For years now, I have been receiving emails through my Gmail account (that bears my namesake) regarding medical issues (beyond the regular offers for various pills and salves), conventions, and patient questions. My knowledge in these areas is not lacking – I can treat a scrape or a bruise easy – but the nature of these emails have been, for the most part, beyond my level of expertise.
Today, I found out just why people have been routinely consulting me on these matters, despite my never ever having responded even once to any of their messages. In my Inbox was a message from the Chief Medical Officer of Intermountain Healthcare concerning medical issues of the most important and pressing nature.
An informative and explicit look into the heart of modern west coast medicine, but more importantly, a vital key in finding my mysterious alter-ego. A quick Google search for “Intermountain + Tyler + Crawford” reveals exactly why I have been inundated with the emails – I’m a doctor!
His “primary professional areas of focus are in musculoskeletal radiology and PET imaging.” I like photography, so we’re kind of similar that way.
He “co-chairs sports medicine and musculoskeletal conferences at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center.” Well, what do you know? I like sports, too.
Dr. Crawford graduated “magna cum laude in his undergraduate work.” I graduated college, as well.
We’re not so different, he and I.
Anyway, there’s no more contact information for Dr. Crawford, so I can’t forward *his* email to the correct address. Dr. Tyler L. Crawford, if you’re reading this, I have some mail that belongs to you – and I signed you up for the Institute for Advanced Medical Education convention in Vegas this June. You’re welcome.
Here’s the theme for the grand support-raising event to come to Tucker in late February, post team retreat in Tübingen. There will be music. There will be dessert. There will be entertainment worthy of your Friday evening. I’m in the process of throwing the whole shebang together, but, first thing’s first, let’s get people to come.
Inspired by a talk from designer David Carson, I introduced a little chaos into the image above using a random number generator to create the ink blotch background, making several passes to render circles of various ranges of sizes and dispersing them appropriately – thereby saving myself the trouble of rendering 1,110 circles by hand. You can make your own ink blotch here: link.
mighty joe: off the power grid, powered by clean-burning caffeine
The great minds at Mighty Joe Espresso are – like many of us – concerned for the future of the planet. Climate change is at the forefront of store efforts to reduce waste by asking customers to use mugs rather than paper cups and locating the store just under a hundred feet from Tucker’s central MARTA stop. But more than that, Mighty Joe R&D is looking into the future of energy, and the future is caffeine. It is plentiful (which is more than we can say for nuclear), it smells great (which is more than we can say for coal), and it actually exists (which is more than we can say for clean coal). Coffee already powers millions of people – why not our homes and cars?
While the borders of science are being redefined in the kitchen of Tucker’s – and now Atlanta’s – foremost coffee shop, I am raising support – but no phone calls are being made or letters sent. With money becoming more and more of a premium, support has to be earned rather than just asked for. I am employing as many talents and abilities as I can to get employed – and turning the earnings over to Globalscope. I have made videos. I have made web pages (linklinklinklinklinklink). I have fixed computers. I tutor. I write. Money comes much slower this way, but at least it is still coming.
Today I will be travelling out to Lawrenceville to meet with the staff of FUMC again. Until then, it is letter writing, preparing for February’s post-Germany-trip event, and preparing this month’s (late) newsletter.
Edit: As of today, after said meeting, I am also a presentation consultant and a high-end studio camera operator.
A recent New York Times article, as sent to me by my cousin, highlights the Mars Hill church in Seattle and it’s pastor, Mark Driscoll. Mark defies both ends of the traditional Christian spectrum – using language and discussing topics that conservative Christians would never approve of and preaching a Calvinistic theology that liberal Christians would never agree with. Nonetheless, Driscoll’s methods are effectively reaching out to the people of Seattle in a way that traditional churches have been unable to do.
It is interesting to see what effective outreach looks like, and although I don’t agree with Driscoll’s beliefs, you have to admire the boldness, energy, and spirit that he leads with – and you have to respect the positive effect the Mars Hill church has had on the lives of those who have experienced something deeper there. Wherever you fall on the faith spectrum, there is a lesson in outreach to be taken away from Driscoll’s example.
And if nothing else, curse words in church are fun.
these little strips of sequential images are a billion-dollar industry in america
There are few areas of business and industry that the U.S. can still claim to be the world leader in. Automobiles? Our “Big Three” are bailing like passengers in a porous dinghy while Japan and Germany sail on by – using less fuel and in more reliable boats. Technology? Call Dell’s technical support and see just how many different countries you can be transferred between in one phone call. Military? The Chinese might have something to say/shoot about that.
But there is one business that America still commands: entertainment. Hollywood, although often copied (looking at you, Bollywood), has never been reproduced. Our movies, games, and television productions are simply unsurpassed in transporting the movie-goer, player, or watcher into a whole new hi-def world, whether imaginary or real.
In investing your money in sending Tucker’s most aspiring campus minister to Tübingen, you are also investing your money in sending Tucker’s most aspiring writer/movie maker. Check out my work. It is my promise to work to make Tübingen – and our ministry there – come alive for you, the supporter, through the magic of cheap camcorders and Flash/Maya animation.
Let me transport you to a whole new world of European ministry magic as only America can. Help get me to Tübingen by supporting me now.
With Christmas well behind us at this point, the business of raising support can resume its long, winding course into the foggy distance.
If there is one thing I have experienced in raising support in the down-slope of a recession, it is that churches do not have money to give away. Every church I have talked to has restricted their spending, cut back on programs, and either slashed their budget for 2009 or (if the church is doing really well) kept it the same as 2008. The way I figure, the money people give to churches is what they don’t absolutely need to get by. The money churches give to missionaries is what they don’t absolutely need to get by. In effect, asking for money from churches is putting yourself on a tertiary (a fancy word for “third”) level of extra money. And there isn’t too much extra money going ’round nowadays.
With that in mind, I am trying to adapt my approach to raising support from churches. Rather than just ask a missions board or a programs committee and stopping there, I am working to build lasting relationships with the staff and members of several churches, spreading myself deeply across a few churches rather than sparsely amongst many.
Take, for instance, the video above. Over Christmas, I approached FUMC Lawrenceville with the proposal to help out with anything I could – but it was my Globalscope video that caught their attention. They asked that I make a video to introduce a new program the church will be running on community needs, and you can see the video I delivered at the top of the post. They were bowled over, and I was immediately introduced to all the senior staff and invited to come to Wednesday night dinner as a special guest. That is success.
A little info on the video: pictures of historic L’ville provided by Gwinnett Historical Society; voice talent provided for free by my brother; the song is “Gideon” by My Morning Jacket; all logos/artwork designed and animated by myself. It took several days of prep, planning, and shooting and there was even an all-nighter, but damn if I don’t love a challenge.
