About

My Mantra: “To Seek, Discover, Assimilate, & Disseminate Truth”

About Me

I am an author & blogger, artist & craftsman, and business owner currently residing in beautiful Las Vegas, NV. My brother & I operate a professional pool & spa service business, Riptide Pool Care, now going into our 13th season. I hold two nutritional certifications, one in general nutrition and one in ancestral health, and am a healthy nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle advocate. Ideologically, I describe myself as an individualistIndividualism:
The belief that all individuals are sovereign, having the sole and final authority over their own life, mind, body, labor, property, and wealth.
, consensualistConsensualism:
The belief that all interactions between individuals should be consensual among all involved, and not forced or coerced (or conversely, constrained or prohibited).
, syncretistSyncretism:
The merging or assimilation of several different traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus asserting an underlying unity; the reconciliation or fusion of differing systems of belief such as in philosophy or religion.
, and Autarchist.

(For a more complete biography, please feel free to review my Bio Page).

About My Fiction

I’ve been reading and writing (well, trying) since I was old enough to know how to do either. I still remember, when I was just a kid, spending endless hours downstairs banging away on my mom’s old typewriter, trying to write novels. In grade school I won a little writing contest and was published in the community newspaper. Later, in junior high school, I discovered they offered a typing class, and I immediately signed up—thus furthering my hope of becoming a writer. (If I remember correctly, I was the only guy in a class full of girls…I know, I know, showing my age…). As an adult, I worked as a technical writer, marketing & advertising copywriter, and graphic designer for a manufacturing company. During that time, I had a poem published (The Wall), as well as some articles in the local newspaper. I also wrote a little rhyming children’s book entitled Kip the Kangaroo (which never went anywhere—I didn’t know anyone who could draw cartoon animals!)

Years later, around 2001, while living in Houston, Texas, I completed my first short story: the psychologically twisted A Sweet Ride (which remains a reader favorite to this day).

Then in 2009, my mystifying story The Traveler was awarded First Place in the International Short Fiction competition hosted by Carpe Articulum Literary Review magazine. Also, my ghost story Forever Anna Day received Honorable Mention (essentially fourth place) in the same competition the following year. (Forever Anna Day has since been expanded to a novella, and is included in my collection Rolling The Bones, which is now available in hardcover, as well as paperback and on Kindle

Also in 2010, my chilling story CATS (not the musical) ascended the ranks to become a Finalist (top 100) in the Writer’s Digest 79th Annual Writing Competition, in the Genre Short Story category (horror), and eventually placing 40th. CATS has since been greatly expanded to a short novel entitled CATS: the number of the beast (now included in the extended edition of my collection Rolling The Bones), which is now available in hardcover, as well as paperback and on Kindle.

In 2016, I published my dark fiction collection Rolling The Bones, which comprises twelve subtly interconnected tales: 8 short stories, 3 novellas, and a short novel.

I currently have an extensive novel under development (working title Primeval), along with other various writing projects.

To peruse my fiction, and for notification of future book releases, you can visit/follow my Amazon Author Page.

About Lifeology Store

Lifeology Store is my online gift shop that features unique, exclusive, one-of-a-kind products & gifts (though right now it’s only custom-printed mugs, eventually the store will be expanded to include all sorts of unique items!)

A little history: I had an idea a couple of years ago, when I posted a pic on Facebook that happened to have a coffee mug I had designed and ordered online in the background (“It’s An INTJ Thing; You Wouldn’t Understand”), and to my surprise several people noticed it and said they wanted one!

So I thought about that for a long time (around two years). I liked the idea, but at the time just didn’t have the time or resources to pursue it. So I back-burnered the idea.

Then last year (2022) I spent around six months researching if/how I could do an eCommerce store, then in November decided to go for it. I then spent several months designing the Typology mugs, each of which required considerable research, as you can imagine:

Then in May 2023 I created the umbrella corporation, Eastwood Innovations LLC, and in June started building the online store, which took 4 months to develop and finally launch. Meantime, once the Typology mugs were finished and uploaded, I designed/added several mugs in the other categories to make the store more diverse prior to launch:

So: 2 years contemplating the idea, 6 months researching it, 8 months doing the design work, then 4 months to build/launch the store…needless to say, it’s been quite a challenge!

So if the Spirit moves you, please visit Lifeology Store gift shop and see if there’s anything you can’t live without!

Also, be sure to like/follow the Lifeology Store Facebook Page!

About This Blog (Mission)

After a lifetime of learning, growing, and understanding (at least trying to) myself and this strange and wonderful world we live in, I decided to create INSIGHTS Blog in order to share any and all tidbits, tips, knowledge, information, books, Truth, wisdom, hacks, etc. that I believe has aided me along my own journey, in the hope that it might aid someone else along theirs. I figure that if one single person benefits in some way from my efforts here, then I will have left the world just a tad better than when I arrived, and that is my ultimate goal.

My Mantra: “To Seek, Discover, assimilate, & Disseminate Truth.”

(And please consider liking/following Insights Blog on Facebook, thanks!)

Connect With Me

There are various options for connecting with/contacting me:

Subscribe to this blog (form in sidebar & below each post, or use this quick sign-up form)
• Friend me on Facebook
Like/Follow Insights Blog on Facebook
Like/Follow Lifeology Store on Facebook
Follow me on 𝕏
Follow my Substack Profile (in process)
Subscribe to Insights Blog on Substack (under development)
• Follow my Amazon Author Page
• Follow my Goodread Author Profile
Follow my Local Profile (in process)
Subscribe to INSIGHTS on Locals (under development)
• Or, newsletter subscribers can email me using the form on the contact page.


Like/Follow INSIGHTS Blog on FB • Visit Lifeology Store • Like/Follow Lifeology Store on FB • View Rand’s Books

A Note To Readers:
Please consider subscribing to the INSIGHTS email newsletter: simply enter your email into the form below (also in the right sidebar)—or, if you prefer, just use this simple quick sign-up form. Thanks! ~ Rand