PLAY BALL!

Blog time everybody. Greetings to all. Thanks for the many, many kind wishes for my birthday.

Glad everyone seemed to enjoy my brief appearance on RAW. Of course, even though it was a reunion for the 15 year anniversary, many of you refuse to believe that I’m not back. Hold on to whatever you need to, but I’ll be chillin’ in Southern Cali while you’re doing that. It was a fun experience, being there for one day and knowing I’m going home instead of on to the next spot on the map. Some of the other wrestlers jokingly said goodbye with “ See ya at Wrestlemania”. We’ll see.

Making an exception to my plans of California dreaming, I’ll be in Houston on December 28th for PWA’s one year anniversary show. RVD vs Booker T headlines this huge event in Texas, which is sure to have a record breaking crowd. If you’re able to make it, know that this is a rare opportunity to witness those RVD moves actually being done by RVD and not an impressionable wanna-be. Sweet, one-of-a-kind action! Official Booker T. Web Site

I’m stoked for Lost to be returning for another season in a few weeks. I just finished watching season 3 on DVD, and damn- that’s a hard one to walk away from when I have time to keep watching. Good stuff.

Anyone caught Lil Bush on Comedy Central? Dude, this is something to laugh at. We keep a few episodes on Tivo and re-watch them sometimes for good medicine.

I’ll be writing blogs more often once RVD TV is up and running. I’ll be wanting to give you a heads up on each episode as it’s released, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen real soon.

In fact, it appears that RVD TV will be open Christmas week, with parts of the web site still under construction- so wear your hard hats. You and I have both been waiting a long this to come, so plan on having another reason to celebrate over the holidays.

I got some new RVD T shirts. They totally kick ass. Featuring the legendary art work of Joe Holland, my in-ring outfit airbrush artist, I predict that these shirts are going to be top picks for all time favorite RVD T shirts for many people. The good news…you can order them online now! Check them out and let me know what you think!-Holland's Windmill Airbrush

Remember, for more merchandise, including RVD's secret stash ( like ring-worn boots and outfits) and collectible items from RVD's 5 Star Comics click here eBay Store - RVD 5STAR STORE: RVD's 5Star Home

So, baseball wants to take the heat off of pro wrestling, huh? When the major news about the almost 100 ball players that have taken steroids hit the press, it became the subject to talk about. As always, not wanting to disappoint, allow RVD to offer a different perspective. First off, let’s acknowledge the legitimacy of “roids” as medicine. Testosterone replacement therapy is recommended by many credible doctors to increase health. The fact is, as we grow older, our testosterone levels drop, causing aging factors that are detrimental to our well being to occur. That's a fact for us all- athletes or not. Steroids were invented to increase aggression in soldiers during the war, but we know all’s fair in love and war, right? That’s another blog all together! If a professional athlete wants to be the best he can be, why not consider a medicine that promotes his chances? I think this is one point where the views get distorted. People want to compare their heroes to themselves. Just because Bob the banker plays softball on the weekends, doesn’t make him a pro, does it? Regular people can and do play football, lift weights, race and even compete in dangerous sports…like fishing and poker! People don’t wrestle for a hobby. It’s entertainment. Take cheating off the table with that one and let’s stick to the other competitions. You want to compare your batting average to your heroes and let’s face it- that’s not fair. These athletes have followed their dreams and sacrificed everything to be where they are. You just want to play for fun when you have time. These athletes make their living off of competing at the highest level, full time! They want to get as far as they can possibly get and have devoted their lives for it. Let the pros be pros and don’t stop them because your ego won’t let go of your college days when you could have taken a different path.

I’ve heard people say that it’s not fair that Babe Ruth’s record could be broken today only because of drug use. Isn’t it a fact that we have better arthritic medicine and pain and joint tension relievers today then Babe could have had? Don’t we have better education on physical fitness and health and well being? Better equipment for athletes to exercise on? Better supplements? I’ve even heard people claim that the weight of the bat, and the size of the playing field have been altered. What’s wrong with progressing with the times?

I love how the media puts their twist on everything. I saw some young kid on television respond when he was asked what he would do next time he saw his busted “hero” on the pitcher’s mound. The kid simply stated that he would “Boo”. This may strike an emotional cord with you, but not me. “Oh, how heart- breaking that a child feels that way about his role model!” “ We must do something”. That’s what they’re hoping to inspire, but I’m looking at this 7 year old kid and laughing at the attempt to brain wash me. I remember when I was that young and my mom would say “ Robbie, I think it’s gross when people don’t wash their hands after they go to the bathroom, don’t you?” I’d say “ Uhh…yeah.”

She’d then tell others “ Robbie think’s it’s gross when people don’t wash their hands.” there by making it appear as if it was my own thought, to me and to others. That’s what adults do for kids, which is great, but let’s not forget that when we hear the ”shocking” opinions of children. The opinions are not their own, but their parents.

What about the danger? As with everything, there are dangerous levels of abuse. Are the dangers exaggerated? More than you could possibly imagine. In fact, I believe that most of you reading this are under the impression that the reasons you are hearing about so many wrestlers dying are from steroids. That is what most people seem to think. You too?

How is it, that certain facts are completely over-looked in favor of feeding the fear monster? Many of you read about the 64 wrestlers who have died since 1997 under the age of 50, in Maxim Magazine. Did you happen to notice that steroids were mentioned as possible fatal contributions in only 3 of those deaths? That’s if you agree with them that GHB is a steroid, which it is not. You may read about the drug over doses and think maybe it’s steroids. It’s not. It’s almost always, 100 percent, always, always, the muscle relaxer called Soma. Soma, often mixed with other drugs in what we call the “wrestlers cock tail”, is what sends my friends and peers to the grave.

One factor I admit is questionable is the common enlarged heart. It is referred to as “athletes heart” by the medical profession which implies that it is common with those involved in sports. Many people have this without being involved in any competition. I don’t know why it’s so common but it’s not something you can just blame on steroids. Maybe it's related. We should look into that.

So, what do we do? Is it feasible to have separate leagues for athletes who use and those who do not?

Have you ever heard of natural body building contests? They’ve been doing it for years, haven’t they?

I think we should be grateful for modern medicine for all it has achieved. Longer, healthier, more productive lives have been possible since the invention of penicillin and everything that has followed.

Is it really worth putting all this negative energy on America’s favorite pastime? Are the players cheating or are the rules holding them back? How many of you would take a pill if you were guaranteed a world championship reign that would put you in the history books? A lot of folks would trade in their lives for a guarantee like that. Some folks would trade their lives in just for the chance, with very small odds of making it to the top. They want it that bad. It means that much to them. Is it their line to draw, or yours because you want to compare their batting average to yours?

Agreeing to play by given rules and secretly breaking the rules to win is always cheating. If there’s room for flexibility, it’s in the rules. How about we learn more, instead of giving in to the fear that makes us seek comfort in the form of appeasing bull shit? That sounds like a good idea to me. Medicinal value is golden for survival. There are levels of usage and abuse with anything you can put into your body.

Be smart about that, and acknowledge that others may not be as smart as you.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Happy Horus Day?

The wait is over. The blog is here. Get to reading.

Quick question for you -- who has had more World Championships (not title reigns) than any other wrestler in history? Someone get back to me on that. I was trying to put two and two together and want to see what you come up with.

I’ll be doing an interview you can catch live this week, on Friday at World Talk LIVE!, and even ask me a question on the air or just remind me how cool I am if you wish. This isn't an invite for interview requests; it’s just one that I agreed to, hoping RVD TV would be ready to push. It’s taking longer than we expected, but we should be there very soon. Hopefully, you can be enjoying it for all it’s worth before Christmas -- which is rapidly approaching, isn't it? In the meantime, I'm going to hook you up with a new trailer on my site to show you what we're doing with the concept. I'm waiting for the website to be finished that will contain RVD TV and then I'll be waiting for your feedback.

Fans in the Los Angeles area -- put “Photo taken with RVD” on your Christmas list and make it happen on Saturday, December 8th at Frank and Sons. Get there early enough and be one of the first to get the new kickass RVD t-shirt!

I'll also have that new shirt in the 5 Star Comics store in a few days so keep that in mind and checkout eBay Store - RVD 5STAR STORE: RVD's 5Star Home over the next couple of weeks. We'll have some one-of-a-kind items up at RVD's Secret Stash for you to checkout, too.

Grab the Maxim Magazine on the shelves right now to read the latest published story on Chris Benoit. They really put you in the moment, which I found quite eerie. I learned a couple things I wasn't aware of, as well. Thanks to the fan that wrote in and told me about the issue. In fact, everyone who wrote in to tell me that they closed their eyes to try to feel the energy around them -- awesome! Everyone requesting my workouts -- it’s coming. As for the Ghost Rider movie -- for taking 20 years worth of the dark, hellish, spiritual story and turning it into 90 minutes of fun for all ages, they did a good job and made a fun movie. Oh, and the waiter that doesn’t think Roxxy is hot -- gay! And I’m sorry that wrestling sucks but what makes you think I could save it? Why do you think I don’t want to be there? Also, thanks for the birthday wishes. Unlike many of my fallen brothers, I’m happy to make it another year.

If you hear rumors about RVD planning on making an appearance at Booker T’s one-year anniversary show for his Texas-based promotion at the end of December -- it’s true. I’ve been telling interested wanna-be wrestlers that Book has the best school I know of for a long time and now, with my personal, physical endorsement, you can all assume that Book must be a pretty good friend to get me to come to Texas!!! More info when I get it.

A long-time friend of mine has to pay his bills so check out Funny Employee Awards and see if his creative book is something you can use. Good luck, Larry. If you make so much money that you want to buy me a Christmas gift, just send cash, dude.

Have you guys seen Boondocks? I recommend it, if you are not easily offended by rough language. I watched season one on DVD, uncut, and I think it’s brilliant! Knowing that I live in a country where a shock jock can get fired for calling the wrong people “nappy headed hos,” I warn you that if you watch the cartoon Boondocks uncut you will hear some adult, or as I like to call it, real language. Censorship has always been strange to me. Today, I heard Offspring calling someone a "dick" in the "get a job" song. It made me wonder why I got bleeped for saying "penis" on the Mancow Show. Strange.

Are you ready for a brain-stimulating movie that aims to open up even the tightest of minds?

Dude, watch Zeitgeist - The Movie. If you can't sit in front of the computer for that long, you can watch it on YouTube in 13 parts. They cover three different subjects of controversy that are sooooo worth talking about. It took awhile to get around to watching this after it was recommended but it was so good I watched it again to show someone. Have you heard of the B.C. deities Horus, Attis, Mithra, or Dionysus? They were from different cultures but had a lot in common. For instance, all were born on Dec. 25 to a virgin, and were resurrected 3 days after their demise. See if this quote from the website doesn't grab you...

“They must find it difficult, those who have taken authority as the truth, rather than truth as the authority.”

I know -- pretty awesome, huh?

The number one fan comment I receive is “When are you coming back?” My answer is everywhere, but no one wants to hear it. That’s cool. I’ll probably cash in on that return run, maybe, some day. Right now, I’m getting to know me in a way that I couldn’t while someone else owned me. My growing inner connection is invaluable, and it makes me stronger every day. Scrambling through hectic, stressful days will distance you from your true self. Get to know that person. That is your spiritual self, underneath the layers of environmental influence. Look at what self qualities you are truly proud of. One of the qualities I take the most pride in is being genuine. In fact, I can get quite offended when I’m accused of the opposite. I guess that’s because I believe we are all trying to figure life out, and today is tomorrow’s history. You want to fuck up history forever? I want everyone to know what I live by, and exactly what the fuck I die from. I don’t say anything behind anyone’s back that I wouldn’t say to their face. That’s genuine.

Guys who lie to the ladies so they can use them, for instance, are not genuine. They should know that. We all know people that appear fake or ingenuine and they are comfortable being that way. They just aren’t genuine people. I guess they admire other qualities about themselves.

Do you ever wonder where good morals come from? I used to think that it was something you were born with, that bad people resisted. Is it just what family and society gives you? We all have a general understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong, don’t we? Actually, there’s quite a range of opinions. Here’s a scenario for you -- I’d like to think that if I lived pre-Civil War, I would know that slavery was wrong. Would I know? What if everyone else that I ever met, including my family, taught me that slavery was fine? What if I grew up, owning a slave? Bull shit. How the hell could I not know that it’s uncompassionate to have a human being chained up to the dog house? I think that I would have to know how wrong it was, regardless of what society taught me. Actually, since you read my blogs, you know that I am not a conformist so I would never let society think for me. But what if I never had the option of free thinking because society was such? We’re still individuals, whether they try to take that away or not. In fact, that’s probably why human slavery still exists today in the U.S., Thailand, and other places where compassion seems to be absent. I’m just using that as an example. My topic here is good morals. If you are indeed born with your own set of morals, can they be taken away from you? Maybe replaced with whatever the standards are? If Mom and Dad are bad, does that mean you have to be bad? Would you have to witness good to know the difference? Personally, I don’t think I do anything if I feel like it’s wrong. My bible-quoting friend disagrees with me, but I trust my own judgment. I may be aware of others who will not approve of my actions, but if they aren’t God, chances are -- they're wrong. That’s because I don’t think I approve of things that God disapproves of. I do not live with that conflict. That must be what smoking cigarettes and wanting to quit feels like. I don’t know. Well, okay, one questionable thing comes to mind. I do eat murdered animals because society has taught me that nothing beats a delicious, tender filet mignon. MMMMMM...steak!

We process a lot of info in life, and some of it sticks. Pay attention to what you are attracted to -- to what gives you energy. Those are hints of your intended path and it feels so right to be on that path. It’s the most reassuring feeling you can have; that you’re living life as you are supposed to. Everybody needs this security, but they don’t all get it and they don’t all know they need it. The more you are able to be connected, the more you realize when you are not connected. It’s what’s on the other side of that connection- the Universe, Life, God, that energy -- whatever you want to call it -- that has all the answers.

We’re just the castaways of Lost, stuck on an island, and we know we’re being watched and tested, but we just blindly follow instructions left for us by our predecessors and wait for night to come. That’s not good enough for me. I say we live in the magic of life!

Either way -- happy shopping for the holidays everyone. Cough. Cough. Pegan parties. Pardon me.