Evidently itching for some Mac vs. PC style debate, Popular Mechanics yesterday submitted for your consideration their list of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know." The list is fairly comprehensive, with a lot of crossover into near-geek and full-on geek territory (see #25).
1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who as capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos
6. Back up a trailer
7. Build a campfire
8. Fix a dead outlet
9. Navigate with a map and compass
10. Use a torque wrench
11. Sharpen a knife
12. Perform CPR
13. Fillet a fish
14. Maneuver a car out of a skid
15. Get a car unstuck
16. Back up data
17. Paint a room
18. Mix concrete
19. Clean a bolt-action rifle
20. Change oil and filter
21. Hook up an HDTV
22. Bleed brakes
23. Paddle a canoe
24. Fix a bike flat
25. Extend your wireless network
The list led me to wonder what specific skills, if any, are essential for full Geekdad Cred™. Is the PM list sufficiently geeky? Are there certain Essential Manly Skills we can delete in favor of Essential Geekdad Skills? Is it even long enough? If pressed, I suspect I could come up with fifty skills I think are important enough to merit the designation "essential." So let’s hear it — what are your personal 25 Essential Geekdad Skills? (Also, for any geekmoms who happen along, I wouldn’t mind hearing your lists for comparison.)
