A BIG SIGH OF RELIEF

I breathed a BIG HUGE sigh of relief yesterday afternoon... As Andrew (my prop master) and I unloaded the last prop box into storage at FROG POND MANOR, a beautiful thought came to me.  All the raw footage for 20 episodes of STEVE TRASH SCIENCE are officially "in the can".   I've done it.  It's been my ONE overriding goal (except... don't die while touring extensively) since March of 2018 - when we got "the green light".   So a BIG HUGE thank you goes out to THE TRASH TEAM - Dianne, Danny, Morgan, Andrew, Damyon, William, Allison, Tim, Wes, and Lee - for working so hard to make it happen. It was quite an undertaking to get everything (plus 20 more episodes of STEVE TRASH SAYS - produced by Armosa Studios) all written, financed, covered by insurance, formatted, re-written, covered by contract, approved, science checked, re-written, numbered, planned, 650 visuals purchased, shot, recorded, re-labeled, backed-up, checked, and rechecked, in such a short period of time (all this jammed-in between my constant touring... of course). THANKS TRASH TEAM for working so hard on this project. Your good spirits and willingness to "pitch-in where needed" really really made things better.   This particular team gelled extremely well together and made the long days fun and enjoyable.  We now take a little "time-off" to enjoy family and friends, and MOST OF ALL... to rest. REST! We'll refill our tanks and then "jump back in" to editing at 4 Mile Post in the next few weeks. I hope you... MY READER FRIENDS... are all pleased with the final product and tune-in on Saturday mornings (or the APT app or Chromecast, AppleTV). We've worked very hard to "get it right"... I'm satisfied that we've done a "good" to "very good" job on this project.  I hope to inspire kids to love asking questions... using the scientific method... and develop a passion for the magic and wonder of the world around us.  We premiere on Alabama Public Television in June 2019

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - FIRE STARTERS EMBER IGNITERS AND TWO STUDY HALLS

I was a senior in high school. Life sucked. I didn’t want to be in school. I didn’t want to be in my crappy little hometown. I wanted to be out living a life of adventure and show business.  A teacher/counselor pulled me aside and commissioned me (2 study halls, but I HAD to stay in school) to write the Senior Play... I wrote a parody/tribute to Saturday Night Live (called Wednesday Morning Live).  It was fun.  We closed the entire show with fellow classmates recreating a LIVE version of #BohemianRhapsody music video onstage. Showbiz is my life now. Life does not suck. Here's to you GREAT TEACHERS.  Thank you for stepping in... because... here's the deal... Teachers really really matter. ‬So... teachers... don't give up!  Your work matters.  You are fire starters.  You are ember igniters.  You may not get to SEE the ember burst into flames, but it happens.  It happens thanks to your love, your attention, and your work.   #thankyou #gratitude #teacher #queen#bradshawhighschool #florencehighschool #seniorplay #teachersmatter#firestarters #emberigniters

BE INTERNET AWESOME - THE GAME

GOT KIDS? Got GRANDKIDS? Well LISTEN UP... All our kids live in a multi-faceted-interconnected-digital-global-world. There's simply no choice. That's just HOW it is. Several episodes of STEVE TRASH SCIENCE (my new kids science show) will be about the science of "the digital world". We'll address how kids can be "safe" in the digital world. We'll address how to be "kind" in the digital world. It's important because... your kids.... your grandkids... live in a digital world. Whether you like it or not, they are digital citizens (if you're reading this... so are you). The rules for safety and kindness and responsibility in this digital world are challenging for us "non-natives" to understand... nonetheless.... in this NEW world, we must be stressing kindness, safety, responsibility and more. How can kids learn to be safe and kind and smart in the digital world? Digitally... of course! Google has created a game that kids can play and it rewards good digital citizenry. We'll be doing several episodes of my APT + PBS TV science show on these themes. Until then... play this game. Share this game with your kids. They'll have fun. You'll have fun. We'll all be better digital citizens. Now... go and be good. Be amazing. Don't be mean. https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en/interland

NEW - Kids Science Show on PBS - Steve Trash Science is OFFICIAL

It's official...  We've been trying to keep this project somewhat under wraps for a while (things kept slipping out 'cause I can't keep my mouth shut), but it's now official.  Docs are signed.  Checks have been cut.  Insurance has been purchased.  Legal bills have been paid.  Here's the official release!

Alabama Public Television is excited to partner with Concrete Dream Inc./Steve Trash on a new show for children ages 6-10 that makes science fun. STEVE TRASH SCIENCE  (w.t.) will be a weekly 30-minute series airing Saturday mornings on Alabama Public Television beginning in June 2019.

Rockin' Eco Hero Steve Trash® has entertained more than 25 million people since 1984. He's appeared on CBS, ESPN, CNBC, HLN, and VH1. Steve travels the world, bringing his unique brand of eco‐magic to theatres, fairs, and festivals in many other countries including Japan, Australia, Canada, Portugal, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

“I’ve known Steve and loved his work for more than 20 years,” says APT’s director of programming and public information, Mike McKenzie. “And Steve, who grew up and lives in Alabama, has been a big fan of Alabama Public Television all his life. Now I’m looking forward to the magic he can bring to children’s television, which is a core part of APT’s mission.”

In his magic show, Steve Trash teaches kids about recycling using a combination of fun – and funny – magic routines that engage, entertain, and educate. Essentially, the show is all about environmental science, which the magician has been studying for decades. Steve Trash Science will take this act to television, exploring themes including ecosystems, food chains, soils, weather and climate, solar energy and more.

“Steve has already tried his hand at television with a video version of his magic show he produced himself last year, and it’s clear that he engages kids just as well on the screen as he does in his fantastic live performances,” says McKenzie.  “His energy and enthusiasm about science is contagious, which is exactly what you want in a teacher. Children will watch this show and be inspired to learn more.”

Speaking of teachers, STEVE TRASH SCIENCE  will be designed for use in the classroom as well as at home. Programs will be developed to follow school curriculum standards for science, with teachers involved as advisors in the production process. Teachers throughout the state turn to Alabama Public Television’s extensive online resources – including more than 130,000 videos, activities and other materials – to augment their classroom lessons. Online resources including suggested science activities for STEVE TRASH SCIENCE will be available on APT’s website to complement program videos.

Like the best public television children’s programs, STEVE TRASH SCIENCE will engage parents as well as children. This is important because it encourages parents to talk with kids about what they’re watching, and possibly reinforce what they’ve learned with reading and other activities. Parents can easily access APT’s online videos and science activities.

APT plans to offer STEVE TRASH SCIENCE  to public television stations around the country, all of which need strong science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) content for children.

More info at https://www.stevetrash.com/science

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Fossil Fuels Are AWESOME

By Steve Trash - Illusionist, Eco-Educator, and Rockin' Eco Hero

This is not a joke.  I DO believe that Fossil fuels ARE awesome! Their use by humanity has allowed us to create giant cities, feed 7 billion people, travel into outer space, and, most important of all, make popcorn in under two minutes.  Our use of fossil fuels has even gotten us (I think you could reasonably argue) to the point that we're THE dominant creature on the planet Earth.  But there are serious consequences to the ways we use fossil fuels (energy and plastics for example). Burning fossil fuels for energy creates pollution. Fossil fuels are costly and difficult to get (most are deep deep beneath the Earths surface), they can be dangerous to store, and they are ultimately exhaustible.  It seems to me, that we (us humans) need to transition to more sustainable and less polluting source of energy. We need to "be" sustainable, just like the planet Earth. It sustains itself. For us to be truly sustainable (meaning... to use energy that does not pollute, and is practically inexhaustible) for all 7 billion of us, we must use the suns energy or other resources that can be renewed. The sun's energy is clean energy (when collected directly from the sun) and it's practically inexhaustible. If the sun were the size (for example) of a basketball, the Earth would be the size of a bb. That's a LOT of energy that we can capture and use. It's clean. It's green (meaning it works WITH nature not AGAINST nature). I look at our use of carbon based fuels, as if it were a, giant rocket ship taking off and traveling into outer space. Almost all the fuel a rocket uses (the vast majority) gets gets used up simply to get the rocket out of the Earth's orbit. Fossil Fuels have been amazing at getting humanity to a place where is can feed, cloth, and house everyone, but at some point the rocket starts to use its forward momentum to continue the journey. My idea is that we can now switch to renewable or inexhaustible and clean energy because we got the "rocket boost" from the amazing fossil fuels. I think that using small amounts of fossil fuels for high energy, non-repeated, human endeavors, kinda, actually, makes sense, but we destroy (burn) them, so they are never replaced... ever. So powering our cars, our homes, our food generation with power that doesn't need to be burned (and depleted) just makes more sense to me. Fossil Fuels are awesome, but sustainable sources of energy are awesomer!  

Your "Gut" Is Probably Wrong... No Really... by Steve Trash

The 800 lb. Gorilla can "trigger" the truth or half-truth or nothing at all

TRIGGERS. So, here's the thing.  Because I'm a professional illusionist, I think about perception a lot.  In fact, we illusionists USE your perception AGAINST you for entertainment.  Think about it.  It's WHY magic tricks work... because you mispercieve what's REALLY happening.  So recently I started thinking about the quality of thought that comes from your "gut". Your gut might be right or might be wrong... but remember... regardless of it's correctness with natural laws, mans' laws, spiritual laws... it ALWAYS tells you it's right. Surely your "gut" wouldn't lie to you? Well it can and it does. Your gut can be right or wrong but it "feels" right... and if you don't question it, you naturally THINK it's right. Seriously, it must be right because it "feels" right... right? Well not really... Your gut response is an expression of a lifetime of learning, experience, observation, and most of all... most of all... triggers. Triggers are your minds "shortcuts". Stimulus/Response. Everyone has tons of triggers. Everyone. Here's how it works... some stimulus in the environment happens; someone uses a bad word (triggered response), you see a person whom you should be afraid of (triggered response), the media has told you that person is good or evil (triggered response), someone nearby reaches for their cell phone and checks messages (triggered response). Triggers help you make decisions quickly that work for you... These are necessary in "clear and present danger" situations, but sometimes they don't work "for" you, because they don't represent any real "truth". They just take you to a place that "feels good". In our minds there is always a space between stimulus and response. Your triggered response to a stimulus may be filled with truth, justice, Jesus, the American way, or not. The point is to stop in the middle and ask... is it?

Why I think Oil Sands Mining is a Bad Idea for Northwest Alabama by Steve Trash

Please pardon me while I remove my educators' hat (something that I work assiduously to keep in tact at all times) and put on my advocates hat. 

I do this because, it's no longer theoretical... it's local (to me right here in Northwest Alabama) and it's personal. 

So here goes.

I don't know personally know Sheree Martin, but (in her blog post) she makes a very reasonable and passionate argument that mining the sands of north Alabama is a really really bad idea. I agree.

In a nutshell... here's the argument...

1. THE BENEFIT WILL GO TO CORPORATIONS NOT THE PEOPLE - The mining will benefit only a few people (a few employees and the companies that will be extracting the sand and oil). These companies are not accountable to the local people of Alabama. It is unlikely that any of our elected political figures will stand up to defend the people of Alabama because... lets face it... corporations have power... people do not.

2. LOCALS LOSE - It will harm the people who actually live on the land (the locals) and potentially harm their groundwater (what do you drink if your groundwater goes bad?). Your body is 65 to 70 percent water and that water is stored beneath the ground before it gets in your body. Because this is experimental technology... all assurances from the company doing the mining... that "they will do everything to protect groundwater... pretty much... means nothing". Experiments... by their very nature... are filled with unexpected outcomes. Aquifers and groundwater are very large complex (sand filled) filtering systems. They will be disturbed by the mining.

3. WRONG DIRECTION. We... as a country and planet... should be moving away from non-renewable fossil fuels whose use releases carbon dioxide, not moving towards it. I just heard Republican Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson (yeah Republican Treasury Guy for George W. Bush) on the news say... (paraphrased... cause I don't write quickly enough) "Global Warming is man-made and will have real economic negative effects on business. We've estimated the negative effects on business will be in the billions." Supporting this oil sands mining means we're moving even further in an unsustainable direction. America could be leading towards a clean energy future, but oil sands mining is not leading, it's actually going backwards.

4. I LOVE BUSINESS. Like Sheree... I'm totally PRO BUSINESS. I've been a business guy for 30 years. I make money and love it. I employ people. I live in Alabama and love it. I love business, but supporting business that grows the Alabama economy and jobs should not harm the environment or the people that live here makes the most sense to me. Oil Tar Sands mining does not seem to fit that bill.

5. SWEET HOME ALABAMA. Lastly... if you've ever been to northwest Alabama... it's stunningly beautiful place and mining will rip into its pristine beauty. It seems unlikely to me that Lynyrd Skynyrd would have sung "Sweet Home Tar Sands Mining".

I agree with Sheree. I'm just saying... the whole thing seems like a really bad idea to me.

Steve

http://shereemartin.com/why-i-am-fighting-oil-sands-mining/