Interrupt failing to wake brain from sleep mode.

[Michael]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

 

[Martin Riddle]

Do something that you enjoyed in your younger years. Allways worked for me.

Cheers

 

[Ken Taylor]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

Do you sometimes lose track of keys as well?

Ken

 

[Ken Taylor]

Do you sometimes lose track of keys as well?

Ken

I meant keyboard keys......

 

[John Larkin]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

Exercise might help. Clicking a mouse isn't a very aerobic activity.
Try to get a half hour a day, at least, fairly aerobic activity; that
seems to perk my brain up quite a bit. I park eight blocks/400+
vertical feet from work, and the hike uphill is mandatory at the end
of the day. Keeps me in tune for ski season, too. But it takes a while
- maybe weeks - to really kick in.

But I've got to admit that, while I can design circuits forever,
coding for long periods kind of gets me down.

YHMV (Your Hormones May Vary)

John

 

[Luhan Monat]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

Hi,

You may want to post this to a psychology or medical group. If it
happens randomly, it may be a form of epilepsy. Myself, I used to just
'fade out' from overwork. As it turns out, I cant work 8 hours a day
doing assmebler programming; my brain just runs out of some critical
chemical or something. I now only work 4 hours a day at most. Its so
efficient, I get more done than I used to at 8 hours/day.

 

[Dr. Anton Squeegee]

Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

Yes, indeed. The correct remedy is to do something entirely
different in your off hours. Compose music, write fantasy, collect
bottle caps, read a good story, fix your own surrealist plumbing,
whatever: Just leave computers and electronics completely out of the
picture.

I speak as one who knows, all too well, the signs of techie
burnout. Don't make the same mistakes I did. For my part, when the tech
side of things gets to be too much, I go and walk around one of the
local zoos. Being near the critters (and, in some cases, interacting
with the tamer ones -- llamas and such) is a huge help.

Keep the peace(es).


--
Dr. Anton Squeegee, Director, Dutch Surrealist Plumbing Institute
(Known to some as Bruce Lane, KC7GR)
kyrrin a/t bluefeathertech d-o=t c&o&m
Motorola Radio Programming & Service Available -
http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (Red Green)

 

[DG]

Being near the critters (and, in some cases, interacting
with the tamer ones -- llamas and such)

You call llamas tame? I guess you haven't been spat on by one yet. Or
maybe you didn't get too close to the fence. I think watching the
monkeys is much more interesting.

 

[GPE]

Yeah, but I think most places frown at sex in the work place...

 

[Mike Page]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

I sometimes get the same thing. Once it lasted nearly a week. I
eventually tracked it down to low body temperature, not clinical
hypothermia but not far off. It's my body's reaction to a low level
infection, often without any other symptoms. There's no remedy I know
of, I just lower my self-expectations while the condition persists. And
get some rest, obviously.

 

[Ben Pope]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

It sounds like what happens to me when I get tired, real tired - like after
30 hours awake.

If you're using caffeine to keep you going it's bound to happen at some
stage.

If you think really hard, your brain can peak at something like 1KW, and
sustain over 300W over a period of time... thinking can be hard work.

It could be anything from lack of iron in your diet to something more
serious.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

Sometimes I'll walk somewhere and then think, "what am I doing here?" for a
second or two.

You could go for a blood test to make sure you're not deficient in anything
obvious.

Suggestions of excercise are probably pretty good - it releases endorfins
and gets the blood going.

Ben

 

[The Real Andy]

Yeah, but I think most places frown at sex in the work place...

<snip>

Go off into a dark corner and have a wank.

 

[DJ]

I write a lot of assembly code for Pic's and the MSP430, generally I
don't have a problem going over old code and making changes. I usually
know exactly what I'm doing, I make very few mistakes and I feel very
alert and in control.
Occasionally though, my brain just goes DUH!, and I stare at the
screen completely lost, sometimes ginko or caffeine or a walk can help
a little bit, but other times (like right now) nothing helps. It's not
just for a few min's either, sometimes it lasts a whole day, sometimes
2 days.

Does this happen to anyone else here? does anyone know of any
remedies?

I certainly find that if I'm hung up on solving a problem, the best thing is to
simply pack up and go home/ to bed. It's amazing how often the problem is licked
within 5 minutes of returning to my desk the next morning.

 

[Tim Shoppa]

If you think really hard, your brain can peak at something like 1KW

Wow - I can be as smart as 1.34 horses!!!???

Tim.

 

[Ken Taylor]

Only short-term. Steady-state, you can only be as smart as 0.402
horses.

John

Somewhere in the vicinity of a horses arse, then??

Ken

 

[John Larkin]

Wow - I can be as smart as 1.34 horses!!!???

Tim.

Only short-term. Steady-state, you can only be as smart as 0.402
horses.

John

 

[Luhan Monat]

I certainly find that if I'm hung up on solving a problem, the best thing is to
simply pack up and go home/ to bed. It's amazing how often the problem is licked
within 5 minutes of returning to my desk the next morning.

Yes, I have also experienced the mysterious 'bed' effect...

 

[Rich Grise]

It sounds a lot like writer's block - we all get it. I was whining
to a friend about not getting myself to work on a certain project,
even though it had a clear deadline. He said, "Somewhere in your
brain, you know exactly how long it will take to do the project.
So you'll be motivated when that's how long it is 'til the deadline."
Or words to that effect.

I've never been an exercise-junkie, but I have been walking a bit
recently and I noticed the other day that I don't get winded nearly
as bad as I used to only a few months ago, so there might be something
to it.

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Richard Henry]

Yes, I have also experienced the mysterious 'bed' effect...

Sometimes I have had the "car" effect - getting the solution while driving
home. The quandary then is rather to wait until morning or to turn right
around.

 

[John Larkin]

Yes, I have also experienced the mysterious 'bed' effect...

I do my best thinking while I'm asleep. If you're lazy enough, you can
get your subconscious to do all the hard work, like some scullery maid
that is kept out of sight. The answers are usually delivered in the
shower in the morning.

John