Awesome name Mike....... you must be cool.
I gotcha on the mp3's...
download and install itunes (if you don't have it already) from the Apple website (it's free).
then go to:
AA Speaker Tapes : Listen To Alcoholics Anonymous Speakers and click on the orange thingey wearing headphones to subscribe to their poscast. Itunes will start downloading and when it's done, you'll have about 300 talks from all sorts of ppl. Most are from state conventions, or big aa gatherings.....so most of them will be top notch.
If you find a couple speakers you really like.....and want to hear more from them, wander on over to
XA-Speakers - The lights are on! and do a search there (first name, last initial of the speaker you liked). XA will probably have a bunch more to download and listen to.
I've listened to 1000's of hours of talks from those sites over the past 3+ years. Heck, I don't even listen to music anymore.
Some guys I recommend (from both sites)
Earl H
Alex S (from Tulsa)
Clancy I
Joe and Charlie (only on XA - download all 20 or 30 talks......they're part of a BB study)
Bob B (from MN)
Sandy B
Robbie W
Chris R
Myers R
Lyle P
David B (from Tulsa)
Bobby C (from Philly)
Bob D (from Vegas) (has open talks and BB Studies)
Joe H (he moved several times but his last name is Hawk, he's American Indian and has lived in Colorado, Texas and Santa Monica, California)
Mark H (Texas)
Mark H & Joe H (Big Book Studies.....several of them)
Mark H & Dave F (Big Book Studies)
Don P (his BB studies are better than his open talks, he was the sponsor to Mark H, and Joe H)
Clarence S (OOOOLD school from Cleveland)
Tim T (Cleveland)
I've got more but that's a TON of hours of talks.... you can start with regular open talks first or BB studies first.....both are great but totally different. As for the BB studies, I'd probably start with Joe and Charlie's BB stuty over the other BB studies since they're a little more fun, not as hard core and easier to understand to someone with under a year in the program. Once youve heard them a couple time, then it's probably ok to move up to Joe H, Bob D, Don P and Mark H (that second group might be hard to understand given your time in AA).
I've gained a lot of wisdom and knowledge through those talks. Besides, "stick with the winners" right? So why not try to learn from the ppl with a lot of time and who were chosen by other AA's to speak because they have a great message / method of delivering that message?
good luck to ya.
Mike