Category: Blog 2019

What To Eat

In which RVA talks about different diets he’s tried…

Some friends of mine recently were discussing the Ketogenic Diet, one of whom was just starting it and the other who was looking to start it.  I’ve done the Keto Diet twice, both times to moderate success.  I thought some people might benefit from hearing my take, but then things progressed.  I’ve done other diets too, and exercise programs.  And if you’ve ever looked into honest and comprehensive reviews of exercise programs, you know they are often quite lacking for thorough yet unbiased virtues.

Well, after the (moderate) success of my Ask Me Anything, I thought I’d take this week and give some reviews from my history of and experiences with different diets. Continue reading “What To Eat”

Navel-Gazing

In which RVA ponders quotes and existence…

Nothing unreal exists.

This is one of my favorite quotes, coming from the very underrated Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (alternatively known as Star Trek 4: To Pay for Shatner’s Beach House).  In the movie, the resurrected Spock credits this quote to T’Planahath, the Matron of Vulcan Philosophy.  Neat nerd trivia there, although here on Earth, the origin of the quote might well be Helen Schucman in her book, A Course In Miracles.  Whatever the origin, it’s a good quote and one that I ponder from time to time. Continue reading “Navel-Gazing”

Power (and Pitfalls) of Specificity

In which RVA talks about why vernacular is awesome and overrated…

You are a criminal investigator.  Maybe police, maybe private detective, doesn’t matter in this context.

The victim and your only witness is unconscious, unable to say or tell you anything.  Because time is of the essence, you only have the basic medical report to go from.  When asked, you are told ‘patient presented with acute trauma to the right common iliac artery’.  You begin looking for a left-handed woman immediately, likely a romantic partner or romantic interest at least.

Why? Continue reading “Power (and Pitfalls) of Specificity”

Fandom Grumblings

In which RVA complains about complainers

Why do fans get so up-in-arms about works of fiction?  Why do fans take it so personally if they do or do not like a given work?

As a Transformers fan, I have no love for the live-action movies.  Even Bumblebee – which is a legitimately good movie by all metrics – just didn’t do a lot for me.  As I said, it’s very good.  Good story, good acting, good production, good action, decent pacing, etc.  It’s not amazing but it’s good.  *I* didn’t particularly care for it, but my opinion of it doesn’t keep me from recognizing it as a genuinely good film, both in general and as a Transformers movie. Continue reading “Fandom Grumblings”