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Time once again for another round of nominations for best article of the week (March 1-7). Before plugging the best of the bunch, we should give a quick look across the ups and downs in this week’s world of publishing.

The Yellow-winged Darter (now OtherNews) came into existence 3 months ago providing battle reports and eRep tips, later growing into a paper providing reputable US/Canada political coverage. Like most great Canadian personalities that want to make it big, the owner of the paper, Joey Phillips, made the shrewd but ultimately successful move to the US in his bid for Media Mogul status. Farewell YwD, good luck OtherNews, and congratulations Joey Phillips for making it to Media Mogul.

From that ‘up,’ we hit a bigger ‘low’ for eCanadian publishing: the closure of The Ottawa Guardian and The OG Literary Awards. Banach will be taking leave of eRep and his departure comes at what I would consider the height of The OG. Luckily, eCanada has a number of growing voices in our revived news industry. Let’s give a big salute to two great papers and lend our support to the newly emerging writers.

Before we get too choked up, here is the SPABA nominee list for this week:

1. “The Battle for the Central Highlands” by Gallant0 of The Syldavian Telegraph.
The Plug: You could consider Gallant0’s coverage of the Mexican-American war part of a series documenting the troop movement, politics, and subterfuge of the battle. It’s well-worded and supported with fine details and restrained opinions. A vote for this article is a vote for the other 4.
Best Lines: There have been rumors of large international troop movements into the Central Highland territory, the Mexican capital region. The Central Highlands is currently home to 220 citizens and contains a level four hospital, no defensive systems, and no prospect of holding out against an American assault. If the American military is able to gain control of this region it will spell the end for the Mexican war effort.

2. “The Boomer Bugle Man of the Month - February 2009” by Dade Pendwyn of The Boomer Bugle.
The Plug: Dade has brainstormed another good angle for article writing. On top of that, he’s chosen what many believe to be a rising star in the eCanada scene. The interview and hyperlinks give a us a good sense of what socio-political developments are coming our way.
Best Lines: It is my pleasure to announce the Boomer Bugle’s first Man of the Month for February, 2009 – Josh Taggart. Despite being a paltry 10 days old, Josh’s legislative and political impact on our societal fabric is incontrovertible. Josh Taggart’s extensive real life experience as a policy analyst coupled with his spirited activity (not to mention honours degrees from Carleton) has in just a few short days cemented his status as one of eCanada’s most promising political players.

3.”EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Bruck ! / Interview avec Bruck, EXCLUSIF!” by marcchelala of Quick News.
The Plug: Perhaps it’s too easy to promote articles that have important figures speaking in them. What makes marcchelala’s article more than a fluff piece is that it makes Bruck accessible to both sides of the ‘two solitudes,’ French and English eCanadians. From CAF General to eCanadian Prime Minister, Bruck keeps his responses in formation and to the point.
Best Lines:
QN: In what ways is this Coalition a revolution in the eCanadian politics?
Bruck: This shows that two Canadian parties, one formed when members split off from the other because of ideological differences, can compromise on an issue as large as Presidential elections. Furthermore... it shows that the CEP is not the party that everyone thought it was last term. We are a professional experienced party that knows what needs to be done for the betterment of Canada

4. “Party Platforms” by Yonsil of People’s Journal.
The Plug: Yonsil has been working hard to become a recognized publisher in eCanada. He has put together a functional cross-comparison of each major partie’s view on election issues. This article serves as a good tool for voters wanting an easy breakdown of what matters to eCanada. The only thing missing would be a list of connections to each party’s platform, but Kelly Mahoney supplies a link to that in the commentary (you two should get together).
Best Lines: Many of citizens do not read platforms or understand what their party stands for. And often enough, you just don't have time to read over all of their platforms. Well, here it is. Narrowed everything down to the point, contrasted in all direction. You'd be surprised to know that many of these candidates have differed views on how the government should function as.

5. “Canadian Health Services” by emilio sanchez of Canadian News Corp.
The Plug: This may seem like more of a Public Service Announcement than a news article, yet it arrived after such anticipation that it came as good news for most of us. As an article, it works to explain the purpose and needs of The Canadian Health Services in an easy-to-follow manner. It’s an endeavour we should all hope becomes a success.
Best Lines: The Canadian Health Services was created to help citizens achieve a higher wellness. Thereby increasing their productivity; Which means they produce more, so the companies have more products to sell. Then the companies can make more profit, thus meaning they can pay more to workers etc. It's a circle that benefits everyone.

Those are your nominees for this week. Please click on the link to give them a read or even a vote, then head over to the eCanada forum to make your best pick at the poll: http://ecanada.forumotion.com/canadian-discussion-f7/best-article-march-1-7-t1228.htm#19512

Here is a quick nod to the articles that made the shortlist but not the “Best of”:

“For those who are confused about achievements” by Mirahge.
Best Lines: Also, beforehand, you should establish your reputation as an active member of your country. Joining the forums and having some speech skills would be a good thing too

“Uncle Sam Defines Mexico’s Future” by Gallant0.
Best Lines: Uncle Sam: “The second [objective] was so that we could free Mexico of their rouge Polish congress. Since the Polish congress has left, our second objective in Mexico is finished. Looking at how the USA has expanded to gain three more regions, we have a lot of options."
It must be stressed that the Polish members left the Mexican congress on their own accord, and their flight was in no way related to the American invasion. They had a predefined goal, and had announced their departure before the invasion was complete.

"Change is not always the best choice” by Stephen A M.
Best Line: The CEP and the PPC, while both are good parties, filled with good people, have shown that instead of influencing people on their own and with their own platforms, they need to come together to win enough support to win.