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.)