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[UPDATED]

Greetings eCanada:

This is the launch of the much waited for (and even more procrastinated over) Shameless Plug, a weekly posting to unabashedly promote the dedicated writers of eCanada. There are no exact criteria to determine who makes the list or how you should vote. It all comes down to a matter of public opinion and my own judgement of whom to add to the poll.

How did I choose the best articles of the week? Granted, the number of votes may have swayed this week's selections (see disclaimer below). However, the main purpose was to find articles that elevate the standards of eCanada journalism, educate our citizens, or entertain those looking for more than trivia supershots to get their kicks.

What are the rewards? Well, right now the best part is public recognition and minor fame for putting in the time to produce a great article. If any corporate sponsors would like to be shamlessly plugged by this newspaper, please donate some fine gifts, quality food, or nice houses for our writers of e-Canada. As it stands, I can only pull 50 CAD out of my hard-earned, diamond-digging salary.

How do I vote? Feel free to post comments in the reply box, but only votes registered through the eCanada forum will be accepted. I'm hoping this will reduce fraud and keep the voting strictly Canadian (also, I hate counting, so let the forum poll take care of it).
Go Here to Vote: http://ecanada.forumotion.com/erepublik-discussion-f3/the-shameless-plug-article-poll-jan-26-to-feb-1-t569.htm#8952

When does voting end? Voting will run from Sunday to the following THURSDAY. Please look under the eRepublik Discussion folder of the eCanada forum.

Can I submit or recommend articles for nomination? Of course you can make my job easier. Should you see a well written article about eCanada or by an eCanadian, PM me the link and a short explantation about why you want this article nominated. Only articles written during the week of the polling will be accepted. I will only accept articles for the next award if they are written from Feb. 1st to Feb. 7th.

Disclaimer: I only have access to the previous 3 days for selections this week. If something wonderful was posted before Jan 28th, my apologies for not noticing it.

Here are the nominees for Best Articles from Jan 26 to Feb 1:

"Breaking News: Zanalan Is Not Real" - by Augustus Baldwin of The Guns of August.
The Plug: An article that crosses all boundaries of genres - satire, creative non-fiction, investigative reporting. I have no idea if any of this is true. The laugh was worth the read. Put this in the "wildcard" category.
Best Line: "Several Congress members had reported seeing the ghost of Zanalan wandering the halls of the Parliament Building, eternally seeking his dead body, which Acting Prime Minister Dominik had apparently fashioned into some kind of lifelike puppet suit."

"3 Things I Wish I'd Known" - by Azzeriath of Northern Forged.
The Plug: Direct and informative for all the new players joining eCanada this past week. Nothing glitzy about this article, yet it's basic usefulness will outshine the number-crunching. I took a serious look at the money market during my first week, but the calculations turned me off. After reading this, I may reconsider.
Best Line: "It's better to get 3 supershots and 2 fails than it is to answer 5/5 at regular speed."

"Presidential Elections: Part II" - by Dominik of Slavia.
The Plug: This three-part series is a lengthy and comprehensive look at the political climate of Canada. I'll admit I never read all three word-for-word, but was awed by the sheer bulk of typed words and subject headings. An unbiased report or not, you have to admit that there is plenty to learn from here. Part II was chosen to represent the series, since the interviews were a fantastic look at the candidates-to-be.
Best Line: "I believe that Tom is an example to us all."

"To Canada: The Time is NOW!" - by Alias Vision of The Freeholder Press
The Plug: What inspired me to create my newspaper this week (rather than 2 weeks ago when I got the idea for The Plug) was possibly this article. Actually, it was the news that eCanada was receiving a much needed infusion of new blood after the New Year's Meltdown/Gold Scam. The crashes and complaints left a bad taste to what had been an intriguing game up to then. I'm not saying Alias is responsible for the influx, but I read it there first and decided not to cancel my account after all.
Best Line: "If we do not want to inherit a nation of zombies, you all know what needs to be done."

"The n00b Guide: Part Deux – New World holistically" - by Phineas Gage of The Synapse.
The Plug: Phineas continues to produce one encyclopedia article after another. Other than the heavy dose of information to be gleaned here, the syntax, choice of headings, and overall style make it a paragon of eCanadian journalism quality. The "we" may belie the possibilty this was a collaborative piece, but Phineas gets all the praise for now.
Best Line: "To become a great businessman is to follow the stimulus created by war."

That's a wrap for this week's picks. I'm open to suggestions and criticisms about anything you have read. If you would like to participate in this process amd become a judge to vet any submitted articles, please contact me. Let's give a hand to those who keep this game and the eCanada community alive with their prose.

Plugson