Man up...

What maketh a man?

Is it how well he wields a hammer or wrench? Perhaps it's his ability to score a try or remember your birthday. Or maybe it's down to the size of his wallet, his heart or his you-know-what.

According to the NZ Herald (and the bizzarely obscure Popular Mechanics magazine), the following list encapsulates the essence of man. Last night when the Animator came in from playing football (in the snow! Does that make him a man, or just a weather-denying lunatic?) I ran through the list with him. He, of course, could do them all except No 19 (the gun one – obviously he's a pacifist or I wouldn't be with him).

He's smeared in cleverness, that husband of mine. The only downside is because he's so goddam capable, I've become a lazy cow who doesn't feel the need to learn how to do any of these things. Still, as the old saying goes, why have a dog and bark yourself?

POPULAR MECHANICS' LIST OF 25 SKILLS EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW

1. Patch a radiator hose

2. Protect your computer

3. Rescue a boater who has 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. Manoeuvre 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