I can only assume the comment about RVSM is to give you fair warning that unless you have complied rigidly with a number of things, you won't be going up there?
RE; the holds. I couldn't agree more. APP should 'own' the bottom 2 levels, so you can bring them out as you see fit (done in the UK that way?). The whole flow control system needs fixing. It is a joke (but guess who instigated it? We've got buckley's of getting it changed- that instruction would have to come from on high. His lordship is juggling so many balls- lack of delegation- that it's down the list of priorities. There was a thread about 2 years ago critisising the inbound flow- and nothing has changed. It's good to see some common sense coming to the fore and asking us for gaps between 2 inbounds here or there, rather than the blanket '20' call. Could all be done so much better...... aahhh welllll.
Mode C checks- see above re; juggling.