gmonkey42

From this article in Popular Mechanics

I'm pleased to say I know how to do a lot of these already. Ooh! I'll make it a poll! (had to split it into two questions because it wouldn't let me have more than 15 answers per question)
[Poll #1079011]

Here are my answers:
Color coded, for yes, sort of, and no.

patch a radiator hose -- I didn't specifically know that one but it's the kind of situation where I'd go "huh, there's the hole," then I'd wait till it cools, wipe it off and duct tape it. Not too complicated.

protect your computer (firewall & antivirus) -- Yes. Duh. It boggles my mind that people still don't do this.

rescue a boater who has capsized -- Sorta, except I can't imagine I'd ever be piloting my own boat by myself. I can rescue a diver, though, which is much more likely to come up for me than a boating emergency.

frame a wall -- yeah, hire someone. Nahh, I guess if I wanted to do it, I'd most likely get a how-to book and do it myself. Since spent all but one year of my adult life in rented apartments, it hasn't really come up.

retouch digital photos -- hells yeah. With my l33t photoshop skillz.

back up a trailer -- I could probably manage it. I'm good at picturing where stuff is going to go if I turn the wheel a given direction.

build a campfire -- I win at making campfires. I made awesome campfires at scuba camp, after the boys, one of whom was an eagle scout, couldn't keep the fire going.

fix a dead electrical outlet (like reattaching a loose wire) -- you know how in pirate movies, the heroine says "my father was an expert swordsman, and he taugh me well"? My mum was an electrical engineer. So I'd probably just get her to do it. Heh. Nahh, I'll bet I could figure it out. I could turn off the power and check whether there was an obvious and easily fixed problem, anyway.

navigate with a topo map and compass -- I think I could manage but I've never tried it.

use a torque wrench -- never had occasion to use one.

sharpen a knife -- I'm sure I could figure it out.

perform CPR -- yep, and I intend to keep doing refresher courses to keep my certification current.

fillet a fish -- I never have, because I don't eat fish, but I can find a seal's gall bladder and separate a bird's pectoralis from its supracoracoideus. I think that's probably harder.

maneuver a car out of a skid -- I'll bet I could. It's generally "turn the wheel in the direction you want to go." And I have antilock breaks. I generally just avoid the problem by driving carefully. I hardly ever have to drive on icy roads, that helps a lot.

get a car unstuck (from snow or mud) -- I'll bet I could. I helped get my brother's car unstuck once, but we didn't have to use the floor mats or anything because there were a lot of people around to push.

back up your data -- I should probably back stuff up more often but I've got the really important stuff on an external hard drive.

paint a room -- Yep, I've done that a few times.

mix concrete -- Uh, by following the instructions on the packet? I'll bet I could do it.

clean a bolt-action rifle -- See "torque wrench." I can't imagine ever needing to do this.

change oil and filter -- Yep, done that.

hook up an HDTV -- See "torque wrench" and "rifle." Maybe I'll eventually have to do it because all TVs will be HDTVs but my little CRT TV works just fine.

bleed brakes -- I wasn't even aware you had to do this. I assume it gets done when I get my major service.

paddle a canoe -- no but I can paddle a kayak so I'm counting it as a "sort of."

fix a flat tire on a bike -- another "sort of" because 1) I hardly ever ride my bike, 2) I have that instant puncture-fixing green goo in my tires and 3) I do know how to change the tires on my car, which is much more likely to come in handy.

extend your wireless network -- see "wrench," "rifle" and "HDTV." I don't have a wireless network at home because I hardly ever use my laptop at home. But I could if I wanted to.

Can you all think of any more things every adult should know how to do?

I think knowing how to read and understand the nutrition labels on food is a good one. Knowing the basics of how to deal with a file tree in a computer is important. I think everyone should have to pass a basic comupter competency exam as a condition for getting a Bachelor's degree. Another one I can think of is basic illness management, like how to tell whether you have a viral or bacterial infection, when problems might be caused by a nutritional defficiency instead of illness, stuff like that.