From the heights of the Himalayas to the remote peaks of Antarctica, Extreme Mountaineer Anja Blacha has climbed some of the most dangerous and demanding mountains on Earth. We talk extreme mountaineering, climbing the seven summits and finding motivation in everyday life. Then, from Christmas lights and neon signs, to lanterns and flashlights, we countdown the Top 5 Kinds of Lights.
Thanks to EveryPlate for sponsoring this episode. Check the link below and enter the code for a special offer.
Code: 49pointless
Anja Blacha: 01:36
Pointless: 32:25
Top 5 Lights: 43:14
Interview with Extreme Mountaineer Anja Blacha
Nick VinZant 0:00
Hi welcome to Profoundly Pointless. My name is Nick VinZant. Coming up in this episode, extreme mountaineering, in lights, especially
Anja Blacha 0:21
with altitude, you oftentimes don't realize you're beyond that limit of where your body can take it. And once you've crossed that line, there is no real saving anymore. So I realized, the more passionate I am about something, the more other people want to see me do it and succeed. The hardest part of my decisions is oftentimes getting to the starting line. Once you're at the starting line, 80% of the expedition are done to execution, or the remaining 20%.
Nick VinZant 0:51
I want to thank you so much for joining us, if you get a chance to subscribe, leave us a rating or review, we really appreciate it really helps us out. If you're a new listener, welcome to the show. If you're a longtime listener, thank you so much for all of your support. So I want to get right to our first guest. She's an extreme mountaineer, and what I think is so interesting about this conversation, not just the places that she's been, and the experiences that she's had, but the message that anybody can do this, if you just do certain things. This is extreme mountain near Ania Blanca, what is it about the mountains? What is it that calls to you about the mountains?
Anja Blacha 1:38
I mean, first of all, I think we are human client, no, this kind of like, attracts into mountains and their magnitude magnificent. But being in the mountains that for me is about the presence of just being in the moment. And then it's the challenge. Were
Nick VinZant 1:55
you hooked from the first time? Or was this something that kind of built up over time?
Anja Blacha 2:01
Well, I grew up not knowing anything about mountains. So when I would go on holidays, or be going to the beach, or maybe doing a small city trip, but the first time that I actually saw some proper mountains was in 2013, when I was 23 years old, and I quite liked the environment. I was stung by Yeah, by those by those landscapes in summer next holidays was like our see that again, as part of my backpacking trip to Argentina. And I was like, Okay, where can where can I go and do like, multi day hike and then see some mountains on and I ended up climbing Aconcagua. I think that was the moment where I was like, I really want to experience this again and again and again.
Nick VinZant 2:46
So your first mountain experience was climbing one of the seven summits in South America.
Anja Blacha 2:50
Yeah, that's right. Mount Aconcagua, it's called,
Nick VinZant 2:53
let's seems like that's a pretty intense first experience. Like I thought you were gonna say, like, I went on this two mile hike, saw the waterfall turned around came back.
Anja Blacha 3:04
In a way it helped that I didn't know much about mountains back then. Because I was not expecting so much in terms of like, what it had to be like, and what it would have to give me there was no kind of like pressure. And also, there was no feeling of what if I'm not good enough? What if I'm not skilled enough? Instead, I just went by, okay, what's the requirements that the expedition provided the mountain guide, put forward? Can I tick those boxes? And if I can, hey, why not do it instead of being like, you know, all this people around me are better mountaineers are more skilled and more experienced, and so on. Maybe I shouldn't be trying this. When in a way was good that I got into this world without much prejudice.
Nick VinZant 3:51
Okay, I get the climbing these 8000 meter mountains is hard, right? But I don't really understand it. Is there something that you could like put in perspective like, Okay, how difficult is this really,
Anja Blacha 4:04
I think one of my most difficult moments was when I was climbing Bragg peak, which is not a very well known 1000 meter peak. I was my first I thought mula peak without oxygen though. And on summit day, that feeling was like having to keep walking in a straight line after feeling like you hadn't slept for maybe two nights in a row. And having had a bottle of water. That's that's how it feels like when you're not properly acclimatized. Walking at high altitude. Overall, I think it's a lot of mental game. Those 8000 meter peak expeditions take a lot of time, because you have to get to base camp first. That oftentimes is a multi day trek even just getting to the starting point. Then from then on, you always need to wait for a good weather window to then go and climb a little bit higher up that mountain and then come back to base camp again, said You keep pushing your body, to the feeling of altitude to the lack of oxygen and allow for it to rest, recover and adapt. And then you go up again when the next weather window is there. And sometimes there's avalanches in between that destroy all the efforts you've made on buildings a route or setting up camps, higher up the mountains. Sometimes there's bad weather for two weeks, and you can't do anything about that. And then sometimes you don't feel quite ready yet, but the opportunity is there to go and push and you need to just go grab it and force yourself up that mountain. So a lot of that is a mental challenge of being resilient. And being being able to adapt to what nature around you dictates
Nick VinZant 5:47
what is the significance of doing it without oxygen,
Anja Blacha 5:51
I think climbing with or without bail oxygen as best compared to doing Tour de France and an ebike, or a normal bike. So it's a huge difference. Like, if you're doing Tour de France on the ebike, I think most of us would be able to do it, having to do it on a regular bike. Not so sure. And so the reason why that's so different is because at altitude, you've got lower air pressure. So with lower air pressure, you've got lower levels of oxygen around you. And that means that at an altitude of 1000 meters, you have less than 1/3 of the amount of oxygen around you that you'd normally have at sea level approximately. So even if you wouldn't do any exercise, and actually you're climbing up there, within 24 hours, or maybe 48 hours, you would, generally speaking, die because of the lack of oxygen. And that's why also that altitude is called the death zone in mountaineering, your blood circulation does not work that well anymore, you'll have much cold extremities, like your hands or your feet, you'll be hyperventilating. And as you'll be inhaling significant amounts of really cold air that will cool you out from inside, no matter how warm you're down students, and so on. And so when you use supplemental oxygen, you alleviate and greatly reduce all those factors, and bring down the perceived altitude of the mountain. So even if you're standing on top of like an 8000 meter peak, the perceived altitude for your buddy might only be 7000, or 6000, or even 5000, depending on what oxygen system you use.
Nick VinZant 7:39
So it's a huge difference in that regard. The people who climate without oxygen, kind of look down on the people who climate with oxygen is kind of like Yeah, but you did it with oxygen.
Anja Blacha 7:52
I think there's there's a few different camps. And there's a few different arguments to be had, like, of course, as a purist that say, do it without oxygen, or don't do it at all. Then those those who say, Well, if you don't do it with oxygen, you have a risk to other people, or you can't help that much if there's an emergency because there's no backup system of oxygen when something goes wrong. And when you get altitude sickness and so on. So safety is a concern. And then yeah, those those are saying, look, it might be a nice, a nice achievement for you personally, but I don't think it's worth taking the risks. Because especially with altitude, you oftentimes don't realize you're beyond that limit of where your body can take it. And once you've crossed that line, there is no real saving anymore. So only to say, Oh, well I've done it without by law, oxygen, why would I take the risk? So you've
Nick VinZant 8:53
done all of the Seven Summits, The Seven Summits is the highest mountain on every continent. Right? What? Well, how come you wanted to do that? What motivated you to go for all seven? It kinda
Anja Blacha 9:05
was just unfolding with my holidays. So the first seven songs was I wanted to go to Argentina go backpacking, then I was working a lot in Africa and my boss told me Hey, why don't you save our company and yourself some money for flights to spend your holidays? In Tanzania next to our customer in Kenya, and go climb Kilimanjaro? How could I say no. And just like that with every holiday one of the Seven Summits was added to my to my mom's client and an event she was like I gotta go and see on Arctica I gotta go and and client management and as well and and complete the Seven Summits
Nick VinZant 9:47
Hey, you get this much time off. That's the one question that I was wondering because I know you work a full time job. Like how do you get this much time off to do these?
Anja Blacha 9:55
Negotiation is a good skill to have for sure. I'm, I realized, the more passionate I am about something, the more other people want to see me do it and succeed. So if I was to ask for two months off, because I want to go on a beach holiday and lay by the sea, no one's gonna say yes. But if I'm saying, Look, I deeply care about climbing Ketu, or I deeply care about going on the south, like the ocean to the South Pole. And I'll put a lot of time and effort into this. And also, I'll be giving back when I come back or give my best before as well, people like, I want to be there for you, and I want to support you on your journey. The second thing I would like to add to that is, I've met so many people who say I would love to do it, but don't have the time now, and then they wait for the right moment. And then years go by, and there's never the right moment, because there's always something. And so if you wait for the right moment, you'll wait
Nick VinZant 11:00
forever. But why then, like, Why do you think is this just your nature? Like, why do you do this? And other people do not? Right? Because I think that everybody would kind of agree with those sentiments, but people just don't do it. So what is it like? How do you do it? And other people are? Like, I'll do it tomorrow? I'll do it next week.
Anja Blacha 11:20
I think one thing is commitment. So I make that conscious decision. Like it's a binary yes or no decision. Like, yes, I commit to making this my goal, and therefore I will make it work. Or it's no, it's nice to have, but I'm not committed to prioritize it enough. So I think that's the number one thing like really committing to a goal and being binary about not being a maybe and not being like, let me see, let me try the thing. Like, yes, I will make it happen. That's, that's the number one most important thing. And then I think what adds to that is, I have kind of like, learning from a first and I'll experience adopted that mindset that you don't need to be special, to do something special. You don't need to be like the people who did it before you to do the same thing. Like instead of trying to be either that unicorn or to be a copy of that huge, big, daunting adventurer. Just be yourself. And just do it the way that it works. That works best for you. And I found that to be super helpful, because then you stop comparing yourself, you stop getting derailed by looking at others and you stop, you know, maybe thinking oh, is it now an imposter syndrome? Am I maybe not that special? I mean, not good enough? Am I maybe whatever, and you do not have any excuses anymore. It's just about like, Okay, I am who I am. And I've got what it takes, if I just put my mind to it. And I think that also underlines the point that the hardest part of my decisions is oftentimes getting to the starting line. Once you're at the starting line, 80% of the expedition are done, the execution or the remaining 20%.
Nick VinZant 13:17
So when did you start so you climbing all these mountains, got bored climbing all these mountains? When did you start doing the polar expeditions, crossing the poles, that kind of stuff. And of
Anja Blacha 13:27
2018 I was sitting in the office like a gray rainy afternoon, I was like, what kind of like to go on with expedition. But as you said, another mountain feels a bit repetitive at this point of plants. And many would be nice to learn something new and push myself. And I remember that when I was in Antarctica for the first time in 2017. That was the first time I heard about polar expeditions. That came into my mind again. So I started Googling polar expeditions. I wrote a couple of messages did some research. And a few weeks later, I stood up cross country skis for the first time in my life, and learned the art and craft of polar travel and polar expeditions. And a year later, I did my big big trip across Antarctica from the outer coastline all the way to the South Pole and instead of world record on cross country skis, and it was also a great, great way to learn about self sufficiency and and you know, doing things all alone eventually. Is
Nick VinZant 14:38
it what how would you compare it to kind of mountains would you say it's more difficult or less difficult or just different? Like how would you compare it quite
Anja Blacha 14:46
different? I mean, from the outside looks so similar. You've got snow and ice, you've got remote places and hostile environments. But on the mountains you spend a lot of time resting and recovering. Waiting for good weather, and so on. And so the actual climbing activities on those big mountain expeditions are right are quite short. But when they happen, that they can be very taxing and exposed and dangerous, and you are in a far more risky environment, and polar travel, you have really long days. Every day is a day, there's no rest day says no, let's let's retreat and recover and then go back out again a couple of days and sounds like every single day, you have a full day of work, so to speak. And all the little details matter. So so much and polar travel, you think about, Okay, how many seconds per break or per changing my layers? Do I lose? If I have a Velcro on top of my zipper of my jacket, like that type of detail you get into like, Okay, I will need to pre cut my protein bars or energy bars before I head out onto the expedition because they will be so frozen, it will take me too much time to warm them up and and even to them. If I don't do that in advance like you think about the tiniest details, I will cost you so much time over a two month period. So very different and both other towns have in their own right.
Nick VinZant 16:26
Well, why is the time such a concern? Like why would you do that just because you don't want to stop essentially, or like what's the reason that like time is such an important thing. Typically, on polar expeditions
Anja Blacha 16:36
you want to go unsupported, which means that from day one of the start of the expedition, everything you will need to have with you to make it to the end of the expedition has to be on your sled that you drag behind you. And the more you need, the heavier the sled gets. And so it makes a huge difference if you're carrying or pulling a sled that weighs 100 kilos of you're pulling a sled that weighs 130 kilos. So you want to minimize the weight, but you want to make it so you need to have enough food and fuel and everything. And the faster you go, the shorter the time, you will need to get from A to B. So it's a it's a matter of finding the sweet spot between minimal waits for maximum speed without you know, risking that you will run out of food fuel, or have a habit incident in between that you can't resolve with the supplies that you have.
Nick VinZant 17:39
Are you ready for some harder slash listener submitted questions, sir? What was the scariest experience that you've had?
Anja Blacha 17:46
I guess, one mountain that had a few scary experiences was Ketu. I remember one night we're sleeping on Camp three, and I was trying to attend was a climbing partner. And late at night, he woke me up and he was like, hey, we need to get down immediately. Like there's been so much snow accumulating. And it sounds like we'll have avalanche risk very soon. If we don't get down right now, like that might be it. Like that's the moment where you're like fast awake. Luckily, tart, I was a lot of snow drift, but no fresh snow. And so we were safe. But like that moment when you wake up and you're like in shock, you won't forget quickly. And just a few days later on that same expedition. We were on the summit push. We're going for the summit. And k two is known for the battle mech section, which is the most dangerous tech, not the whole mountain. And it's so close to the summit. It's just the last couple of hundreds of meters on the final day after being out there for like six, seven weeks. And we had to turn around right in the middle of that section in the middle of the night. Because, again, there were there was such deep snow that there were snow slabs coming down. And they almost pulled one of the climbers down there was going far ahead and there was a moment you're like, Okay, I want to make it to the top. But I don't want to lose my life. Now's the moment to turn around.
Nick VinZant 19:26
Is it harder to go up or harder to go down? harder on the knees to
Anja Blacha 19:31
go down but definitely takes so much longer to go up.
Nick VinZant 19:34
But do you sometimes do you ever do people get in situations where they like put so much effort into going up that like oh, how are you gonna get down now?
Anja Blacha 19:42
That's a real danger. The majority of people who have died in the mountains died on 30 cent and I unfortunately had to witness that. Last summer. I was climbing Nanga Parbat. I only had base camp support so I was kind of on my own on the mountain but There were three other climbers who about the same time as me summited. And we all kind of like connected said like, hey, let's let's go down now, before it's too late and one of those climbers got altitude sick probably already on the way up, but really emerged on the way down. And eventually we couldn't save him, and he died. And that's the moments where we realize it's a fine line between you know, somebody nice, okay, good, but losing your life. That is a whole different thing. And yeah, that's when you when you when you realize you got to be extra careful, you can't push to your limit in the mountains. I will say, in order to go above and beyond my limits, metaphorically speaking. I always have to stay below my limits.
Nick VinZant 21:00
When you set out on one write for yourself and for other people. Do you did is it really in your mind that like, Oh, I'm not coming back,
Anja Blacha 21:09
I wouldn't go out if I thought I wouldn't come back. I'm not suicidal. I'm not going there. Because I'm like, Oh, I might, I might kill myself in the process. But let me try anyway, I'm going there feeling confident enough that I will be able to make the right calls to come back home safely. Because that's what this is all about. I want to come back home safely. And I want to, I want to send a mountain at all costs. And if it costs my life, I'm happy to give my life away for it. But having said that, death comes close and close every year. Like even just looking back at, you know, my footage from last summer, even though none of those have been people I've known before. It's like people I've met or had short encounters with that are no longer with us. And that list of people is growing every year.
Nick VinZant 22:04
Do you think that you would stop because of that? Yeah.
Anja Blacha 22:07
And I think it's important to remind yourself of doing that. We call it the summit fever, when you forget about everything else and just go for the summit and just try to push on and put on put on and just hope for it to turn out well in the end. But I think it takes a lot of mental strength and a lot of like self confidence to say, No, today's not the day, because at that moment, we are saying no, today's not the day, you're still okay. So you will always be like, but maybe it could have worked out. Maybe it could have made it you will never know because at that moment, you'll still feel okay. So it takes a lot of like self discipline, a lot of like mental strength, a lot of self confidence. Like all the people who have to tell, you know, family and friends, media sponsors, oftentimes big parties involved, like hey, I wasn't feeling it. I turned around and I'm still okay. Like, you know, I'm standing here in perfect health was all my fingers, my nose and my toes. And why did I turn around? Well, because I wasn't feeling it. Okay. You have to be able to do that. And to say that and to stand up for that
Nick VinZant 23:22
light slightly lighter subject which which one mountains did you climb? Was that was your favorite? Which one was like, Oh, I really liked that one.
Anja Blacha 23:29
Even though I talked negatively about that, like k two will always be spit be a special for me. With the most beautiful summit push. We're only like a group of maybe 20 climbers that whole day on the mountain. Perfect use perfect weather. And it's just such an iconic mountain to climb with this. Yeah, stunning. Triangular say that you see from afar. I will I will always love Ketu I think
Nick VinZant 24:01
which one was the hardest? Which one would you say like, Oh, that was the hardest one. That was That was tough. Oh,
Anja Blacha 24:09
funnily enough, brought peak, which is an absolutely unassuming. 1000 meter peak was the hardest for me because we did a very early push to the summit and terrible conditions. I was not well acclimatized. And just everything was so hard on that summit rich, which stretches on for what felt like forever. So it doesn't need to be a difficult mountain to be a difficult climb for you personally. It's what I realized.
Nick VinZant 24:37
Was there one that you were like that one wasn't that hard, which one would you say was kind of overrated in its toughness?
Anja Blacha 24:44
I think in terms of toughness, Nanga Parbat is called the most difficult one of the 1000 meter peaks. It's very technical and very steep and so on. But I feel like commercialization of 1000 meter peak climbing which means usually got multiple expedition teams you share rope fixing you've got well established camps and drought setting and so on, made it quite easy so that I don't feel like Nanga Parbat, even though it's supposed to be the most difficult of the 8000 meter peaks is a technical talent anymore. Does
Nick VinZant 25:21
that ruin things for people? Do you feel like that's ruining the sport? Or is this just this is how it is now,
Anja Blacha 25:26
I guess I'd add to the popularity of the sports, I think what we're seeing in the Himalayas right now is what we've seen and say, the Alps. And the years before, like, back in the days, no one would climb them at all, then some, some explorers, we want to climb for them, and then all of a sudden, everybody's climbing them. And I think we are at a point where, to some extent is happening in the Himalayas as well. And in a way, it's okay, it's great that this is becoming more accessible for people. At the same time, I think we need to be cautious to make sure that even though more people go, they are still sufficiently prepared.
Nick VinZant 26:08
What's next?
Anja Blacha 26:10
I don't have a bucket list of projects or goals to tick off. I guess it's more about like, you know, creating new experiences learning, developing myself. Yeah, but I suppose it's safe to say that I am going to do some more polar and mountain expeditions in the future. But I guess, ultimately, like the main goal for me is more to Yeah, pursue a life well lived. The other striving Well, the art of like using my potential. I guess that's a journey that will never end.
Nick VinZant 26:46
Do you feel like you'll kind of continue down this? I'll just use the word for lack of a better word, like more extreme thing? Or do you ever see yourself like, I want my next challenge is to go to all the buffets in Las Vegas or something like that? Do you ever feel like it'll always be something like this? Or do you think it will ever kind of like, change into something more mundane, for lack of a better word,
Anja Blacha 27:09
actually love the balance. Like, I think if I was just in the bubble of explorers and expeditioners, I wouldn't be happy, I like to like step into that world. But then to step out of that world again, and be, you know, in the world of business and the city live and so on. For me, it's, it's super nice to have that balance of different worlds. And so I don't see myself as like, just focused on the extreme for the next, however many years or completely stepping out of it. But let me see
Nick VinZant 27:42
that I missed this one a little bit. And this is one where they just use a couple of words, but I think I know what they mean. And then the question is just what's the trade off? Right? Because like, you know, everything is a give and take you do this, you don't get to do that. Is there? Like what's the trade off for doing expeditions like this?
Anja Blacha 28:01
I think one big thing is the time. So I can only use my time once. And I spent most of my time that I'm not working. Yeah, on those expeditions, instead of doing extended holidays with my friends. So my, my trips was like my path like, city friends become shorter and shorter, it's more like long weekends, within two weeks of holidays together. Money I guess, it's an expensive hobby to have. So spend a lot of money on gear on travel on equipment, and so on. But I'm happy to do so. And on summit day, that feeling was like having to keep walking in a straight line after feeling like you haven't slept for maybe two nights in a row. And having had a bottle of water. That's that's how it feels like when you're not properly acclimatized. Walking at high altitude. Overall, I think it's a lot of mental game. Those 8000 meter peak expeditions take a lot of time, because you have to get to base camp first, that oftentimes is a multi day trek, even just getting to the starting point. Then from then on, you always need to wait for a good weather window to then go and climb a little bit higher up that mountain, and then come back to base camp again, so that you keep pushing your body to the feeling of altitude to the lack of oxygen and allow for it to rest, recover and adapt, and then you go up again when the next weather window is there. And sometimes there's avalanches in between that destroy all the efforts you've made on building the route or setting up camps higher up the mountains. Sometimes there's bad weather for two weeks and you can't do anything about that. And then sometimes you don't feel quite ready yet but the opportunity's there to go and push, and you need to just go grab it and force yourself up that mountain. So a lot of that is a mental challenge of being resilient.
Nick VinZant 30:12
I want to thank you so much for joining us if you want to connect with her, we have linked to her on our social media accounts were Profoundly Pointless on Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube. And we've also included her information in the episode description, if you want to see more of these expeditions and see some of the places that Anya has been, the YouTube version of this episode will be live on January 25, at 12:30pm Pacific. So real quick, I want to take a minute and tell you about one of the sponsors of this show, every plate, every plate is now owned by HelloFresh, a leading meal delivery company. And we've all heard about meal delivery companies. But what really sets every plate apart is the price and the quality. And the deal that they are offering for the month of January, every plate is the least expensive meal delivery company, just $1.49 a meal plus $1 steak for life for the month of January. And we're not talking about like just cheap garbage food. Every plate has meals that are easy and don't compromise on quality. And they have a wide variety of recipes. They've got breakfast, 15 minute or less meals feel good food, big batch favorites. And you can even add in delicious options to your order with over 25 convenient sides, lunches, snacks, desserts, and even more. And for the month of January, you can get a meal for $1.49 plus $1 steaks for life by going to every play.com/podcast and entering the code 49 pointless. Now your subscription must be active to qualify and redeem $1 steak. But if you do that it is $1 steak for life. We have put the website in that code in the episode description. It's $1.49 a meal. I've had it. It's great. I really enjoyed it. Okay, now let's bring in John Shaw and get to the point was part of the show. How hard would you say you try in everyday life? Like if you put a percentage on it?
John Shull 32:36
Probably between a good 60 and 80%?
Nick VinZant 32:40
I think I'm probably between 50 to 65%. But then wide? How come you don't try any less? Why don't you try harder?
John Shull 32:48
I think I try hard at the things that I shouldn't try hard at. And then the things I want to try hard at I'm too tired, or too making excuses to try harder at if that makes sense.
Nick VinZant 33:01
Oh, yeah, I do that too. I definitely put too much effort into things that I shouldn't put effort into and then don't have enough energy left to put effort into things that I should really put in or energy into. I'm not good at prioritizing.
John Shull 33:14
You're right. Yeah, I think you said it right. It all comes down to how you prioritize actually polled the
Nick VinZant 33:19
audience. Would you like to hear the results of the poll? 16% of people said zero to 25 36% said 25 to 50 39% said 50 to 75 and 9% said 75 to 100% I don't really think that you can try that hard that much stuff every day and continue that for very long.
John Shull 33:39
I actually feel like our the audience has been pretty honest there.
Nick VinZant 33:43
I don't think that people tend to lie anonymous.
John Shull 33:46
I but I feel like they go oh, it's Profoundly Pointless. I'm just gonna click the first thing that I see in and do it that way. I
Nick VinZant 33:52
think that most people would probably averaged between 40 and 70%. I think that that would be about what most people are putting in every single day. I feel like the longer you are in any situation that you're in, whether it's a job, whether it's whatever. You slowly realize that you don't really have to try that hard. I think most of life is actually very simple.
John Shull 34:14
I mean, we make it complicated with feelings and emotions. Imagine if you went through life with no emotions how simple life would be.
Nick VinZant 34:21
It'd be boring though, man. He'd be essentially just be a robot like a robot doesn't enjoy life. Alright,
John Shull 34:28
here we go. That's the axle Carlson I like that first name of Axl strong name. Bode Parkinson, Samuel Wilson, Evan Scala, Keller button. Aaron or Sarah Bennett. Williams. Don't do a lot of Bennett's running around Matthew to Juden, Oliver Olsen and Noah Armstrong. Appreciate all of you for checking us out on social media that you've teased to Every episode so I'm not gonna waste your time. Are you ready for the second edition?
Nick VinZant 35:04
All you gotta do it again. Okay, all right player.
John Shull 35:07
I mean, I had fun with it, I think you liked it. So if you didn't steal in that episode, just check out low in Episode cross tag promoting whatever. Basically I'm gonna give Nick 10 random things, literally random things I've just thought of today or yesterday, and I'm just gonna see how you react to him. So first thought first word, that's what we're looking for here. So we're gonna start with a, we're gonna start now we're gonna start with shirtless Jason Kelsey.
Nick VinZant 35:40
I don't care about things like that at all. And actually, this annoys me. This annoys me, right? Because all right, so Jason Kelsey, who is may or may not retiring. He's a football player for the Eagles. He's Travis Kelce, his brother, he's famous all this kind of stuff. He got all this media attention for being shirtless and think drunk at a football game. Right? Which is exactly the same thing that hundreds of other people are doing. Why is it somehow amazing that he's doing it? So him doing something that everybody else is doing is somehow incredibly important and special? I
John Shull 36:14
don't necessarily disagree with what you're saying. However, the hundreds of other people probably aren't a 10 time. Pro Bowler, probably aren't. Travis Kelce is Brother aren't sharing a suite with Taylor Swift.
Nick VinZant 36:28
We're giving him attention because he's a famous persons like famous person does things that regular people do all the time.
John Shull 36:36
I'm just just saying I see what you're saying. But part of this is to keep it moving. So let's keep moving. Have you by the way, if you out there have a that strong opinion on Jason Kelce? Let us know. All right. Second thing here. Judge Judy.
Nick VinZant 36:49
Oh, just a great show. Judge Judy, just a great show. Right. I can't believe that she's she was old when I was young. I can't believe that she's still doing her thing.
John Shull 37:02
i i You know what, I probably in the minority, but I don't I've never cared for any of those court like live courtroom shows or whatever. I've just never liked any of them. Nobody
Nick VinZant 37:13
could ever do it like Judge Judy did it. Judge Judy is far and away the best at it. And nobody else comes anywhere close to Judge Judy.
John Shull 37:23
All right. Let's see here. face tattoos
Nick VinZant 37:27
are just not a good idea. Right? Like maybe it looks cool. Maybe it's your thing. But like, I would advise my sons to pass on that. You better be famous. You better be rich and famous. That's what
John Shull 37:40
I would say. I was gonna say, Do you know anybody? That isn't Mike Tyson? Or somebody along those lines? Famously, that has a face tattoo that is proud of it? I
Nick VinZant 37:51
don't personally know anybody with a face tattoo.
John Shull 37:56
No. All right. Do you like that? You're awful. Yeah, I mean, neck tattoos? Chin eyes, forehead.
Nick VinZant 38:05
You know, people with eye tattoos.
John Shull 38:07
Now they have on their eyelids.
Nick VinZant 38:10
Or is it makeup? That doesn't count?
John Shull 38:13
No. It's an actual tattoo that they got on their eyelids. And they blink and you see something? Yeah, or when they're sleeping. They're like little they're like little eyes. Like on top of their eyelids. I don't know how to explain
Nick VinZant 38:26
it. They have i That's weird. That's creepy. That creeps me out. Well, it's
John Shull 38:29
probably why they're single. And I've never been married. Alright. Next thing here. microwave rice.
Nick VinZant 38:38
I don't microwave rice. That's one of the few things that I feel like you don't put in the microwave is rice. I don't do that. I cook rice on the oven are the top of the what do they call the top of the oven? What do they call that stove? Stove Top where God intended it.
John Shull 38:55
You will get there. All right. Dolly Parton. Oh,
Nick VinZant 39:00
just a legend. And probably one of the great. I don't know about her musically, right. Like I don't know anything about that. But in terms of like somebody who has used their fame and wealth to do great things for a community. I don't think that there's many people that are going above and beyond Dolly Parton that somebody that you can say has done things and made a difference with their fame. Get
John Shull 39:24
to the next thing here. Wireless headphones.
Nick VinZant 39:28
I don't have any seems nice. seems more convenient. Wireless is always more convenient than wired.
John Shull 39:35
Get a get a pair and it will change your life. I guarantee it.
Nick VinZant 39:39
I don't listen to music and headphones. I don't use headphones for anything other than this podcast. That's the only thing I use headphones for.
John Shull 39:46
What about your work zooms work calls you go at phoneless Yeah.
Nick VinZant 39:53
All right. The computer has a speaker What do I need this for? Not buying extra like I need to buy headphones for this one. You're in your house. Fine.
John Shull 40:02
Moving on double decker tacos.
Nick VinZant 40:06
Oh, fantastic, man. Just great. I love a good double decker taco. Probably second in my opinion only to the grilled stuff burrito at Taco Bell. I love the combination of crunchy and soft. All right.
John Shull 40:21
So these last two are really random. So we'll see we say Turkey Pacers?
Nick VinZant 40:27
I don't actually never don't think I've ever seen one or used it.
John Shull 40:32
Well, it's exactly probably what
Nick VinZant 40:35
how many Turkey bases do you have? How many pairs of thought? Tongs do you have now?
John Shull 40:40
tongs are the same and I have to Turkey better?
Nick VinZant 40:47
Why do you need more than one turkey baster. Why would you need more than one turkey baster.
John Shull 40:52
They're different sizes. One for meat that I smoke and then one for meat that goes in the oven.
Nick VinZant 40:59
Okay, but couldn't you just use the smaller one? No matter what?
Unknown Speaker 41:05
Sure, yes. Right. So
Nick VinZant 41:07
you really only need one turkey baster, you have a problem with buying things that you don't need.
John Shull 41:13
Listen, Mom, if I wanted to be scolded, I would have literally called my mother and how to do that to me.
Nick VinZant 41:19
So somebody else has to do it. Now. This is what you've done. You've passed the responsibility of scolding YUTAN to multiple people, because you didn't listen to your parents. You don't listen to your wife. You don't listen to me. You don't learn from your mistakes. And now everybody's got to deal with it.
John Shull 41:34
All right, last thing here are people that have won gold tooth?
Nick VinZant 41:41
I've never seen anybody with gold. See? What kind of people are you hanging around?
John Shull 41:45
I don't know. I mean, we're similar ages. And I remember you would get like a, like a little porcelain tooth or something. But I don't remember gold being a thing when I was a young lad.
Nick VinZant 41:57
I think that mine have you can see him.
John Shull 42:02
Oh, God, what is that in there?
Nick VinZant 42:05
No, it's just the filling. It's not it's just a black filling.
John Shull 42:09
Yeah, why are your feelings black? Are they supposed to be white? No,
Nick VinZant 42:13
I got them before I got them when I was a little kid. You shouldn't have cavities as an adult. Okay, you shouldn't have cavities in an adult unless you have some kind of condition with your teeth or something like that. You shouldn't have cavities as an adult. Brush your teeth.
John Shull 42:30
Yeah, brush your teeth. Brush your teeth. Yesterday from Nick was that dude yelling at people apparently went to a dentist in the middle of a cornfield.
Nick VinZant 42:40
Yeah, I was raised. I lived in Kansas. Man. This is what we had in Kansas. What are your fillings look like their fancy pants
John Shull 42:46
on most of my teeth that I had had cavities and became Oh my God, what's that word? What's worse than a cavity? Root Canal? Root canals. So that's why I have caps over my actual teeth.
Nick VinZant 43:00
Oh, okay. Yeah, I have my actual teeth. You can also
John Shull 43:05
tell because they're white in apparently my teeth are not white. So that's kind of
Nick VinZant 43:10
I think most people's teeth are white man. Don't be so sensitive about your teeth. Oh, thank
John Shull 43:14
you best friend. Let's let's move on to our top five list. Oh, is
Nick VinZant 43:18
there it's not five already. Okay. All right. So our top five is top five kinds of lights. There's a lot of kinds of lights. I don't know exactly how this is going to go. But what's your number five? what's your what's your fifth favorite light?
John Shull 43:34
Yeah, I also have no idea where this is gonna go. So let's just do it. So my number five I have Christmas lights.
Nick VinZant 43:41
That's hard. Put that number five. You're gonna put Christmas lights as your number five.
John Shull 43:46
They would have gone higher if my father in law hadn't ruined them for me forever.
Nick VinZant 43:50
Man. There's little angst between you and your father in law. No,
John Shull 43:55
we're cool. Nah, man. We hugged it out. We were fun. Did you? Yeah. No, but I think we're fine. Now.
Nick VinZant 44:03
This was a question that I thought of the other day. How many people? Do you feel like you owe a sincere apology to in your life? Like you need to apologize to that person?
John Shull 44:16
Probably barely around five maybe like yeah, probably five.
Nick VinZant 44:24
I can think of three that I owe. Like, I owe them an apology.
John Shull 44:30
I mean, obviously, probably. Three out of the five are ex girlfriends. And then, you know, thing is are they gonna say Are they gonna give me an apology because most of my apologies need to be met with an apology from the other person because both of us messed up.
Nick VinZant 44:47
Oh no, I would say no, the three people that I owe an apology to it's just me. It's just me. It's not anything super bad, but it's like oh, that Well, no, I would say to earn apologies in one is more of an explanation.
John Shull 45:05
I still say five. I mean, I could say I'm sorry to a few people for some of the things that I did in the past. I
Nick VinZant 45:11
don't think that you should owe more than five people a sincere apology. If you get more above five, you're in like the 10 or 15 range, like you got to reevaluate your life like you you gotta you got to change some things.
John Shull 45:24
What's your number five there? Chandelier. Okay, that's actually my number four. Let's get a chandelier. Yeah, and I only put it on the list because some chandeliers are damn cool. Like, they're massive. And they're just works of art. I don't I mean, I don't have a chandelier. And you're wealthy enough to handle it, but they just they speak of elegance in times that have been
Nick VinZant 45:54
there's a class Enos that goes along with a chandelier. It's instant class, if done correctly. That's why I would put a chandelier up there. I think it's instant class,
John Shull 46:03
if done correctly, was number four.
Nick VinZant 46:07
My number four is neon lights. I like a good neon light catches my attention.
John Shull 46:13
Okay, I mean, okay, like, yeah. Are you referring to like the neon line or line neon light signs, Kind of? Kind of kind of lights? Or
Nick VinZant 46:24
is there any other kind of neon sign?
John Shull 46:28
Well, I didn't know it was just like the siren lights. Or if you're having like neon lights in the basement or something.
Nick VinZant 46:36
Always I guess I never really thought about it. I'd never really went too far into by any neon light honestly, isn't a neon otherwise, it would just be a bright light. I guess you'd have to be a neon sign any kind of neon sign.
John Shull 46:49
Alright, number three. Are can lights. What? I love me a candle.
Nick VinZant 46:57
What's a tan light?
John Shull 47:01
Red in a basement? They're like their flags though the ceiling? And most of the murmurs like have the hole.
Nick VinZant 47:09
Okay, those are nice. Yeah,
John Shull 47:13
those are my I wish we could have them in every room of my house. Like they're, they're just aesthetically pleasing. They're, they're just awesome. I don't know what else to say about him.
Nick VinZant 47:24
I would say that looking at a candlelight that those are easily the best kind of basement and or bathroom lights. I think that you got to have something kind of hanging down if you're talking about the family room, or like the kitchen or someplace like that. But those are easily the best kind of lights for most of the house. I would agree with you there. Good choice.
John Shull 47:46
Good choice. Sure. Number three high
Nick VinZant 47:49
beams on a car. I've always liked high beams on a cars like ooh, put on the high beams. Like, yeah, can really get out there on the road or like it's a dangerous situation. If you got the high beams on in the row, you're not messing around.
John Shull 48:05
I'm gonna flash my high beams Adam to tell ya let him know.
Nick VinZant 48:09
Do you know the trick about flashing your high beams? What does that signal to other drivers?
John Shull 48:13
For them to get out of your way? I believe that's
Nick VinZant 48:18
a sign that a cop is farther up the road. That was a Kansas thing. You didn't do that for people. Like if you passed a cop that was on the highway you would then after you got past them flash your high beams that other drivers coming in to let them know there was a cop up ahead.
John Shull 48:33
No man in the city. If you flash your lights is somebody it's gonna cause a problem most
Nick VinZant 48:38
times. Yeah, I guess that's kind of true.
John Shull 48:41
We're never to and I have like stadiums that are as complex
Nick VinZant 48:48
or those are cool. Okay. Okay. I don't know if you consider this to be the same thing. But would you consider a spotlight which is my number two? I think spotlights are awesome. Almost like it's a spotlight.
John Shull 49:03
Yeah, I mean, I sat there I feel like they're a part of the setup. But yeah, that's fine. It's probably almost
Nick VinZant 49:10
saying okay, what's your number one?
John Shull 49:12
I think was number one. Yeah. Flashlight. Ah, it's
Nick VinZant 49:19
like that though, isn't it? It
John Shull 49:21
is my my actual number one is a flashlight.
Nick VinZant 49:25
Flashlight is the greatest light source. It's the best kind of light you carry it around yourself. It can do anything it can. It can supplant any other kind of light. That
John Shull 49:34
might be one of the top 10 greatest inventions of all time. Is the flashlight. Certainly
Nick VinZant 49:40
one of the handiest inventions that you can think of would be a flashlight. Although I think that the flashlight could be supplanted potentially by the headlamp headlamp is really a more convenient flashlight if you think about it.
John Shull 49:54
i Yeah, I agree with you, I guess to a certain degree headlamp Pretty cool. You
Nick VinZant 50:01
don't have to use your arms automatically points where you're looking.
John Shull 50:04
It's great. That was actually on my honorable mention was a headlamp.
Nick VinZant 50:11
What else you have on your honorable mention?
John Shull 50:12
LED light bulbs.
Nick VinZant 50:15
Okay, those are those are kind of cool.
John Shull 50:19
And then I just have like little Doctor lights, you know, like the ones that they click on and off.
Nick VinZant 50:23
Oh, like the ones that are like that thing. You can kind of make them around wherever. I don't know what they
John Shull 50:29
are like the ones that the optometrists use for your eyes.
Nick VinZant 50:32
Ah, my arm I mentioned I have a lighthouse. Really Lighthouse should have been on I mean, a lighthouse is kind of cool. The concept of a lighthouse is kind of cool.
John Shull 50:41
Yeah, the concepts cool, but I'm not I'm not a fan. I don't have I don't really care about lighthouses one way or the other.
Nick VinZant 50:47
I would make a petition that we could read the world entirely of lamps and be completely fine as a civilization like we could get rid of all lamps.
John Shull 51:00
Lamps are okay, I'm more or less like a lantern. I think I would rather need lanterns but yeah, you can get rid of lamp lamps. Yeah, I
Nick VinZant 51:10
don't think that we need lamps at all as a civilization like I'm always actually slightly annoyed when there's a lamp in the room like Oh, I gotta turn this thing on. Just put a switch.
John Shull 51:21
Just get the clapper man.
Nick VinZant 51:22
I don't think that they make that anymore. Have you ever had a clapper in your house?
John Shull 51:28
No, but I we have Google now where I just go hey, Google, turn on the lights and the lights come on automatically. Oh,
Nick VinZant 51:33
fancy pants with your chandelier snob.
John Shull 51:37
Oh, actually, it just I don't know if you can see that. But I just turned on my basement lights.
Nick VinZant 51:42
That's all you have to do say Google turn on the lights. Do you have to be specific about where like Google turn on the basement light?
John Shull 51:48
I mean, you could be but hey, Google, turn off the lights.
Nick VinZant 51:57
I love the idea that we want to kind of like, hey, let's have privacy in the meantime, what do you go for privacy or convenience?
John Shull 52:06
Ah, oh, there you go. See just went off. Um, I mean, privacy, obviously. But could somebody hack into my you know, my, my home and mess with me? Of course they could.
Nick VinZant 52:19
Yeah, that would be I'm really not that worried about that. I'm pretty sure that anybody has all of your information anyway. So I don't have to worry too much about it. So I'm like, Ah, whatever. Click,
John Shull 52:29
they got nothing. I got nothing that they can't steal. So they don't want my bank account.
Nick VinZant 52:34
Oh, okay. That's gonna go ahead and do it for this episode of Profoundly Pointless. I want to thank you so much for joining us. If you get a chance, leave us a quick review. We really appreciate it. It really helps out the show. And let us know what you think are the best lights. I'm surprised Chris I was really surprised. I didn't personally put Christmas lights up a lot higher. But I do love a flashlight. It's just the coolest thing.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai