The Maker of the Humvee is gonna offer a new Pickup for U.S. Troops.

I was gonna publish this earlier but got "squirreled"

This was supposed to post this months ago , I had it in draft form, but I had a lot of stuff going on in     "meatspace" and I got squirreled.

Well anyway, I thought the concept was pretty cool and it took the U.S Military Industrial Complex only 25 years to knock off a version of the Hilux, LOL you know the quentisessional popular ride of the "Technical"  Also describes the people riding in them.

   Yeah I'm not sure if Toyota likes the advertisement but the reliability made the truck famous.  Easy to work on by 3rd world conscripts the world over, lol...Yes I'm having fun with this.   But I would like to see a version of the A.M General Pickup Truck on the Civilian market.

File photo by AM General

AM General, the maker of the legendary Humvee, says it will spotlight the agility and lethality of its light-force portfolio at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, Oct. 13–15, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The company plans to show the restyled Hawkeye 105mm Mobile Howitzer System, the new and recently delivered JLTV A2 with an enhanced trailer, and a purpose-built special operations pickup called MIMIC-V.

As noted by the company, the MIMIC-V (Mission Integrated Maneuverable Interoperable Conformable Vehicle) is itself the pickup platform—built from the frame up for special operations—and configured as a mobile drone operations hub. Company materials say the vehicle integrates a UAS system and high-caliber weapons for special forces operations, enabling rapid deployment, launch, and recovery of unmanned aircraft from the truck.

According to AM General, the AUSA display pairs the pickup with two complementary drone packages. First, the truck is outfitted to work with XTEND Defense’s human-guided autonomous drone systems, allowing small units to launch, monitor, and recover drones without leaving the vehicle. Second, for the show the company collaborated with SPEAR UAV to integrate the Viper 300 system for precision strikes and beyond line-of-sight engagements. The intent, the company says, is to give ground teams a single, mobile node that can support reconnaissance, target designation, and strike tasks while on the move.

The pickup also features a sensor upgrade aimed at improving awareness in tough environments. AM General says the MIMIC-V is upfitted with TriEye’s CMOS-based Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) technology, a package designed to preserve imaging performance in dust, smoke, haze, and low light.

In the company’s words, “The TriEye integration offers unprecedented situational awareness, potentially giving troops a critical advantage across the entire spectrum of military operations.” AM General adds that the end-to-end concept is meant to serve units that need a small footprint and fast reaction times.

As the company puts it, “These new capabilities deliver unmatched operational flexibility and agility for special operations and light infantry units operating in complex environments.”

"The Rise and Fall of Studio 54"

 

The Rise and Fall of Studio 54: A Cultural Icon of New York City Nightlife

I had commented in yesterdays "Monday's music that I would find some information on the famous or infamous "Studio 54 the most famous club of the Disco era.  Here is some quick facts for those that remember the hair, the music, the flared collars and the bell bottomed jeans.  I honestly believed that the reason that Disco was so popular was that it was a form of "escapism", remember we had the "Misery Index" a new word that described the "Malaise" or the economic policies of the carter years and the post Vietnam era.  Disco started falling out of vogue when external factors forced the American people to step away and face reality, notably the "Iranian Hostage Situation", the subsequent failure at "Desert One" and the "Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan" was a triple whammy and it showed the weakness of the United States and that we were a "Paper Tiger"  We had to face reality and it was ugly, and Ronald Reagan ran on a slogan of "Are you better of Now than 4 years ago?"  and it was catchy and it showed that Jimmy Carter and his nanny state 1.0 had hobbled America. and it was a game changer.  Disco was a casualty of that era.  

I shamelessly clipped the Following article off "Google"

Introduction

Studio 54 was a New York City nightclub that became one of the most iconic and infamous nightclubs in the world. It was opened in April 1977 by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, two young entrepreneurs who wanted to create the ultimate party destination in the city.

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The Club that Defined an Era

The club quickly became a cultural phenomenon and was known for its opulent and decadent interior design. The club's interior featured a giant disco ball, colorful lights, and a dance floor that could accommodate hundreds of dancers. The walls were covered in metallic silver and gold fabrics, and there were ornate sculptures and art installations throughout the club. The overall effect was a lavish, theatrical experience that became a symbol of the excesses of the era.

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Steve Rubell, Michael Jackson, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Cherrie Currie at the Studio 54

Studio 54 was also a celebrity magnet, attracting famous figures like Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, and Andy Warhol. The door policy was notoriously strict, and Rubell and Schrager were known for their discretion when it came to who was allowed inside. This exclusivity only added to the club's mystique and made it even more desirable. Despite the high cover charge and expensive drinks, Studio 54 was always packed with people who wanted to be a part of the scene.

The Downfall and Legacy of Studio 54

However, Studio 54's success was short-lived. In 1979, Rubell and Schrager were arrested and charged with tax evasion. They had been skimming cash from the club's profits and were eventually sentenced to prison. After their arrest, Studio 54's popularity began to wane, and it closed its doors for good in 1980.

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Andy Warhol, Calvin Klein, Brooke Shields and Steve Rubell at Studio 54

Despite its brief existence, Studio 54 left an indelible mark on New York City's cultural landscape. Its influence can still be seen today in the city's vibrant nightlife and in popular culture. The club's legacy has been immortalized in films, books, and documentaries, and its iconic status as a symbol of the disco era will never be forgotten.

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Sylvester "Rocky" Stallone and Sasha Stallone.

Where Are They Now: Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager

After their release from prison, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager went on to have successful careers in the hotel industry. They opened the Morgans Hotel in New York City in 1984, which became a landmark in the boutique hotel industry. Schrager continued to build on this success, launching the luxury hotel brand Edition Hotels in 2007. Rubell, unfortunately, passed away in 1989 due to complications related to AIDS.

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Ian Schrager, Roy Cohn and Steve Rubell.

In Conclusion

Studio 54 was a cultural phenomenon that captured the spirit of the disco era in New York City. Its iconic status as a symbol of the excesses of the era has endured, and its influence can still be seen in the city's vibrant nightlife and popular culture today. Although the club's success was short-lived, it remains a cultural touchstone and a testament to the power of creativity and innovation in the entertainment industry.

We highly recommend the documentary: Studio 54

Monday Music "The Hustle" By The Real McCoys

 

I am rolling with my 70's theme that is Disco related.....well because I can...Perhaps for the cringe factor?...and like I said in the past, I actually liked the music genre, one of the stations on my Sirius/XM is Channel 54 named for that famous night club in New York of the same name that seemed to define an era.  I think I did a blog post years ago on it, I may have to dig it up, and if I didn't it will be a great idea for one.

. Next week will be "Lets All Chant" by Michael Zager Band, Somehow Disco seems to fit the theme better....?

   I decided to do this version of "Monday Music" on the Hustle, it was very popular during the Disco era.

"The Hustle" is a disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) and No. 3 in the UK.It would eventually sell over one million copies. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance early in 1976 for songs recorded in 1975.

While in New York City to make an album, McCoy composed the song after his music partner, Charles Kipps, watched patrons do a dance known as "the Hustle" in the nightclub Adam's Apple. The sessions were done at New York's Media Sound studio with pianist McCoy, bassist Gordon Edwards, drummer Steve Gadd, keyboardist Richard Tee, guitarists Eric Gale and John Tropea, and orchestra leader Gene Orloff. Producer Hugo Peretti contracted piccolo player Phil Bodner to play the lead melody.
During the summer of 1975, "The Hustle" became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 21 song for 1975. It also peaked at No. 9 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) and No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
According to producers Hugo & Luigi who owned the Avco record label that originally released "The Hustle", McCoy met with them shortly before his death in 1979 to discuss ideas for a new, longer version of the song, in order to appease Avco's UK and German affiliates who were clamoring for a 12" disco single release. The new version, clocking in at just under 6-and-a-half minutes, was assembled posthumously as a remix, using parts of the original recording plus new parts, including drum, Syndrum, and a "little" Moog synthesizer. It was credited to Van McCoy alone or with an unnamed orchestra, mixed by "The Mix Masters", identity unknown 

" A Day Which Will Live in Infamy"

 

Ironic that today is Sunday December 7 2025, how time has marched on and I read the last survivor from the U.S.S Arizona died last year and they only allow the interment of the Survivors of the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S. Utah to be interned on their ships to join their shipmates, the other survivors can "Have their ashes scattered on the Harbor"

At 0755 a bomb exploded on the seaplane ramp at Ford island, this signified the start of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  When it was done, the American Pacific fleet was crippled, and 0ver 3000 Americans were dead.  The sinking of the fleet at Pearl Harbor galvanized the Americans, and since it was a sneak attack it was considered "dishonorable and underhanded".  This infuriated the Americans sense of fair play.  The Japanese had planned on attacking right after the ultimatum was delivered, but the secrecy that the Japanese demanded forced the Ambassador himself to decode it slowing the response down so they delivered the message to Secretary Hull after the attack has started.  The attack gave the Japanese several things...It was a tactical victory, it allowed them to move against the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies with the rubber and oil that the Japanese war machine needed to build the stuff that a modern nation needs to wage war. The Japanese Admiral Yamamoto who lead the attack on Pearl Harbor had studied the Americans at length while he was a naval attache and he told the General Staff who was pushing for the war "I will be able to give you 6 months, after that I cannot guarantee victory.   And true to events, the Japanese raised hell for 6 months until the Americans smashed 4 of the Japanese fleet carriers at Midway, a blow that the Japanese Naval aviation never recovered from.  The attack also forced the Americans to utilize the carriers to do any offensive work against the Japanese.   Also the Japanese didn't launch the 3rd strike against Pearl Harbor, the drydocks and the fuel farms were still intact.  The victory was a Pyrrhic victory because it ended on August 6 and August 9 of 1945 4 years later when the Japanese cities were the site of the Atom bomb and a small part of the logic of the bomb drop was to pay Japan back for the sneak attack.

   The attack on Pearl harbor was a huge shock to the Americans, for the fleet and the Army air corp to be so woefully unprepared for battle left a mark on the American psyche.  Never again would we be so defenseless.  Also the end results was that out of all the ships sunk and damaged at Pearl Harbor, all but 3 were repaired and returned to service. 

"Wal-mart Gift Card Scam"

 

I got this from "MalwareBytes"   when it comes to cyber security, the old adage "There ain't no free Lunch" comes to mind.  Listen to your gut, just because someone says "that it is free"....Is it really?...What is the hook?  The scammers are getting more sophisticated as time goes, and we have to stay on our "A" game to not get fleeced.  for example, I don't use my debit card anymore except at a couple of retailers, everyone else gets the credit card, because of the extra protections the CC gives me and when I get home I pay off the balance.  Debit cards don't give you the same protections..despite the credit card name on the card..and cashapp and zelle, paypal  and the other money transfer services.....none, once the money leaves your account, good luck in getting it back.  so abundant caution.

News | Scams

Watch out for Walmart gift card scams

Posted: November 10, 2025 by Stefan Dasic

You’ve probably seen it before—a bright, urgent message claiming you’ve qualified for a $750 or $1000 Walmart gift card. All you have to do is answer a few questions. It looks harmless enough. But once you click, you find yourself in a maze of surveys, redirects, and “partner offers”—without ever actually reaching the end and claiming your prize.

This so-called “survey” is part of a lead-generation and affiliate marketing scam, designed not to reward you but to harvest your data and push you through ad funnels that make money for others, at the cost of your privacy.

What’s really going on?

It’s a scam because these pages rarely deliver any real gift card. What they’re after is your personal data.

As you move through each step, you’re asked for details like your name, email, phone number, ZIP code and even your home address. In some cases, you’re prompted to share interests such as home repair, debt help, or insurance quotes—each answer helps categorize you for targeted marketing.

Even if the page itself doesn’t steal money, that information is still valuable. It can be used to target you with more ads and offers, add you to marketing lists, or personalize follow-up contact. In other words, completing the questionnaire hands over data that can be exploited for profit—even when no gift card ever appears.

In some cases, the funnel gets even more specific. For example, if the survey asks you about home projects and you say you’re planning to replace your windows, you might be redirected to what looks like a legitimate home improvement site—often just another form asking for the same details again. The whole thing is designed to keep you filling out more forms, giving up more of your data, to more websites and affiliates.

These scams aren’t just annoying time-wasters. They are harvesting your data, eroding your privacy and exposing you to wider risks. Once your details are shared, they can travel far beyond that fake survey.

Your information may:

• Be resold to advertisers and data brokers, who build detailed profiles about your habits, spending, and location.
• Lead to a surge of spam calls, texts, and phishing emails tailored to your interests.
• Feed more convincing scams down the line, since criminals can now personalize their lures using real information about you.
• End up on unregulated marketing lists that circulate for years, keeping your data in play long after you’ve closed the page.

That’s the hidden cost of a “free” gift card: each click fuels a network that profits from your identity, not your participation.

Why do people fall for it?

The hook is simple—free money and easy participation. But this fake Walmart promotion taps into three powerful psychological triggers:

1. The sense of luck: “You’ve been selected!” sounds personal and special.
2. The promise of low effort: Answering a few questions feels harmless.
3. The illusion of credibility: Walmart’s branding lends legitimacy.

These scams spread mainly through advertising and malvertising networks—pop-ups, spam emails, social media ads, or sketchy website banners that imitate real promotions.

You might spot them alongside news articles or as “sponsored links” that sound too good to be true. Some appear via push notifications or redirects, whisking you from a real website to a fake reward page in seconds.

The designs often use official logos, countdown timers, and congratulatory language to make them look like authentic brand campaigns—tricking people into lowering their guard.

It’s an easy mental shortcut: “If this was fake, it wouldn’t look so professional.” That’s what these scammers count on—the appearance of legitimacy mixed with urgency and reward.

How to protect yourself

These gift card offers aren’t just harmless internet fluff—they’re the front door to a sprawling network of data collection and affiliate profiteering. Each click, form, and redirect is designed to extract value from your attention and information, not to reward you.

Recognizing these scams early is the best defense. Here’s how to stay safe:

1. Be suspicious of online surveys promising big rewards. Legitimate promotions from major retailers rarely require long questionnaires or partner offers.
2. Never give personal information to unknown pages. If a site asks for your phone number or address for a “free prize,” it’s a red flag.
3. Use browser protection tools. Extensions like Malwarebytes Browser Guard can block known scam domains and malvertising networks before they load.
4. Check the URL carefully. Real Walmart promotions will always come from official domains (like walmart.com or survey.walmart.com), not random URLs with extra words or numbers.
5. Stay alert and skeptical. Online quizzes and reward offers are a favorite bait for scammers. When in doubt – close the tab.

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We don’t just report on scams—we help detect them

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. If something looks dodgy to you, check if it’s a scam using Malwarebytes Scam Guard, a feature of our mobile protection products. Submit a screenshot, paste suspicious content, or share a text or phone number, and we’ll tell you if it’s a scam or legit. Download Malwarebytes Mobile Security for iOS or Android and try it today!

Monday Music "Tragedy" By the Bee Gee's

 

 Now can you imagine "Old NFO" or "Old AFSarge" wearing a leisure suit? and making the moves like John Travolta did in Saturday night Fever?  It IS their generation, LOL

I decided to go with the BeeGee's .....again.   I know that some people didn't like the BeeGee's and they got typecast as a Disco band.  The truth is that they have been around longer than the Genre but they have been typecast.   I like Disco, I do remember the the anti disco sentiment, especially in the early 80's.  Disco had gotten squeezed out by the new wave coming out of England.  I think the backlash came from the fact that Disco was around longer than it should have been, rather than be remembered fondly like I do with my 80's music now, it was crammed down people and it was too much.  This caused the backlash.  I knew that the BeeGees were more than a Disco band, but Disco is where many people really heard of them for the first time.  The BeeGee's were extraordinarily talented musicians and the range of their music spoke of their talent and showcased it.  I also know that they seemed to drop off the planet for about 10 years.  I didn't know why but I am sure the anti-disco backlash caught them up as did many other acts from that era.    

"Tragedy" is a song released by the Bee Gees, written by Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb, included on their 1979 album Spirits Having Flown. The single reached #1 in the UK in February 1979 and repeated the feat the following month on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Spirits Having Flown is the fifteenth album released by the Bee Gees. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. The album's first three tracks were released as singles and all reached No. 1 in the US, giving the Bee Gees an unbroken run of six US chart-toppers and tying a record set by The Beatles. It was the first Bee Gees album to make the UK top 40 in ten years (not counting the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever), as well as being their first and only UK No. 1 album. It has sold 20 million copies worldwide.
Spirits Having Flown marked the tail end of the band's most successful era, prior to a severe downturn in the early 1980s when they would endure a near-total radio blackout (particularly in America) that Robin Gibb would refer to as "censorship" and "evil" in interviews.

The Bee Gees had been effectively typecast as a disco group after Saturday Night Fever, and in a 1978 interview Barry remarked "People think we're just about disco now. Of course that's not true. If you look at the SNF soundtrack, there's some dance music, but we also have ballads like More Than A Woman." In an attempt to counter this typecasting, the first single from Spirits Having Flown was the ballad "Too Much Heaven". The horn section from Chicago (James Pankow, Walt Parazaider and Lee Loughnane) made a guest appearance on this album. At the time, they were next door working on the Chicago album Hot Streets. Thus the Bee Gees would return the favour as they appeared on Chicago's song "Little Miss Lovin'" and their keyboardist Blue Weaver appeared on "No Tell Lover". The Bee Gees also recorded "Desire" for the album but it was rejected and instead released as a solo single by their brother Andy.

Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb wrote this song and "Too Much Heaven" in an afternoon off from making the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band movie in which they were starring. In the same evening they wrote "Shadow Dancing" which was performed by Andy Gibb (and reached #1 in the US).
Though not originally in Saturday Night Fever, it has subsequently been added to the musical score of the West End version of the movie-musical. The song knocked "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor off the top spot in the US for two weeks before that song again returned to #1 for an additional week. In the US, it would become the fifth of six consecutive #1s, tying the record with the Beatles for most consecutive #1s in the US.
In 1979, NBC aired The Bee Gees Special which showed how the sound effect for the explosion was created. Barry cupped his hands over a microphone and made an exploding sound with his mouth. Several of these sounds were then mixed together creating one large boom heard on the record. The song is also playable on Rock Band 3.

 The accompanying music video for "Tragedy" was directed by David Amphlett. It starts with a Doraemon-shaped alarm clock ringing and sees Faye, Claire, and Lisa getting married. The lads, Lee and H, sabotage all three weddings before they all go to a disco. The church and disco scenes were filmed in All Saints' Church, Harrow Weald, London and the adjoining Blackwell Hall, respectively. The external location shots of the boys leaving their house and driving were filmed in Blackheath, South London. The group's actual families all took part in the video, with the girls' fathers walking them down the aisle, and record producer Pete Waterman appears as the wedding DJ.