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It’s been a pretty hectic week for most of my American readers. A major national holiday and Black Friday, all in one week. Back to back, no less!
The only thing that could rival that excitement would be a brand new Saturday Sanity, right? (Well, it was worth a shot.)
As you read this, I’m most likely putting up Christmas decorations. And that is more exciting to me than any of it!
This week at Mental Health Notes, things were sad. People watched as a fellow human being committed suicide live, the numbers of children being dropped off at …read more

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It seems like just a few Saturday Sanities ago I was talking about how warm and sunny it was outside; now, we’re covered in snow. We have been all week. I still don’t have a winter coat (I didn’t have one last year, either – I can be very serious about my procrastination) and Chopper doesn’t understand why we don’t go outside 9,375 times a day anymore.
Anyway…
This week at Mental Health Notes, I talked about a new study about the television viewing habits of unhappy people, commented on two legal situations involving mental health issues (the …read more

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Hello!
Did y’all know the winners of the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest were announced? If so, shame on you for not telling me (I’m a bit behind, apparently), and if not, well, obviously you’re not alone.
For those of you just tuning in, the Facing Us 2008 Music Contest was sponsored by the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance and Dave’s Spark with the intention of recognizing and embracing “the creative spark of so many individuals who live with mood disorders.”
Anyway – yay! The first, second, and third place winners are up, and I’ve just checked them out. …read more

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Wow, what a week it has been, my friends. The weather here has been sunny and in the upper 60s/lower 70s (which Chopper loved), I found a ridiculously inexpensive and surprisingly potent scented oil while wandering aimlessly around Wal-Mart (mmm, Christmasy cinnamon), and I finally found the name of the song on one of the new Blackberry commercials (it’s “Live the Proof” by Jim Boggia, if anyone’s interested. It’s great. Seriously.).
And, of course, we Americans elected our leader for the next four years. Something I (but not Chopper) found even more exciting than the rest of …read more

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With only a few days until the 2008 presidential election, we’re getting down to the nitty gritty here in America. Like many Americans, I’m quite anxious. The race is close, and I’m looking forward to its finish. I’m looking forward to knowing who our next leader will be. I’m looking forward to seeing if he can pull us out of this economic slump.
I’m also looking forward to no longer receiving campaign emails and enjoying a full week of prime time television without debate interruptions.
Despite how close Election Day is, nearly 6.4 percent of the voting public …read more

Today kicks off NaNoWriMo, my friends. I attempted NaNoWriMo last year, but pretty much hid my face until it was December was sidetracked by the third day in due to an unexpected but necessary move. This year, I really have no excuse not to participate. I even have a story this time. Sure, none of the characters have names and I have no idea why any of them even know each other, but hey, Harry Potter wasn’t written in a day.
As you read this, I’m probably curled up in the fetal position somewhere.
Anyway, on to the goods. There’s a lot …read more

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It’s almost time to vote for America’s next leader, and if you’re anything like me…well, you’d be quite pessimistic, jaded, and apathetic. (Well, let me take that back. I’m not really that apathetic. I care quite a bit. I just have a bad feeling about both directions, and rather than stress myself out even more…I’m just going to wait and see what happens.)
However, even if you are feeling like me, you should still vote. Given how important the issue of health care is in all elections, and given a national mental health parity finally passed this …read more

What’s this? Saturday Sanity is on time this week? Do tell!
This week at Mental Health Notes, things were pretty busy. In addition to Kristina’s Newsweek interview about John McCain’s talk of autism, I told you about a few mental health campaigns and communities like Howie Mandel’s Adult ADHD Is Real, Canada’s Let’s Face This, and icyou’s mental health videos and vlogs. I also told you about a new study regarding memory side effects of using ecstasy just once, and dove into the brains of sociopaths (well, kind of) with posts about Private Practice and resources to learn more about sociopathy.
Regarding …read more

Yep, you read that correctly. It’s Monday Sanity. Which, doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as Saturday Sanity, but I left town early Friday morning and was unfortunately unable to give Saturday Sanity the attention it deserves. Rather than just wait until next weekend, however (there’s a lot of good, or at least thought-provoking, stuff to report!), I decided to present it a couple of days late.
Enjoy!
This week at Mental Health Notes, I praised Britney Spears and Kellie Pickler, pointed you in the direction of Ingrid Newkirk’s video about One Can Make a Difference, gushed on and on …read more

Welcome to October, lovely readers! Home to Halloween, my birthday, and a plethora of mental health- and brain-related awareness events:
Brain Injury Awareness Month – The Brain Injury Association of America offers free, downloadable materials to help educate yourself and others about brain injuries.
Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week – The BACCHUS Network provides an online manual to give information about facts and resources, as well as ideas for promotional materials and fundraising, so you’ll be prepared when this year’s Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week kicks off on October 19. Once you’re finished there, learn more about the 12 Steps from Mark over at …read more