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Title Image: Jacob's Ladder by William Blake "Serpentis Quod Scalarum"

Index
i) Festivus Revisited
ii) Triple-Barrelled Justice
iii) The Guild Reconvenes
iv) SPABAs Reborn – Leaner, Meaner, Greener
v) Lost Tomes of ATLANTIS – The Third Salute

September 27th marks the confluence of cosmic alignments that signal a new era approaching, notably with the signing of the Treaty of the Brotherhood of Eden but a few short hours ago. The war effort remains strong, our infrastructure shows new growth, and the eCanadian media has hit a new high this past week with the start of several promising media projects. With this convergence of events and promising signs of the times, The Shameless Plug announces the rebirth of The Shameless Plug Awards on this Day 677, which we hope to make a weekly feature. Before getting to the delivery of SPABA rewards, let’s first take a look some other positive developments:


Festivus Revisite😛 Looking back and aiming ahead for the 27th Platoon

A month ago this day, the Reserves kicked-off Festivus (for the rest of us in the CAF). This “Festivus for the Reservists” went off without a hitch and generated much needed interest in the condition of the Reserves. After realizing we needed more communication and even more weapons, we gave away 35 guns and prepared for changes. The last 7 days have seen some positive steps toward improving the Reserves: the initiation of the Rangers, the creation of a CAF Supply Branch for the Reserves, and Marcchelala’s promotion to Brig. General as well as other positions created in the re-org. We can only hope the Airing of Grievances helped move things along, so I’m announcing a follow up mini-event for the 27th that will take place in the CAF forum folder.
All CAF Reservists go here to participate and win Q5,Q4,orQ3 guns:
http://ecanada.ws/forums/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=2508


Triple-Barrelled Justice

Cerberus, Tankbuster, and the Guns of August (with Space Pope proxy) fired their final volleys this week in the 4 month-long Supreme Court case of Dean22 vs. Augustus Baldwin. There have been doubts that the Supreme Court would be functional after its last case and there have been many grumblings over the slow pace of the most recent one. Nevertheless, eCanada bore witness to an orderly, thorough, and effective hearing that culminated in a legitimate verdict. I congratulate Chief Justice Vincent Valentine in his management of the case and his perseverance through a complicated set of evidence and raucous forum threads. In the end, 3 Justices aimed the triple-barrelled Cerberus verdict upon the shortcomings of Congress. One may doubt the true culprit was caught yet one cannot dispute that the letter of the law was upheld. In the end, a lengthy chapter in the law books of eCanada is closed yet as one commentator noted, “Who says the sorry chapter is over?” *sigh*


The Guild Reconvenes

The Guild is growing! The Writers Guild of Canada seems to be waking from its months of slumber. Other than the occasional article published by Guild members, WGC has returned to its peak of activity since the Canada Prize took place back in April. It seems with the regaining of territories and the reduced sense of threat, eCanadians are paying attention once again to developing its e-culture. We’ve seen a couple projects that seek to organize eCanadian articles, a general influx of publishing during the Congressional election and post-war discussion, as well as Jacobi’s interest in promoting a Canada Prize-like event. Writers of eCanada unite and spread the good word.


The Son of SPABA

The Shameless Plug Awards for Best Articles (SPABA) is back – leaner, meaner, and greener. Gone are the tedious forum polls and Googledoc forms. Gone are the shortlists, longlists, and award ceremonies. It’s all been condensed to one article announcing 3 top articles and a host of most notables. Greener? Yes, it greatly reduces the amount of e-waste with balloting and list-making.

Here’s how The Plug came down on the week of Sepember 20th to 26th . The theme - “Indexes & Prognostications:”


Gold Plug
Ministry of Education – Booleus – “New Canadians Read This”
The Plug: Three months ago, “NCRT” (for short) had a humble beginning in Booleus’ newspaper Canadian Clarity. Inspired by a guest contributor, Calvin Hobbes, the simple list of guidelines for new players grew bit by bit under Booleus’ steady improvements. Soon the Canadian Clarity feature hit it big time when Booleus became Minister of Education. Undoubtedly, “NCRT” forms the backbone of his ministry and will live on as part of the Booleus legacy even after he quits his Cabinet post. This more of a wiki entry than news article, and more of a tool for Canada’s growth than simple FAQ.
Best Lines: Don't hold on too tight to your regional pride. If your preferred place to live doesnt have a Q5 hospital, move somewhere in Canada that does (at the time of publishing this, Alberta). There is NO disadvantage to doing this, but a huge one to not being in a region with a hospital.



Silver Plug
Soap Box – Tyler F Durden -- “Allied Hotsheet™: I and II”
The Plug: Tyler proves the old adage: “Speak softly and carry big links.” What little he actually says in this article is made up for by the hours of clicking through this hyperlink hub on ‘roids. The sheer volume of data is much improved by the hilarious pics & bylines. All that it is lacking is perhaps a little restraint that would take this to the level of indexing artistry. For now I sez it “Rocks the Casbah” and shareef, he don’t like it. Sucks to be you, Iran. Go pick on a hermit kingdom your own size.
Best Lines: “I Has a NAP” Former eIranian President Pejmaaan after declaring war upon eCanada. Pejmaaan promptly took a nap. eCanada gained the initiative and with EDEN tanking in the final minutes, expelled eIran from North America. President after Pejmaaan was Impeached - almost unanimously.



Bronze Plug
Create, Plan, Manage – Addy Lawrence “CPM: Money-market (Day 675)”
The Plug: A shameless plug for yourself? Hold on there, I don’t think so. Let me do the honours. Addy (who may yet be my daddy) does not win Bronze for unintentionally plugging The Plug. No, it’s for a series of detailed market reports that would make an economist’s stalk rise. CPM may not get many votes now, but I am forecasting increased gains correlated to the quality index of continued reportage. Basically, he started a bit rough, but has a great objective (to educate eCanadians) coupled with a sleek format that will pay off in the long run.
Best Lines: The eCanadian government approved the issue of CA$30,000.00 on Day 663 (twelve days ago) and and another $40,000.00 on Day 671 (four days ago). I surmise that it will take 5-7 days for the second approval to take root but look for the CA$ to take 10 basis point hit based on how the first approval went.

SPAMMM – Shameless Plug Award for Media Marathon Man (not to be confused with the other SPA for mini-Media Mogul). This special award recognizes a prolific writer who puts out several articles almost every day leading to “over 50 newspaper articles this past month.”
Recipient: Bassett of Canada Globe Media


Notable Plugs – All the others that were in the running.

“eCanada Media Node”
“About the General Project”
“Index of Congressional Candidates”
Mini-plug: An impressive project from a mysterious source, perhaps out of the UK. Codifying and indexing the media is an objective I fully support. The index of congressional manifestos demonstrates how such a tool can be of use. For this new initiate, The Shameless Plug honours World Information Network GM with a “Best of the Runners-Up” award (ie. 4th place).

“Day 670: A bad day at the office”
Mini-plug: Simple pics, funny captions. It caught the spirit of eCanada riding high after recent victories.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events”
Mini-plug: An honest plea for peace talks or a gambit to pacify one front for the benefit of another? Whether you’re a sceptic or an optimist, it’s good to have a PM who communicates. Kudos on the “Congresscritters” piece, too. Is Jacobi getting funnier or what?

“eRep in Maps – Sept. 22nd”
Mini-plug: Not an eCanadian publisher, let’s not hold that against him. This is by far the most interesting use of battle summaries on a map seen in eRep. The Map Legend caught my attention.

“Operation Cabbie: The conquest of eIran”
Mini-plug: HA! But don’t forget Obi-wan Kenobi’s warning, "The Sand People are easily frightened, but they will soon be back, and in greater numbers..."

“VVV-Victory-VVV”
Mini-plug: Panda’s articles may be an epileptic’s worse fear but he’s paying back his dues with a Q4 Hospital, complete with CATScans and Bamboo lounge. TY TP!

“Auditor General’s Report on the Victory Bond Program”
Mini-plug: It’s 11 PM on Day 677, do you know where your CADs are? Come here for the inside scoop on bondage.

To all other dedicated writers of eCanada and Fortis, I salute thee – o7.


The Lost Tomes of ATLANTIS: The 3rd Salute

The Lost Tomes of Atlantis were born from the ashes of the Great Parliament Fires on Dec. 27 ‘08, which we remember as the day the first eCanadian Forums were completely destroyed. When interpreted, the tomes first hinted at the Infernal Crisis ushered in by The Evil One’s theft of 35K CAD. The Tomes later foretold of a D-day countdown to the arrival of a Great Red Dragon Rising on June 22, ’09, which happened to coincide with the COBRA Anti-Crisis deadline and, most significantly, the end of the second eCanadian Forums.
You can read the 2 other deciphered Tomes here:
“Angels&amp😉emons Inc. - The Annus Dominus Inferni Tomes”
“ Frustrated Inc.: Annus Dominus Inferni Nunc”

Little has been said in the last 3 months, partly due to the risk entailed in these revelations. Since that time, I’ve meditated upon the noodly glory of the FSM, maintained vigilant watch of The Word on High, delved into the secrets of the Theocrats on Baekdu Mountain, and consulted with Bruck’s gypsy-witch grandmother. However, much of my time was spent holed up in the archealogical centre of the eCanadian Freudian Gestalt Holistic Institute piecing together broken hyperlinks, repairing fragmented URLs, and deciphering the Lost Code in the next set of quatrains in the Tomes. So far the code indicates that the 6’s and 2’s have been replaced with the prominence of 0s and 7s. As well, I’ve translated the tomes title “Septem Trinus Tutus” to mean either ‘The Third Wave,” or “The Third Guard” or what seems most likely, “The Third Salute.” It clearly indicates that September 27th marks the beginning of a third cycle or a third century, whatever word you chose to translate it as. I’ll add more notes to my transcriptions below after further investigation.


677:1--MDCCLXXVI
ﻯeptember’s fifth week marks the final march to Fortress gate,
to reign in the pauper prince of this century’s fate.
Past beginnings mark a greater glory,
This time’s end leaves none for sorry.

oo7—Annuit cœptis
ﺡ wo-eyed Cerberean dog of war let loose the ﻯerpent
Infecting the 1ron sceptre now to septic bent
Which Antipope will pass to new key-keeper
On the 5th, though skeptics doubt the lying sleeper.

7o7—E Pluribus Unum
╒ rom Atlantis ash to Eden’s end,
Jacobi's Ladder we did ascend.
Dark purgatory brows purified
Seven swords marking those who died.

o77—Bello Vel Paci
╒athers’ sins in War of Contrition won
Forgive blood soaked body of Carpenter’s son
But brothers’ arms fail to hold
When pulled apart for pauper gold.

o7o7o7—Novus Ordo Seclorum
Ѧs we reach ladder’s final rung, comes the knell
Echoes through Fortress silenced meeting Hall.
Fifth midnight’s passing rings in the final stand,
In Third Salute to New Year’s king, we raise our hand.


postscript from rear of tome
"Serpentis Quod Scalarum"
The count is up,
So down they go.
When it will stop,
Few people know.

Despite the less than happy mood of the inscriptions, optimism is still in order and I feel fine:
"Ladder start to clatter with fear, fight down height.
Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site."


Momma always said, “Life is like a jar of hell-spawn marmalade. You can never fully prognosticate what yer gonna get.”



Congrats to Plug Awardees. Everyone stay safe and keep fighting the good fight.