Newsflash, gramps: There were no "taunts" there, not outside of your imagination. Please refrain from inflicting your paranoid delusions on me, wouldja?

I didn't feel I was being taunted, no problems there. :)

most guys forget.. how many mistakes were made, learning about so basic a thing as *torque* on bolts (where few used to have a real torque-wrench) plus the miserable inaccessibility of rusted / semi-stripped bolts and the like. If you've never done any wrenching, well.. the lore can't be posted for instant absorption.

...Because, you blithering old PC buffoon, I explicitly said she was "excused" from having to know this shit, precisely BECAUSE I remembered all that harsdhip and realised she couldn't be expected to learn it from a couple of posts on the Web. ...

Yep, you did, and knowing it is different than being able to do it. I know how a lot of things are done on and to cars, but I can't accomplish them.

Knowing how to fix simple mechanical things is -- or at least, IMO, should be -- a basic *requirement* for one to be regarded as a fully rounded individual in our modern mechanized society. But, Brenda grew up as a girl in the sexist old Yank culture of yore(*), where girls were discouraged from doing that kind of thing -- so *she* is excused from having to know shit like that. You have absolutely no reason, however, to extend that courtesy to her husband.

Actually, no, Brenda grew up in a guy world. ;) My friends were guys from an early age up through high school. I had few girl friends, and I hung around guys and cars, so I learned a lot about them. My mom did attempt to discourage me, as you said, but I won out in the end. ;)

John knows a few things, I believe, like changing oil, and air filters, tail lights and some other things that are relatively simple (although the new car gave us all a run for our money with it's tail-light!), but he did not grow up in a car-oriented environment... expect maybe to play that wild car game on video... what was that thing called? Man, I used to know! ;)

So John chose to be a computer "geek" so to speak, to read, program, play computer games, and do math as opposed to going into an engine and getting down into the grease. :) Nothing wrong with that, not everyone is interested in cars. As long as you can do the basic maintenance on your car, and you know the basics about keeping it running well, I don't see why just because you are a guy, you should be able to actually do mechanical stuff on it. :)

Shit, don't you remember her description of their creepy control-freak relationship? I went something like: She does the cooking, and in exchange for him being so kind as to eat what she cooks, she gets to do the washing-up... Sure, if they want to live that way, more power to 'em... But in that case, John either lives up to his end of the deal -- and, being The Man, does "manly" things like switching radiators -- or he's proven himself worthless even at his chosen game.

Ah no, somewhere you got confused. I do NOT cook. John cooks. I am a marginal at best cook, who can make very few things, and mostly with the microwave oven. I do the cleaning for the most part, but he loads the dishwasher, and unloads it, and he does his own laundry for the most part (although I start the first load for him), because he wants to. I would be happy to do the dishwasher and laundry instead, but he chooses to do them instead.

John does many manly things, including lifting, we helped my 96 year old Aunt move on Feb 27th, for example, and he does other types of heavy jobs around the house but not cars as a rule. He earns his manly status just fine, thanks.

Brenda

But I couldn't let Conrad go around saying things that were wrong. ;)

Me cook? Not on your life! :)

Brenda