The 'Shroom:Issue 162/'Shroomfest

'Shroomfest Written by:, , and Art by:

THE 'SHROOM: THE TALE OF MOO MOO FARM

'Shroom Research Lab: ''Our more in-depth research lately has enabled us to uncover new valuable artefacts and ancient works relating to the flourishing era of the 'Shroom newspaper. In these finds, is an old diary, which tells of the brief time of piece that reigns within the 'Shroom staff… The staff of the 'Shroom Research Lab is currently working very hard to have a detailed report of the events presented to you. Thank you for your patience!''

What a terrible journey!!

Ugh… Why! Why did we have to go to the countryside? I hate that. There is no internet access over there. How am I supposed to tell all of my friends on social networks about the food I am eating or how I will be able to make daily updates on my blog? The worst part is that we just had to go to the farm. Moo Moo Farm to be precise.

Let's just say that I was not thrilled in advance to take this little trip, but it seems that it was mandatory. I tried to complain, but it was all in vain.

The Core 'Shroom Staff wanted the conflicts to end for good, and I agreed. After the incident in which Roserade turn into a giant (such a pain to turn him back to his old self), and that Super 'Shroom Scuffle or whatever, it was about damn time that peace return (maybe our expectations were too high).

So, after receiving complaints from several staff members, Hooded Pitohui and Roserade have tried their hardest to make peace and try to find an activity that members of the staff could all appreciated (that's really what they said, but to tell the truth, we had to agree with the idea). After several days of research, Pitohui and Rose have chosen to organize a trip to Moo Moo Farm, a farm located in Moo Moo Meadows. Since the newspaper is located in Shroom City, a change of scenery was apparently going to do us the greatest good (yeah, sure).

Writing this make me remember the joy I was hiding when Ninja Squid, the Statistics Manager was discussing about the low budget that the newspaper had at the time, and that the trip was probably too expensive. Well, it was normal, since the Awards Ceremony was held not too long before that, and the 'Shroom’s budget was spent on that (too much if you ask me). Unfortunately for me, my joy was short-lived. Neo Hope Foundation, one of the many businesses that started to take control over the 'Shroom (that's what you get when you are now part of Rose's Empire… uh… hope he doesn't read this ), had decided to fund the entire event. Apparently, it was part of an endgame plan, or something along the line. They even supplied us with a completely new bus that we used to travel to Moo Moo Farm. Our conductor was Ninja Squid, and let me tell you, his driving skills are definitely not his best. When I ask him to slow down, he tell me that he always drive fast, that it helps him to dodge any traps or Ink Mines along the way (what was he talking about?).



Due to the speed that Ninja Squid was driving, we had arrived at the farm much earlier than expected. When we arrived, I must admit that, despite my reluctance of visiting Moo Moo Farm, I was amazed by the magnificent landscape of the region, and that all this almost made me want to have a good time at the farm. Anyway, we had a little guided tour by a member of the farm, I think it was a Toad (do not ask me for his name, I don't even remember). We had the opportunity to touch and see different farm animals. Hooded Pitohui and Ninja Squid were both enthusiastic when we got to the hen house, but not for the same reasons, I warn you. Pitohui launched into an endless speech about birds, and what makes chickens extraordinary creatures, while Ninja Squid rather wondered if a chicken could be used as a reliable weapon (I don't think I need to go into details about the temper tantrum he got from Pitohui by daring to say such a thing).



Oh, that reminds me that during Hooded Pitohui's speech, Rose had vanished to the pig house not too far away from where we were. According to Roserade, pigs were more interesting animals to watch, and Pitohui's speech about chickens was a waste of time. At this point, the rest of the staff had started to fear that it would degenerate once again into a fight. That's where I got the genius idea of having a picnic on the hill not so far away of the entrance to the farm. Well, it was mostly because I was hungry, but since everyone agreed with the idea, I consider it a very good idea to rule out a battle between Pitohui and Rose, and I must say that I was a fool for thinking that way.

When we got to the bus to look for some stuff to organize the picnic, Hypnotoad have noticed that there was a public contest, to proceed with the creation of a mascot for a new line of products that the farm was preparing. It had to be a farm animal, which would then be used as a brand image for those products. Obviously, this is where things got out of hand. Hooded Pitohui and Roserade started to argue on which between a chicken or a pig should be the brand image for Moo Moo Farm's new products. Oh, that was nothing out of the ordinary, but it was from that moment that things took a turn for the worst…



-Unknown author

'Shroom Research Lab: ''The staff is currently deciphering the remainder of the manuscript. Due to the aging of the paper, some passages are difficult to read. Updates regarding the nature of this manuscript will be provided as soon as we understand the situation. A period of one month will be necessary for us to make a very detailed report of this diary.''

Staff Notes


Old habits die hard!

Hello, 'Shroom readers! It's your Statistics Manager who sends you this message directly from Moo Moo Farm and I welcome to an all-new edition of 'Shroomfest. Thanks to your strong participation to our trial run back in June, 'Shroomfest will now be held on a quarterly basis, so expected to see more bickering from us in the future. After all, I am pretty sure these feudings will be written down in history, and will be considered valuable artefacts for future 'Shroom historians. What do you mean it's already the case? Are you some kind of time traveler?

Well, in any case, Hooded Pitohui and Roserade are currently fighting somewhere in a hill not very far from where I am, and I can assure you that everything's fine... For now at least!

This month's debate will concerns the farm animal which should serve as a mascot for some new products that Moo Moo Farm wants to launch in the future. Which one should be chosen among a chicken and a pig? Well, this is where you need to step in and choose which one would work best. Will you support Hooded Pitohui and chickens like Jibeta who apparently did nothing wrong, or you will rather join Roserade to make sure that pigs learn to fly high enough to take the win? In any case, the choice is yours!

With my message also comes one from both team leaders which you can find below. If you are new to this event, be sure to check out the rules that you can also find below.

To conclude, be sure to cast your vote, and join us in the debate thread on the forum. Have fun!

&mdash;Ninja Squid, Judge

Which farm animal do you prefer: the chicken or the pig? Choose your side and cast a vote!

Join Team Chicken


They often ask, whether it was the egg that came first or if the chicken preceded it. Well, I am here to tell you that it matters not what order in which they arose! (Though, yes, the egg arose before the chicken as we think of it.) It's an irrelevant question, because, no matter its relationship to the egg, the chicken is majestic creature, and it's certainly better than those swines which Roserade supports!



If you don't believe me, we ought to review the basic facts. The humble chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus, is its name. Now, isn't that a regal sounding name? Does not the doubling of the gallus in that name evoke a sense of some great queen? If it does not, I implore you to take a look at its ancestor, the red junglefowl, Gallus gallus! Surely you can see the beauty of such a creature?

Oh, but I can't persuade you on aesthetic alone. I realize this. So, instead, allow me to lay out, in condensed form, precisely how I will convince you that the chicken is superior to the pig. I will begin, first with a discussion of their anatomy, and show that chickens are objectively better than pigs as a result of their body plans. Afterwards, I will discuss their utility. You will find these creatures are far more versatile than are swine. Finally, to punctuate my arguments, I will point you to the work of prominent chickens in popular culture. I trust that, through this informative discussion, you will come to understand why chickens are far better than pigs.

Now, are you prepared to learn why chickens can scream louder than you? Then, please, take a look at my post, where I will begin to present my case...

Learn about the majesty of chickens here, as I begin to walk you through part one of my three part case!

&mdash;Hooded Pitohui, Leader of Team Chicken

Join Team Pig


I see that the opinions of those in leadership have gone rather... fowl recently. But fret not, for it is under my guidance that we shall determine the outcome of this 'Shroomfest. While Pitohui may be running around like his head is cut off, I will be leading Team Pig to victory, and secure the pig as the true mascot of Moo Moo Farm.

I recognize that some of you may feel tentativeness towards this truth. After all, aren't pigs those silly animals that roll around in mud and eat slop for breakfast and dinner? The gentle pig may look nothing more than ridiculous at a first glance, but as my arguments will show, the pig deserves far more respect than it is given credit for. Please rest comfortably, and allow me to whisk you away into a world of wonderful Suidae swines.

Unlike my competitor above, I will not be laying out each step of my argument here. After all, we must keep the element of suspense and surprise in these forms of debate. Trust in me, however, that my argument is foolproof, articulately crafted, and beautiful in every sense of the word. No chicken shall take the place of a rightfully deserving pig!

My arguments begin here.

Come, MarioWiki users, let us rejoice in the perfection of the pig!

&mdash;Roserade, Leader of Team Pig

Rules
In order for you to earn points for each teams, we have opted to divide things into three categories.

The result will depends on the number of categories a team will win. For example: If Team Alpha receives 12 endorsements, while Team Bravo receives 8 endorsements, that means that Alpha wins on the endorsements category. The team who wins the most categories will be declared the winner of the 'Shroomfest. In addition, the winner is officially and objectively the best according the The 'Shroom's law. Therefore, taking the win is very important!

Debate Guidelines
The debate’s thread will be opened by the designated judge who will make a brief introduction to the debate’s subject, along with the motivations of each team's leader.

Afterwards, for a period of three weeks, the team leaders and their supporters will try to convince you that their team is truly the best. They'll do this with arguments, art, photos, and stories that will demonstrate the reasons why their choices is truly the better. After one week of debating, the judge will then write a brief note, highlighting the best cases from both team, and even question the various subjects raised by the team leaders and supporters. Afterwards, they will have to argue against the questions or subjects brought up by the judge, which will lead to further debating. This cycle will occur every week in order to keep the debate as fresh, and up to date as possible. Once the three-week period has passed, the judge will conclude the debate with a short message and invite the participants to come back for the results that will come out at the release of the 'Shroom's next issue. Any message or argument posted after this message won't be taken into account during the compilation of the results.

How to endorse a team: On the debate thread, you just have to post a simple word of encouragement for the team you choose to support. It is entirely possible to change teams at any time, by writing another word of encouragement to the other team to change side. Take note that only the last team you endorse before the debate ends will be the one that will be taken into account for the results. So be sure that the team you choose to support is the one you want. How to give points to the Efforts category: To allow your team to score point into the "Efforts" category, you must add valuable posts to the debate. Lay out your own opinion/arguments, create art or photos of your favorite protagonists/antagonists (caption are allowed), write entertaining stories, or even make a meme or two. Making the most convincing and entertaining case is an important part of the debate. If you are unsure if something is worthy of the "Efforts" category, just ask the judge about it on Discord, or with a PM. Our main goal is to make the debate as accessible as possible.

'''Please note that in an effort to keep the debate civil, fun, and lighthearted, please, we request that you respect all the instructions. Any inappropriate behaviors (spam, flaming, personal attacks, etc…), and discussions regarding politics, social issues, or any controversial topics that veer away from the light-hearted nature of this debate will not be tolerated. '''

The debate will take place from September 21st to October 12th. To join the debate, click here.

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