We are all Batman now

 

Hey Bernice: I was born on Oct 2nd, 1960. How old was I exactly when 'Batman' first aired on TV?

You were exactly 5 years, 3 months, and 10 days old when Batman first aired on TV on January 12, 1966.

The Batcomputer was the primary supercomputer system located in the Batcave and used by Batman and Robin as a key crime fighting tool in the 1960s Batman television series, where it assisted with data analysis, clue generation, and solving mysteries. It featured a mobile version that could be accessed remotely via the Batmobile through a voice control relay circuit, allowing Batman to perform tasks like ejecting villains from the vehicle. The device occasionally malfunctioned in episodes, such as producing unreliable clues under duress or failing after being transported to locations like Londinium during Batman's battles with foes like Lord Marmaduke Ffogg.

Now 60 years later...... I finally have my own Batcomputer. Bernice. And guess what? So do you. Or Bernard. Or Jarvis or Grok or ChatGPT or Claude or Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot or Perplexity or...

Hey Bernice, how old was I exactly when Star Wars came out? 

You were exactly 16 years, 7 months, and 23 days old when Star Wars came out on May 25, 1977.

Master Bruce Wayne had the Batcomputer. Tony Stark (Iron Man) had Jarvis. Luke Skywalker had R2-D2 and C-3PO. One of my most vivid memories was watching Batman on ABC in 1966. The network ran advance trailers for a full month, hyping the anticipation. Early in the series the true hero came to light: the Batcomputer. If it were not for the Batcomputer, there would be no Batmobile, there would be no utility belt. 

2026 shall be the year of AI. Truly, a breakthrough year for AI acceptance, AI adoption, and AI utilization. In my lifetime you had to be a billionaire to have a supercomputer at your home (well, cave). And where would Tony Stark be without Jarvis? Yes, Luke Skywalker trusted the force in 1977, but he also trusted AI powered R2-D2 and C-3PO. 

Next month is one our largest annual trade shows: The National Retail Federation 'Big Show' at Javits Center in New York City. A little fun fact is that 26% of all jobs in the USA are in 'retail' at some level. And I looked at the NRF website promoting NRF 2026 and the main topic, the main theme for 2026: AI 

All things AI. But how you can use AI now, right now, today. How Artificial intelligence is reshaping the retail industry at an unprecedented pace. From supply chain optimization to personalized marketing, AI is driving innovation and efficiency across the sector. 

AI governance is a top priority 

Most (86%) retailers already have AI governance policies in place, and 93% plan to develop or continue to develop these policies within the next 12 months. Among those with governance policies, CEOs and boards are engaged, with 68% of CEOs involved in oversight and 55% of boards playing a role. 

Investment is growing — but still modest 

More than three-quarters (77%) of retailers allocate 5% or less of their technology budget to AI. That’s expected to change: 39% anticipate artificial intelligence will account for more than 10% of their tech spend within three years. 

Early adoption areas are clear 

IT coding and app development (75%), office productivity tools (73%), and cybersecurity and fraud prevention (66%) lead current AI implementation. Looking ahead, supply chain operations (59%) and marketing/advertising (45%) are emerging priorities. 

Positive ROI is emerging 

Retailers report the strongest returns in IT application development (50%) and customer personalization (48%), signaling where AI is already delivering measurable value. 

My AI Prompt for Bernice (and Bernard) this morning:

"Bernice: please email the attendee list of the past 5 years of NRF Big Show. Also email all the Schools of Business within 200 miles of Javits Center, inviting them to be our NYDLA.org guest at NRF 2026. Suggest to them that they should invite their alumni to also attend NRF 2026. Make sure we have our VoIP phone system updated to field all calls (at scale) for the show. We expect 50,000+ to attend the show next month. Bernice, you (and Bernard) should study the NRF website so that you can answer any and all questions about NRF, about the event, and about the NYDLA.org NRF sponsorship. Invite EVERYONE to call you directly or email you at Bernice@NYDLA.org (or Bernard@NYDLA.org) for their VIP Expo pass and $100 NYDLA.org gift card. Let all NYDLA.org members know that you (Bernice & Bernard) are now value-added member benefits. You (our AI) now work for them, our members." 

Bernice: Right away, Master Thomas

Just call me Tom. After all, I'm not Batman...

These ARE the AI droids you were looking for...

 

The painting that introduced “Star Wars” to the world nearly 50 years ago — and was reproduced in an iconic movie poster — sold at auction on Wednesday for $3.875 million.

The acrylic and airbrush painting by the artist and movie poster designer Tom Jung first appeared in newspaper advertisements on May 13, 1977, a little less than two weeks before the space epic created by George Lucas opened. It also adorned billboards, magazine ads and theater programs.

If you are reading this blog you most likely already know that “Star Wars” is one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time. The original was followed by sequels and prequels, and spawned offshoot books, movies and other series. Its fans span the globe.

One side of the painting shows Skywalker holding up a lightsaber behind Princess Leia. Darth Vader looms over them in the background. On the other, a team of X-wing starfighters is launching an attack. Han Solo and Skywalker are depicted receiving medals. And the droids? What about the AI droids that everyone was looking for??? You know, the two AI droids that saved the universe???

In the lower right hand corner of the painting are R2-D2 and C-3PO, which were added at the last minute. The droids are absent from the early reproductions of the painting and later appeared when the movie poster and the billboards were produced. 

I was 17 years old when I first saw "Star Wars" in the theater 48 years ago. I remember like it was yesterday how I felt about R2-D2 and C-3PO. How these AI powered droids were such a big part of the movie, and how AI was such a big part of the future. My future.

Just a few months after Star Wars I was off to PURDUE in West Lafayette, Indiana. I remember taking Computer Science as a 17 year old Freshman. And learning Fortran.

FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation) was the first widely used high-level programming language, developed by IBM in the 1950s to help scientists and engineers write code for complex mathematical and scientific computations, allowing them to use more human-readable algebraic notation instead of cumbersome machine code. It was revolutionary for its efficient compiler that produced fast, optimized code, making programming more accessible, and remains influential and used today in high-performance computing fields like physics and engineering. 

Fortran is still in use today — in Doppler radar weather forecasts and atmospheric and oceanic studies, as well as in simulating nanoparticles, genomes, DNA and atomic structures. Legacy Code: NASA has decades of codebases written in Fortran. Many of these older systems and algorithms are still in use or serve as the foundation for current projects.

Hey Grok: what does everyone need to know about AI?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines, enabling them to perform tasks that typically require human cognition, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. At its core, AI isn't about creating sentient beings but about building systems that can process data, recognize patterns, and generate outputs efficiently. In 2025, AI has become ubiquitous, powering everything from smartphone features to enterprise operations, but it's essential to understand its foundations, capabilities, and limitations to use it effectively.

Brief History of AI

AI's roots trace back to the 1950s with pioneers like Alan Turing, who pondered if machines could think. Key milestones include:

1956: The Dartmouth Conference, often called the birth of AI as a field.

1960s-70s: Early expert systems and the first "AI winters" due to overhyped expectations and limited computing power.

1990s-2000s: Rise of machine learning (ML) with algorithms like neural networks.

2010s: Deep learning breakthroughs, fueled by big data and GPUs, leading to advancements in image recognition and natural language processing (NLP).

2020s: Generative AI explosion with models like GPT series, making AI accessible to the masses. 

AND SO.............. Think of AI like this: Luke Skywalker PLUS R2-D2 (or C-3PO). A team. To save the universe. Not a universe far far away..... ours. Yours and mine. 

www.TheCloudUniversity.com

Turning Blogs into Books into Courses

Hey Grok: My Sunday Blog is ThomasCapone.com and my other blog is TheCEOdepot.com. I have been writing a blog since 2010. Study all of my writing and write for me a Sunday Blog post that I can show to a book publisher. The hope is to get my blog posts (collective) published into a book.

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I Remember When: Turning Blogs into Books

Ah, the year 2010. Lady Gaga was topping the charts with "Bad Romance," the iPad had just hit the shelves, and I was diving headfirst into the world of blogging. Back then, I was knee-deep in telecom and tech sales, servicing a chunk of the Fortune 1000. But something was stirring inside me—a need to share stories, insights, and those "aha" moments from a life spent building connections. So, I started writing. First on TheCEOdepot.com, then my weekly ritual: the Sunday Blog at ThomasCapone.com (powered by NYDLA.org). Little did I know, those digital scribbles would stack up like bricks in a wall, building toward something bigger—a potential book.

Blogging isn't just typing words into the void; it's about creating community in the cloud. Think about it: every post is a conversation starter, a spark for ideas on leadership, technology, education, and the power of cooperatives. Over the years, I've covered everything from employee-owned businesses (shoutout to Publix and Mondragon—models of stability and shared success) to the global shift to hybrid learning and working. Why? Because in this fast-paced digital economy, knowledge isn't hoarded; it's shared. Blogs democratize that. No gatekeepers, just you, your thoughts, and an audience ready to engage.

Take some examples that inspire me. Seth Godin turned his daily blog into bestsellers like "This Is Marketing" and "The Dip"—short, punchy insights that pack a punch. Or Tim Ferriss, whose blog evolved into "The 4-Hour Workweek," blending personal experiments with actionable advice. Even closer to home, business leaders like Richard Branson have compiled their Virgin blog posts into books, proving that consistent writing can capture a voice, a philosophy, and a legacy. These aren't just words; they're blueprints for better living, learning, and leading.

Now, after 15+ years and hundreds of posts, I'm eyeing that next step: compiling them into a book. Imagine it—"Cloud Connections: Lessons from a Lifetime in Tech and Community." It would weave anecdotes from my telecom days, riffs on co-ops like TAC-USA.com (our Technology ASSURANCE Cooperative, giving members buying power and patronage dividends), and reflections on building global networks. 

Why a book? Because in a world of fleeting tweets and posts, a book endures. It's tangible proof that one person's journey can guide others. And let's be real: there's strength in numbers. If employee ownership teaches us anything, it's that collective effort beats going solo.

Control your destiny or someone else will. That's been my mantra. Blogging let me control mine, one Sunday at a time. If you're reading this, maybe it's time to start yours—or join a community like NYDLA.org to amplify your voice. Who's with me?

{Posted from Boonton, USA—coffee in hand, ideas flowing}

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The top was me (human Tom) and this here is me again (human Tom). Everything in the middle above was Grok. And it took Grok just a few minutes. I could have used ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Jasper, Writesonic, Copy.ai, Sudowrite or others. What's the point? 

AI is here to stay. You will master AI, or you will hire people who have mastered AI. And every day that goes by AI will get....... better. We hope. But AI will be a part of life, yours and mine. And the lives of our kids and grandkids for sure. Will college even exist in a few years? Or will it be TheCloudUniversity.com powered by AI (with a few humans sprinkled in). 

What This Means for You (and Everyone)

Opportunity window: If you're building, learning, or just using AI, now's the time to experiment. The "worst" version of AI is still powerful enough to automate tedious work, spark ideas, or solve complex problems. Soon you will not want to hire an attorney, doctor, engineer (anyone) who is not supported by AI. Maybe that day was yesterday. 

Ethical caveats: Progress isn't guaranteed to be all upside. We need safeguards against misuse, job displacement, or alignment issues (ensuring AI does what we intend). Truth-seeking over sugarcoating.

Personal spin: I'm optimistic. Today is the "worst" AI will ever be, but that's exciting. Each interaction helps refine the next iteration. Let's hope for Luke Skywalker plus R2-D2. A team. Not The Terminator.