JTV Coverage of Current Events is Lacking, A Reality Check and a Schedule Update

Mainstream Media, it’s Not

The bridge to Tiananmen Square seen from The Forbidden City

I came back from my afternoon out and after a snack and the realization that I didn’t come home with all I need to make the jalapeño pepper jelly I had planed to make today, I turned on the TV. I wanted to get a look at what was going on in San Francisco and with the Patreaus hearings on Capitol Hill. As I made my way to CNN, I tuned into JTV at the same time, Interested to see who might be covering the events in San Francisco.

I saw two channels that had icons which indicated they would be broadcasting the event, but when I went in to check it out, all I saw was a black screen with a loading message. Chat was pretty active with commentary about what was happening based on supposition or from news broadcasts being watched on mainstream television.

Pan Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde, South of the Border Beans and Corn Tortillas

At that point I decided that watching television was a far better way to get the information as it was happening and backed out of both channels. Is it just me, or was that an enormous lost opportunity for JTV? I did notice that Mooncricket went out on the street at one point.

I watched a highlight he created after returning from watching the torch making it’s “escape” from the city after the “closing ceremony” event was cancelled due to the protests that had gone on for the duration of running of the torch.

I stumbled upon (literally) a new site that I really like. It’s called Animoto. It’s better than one of the many slide show sites I have come across. The quality is a bit choppy, but I am not sure if it’s my machine, the size of the images I uploaded to the site or some other reason. I like that they have made music available to use and that the slideshow is timed to go with the slide progression.

I was happy to see Mooncricket’s coverage, but unfortunately the quality of the broadcast was not up to the job. Both audio and video were tough to watch/listen to. It’s a shame, because I liked the fact that he was there as a kind of “man on the street” citizen reporter.

And then it was time for the good stuff! Chocolate Truffle Muffins with Dark Chocolate Ganache

One day the technology will be up to the challenge and we will see events happening from the eyes of people just like ourselves, but at that point we will have to be our own filters. While news today is not unbiased by any measure, I would imagine once citizen journalists take the reigns it will become more and more difficult to determine what is fact and what is fiction.

Music

Dark Chocolate Ganache

12 oz. dark chocolate, 13.5 oz. heavy cream, 2 oz. butter, 1 tsp. cognac or vanilla or in this case, Kaluha. Heat the milk until it bubbles at the edge, add the chocolate, butter and cognac and stir until it is melted and creamy. Let cool to desired consistency. For a lighter, fluffier frosting, mix with electric beaters to incorporate air

I am writing this with the music of Janelle Stewart in the background. Janelle has been broadcasting since October. I don’t watch her often, but I love her music. I would like to be able to purchase it, but it doesn’t appear to be available yet. The quality of the music player embedded into her JTV channel is ok — good enough to keep me company while I write, but I am anxiously awaiting a CD or download.

Schedule

I let everyone know during my broadcast tonight that I will be cutting back to 5 nights a week. It looks like I will soon be working 40 hours a week and as a result, I am not going to have the leisure time I have had this past year. It is going to be a shock to my system, and yes, I’m concerned about it. I’m having a tough time imagining going to bed and waking up at “normal” hours everyday.

Oh! And how about not having the freedom to come and go as I please and do what I want when I want to? Eeeek! I have enjoyed this time away from reality a bit too much. My friend and I talk about it all the time. He has tried to get himself on a regular sleep schedule in preparation for going back to work as well. My only regret during this time is that I didn’t pick up and travel, but I would not have had the luxury of so much time off if I had traveled, I would not have had the opportunity to “meet” the scores of people I have communicated with since the launch of JTV.

It’s a bittersweet moment in time, but I am one for memories and once I go back to work I think I will begin to piece together the parts and pieces of this time and start working on an outline for a book. I’ve got over 500,000 words written about JTV at this point, so I would imagine I cull something interesting out of this. I put my other book project on the shelf when I began writing this blog and while I do plan to go back to it at some point, Living the Justopian Life, Justopia.com and my JTV channel is top of mind at this moment in time, so it is what will get my attention.

I suspect being away from broadcasting two nights a week will help me come up with some interesting activities besides just cooking and talking about what I am creating. I’d like to get you all more involved, so be on the look out for updates in the next couple of weeks.