#john may

Projectors 1 | Millions

One of the greatest companies in the world run by CEO John May, has been reignited by President Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign. John Deere will be investing $20 billion dollars over the next 10 years in America. They have pledged $2.5 billion invested across their 60 U.S. facilities for the near future. Another $200 million will come from the John Deere Foundation. The lion’s share of…

Signal, Image, and Architecture by John May

In Everything is Already an Image, John May, contextualizes a technical view of images, made up of measurable data, which, by means of "real-time” modeling, alter our psychological relations with past and futures. He says, when architecture was made from orthographic drawing (drawn lines and written text) it established a linear connection between architectural experimentation and historical reasoning; “All future architecture was ‘drawn out from’ architecture’s past”. But, the post-orthographer uses electrical image and electrical models that contain simulations of all possible future drawings which create a sensibility, like that before orthography (historicization), which progressively alters thinking itself towards a statistical real-time, in the absence of a disappearing historical time of orthography.

I want to write something about John May.

You may not know this, but this man is a hero in my book.

A year ago, I was lucky enough to be at the World Scout Jamboree, working in the Better World Tent (the public WOSM tent), where I made a friend called Nic. Nic is a Guide Leader from the UK, and so was part of the UK Contingent. I can’t remember how I met her (possibly in the large Dome at the IST Opening Ceremony? Eh, it’s been a while), but we had many long chats during the Jamboree, and worked together to do so many trades for all kinds of gear while we were there.

Nic and I were thick as thieves together, in some mischief we got up to, when it came to badge trading and exploring the campsite. I’m getting off topic.

Something I need to mention, because it’s relevant later: Nic uses a wheelchair (how the hell we didn’t break it, going over some of those paths, I’ll never know), and she’s gay. Her IST role had her working at the Rainbow Cafe at WSJ.

My job at me in the middle of the Mall, and every lunchtime we would close the Better World Tent to de-brief, take a break, eat lunch, etc.

One day Nic comes by, and she’s in tears. The imbecile who was running the Rainbow Cafe was someone who should not have been, and has been saying nasty stuff to Nic. She’s been taking it, so that any visiting youth members wouldn’t have to deal with this imbecile. But she’s at her breaking point. He’s been making comments about different groups of people in ways I’m not going to write here. She comes into the Tent while we’re having a heavy meeting, but I need to get out of this to go see her. Lyn sees that I need to go, and makes arrangements so I can get out (another damn hero, people. She did so much for me, as ‘just another Rover’ then, and a few months later.) and talk to her to see what I can do.

Nic needs to talk to someone about this, but not the Leader she reports to (i.e. the imbecile), so we wheel over to the actual WOSM operational tent, behind the VIP Tent. At this point in the Jamboree, there was a lot going on, with many things happening that it was all hands on deck, and there was no one around or free.

A staff member from the World Bureau sees us, and comes over. He can’t really do anything for us, but tells us to sit in the tent, and someone will be with us.

Enter John May.

It’s hitting the fan, with so much going on. The World Scout Committee Members are all on the go. The auxiliary staff are all under the pump. The Japanese Organisers are running backwards and forwards. So what does this man do, when a “crazy lady and lunatic convict*” are there?

He spends two bloody hours listening, talking, offering advice, and helping. He’s clearly got things that he needs to get done, but he makes the time to do this for us. This is a man who is at the top level, and is needed for strategic stuff that needs to get done. But no. He’s going to help a Leader who he can see needs to talk to someone, and who needs change. 

After seeing him, it was good. There was some change, and that helped.

But he’s not done.

He follows up after. He checks in with Nic. He comes to visit. I’ve never forgotten his kindness or generosity with his time.

John May. You are a bloody hero. 

We overuse that word. But you are one to me. 

Who: John May  Where: Florida How many times dialed 911: 1 Why: His order from Checkers was incorrect and accused the restaurant’s manager of insubordination. By the time cops arrived, he had already consumed most of the food. Quote: None.