[ig1]

>Unheard of to do without cable tv, cook your own meals from basic ingredients, or give up alcohol or smoking? Some people need a serious reality check.

I think you underestimate how difficult some of these things are.

Cooking meals is a non-trivial skill, many people don't have the time or money to learn, they can't afford to "experiment" with cooking, because if their children don't want to eat what they make when experimenting then the children are going to go hungry.

Cable TV is often the primary form of entertainment, and is much cheaper than going out or the most popular form of "free" entertainment, unprotected sex.

Cigarettes are addictive, telling a smoker to stop smoking is no more effective than telling an obese person to stop eating.

[philwelch]

Excuses, excuses.

Cooking meals is a non-trivial skill, many people don't have the time or money to learn

Saving money over eating out all the time is easy. Canned food and spaghetti are trivial. Most veggies are fine totally raw. Rice and veggies can be done brainlessly with a rice cooker. A George Forman grill and a giant bag of frozen boneless skinless chicken thighs is cheap, healthy protein.

Being able to cook creative homecooked meals is hard, sure. Cheap foolproof meals are easy, though.

they can't afford to "experiment" with cooking, because if their children don't want to eat what they make when experimenting then the children are going to go hungry.

Kids get to refuse eating what they're served? News to me. I was sixteen years old before I was able to get away with refusing broccoli and brussels sprouts. I was a pretty disobedient kid, too. So I don't really understand this argument. Some parents are so spineless they'll cave in to a kid's choice of meal?

Cable TV is often the primary form of entertainment, and is much cheaper than going out or the most popular form of "free" entertainment, unprotected sex.

Unfortunately this is a major cultural problem. Fortunately, almost every other consumer startup is solving this. The internet contains Facebook and YouTube for free, and Netflix for far, far cheaper.

Cigarettes...are addictive, though. One of the most addictive drugs ever. I have no argument with you on that point.

[lmz]

> they can't afford to "experiment" with cooking, because if their children don't want to eat what they make when experimenting then the children are going to go hungry.

This strikes me as a very first world kind of problem (assuming the meal is still edible). See also: http://www.theonion.com/articles/i-am-so-starving-vs-i-am-so...

[matwood]

Cooking meals is a non-trivial skill, many people don't have the time or money to learn, they can't afford to "experiment" with cooking, because if their children don't want to eat what they make when experimenting then the children are going to go hungry.

Cooking is easy. Saying it's hard it just an excuse. Get some meat, frozen veggies and potatoes/rice/bread and you can easily make a basic meal in 30 minutes. And really, you're talking about the kids going hungry when food is on the table? Growing up I learned quickly to eat what my mom cooked or 'go hungry.'

[AndyKelley]

I think you overestimate how difficult following a recipe is. It pretty much just tells you exactly what to do. A machine could do it.

...

...anybody want to start an auto-recipe-cooking-machine startup with me?

[ph0rque]

One of my startup ideas is a robotic kitchen, similar to http://www.gizmag.com/go/1865/picture/2207/ except with a robotic arm in the middle.