Ah!

Today might be the best Brain Break ever!

Well, aside from the Lolcats, of course.

As I was stumbling around last night, I came upon The Automachine. I almost passed it by, at first, because all the little letters and such made me think it was some guitar-related Web site. (Don’t ask why I have “guitar” set as one of my Stumble interests. I just do.)

Anyway, the little cassette tape with arms and legs bopping around at the top of the page caught my eye, so I decided to tinker around with the site.

Imagine how delighted I was when a very catchy techno-ish tune started wafting out of my speakers!

I know this isn’t a new concept; there are loads of Web sites out there that allow you to make your own music. However, it was a nice break for my brain so I thought I’d pass it along.

If you’re interested in other Web sites that help you make your own music, try:

• Splice, which holds contests.
• The Music Lab, which is mostly educational and seems to focus more on symphony-esque music (not surprising, as the San Francisco Symphony owns it).
• CreateBands.com, which does just that – creates a band. You choose the members and everything.
• Punk-o-Matic, which focuses on – you guessed it! – punk music. You can create an account and share your music with others.

Still, my favorite of those is The Automachine, and my favorite combination is F (over Synthe), H (over Electro), K (over Nappe), and C (down in the Rhythms section).

What’s yours?

For more musical enjoyment, check out b5media’s Music Channel.

Image: Newscom

Remember! You have until May 31, 2008 to enter the Mental Health Notes Birthday Giveaway, and forever to join the This Is Why I ROCK! series!

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Break: Make Your Own Music!

I think I’ve found a Brain Break topic that has absolutely nothing at all to do with mental health – finally!

What is it?

2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and his awesome performance of the National Anthem at the Talladega Superspeedway earlier today.

Forget the fact that Dale, Jr. is currently owning the track right now (well, switching off with Stewart and Johnson – it’s hard to keep up as I type this!) which in itself has me ecstatic.

I haven’t even seen Taylor Hicks since he won American Idol. (He wasn’t my favorite pick to win until Bucky and Chris left, but still, I was a fan.) It was a nice surprise to see that salt-n-pepper head bobbin’ around again.

Of course, if Jr. wins the race, it’ll be even nicer…

How are you all giving your brains a break this Sunday?

The above image belongs to caswell_tom and is being used according to these Creative Commons attributions.

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Break: At Last, Mr. Hicks. We Meet Again.

For today’s Brain Break I thought I’d share some pictures I took two weekends ago – before dreary skies and thunderstorms set up camp in my little neck of the world. For me, taking pictures (especially outside of the house) is a great way to give the ol’ brain a rest.

The view from my yard – well, when you look up.

Nope, not some kind of spring – just a ditch we had to dig beside the hill behind our house thanks to some really bad floods a few years ago. As you can see from the picture, it did indeed rain the day before!

A close up of one of the tiny waterfalls the ditch gave birth to.

And…that’s about it. None of the others are really spectacular – not that these are, but they are the better ones. As you can see, I’m not that great of even an amateur photographer, haha – even though I sometimes fancy myself one.

Have a great Sunday, and remember to give your brains a break!

Want to show the world what you’ve done with your brain? Check out This Is Why I ROCK!

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Break: Smile For The Camera!

And, aside from refraining from linking to that post (and, um…just deleting it altogether), what better way to take your minds off it than by sharing some hilarious Lolcats?

Answer: There is no better way. Lolcats RULE.

Every few days (or, every couple of weeks – it all depends on my busy schedule), I visit www.icanhascheezburger.com and Lolcats immediately proceed to take over my Internet life. (I never visit two days in a row. You see, I like to let a good, high number of Lolcats pictures accumulate on the Web site first. In addition to building anticipation, waiting ensures having numerous Lolcat pictures to peruse, and that just makes for some good brain breaking.)

The following are some of the Lolcats pictures that have recently made me LOL:

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

Read on for more of some hilarious Lolcats pictures that, um, don’t feature cats.

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

see more crazy cat pics

What are some of the Lolcats pictures that give your brain a break?

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Break: Oh Hai, Lolcats!

This week’s Saturday Sanity includes Mental Health Notes updates as well as mental health-related news around the globe.

Enjoy!

• Last Sunday, I launched a new, hopefully permanent series here at Mental Health Notes called Brain Break. Unsurprisingly, the idea is to give our brains a break. Check out the announcement post and let me know what you think.
• This picture popped up just in time. I’ve been itching to hand out another A.S.S. Award.
• Back in January, NAMI’s CW Tillman shared his Race Across the West (RAW) adventures with us, and now he’s keeping us updated with his new Web site, CW’s Race for Awareness.
• Ken Jensen, a MySpace friend of mine, fellow BP survivor, and former Marine (I know, I know, once a Marine, always a Marine – my ex-husband was one, I get it) published some interesting thoughts about people with bipolar disorder and fulfilling dreams, as well as the potential dangers of settling for the status quo. Check it out: Bipolar amplifies the pain of dreams unfulfilled.
• With the help of some mice made manic (*sigh*), researches may be getting closer to better understand bipolar disorder and possible new treatments.
• California Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Mahoney has ordered the Corrections Standards Authority to, simply put, get their acts together when it comes to making sure juvenile correctional facilities are treating offenders properly – including in the mental health department.
• Scott over at Health and Men sheds some light on beneficial brews. Find out how they may help reduce stress and how some of the ingredients may even reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s.
• And, speaking of Alzheimer’s, Liz over at Alzheimer’s Notes fills us in on “Voices Remember,” an upcoming Broadway charity event in support of the disease. Well, not in support of the disease, per se, but in support of a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Image source.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Brain Breaks, A.S.S. Awards, NAMI Updates, And A Former Marine

Or, perhaps, our brains need a break. However you want to see it.

I’ve decided that, from now on, Mental Health Notes will take a break from all things mental health-related on Sundays. Yeah, I know – Mental Health Notes is a mental health blog. I’m a rebel, what can I say.

Constantly talking – and reading – about depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, doctors, scientists, stress, medicine, side effects, stigma, and other such related matters can’t be good for us. Or our brains. It just can’t.

So, from now on, I’m dedicating Sundays to any other topic that gives us a break from our brains. Or gives our brains a break. Which is, if you think about it, actually mental health-related after all. Maybe I’ll talk about music and direct you to our Music Channel. Maybe I’ll complain about Grey’s Anatomy and Prison Break withdrawal and direct you to our Entertainment Channel.

Who knows. Maybe I’ll even get drunk and stalk an ex-boyfriend and point you to our Lifestyles Channel.

Whatever I decide to muse on, I shall call it Brain Break.

Today’s topic? Not much of anything, really, because I’m taking a break from the computer and visiting (via the power of television) the Bristol Motor Speedway to watch the Food City 500 on FOX. (Fellow NASCAR fan? Then surely you’ve checked out Tim Zaegel’s Do You NASCAR?)

Like me? Hate me? Rate me at Psych Central:

Super cool image source.

Post from: Blisstree

Because Sometimes We Need A Break From Our Brains