Mental Detox Week - (formerly TV Turnoff (formerly TV-Free America)) serves as a reminder to cleanse the mental palate. For one week, April 21 to April 27, you are invited to celebrate in the analog world. Unplug, turn off the TVs, computers (Ed. - uh, this is blasphemy!), iPods, Blackberries, and cell phones. You don’t have to go cold turkey, just challenge yourself to cut back a little. In the evening, you watch your favorite show if you have to, but then you switch off, relax, read a book, take a walk, or maybe go for a pint with a friend.

It’s all about mental health. Recent studies have revealed a connection between our increasing use of a wide range of digital devices and growing stress levels and incidence of psychological disorders. Two out of three Americans suffer disconnection anxiety if they’re away from their gadgets even for a few minutes, and The American Journal of Psychiatry has classified excessive gaming, porn surfing, emailing, and text messaging as a compulsive impulse disorder. Unplugging for a week is a non-pharmaceutical method of protecting your sanity and well-being.

To Celebrate for mental detox week, John Fabke, host of “Pastures of Plenty” on WORT 89.9fm, will be doing a special all-live show from Mother Fools (1101 Williamson St, Madison) from 9am to noon on this Tuesday, April 22nd. The show will feature three excellent performers. You can join the fun at the coffeehouse or tune in on the radio. The guests will be:

• 9am-Award winning singer/songwriter/instrumentalist Tracy Jane Comer
• 10am-Midwestern fiddle master Chirps Smith
• 11am-Wisconsin treasures Bruce Bollerud and George Gilbertson (of the Goose Island Ramblers)