Co-optimus recap time!

This month at Co-optimus a lot more of my time was spent gaming, than writing. Part of that was dealing with some real-life-college-ey situations, and part of it was due to the increase in reviews I completed. Let's start with those!

Most of the games I reviewed this month, I was really excited for. Burn Zombie Burn, that's right, a zombie game. It's not what you think, though! The one with the weird name, Dishwasher: Dead Samurai had so much potential, but just fell short with it's online glitches. Then, a throwback Arcade freebie, Aegis Wing got the Co-op review treatment.

And finally for the reviews, FLOCK! was oddly difficult, but entertaining none-the-less! Also, the addicting puzzle game Peggle was my contribution to the “beyond co-op” for this month. Of course, my name isn't the only one on a lot of these, it was fun learning to write with someone else, instead of simply for them. I'll thank Nick in whatever book I manage to publish after college!

I was really excited to get back in to writing more editorial type stuff this month, most notably my This Week In Co-op feature, with Phoenix Wright. Yea, I got a little more creative with that one, it's not even a co-op game! Also, the Innovations in Co-op gaming, which covered some great features in co-op specific games – written with loads of help, once again, from Nick.

Amazon.com gave us a nice treat with the Arcade Store, where Amazon.com is allowed to discount otherwise fixed-price Xbox arcade games. Another cool internet perk in gaming this month was the early release of Demigod to some of the legit PC gamers that wished to download it, after Gamestop broke the rules and the street date.

I took a look at what other websites thought of Ghostbusters, specifically, what should be improved. I also did my first Co-op release alert on Dishwasher: Dead Samurai - it was an independent game that went overlooked until its release.

I took a look at some sales numbers for the Shaun White Snowboarding which sounded like fun to me, and a lot of other people, only to be ignored on the shelf after only a few hours of gameplay!

I covered quite a few previews this month, including Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Fable II's content pack, Damnation, and a game that I'm so excited about I can barely contain myself, Fairtytale Fights!

I'll reiterate Fairtytale Fights here, because I can – it's my website. I really enjoyed what I read on this game, and can't wait to see what all the Fairytale characters look like. Hopefully I won't be disappointed.

The best things about living alone;

Number 1; Feeding times. I can eat peanut butter straight out of the jar if I so choose, I can eat ice-cream straight out of the container, I can toast my hot-dog bun on the burner of my stove, which mothers tend to frown on. Now, don't worry for anyone coming over--
A) I don't keep Ice-cream in the freezer anyway, so I wont be eating out of the container.
B) I probably won't be serving you anything with Peanut butter on it, and I have a knife anyway. (and I guess C would be that I won't be burning your hotdog bun on my burner?)

Number 2; Curfew. If I want to get home at 4am and start playing video games with surround sound on, I can. If anyone feels the need to come over and crash for no reason whatsoever, they can. If the cat wants to go bat-shit at 2am and gallop over furniture, that's okay too. Point is, no one tells me where to be at what time.

Number 3; Nudity. If I so choose, I can walk around buck-naked for no reason whatsoever. Play video games with no pants on, run around in bra and underwear if it gets entirely too hot. Now don't think you learned some deep, dark, perverted secret about me; I'm being hypothetical...and it does get really hot here in the summer.

Number 4; Animals. For my entire life, I've always had to ask if I can have an animal--and the answer was usually no. I had to BEG and bargain with my mother for MONTHS before I got a snake. However, one time...or maybe two times, I decided I wanted a kitten from a lovely friend who knows people giving them away. I had no permission, I need no permission, and I now have a wonderfully insane cat named Dax sitting on my television. If I want to adopt a gopher next month, I can, and I would name him Hubert, and no one could complain.

Number 5; Decoration. I have a lot of stuff, and I mean…a LOT of stuff. I have toys you wouldn't believe, legos, video games, weaponry, and posters. During the dreary high school years, I had to hide all of it in my bedroom. Now, I can put Spiderman on the ceiling of my kitchen if I so choose, or move my zombie posters into the living room - or dig out all of my toys to display on my bookshelves. Sure its immature, but its MINE, and that's what's important.

Number 6; Sleep. Probably the least important on my list, but I still need to add it. I can fall asleep wherever I want. I fall asleep in my chair, and on the couch, and even on the floor. I can curl up with the cat in front of the TV with a lovely storm going and fall asleep for hours and not even think about it, it's a beautiful, thing. Who needs a bed, anyway?

Hopefully that was somewhat amusing anyway, it was actually written a long time ago - but I feel like I've been neglecting you guys for too long.

Now imagine me, only digging through an old ceder chest for old tidbits to share.

College dependency

Yesterday, I decided it was time to fill out the FAFSA, for college government financial aid. I waited until after I turned 24 to avoid having my mothers income factored into how much financial aide I get for college. However, by not turning 24 before January first of this year, I am still considered a 'dependent student' according to the U.S. Government.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to find out how something like this could happen, by calling the FAFSA help desk, and the school itself for help. I was not going to go down without a fight. Of course, when it's the lowly citizens versus their government, the citizens lose. I am still not getting the financial aid I need for college, because my mother, who I haven't lived with in 4 years, makes more money than me.

I decided to make a list of reasons I am not a dependent for the sake of venting, because this really puts a damper on my living situation. So, without further ado, You're not a Dependent When...

You are 24 and have not been claimed as a dependent since you were 18...

You haven't lived “at home” for 1-or-more years...

You are 24 and been a casualty of the system twice via layoffs...

All of your bills are under your own name...

You've purchased a vehicle without a parental cosigner...

You've refinanced said vehicle purchase, again, sans cosigner...

The rest of “the system” removes your parents ability to financially assist you with things like insurance once you actually turn 24, not at the end of that fiscal year...

You have been out of High School for 6 years, and waited to apply for college for this very reason...

I find it amusing how difficult financial aid is to get in this country. You can't get a decent career unless you have higher education, yet you can't get higher education because you can't afford it and financial aid doesn't help nearly enough for reasons outside of ones control. Ironic, isn't it? And people wonder why the middle class is disappearing.

Oh, and one more thing: why does the school's financial year go until July, when the summer semester begins in June? This means my first month in college is the only month that is screwed up by this system, which means I can't buy books - I hear those are important for school.

Now imagine me, only stripping to pay for college.