Crude Conversations

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Jason Borgstede, owner of the Anchorage-based snowboard and skateboard shop Blue & Gold Boardshop. They talk about how he went from being a professional snowboarder to a professional poker player to a waiter and now the owner of a local snow and skate shop. Jason's history with the Alaska snow and skate scene goes back twenty some odd years and includes some pretty wild stories. They get into that (story time) as well as what it means to be a local retail business pushing a culture. 

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Andy Elsberg, an emergency room doctor at Providence Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska. They talk about how he went from being a ski bum to an ER doc, the idea of wilderness medicine, the pervasiveness of alcohol and opiate addiction in Anchorage, what a gunshot actually does to a human body, and the short but aggressive spice epidemic that hit Anchorage a few years back. They also discuss how the urban/wilderness split doesn't exist in Alaska, meaning things like bear maulings and ATV accidents exist alongside things like inner-city gun violence and drug overdoses. 

Introducing Crude's new podcast, lost anchorage, where Crude investigates the mechanisms of crime and violence in Anchorage, Alaska. Through research and interviews with professionals, law enforcement and those affected by crime, we hope to build a better understanding of whether or not Anchorage is, in fact, becoming more dangerous.   In this episode of lost anchorage, we look at how childhood trauma shapes future behavior from the perspective of a social worker. Laura Norton-Cruz works as the director of an Alaska Children's Trust initiative called Alaska Resilience Initiative, which focuses on reducing childhood abuse, neglect and trauma by building resilience in healthy communities around Alaska. Her experience includes work involving domestic and sexual violence, reproductive coercion and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Introducing Crude's new podcast, lost anchorage, where Crude investigates the mechanisms of crime and violence in Anchorage, Alaska. Through research and interviews with professionals, law enforcement and those affected by crime, we hope to build a better understanding of whether or not Anchorage is, in fact, becoming more dangerous.  In this episode of lost anchorage, we look at crime in Anchorage from the perspective of a criminologist. Allan Barnes is a professor of justice at the University of Alaska Anchorage Justice Center. He's been teaching for over 35 years. His students have gone on to become police officers, lawyers and judges. As a criminologist, Allan focuses on why people commit crime. 

Introducing Crude's new podcast, lost anchorage, where Crude investigates the mechanisms of crime and violence in Anchorage, Alaska. Through research and interviews with professionals, law enforcement and those affected by crime, we hope to build a better understanding of whether or not Anchorage is, in fact, becoming more dangerous.  In this episode, we look at crime from the perspective of a retired police officer. Aaron Roberts was an officer for the Anchorage Police Department for over 20 years. He patrolled downtown Anchorage, was a detective in robbery, assault, and metro with a focus in narcotics. At the time of his retirement, he was the team lead negotiator and worked closely with SWAT. 

In this episode, we have a conversation with local filmmaker and King Technical High School teacher Jeremy Blake. We talk about how he first got into filmmaking and evolved into being one of the most sought-after sound guys in the local community, the short-lived film tax incentive, and how Alaska’s unique landscape is represented and often underutilized in movies.   With guest host John Kendall of Quick Dash Films.

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with Cliff Groh, a former Alaska Revenue Department official and longtime advocate for the Permanent Fund Dividend. Cliff was instrumental in the creation of the PFD in the early 1980s. From 1987 to 1990, he served as special assistant to Hugh Malone, the Commissioner of Revenue in the administration of then-governor of Alaska Steve Cowper. He was also involved in the adoption of legislation that changed Alaska's oil tax system. They talk about how the discovery of the Super-giant Prudhoe Bay oil field in the late 1960s changed Alaska's economy and government and why the two most important questions in Alaska are "What is the Permanent Fund for?" And "how long do you personally plan to live in Alaska?"

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with his uncle, Jay Liska. Jay was the first professional snowboarder from Alaska to get his own pro-model. He also started Boarderline Alaska Snow and Skate with his brother, Scott Liska, and went on to start his own shop, Northern Boarder. They talk about the snowboard scene in the 80s and 90s, and Jay shares some of his most memorable stories from back in the day, including the time he was in a helicopter crash on Mount Spurr and the time he took Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys snowboarding in Thompson Pass.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Keon McMillan, better known as Keezy, an Alaskan rapper and producer. We talk about the history and impact of the hip hop collective Sky Division—how it was the first large posse of young Alaskan rappers and producers—the influence hip hop music and culture has on society and political change, the implications of selling out, the responsibility that comes with status, and how pop culture influencers aren't always the best role models for young, black men.  We also discuss why he moved to Seattle to pursue a career in hip hop and why Alaska will always be home.  With guest host Tubby. 

In this episode, we have a conversation with Mike Thompson, a longtime high school teacher at East High in Anchorage, Alaska. We talk about moving from Chicago to rural Alaska—from a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood to one where he was the first black person they met—the lessons he learned about race and integrity from his dad, how civility is a leadership skill, the students who have made an impression on him, and how he believes it's his job to teach students how to think, not what to think.   We also discuss Governor Mike Dunleavy's proposed budget cuts to Alaskan education, and teaching government class during the 2016 presidential election.  With guest host Tim Davis.