KensonPlays

Who's excited for Monster Hunter Wilds?? I certainly am! I preordered it within an hour of the announcement and played about 10 hours of the beta. I am very much looking forward to "Monster Hunter World 2," as some people call it! My Hunter and Palico are created and ready, and they will transfer to the full game when it drops on February 27/28th! I have requested the 28th off work for a "personal day" so I can get a 3-day weekend to get in on the hunts as soon as possible! I know @Cupara is also looking forward to it, too!

Let's kick off discussions about Dinosaurs with a simple one. What is your favorite dinosaur, and why? I would have to say, easily, that this is my favorite dinosaur: And my reason for it being my favorite? It looks both cool, and odd, at the same time!

I preordered it within an hour of them going live! This is one game I plan to stream a lot of, cannot wait!

I wish I could hold one, but SeaWorld only lets you pet the snouts of baby gators, not anything larger. The San Antonio Zoo is ... meh. Not that great IMO.

What is everyone's favorite 1-2 dragon types? Dragons being 4 legs and wings, not Wyverns with 2 legs, 2 wings. Mine is the classic Fire.

Since Mixer's shutdown in 2019, and Guilded's poor management choices 3 months ago, I've felt extremely down and sad. I feel depressed a few times a week. Apparently, due to my mental health and ADHD, these kinds of things can affect me on a bigger scale than most other people. The streams have also been very slow for the last 6 months it seems, and slower than it used to be before Mixer's shutdown. It never has been as active as it was on Mixer. Man .... I miss Mixer a lot. It was a big part of my life, including PAX South, of which Mixer had a booth at every year. This was a big part of my life that was taken away from me suddenly and with no warning. Mixer only gave us a 1 month notice, PAX decided to shut down South's con because of COVID (which makes sense), but hasn't decided to bring it back when the others are still running. Guilded only gave us a 1 month notice on the login changes as well. They honestly need to give people more than a 1 month notice for them to process things fully and properly. If Guilded had contacted us Partners before making this change, and then with most Partners saying "no," and them deciding against it, I honestly feel like I wouldn't be as 'down in the dumps' as I am now. What are your thoughts on Mixer's shutdown, Guilded's poor management choices, or PAX South's shutdown and non-recovery?

Looking at our new software, which do you prefer? The current IPB software, or the former software, XenForo? As you can tell in the donation goals, IPB is a lot more expensive, but it offers 99% of what we need all built-in without any third-party addons. XenForo needs a lot of third-party addons to get similar functionality, and since they're third-party, the devs could stop supporting their stuff at any time with no notice. IPB's built-in community suite means the features won't get abandoned unless they get significantly less use and less popular.

If you’ve ever wondered about Sam Neill’s life outside of Jurassic Park, here’s a fun fact: his real name isn’t Sam at all—it’s Nigel! Neill recently shared that he adopted "Sam" because he thought "Nigel" didn’t suit him as an actor, drawing inspiration from Western films. But the story doesn’t stop there. Growing up, Neill faced struggles with confidence, particularly due to a stutter in his childhood. His decision to change his name became part of a broader effort to reinvent himself, especially when he entered the world of acting. He mentioned that by the time he was a teenager, he no longer wanted to be seen as a Nigel and was drawn to the simplicity and strength of "Sam." It’s amazing to think that the actor we all know as Dr. Alan Grant once wrestled with issues that many of us can relate to, yet overcame them to become a Hollywood icon! Would Jurassic Park have been the same if "Nigel" Grant had taken on the Rexy, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex? Tell us what you think! (Original Article at Fox News)

There's no denying it. Pets can bring lots of joy into our lives. But . . . did you know they can also offer numerous health benefits, too? There have been numerous studies that state that they can reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, or even calm you down when you are sad or angry. It doesn't matter if you decide to walk a dog, pet a cat, or simply watch your aquarium. They can help to release your body's natural mood enhancers. They also can encourage physical activity, especially dog walking. Your pet doggo can help keep you both fit and active. Those who have depression can provide emotional support, which can help you significantly. Pets also offer unconditional love, loyalty, and more. Especially those amazing dogs and cats. They can turn a tough day into a better day. Rough day at work? Have your dog or cat lay next to you and pet them. Stress? Melts away. Dogs can also open up opportunities to making new human friends too, via dog parks. Then there are the purrs of cats. It's been proven that their purrs release a frequency that is known to promote bone and tissue healing. It means that the cat is happy, and you get a healing benefit out of it, too! That's a win-win situation, I'd say. Do you have a pet that’s made a difference in your life? Let’s hear your stories!

Who here's held, or owned a Leopard Gecko? They are some very cute reptiles, IMO. They can also live 25 years or so if they are taken very good care of! I used to have one myself, and his name is Chomper. I sold him to a local reptile keeper. Just found out recently that he is on display at a "reptile classroom" at a local ranch! So he's somewhat local famous now! He was a fairly generic colored Leopard Gecko. But that doesn't mean he isn't cute! Below is a picture of Chomper, before I sold him: Do you like leopard geckos? I do!