asterroc ([personal profile] asterroc) wrote2008-05-17 09:30 am
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Meme: What Maketh a Mensch

This meme was originally titled "what maketh a man?" but being who I am, I preferred "what maketh a mensch?" - mensch is Yiddish with a literal meaning of man, but a figurative meaning of "good human being" so it seemed perfect. Meme comes from here, where Caveblogem does (mostly unscientific) "meme studies", so if you do it, please post a link for him there.

Bold what you can do.

A Man Mensch Should Be Able To:

1. Give advice that matters in one sentence.

2. Tell if someone is lying.

3. Take a photo.

4. Score a baseball game.

5. Name a book that matters.

6. Know at least one musical group as well as is possible.

7. Cook meat somewhere other than the grill.

8. Not monopolize the conversation.

9. Write a letter.

10. Buy a suit.

11. Swim three different strokes.

12. Show respect without being a suck-up.

13. Throw a punch.

14. Chop down a tree.

15. Calculate square footage.

16. Tie a bow tie.

17. Make one drink, in large batches, very well.

18. Speak a foreign language.

19. Approach a woman/man out of his/her league.

20. Sew a button.

21. Argue with a European without getting xenophobic or insulting soccer.

22. Give a woman/man an orgasm so that s/he doesn’t have to ask after it.

23. Be loyal.

24. Know his poison, without standing there, pondering like a dope.

25. Drive an eightpenny nail into a treated two-by-four without thinking about it.

26. Cast a fishing rod without shrieking or sighing or otherwise admitting defeat.

27. Play gin with an old guy.

28. Play go fish with a kid.

29. Understand quantum physics well enough that he can accept that a quarter might, at some point, pass straight through the table when dropped.

30. Feign interest.

31. Make a bed.

32. Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick.

33. Hit a jump shot in pool.

34. Dress a wound.

35. Jump-start a car (without any drama). Change a flat tire (safely). Change the oil (once).

36. Make three different bets at a craps table.

37. Shuffle a deck of cards.

38. Tell a joke.

39. Know when to split his cards in blackjack.

40. Speak to an eight-year-old so he will hear.

41. Speak to a waiter so he will hear.

42. Talk to a dog pet so it will hear.

43. Install: a disposal, an electronic thermostat, or a lighting fixture without asking for help.

44. Ask for help.

45. Break another man’s grip on his wrist.

46. Tell a woman’s dress size.

47. Recite one poem from memory.

48. Remove a stain.

49. Say no.

50. Fry an egg sunny-side up.

51. Build a campfire.

52. Step into a job no one wants to do.

53. Sometimes, kick some ass.

54. Break up a fight.

55. Point to the north at any time.

56. Create a play-list in which ten seemingly random songs provide a secret message to one person.

57. Explain what a light-year is.

58. Avoid boredom.

59. Write a thank-you note.

60. Be brand loyal to at least one product.

61. Cook bacon.

62. Hold a baby.

63. Deliver a eulogy.

64. Know that Christopher Columbus was a son of a bitch. Your understanding of your heroes must evolve.

65. Throw a baseball over-hand with some snap.

66. Throw a football with a tight spiral.

67. Shoot a 12-foot jump shot reliably.

68. Find his way out of the woods if lost.

69. Tie a knot.

70. Shake hands.

71. Iron a shirt.

72. Stock an emergency bag for the car.

73. Caress a woman’s/man's neck.

74. Know some birds.

75. Negotiate a better price.


Nothing says you have to be able to do them *well*...

[identity profile] galbinus-caeli.livejournal.com 2008-05-18 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
25. Drive an eightpenny nail into a treated two-by-four without thinking about it.

Why? An 8d nail is too small to hold a 2x4 to anything. You need 16d to nail a 2x4 to something else.

And I can do just about everything on that list. Hell I think I have done just about everything on that list. More specifically everything except 36, 46, 56, and 66. Weird pattern, that. Oh, and I probably cannot really count 47 as I doubt I can recite either The Ballad Of Sam McGee or Jaberwocky and longer.