Shake it, shake it

Powder instead of burgers, a cute headline about another food topic.

The story of  a 24 year old software engineer who makes a food replacement powder because he finds eating normal food too burdensome, a waste of time and effort.

Several aspects of this story struck us as odd.

The idea that this could be the way of the future is one strange thought.

Because, at least in the US, it is the way of the past and the way of the present for many people. "Complete nutrition" replacement drinks exist, you can buy them almost anywhere -- well, except the corner liquor store, and Whole Foods has a smaller selection.

It is understandable that this might be news in Germany, after all the big supplement and food replacement business does not exist here. Supermarkets don't have yards and yards of that stuff - just one yard or so last time we checked - and GNC and the like are not around either.

So, the question is: how does this this become news stateside?

Must be the internet blogs, hungry for new food reports...

The other somewhat odd aspect in the article linked to above is that the author has opinions and quotes by German nutrition experts!

It appears to us, your trusted K-Landnews team, that neither the US bloggers nor the German serious news writers understand young software engineers.

We have seen the serious "automatic bartender" one of our colleagues constructed. The nice contraption of tubes, dispensers and cups worked.

The problem is: making drinks is an almost negligible part of a bartender's job.

Just as the act of moving your jaw and neck muscles is a negligible part of eating.

And the contributor we asked to do this post did exactly what the young man does -- but ten years ago and without fanfare.

Go, make shakes, and enjoy them as long as you can.

[Update 9/2015] In the meantime, Soylent has been criticized for exceeding the levels of lead and cadmium specified by California's Prop. 65, which are more stringent than the requirements of the EPA and the WHO.

The K-Landnews food editor recommends: instead of ingesting this weird stuff, use it to replenish the lead in your pencil by dipping the pencil in a glass of the concoction.