EDUCATION Return of the Pod People By Jim Hancock, CML, CMST she was still human… or maybe it’s just me. But the pod people I am referring to is the team that puts together the ALOA I Podcasts, not alien creatures (though there may be a few guests that seem otherworldly). ALOA Education, Host William Lynk and ALOA Board Member Tyler Thomas — aſter a breather to catch up on other business issues — have relaunched the very popular Locksmith Talk With ALOA. This industry podcast, launched during the height of the pandemic, became a go-to for many members and nonmembers alike as William Lynk (the man, the myth, the legend) chatted with some of the industry’s brightest and best on subjects ranging from investigative locksmithing to healthcare facility security concerns to the intri- cacies and pitfalls of master keying. The podcasts started out at 15 to 30 minutes in length and rapidly grew to one-hour shows. And, being podcasts, they can be down- loaded and listened to at any time and reviewed over and over. The relaunch (available at your favorite podcast provider) will be a bi-monthly offering for the first five episodes as we hear from the various division presidents about training, testing, certifications and more in this calendar year and beyond. We are most excited to hear from Ed Woods, the president of the newly formed In- ternational Association of Automotive Locksmiths (IAAL), which is dedicated to all those professionals who keep America rolling (the IAAL slogan by the way: “IAAL, Locksmiths That Keep America Rolling”). The next four feature SAVTA President Mike Potter, John Truempy with ALOA Institutional Locksmiths (AIL), Brian Van- Denburgh with International Association of Investigative Locksmiths (IAIL) and, finally, ALOA President Bill Mandelbaum and ALOA Executive Director Mary May on the future of ALOA through and aſter the pandemic. Aſter these episodes, the podcast will be monthly. Many of the industry’s best will discuss their areas of expertise, the world of locksmithing, anecdotes and maybe in- sider info on some of the world’s greatest mysteries like: How do the Amish make and test microwave popcorn? Why was “New Math” devised when the Old Math worked just fine If you get told everything tastes like chicken, what does chicken actually taste like? 56 KEYNOTES MARCH 2022 WWW.ALOA.ORG f you are of a certain age, the title may have elicited a vision of Donald Sutherland (that would be Keifer’s dad for those of you of another certain age) staring wild-eyed at a young colleague. And this colleague has a tilted neck, with an arm and finger extended into a menacing point, screeching a warning to the rest of the pod people or body snatchers that “The relaunch (available at your favorite podcast provider) will be a bi-monthly offering for the first five episodes.” Long as we are on poultry, does anyone really understand a restaurant menu that serves chicken fried chicken? How old was Keith Richards when he taught pre-teens Willie Nelson and Betty White (RIP) to play their first notes on the lute? Stay tuned for many more future epi- sodes, and email us at [email protected] if you have any ideas for future podcast content. Jim Hancock, CML, CMST, is ALOA’s educat ion manager. You can reach him at [email protected] or (214) 819-9733.
