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Lauren Viera: The Veggie Burger Manifesto

Creator: By Lauren Viera, Features reporter for the Chicago Tribune

Purpose: To transform the humble, often maligned Veggie Burger and turn into “an entree worth salivating over… no matter the dietary preferences of its customer.”

A veggie burger manifesto for our modern times, tastes

It’s almost easier to define the modern veggie burger by what it isn’t, rather than what it is.

A veggie burger is not, for instance, a proteinless vessel comprising typical burger fare (lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions) built between two buns and melded together with a consolatory slice of American cheese. That’s a sandwich, not a burger. And respectable burger joints that know better rightfully refer to it as such.

Nor is a veggie burger born by substituting a meat patty with a pseudo-exotic vegetable sliced into a half-inch disc. Many otherwise savvy places get away with this tactic, including Patty Burger (eggplant), M Burger (beefsteak tomato), et al. (portobello mushrooms galore). Yes, those are literal veggie burgers: vegetables accompanied by burger accouterments assembled on a bun. But flavor-wise, they’re redundant. Does anyone honestly desire to sink his or her teeth into a “burger” whose dominant flavor is a giant rubber tire of a fungus?

The list of veggie burger faux pas is long. Among the worst offenders: turkey burgers (a turkey is not a vegetable), salmon burgers (ditto), tofu burgers (just plain wrong). The most controversial? Black bean burgers. Black beans long to be liberated, free to swim in chili, soup and dips — not mushed together into a claustrophobic pancake smothered with ketchup and mustard, only to fall apart at the first opportunity. Whoever thought the black bean burger was a good idea was probably a meat eater. (One exception made our list.)

Eliminate the impersonators and you’re left with only the true entries deserving of the veggie burger title: traditional burger architecture (buns, ingredients, condiments) showing off a non-meat patty comprising a balanced combination of vegetables, grains and/or texturized vegetable protein.

That’s it.

Thanks to those chefs who strive toward deliciousness within the aforementioned parameters, the veggie burger is no longer limited to consumption by vegetarians. Conversely, it is no longer acceptable to offer a veggie burger on a menu boasting a chef by name, only to plate a defrosted Gardenburger (or worse, Boca burger).

The best veggie burger, like the best hamburger, should inspire in its maker a desire to create an entree worth salivating over, one that requires two hands and several napkins to conquer, no matter the dietary preferences of its consumer. Until all burger-makers are on board with this manifesto, our work isn’t done.

Source

Article from the Chicago Tribune Food and Dining Section, June 30, 2011

Dave Gilmore: Summer Softball Manifesto

Creator: Dave Gilmore lives in Baltimore, works for a sports-oriented non-profit, and writes “The Win Column” for BaltimoreSportsReport.com

Purpose: Principles to keep summer softball “fun for everyone”.

The Summer Softball Manifesto (edited)

“I’m just lobbing it in.”?*

You have to remember, once the dust settles, an out-of-shape dude is going to take a step and lob a big neon-colored ball in at roughly 13 mph. It’s silly to get worked up about anything that involves throwing something underhand. It’s not worth sliding. It’s not worth name-calling, cheating, accusing people of cheating, or injuring your has-been self. It’s slow-pitch softball. If it were more serious, they’d call it something else.

*Borrowed from a Seinfeld episode.

Beer, Sweat and Tears?…

Basically, even though I’m usually too dehydrated to have a beer until after the game, I’m pro-beer and softball. I know, such a controversial stance.

Carry a Big Stick?…

You can level the playing field if your team pulls together an extra $250 and gets a decent bat every season. For reasons scientific and unfathomable, softball bats seem to lose their “pop” after a season or so. Certain bats also just make the ball fly like that dusty thing you’re swinging simply cannot. Just the confidence of having such an instrument in the hands of your average hitter is worth the purchase.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Why would you enter a team in a co-ed softball league if you didn’t plan on using any of your female players? So, here is my message to female softball players and the team managers who perpetually stick them at the bottom of the order playing catcher, second base, and right field: you’re not helping. If you haven’t played a lot of ball in your life, the only way to get better is to get up there and take your cuts. Take a few ground balls off the shins, be aggressive on a 2-strike count, and try and stretch a double into a triple. It’s completely arcane to believe that women are incapable of competing evenly in a softball league where the prize for first place is usually a big bag of nothing and at most a plastic trophy.

—

…There is something intrinsically wonderful about taking to a patch of dirt and playing a full-fledged game of softball. …There’s a level of orchestration there that only adults are capable of. Its antiquity– no scoreboards, old-timey terminology, funny socks, is part of its charm. The fact that nearly every company with more than 10 people can and usually does field a team at some point, is unique solely to this country…

Source

Article on BaltimoreSportsReport.com – June 17, 2011

Haydn Shaughnessy: The New Work Manifesto

Creator: Haydn Shaughnessy writes for Forbes.com about Innovation within the New Economy.

Purpose: The stats show that unto 66% of US workers are actively dis-engaged with their work. That means only 33% are! Thus the search for meaning and empowerment from ‘unconventional’ sources.

The New Work Manifesto: Be Unconventional (Selection)

People are busy adding unconventional twists to their lives and their narratives, building twists like minimalism, reducing our dependency on material possessions – there’s a list of minimalist growth indicators here; or it’s about collective as well as personal innovation: looking for ways to engage, transitioning the relationship between the town and the countryside – or the wacky art allied to gardening, the vegan tattoo, or the conventionally unconventional like the street food movement.

The New Work Manifesto is I want to do it my way. This is not just or even a Gen Y phenomenon. It is a story that 66% of us might want to tell. So how do we reconcile people’s desire for personal innovation with the enterprise’s need for innovative people and ideas?

A couple of years ago I interviewed an artist at the Disonancias project which arranges artist residencies inside Spanish companies. Her observation of working in a company? Everything I proposed they found a way to cut.

As an artist she was accustomed to starting small and growing a creative work. In business she started small and still got cut.

Enterprise leaders need to look to how people are innovating and creating and then set out how they want to interact with the workforce. We have to take the personal seriously.

Source

Full Article on Forbes.com: The New Work Manifesto: Be Unconventional, 24 June 2011

Image from Daylife: Job Seekers waiting to talk to employment agencies.

Dave LeBlanc: The Architecture Lover’s Manifesto

Creator: Dave LeBlanc writes on architecture trends for Toronto’s Globe Life.

Purpose: A dozen things to consider to as you consider purchasing, renovating or demolishing a new house – for the sake of your home or building’s future owners – and the neighbourhood.

The Architecture Manifesto Lover’s Manifesto (Selected Highlights)

You love architecture. You’re proud of your home. Maybe you own a few commercial properties and are proud of them, too, even beyond the money they make for you.

But be honest: In our increasingly nomadic culture, another decade – maybe two – would be a pretty good run before you downsize, wouldn’t it? And you probably won’t own your commercial building your entire life, either.

So have some respect for your personal architecture because it benefits all of us. Below are a dozen things to consider. Clip and save, and pass these along if they resonate with you:

In this age of soaring energy prices, I will ask myself if I really need 4,000 square feet and more bathrooms than people in my home.

I will consider buying an older home over a new one.

Before I demolish, I will Google “embodied energy.”

I will try to think of myself as a steward of my home or building rather than master of its fate.

What will the next generation think of the renovations I’ve done? Am I jumping on a bandwagon or am I considering the true needs of my family or business?

…What am I saying about my own values if I demolish something that’s still usable?

Related to No. 6: If my heritage commercial building no longer serves a purpose, I will rethink selling to condo developers.

Related to No. 7: At a dinner party, would I rather be the person who says, “Yeah, that was my building, but I knocked it down to make some quick cash,” or, “Yeah, it cost a bit more money, but we saved that big ol’ beast and reworked the plan; now I’m getting higher leases in the heritage building.”

Do I want my home or building to be featured in the eventual sequel to William Dendy’s Lost Toronto?

Even if it’s only once a year, I will go on an architectural walking tour or visit Doors Open because the enthusiasm of the guides is contagious.

While I may think the University of Toronto’s Robarts Library is ugly, I will endeavour to understand why other people like it.

Any friends who say they are too busy to think about architecture will be brought to my architectural “happy place” – whether that’s the grand hall at Union Station or a friend’s arts-and-crafts living room – and then asked if they don’t feel inspired.

…Just one person can hold a shovel, so I would argue that our future lies with you.

Source

Manifesto as article as published in the Toronto Globe and Mail, June 30, 2011

Image of Robarts Library, University of Toronto

The Blackberry Manifesto

Creator: In the spirit of the Peanut Butter Manifesto, An open letter from a high level anonymous RIM employee, makers of the Blackberry.

Purpose: RIM is not doing as this employee would like. They’re struggling and this is what he would do to make things better.

The Blackberry Manifesto

To the RIM Senior Management Team:

I have lost confidence.

While I hide it at work, my passion has been sapped. I know I am not alone — the sentiment is widespread and it includes people within your own teams.

Mike and Jim, please take the time to really absorb and digest the content of this letter because it reflects the feeling across a huge percentage of your employee base. You have many smart employees, many that have great ideas for the future, but unfortunately the culture at RIM does not allow us to speak openly without having to worry about the career-limiting effects.

Before I get into the meat of the matter, I will say I am not part of a large group of bitter employees wishing to embarrass us. Rather, I believe these points need to be heard and I desperately want RIM to regain its position as a successful industry leader. Our carriers, distributors, alliance partners, enterprise customers, and our loyal end users all want the same thing… for BlackBerry to once again be leading the pack.

We are in the middle of major “transition” and things have never been more chaotic. Almost every project is falling further and further behind schedule at a time when we absolutely must deliver great, solid products on time. We urge you to make bold decisions about our organisational structure, about our culture and most importantly our products.

While we anxiously wait to see the details of the streamlining plan, here are some suggestions:

(Headings Only)

Focus on the End User experience

Recruit Senior SW Leaders & enable decision-making

Cut projects to the bone.

Developers, not Carriers can now make or break us

Need for serious marketing punch to create end user desire

No Accountability – Canadians are too nice

The press and analysts are pissing you off. Don’t snap. Now is the time for humility with a dash of paranoia.

Democratise. Engage and interact with your employees — please!

Source

BGR.com blog by Jonathan S Geller

Related Manifestos

The Peanut Butter Manifesto

Brad Garlinghouse: The Peanut Butter Manifesto

Creator: Brad Garlinghouse, a Yahoo senior vice president, created this manifesto as an internal document. (2006)

Purpose: Yahoo wasn’t doing as well as Brad liked so he offered his thoughts as to how to fix the problems. Simply put he suggested ‘Yahoo is spreading its resources too thinly, like peanut butter on a slice of bread.’

The Peanut Butter Manifesto (excerpt)

Three and half years ago, I enthusiastically joined Yahoo! The magnitude of the opportunity was only matched by the magnitude of the assets. And an amazing team has been responsible for rebuilding Yahoo!

It has been a profound experience. I am fortunate to have been a part of dramatic change for the Company. And our successes speak for themselves. More users than ever, more engaging than ever and more profitable than ever!

I proudly bleed purple and yellow everyday! And like so many people here, I love this company

But all is not well. Last Thursday’s NY Times article was a blessing in the disguise of a painful public flogging. While it lacked accurate details, its conclusions rang true, and thus was a much needed wake up call. But also a call to action. A clear statement with which I, and far too many Yahoo’s, agreed. And thankfully a reminder. A reminder that the measure of any person is not in how many times he or she falls down – but rather the spirit and resolve used to get back up. The same is now true of our Company.

It’s time for us to get back up.

I believe we must embrace our problems and challenges and that we must take decisive action. We have the opportunity – in fact the invitation – to send a strong, clear and powerful message to our shareholders and Wall Street, to our advertisers and our partners, to our employees (both current and future), and to our users. They are all begging for a signal that we recognize and understand our problems, and that we are charting a course for fundamental change. Our current course and speed simply will not get us there. Short-term band-aids will not get us there.

It’s time for us to get back up and seize this invitation.

…Our inclination and proclivity to repeatedly hire leaders from outside the company results in disparate visions of what winning looks like — rather than a leadership team rallying around a single cohesive strategy.

I’ve heard our strategy described as spreading peanut butter across the myriad opportunities that continue to evolve in the online world. The result: a thin layer of investment spread across everything we do and thus we focus on nothing in particular.

I hate peanut butter. We all should…

Source

Wall Street Journal Article displaying the full manifesto (published November 18, 2006)

E.O. Wilson: Encyclopedia of Life

Creator: E.O. Wilson is one of the world’s top Biologists, author, two time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and winner of the 2007 TED Prize.

Purpose: To build a networked encyclopaedia of all the world’s knowledge about life.

Encyclopedia of Life Manifesto

(Excerpt from the Ted Video)

I wish we would work together to help create the key tools that we need to inspire preservation of Earth’s biodiversity. And let us call it the “Encyclopedia of Life” – a concept that has already taken hold and is beginning to spread and be look at seriously. It is an encyclopaedia that lives on the internet and is contributed to by thousands of scientists around the world. Amateurs can do it also. It has an indefinitely expandable page for each species.

…The encyclopaedia will quickly pay for itself in practical applications. It will address transcendent qualities in the human consciousness, and sense of human need. It will transform the science of biology in ways of obvious benefit to humanity. And most of all, it can inspire a new generation of biologists to continue the quest that started, for me personally, 60 years ago: To search for life, to understand it and finally – above all – to preserve it. That is my wish. Thank you.

Source

TED Video on saving life on Earth

Edward Osborne Wilson on Wikipedia

EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation

The banner image is from the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation website home page

Midnight Oil: Beds Are Burning

Creator: Song written and performed by Australian band Midnight Oil composed of James Moginie, Robert Hirst, Peter Gifford and Peter Garrett, released in 1987.

Purpose:

“Beds Are Burning” is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. (Wikipedia). The song was also used as the first ever global music petition for Climate Change in 2009 as the “Tck Tck Tck, Time for Climate Justice” campaign.

Song Manifesto: Beds Are Burning

© Midnight Oil 1987

Out where the river broke

The blood wood and the desert oak

Holden wrecks and boiling diesels

Steam in forty five degrees

The time has come

To say fair’s fair

To pay the rent

To pay our share

The time has come

A fact’s a fact

It belongs to them

Let’s give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning

How do we sleep while our beds are burning

How can we dance when our earth is turning

How do we sleep while our beds are burning

The time has come

To say fair’s fair

To pay the rent, now

To pay our share

Four wheels scare the cockatoos

From Kintore East to Yuendemu

The western desert lives and breathes

In forty five degrees

The time has come

To say fair’s fair

To pay the rent

To pay our share

The time has come

A fact’s a fact

It belongs to them

Let’s give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning

How do we sleep while our beds are burning

How can we dance when our earth is turning

How do we sleep while our beds are burning

The time has come

To say fair’s fair

To pay the rent, now

To pay our share

The time has come

A fact’s a fact

It belongs to them

We’re gonna give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning

How do we sleep while our beds are burning

Source

Official Midnight Oil Website

Song Lyrics from sing365.com

Official Midnight Oil Music Video from YouTube

Beds are Burning Background on Wikipedia

Midnight Oil on Wikipedia

A veggie burger manifesto for our modern times, tastes

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The Summer Softball Manifesto (edited)

“I’m just lobbing it in.”?*

Beer, Sweat and Tears?…

Carry a Big Stick?…

Girls, Girls, Girls

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The New Work Manifesto: Be Unconventional (Selection)

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The Architecture Manifesto Lover’s Manifesto (Selected Highlights)

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The Social Customer Manifesto

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The Blackberry Manifesto

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Related Manifestos

The Peanut Butter Manifesto (excerpt)

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Encyclopedia of Life Manifesto

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The As One Manifesto (summary)

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Song Manifesto: Beds Are Burning

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