Earth Day

Earth Day will take place Wednesday, April 22, 2009. Earth Day is intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

"May there only be peaceful and cheerful Earth Days to come for our beautiful Spaceship Earth as it continues to spin and circle in frigid space with its warm and fragile cargo of animate life." -- United Nations Secretary-General U Thant, March 21, 1971

Responding to wide spread environmental degradation, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin called for an Environmental Teach-in or Earth Day to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated and it is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.

Earth Day proved extremely popular in the United States and around the world. The first Earth Day, in 1970, had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform."

Now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the non-profit Earth Day Network, http://www.earthday.org, Earth Day is the largest secular modern-day holiday in the world. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man wishes to acknowledge Wikipedia for providing most of the information above on Earth Day.

Likewise, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man hopes that history will repeat itself with regards to yard safety awareness. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man has given birth to Yard Safety Awareness Day. It is a celebration of yard safety advocacy, awareness, conscience, discovery, enlightenment, environment, implementation, innovation, practice, protection, solution, and zero yard accidents. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is a green hero who has a green brain and green balls. Be green!

Mother Nature is a personification of nature. Mother Nature wants to be healthy. She does not want to feel uncomfortable. Do not make Mother Nature mad. Happy Earth Day!

Yard Safety Awareness Day is the first day of each season of the year.

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

Happy Earth Day!

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

Tribute to Mark Fidrych

It is with great sadness that I post a tribute to Mark "The Bird" Fidrych - my favorite all-time professional athlete who had a profound impact on my youth and approach to life. In 1976, Mark Fidrych was a refreshing rookie sensation in Major League Baseball, especially during the advent of free-agency and the early-days of mega-money baseball. He was pitcher. Likewise, I was a pitcher in Little League Baseball at the time. I was a huge Mark Fidrych fanatic.

Mark Fidrych, whose aw-shucks charm and colorful on-the-mound antics helped make him a national phenomenon with the Detroit Tigers in 1976, was killed in an accident while working on his dump truck at his Northborough farm. He was 54.

Fidrych, who won 19 games as a rookie in ’76 but had his pitching career abbreviated by injuries, was found dead by his friend Joseph Amorello beneath his 10-wheel truck at about 2:30 p.m. State police detectives are investigating the circumstances of the accident, said Worcester Country District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

Fidrych, who worked in trucking and construction since his baseball career ended in 1983, had a job scheduled for this morning, but the site wasn’t ready, so he returned home. Later in the day, Amorello, the owner of the A.F. Amorello & Sons construction company for which Fidrych often worked, stopped by Fidrych’s home to say hello and discuss an upcoming job, only to encounter a gruesome scene.

Fidrych’s baseball legacy is as one of its more memorable and enjoyable shooting stars in the sport’s history. In 1976 -- less than two full years after the Tigers selected the lanky righthander in the 10th round of the 1974 amateur draft out of Worcester Academy -- Fidrych made the Tigers’ Opening Day roster out of spring training as a non-roster invitee.

With his out-of-nowhere success, affable grin and unkempt curls -- he was nicknamed ‘‘The Bird,’’ after the Sesame Street character to whom he bore a resemblance -- it wasn’t long before the 21-year-old had an enormous following.

Fidrych’s starts soon became must-see events -- he appeared on the covers of ‘‘Sports Illustrated’’ (once with Big Bird) and ‘‘Rolling Stone,’’ among others. But his newfound celebrity did not hinder him on the mound.

He went 19-9 as a rookie, leading the league in earned-run average (2.34) and complete games (24). He was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game, won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and finished second to the Orioles’ Jim Palmer in the AL Cy Young voting.

Fidrych’s star-making moment came June 28 against the New York Yankees. In a nationally televised game on ABC’s ‘‘Monday Night Baseball’’ and in front of a crowd of 47,855 at Tiger Stadium, Fidrych pitched a complete-game seven-hitter, allowing just one run in the Tigers’ 5-1 victory. Strutting around the mound, talking to the baseball, and always engaging the crowd, he received a prolonged ovation after the final out, eventually returning to the field to acknowledge the raucous cheers.

But his success in the majors was fleeting. He tore knee cartilage while chasing fly balls in the outfield during spring training in 1977 and was placed on the disabled list. While compensating for the knee problem, he sustained a serious shoulder injury in July that season and never fully recovered. He won just 10 big league games after his rookie year.

Fidrych attempted a comeback in 1983 with the Red Sox, pitching for Triple A Pawtucket. He retired at age 29 following the season with a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA in parts of five major league seasons.

He settled in Northborough, marrying his wife, Ann, in 1986. He lived on a 107-acre farm, and owned his own trucking company for a time. Friends say he remained as beloved in his hometown as he was in Detroit during the heady summer of ’76.

In essence, Mark Fidrych had a positive impact on my development as a person and baseball player. Like 'The Bird," I developed shoulder injuries (actually a torn rotator cuff) that shortened my baseball career as well. I was a natural funny weirdo (still am today) that took an approach of providing entertainment to make other people happy. Today, three decades later, I am Richard "Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man" Mudrinich as a result of a tragic yard accident. Similar to the impact that Mark Fidrych had on Major League Baseball, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is needed to advance yard safety awareness.

Also, Mark Fidrych did a ton of charity work. Mark Fidrych was a special bird with special talents and a special heart! Rest In Peace!

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

Happy Easter

Easter is the most important religious holiday of the Christian liturgical year, observed between late March and late April to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which Christians believe occurred after his death by crucifixion. Christ is Risen!

I want to live in Heaven with Jesus when I die. In the meantime, I do not want to sin, and I want to promote yard safety awareness.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man BELIEVES! Thank you Jesus!

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

Maundy Foot Wash

Maundy Thursday is the Thursday of Holy Week (the Thursday before Easter). It was the day on which Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, sharing a meal with them which we call the Last Supper.

In those days it was usual for a servant to wash the guests feet on arrival. On this occasion there was no servant present and none of the disciples volunteered to do the menial task. Instead, Jesus got up and washed his disciples feet, giving them an object lesson in humility and service. In some churches priests carry out a ceremonial washing of the feet of twelve men on Maundy Thursday as a commemoration of Christ's act.

It would be great to have Jesus wash my feet. I might even be surprised to be blessed with a miracle - a new big toe. Thank you Jesus for the Atonement. Jesus suffered horribly and died on the cross. Thank you for the forgiveness and repair of my (our) sins.

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

Fool

Today is April Fools' Day, and there are some people who think that Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is a fool. There are many people who have gone to school on this perceived fool to advance various yard safety products and services. Actually, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is the cool tool for yard safety as a renaissance yard man and yard safety super hero.

April Fools' Day although not a holiday in its own right, is a notable day celebrated in many countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, enemies and neighbors, or sending them on fools' errands, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.

In this vein, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man regenerated his left big toe after taking several months of ballet lessons as part of his renaissance yard man plethora of yard safety communications. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man utilizes various art forms to communicate his yard safety awareness message. Actually, given advances in medicine, there might be a day when I can regenerate my big toe.

Indeed, it appears that some people think that Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is an April Fool. Nonetheless, my yard safety awareness message is very serious. Also, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man has already made a great impact on the innovation of various products and services related to yard safety. In essence, Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man has been a catalyst of great change for yard safety.

Please wear the Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man silicone wristband and apparel to promote yard safety awareness.

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

Polymath

A renaissance man or polymath is a person who is skilled in multiple fields or multiple disciplines, and who has a broad base of knowledge. The term renaissance man is largely based on the various artists and scholars of the European Renaissance, (starting in about 1450 CE), who pursued multiple fields of studies. Perhaps the quintessential renaissance man of this period was Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a master of art, an engineer, an anatomy expert (for the time), and also pursued many other disciplines with great success and aplomb.

The term polymath predates renaissance man and is from the Greek polymathes. To thinking men like Plato, and then Aristotle, the idea of “having learned much,” the literal translation of the Greek word, was extremely important. Aristotle, in his diverse writings, strongly advocated that people who would choose to study rhetoric should be well versed in a variety of fields, since this gave them the opportunity to comment on a variety of situations, and develop “commonplaces,” short prepared remarks that could be used in extemporaneous speech.

Another polymath who followed Aristotle was Archimedes who studied and mastered numerous subjects, from math, physics, philosophy, and engineering. Being a polymath was something to aspire to, and occasionally remains so. Though we have many people who would be considered geniuses in one specific area, the renaissance man or polymath shows skill in numerous areas.

Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is a modern-day polymath. Rescue Rick the Grass Cut Man is here today so that yard accidents go away. Think before you cut. It hurts. Be yard safe!

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