mart? That's why China is working.

4- Social Networking- Creepy! I joined a site once, only to get Eastern European men sending me half naked pictures of themselves with inquiries about gold mining in Alaska. All these sites do is sell your info for advertising revenue so you can tell everyone that your cat coughed up a hairball. When people start using social networking to spread real news and help society (instead of cyberbullying) maybe I'll take a look...

5- Minivans- so they are safe and roomy for the kiddos. But if you buy the world's most boring car, all that will happen is this: you will have an early midlife crisis, drink three shots of tequila and wind up with a daffy duck tattoo thinking that you are now cool. My recommendation: lose the van.

6- Big screen TVs. Don't want want, don't care. Why is it that my family is the only one that never finds the time to watch TV?

7- I phone- Don't even think I am spelling this device right. Don't need it, whatever it is. Or if I had one, would I finally have enough time to watch that big screen TV? Doesn't anyone realize that techno gadgets are a downward spiral--once you get hooked you always need to buy the newest one??? Goodbye money.

8- Scenting parties. This sounds perverted to those that may not know what it is (so maybe it doesn't count on my little list) Nevertheless--it's a sober gathering to sell scented candles to mothers wanting a brief social outlet. (The new tupper ware party) Yikes. Quite popular here in Alaska. I could not do this soberly and I am allergic to chemical scents. Maybe I would do an organic essential oil & wine tasting party instead??

9- Subdivisions.- Instead of community building, neighborhoods today are usually part of the "keeping up with the Jones'" disease. Besides, my family wants to run around loudly outside and let the dogs howl. In the end I would be spending oodles of money on apology gift baskets to the neighbors.

10- Not leaving the wilderness wild. In Alaska one can't read a newspaper or drive a car without seeing some sort of pro-mining, drilling, developing something statement. It has taken me a while to see how the "other side" views this issue. They just feel the wilderness holds no value as is. It is "unimproved" land needing the awesome hand of man to extract or build something from it instead. According to these folks the right of man to extract resources for financial gain (see above- to afford their McMansions and Costco) trumps my "right" to enjoy virgin landscape.

That's the list for today. I have not found the place I belong within my own society...

Chasing the Wilderness

Ok, where do I even begin??
Simply put, I can not enjoy the idle pursuits of suburbia. I am perplexed by the droves of people that seem only to be interested in shopping malls, fashion hand bags, and their big-screened TV's. Even worse, they choose to surround themselves with the "comforts" of badly built cookie-cutter McMansions. I am reduced to smiling politely at these folks and keep wondering what is wrong with me?? Why don't I want these things??
Yet I do know what I want. It is the pursuit of the wilderness. Luckily, my spouse and I did escape the East Coast and settled in Alaska years ago.
Now the joke about Alaska is--the suburbanites have come here too. They are rapidly building their beige houses in neatly parceled subdivisions. Insisting that more Old Navy's and Wal-Marts be built. The trees here get slaughtered at such an alarming rate, that they don't even use chain saws anymore--just bulldozers that push the tree carcasses into big piles that are then set afire.
Nevertheless, the wilderness is still here. Therefore so am I.