Stuff you should know how to do

A friend forwarded a list to me over the weekend with the unlikely title: "25 things every man should know how to do by the time he is 18".

I immediately deleted about half the stuff (unlikely Rambo/Jason Bourne field-craft that has no relevance to the typical man's life), and started adding stuff that the list-maker(s) had forgotten.‎  Then I did the most important thing of all; I eliminated the gender bias.

So simply put, I don't care if you are a man or a woman... by the time you reach adulthood (however you define that) you should know how to do every single one of the following (for the sake of others, if not for yourself):

Change a tire

Perform the Heimlich maneuver and CPR

Perform basic first aid

Sew on a button and fix a split seam

Iron a shirt

Replace a faucet washer

Spackle, masking tape and paint a room

Carve a turkey and a roast

Parallel park (in one try)

Drive a stick shift

Build a fire

Use basic power tools

Mow a lawn

Use a search engine effectively

Know basic world history covering at least the last 300 years

Know basic geography and politics of the world as it is today

Prepare 3 different styles of coffee

Brew and serve loose tea

Open a bottle of regular and sparkling wine

Mix a minimum of 10 basic cocktails

Prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner without consulting a cook book

Know how to cook at least 4 different kinds of eggs

Bake pastry and bread from scratch

Have at least one signature dish/meal for which you are known

Order, eat, pay and tip in a fancy restaurant

Use a full place setting correctly (and in the right order)

Be a good houseguest (the kind people will invite back)

Be a gracious host

Hang a picture

Unclog a toilet or sink

Pay a compliment

Accept a compliment

Apologize sincerely

Introduce people correctly

Host a dinner party

Chair a meeting

Swim

Use a compass

Read a map

Pump gas

Make a short, informative public speech

Touch type

Change a diaper

Use a washing machine and dryer

Jump start a car

Check oil and other automotive fluid levels

Shine a pair of shoes

Tie a Windsor knot (full and half)

Tie a bow-tie

Tie a square, bowline and slip knot

Use chopsticks

Shake hands correctly

Wrap a gift

Write a memorable thank you note

Know a joke or entertaining story appropriate for any crowd (and tell it well)

Tie and bait a fish hook

Scale and clean a fish

Cut a whole chicken properly into 1/8ths

Say no without giving offense

Say yes without looking like a pushover

Use a computer (Windows and Mac)

Pack a (light) suitcase

Give excellent driving directions

Balance a checkbook

Select good produce

Offer condolences at a funeral

Deliver an impromptu toast at a wedding or dinner party

Know how much you can drink before you are effectively impaired

Take a friend's car keys away in such a way that they hug you instead of hitting you

Give a friend your car keys without being asked