Fare Co-op Sets off My MLM Alarm Bells

I've got some familiarity with pyramid schemes. When I was looking for work years ago I almost joined an insurance one. I've had friends and, "Friends," try to sell me on them at various points as well. For those unaware, pretty much anything where you can make more money recruiting people than selling the actual product is, by its nature, a pyramid scheme/multilevel marketing. It can be insurance, Mary Kay Cosmetics, CutCo Knives, True Romance sex toys, Herbalife, Avon, Pampered Chef, or basically anything. My point is, if a major aspect or even the main point of the business is to recruit others so you get money for referrals, downstream/upstream, or any other fancy phrasing, you're in a MLM. If you're okay with that, cool. Some people do very well in such a business as with any prymaid there are, "Levels," above others, making plenty of money...the thing is, a vast majority of folks are there at the bottom. I say all this to bring me to the point of how, when I heard radio ads for something called Fare Co-op, I looked into it. Then, my MLM alarm bells went off.

As with lots of MLM stuff, Fare Co-op sounds absolutely great at first blush. It is a rideshare service that the drivers own a part of, not some big Wall Street company. Co-ops can be great. I was a member of a grocery store co-op when I lived in Upstate New York and would frequent it in Ithaca. You could pay a membership fee, volunteer your time to help the store for membership rights, go to meetings to vote on things where everyone had a voice, and so forth. Fare Co-op makes itself sound like a co-op (I mean, it is in the name), but the more you dig, it becomes abundantly clear that a pyramid is buried under the seemingly green grass. To use another metaphor, even if some aspects do have co-op bones, the lifeblood is strictly MLM.

You tell people who hitch a ride with you via Uber or Lyft that if they were to use Fare Co-op, they can get rides cheaper. You also can recruit other people to drive via Fare Co-op, with all your referrals drawing a percentage back to you (sound the warning klaxon). When the customers or drivers you recruited get new people to try Fare Co-op, you even earn a slice of that, thanks to the tiers (the klaxon is getting louder). If you are there on the ground floor, getting people to use Fare Co-op as it begins to operate in your state, you might theoretically be able to do pretty well. Recruit enough folks and you'll be able to just sit at home watching as the money rolls in thanks to your, "Referrals." That's what MLMs are truly selling, however, and the amount of work you'd need to put in to climb these tiers and make all this money can very well end-up being the same as or less than if you just started your own private transportation company you hyped-up while doing Uber or Lyft, with its own elite fleet of chauffers or such; as I saw people point-out on Reddit, why do all this work for something that at the end of the day, even if you're doing well, you only have a piece?

This is all just my opinion. I've seen people doing Fare Co-op in their states where it is currently operating, being quite pleased with the process/growth/etc. I have noted folks who hated trying it. I am not here to tell anybody driving for Uber or Lyft that they should do Fare Co-op or be sure to avoid it. All I can say is that back when I was sitting in that, "Seminar," about selling insurance which was followed by an, "Interview," where they said how much they wanted to bring me aboard, a little voice inside me was whispering, "Run." I listened to that voice before losing a ton of my time to make very little money. I heard the ads for Fare Co-op, and for a split second, I started to think about how, if it is going to be around here, and I had the time to do something like that, it could be a good opportunity. Then, the little voice spoke up. It went, "Oh, Hell no," and was not even whispering. It did more of a holler that continued, "Come on, man, you've dodged these before." I'm gonna listen to the voice.

Disclaimer: As I repeatedly have said, this is an opinion. I've criticized businesses before to the chargin of some, and one even threatened to sue me for libel before they shut down due to countless customer complaints. I doubt a seemingly big company such as Fare Co-op cares what I have to say, but in the interest of CYA, I've added this disclaimer.

Some, "Grand Theft Auto VI," News Dropped Today. Then, All Hell Broke Loose

"Grand Theft Auto VI," is the most anticipated game of this year, that is not an overstatement. From leaks about the game as it was in development for quite some time, to how it was delayed repeatedly, and it seeming all-but-certain November 19th is set in stone as the release date, there has been a lot of hype. One thing everyone wondered, and Rockstar (the developer) or Take-Two (the Publisher) would not reveal was what the game could cost. Most new games are $70, some are $80, and there were rumors for such a huge game, the price could be $100. A bunch of news came out today, and they chose to go in a direction that makes everyone angry. "GTA VI," will ostensibly cost $80 at launch, but an, "Ultimate Edition," with more outfits, weapons, cars, and content, will cost $100. Just making it $80 would have been accepted by a lot of folks. Pricing it at $100 would have upset a ton of people, but probably had apologists too. This weird two-level system just upsets anybody involved and is a terrible idea. Oh, and there is no physical disc, either. Yes, seriously.

If you buy, "GTA VI," at a store, you simply purchase a box with a download code inside. You can buy it a week early to preload the game when it goes live the 19th, but it is essentially an empty box, unless a cool little map comes with it. This has perturbed a number of people, and some smaller chains won't be selling the game as a form of protest without actual discs involved. We've got no discs with the, "Physical," edition and a bunch of content that costs extra. It isn't like this is DLC being worked on and added to the game months/years later, this is stuff that is done and being placed beyond an extra 20 bucks if you want the, "Complete," experience. For a game as massive at, "GTA VI," is bound to be will this content probably be less than 1% of the whole experience? Quite possibly, yes, but in line with that argument, why even fence it off? Much of the internet collectively groaned in displeasure at this news today, even if a bunch of cool new screenshots accompanied these unwelcome details. Will, "GTA VI," still sell an absurd amount of copies and be one of the biggest game releases ever? Yes, that is quite likely. I, at least, won't be buying it on release date purely out of principle due to this absurd pricing system/scheme. I've waited this long to play, "GTA VI," and I can give it a few more months for an inevitable, "Ultimate Edition," sale.

The Ultimate Universe, "Ends," Tomorrow

 

The current Ultimate Universe, as we know it, ends tomorrow. We will get, "Ultimate Endgame," #5 and a, "Finale," special. I've seen some spoilers that make it abundantly clear how, even if Marvel is concluding the current run of, "Ultimate," books, there are ways it will, "Return," in some fashion. Plus, the latest Ultimate Universe has had an impact on the regular Marvel 616 Universe already, with those little boxes of powers ending up jumping around the multiverse. That said, Marvel is essentially ending the latest iteration of the Ultimate Universe tomorrow (for now), and it does surprise me to a degree they actually went through with it--especially considering that, "Ultimate Spider-Man," was a license to print money for a hot minute. 

The original Ultimate Universe remains a fascinating piece of history (I'd highly recommend Ted Adams book, "The Ultimates (Marvel Age of Comics)," for an in-depth examination) and the success of its pseudo-return/reinvention will go down as pretty intriguing, as well. Between DC's Absolute Universe (and its continued massive success) and this most recent Ultimate Universe, unique takes on seemingly-familiar concepts worked out quite well. I really enjoyed a lot of this Ultimate Universe and while I'll miss a number of the series from it, at least this publishing cycle of an, "Ultimate," Marvel World did not wear out its welcome.

Music Mondays: Some Bands Are Just Ahead of the Times

Some music sounds like a throwback to the past. Other jams sound eerily apt for the moment. Then, there is the stuff that sounds straight-up from the future in some fashion. Bands that are ahead of their time, experimenting sonically in some wild fashion. Perhaps it is a new technique with technology that nobody else has attempted--think of the KLF and how they were doing sample-heavy mash-ups before, "Mash-Ups," were even a trend. The Pet Shop Boys feel like they were beamed straight from the future to our eardrums with the epic and space-age sound. OutKast took Hip-Hop places few could have expected with their blending of genres from space funk ("ATLiens,") to sounding a bit like a live rock band ("Aquemini,") to essentially transcending rap as a form and just doing damn good music that refused to fit into an exact genre ("Speakerboxx/The Love Below"). Hell, some people argue that Blondie and their New Wave tunes invented techno as we know it today--which, okay, but give Kraftwerk some credit!

Sometimes a group that is ahead of its time isn't recognized properly until later on (The Velvet Underground) or dismissed at first as a gimmick, even though, if you dig a little, you'll find a surprising amount of substance (Devo). It is wild to think you can sometimes play someone's music from decades ago, and you recognize that other groups have finally caught up with what the OGs were doing all those years earlier. Some bands are just ahead of the times, and I thank them all for being forward-thinking and supplying us with a glimpse of just where music could possibly be going before it even knows it wants to metaphorically get there.

Happy Father's Day 2026

I want to wish a happy Father's Day to all the dads and father figures out there! I love my boys, Clarkson and Gibson, so much and am excited to have another holiday to celebrate with them. Being a father is among the things I enjoy the most in life, and having kids was (for me) one of the best life choices ever. Having biological or adopted children isn't for everyone due to various circumstances they may face or their own personal choices, but if you've ever served in a role that is Father-ish, then you can be proud today! Oh, and I don't want to forget I owe a great deal of thanks to my wife, Samii, for helping birth these stinky boys. Without her, I wouldn't even be a dad, so much love to her and my kiddos on this special day!

ArchRivals Collector Fest was Superb Fun!

The latest ArchRivals Collector Fest took place today, and it was an extremely fun time! There were tons of vendors with trading cards, comics, toys, and other collectibles. The guests were very snazzy as well; I definitely enjoyed myself.

Jessica Mathews

Early Bird entry kicked off at 8AM with a crowd eager to check the show out. I immediately said hello to my good friend Jessica Mathews. She had many of her awesome books, and we discussed how at the upcoming ToyMan show (July 12th) she would have some new titles for sale! I then spoke with Bruce Renyolds and met his brother, Alan, who was visiting Saint Louis and had brought a wildly cool mix of comics, both older and newer. There were a ton of card vendors and one with neat creations I was impressed by. This is their sign:

Guest of the show and popular colorist, Alex Sinclair, was speaking with fans and working on various pieces at the show. We nerded out together over fun history facts about Saint Louis, as we both love interesting trivia. He was kind enough to pose for a picture:

My chums from Go Getter Gamez brought a ton of awesome video games and consoles that many attendees enjoyed checking out. Mr. Makebelieve's Kiss Kollectibles were a hoot to look at, as he always has tons of neat things. Heroes for Kids was raising funds for charity and promoting their own upcoming show on July 18th & 19th! A company called STL Slots was selling real slot machines that had been tweaked to be legal for home use, so people could put them in a little basement bar area or such to have fun games to play (without losing any real money). They let me snap a picture of their sign:

John Gremillion is a voice actor for a number of popular shows (including the, "One Piece," anime) and we talked about voice acting and how he was enjoying the show. He was cool with me taking a picture of him and his banner:

As I continued navigating the show, I caught up with Brian Lan, who was helping promote the Hero Initiative, which assists comic creators in need. I ran into my friend Caitlyn McCarthy, who had some cool crafts for sale at a booth with her friend and skillful crocheter, That Crafty Witch. They posted for some photos:

A cool artist named, "The Wobbly Duck," was selling fun artwork and prints, and I chatted with my friend Nate Nauert and browsed his cool comics. I ran into Naked Man Creations again and admired his fascinating creations. Here he is with some of his works:

This Archrivals Collector Fest was packed with cool vendors, awesome guests, and was a great way to spend this Saturday! I want to thank the show for inviting me to attend as press and look forward to future events!

I Saw Lindsey Kraft and Ben Folds at The Factory Yesterday

Last night I went with Samii to see a delightful concert. It was Ben Folds with Lindsey Kraft as his opener. The show started right at 8PM with Ms. Kraft doing an assortment of really cool songs (I especially like the Mom-centric one) and discussing how she had a musical coming out this August in SoHo--which Ben Folds was a producer on! After her performance, she met with fans and was really pleasant to speak with. I'd highly recommend checking her website out and following her work!

Following a brief intermission, Mr Folds took the stage and played a variety of tunes from his older hits to recent great songs such as, "Exhausting Lover," which was on a recent LP. The story of how that song came about over a period of years was quite hilarious.

Watching Mr. Folds play the piano was incredible. His hands moved with lightning speed, and he was straight-up jamming! With his relaxed demeanor, it was fun to listen as he spoke between tunes about the history behind his songs. Whether singing with his piano playing or sharing a humorous aside, Mr. Folds was engaging the entire time he performed. When the show seemed done, the audience roared and he was kind enough to come back out and do a couple more tunes.

The show wrapped at approximately 10:45 PM, and everyone made their way out of the stadium with impressive speed. At some concerts, the crowd seems to dilly-dally, but I guess many of those in attendance were fellow Millennials (and Gen-Xers) who had kiddos to return home to. I had a fantastic time listening to Lindsey Kraft and Ben Folds. Look and see if their tour will be anywhere nearby so you can go and see a great show!

Juneteenth 2026

Today is Juneteenth. Juneteenth is about how some of the last, formerly, "Legally," enslaved people within the United States were freed on this day in 1865 when troops forced slave owners in Texas to free their human beings from illegal ownership. It has existed for some time as a holiday, but became a Federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. America has had quite some time to observe and reckon with its disturbing legacy of enslavement, yet many still choose to try to frame slavery as if it were, "Not that bad," as opposed to a stain on our Nation's history. 

Having a day to commemorate the end of slavery as we knew it (the idea of how prisoners are treated as slaves within the modern-day prison industrial complex is a lengthy post for another time) is a wonderful thing. A way to celebrate the end of something dark and disturbing as our nation inched a little closer to, "Liberty and justice, for all." America is still quite far from actually achieving such a lofty goal, but it remains a work in progress--and there is a lot of work to be done.

Teenagers are Being Banned From Going in Public Alone, it Makes Sense They're Cooped Up On Their Phones

When I was a teenager in the now apparently olden days of the early 2000's, we had a variety of tech, but it was a bit less ubiquitous. Cell phones weren't the smartphones we now know. Downloading music via the internet happened, but was more of a dirty little illegal thing compared to buying CDs or burning a mix of songs for your friends. Plus, we often just...hung out. We'd just lounge around a park, sit at a coffee place, aimlessly wander the Mall, lounge at an arcade, or otherwise go out and do random stuff. We Millennials weren't exactly like when Generation X were kids or teenagers, as they'd literally get thrown out of the house by their parents for hours upon hours (told to just come back by the time the streetlights flickered on), but we definitely were out and about more than a lot of Gen Z or younger kiddos. Some people say the ability of teenagers to sit at home and talk with all their friends online, play games with them, and so forth has created less desire to go out and be together in person. However, columnist Rikki Schlott over at the, "New York Post," of all places, hits the nail on the head with her opinion piece, "Teens are being banned from bowling alleys, skating rinks, malls, and theme parks — no wonder they’re on their phones all day."

The NY Post tends to be one of the most intentionally provocative, scandal-focused, tabloid-adjacent papers and websites out there, but when somebody's right, they're right. So many places that used to be hot spots for teenagers to just chill and spend time together now won't even allow anybody under 18 without a parent/legal guardian to be present at certain times (or all the time). Theme parks forbid a small group of teens. Malls will let a sixteen-year-old work in a store, but not go shopping around by themselves. Teens might have a couple of friends with a license and a car they can borrow to drive...but where is there to go? Some movie theaters don't want unaccompanied minors, and even something as simple that I did with friends when I was a teen, like tooling around our town's massive Walmart (there really wasn't much to do in Cortland) might be forbidden in some cities if those teens lack a grown-up by their side.

Yes, teenagers can get in trouble or cause a ruckus. They can be rude, loud, disruptive, or cause a scene. That said, there are plenty of adults doing that all the time (whether sober, drunk, or whatever). Plenty of teenagers are perfectly behaved and polite, and maybe would love the chance to spend a couple of hours at a roller rink with friends, aimlessly zooming around. More and more places don't want teens present, and bluntly, plenty of parents are paranoid about their kiddos going out and doing something without constant supervision or checking in with home on their phone every 15 minutes. When I was a teenager, we at least had the opportunity to choose between staying home and playing a PlayStation 2 or going and killing a couple of hours at Frank and Mary's diner--eating some cheap all-day breakfast--and paradoxically having a lot of fun doing basically nothing. God, I miss that place, and I'm glad it existed long enough that I was able to introduce Samii to it on a couple of visits back to Cortland.

Teens today have a lot fewer opportunities to simply go out and socialize with each other (unless a parent is essentially standing nearby). Sometimes older folks will complain about, "Kids these days," and how easy they have it. That is true in some regards when it comes to how simple it is to access information (asking an AI about an old news story is a lot simpler than scrolling through microfilm), but when it comes to opportunities for social interaction beyond the internet, the youth definitely have a lot fewer opportunities available. I feel bad for, "The kids today," in that regard. I may have had to flip through a phonebook to get the number for a local pizza joint instead of asking Siri, but at least my friends and I could chill at the park, eating that pizza and not get in trouble for just being present there, minding our own business. Times have definitely changed.

Clever Marketing: USA Today and Spider-Man Team Up For a New Comic

"USA Today Play," is an aspect of the newspaper you can find online. It is free (with ads) or has a subscription option that makes those advertisements go away. There are games, quizzes, puzzles, and now comics (although you can only get so many for free). Yes, thanks to a deal with Marvel, USA Today has some slightly older Marvel stories folks can read along with a brand-new Spider-Man series titled, "Spider-Man TODAY," which will run for 47 weeks. Written by Al Ewing and illustrated by Todd Nauck, that is a pretty great creative team. Marvel has been struggling a lot lately, but this is a clever marketing idea as now those who frequent USA Today Play can read a new Marvel comic and sample highlights of other ones--with the idea being they will then seek out more Marvel, I imagine.

I am all for anything that helps expand the readership of comics. Without new readers (young or old) the format could very well find itself dying out. By getting some, "Younger blood," injected into comic-book fandom we can keep comics around for years to come, hopefully.  Many people have been giving Marvel grief (myself included) for seeming to struggle in regard to new, good ideas. This is cool and I applaud Marvel for trying something different.