The Snake's Den

Why Snake's Den?

2008-03-22T23:08:00.000+08:00

Snake = Orochimaru.

Orochimaru = Naruto Shippuuden.

Argh!!

Anyway, enough about that horrible news; let us answer the title’s question!

It is very bitter to accept, but the world in general hates snakes. This is unarguably all thanks to that Biblical nonsense about the serpent in the Garden of Eden tempting Eve to eat the fruit of knowledge. But some sources point out more biological reasons. They state that Humans, by instinct avoid snakes, knowing that they are poisonous, kinda’ like the way we feel scared when thunder strikes.

But whatever the reason, be it Religious or Instinctive, man’s, and particularly woman’s contempt for the serpentine is a sign of mediocrity.

Why?

Well, granting that the reason was biblical. Why? Was it the snake’s fault the woman listened to it? Is it the poison’s fault that the fool drank it? The cliff’s fault that the careless man fell from it? Man’s contempt for the snake is just a reflection of how we tend to blame others for our own blunders. “And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” If you ask me (and hopefully you do), I find it despicable, just like religion in general.

If the reason was Instinctive, it was just greater evidence of our “poor design.” We are evolving creatures, and we are not programmed (as of yet) by natural selection to avoid only the poisonous snakes. Our instinct tells us to avoid snakes in general, but this doesn’t mean all snakes should be avoided. There are countless (okay so they’re about 2,300) species of snake that lack venom. That’s a lot compared to the 600 venomous ones!

I think mankind’s contempt for the serpentine is a great waste. In this blog, I wish to stress the lost and forgotten beauty and aesthetics of this world. And I am using the snake as my symbol, a creature that has suffered persecution despite its serene and austere beauty and elegance.

I mean c’mon, how could you not like that?

(by the way, that’s the Black King snake if you’re curious about the species)

I find slender and serpentine creatures very charming and beautiful, like some unworldly being that has achieved great vanity through millions of years of evolution.

This siren (an amphibian that has only two limbs) is very elegant, and I find its amphibious feet very appealing, too!

So now, let us all together liberate ourselves from the prejudices brought about by the decaying memes that our parents have unwittingly instilled in us and let us seek the true and hidden beauties of this world!

Shippuuden got Licensed!

2008-03-22T22:01:00.000+08:00

I originally planned to explain why I chose “Snake’s Den” as my blog title but a pressing issue has recently surfaced and it cannot be ignored.

Naruto Shippuuden got licensed!!

Being someone who is non American, this is horrible news for me!

Okay, so why all the anguish? Well, let me detail to you my side on the age old “Fansubs” argument in the Online Anime Fandom.

Fansubs are these Anime episodes streamed on the Internet raw and undubbed, but subtitled (mostly in English) by fans. Mainstream sources online have painted a very dark picture regarding this behavior of fans, arguing that this is a form of Piracy and that the Industry is loosing a fortune because of it.

A website that airs Fansubs is Crunchyroll, which I am currently subscribed to as I eagerly follow the romance of Naruto Shippuuden and other great titles. But Crunchyroll has firmly stated that it shall cease posting any titles that have been licensed in the USA. “Licensed” means being granted copyrights to sell the products as DVD in the USA either dubbed or subtitled.

So now that Naruto Shippuuden has been licensed in the USA, Crunchyroll has removed all 50 episodes of Naruto Shippuuden as well as the 220 episodes of the original Naruto series.

All gone. Nihilo. 無.

I now give my side on the “War of the Fansubs.”

I am, with the bitter will of Providence, a Filipino. To be a Filipino anime fan, and to be one in Mindanao, which is like light years from the Capital of Manila, is like being a farmer in the Sahara. The only serious stuff you can rely on, aside from the stuff on the internet, are the great titles like “Zorori” that are way better than that “Spirited Away” thing (!) Heck, I can bet that in Mindanao, 1 out of 10⁴anime fans even heard of Hayao Miyazaki! As someone in such an isolated region of the world, I can only so desperately hold on to the Fansubs as my source of anime literacy.

Who cares if a title got licensed in the USA!? For all I care, they’re just hoarding all of it, leaving the rest of the world drooling over them. They so proudly proclaim that they’re Pro Freedom and Pro Democracy when they reek of Chauvinism, thinking only about themselves and that they are the only country in the world. So what if it gets licensed there?

Now, I have come to think that the USA is a horrible country. They’re deluded Fundamentalists, Hypocritical “peace givers” who shed blood in Iraq, chauvinistic, obese, excessively opinionated and now they’re self centered Otaku Elitists!

About the Author

2008-03-20T21:37:00.000+08:00

Oh, before I begin this post, I'd like to point out that my font style is Trebuchet. I just find the name attractive.
Anyway, I, the author of this blog, hide under the pseudonym "CG." No, those aren't my initials, but I won't tell you what they stand for either.
I am a resident of one of the 7107 islands of the Philippines (i might be wrong with that number, considering the Spratlys and that shoal whose name is difficult to spell). Despite this, though, I shall maintain writing in English, and any statements in Filipino (Tagalog or Bisaya) will be followed by a translation. This is so that the majority of the world can understand me.
Why did I make this blog?
I live in a world of Idiots (believe me, I mean that literally!) Thus, in writing this blog, I am looking for other beings of intellect out there. No, I am not claiming to be smart, I'm just claiming that the people around me are dumb. I don't claim my Intelligence, I admit my peer's Ignorance.
And you know what's worse, they're all deluded!
Yeah, judging by that line, you can correctly guess that I'm an Atheist. I also happen to subscribe to Existentialism.
But I will not say anything else about me. Let my identity remain forevermore a mystery of this world!

First Entry

2008-03-20T21:26:00.000+08:00

No, this isn’t some Herpetology fansite.

Welcome to my little nook in this vast world that is the Information Super Highway! This is a blog for people who are tired of all the nonsense and balderdash one tends to find in blogs. Here, you’ll hear some of my opinions on issues ranging from The Meaning of Life to Britney Spear’s misconduct. So basically, it’s like a daily news article but with the added feature of interaction from readers! You get to disagree with me as much as you can!

The Snake’s Den is a place that I hope would become a center for Intellectual Nonsense. what "Intellectual Nonsense" means, I leave you to decide.

Now enough with the introductions, let us begin!