Photo: Chris White

I’m always trying new ways to write here on Reflections.

I decided to start a new series called “My Friday Five” where I give nuggets of my two cents on topics, big stories or things happening in my own life each week. Like Reflections, nothing is off limits. I figured this could be a cool avenue to not only present a new way of writing but also be a way to not bombard you with posts each week when I have a lot to talk about. This is in beta mode so please drop me a line with your thoughts – just make sure you read the whole post first haha!

So, without further ado, here’s “My Friday Five”

1) Colbert’s “The Late Show” Debut

Stephen Colbert made his long awaited debut as the new host of “The Late Show” on Tuesday night. Colbert becomes just the second host of the show, succeeding David Letterman after Letterman spent 22 years at the helm. Colbert’s style of “The Late Show” is definitely different than Letterman but I think it’s great. Colbert’s first show garnered 6.6 million viewers, tripling the record 2.5 million who viewed his final “The Colbert Report” episode on Comedy Central. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Jimmy Fallon and “The Tonight Show.” However, I have a new favorite show – at least, so far – with Colbert and “The Late Show.” I really love the smart and witty political satire – plus Jon Stewart is an executive producer so how can you go wrong there?

2) Tyler Barham Continues On In Nash Next Competition

Tyler Barham, a singer-songwriter that I’ve been a fan of for quite some time now, made it into the Top 85 in the Nash Next competition – in fact he’s been ranked in the Top 5 for the duration so far. The competition migrates into its “Challenges” stage where artists must complete an array of challenges and be voted on by fans. The latest is a jingle challenge where artists wrote a jingle about the Nash brand – minus the last five words. Fans were able to participate by tweeting out their ideas for how the jingle should be completed. Today and Saturday, fans can vote on their favorite jingle, voting once per day. You can listen and, more importantly, vote for Barham’s jingle here. I’ve listened to several of the other submissions and, frankly, Barham’s is the only one of the jingles I listened to that actually sounds like a jingle. Once again, be sure to go vote. It takes all of five seconds to do and you’ll be helping out a great artist.

3) N.C. Film Receives Positive News…FINALLY

After a crap load of negative headlines regarding the film industry in North Carolina – no thanks to Gov. McCrory and the General Assembly – there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel. Lawmakers in Raleigh agreed to boost the film grant program in the state, giving it $30 million each year for the next two fiscal years. This is still a far cry from what the film tax incentive program gave but it’s most definitely a step in the right direction. The grant program had a mere $10 million available for this past fiscal year, which virtually destroyed the film industry in North Carolina. And uncertainty about funding for the grant under the now 73-day overdue budget for the state prompted execs “Under The Dome” to pull the plug on filming in Wilmington if renewed for a fourth season. The series ended up being canceled by CBS and aired its series finale on Thursday night. Although the funding could be much higher this is some welcomed news to this valuable industry in our state and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of this. Let’s just hope the funding will stay intact. I don’t put anything past lawmakers in Raleigh.

P.S. Even before the funding agreement, two productions have announced that they will call North Carolina home, according to The Wilmywood Daily. The first is a feature film called The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter starring Josh Brolin and Danny McBride. The second is a TNT pilot “Good Behavior” which is set to begin filming in Wilmington in October. The pilot is from Blake Crouch (N.C.-native and writer behind the hit FOX series “Wayward Pines”) and stars Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley on “Downton Abbey”).

4) Trump Continues His Antics – Voters and the Media Continue Buying It

Republican “presidential candidate” Donald Trump continues to lead the polls – how I have no clue. Most people have said that he’s so popular right now because he’s not a career politician and speaks his mind. That’s true, if by saying that Trump “speaks his mind” you mean that he’s alienated many key demographics in our country, then I guess you’re right. And the ridiculous thing about it is voters and the media continue to buy into it and support him. It’s especially frustrating because our presidential elections should not about who can be the biggest idiot, the most scandalous or the most newsworthy today. It should be about the issues that are pressing in our nation. Trump is campaigning under the motto “Make America Great Again” but has offered very little in the way what he’ll do specifically if elected president (God help us all).

You know, I just thought while I was writing this how contradictory Trump is. Trump has said that he would force Mexico to build a wall, basically in an effort to keep undocumented immigrants from coming to the United States. What Trump doesn’t realize is that this goes against his “Make America Great Again” slogan. How? Well, Trump thinks he’s referring to just the United States by using the term “America” but he’s actually referring to the entire continent of North America with that terminology – wait for it – Mexico included. So how is building a wall in Mexico “Making America Great Again” and what is Trump’s actual campaign platform. Like how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll in a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know.

5) Idiocy Rises Again

Not to be outdone by Trump, Sarah Palin has come out and said that if you live in America you should speak “American.” Bless her heart (not really). Using the definition of the term “America” as I described above, isn’t this already happening? There are many different languages in North America and, thus people living in “America” are indeed speaking “American.” I would try to explain this to Palin myself but, you know. Palin is like that annoying tooth ache that just won’t go away.

There you have it! The first “My Friday Five.” Be sure to drop me a line in the comments letting me know what you think. If these posts become popular, I’ll continue writing them.

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