The Van Plan

I've been thinking alot lately about living in a van.  I find the idea very attractive.  I can park it on a secured lot while I'm out driving the truck and when home, I can stay in it instead of paying for motel rooms.  But, I simply cannot afford to buy a van right now.  Then I had an epiphany.

I could trade in my car for the van.  Then I'd have only the van payment and as long as it's less than what I currently spend on my car payment and motel rooms each month, I'm saving money!  What a forehead slapper that was.  Why didn't I think of this sooner?

So, the plan as of now is to start researching vans.  I want something I could park most anywhere and not draw attention to myself.  That means I want a van with a simple, one color paint job and not one with a bunch of swooshy, tribal looking designs all over it.  However, an extended top would be nice since I'm 6 foot 4.  Another consideration is if registered as an RV, my insurance will be lower.

Now, what do I need in my van?  A small refrigerator, a bed, an oven and cooking surface and enough space to store my few belongings.

What will I do in my van?  Mostly just relax, but I'll also want to use my laptop computer.  On a side note, laptops are awesome!  They have the obvious purpose of computing, but also offer the ability to watch DVDs, which can also be converted to digital and now the laptop also stores your movies as well.  Maybe it's not as nice as a huge flat screen TV, but I don't watch enough TV to warrant investing one of those anyway.

I'm going to wait until Fall to buy one.  That way I can get away without an air conditioner for several months.

Luxuries I Refuse to Live Without

I have sold or given away so many things in the past year.  Most of my guitars, all my nice clothes and shoes and so much more.  But, there are a few luxuries I'm hanging onto.  My laptop of course is high on the list.  It's become almost indispensable as a way to keep in touch with friends as well as a source for entertainment.  I use it to watch films, play games and write this blog.

My smart phone has also become very important to me.  When I'm out on the road it's my link to the internet.  I also use it while driving to listen to internet radio shows and podcasts.  This provides me with a feeling on consistency I find comforting.

My Zippo lighter is something I suppose I could live without.  But, I am a smoker and I think a Zippo lighter says something about the man that carries one, although I'm not sure what.  It also reminds me of someone, the woman that gave it to me and that's also a comfort even though our relationship has changed.

Probably the most unique item I carry with me is my badger hair shaving brush.  I don't think I know anyone else that owns one.  But, I've been using one for about 20 years and I love it.  It's an old school man thing and I enjoy the ritual of of stirring the hot water and soap in a shaving mug and lathering up my face before a shave.  It's meditative for me, calming.  And it just feels good on my skin.

I lost it last week.  I got in a hurry after a shower in a truck stop and forgot it.  I haven't shaved since then.  But, today I bought a new one and I'm going to break it in right now.

Misogynist? Me? Really?

I don't think I'm a misogynist.  But, I've recently been called one by more than one woman.  I feel a need to address it.

I insist a woman pull her own weight in a relationship.  Paying her half of all common expenses as well as any she incurs on her own.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I don't like the idea of a woman having unlimited access to my assets.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I don't think it's wrong to speak to an attractive woman on the street and ask for her phone number.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I think it's wrong that a man is forced to pay a woman money for the rest of her life after a divorce.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I think it's immoral and wrong for a woman to lead a man on by allowing him to pay her bills, repair her car, do her heavy lifting, loan her money she knows she'll never pay back and take her on expensive dates while she knows she'll never have an intimate relationship with him.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I don't think women deserve respect simply by virtue of their gender.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I think it's wrong for a woman to use sex as a tool to manipulate men.  Does that make me a misogynist?

I believe women are my equal in every way.  I believe women should receive equal pay for equal work.  I don't judge women by their sexual habits.  If a woman enjoys bedding a new man every night, it's no ones business but hers and I don't think that has to mean she's a slut.

I love women!  I love their thoughts, their ideas, I love hearing their points of view.  I also enjoy indulging in the pleasures of their flesh.  But, I don't think that makes me a misogynist.  I think that makes me a normal, hedrosexual man.

How do any of these views make me a misogynist?  I really want to know.

Marriage, Same Sex, Traditional, Whatever

So, a friend posted this link on her facebook feed and I thought it made some interesting points.

http://nursingclio.org/2013/04/02/same-sex-marriage-does-threaten-traditional-marriage/

I'd like to first point out that I don't like marriage, at all, for anybody.  I think it's an outdated idea.  I think there's just no need for it in today's America.  I think marriage is inherently unequal and unfair.  But, this has nothing to do with traditional gender roles or homosexuality.

If any two people get married, one will benefit financially more than the other unless both enter into it with equal assets.  If one partner has worked hard to achieve a level of monetary success and marries someone that hasn't worked as hard, the former is forced to share his/her assets with the latter equally.

This means that if I marry someone they have the legal means to spend all my income and savings on whatever they want and don't even have to discuss it with me beforehand because denying them access to "family funds" is abuse.  What's fair and equal about that?

Women go on and on about being equal, but the majority of women still marry men with higher incomes than their own, thereby raising their social status.  Even after all these years of women fighting to be treated as equals, they still insist on being given half of a man's wealth after being married to him.  This is BOLLOCKS!

I know, women still make less money than men.  However, according to the bureau of labor and statistics, the reason women make less is largely because women choose careers that pay less, work fewer hours and are less productive in general.  Here's an a link that explains more;

http://www.martynemko.com/articles/why-men-earn-more_id1226

When it comes to relationships, women always insist on "wanting more."  What is this more they want?  Does marriage mean he loves you more than he did before marriage?  Of course not.  Does marriage mean he's more committed than he was?  Nonsense.  Marriage does not guarantee fidelity.

The only thing women gain by marriage is access to a man's funds and relationships are supposed to be about love, NOT money.

As a man that's been taken advantage of in the past, I'll not be getting married again, or even sharing a home with a woman.

When I say this kind of thing women usually fire back that I have trust issues.  I say this may be true.  But, no more than any woman that doesn't want to have sex too soon.  It perfectly fine for a woman to protect herself from heartbreak, but if a man wants to protect himself from a greedy, gold digging bitch, he has "trust issues."

Does that make me a misogynist?  According to a number of women, it does.  But, if the tables are turned and a woman had more financial assets than her man, she'd probably see things differently.