Bob Blockus

Host

Alaska

Mar 1, 2014·15 visitors

Jordan Birnbaum

Cohost

Stage· 168 messages

Mar 1, 2014

Alaska Economics

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:00 PM

Hello hello!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:00 PM

hi there!

Bob Blockus · 3:00 PM

Hi...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:00 PM

thanks for inviting me

Bob Blockus · 3:00 PM

Your welcome..

Bob Blockus · 3:01 PM

How come Alaska only has under one million people in the whole state?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:01 PM

so I'm interested to learn a bit about Alaskan economics!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:01 PM

Gosh - I would guess climate, accessibility

Bob Blockus · 3:01 PM

The only clue is the harsh weather and lack of working jobs.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:02 PM

is there a pan in place to address that?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:02 PM

plan

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:02 PM

how might working jobs be supported?

Bob Blockus · 3:03 PM

I worked in Alaska four times. So know what it is like.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:03 PM

what drew you there?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:03 PM

were you intrigued by the landscape, the region, the culture?

Bob Blockus · 3:03 PM

Oil Revinue think Alaskan People should get more of. support income from Oil Money.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:04 PM

I've often wondered how anyone can claim ownership in natural resources

Bob Blockus · 3:04 PM

Yes I was...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:04 PM

what are your favorite things about Alaska?

Bob Blockus · 3:04 PM

Politics is big in Alaska for ownership rights.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:05 PM

seems a very important issue for everyone everywhere!

Bob Blockus · 3:05 PM

The Mountains and it's highways.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:05 PM

so do you like to bike, walk, drive, motorcycle?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:05 PM

dogsled?

Bob Blockus · 3:06 PM

Drive between Anchorage, Denali National Park, And Fairbanks.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:06 PM

that's a lot of ground to cover, right?

Bob Blockus · 3:06 PM

About 750 miles.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:06 PM

yep - that's a lot!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:07 PM

so do you love to exist simply in nature?

Bob Blockus · 3:07 PM

Yes I think Alaska People should get more oil revinue.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:07 PM

me too

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:07 PM

even if only in infrastructure, health care, education, etc.

Bob Blockus · 3:07 PM

Nature best to take photos and video from camera.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:08 PM

any good animal encounter stories?

Bob Blockus · 3:08 PM

Moose on highway

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:08 PM

are moose dangerous?

Bob Blockus · 3:08 PM

yes

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:09 PM

they charge you?

Bob Blockus · 3:09 PM

they come charge naturaly

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:09 PM

is that why people like to hunt them?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:09 PM

like Sarah Palin?

Bob Blockus · 3:09 PM

Sarah Palin should go back into politics.

Bob Blockus · 3:10 PM

yes she is ok.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:10 PM

mmm - can't say I agree on that one, but we can agree to disagree

Bob Blockus · 3:10 PM

I worked in Alaska 1984, 985, 2007, 2009

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:11 PM

why only one-year at a time?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:11 PM

did you think about staying longer?

Bob Blockus · 3:11 PM

It's get cold in the winter. Seasonal summer jobs.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:11 PM

ahhh

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:11 PM

so how rough are the winters? virtually unliveable?

Bob Blockus · 3:12 PM

Denali National Park and Fairbanks has cold weather in the winter times.

Bob Blockus · 3:12 PM

Best to live in South East Alaska

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:12 PM

close to Canada?

Bob Blockus · 3:12 PM

Skagway, Alaska is close to Canada.

Bob Blockus · 3:13 PM

From South East Alaska they should build a road to Skagway.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:13 PM

I don't know the story how the US acquired Alaska, but I could never understand why it wasn't a part of Canada

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:13 PM

I figured it was probably a strategic location due to its proximity to Russia

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:14 PM

Did you ever watch the show Northern Exposure?

Bob Blockus · 3:15 PM

Alaska Oil in the American Public is about 7 percent.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:15 PM

ahh - did we know that when we bought it

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:15 PM

and who was the seller?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:15 PM

I'm sure I can find out on Wikipedia later....

Bob Blockus · 3:16 PM

I see they are building newer homes up in Nome, Alaska

Bob Blockus · 3:16 PM

because of the gold tv reality tv shows.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:16 PM

Wow!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:16 PM

so are people moving there to search for gold?

Bob Blockus · 3:17 PM

Average high class home in Anchorage is about $800,000

Bob Blockus · 3:17 PM

Nome stay's about the same population. Because it's too far.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:18 PM

$800K is much higher than I wuold have guessed

Bob Blockus · 3:18 PM

Eagle River north of Ancorage is might be the best place to live.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:19 PM

so how about that show Northern Exposure? I think all my perceptions of Alaska (all good, btw) come from watching that show.

Bob Blockus · 3:20 PM

I did most of the ideas for Northern Exposure. It's very good.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:20 PM

I agree

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:20 PM

Do you wish more people would visit Alaska on vacations?

Bob Blockus · 3:20 PM

Skagway, Alaska they should build newer homes.

Bob Blockus · 3:21 PM

one million visitors on cruise ships each season.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:21 PM

that's pretty good

Bob Blockus · 3:21 PM

I worked as a jeep guide in Skagway 2007 Alaska Travel Adventures.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:21 PM

That means there's a lot to like about the place, or people wouldn't keep coming back!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:22 PM

I can already tell you are GREAT at that job!

Bob Blockus · 3:22 PM

I still think some of the Cruise Ships should stick around the Winter Times. South East has mild temperatures.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:22 PM

Yeah - I bet they could do some amazing adventure type stuff in the winter

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:23 PM

at least some pretty amazing sledding

Bob Blockus · 3:23 PM

Think Alaska should have a sports team? NFL...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:23 PM

TOTALLY!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:23 PM

that would be so cool!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:23 PM

but do they have enough people to fill a stadium?

Bob Blockus · 3:24 PM

It takes about 40,000 to fill a stadium...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:24 PM

The Alaska Ice

Bob Blockus · 3:24 PM

They have basketball teams from lower 48 states in Anchorage

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:25 PM

cool

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:25 PM

what's the college scene like in Alaska?

Bob Blockus · 3:25 PM

Fairbanks and university in Anchorage and south east.

Bob Blockus · 3:25 PM

University of Fairbanks is very good.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:25 PM

do they have sports teams?

Bob Blockus · 3:26 PM

only for activities sports teams. yes and travel around the state.

Bob Blockus · 3:26 PM

Haines, Alaska has indoor swim pool and so does Nome, Alaska.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:26 PM

So what do you think most pelople don't understand about life in Alaska?

Bob Blockus · 3:27 PM

Skagway, Alaska should have indoor swim pool and new recreation center building.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:27 PM

do you think most people have a realistic idea about what it's like to live in Alaska?

Bob Blockus · 3:28 PM

Yes.. Because many people work in the summer time at seasonal jobs at the resort hotels.

Bob Blockus · 3:28 PM

Coolworks.com I get my alaska work jobs...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:28 PM

It sounds like a fun sub-culture must exist among all the seasonal employees

Bob Blockus · 3:29 PM

They hire international workers sometimes....

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:29 PM

I always enjoy meeting people from different cultures. It reminds me that we humans are ultimaterly all the same

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:29 PM

ultimately

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:30 PM

I seem to remember that Alaska was having a hard time attracting women to live there

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:30 PM

is that still an issue?

Bob Blockus · 3:30 PM

maybe not. Because of the buildings of new offices and hospitals.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:30 PM

got it

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:31 PM

that should help

Bob Blockus · 3:31 PM

I drove from Homosassa, Florida to Alaska solo round trip 2009.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:31 PM

Oh My Gosh! How far is that?!

Bob Blockus · 3:32 PM

Took 12 day's each way. I worked at the Chalet Resort as prep cook at Denali National Park Healy, Alaska.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:32 PM

what music did you listen to on the drive?

Bob Blockus · 3:32 PM

Sirius XM I had a radio unit in the Ford Taurus.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:32 PM

I LOVE Sirius

Bob Blockus · 3:33 PM

80's on 8 and Fox News....

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:33 PM

80s, huh? Lots of great music!

Bob Blockus · 3:34 PM

Internet radio Sirius XM on computer....

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:34 PM

yeah

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:34 PM

I assume you have no pets if you're able to do this type of travel?

Bob Blockus · 3:34 PM

They like Sirius XM in Skagway...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:35 PM

Would it have been fun to have a dog ride shotgun with you on the trip?

Bob Blockus · 3:35 PM

I had a couple of friends who had dogs with them who worked summer season.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:35 PM

I bet dogs must LOVE Alaska

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:35 PM

All that space to run around - must be so much fun

Bob Blockus · 3:36 PM

Sled Dog Teams is the best to buy dogs from.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:36 PM

you mean when they are ready to retire?

Bob Blockus · 3:36 PM

or at a early age.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:36 PM

or if they're not good enough at racing?

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:36 PM

ahh I see

Bob Blockus · 3:37 PM

Iditarod main web site has list of sled dog team camps with contact info.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:37 PM

cool

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:37 PM

I'm in NYC so it would be cruel to bring a dog like that into this environment

Bob Blockus · 3:38 PM

No Dogs are Dogs.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:38 PM

but if I ever live in the country I just might look into that

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:38 PM

No Dogs are Dogs?

Bob Blockus · 3:38 PM

You can make arrangments for flights for the dogs on some airline companies.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:39 PM

I sdee

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:39 PM

see

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:39 PM

so Bob, what are some things you would like people to understand about Alaska?

Bob Blockus · 3:40 PM

Alaska Magazine & MilePost people should undersdand more better.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:40 PM

I'll take a look at those

Bob Blockus · 3:40 PM

MilePost is a big book with all the info for Alaska travel.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:40 PM

gotcha

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:41 PM

so what do you think about Tawkers?

Bob Blockus · 3:42 PM

Step up from twitter

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:42 PM

yep

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:42 PM

how did you learn about it? did someone invite you to a Tawk?

Bob Blockus · 3:43 PM

Rememberd the idea's for Tawkers and found it on the world wide web surch.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:43 PM

cool!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:43 PM

well, I really enjoyed this, and I'm very thankful you invited me!

Bob Blockus · 3:43 PM

On twitter I use @RobertBlockus

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:44 PM

I'll start following you right now

Bob Blockus · 3:44 PM

Thanks. We should do this again next week.

Bob Blockus · 3:44 PM

Tawkers

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:44 PM

yes - I'm going to follow you on Twitter, and we can hook up there to find a good time

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:45 PM

you just got a new follower

Bob Blockus · 3:46 PM

Thanks. We should limit chats 45 minutes.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:46 PM

I have to warn you - politically I am on the other side of the aisle - I'm a very big lefty!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:46 PM

but I have lots of friends on the right

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:46 PM

so we're cool!

Bob Blockus · 3:47 PM

good.

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:47 PM

OK Bob - until next time!

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:47 PM

Nice to meet you, my new friend!

Bob Blockus · 3:47 PM

Thank you Jordan...

Jordan Birnbaum · 3:47 PM

enjoy your weekend!