The guys over at Popular Mechanics are worried that today’s men aren’t manly enough so they’ve come up with a manly list of 25 manly things a manly man should be able to do if he wants to be considered a man. I figured I’d list them off and figure out how manly of a man I am:
The List: How to…
- Patch a radiator hose - I have no fucking clue and no real desire to learn. I’ll change a flat tire and I’ll replace blown fuses and bulbs, but anything more involved than that and I pay someone else to do it. -1
- Protect your computer - This I can do. Wouldn’t be much of an IT professional if I couldn’t. From viruses to spyware to firewalls. +1
- Rescue a boater who as capsized - I could probably do this though I rarely have the opportunity to do so as I’m not often on a boat or at the beach. I’ve had enough water safety courses in my time, though, that I could probably manage this.+1
- Frame a wall - I’m not even sure what that means. -1
- Retouch digital photos - I can definitely do this as my mother will attest to as she often calls on me for help. +1
- Back up a trailer - I’ve only ever had to try this a handful of times, but I seem to be able to pull this one off. Would probably require more time to do it than someone who does it often, but I can manage it. +1
- Build a campfire - No problem. Unless they mean by rubbing two sticks together. My boyscout troop didn’t last long enough to get us to that lesson. +1
- Fix a dead outlet - Not sure on this one. I’ve never actually had to do this and, while I understand the basic ideas behind home electrical wiring, I’ve not studied it at great length. I know enough to turn off the power at the circuit breaker before even attempting it so I’m going to say I could do this with a little reference material to read up on. +1
- Navigate with a map and compass - I tend to be able to navigate pretty well without a map or a compass, but I did just buy a compass for the dash of my car to assist in determining which direction I’m headed. This is a depends one for me. I can definitely do it with, say, a simple compass and a road map, but if you’re talking say a hiker’s map in the middle of a national forest then I’d probably have a little more trouble. I’m going to assume the former and say yes. +1
- Use a torque wrench - Again, no problem. I’m familiar with their use. +1
- Sharpen a knife - I don’t do it often, but I have done it and using a sharpening stone with oil as opposed to just the sharpener on the back of a electric can opener. +1
- Perform CPR - I’ve never had it put to the test, but I have taken and passed a course in CPR in the past. +1
- Fillet a fish - Much like number 1, I have no clue how to fillet a fish and no desire to find out. I’m not a huge fan of fish as food anyway. -1
- Maneuver a car out of a skid - Absolutely. Saved my ass more than once with that knowledge. +1
- Get a car unstuck - Ditto. +1
- Back up data - Can do. Don’t do as often as I should on my own stuff, but can do and in fact do do as a regular part of my job. +1
- Paint a room - Can do, but would rather not do if I can avoid it. +1
- Mix concrete - Never tried and I’ll go ahead and assume that I can’t without some instruction from someone who actually knows what he’s doing. Another thing I’d rather let someone else do. -1
- Clean a bolt-action rifle - Never owned one, never learned how to clean one. No can do. -1
- Change oil and filter - I can do this, but I don’t because I hate doing it. The $20 the local shop charges is well worth not having to fuck with it myself. +1
- Hook up an HDTV - I’ve never owned an HDTV so I can’t say with certainty, but I tend to be able to handle any electronic gadget you throw at me so I’m going to say I could do this. +1
- Bleed brakes - Done it, but like oil changes I’d rather leave it to someone else. +1
- Paddle a canoe - Surprisingly enough, for someone who isn’t a big outdoors man these days, I can do this. In my youth I went on a number of canoing trips and can handle a canoe solo quite well. +1
- Fix a bike flat - No problem. Tinkering with bikes as a kid was the closest I ever got to being a mechanic. Flat tires are easy peasy. +1
- Extend your wireless network - Done this enough times in my career to say it’s something I’m familiar with. +1
Out of 25 skills I can do 20 of them. Does that mean I qualify as only 80% of a manly man? How about you? How many of these manly man skills can you do?
Posted on 09/13/2007 at 01:23 PM 
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I just feel the need to point things out today.
Frame a Wall...that’s the part in building where you put up the wood wall frame (just that wood skeleton before drywall, wiring etc...but after a foundation). either by buying a prefab wall frame or taking the wood (2x4 etc) and nailing them together.
Anyone can mix concrete...you just add water until it is like a thick pudding. Directions are on the back of the bag.
And finally I don’t think hooking up an HDTV is a need to know skill.