If men are so good at spatial relationships...

[Notmuchlonger]

notmuchlonger, thanks for the "compliment".. see my original post. I really am curious about this phenomenon which I've always noticed in just about every male I have ever met.

plus I was just trying to lighten up a bit.. take a break from Bear Stearns and the plunging dollar, ya know?

Actually what you said was funny. I was trying to make light of it too. I also cant find room in the fridge when my wife can do it in a second.. Anyways Ill move along now.

 

[Independent]

Socio-biologists tell us that among the hunter-gatherers, men and women really did do different things. The women were picking the small wild berries, or peeling the hulls off seeds, and visiting with one another while doing it. Men were hunting antelope across the open plains, trying to co-ordinate their movements so they'd end up with at least one carcass to carry home.

Modern psychologists have done studies that show women see details that men miss. OTOH, if you put a man in a new area, he'll build a mental map of the terrain (roads) so he can find his way around - probably the type of "spatial skills" we brag about.

 

[ziggy29]

If women are so independent today, why can't they kill their own bugs, open their own stuck jars, mow their own lawns or pump their own gas?

 

[haha]

If women are so independent today, why can't they kill their own bugs, open their own stuck jars, mow their own lawns or pump their own gas?

They can and do all these things and more, when they don't have a man around.

If they did them while we were present, we would feel even more rejected and marginal than we already do.

A good freind of mine, very cute, very smart, in spite of wanting to get married was single for 20 years.

Finally she lost her Swiss Army Knife and was engaged before 10 months passed.

Ten years later she is still happily married. (And still letting her big strong man be Mr. Fix-It.)

Ha

 

[travelover]

I run things around the house and that includes the vacuum cleaner, the lawn mower AND the dishwasher.

DW can't seem to realize that the racks are arranged with different spacings to allow one to optimize the loading. I just wait till she isn't looking and rearrange the stuff.

She has managed to take back the washing machine, but I sneak in loads of easy stuff like towels while she is at work. Shhhhh.....

 

[donheff]

It can take either the form of wacky overcrowding where stuff is completely blocked.. or saying "I can't fit this" and in 2 seconds I come over and make it fit.

Also with the fridge: there is "no room!" for a large platter until I come over and "make" room.

I'm like that too. I think it can be translated into "I don't want to bother with this thing."

 

[ladelfina]

sorry notmuchlonger.. I guess there is good sarcasm and bad sarcasm and I took it the wrong way, I guess.

Bugs I kill when I "have" to; otherwise it's catch and release.
Gas I'm not a fan of because it's often grimy and the pump handle is made for big hands.
Mowing lawn is ok. Starter is hard.
For jars I have a Good Grips opener or I use the hot water trick.

 

[TeeRuh]

.. or saying "I can't fit this" and in 2 seconds I come over and make it fit.

I use a little twist on the above: "the dishwasher's full ... these dishes will have to wait". DW rushes over to show how many more dishes she can load ... while I retreat to my paper or the TV ...DW wins again ...!!

t.r.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I use a little twist on the above: "the dishwasher's full ... these dishes will have to wait". DW rushes over to show how many more dishes she can load ... while I retreat to my paper or the TV ...DW wins again ...!!

t.r.

That is good. I may have to add that to the arsenal.

 

[clifp]

I don't have a dishwasher, but when I did the kinves always pointed down, and the other cutlery pointed up. Contrary to your engineer frined, this makes very good sense for anyone who 1) keeps her knives sharp, and 2) doesn't like cuts and puncture wounds on her fingers.
Ha

Yes it is obvious you don't have a dishwasher . Because you aren't suppose to wash kitchen knives in a dishwasher because it dulls them. The only thing knives I wash in a dishwasher are flatware, and very rarely steak knives pretty hard to get cut with them.

I don't know the GE engineer just heard on a show like myth busters.

 

[MooreBonds]

notmuchlonger, thanks for the "compliment".. see my original post. I really am curious about this phenomenon which I've always noticed in just about every male I have ever met.

plus I was just trying to lighten up a bit.. take a break from Bear Stearns and the plunging dollar, ya know?

Well, allow me to be the outlier in your sample data (although, now that I think of it, oddly enough I usually was the outlier in the various studies I signed up for in college.... ).

It all depends on your personality trait (IMO). I'm an economist(maximizer/minimizer) and organizer at heart, and know exactly what you mean when people stack three bowls overhanging each other (There's NO way in hell those bowls are going to get clean! Who are they kidding?) or when people put 10 forks into one cutlery compartment, and put two (very) sharp knives standing up in the next one all by themselves.

Sigh.....what makes it worse is that I'm the one with the eyesight that always is the only one to see the various food particles left on the plates/silverware when an allegedly "clean" item is taken from the drawer or cabinet.

 

[samclem]

Contrary to the numerous opinions on the internet... According to the GE engineer in charge of dishwasher design (a woman BTW) . . .

The most surprising thing to me, after reading appliance fora remarks about GE dishwashers, is that anyone would admit to being the GE engineer in charge of dishwasher design.

In fairness, we're in the market for a dishwasher now, and there just aren't any brands that are really put together well. (BTW, thanks to al who participated in Nords' earlier DW thread). Now, washing machines are a different matter--have I told you guys about my Staber? . . .

 

[Nords]

What if the woman involved is also incompetent at domestic labor?

While I embrace chinaco, Gumby, and mathjak's answers.. It's not a matter of willingness or sloth. It's literally not figuring out how to fit things in the most optimal way. It can take either the form of wacky overcrowding where stuff is completely blocked.. or saying "I can't fit this" and in 2 seconds I come over and make it fit.
Also with the fridge: there is "no room!" for a large platter until I come over and "make" room.

A friend of ours, single parent of three, hasn't used their dishwasher in seven years. The most-used appliance in their kitchen is the disposal.

Anyone care to guess the gender?

Because you aren't suppose to wash kitchen knives in a dishwasher because it dulls them. The only thing knives I wash in a dishwasher are flatware, and very rarely steak knives pretty hard to get cut with them.

I've never understood this one.

We have a set of steak knives (a wedding present over two decades ago) and a serrated 9" knife that I grew up with and liberated from my mother's kitchen in the early 1980s. They've been in the dishwasher probably thousands of times by now, never been sharpened, and still do what they need to do.

If they ever stopped cutting steak (or papaya or tomatoes) then I'd just go buy a new batch.

 

[clifp]

A friend of ours, single parent of three, hasn't used their dishwasher in seven years. The most-used appliance in their kitchen is the disposal.

Anyone care to guess the gender?


I've never understood this one.

We have a set of steak knives (a wedding present over two decades ago) and a serrated 9" knife that I grew up with and liberated from my mother's kitchen in the early 1980s. They've been in the dishwasher probably thousands of times by now, never been sharpened, and still do what they need to do.

Female. BTW, I read in a "green" advertising mag that it is actually more energy and water efficient to use a newer dishwasher than to wash by hands. (not sure if I believe)

Q. Does putting expensive professional-quality knives in the dishwasher ruin the edge on the blade? I just bought a couple very expensive, professional-quality knives with supposedly dishwasher-safe handles, but I worry about affecting their cutting ability.

A. Right you are. The handles of virtually all top-quality knives these days are dishwasher safe. That’s where the good news ends. Actually, the blades of most good knives are also impervious to water damage, but the manufacturers are concerned about the edge of the blade rattling around in the dishwasher, being whooshed into the other dishes or even just bumping against the rack, any of which can dull the blade. So they universally recommend hand washing and babying your knives.​

I once took a basic knife skills class. The professional chef said this and I later asked if this was true or just an urban myth, he said that he noticed that knives in a dishwasher lose there edge quicker. So I hand wash mine. Serrated edges are different they work fine in a dishwasher.

 

[ladelfina]

The studies about d/w being more energy-efficient than hand washing are put out by the d/w manufacturers. That said, with some modern d/w using as little as 14 liters.. I think most people would use much more water than that. Not sure how much the electricity would offset the cost of heating the extra water used in hand washing.

We used to have an ASKO d/w and I was very happy with it! It cleaned wonderfully and was almost inaudible. I would like to buy one here but due to strange appliance cartels in Europe, they just are not avail. in Italy and some other EU countries, despite being made in Sweden.. AND despite the fact that the OWNER of ASKO is actually an Italian appliance group! Go figure.

 

[W2R]

If women are so independent today, why can't they kill their own bugs, open their own stuck jars, mow their own lawns or pump their own gas?

I do all these things (though I hired a lawn guy once I started pushing 60). Always have, even when I was married, since my husband was a sea-going man. (I learned to open stuck jars from my mother, by the way, who was born in 1909 and was married to a surgeon who had to spend countless hours at the hospital.)

What I don't do is car stuff, probably because my ex was the best amateur mechanic I have ever known, bar none. So, I got out of practice. It hasn't caused me any problems that a visit to the oil change place every three months and new tires once in a while can't cure. I bought a tire gauge but to be honest, I have never used it. The guys at the oil change place adjust the air in my tires, and occasionally if they forget Frank will feel motivated to do that for me too.

Some of the traditionally manly jobs are kind of fun. I bought a new shower massager for my guest bathroom on Sunday, and Frank offered to install it. I refused! After he dropped me off at my house, I got out my Teflon tape and had it installed in 15 minutes. It doesn't leak even one drop and works beautifully. I thought that was really fun to do.

On the other hand, I am losing the ability to do some of the traditionally feminine jobs. I will only spend so much time cooking for just me. I tend to use my George Foreman grill a lot, and just steam some veggies or whatever, rather than to actually do much cooking.

Housecleaning takes only a fraction of the time that it did thirty to fifty years ago, due to much more efficient and better equipment. I love my swiffers!

 

[Orchidflower]

Me, too, Want2retire. But I had to quit squishing bugs by slapping my hands down on them as it grossed my son out too much...hee! hee! As for pumping gas, mowing lawns and opening jars...well, I can and do do it all....just not when there is a male around to do it for me...ha! (We're not so stupid as we act!)

 

[donheff]

On the other hand, I am losing the ability to do some of the traditionally feminine jobs. I will only spend so much time cooking for just me. I tend to use my George Foreman grill a lot, and just steam some veggies or whatever, rather than to actually do much cooking.

Housecleaning takes only a fraction of the time that it did thirty to fifty years ago, due to much more efficient and better equipment. I love my swiffers!

See, as you learn to like traditionally male things your housekeeping standards follow suit and become more like ours. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

 

[REWahoo]

I've resisted as long as I can, but with over 40 posts and no real answer to the question I can't hold back any longer. The reason men can't load dishwashers is a simple training issue. You gals are apparently failing miserably at teaching basic skills to these guys.

Contrast that with the resounding success men have accomplished in training women. For example, the title of this thread indicates women are lousy at spatial relationships. Why? Because they have trouble with depth perception. Why? Because men have taught them that this...

...is nine inches.

 

[W2R]

See, as you learn to like traditionally male things your housekeeping standards follow suit and become more like ours. Not that there is anything wrong with that...

Actually, there is more truth to that than you may think! My housekeeping right at this moment is so bad a bachelor could be living there. No clothes on the floor but there are dishes in the sink and my coffee table has stuff all over it that needs to be put away. Got to get it together soon.

Working is the PITS. Dreaming of ER a lot today...

 

[W2R]

Why? Because they have trouble with depth perception. Why? Because men have taught them that this...

...is nine inches.

It isn't?

 

[W2R]

Me, too, Want2retire. But I had to quit squishing bugs by slapping my hands down on them as it grossed my son out too much...hee! hee! As for pumping gas, mowing lawns and opening jars...well, I can and do do it all....just not when there is a male around to do it for me...ha! (We're not so stupid as we act!)

Ha!! So true. I was tempted to let Frank put in that shower massager, but I really wanted to do it myself.

I do tend to just hire someone for most things that I can't do. I am saving his desire to help for one task that I have for him, that requires his greatest asset - - genuine German engineering skill and precision. It's just epoxying something but it has to be perfectly straight and aligned. With my astigmatism, I don't have a prayer if I try it myself.

 

[Nords]

Female. BTW, I read in a "green" advertising mag that it is actually more energy and water efficient to use a newer dishwasher than to wash by hands. (not sure if I believe)
I once took a basic knife skills class. The professional chef said this and I later asked if this was true or just an urban myth, he said that he noticed that knives in a dishwasher lose there edge quicker. So I hand wash mine. Serrated edges are different they work fine in a dishwasher.

Absolutely. She told me once "Eh, I don't cook, why would I wash dishes?" But her kids are almost out of the house (youngest is a 9th grader) so lemme know if you want an introduction...

I guess spouse and I can go guilt-free knife shopping now. Of course my preference would be to avoid needing a sharp knife in the first place.

 

[shoe]

We also have a division of labor at our house which began, suspiciously, when the kids started coming. I did poop, pee and vomit. He did nosebleeds, flesh wounds, and fishing sinkers stuck in ears. I did emergency medical forms, cupcake baking, and spelling bee preparation. He did Little League, Nintendo repair, and boys haircuts. I did "you're a young woman now" stuff, he did the "you're a young man who wants to watch pornography with your friends" stuff. I took care of all female drama. He was the one who went to the police station to pick up the kid who rearranged the "Friday Fish Fry" sign to say "Friday Sh+t Fry". I ironed the graduation gowns, he paid for dinner. I helped them pack for college, he paid the tuition. When that was done, we both slammed the door!

 

[clifp]

We also have a division of labor at our house which began, suspiciously, when the kids started coming. I did poop, pee and vomit. He did nosebleeds, flesh wounds, and fishing sinkers stuck in ears. I did emergency medical forms, cupcake baking, and spelling bee preparation. He did Little League, Nintendo repair, and boys haircuts. I did "you're a young woman now" stuff, he did the "you're a young man who wants to watch pornography with your friends" stuff. I took care of all female drama. He was the one who went to the police station to pick up the kid who rearranged the "Friday Fish Fry" sign to say "Friday Sh+t Fry". I ironed the graduation gowns, he paid for dinner. I helped them pack for college, he paid the tuition. When that was done, we both slammed the door!

LOL I don't think I've seen the jobs of both parents described so well in one paragraph.