25 September 2005

The Heinlein meme

Can't resist this one (found at The Bookish Gardener):

It was inspired by this list from "The Notebooks of Lazarus Long" in Robert A. Heinlein's Time Enough for Love:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
Instructions: take the list and bold the items you have actually done (with explanatory notes in most cases).
Change a diaper (My sister's; I was ten years old the week after she was born. I try not to remind her of it too often .)
Plan an invasion (At least in my imagination.)
Butcher a hog (Not something I'd like to be present for, after hearing my grandmother's stories. I have been present at the deconstruction of a buffalo, though.)
Conn a ship (does a sabot count?)
Design a building
Write a sonnet (Love 'em.)
Balance accounts (College accounting class.)
Build a wall
Set a bone
Comfort the dying
Take orders (Not military, just corporate hierarchy).
Give orders (Ditto.)
Cooperate
Act alone
Solve equations (only if I can get help from my mathematician buddy.)
Analyze a new problem (I work in IT).
Pitch manure
Program a computer (only at the simplest levels)
Cook a tasty meal
Fight efficiently
Die gallantly (I hope so, but time will tell. )

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