Casey's Takeover

Ever noticed that when gas prices goes up it's usually in dimes and quarters but when it goes down it usually nickels and pennies?  The big fly in the ointment this month is that gas prices have not gone down as predicted.  The damn Casey's General Stores have only downsized it from 3.94 to 3.79 and now they have announced that they will buy 22 Kum & Go Stores throughout the state to increase their monopoly in Iowa.  And mergers don't do shit to anybody but share holders.

Casey's around here have taken over The Short Stop store in Marion, The Shell station across from Wally World, and Handi Mart a couple years ago.  Casey's are becoming the Wally World of one stop stores.  There's a Kum & Go in Marion that I usually stop and get a hot dog on the go or a74 cent soda  to keep me going most of the day and I would be very cross if these Casey's fools took that one over.  In a era of convenience but not much variety, we would only have more Casey's to choose from.  Just like having a McDonalds in every other stop, or around here Hardee's.  I'm all in favor of making profits but it's becoming that everything is being the same and it feels like even Russia might have more choices than we have been getting.  We do need some variety.  We just don't need anymore Casey's General Stores takeovers.

Other thoughts:

Still don't see the attraction of My GF Think I Should Blog More Often to warrant it a number 3 most read blog.  But the Brains Blog continues to leave The Best Of 2010 in the dust  as it solidify its number 1 rating.

James Arness passed away at age 88.  Marshall Dillon of Gunsmoke fame.  Originally John Wayne was approached but he declined and suggested James instead.  The more people that I know from growing up watching TV dying, the more older I feel.

Year of tornado continues. I saw the Springfield Mass, twister forming in the Conn River and then imploding downtown.  Certainly the Joplin, Tuscaloosa/Birmingham, St Louis Tornadoes have been destructive and ugly in their own way but perhaps the Springfield Mass twister is the most interesting  as I have seen videos of it.  I think it's safe to say we're all sick of tornadoes this year but if you hadn't had enough things to worry about, hurricane season just started.

Finally, missing out the great Iowa City Art Festival.  Joe Ely played last night and of course today features Teddy Thompson, Bottle Rockets and Al Escovedo and myself having to work today.  I'm still surprised I can juggle work, music, GF and this blog and do it fairly well.  Haven't done much music reviewing at home lately, she's still hanging on the couch sleeping with her 4 legged daughter but with Chloe around I really haven't noticed her all that much.  Unless I'm eating or opening a can, then she appears.

But the ratings have been very good at the start of the month and hopefully we'll keep them going with more interesting things and the top ten of the week which brings out the faithful.

And the question of the day, whatever happened to Lizzy Williams?

Response from Tony Offerman:

Rodney you stole the words right out of my mouth. I hate Caseys gas stations. Soon they will be able to control everything including prices. It's weird how the big cities gas prices fell some 30 cents when oil prices declined and Casey dropped a total of 10 cents over a two month period.