Manly? or Self-Sufficient?

Are you chock full of Manly Man type skills? Or are you merely Self-Sufficient? Chad of Uncertain Principles posts the meme and says:

…so here’s the proposed game:

Go through both lists, and determine how many of the listed skills you can claim. Compare the fractions to see if you’re more of a ManlyMan or a Self-Sufficient Adult.

The Manly-Man list from Popular Mechanics:

1. Patch a radiator hose
2. Protect your computer
3. Rescue a boater who has capsized
4. Frame a wall
5. Retouch digital photos [this is a “manly” art?]
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 [well, I know the basics (infant too) anyway.]
13. Fillet a fish [it may not be pretty but…]
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

My score: 25/25 or 100%. Admittedly I’m taking a loose standard of having done the job at least once and having a fair bit of confidence in success. Except for CPR. But just being minimally competent may be a long way from the intent, I mean what does it mean to “retouch a digital photo”? righting a canoe or Sunfish is a far cry from a turtled Hobie or a really big hobby craft.

Still. Not considering myself unusually “manly” or even handy for that matter, whew this is a low bar…

Alternate “practical skills” from Cut to the Chase.

1. Know basic nutritional needs & how to plan balanced meals
2. Hone your sense of direction & navigation so you don’t need step-by-step turns to find a location
3. Understand types of health insurance & terminology such as OOP max & co-insurance percentage
4. Maintenance of a personal computer
5. In-depth knowledge of your employment benefits [gee, a little personalization of the list with #3 and # 5…?]
6. Change a flat tire
7. Wash & iron clothes
8. Balance a checkbook & manage your finances
9. Patch holes in walls
10. Fix a clogged toilet
11. Jump start a car
12. Use public transportation to get around [just because one knows how…]
13. Write an effective resume cover letter [but can you claim this if you’ve never gotten a job with a “resume cover letter”?]
14. Professional oral & written communication
15. Basic math [eye, meet beholder]
16. Stay calm in emergencies [if you are calm is it an emergency?]
17. Know when to ask for help [what is this some kind of anti-male stereotype slam?]
18. Personal hygiene
19. Do your own taxes
20. Use internet search engines strategically (if you know how to do good searches, you can find any information you need on the web) [and why was rationale necessary for this one…?]

My Score: 17/20 or 85%. And I think they are double dipping on #3 and #5 and trying to get in some sort of sexism stereotype dig on #17.