Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving

Gobble Gobble for Yard Safety! Today is Thanksgiving! Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man gives thanks! Thank you for giving!

Thanksgiving is a traditional North American holiday to give thanks at the conclusion of the harvest season. In keeping with the holiday theme of giving thanks, during the socializing or meal, people talk about what they are thankful for or tell about experiences during the past year which have caused them to feel grateful. Families and friends gather for a reunion, a day of thanks, and a festive meal.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man wants to express his gratitude for the many individuals and families who have expressed concern and support over the years. Thanks for giving! I am grateful for the many people who have reached out to me in support of the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man yard safety awareness advocacy. Indeed, there is considerable work required to make yard accidents extinct. I have noticed that people fall on the continuum of extremely selfish on one end and extremely generous on the other end. Rescue Rick believes that both extremes are not healthy and could lead to an increased yard accident. Once again, thank you to all of the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man fans and supporters all over the world. Also, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my passion and artistic expression to heighten yard safety awareness. THANK YOU!

Invite the Lord to your Thanksgiving dinner and thank Him for all the bounty and blessings in your life. While you and your family are enjoying all that Thanksgiving offers, be sure and take a moment to think about everything that you are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Also, please remember to reach out to those individuals and families less fortunate.

Psalm 69:30 – 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

Why not start a new tradition in your home of sharing your "thanks" around the dinner table before the BIG MEAL! Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man suggests introducing the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man Yard Safety Awareness Bib to your Thanksgiving dinner table. Be thankful for all children of God!

Glorify God on Thanksgiving!

Luke 2:14 – 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man strives to glorify God by advancing and promoting yard safety awareness. Once again, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man gives thanks to those who give! Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man desires to give even as a peasant philanthropist!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com

Monday, November 17, 2008

Flash of Genius

Richard Mudrinich, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man, had a flash of genius at the time of his lawn mower accident. In essence, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man has been the catalyst and inventor of several innovative yard safety products and services in the green industry. Richard Mudrinich is a genius.

Flash of Genius comes from a legal term in patent law, which was in use from 1941 to 1952, called "The Flash of Genius Test" for patentability. It argued that an invention could come to someone out of nowhere and without years of working on it beforehand.

In addition, Flash of Genius is a film about the life of Robert Kearns, directed by Marc Abraham and starring Greg Kinnear, Lauren Graham, and Dermot Mulroney. The screenplay was written by Philip Railsback and based on a 1993 New Yorker magazine article of the same title by John Seabrook. The film was released on October 3, 2008 by Universal Pictures.

The Flash of Genius movie is based on the article Seabrook, John, "The Flash of Genius: Bob Kearns and his patented windshield wiper have been winning millions of dollars in settlements from the auto industry, and forcing the issue of who owns an idea", The New Yorker, January 1993. In addition, the book Flash of Genius: And Other True Stories of Invention by John Seabrook, staff writer for The New Yorker, is a collection of true stories about where great ideas come from, and is the basis for the Major Motion Picture starring Greg Kinnear releasing October 2008. Based on a true story, "Flash of Genius" book is the official tie-in to the feature film starring Greg Kinnear as an inventor who fought against the odds for what he believed in, and won.


In Flash of Genius, John Seabrook explores the moment when inspiration strikes in an otherwise average life, and what happens when that idea moves out into the larger culture and takes on a life—and commercial possibilities—of its own. The title piece in this collection is the David v. Goliath story of Bob Kearns, a professor and inventor who came up with something we all use every chance we get: the intermittent windshield wiper. When Kearns’ patents were infringed, he fought General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, and eventually prevailed in a classic American story of never giving up, never backing down.


Seabrook has been fascinated by stories of invention and entrepreneurship since childhood, when he grew up with an uncle who invented something as ubiquitous as Bob Kearns’ wipers: boil-in-bag vegetables. In Flash of Genius, Seabrook also writes about his family’s invention and about thirteen other iconoclastic visions that turned into the stuff of every day.


It is apparent that the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man story needs to shared with the world as well. Thank you.


Think before you cut. It hurts. Be yard safe! Nonetheless, be aware of the flash of genius!


Richard T. Mudrinich

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man

http://www.rescuerick.com

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Dad

My dad died on November 13, 1995 - thirteen years ago. I want to take a moment and reflect and pay tribute to my dad, Robert N. Mudrinich (December 22, 1930 - November 13, 1995). My dad was the greatest man that I have ever known. He was Christ-like in many ways, and he was very resourceful and patient. He reached out to those less fortunate as well as those more fortunate. He was self-taught on many levels. He was an innovative and inventive genius. My dad really was a super hero. Therefore, it is no wonder that I want to save the world from yard accidents. My dad would have been the biggest fan and ingenious supporter of the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man yard safety advocacy. Now, my dad lives with Jesus; his body rests in Morefield Cemetery located in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. My dad was a saint. He would have worn a Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man T-Shirt around town with pride until it was threads. In many ways, I do not think that my dad would be surprised by my passion to reach out to other people. He would embrace Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man, while some others think I am just an idiot. I wish that he still lived on Earth. I miss my dad. I really loved my dad. He was a great man.

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Veterans

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man observes Veterans Day. I have never served in the military during wartime or peacetime. I am trying to serve America and the world as a yard safety super hero. I share the Wikipedia on Veterans Day below.

Veterans Day is an American holiday for honoring living war veterans. It is celebrated on the same day as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world, falling on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended World War I. It is both a federal holiday and a state holiday in all states. All major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. Armistice Day was first commemorated in the United States by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and many states made it a legal holiday. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all Americans to observe the day and made it a legal holiday nationwide in 1938.

The holiday has been observed annually on November 11 since that date - first as Armistice Day, later as Veterans Day. When holidays in the United States, with the exception of New Year's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Independence Day were moved to Mondays to create long holiday weekends, the celebration was moved to the fourth Monday of October. However, after protests by veterans groups it was moved back to November 11th in an effort to make the holiday more important. Unfortunately for those groups, the result was the opposite. Even though it is a federal and state holiday, it is formally observed in most parts of the United States only by government offices and banks. Most schools and almost all businesses stay open on regular schedules. As a result, most public transit systems are on regular schedules. Most businesses cite the holiday's proximity to Thanksgiving (when many businesses close for a four-day weekend) as the main reason for staying open on Veterans Day; but most schools and businesses also stay open on Columbus Day, a full month earlier.

On November 11, 1953, the citizens of Emporia, Kansas staged a Veterans Day observance in lieu of an Armistice Day remembrance. Congressman Ed Rees of Emporia, Kansas subsequently introduced legislation in the United States House of Representatives to officially change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Following a letter-writing campaign to secure the support of all state governors in the observance of this new holiday, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day (enacted June 1, 1954), to honor those who served.

The day has since evolved as a time for honoring living veterans who have served in the military during wartime or peacetime, partially to complement Memorial Day, which primarily honors the dead. There has been some discussion of whether a person's veteran status depends upon his/her retirement or discharge from any of the armed forces. However, the term applies to any that have honorably served their country or that have served in a war zone as directed by their superior officers or as directed by lawful orders given by their country.

Thank you to all those veterans who have served America in the military. Please be a Yard Safety Crusader!

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Leaves

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man has coined the phrase Mulch Madness. College basketball has March Madness. Fall Yard Work has Mulch Madness. Mulch Madness affords yet another fun time to share the preventive yard safety message in another unique way. Mulch Madness kicks-off with the First Day of Fall and runs throughout all of Autumn.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man witnessed a leaf fall from a tree in his yard on the First Day of Fall. Now, there are several leaves on the ground in yards throughout the world. In the Fall, individuals often use their lawn mowers to mulch fallen leaves. The slippery leaves contribute to the increased risk of a lawn mower accident. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man cautions individuals to watch out for sticks and objects hidden by the leaves as well as slippery slopes. Furthermore, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man recommends that individuals wear personal protective equipment to improve yard safety.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man echoes the recommendations of many landscaping experts that it is good for your yard to mulch the leaves. Please check-out a great article "Earth-Friendly Gardening & Landscaping: Turning Autumn Leaves into Healthy Lawns" written by the Montgomery County (Maryland) Department of Environmental Protection on the benefits of mulching your leaves. In essence, it is nature's way to recycle. Your yard is simply an extension of the natural process. Trees around your property draw nutrients and minerals from the soil, converting those elements into new leaves and branches. The mulching mower grass clippings (benefits of grasscycle) quickly decompose and provide nutrients to keep the lawn healthy. Likewise, the mulching mower blades can easily shred whole leaves into small pieces. The mulching mower is a food processor for worms that loosen and enrich the soil. Please refer to the above article for suggested procedures in mulching leaves as well as other yard care tips. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man reminds everyone to mulch the leaves - not any body parts!

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is a renaissance yardman, utilizing various art forms to communicate his yard safety message. I want to educate and entertain everyone about the importance of yard safety. Lawn mower accidents happen in a split-second, often resulting in life-altering outcomes that sometimes include amputation. I learned this from first-hand experience when I amputated part of my left foot while cutting the grass. My life-changing lawn mower accident took place on the First Day of Fall 2003. I fell in the Fall that day. Nonetheless, I have become a leading yard safety advocate. I have made several major contributions to the Green Industry. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man strives to win the Nobel Prize!

Be yard safe! Think yard safety! Think before you cut. It hurts! Be a yard safety crusader!

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Vote

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is a current resident and native of Hermitage, Pennsylvania. Today is Election Day. It is a civil right to vote. Vote today!

Suffrage (from the Latin suffragium, meaning "vote") is the civil right to vote, or the exercise of that right.

In the United States, suffrage is determined by the individual states, not federally. There is no national "right to vote". The states and the people have changed the U.S. Constitution five times to disallow states from limiting suffrage, thereby expanding it.

15th Amendment (1870): no law may restrict any race from voting
19th Amendment (1920): no law may restrict any sex from voting
23rd Amendment (1961): residents of the District of Columbia can vote for the President
24th Amendment (1964): neither Congress nor the states may condition the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other type of tax
26th Amendment (1971): no law may restrict those above 18 years of age from voting

I will vote today. I have a passion for public service. I am considering a political career.

Be yard safe. Think before you cut. It hurts. Think before you vote. Then vote!

Richard T. Mudrinich
Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man
http://www.rescuerick.com