Everyone is looking for a way to save a buck or two during these tight economic times. If you are building a business, how about a used vehicle auction?
If you don’t mind the color yellow the Pitt County DOT is auctioning off its used flat beds, dump trucks, mowers, SUV’s and tankers tomorrow beginning at 9 am at the Pitt County fair grounds. Gates open at 8 am. As always, you need to check out the stuff you plan to buy ahead of time. Here is a website to go to for more on that click here.
You will need to keep a couple of things in mind. Sales are final; you have to have a valid driver’s license and pay with a certified or cashiers check, money order or cash. Now you can use a personal check but you have to have a “letter of Guarantee” from the bank.

Okay so this next recipe is probably as old as peanut butter and jelly ,however… it’s one of the best. With the holidays right around the corner I thought it was a good time to post it. This is another EASY recipe that can feed a lot of people ( you have to double or triple it though). Yum I can smell the Thanksgiving feasts already!!!!!

Ingredients:
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can CAMPBELL’S® Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp.  black pepper
1 1/3 cups FRENCH’S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) cut green beans, drained or 4 cups fresh, cooked cut green beans.

Directions:
1.MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
2.BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
3.STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Disney and Pixar are two of the most well known and successful companies currently in the movie industry.  The partnership between the two companies has spawned hit after hit since the creation of the companies’ first joint movie, ‘Toy Story.’ While the partnership between the two companies has spawned a number of hits, there have been at least a couple of misses.  Wall-E is one of those rare misses.

The movie is one part ‘Short Circuit’ and one part ‘Captain Planet and The Planeteers’ (how many of you out there remember that old cartoon?) The concept of artificial intelligence is nothing new.  Neither is the concept of man’s dependency on machines and the resultant effect.  The movie portrays what may happen to mankind when we become so dependant on machines that all we do is sit around while we even travel from point ot point.  That combined with the eco-preaching makes for a movie that is a rare miss for the partnership of Disney and Pixar.

Even for a movie that is rated “G”, younger audiences may have some trouble grasping the setting of a somewhat post-apocalyptic Earth in which mankind has left for the stars due to his own wastefulness.  It might even scare some younger audiences seeing such a setting. 

For all the negatives of this movie, there is at least one positive.  That positive is in the animation.  While Wall-E was computer generated (like too many other animated movies nowadays), the animators’ ability to mix computer animation with real life was impressive.  This kind of animation is something movie companies have been trying to perfect since the days of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit.’ Disney and Pixar have shown just how far that technique has come since those days. 

Wall-E is not the best movie that has come from the partnership of Disney and PIxar.  If anything, it is far from being the companies’ best release.  It falls short because of the “preachiness” and the possible unsettling nature of the very setting.  But the fun little gags and the animation make for a movie that is worth at least one watch.

THERE’S NEW HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS AT RISK OF FORECLOSURE.
IN TONIGHT’S WALLET WATCH: CONSUMER REPORTS RECOMMENDS THAT HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE MAKING THEIR PAYMENTS, LOOK INTO A NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM.
AS OF LAST MONTH, THE HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM STARTED RESTRUCTURING MORTGAGES.
THIS PROGRAM CAN HELP THOSE WHOSE HOMES HAVE DROPPED IN VALUE, BECAUSE IT REQUIRES BASING THE LOAN ON A NEW APPRAISAL.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOPE FOR HOMEOWNERS PROGRAM, LOG ONTO http://www.hud.gov/hopeforhomeowners. 

THE ECONOMY HAS LED TO ANOTHER PROBLEM WE NEED TO WATCH OUT FOR: TOXIC GIFT CARDS.
IN WALLET WATCH: GIFT CARDS ARE POPULAR FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
BUT CONSUMERS WILL LOSE ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR ON WORTHLESS ONES, FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE GONE BELLY UP.
IF YOU’RE HOLDING ONTO A CARD FROM THE SHARPER IMAGE, OR BOMBAY COMPANY, IT’S TOO LATE.
THEY’RE OUT OF BUSINESS.
AS FOR LINENS ‘N THINGS AND CIRCUIT CITY, BETTER MOVE FAST.
CONSUMER REPORTS SAYS IF YOU HAVE A GIFT CARD FROM A STORE IN CHAPTER 11, RUN, DON’T WALK THERE, AND BUY SOMETHING QUICKLY.
DO YOU HAVE IDEAS TO PROTECT YOUR MONEY, IN THESE TOUGH TIMES?
SEND THEM HERE ON WNCT DOT COM’S WALLET WATCH SECTION.

If you have some extra money and really good credit, now is the time when you are most likely to find a great deal buying a new car. Not only because of the economy, but also because the new cars are coming out and dealers would like to clear the lots. However you have to know what you are facing.

Times have changed, and these days most car dealerships have raised the credit score requirement to get a loan. It used to be they would accept a low of about 650 but today, many require a 760 or higher, which is very good.

Also, your interest rate is going to be higher if you have a lower score. Some interest rates are as high as 15 percent. In fact one couple said there interest rate was 22%.

So what is your best bet? Well if you have a second mortgage on your home then one expert told me you can loan the money to yourself.  Of course you have to set up an automatic transfer to your second mortgage just as it were to a car loan company but remember…..you can claim the interest on the second mortgage on your taxes!

Jurassic 5 is a rap group among rap groups.  There is no group out there like J5 today.  The only other groups that has a similar feel to J5 is Public Enemy.  But Public Enemy is similar to J5 in sound only.  Chuck D. and company are rather militant in their message, while J5 is the exact opposite.  J5 has always made music that brings the masses together for a good time.  Now, years after the group’s debut, Jurassic 5 has rewarded its fans for their loyalty by re-issuing its long sought after self-titled LP.  The reward for fan loyalty is an impressive one, too.  This new re-issue boasts not only the original LP, but a second bonus cd loaded with rare and never heard material.  Not only that, but there is also a bonus DVD that boasts a near half hour concert for fans who have never had the chance to see this group live.

In listening to this re-issue, and comparing it to the group’s other work, fans can tell how much the group has grown over the years.  The sound from this record is similar to the group’s other work.  But there is a certain something on this record that sets it apart from the group’s other work.  That is not a bad thing, either.  This record is just as impressive as all of the other albums released by J5 so far.

The bonus second disc only adds to the enjoyment of the album by presenting songs that most fans likely have not heard before.  The bonus DVD is yet another added bonus.  However, parents of younger audiences should be warned that the feature, “The Jurassic Period” does have nudity in it late in the feature.  And being that this record isn’t labeled with an advisory as it obviously should (despite the nudity and profanity throughout the record), the nudity and language is there.  So just because it is not labeled, does not mean that this album is suitable for younger audiences.  That aside, the near half-hour concert is the real bonus of the included DVD.  Fans who have never seen or heard J5 perform live finally get the chance to see the band perform.  The live show is just long enough to make fans want more.  It could be enough to entice audiences to buy tickets when the group comes around to their town on their next tour.

Jurassic 5 has never flown in the mainstream radar.  It has always been a group that appeals more to the college crowd.  Perhaps that is because of its style.  The group has made a valiant effort to keep alive the old school sound.  There is an obvious emphasis on the group’s DJ’s, DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist.  Nowadays, rappers and rap groups put far less emphasis on DJ’s and overall group interaction, even if performing solo.  Perhaps that is part of what makes J5 such an impressive group to this day.  Regardless of what it is that has kept J5 so enjoyable, this re-issue of the group’s self-titled release is definitely a must for any fan of Jurassic 5 new and old alike.

WHEN MORE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS, YOU WANT TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO SAVING YOURS.
IN TONIGHT’S WALLET WATCH:  CNN MONEY OFFERS TIPS ON HOW TO RECESSION- PROOF YOUR JOB.
THINK OF WAYS TO GENERATE REVENUES OR CUT COSTS.
FIND PLACES TO PINCH PENNIES, OR IDENTIFY CHEAP NEW SOURCES OF REVENUE.
GET YOUR SKILLS UP TO DATE.
TAKE CLASSES, AND JOIN TRADE ORGANIZATIONS.
NEVER STOP NETWORKING.
WHETHER YOU MOVE INTO A NEW JOB AFTER A LAYOFF CAN DEPEND ON HOW MUCH YOU’VE CONTACTED AND HELPED OTHER PEOPLE.

Sit back, strap in, and roll the dice. Yes the dice. The crew of Planet Express is back in the long awaited third of four Futurama movies. This newest of the four movies is by far the best so far. The first two movies tried too hard to be movies in and of themselves. ‘Bender’s Game’, though, does the exact opposite. Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, and the talented writers of Futurama have made this movie with plenty of references to the show. There are also enough references to Star Wars, and Lord of The Rings to make any fanboy laugh nonstop.

Let us not forget, either, that this movie is a spoof of Dungeons and Dragons. Director David X. Cohen makes it clear in the commentary and the special features that this movie was intended to poke fun at D&D, and the old wives tales of what playing it would do to the players. He even admits that he grew up playing D&D. That, in turn, explains the D&D references both in the show and in this new movie. The story pokes fun at the old wives tale when Bender lets himself get caught up in the world of the game, thus leading him to believe that he really was in the world of the game. When he is sent to the prison for criminally insane robots (there’s one reference to the tv show), the doctor drills into him as a means to bring Bender back to reality. Because of Bender’s imagination, and the power of the crystals, the real world becomes the world of the rpg game that he was playing. Thus the story begins.

‘Bender’s Game’ doesn’t only spoof D&D, and anything related to it. It is also a spoof of the gas price crisis that gripped the U.S. in 2008. Cohen and company even make light of the fact that by the time this movie comes out on DVD, it would have been funny if the crisis was over. Ironically enough, that is exactly what happened. They joke, on the commentary, about how they worked on the movie while the crisis was in full swing, and were waiting to see what, if anything, would happen to gas prices by the time the DVD was released.

The spoof of D&D isn’t the ony thing that makes this movie so much fun. What also makes the movie fun is the constant references to episodes from the original series such as “Insane in The Mainframe.” In this episode, Fry ends up in the prison for criminally insane robots with Bender. That reference is made in order to set up the story. There’s also a reference to when Leela first found Nibbler. It even explains how Nibbler came to be where he was before meeting Leela. There is also a pair of references to a certain overwheight space trucker (voiced by John DiMaggio) who was a constant in the original series. That brings back ememories of certain episodes from the show. The one reference that wasn’t made in this movie was in the relationship, or lack thereof, to Fry and Leela’s relationship (or lack thereof). That topic somewhat hindered the original show, as well as the previous two movies. Thankfully, this movie completely avoided that, making for a more enjoyable story.

The bonus features included on this DVD do little to enhance the overall enjoyment of the movie. Even the commentary does little for the overall experience. There are very few worthwhile tidbits of information in the commentary. That portion is mostly just the cast of the movie cracking jokes throughout the movie. The jokes are funny, given. But in large part, the commentary doesn’t add any special information about the making of the movie, etc. There was one fun bonus feature, though, in the “Futurama Genetics Lab” feature. It lets viewers cross the Crew of Planet Express with the likes of Morbo and Hypnotoad, as well as each other. The results are pretty funny. And it shows just how much time the artists must spend making different characters. It makes for more appreciation as to what the artists do. Other than that, the other bonus features add very little to the overall experience.

While the bonus features add little to nothing in terms of overall enjoyment, ‘Bender’s Game’ is still an outstanding movie for sci-fi/fantasy geeks, and fans of Futurama in general. Time will tell if this wonderful show will ever be resurrected after The Simpsons finally ends its seemingly endless run. But if it does, perhaps the success of this movie, and its predecessors, will prove to Matt Groening that he and David X. Cohen need to try and bring this show back with new episodes. If DVD sales could resurrect Family Guy, why can’t it do it for Futurama? Fans will have to wait and see. But for the time being, fans at least know that the “Future” is now.

With all the bad economic news and business closing we are starting to see in the east, how do you prepare for the possibility of getting fired.
The fact is, anyone can be fired, so there are some financial things you can do and some personal things too.
The experts say you should have enough money in the bank to pay for three months worth of living expenses. While this is a good idea, realistically, it is rare for most of us to have that much.
They also say how you leave a job is more important than why you left. Even though you are hurt and angry don’t say or do anything that isn’t classy and could affect your next job prospect.
Finally, get copies of your performance evaluation reviews to show to a future employer. If they are good, they can sometimes make the difference.