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Community Discussion: Blog by Saphodravingo | Attention DToid Universe. Fundraiser for Jonathan HolmesDestructoid
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About
Hello all. Name's Jason. Originally from San Antonio, TX, but traded that in for the smoggier pastures of sunny California about six years back. I am the proud Father of two, a son and a daughter, who both share my affinity for all things videogame related. My Daughter, who's Five, can sing Street Fighter IV's "Indestructible" in its entirety, while my Three-year old son runs around the house with his fingerless gloves, yelling "Hadouken". I am a video game designer, writer, musician and cinephile. My love for video games can be traced back to the mid Eighties-when arcades where at their peak. There was this neighborhood hangout in San Antonio my Dad used to take me to called Floyd's Dairy Barn, on Goliad Rd. I know. Sounds like a real hole in the wall. Anyway, they had this spare room off to the side with all the classics; Galaga, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter. When our order was up, my Dad and I would take our food over to the green picnic tables they had set up outside. I'd take a few bites of my hamburger while looking anxiously over my shoulder in the direction of teenaged kids, huddled around the arcade cabinets. It's hard to concentrate on eating when you've got Pac-Man beckoning you with it's Siren call. So my Dad would dig into his pocket, fish out a couple of quarters from the loose change, and send me off, into the great unknown. Little did he know that it would dictate the rest of my life, for better or worse. I didn't receive my first system until I was probably about eleven or so, when my dad suprised me with an Atari 2600 he'd bought from a neighbor who was having a yard sale across the street. Burger Time was the BIZ-NIZZLE. Atleast that's how I felt about it at the time. After that, I got a Sega Master System, which I promptly dismantled for the School's science fair. Basically, I just removed the motherboard from its housing and plugged the thing into a wall socket. So anyway, that's me; or atleast a small window into my personality. I love to laugh and I love meeting new and interesting people, so don't be afraid to send me a game invite sometime.

I currently own an Xbox 360, Playstation 2, Sega Dreamcast and a Nintendo Gamecube

Right now I'm playing Bayonetta for the Xbox 360 and I'm totally diggin' it!

(In no specific order)

Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario World
Super Mario 64
Final Fantasy VII
Zelda:Ocarina of Time
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil (GC)
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 2
Tekken 3
Sonic Adventure
Twisted Metal Black
Escape From Monkey Island
Marvel VS Capcom 2
Viewtiful Joe
Jet Grind Radio
Shenmue
Parasite Eve 1&2
Star Wars KOTOR
Bioshock
Soul Calibur
Goldeneye 64
Red Dead Redemption
GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas
Devil May Cry 1&3
Bayonetta
Mass Effect 2
Half Life 2
Deadly Premonition (Seriously!)
Dead Space 1&2
Ninja Gaiden Black
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Metroid Prime
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Okami
God of War 1&2
Super Street Fighter IV
The Sims
Call of Duty: MW2
Killzone 2
Ryu-Ga-Gotoku 3

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Who would steal from this face? A monster, that's who.

Update: Mr. Andrew Kauz of Destructoid has been kind enough to finally provide us with a means to donate to Holmes. According to Mr. Kauz, Paypal allows you to make donations to an email address, in this case, mrdestructoid@gmail.com. Be sure to specify that it's for Holmes. For more info or questions, email Andrew Kauz at andrewkauz@destructoid.com

By now I'm sure most of you have heard about Jonathan's little set back last month when his house was broken into while he was away at PAX. Some of the items that have been reported stolen are as follows;

A video camera

Personal Computer

Sony PS3

Nintendo Wii

A Japanese version of Tatsunoku vs. Capcom signed by Ryota Niitsuma

and a copy of No More Heroes 2: Hoppers Edition

Luckily, his wife and cat's were unharmed in the incident. So me and a couple of other really awesome people came up with the idea for a fundraiser to help Mr. Holmes out. There's no prize for participating. This is all about helping another person out simply because it's the descent thing to do. We're still ironing out the details to see if we can get some of the editors to set up a Paypal account specifically for this. In the meantime, start going through all those old games you don't play anymore. Break open your piggy banks. Anything you can do to help out a guy we've all come to know and love. Write your favorite editors letting them know what we're trying to do. Be sure to check back here often as I'll be updating this blog with new info the moment I get it. Thanks for reading.

I want to thank lotuseater20, kinneas123 and karma repair kit for their willingness to step up and do something positive, and for all the help and support they've given me to see this thing through. Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times over.

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Legacy Comments (will be imported soon)


First off, I'll start by saying that I absolutely, totally ADORE Jonathan! He's one of my favorite editors and people here at Dtoid.

Then I have to get into the negatives. You ask people to contribute, but frankly I (and I'm sure others) have no clue what you're talking about. How did he lose his camera? What kind of camera is it? What was it used for? How much did it cost? Is this not a business expense that can be purchased (and written off) through Destructoid as a corporate entity? Has anyone tried some of the camera manufacturers/distributors to see if they would be willing to donate the equipment in exchange for some free publicity?

No offence intended, I think you're trying to do a really good thing here, but this is just so open with so many questions that I'm truly at a bit of a loss....
Agree with Elsa. I'd be all about helping out as I can but I don't really know much other than the camera needs replacing.
Is this the camera that was stolen while the Dtoid crew were at PAX?
His camera and computer used to record and edit segments for Sundays with Sagat as well as other contributions made to dtoid were stolen. As far as what "brand" of camera it was, I can't be certain, as we're still getting the details. As for asking the camera manufacturers for donations in exchange for "free publicity", well, despite what you may think, Destructoid isn't the mega conglomeration you may have mistaken it for. Besides, most corporations have PR for that. These are journalists. Incidentally, Destructoid has been known to hold fundraisers in the past for various organizations over the years that saw individuals donate hundreds of dollars of their OWN money through this collective effort. Mr. Destrucoid is not some millionaire in a smoking jacket, perched in his ivory tower, gold encrusted wine carafe in hand, who could wantonly sign off on a $100,000 check at a moments notice. Well, maybe Jim Sterling. As a side-note, these were personal items that were stolen, therefore they cannot be considered a business expense. I'm sorry if I'm coming off a little hostile. I just don't see the wrong in what we're trying to do here. I mean, fuck me. When did we all become so cynical?
@mrandydixon,

Yeah
@Saphodravingo

In that case, instead of taking donations for a new camera, let's pay for a PI to track down the thief and smoke that motherfucker!
... I too didn't mean to come across in any way as hostile or negative, but there really was just so little information in the original post.

To be honest, this post sat there for ages with 0 comments. I hated to see that happen, especially as it concerned Jonathan, but frankly I think a lot of people may well have had the same thoughts I did - more information! I'm unfortunately not part of the apparent "inner circle" that seems to be around on Dtoid. I don't know what is or isn't covered, or even who is or isn't paid. I had no idea he had lost his camera and wasn't even sure if you were speaking of a video camera or a handheld.

Again, I wasn't trying to be negative, but when doing a post of this nature a better explanation would likely get more interest for what seems to be a worthy cause...
Good job patronizing us and treating us like we're tards and don't realize that Destructoid can't magically pay for everything for its editors and when unfortunate circumstances occur. Nice touch. I also have to mention and agree with ELSA that your lack of information about the situation makes it so people are very wary of what the true intention of this blog is, regardless of whether it's for a good cause or not. I'd say the majority of people don't know what happened, nor does everyone follow HOLMES on Twitter, or care to read all the status updates of everyone they follow.

I know most other members I know personally may not want to bring this up, and this will probably seem cold, but due to the fact I have never seen you around on the site and this is your ONLY blog here, I would honestly not donate to whatever cause you would setup. You are correct about how the Destructoid community is a very caring and giving one, and that they help one another in need. With that said, if a "regular" member was setting this up, it would garner much more attention and would probably have a lot more members at ease, as to where the funds would be going and such. Your intentions are good (I hope), but under these circumstances, it would be hard to garner support.

Before you come back and think I'm a heartless bastard, I'd like you to know that I have been in contact with MR. HOLMES in regards to his situation and have been trying to help him out with leads and such.

@MRANDYDIXON
I have reason to believe that you're referring to the camera that was used to take the group photo at PAX East. In this case, this is NOT the same camera, as that camera belonged to community member ICARUSKILLS. The camera that is being referred to is HOLMES' personal video camera from his house.
@Funktastic,

No, I don't consider you heartless, nor do I fault you for being wary of my intentions. But I think I should inform YOU that I've been in contact with Hamza, who has given me his full support, and we are in talks about possibly adding a donation button on the DTOID website through paypal. I'm not doing this for some sort of personal gain, and it's sad, really sad to think that trying to do something positive would get overlooked so easily, simply because I don't have "seniority" within certain social circles because of my one blog. GASP! As I recall, you don't have to audition to be heard. Am I wrong? Did the rules change? I was unaware of this psuedo-social hierarchy. Well, I've been a member of DTOID for almost three years now, and I've never felt the need or want to blog about anything until now. So, sorry if I'm not so self-absorbed as to think that any and every passing thought or funny anecdote should warrant publication. I also don't have a twitter account. Do you want to talk about that? Also, if you feel you are being "patronized" or talked down to (how you arrived at that junction, I can only hazard a guess) that's your hang-up. I just thought it'd be a cool thing to do, to help someone out for the sake of, oh, I don't know, helping someone out. I don't want free tix to E3, or a DTOID T-Shirt, or Jim Sterlings nipple sweat. I just want to give back some good karma for a change. Is that so much to ask? Whether you believe in what I'm doing or not, at the very least, send Holmes some well wishes.
Okay, that's cool you've been in contact with HAMZA and all, but I do implore that you CAREFULLY READ someone's comment before responding to it. My first paragraph was in reference to how you implied how NIERO (Mr. Destructoid) isn't "perched on an ivory tower, with a gold encrusted wine carafe in hand, who could wantonly sign off on a $100,000 cheque at a moment's notice" which I found very patronizing, especially on behalf of ELSA and OCCAMS for simply trying to gather more information due to the lacking of it in the blog. You seem to come off as very hostile and a person who jumps the gun. All ELSA did was ask a few simple and very logical questions for more information, and you go off on some tirade about ivory towers and gold encrusted wine carafes . . . not cool. If you do not provide enough information for people about a situation, people will not know the whole story and they will be confused and ask questions. It's a natural response.

Next up. As I said, the cause is a very good one. But let's use the call for donations to help Japan as an example. If the Red Cross were to ask for donations from people on the street, they would garner some attention, since they are a well known and reputable organization. If I were to ask for donations from people on the street to help those in Japan, I'm pretty sure I would be met with a few skeptical stares. Both good causes, aiming for the same goal of helping people, just one is more "trustworthy" than the other. You mentioned talks of getting the editors involved in your blog to setup a PayPal, which is a very good idea, plus you said you've been in talks with HAMZA, which will garner this cause much more attention, but your blog also comes off as a quickly put together blog that is literally just asking the community to donate and give money on a cause that they don't know enough information about. You once again demonstrate your hostile and from what it seems, quick to anger attitude, when you talk about "auditioning" and talking about "pseudo-social hierarchy." I'm glad to hear you've been part of the site for three years, but I once again reiterate my "Red Cross vs. Myself" example.

I made the assumption that you found out about HOLMES' situation through Twitter, as that's where he had most of his "updates" about his situation. I apologize for that assumption. If you did find out about it via the site, I'm pretty confident in saying that when those videos occur, unfortunately, most members watch the video and don't read the little excerpts included.

I'm glad to hear you want to help out and give back, as we totally need more of those people in this world. That said, including more information and not getting so hostile and defensive when people inquire about the situation goes a long way as well.

Also, if you read my previous comment, I have already talked to HOLMES . . . so I don't understand your last sentence, unless you want me to give him some comfort in an unfortunate situation yet again, which I guess I probably will end up doing.
All valid points, which I fully respect, and will take into consideration. I may have been quick to attack, but it's only because I felt as though I was being attacked for wanting to do something positive. No, I don't have all the details, which is why I said in my initial post that I would be updating this blog with new information as it was received. Since you've had better luck in reaching Holmes than I have (and I've tried) why not inform him of what i'm trying to accomplish. It would certainly lend my cause some credibility if he actually KNEW about it. *L*
I'm in the process of contacting him again mate.
Decaf, folks.

@Elsa

The inner circle that appears to have formed, from what I can tell, has formed partially on twitter, which is kind crazy and surprising, considering how quick twitterfeeds can fly by. That's where I found out about Holmes losing his stuff (Apartment broken into while he was out at PAX). Happily, his wife and cats are ok.
I'd be interested in the fundraiser, you should put up another blog once there's concrete plan.

@Funktastic
Awesome replies, I've never understood why people sometimes assume that regular social/community dynamics don't apply here.

@Tubatic
But I need my coffee to stay awake!!
@Knivy,

Well, the thing is, I've just recently been in contact with Johnathan, telling him what my intentions were, and he's all for it, though he feels as though he might have inadvertently guilted a response out of us, which I assured him wasn't the case. He gave me an address, but at this time I'm not exactly comfortable making it public knowledge. Namely because I'm concerned about it being a safety issue. Which is why i'm trying to set up a way for people to make donations through Paypal on Destructoid's website. So far, it's been a slow going process, but hopefully we can work something out over the next few days.
@Knivy,

P.S.

"Awesome replies, I've never understood why people sometimes assume that regular social/community dynamics don't apply here."

I don't get your meaning.
@Funktastic,

Received this from Johnathan yesterday;

"Holy crap, are you sure? I wasn't trying to guilt or manipulate you guys into buying me anything! I feel weird!

If you change your mind, I totally wont be sad, and for the record, I plan on getting a new camera in a few months anyway. Just need to save up for a bit. So yeah, you really don't have to do this. On top of all that, even if you do send me a check, I might feel too guilty to ever actually cash it anyway.

That said, I'd never block a friend in the act of showing their kindess, so here's my address-

(I didn't include the address, because 1, it's a safety issue, and 2, I don't want people to think that I made up the address to get them to send me things.)


"Whatever happens, I'll never forget the niceness that you have bestowed upon me this day. It's the thought that counts, and this thought counts for more than you probably know.

Hearts,

Jonathan"

How goes it on your end?

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