January 17. 2009 by admin.

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

Or so I’ve been told.

I try not to have plans, but preferences and adjust according to the real world.

For the immediate future I have decided that I will include on Bill Wilson talk per month - we have quite a few available, so we can get through 2009.  I should make that an average - I have a two part Legacies talk, but you get the idea.

I will go back to individual speakers from Early AA for a bit - Ethyl M., Marty Mann, Ernie G, Rolle H, Barry L are in the warm up circle, and there are a few multi-prestentations lurking nearby. I particularly want to share the Tom I / Don P “Steps and Service” series, but the fellowship has provided quite a few events and series talks.  The list of podcasts for the next few months is shaping up.

I want to say something about XA-speakers.org, the source of most of our talks. I had not heard of them until a friend and I went up to Virginia to pick up some boxes that were in from California, and he played CDs burned from the site all the way up and all the way back - it was really great.

My friend is back out there - I hope he makes it back. I now listen to speakers the way most people listen to music. At home, while working, in the car … recovery audio as atmosphere.  XA-speakers.org is deserving of your support and could become addictive. As with other instinct, our compulsions can have a positive use, too.

Despite the number of downloads and visits to the site, we are still very slim on responses, so please feel free to send your comments to the Editor.

Posted in The Podcast, Steps, Service, Early AA, Blogroll | Print | 1 Comment »

January 15. 2009 by admin.

First, currently on Anonymous Review: The conclusion of Jay S.’s “How AA Really Started” with Oxford Group details.

Second, the new Virtual Speaker Meeting is up, featuring Clancy I. of the Pacific Group in Los Angels/Mar Vista.

When the old computer failed and had to be replaced, the new computer came with some nifty toys.  These included GarageBand and iWeb.

GarageBand makes it easier to produce the podcast wtihin a single program. Previously I had to record the announcer in one track, cut it up and insert it between elements of the show - now it all happens in the one program.  I still use Audacity to clean up recordings, but GarageBand has streamlined the operation.

iWeb is a companion program within the iLife suite and makes web publishing quick and easy with a much improved result.  The website has been updated using that program for a whole new look, fasting loading and a better listing for the programs.

Also, the older shows are going to come down … the site has been growing and we need to keep space available for new shows.  However all of the shows are now available on Archive.org - details on the website.

A big motivator was a fall off my porch which has me sitting still more than before, and more time at the computer. Nothing broke, but I am bruised up pretty well - trudge trudge trudge.

Posted in Oxford Groups, Virtual Speaker Meeting, The Podcast, Personalities, Blogroll | Print | No Comments »

January 11. 2009 by admin.

It’s an old concept - “husbanding resource.” In the more MBA era we call it getting more bang for your buck.

Even tho it is not expensive to do the podast, I have to keep the main server going and I have to follow the restrictions of the free podcast hosting service that allows us limited space and networking.

A really cool organization called “Archive.org” allows the old shows to go up on their public server and observes the Creative Commons license under which the shows are published. Taking the shows off my server clears room for new productions, including the new Virtual Speaker Meeting (#4 is up, by the way).

Volume One Numbers 1-6 (Complete) on Archive.org

Volume Two, Numbers 1-10, on Archive.org

 You can link the entire archive to your sites with the ‘embed’ command under each jukebox.

I think it is very cool.

Does anyone say ‘cool’ any more?

Posted in The Podcast, Early AA | Print | No Comments »

January 4. 2009 by admin.

And knock them down.

I just posted programs #14, 15 and 16 (Volume 2 Numbers 8, 9 and 10) with Jay S. and his excellent “How AA Really Started.”  It is just over 3 three hours long and I have chosen to podcast it as three episodes.

The 3rd Virtual Speaker Meeting is up with Sandy B, from Tampa, FL giving one of his high powered talks.

The Newsletter is getting some response and subscribers, which is always nice. You, too, could be an Anonymous Review News subscriber - for free, of course - by going to the sign-up form.

And I’m cointinuing work on the first of a series of disks.  I think I will make them available as an eBay item. There is no mass production involved, just the very low-tech guy sitting at his computer, printing out lables, applying the labels, sticking them in envelopes and sending them out.  I’m think $3, including shipping.  Not trying to be greedy, but I’m trying to getthe hosting above the “free” account I’m using now - and they want the year up front.

But so far it isn’t broken, so I don’t have to fix it.

I appreciate the letters that have started to come in - it is nice to know someone is listening.

Trudge, trudge, trudge … skip, sprint, poke, trudge, trudge, trudge.

Posted in Oxford Groups, Virtual Speaker Meeting, BB History, Early AA | Print | 1 Comment »

January 1. 2009 by admin.

While I still want to feature the voices of the original people in AA history, I also want to carry series of speakers from workshops and events.

And the first multi-part podcast for Anonymous Review will be Jay S. and his presentation of “How AA Really Started” with detailed information on the Oxford Groups and their founder, Frank Buchman.  The series will be listed as three separate podcasts, for size consideration, but it will v2#8, v2#9 and v2#10.

And I have three individual personalities to follow those.

But for now - three hours on the history of the Oxford Groups by Jay S.  :o)

Posted in Oxford Groups, The Podcast, Early AA, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »