25 Skills Every Man Should Know: The List, Ready for Your Debate

Popular Mechanics ^ | September 12, 2007 | Glenn Harlan Reynolds

[N. Theknow]

I did not see "Tie a knot in a cherry stem with your tongue" on the list.

All those years in college, swilling PJ, were wasted?

[eeevil conservative]

I’ve done all of them- except 4, 8, 18, 21, & 25.....

and I am a chick......

Have had boyfriends WATCH while I change the oil, change a tire, and even put in a rear differential.....

dang I miss knuckle draggin’ neanderthalls!

[Daffynition]

Here's a Manuel... [/teasing]

I have yet to meet a man who will read a manual ... that is .... first. Before he puts together or runs something. It's just not possible. That man does not exist. ;-D

[HoosierHawk]

Did my wife send you that list??

[mrs. a]

“They left off “Change a diaper””

My dad had to babysit his little granddaughters one day, and it soon became apparent to him that a diaper change was necessary. The last time he had changed a diaper was for his own kids, and they were cloth items that fastened with big pins. Faced with an unfamiliar paper-n-plastic thing and no pins at the ready, he was able to grab the duct tape out of the trunk of his car and save the day.

[backhoe]

As Bob Heinlein wryly noted, “specialization is for insects...”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein

[1Old Pro]

26. Fry a Turkey
27. run/hookup electrical wire and outlets
28. shoot a pistol with some accuracy
29. manipulate MTV files
30. program cellphone for wife
31. grow vegetables
32. Cook on the grill
33. change brake pads, roters, oil and filter, wiper blades, tires
34. cut and split wood
35. dock a boat

10 more for starters

[Daffynition]

"...Too weighted toward computer skills."

I agree ... there are far more important things than some of the geek-skills listed, as others have mentioned.

Like ax throwing, wood splitting and providing the big "O."

[1Old Pro]

36. TYPE
MTV should be MP3

[stainlessbanner]

Way too much computer stuff.
Needs more household plumping, irrigation, pool maintenance, tree cutting, tractor fixing.

[eastforker]

Hey, we always read the manual after we put it together and realize we have parts left over! LOL

[Jack Hammer]

Mising: field strip, clean, and reassemble a 1911 .45

[Jack Hammer]

Sorry - that should be “missing.”

[Mr. Jeeves]

Needs more household plumping, irrigation, pool maintenance, tree cutting, tractor fixing.

We have illegals for that. ;)

[ThomasThomas]

Maybe the should add.

1. Laugh

2. Titrate

3. Find a contractor to mix concrete and build a wall.

4. Maintain your car so you won't need to patch a leak.

5. Conjugate a verb.

6. Explain Why to a kid.

[Daffynition]

Excellent additions. When I realized that feminazis were going to proliferate, it was time to teach boys how to cook, clean, sew ... and intuition has proven correct. The chance of a young man in this day and age, finding a gal who can do anything more than “order out” and use a charge card is becoming more and more rare.

[epow]

I can handle everything on the list except #s 5, 16, and 25. I'm way too old to be good with puter stuff.

Incidently, # 1 is not a good example. A makeshift patch on a radiator hose without the proper material for the job seldom, if ever, holds for more than a couple of minutes unless you have one of the few good kits made just for that purpose in your trunk, and even those only hold long enough to hopefully get you to a repair shop or an auto parts store for a new hose. And a roll of duct tape is NOT a good repair kit.

[Daffynition]

Bingo!

Laugh

Most essential ... and to not take himself too seriously.

[Mr. Blonde]

I would add know how to drive stick

and know when you don’t know how to do something and con someone into doing it for you. :)

[RockinRight]

1. Patch a radiator hose - Yes.
2. Protect your computer - Yes.
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized - Never done it, probably could in a pinch.
4. Frame a wall - I can’t even draw a straight line.
5. Retouch digital photos - Sure.
6. Back up a trailer - Never tried.
7. Build a campfire - Yup. I can even burn the whole damn cabin down if you want me to.
8. Fix a dead outlet - Fix it? Replace it for $.39 at Home Depot...and wire it myself.
9. Navigate with a map and compass - Yes.
10. Use a torque wrench - Yes.
11. Sharpen a knife - Yes.
12. Perform CPR - Did it in high school health class.
13. Fillet a fish - Yes.
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid - Yes but the people in this state can’t drive in snow.
15. Get a car unstuck - Eventually, yes.
16. Back up data - Yes.
17. Paint a room - What idiot can’t paint a flat wall?
18. Mix concrete - Never done it. Doesn’t sound hard.
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle - Yes.
20. Change oil and filter - Yes.
21. Hook up an HDTV - Of course! I live for this stuff!
22. Bleed brakes - Not well.
23. Paddle a canoe - Yes.
24. Fix a bike flat - Sure...by replacing the tube.
25. Extend your wireless network - Yes.