Vh1 Top 20 Video Countdown

Sometimes life just works out great. I was recently in NYC to promote my Green Magic Set. Which by the way will be out in a few months. I partnered with the Toy Company - Imagiplay - to bring it to market. While in New York, I got lucky and VH1 decided to use me for a "bumper" segment on VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown. It was a short segment... but I had long enough to crack the host Jim Shearer up - on camera. I like it. I love making people laugh. The best part of all... my nephews Asa and Eli... happened to be watching Sunday morning TV and started yelling and screaming at the TV... because Uncle Steve was on it. A terrific surprise. This made me really happy. Sometimes life just works out great.

Toy Fair 2009 - WooHoo!

Wow. Toy Fair in New York City was just fantastic! I met a bunch of cool people, saw a bunch of cool toys, and the feedback on the worlds first GREEN MAGIC SET was just terrific. Imagiplay's booth was colorful and fun and the Imagiplay team and I had an awesome time. Barbera Aimes - the owner of Imagiplay - even got good at performing the POLLUTION PADDLE trick. Good magic takes practice. And she practices a lot! The best news. VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown taped a segment with me. I was able to perform the Eco Wands trick from our magic set. The show is slated to air this week... so check your local listings. Even more good news. Amazon.com is going to carry the entire line of Imagiplay products - which includes the official STEVE TRASH GREEN MAGIC SET. Wow is that great or what? All the work to get the tricks themed and figured out and up to snuff has been worth it. The sets should be available in a couple of months. I'll keep you posted. Steve :)

Butman

Language is nuanced. Language is subtle. Sometimes it downright impossible to understand... especially if you're from a different culture. Here's an example. Batman is popular all over the world... so people everywhere want to have a part of his likeness... his coolness... his mojo...his...name. I took this hilarious photo on a subway train in Tokyo many years ago. This guy thinks his shirt reads, "Batman"... it actually reads, "BUTMAN". It's printed over and over and over on his shirt. "Ta Dah... here I am Butman to save the day!" Butman vs Batman. This may explain why I'm having sooooo much trouble getting the quality issues worked out with the manufacturer of my green magic set... which has now - by the way - had it's release date moved back several months because of quality control issues. They can't seem to understand the small changes needed that will make the difference between a great trick and a lousy trick. The difference between Butman and Batman. Small... but it makes all the difference in the world. Stay tuned kids... we'll see if Butman or Batman actually win this one. Steve :)

Worlds Strongest Redneck

I live in Frog Pond Alabama... and have shared many a happy conversation with folks that you might call... uh rednecks. I've spent... much time on a tractor... driving a truck with waaay too many dogs in the back...and yelling inappropriate stuff in public. So I was really pleased the meet the very friendly and funny WORLDS STRONGEST REDNECK Steve McGranahan recently. He and his lovely wife were super nice and he posed for this picture with me. Please notice my muscles are MUCH smaller but my scowl is MUCH more ferocious. Steve :)

Recycling Containers that WORK!

My friend Nancy Morrison - who's been the recycling guru for Pierce County Solid Waste in Washington State for years and years - shared some info with me recently. She said, "you've got to check out the CLEARCYCLE recycling containers. They really work at fairs and festivals and other events because the bags are clear and the tops have holes in the shape of the recyclable item." I did. And it's amazing. When people at - what's called - "away from home events" see the clear bag and the OBVIOUS holes for recycling... they DO IT. They recycle. That's what we want. There are huge advantages to the clear bag. People realize that ONLY recyclables go into that container, because they can see inside. These containers work even BETTER if you put the CycleMax Recycling Container NEXT TO a trash container. I loved this collection system so much... I purchased a set of the CycleMax containers myself. They're going to travel with my theater show... everywhere I go. By the way... I don't get any money for endorsing this system. I just really really like it and think it can make our public events must more sustainable and make recycling easier.

It's OFFICIAL...Steve Trash Green Magic Set release in February 2009

Well it's official. The first GREEN MAGIC SET... EVER...officially created, designed, and babied into existence by ME and my wife Dianne... will be released by the green toy company IMAGIPLAY in February 2009. I'll get to be in the booth at Toy Fair performing tricks from the magic set for Toy Buyers and the media. Each magic trick included in the set - there are three - has a green theme and is manufactured in a green fashion. The box is a solid wood and all the tricks are made from sustainably harvested wood with water based non-VOC paints. It's been a huge amount of work to get it done, but I'm excited. Sometime in late February... you'll be able to buy them online. Each OFFICIAL STEVE TRASH GREEN MAGIC SET is 29.95. We're hoping to get them placed in places like Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Whole Foods Markets, and more... we'll see. If your favorite local green store carries stuff for kids please have them contact www.imagiplay.com to get their order in. Hey... if I'm in your town... I might just show up to teach kids that buy the set... the tricks. You never know.

Big Green Year!

I know that the economy is in the tank and things are challenging for many people around the planet right now... but I've just returned from the RECYCLING SUMMIT in Point Clear Alabama and wow was it refreshing. It's amazing how businesses have caught on to the concept that stuff that is recycled is cheaper to manufacture and that cost savings is driving the recycling market right now. There were only a few curbside recycling programs twenty years ago... guess what? There are just under 9000 US curbside recycling programs in operation today. There is much movement on the business side of recycling these days. In the coming months... watch for the Coca-Cola Recycles campaign. They've made a committment to try and help get recycled content collected...so they can put it in their drink bottles and cans. That's pretty exciting right? I like it. When business gets on board... things really start to happen. Woohoo!