Hey Grok Bot, go make me money

He: Where should I go to school to learn all about AI?

She: Why not attend TheCloudUniversity.com and go to all of them? 

This Sunday Blog is my first Sunday Blog since 2010 with true AI assist. Penn State World Campus has 800K alumni. Purdue University Online has 600K+ alumni. RUTGERS has 615K+ alumni with 380K+ alumni living in New Jersey (like me). And I'll be using my new trusty Grok Bot to reach (checks notes...) ALL OF THEM. 

The New York METRO Distance Learning Association was 'born' in 1983 in the 5 boroughs of New York City. Pre-Internet. NYDLA 'grew' to service the 58M+ people living in the New York MEGALOPOLIS (Maine to Virginia). During COVID the NADLA.org serviced all of North America, helping everyone to become PoweredByZoom.com. And around two years ago, the GLOBAL DLA (GlobalDLA.org) went well... went Global. 

But 'home' was always the Big Apple. New York City. To be specific, 11 Times Square, NYC. 

I am reflecting on the major tipping points of the past 40+ years. I was there when NYNEX went live with the first Cellular Phone Service in the New York CGSA (Cellular Geographic Service Area). I sold 'Car Phones' when there were only 9 Cell Towers in the entire country. Service was spotty, and very expensive. Phones had to be installed into your car. Bag phones and handhelds came later. Today in 2026 high speed Internet services like Starlink and Viasat connect residential, business, government and military customers to and from anywhere in the world. For less than $100 per month.

I was in the room when AOL first went live. Same for Priceline. I worked for Bell Atlantic as an agent selling something called Electronic Mail. I was one of the first 100,000 users of LinkedIn. Damn, I'm old. 

But today (this Sunday) something very different is happening. The NYDLA | NADLA | USDLA | GLOBALDLA communities now reach people living in every time zone of the world. I've had a working Gmail (tacapone@gmail.com) since 2004. And then a personal Gmail (tomcapone@gmal.com) soon after. Since the storage was unlimited I have amassed an archive of every email that was sent and received to/from those two email addresses from day one. And so does Google. Ahem. 

But here come the AI Bots! I've had a personal AI Bot assistant (Bernice) for a few years now. She gets smarter and smarter with every phone call she answers. Every Zoom meeting that I attend is now powered by AI. Every website we build, every shopping cart serviced for thousands of customers and clients has AI at its core. 

But this month (this morning) the 'Grok Bot' from from xAI is making a lot people sit up and notice. 

Grok Bot is an autonomous AI agent teammate from xAI that runs on its own persistent cloud computer to complete multi-step tasks across apps, web browsers, and terminals.

What Grok Bot Does

• Real Work Execution: Unlike traditional chatbots that output text or code drafts, Grok Bot logs into your apps, websites, and tools (like Zendesk, Gmail, or CRM platforms) to finish tasks from start to finish.

• Multi-Bot Teams: You can run multiple specialized Bots in parallel—such as a chief of staff bot that delegates to sub-bots for inbox management, bug fixes, or research—and place them in group chats to coordinate without you in the middle.

• Persistent Environment: Each Bot retains memory, file systems, browser sessions, and learned workflows over time rather than resetting on every prompt.

• Recent Capabilities: Grok Bot can execute automated shopping tasks by accepting credit card screenshots and navigating e-commerce sites.

Availability & Access

• Platforms: Available on macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android.

• Plans: Included with eligible paid Cursor plans (such as Cursor Pro, Teams, and SuperGrok tiers), with separate usage pools so tasks do not draw from standard chat quotas. 

So, at 8:59 AM EST on Sunday, October 18th my 'Bernice' AI Bot has become powered by Grok Bot. And Bernice is (also) powered by all of the other AI platforms. All of them. We're connected to all the brilliant minds of the folks who went to the most amazing schools in the world - to learn all about AI. To learn about... everything.

The schools, and the alumni networks of the schools. All connected in the clouds. We are all living, learning, working, playing, teaching, training, coaching, mentoring in the GLOBAL Cloud COMMUNITY. Yours and mine. 

One World. Fully Connected. 

• Hey Bernice, scan every email that I sent and received on Gmail since 2004 and invite these contacts to all joinNYDLA.org  - and invite everyone to connect with me on TomCapone.com 
• Hey Bernice, reach out to the facilities managers of the 174K+ schools serviced by the DLA and invite them to access the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative (TAC-USA.com) for all of their telecom and technology needs. Oh, be sure to tell them that we also sell Insurance via all of the major carriers. 
• Hey Bernice, contact via email, social media, and phone (when possible) the alumni networks of the 174K+ schools serviced by the DLA. Offer them all a free $50 TAC Gift Card to check out the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative. We have the entire line cards of TD SYNNEX, D&H, Ingram Micro, Jenne, Midwich, TeleDynamics, ACS, Telarus, Sandler Partners and many more. All via our $1B+ buying power.

Bernice, let me know when you are done with all of the above. I'm going back to bed. After all, it's Sunday. 

http://link.me/ThomasCapone

Explain it to me like this is my first day

 

What if I just yelled out: I just won Powerball!  

Well, if you have no idea what Powerball is, if you have to 'Google' it, my excitement might not become yours. If you DO know what Powerball is, we just became very (very) good friends, right?

Powerball is a major multi-state lottery game in the United States known for offering massive jackpots that can grow into the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. 

Cost: A standard ticket costs $2 per play. 

Number Selection: Choose five numbers from 1 to 69 (white balls) and one Powerball number from 1 to 26 (red ball). You can pick your own numbers or use "Quick Pick" for a random selection. 

Drawings: Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:59 PM Eastern Time. 

Winning: There are nine ways to win a prize, ranging from matching just the red Powerball to matching all six numbers to win the jackpot. 

Jackpot Payout: Winners can choose a 30-year annuity (graduated payments over 29 years) or a single cash lump sum. 

OK, let's try this one:  When you www.joinNYDLA.org you access the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative (TAC-USA.com) for FREE!

Once more: if you have no idea what a Co-Op is, if you have to 'Google' it, you might not feel the excitement. 

A co-op (short for cooperative) is a business, organization, or living arrangement that is owned, controlled, and operated for the benefit of the people who use its services rather than outside investors.

The International Cooperative Alliance defines it as an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their shared economic, social, and cultural needs through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

Key Features of a Co-op

• Democratic Control: Members usually operate on a "one member, one vote" system, meaning everyone has an equal say in policies and in electing the board of directors.

• Member Ownership: The people who buy the goods, use the services, work for the company, or live in the building are the actual owners.

• Shared Profits: Instead of maximizing profits for external stockholders, any financial surplus is typically reinvested into the co-op or returned/shared among members based on their usage.

So here is what we did! 

TAC-USA.com is a www.BigCommerce.com store that has the entire line cards of TD SYNNEX, D&H, Jenne, Ingram Micro, TeleDynamics, Midwich, Sandler Partners and many more. TAC is also a Master Agent and Tier 1 ELITE reseller for many suppliers. We offer the knowledge, the technology and the talent of all of our vendors and sponsors as a value-added member benefit to the 174K+ schools (and their alumni networks) serviced by the NYDLA | USDLA | NADLA. Since 1983.

Penn State World Campus has 800K+ alumni. Purdue University Online has 600K+ alumni. RUTGERS has 615K+ alumni with 380K+ alumni living in New Jersey - like me! 

AND SO... as Distance Learning became DIGITAL learning, and today (in 2026) it all just DIGITAL LIVING, it all needs technology. You cannot live, learn, work, play, teach, train, coach, mentor in the world today without technology. 

When one of the 174K+ schools of the NYDLA | USDLA | NADLA buy computers, or cybersecurity, or cameras, or connectivity (or anything) they can access the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative. Our $1B+ buying power becomes theirs. For their school - and for the alumni networks of their schools. 

When a large school like RUTGERS buys 1,000+ laptops, that is a $1M+ sale. Every member of the TAC Co-Op benefits from THAT single transaction. It's like shopping at Costco where you are also a major shareholder of Costco. If Costco paid out dividends. In fact: Costco frequently rewards shareholders with massive, intermittent special cash dividends (such as a $15-per-share payout in early 2024) when cash reserves build up. 

All members of the Distance Learning Association can shop at the Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative for FREE. Non-members pay $25 per month (or $250 per year) to access the benefits of the TAC Co-Op. 

The DLA: we are democratizing education globally via disruptive technology. So how would I explain it to someone who never heard of us? Like to my neighbor? 

The Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative is YOUR company (or campus) store. It is as if Amazon and Costco and Best Buy and Netflix and Audible and YouTube and Gartner and McKinsey all merged. Knowledge + Technology + Talent. For 174K+ schools, and their alumni. 

We're teaching everything we know. We're paying it forward. All via technology. All via our $1B+ buying power. Yours and mine. Ah yes, membership does indeed have its privileges. 

www.link.me/ThomasCapone <<<<<

Overture, curtain, lights...

 

If you recognize these lyrics, you are my people. Born in 1960 this was my Saturday Morning. The Bugs Bunny Show (TV Series 1960 - 1975) was part of my formation. 

NYDLA.org/EVENTS

I write this Sunday Blog at around 6:00 AM. Less than an hour ago I was asleep. DEEPLY asleep. And I was dreaming about the event that we are having at The Times Center in NYC on Tuesday, 10/6. NYDLA.org/EVENTS 

The folks from Logitech asked for our help to invite NYDLA.org members to attend LIVE. The Times Center is an amazing facility to host meetings, events, and product launches. 

We placed the event on page one of NYDLA. We also made notice on all of our social media platforms. The main room holds around 300 people, and the lobby probably another 300. So it will be very easy to have standing room only. But as we always say on NYDLA.org/EVENTS "Sign up even if you cannot attend LIVE. We'll make sure you get all the cool swag from our amazing vendors and sponsors." 

Like I said around an hour ago, I was dreaming. A very vivid 'lifelike' dream. And in my vivid dream Hanneke Faber, Henry Levak, Aspen Lee-Moulden, Karthik Rajagopal, Leo Boulton, Lewis Papaleo, Dalvis Perez and Adam Hayman were marching across the stage. And they were all singing in perfect harmony:

Overture, curtain lights....

NYDLA.org/EVENTS

Well, this is how WE do it....

 

I'm sure that if you are reading this, you have heard of Shopify. We have activated over 500 Shopify stores for NYDLA.org members over the years. The cool thing about Shopify is that you can do it yourself. With almost no (zero) technical experience, you will be up and running and making money - fast.

But many times, the clients (members) of the NYDLA still wanted it all done for them. They had money and a dream - but they needed help. Many times, the NYDLA member had a full-time job and their Ecommerce store was going to be a side hustle. So, they needed to focus 40 hours a week on their current obligations. 

STRATUSstaff.com was born to be the easy and affordable path to allow a parallel path. "You keep doing your day job, we'll build this out for you - and run it for you - and GROW it for you. When the time is right to leave your day job and do this full-time, you'll know it. And, you might NEVER leave your day job. Maybe your 'store' will just be a cool thing that you own. It's nice to have options. As we always love to say, 'Profitability = FREEDOM.' 

Other Ecommerce platforms? Well there are many. There is a very good chance that we sell and service any platform that you might bring up in conversation. YEARS ago, we were a NetSuite partner. At the time, it was an expensive platform. And if you had a budget of let's say $50,000 you better have ANOTHER $50,000 laying around for onboarding and training. I remember having clients who took out a HELOC to get NetSuite, and telling them that will not be enough. Those conversations were crushing. I found myself questioning the reason for the relationship. I would be working with folks who were launching their entrepreneurial journey, and I was their wet blanket. I had to coach them, mentor them and remind them that whatever they thought it was going to cost - and however long they thought it was going to take - they should double it. And maybe even triple it. I felt like the crusher of dreams. 

When we discovered BigCommerce the business world changed for us. And, it changed everything for our members. Dramatically. My staff became BigCommerce Certified. And over time, we became the BigCommercePros.com - a division of STRATUSstaff.com (our digital agency). 

The technology caught up with the demand. Price dropped. The complexity of running an Ecommerce store went down - WAY down. If you were in the School of Business of any College or University in North America over the past 10 years, you were introduced to Ecommerce. 

And now here we are heading into Q4 2026. The heart of the 2026 Holiday Season. We are now offering telecom and technology solutions, products and services to all the members of the NYDLA and the NADLA and the USDLA and now..... the GLOBALDLA. Millions of folks living all around the world can 'shop' in our BigCommerce store: TAC-USA.com - it's a Co-Op! 

But we are ALSO building and running BigCommerce stores for products, services, books, courses - everything that the Entrepreneurship Majors in the Schools of Business can come up with. Think this way: everyone that has ever been on Shark Tank over the years will have an Ecommerce store. Every Campus has an Online and a Brick and Mortar Bookstore. Shopify kicked down the door to the new world of BUSINESS. And all the competitors followed. 

Here is the lesson as we exit Q3 2026 and race into Q4 2026: the world of B2B (Business to Business) or B2C (Business to Consumer) marketing will never EVER be the same. The AI Genie is out of the bottle, and it is never going back. A small team of people (a POD) who have reached AI Mastery can now do the work of a million dollar digital agency. You no longer need a call center or a contact center. You no longer need a full-time CMO or Marketing Department. A business owner (a store, restaurant, contractor, art gallery, medical practice, B2B, B2C, anything...) can now service the entire world with a handful of employees (humans) who all have reached AI Mastery. 

My next Sunday Blog will find (all of us) smack in the middle of the Q4 2026 holiday marketing (media) blitz. All of my neighbors already have their Halloween decorations on their front lawns, and it is not even October. How about you? What are YOUR plans for the holidays? Who needs someone to run their stores when they are traveling or on vacation? {or busy with their 'day job'} 

Who needs some help?  <<<<<<

www.joinNYDLA.org

A Funny Thing Happened

 

A few years ago the folks at Rocware asked for some help. They had amazing technology and their brand was very big around the world - but their name was relatively unknown in North America. So, they became a paid sponsor of the NYDLA and we did a campaign to GetRocware.com sending an email to the facilities managers of our 174K+ schools across North America. 

We crushed it.

Also years ago BlueJeans by Verizon was trying to find its footing in the 'Zoom Wars'. Same drill: we did an email to the facilities managers of our 174K+ schools across North America.

Wow. Marketing. We're good at it. Who knew? 

Over the past 15 years this story repeated itself for Zoom, Logitech, Lenovo, AireSpring, HubSpot - the list is long. Now in 2026 we sell, market and promote 'All Things Remote' and the tools and the services that ENABLE all things remote. Telemedicine. Ecommerce. Teaching, training, coaching, mentoring, living, learning, working, playing in the GLOBAL Cloud COMMUNITY. 

Yours and mine. 

While cleaning out the attic I found an album from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Growing up in the 60s my parents played that album, let's just say - OFTEN. I no longer own a record player, but I found it online, and played it. I was transported back in time to my living room in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. I could almost sing along, even now at 65 years old. CORE MEMORIES. 

AND SO...................

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Running the Distance Learning Association.

We became a marketing powerhouse.

Born in the 5 boroughs of New York City, the New York METRO Distance Learning Association was born in 1983 (Pre-Internet). I guess they were shipping VHS tapes and whatnot as 'online' was not yet a thing. But over the years, Distance Learning became DIGITAL Learning and now in 2026 it is all just DIGITAL LIVING. 

TED Talks. Audible. SiriusXM. YouTube. Zoom was founded by Eric Yuan on April 21, 2011. Before that, if you said 'Zoom' to me I would think of the kids show on PBS Boston - again from the 60s. 

Broadway > Film > Album. Turns out that the 'Forum' album made more money over the years than the other two mediums. Who would have predicted, right?

2026: The NYDLA | NADLA | GLOBALDLA makes more money MARKETING to the 174K+ facilities managers of our schools, and the ALUMNI NETWORKS of our schools than via membership dues. We have a trusted BRAND. 

How do you say something against Lifelong Learning, right? How can EDUCATION be a bad thing? Folks (school alumni) are now running Hospitals. Car Dealerships. Municipalities. Factories. Restaurants. CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, CTOs. Doctors. Scientists. Truck Drivers. Roofers. Electricians. Landscapers. Plumbers. EVERYONE. We have the entire line cards of companies like TD SYNNEX, D&H, Ingram Micro, Jenne, TeleDynamics and more in our online store. Because Distance Learning became DIGITAL Learning and now it is most certainly just DIGITAL LIVING. 

Zoom was 'born' as a meeting tool that just flat out worked. And we all watched how Zoom became a verb during the pandemic. Today, Zoom has morphed into a complete ecosystem for teaching, training, coaching, mentoring, living, learning, working, playing to/from ANYWHERE in the world. It only makes sense that the Distance Learning Association would be helping the entire world to become www.PoweredByZoom.com 

And now this: our DLA CoffeeInTheClouds.com fireside chats are also Powered By Zoom and now reach millions living all around the world. Not just the 174K+ schools but we also directly reach the Alumni Networks of our schools. We are now also live on Audible, YouTube and SiriusXM networks. Zoom recently won an Emmy - because their cloud technology allows you to produce TV BROADCAST QUALITY events, to/from anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE HDTV to you. You can now work with people because of their attitude, not their latitude and longitude. 

So yes, a funny thing DID happen to the NYDLA. It is now 2026 and we are democratizing education globally via disruptive technology. What started out as a tiny non-profit born in the 5 boroughs of New York City (way back in 1983) the DLA has morphed and changed and has grown into the (now) GlobalDLA.org. 

And it feels like the 'DLA' journey has just begun. 

Yours and mine. 

joinNYDLA.org

Everyone has a guy (or gal)

 

I needed some painting done at the house. I am not sure if you are familiar with the jobs boards out there in the world, things like Thumbtack and Angie's List (now just Angi). You make a post of what you need done and then DOZENS of contractors for whatnot start calling you and emailing you and texting you. Turns out those contractors pay a fee for those leads - no matter what. Plumbers, Landscapers, Roofers, you name it - all pay $$$ for the chance to call, text, and email the same folks! It's like a food fight. Same goes for Facebook Marketplace. It all feels kinda dumb. 

I'm old enough to remember www.Craigslist.com - the popular online classified advertisements website where people can buy, sell, trade, and find local services, jobs, and housing. 

Focus: The site is organized by specific cities, regions, and countries so users can find listings nearby.

Categories: Listings are split into clear sections, including jobs, housing/apartments, items for sale (furniture, electronics, cars), services, gigs, and community discussion forums.

Simple Design: The website uses a basic, text-heavy layout without flashy animations or graphics. 

Direct Communication: Most browsing is free, and buyers and sellers deal with each other directly via email or phone without the site processing payments or managing delivery. 

Founded: Started in 1995 by Craig Newmark in San Francisco, initially as an email list for friends about local events before moving to the web in 1996.

Reach: It operates in hundreds of cities worldwide, though the vast majority of its users are in the United States.

I was 35 when Craigslist was born. I am old enough to remember using the Yellow Pages to find contractors. Some of the ads were BIG (expensive) and some were tiny. But if you were in business, you had to be in the phone book - THE Yellow Pages. And now, not so much. 

Back to painting my garage: I saw a painter's van parked in my neighbor's driveway. I took out my phone, took a picture, and called them. "Do you service Boonton Township, NJ?" I asked. Of course I already knew that they did, but it was a conversation starter. Fast forward to today: best hire ever. 

As I sit here today I am reflecting on how Craig Newmark started with an opt-in email list - a vetted proven list of trusted relationships. It was simple, clean, and valuable. 

I have been in business since 1983, pre-email. Today we have thousands of lists of zero spam, 100% opt-in currated relationships that get a 50% open rate to our email newsletters - because they are the opposite of spam. These lists are NOT social media, not AI slop. They are real people, who want to be in (and on) the list. 

I think the future of marketing is found in the past. I think we are due for a Yellow Pages | Craigslist reboot. Slow it down. Humans connecting with humans. Because you need to call 'my guy' - and everyone has a guy (or gal). 

BoontonWorks.com is 

going LIVE later this month.

Otto B. Strodthoff

The only Grandpa that I ever knew was Otto B. Strodthoff, my Mom's Dad. Otto and I had a special bond. Some of my favorite memories were playing golf with my Grandpa, Otto. Thankfully Otto lived long enough to meet my two sons. Otto actually lived longer than my Dad. My wife loved Otto, he always had a seat at our table. I made sure that Otto would want for nothing. My Grandpa. 

My oldest son named his first born child Otto Anthony Capone. After my Grandpa, and my Dad, Anthony. So, there was no chance that when I saw my first ad for 'Otto - the AI that you own' I was going to just keep on scrolling. 

So, I started poking around, digging and researching, to find out what's what about Otto. Who is behind it, is it real, can I get one, can I test one, etc. I always find it 'fun' when you discover something via social media and it grabs you deeply enough to make you click. And then click some more, and then go down the rabbit hole. Like I said, there was no way that something named 'Otto' was going to miss my attention.

And I learned long ago that it goes ATTENTION > ENGAGEMENT > ADOPTION > UTILIZATION. 

In sales (or just about anything) it all begins with Attention. If I don't have your attention, I can't sell you anything. Without your attention, I cannot teach you anything either. Then comes Engagement. Was there enough of a 'spark' to cause the person to ask for more? To take the call to action? To say "OK, I'll bite, what's going on here?" 

If you get an Otto, what will be the result? Will it change your life? Or will Otto sit on the corner of your desk collecting dust, because you just never got around to returning it? Could Otto become 'the thing' that changes your AI journey? Will Otto change you life?   

Fun fact: I almost hosted a podcast with the current CEO of Otto way back in 2018. Not really sure why that never happened, but now we might do a fireside chat all about Otto. We (the NYDLA.org) have grown much since 2018 as our www.CoffeeInTheClouds.com fireside chats | video podcasts now reach millions of people living all around the world. 

And so, I am cautiously optimistic that we can become a significant partner with Otto. This month we shall begin testing, and doing a deep dive of all things Otto. If everything checks out, we shall be offering Otto to the 174K+ schools serviced by the NYDLA - and their alumni networks. The (hopeful) Master Plan: we shall become a Tier 1 ELITE reseller for Otto, across North America. And then, the world.

I think Grandpa (and Grandson) Otto would approve, don't you? 

Otto is coming soon to www.TAC-USA.com