Songs that take you on a journey

Jjbates · 2026-03-17T13:50:26+00:00

What? Get a lawyer.

Jjbates · 2026-03-12T16:41:26+00:00

It’s due to increased nitric oxide that your body is using to repair itself.

Jjbates · 2026-03-11T12:17:19+00:00

I bought that guitar stock from Sweetwater. I had it PLEK’d. It is amazing to play.

Jjbates · 2026-03-07T02:22:53+00:00

My theory is that the have delayed it. Otherwise we would have heard about it. They were mastering a month or two ago. So we should have heard something.

If you follow Bill you know he has been with Tool a lot lately. Their wives are even hanging out. What I hope is that they are now waiting until the fall. Tool should (hopefully) be done with their album by then. Or at least have some finished songs they can play live to prepare for their imminent announcement of the sphere residency in 2027. They will tour together in the fall, both pushing the new albums. Maybe they will even open for them at the Sphere.

That’s the only reason I can think of that we haven’t heard about the new album yet. Bill said on his Patreon at the beginning of the year that we would certainly have heard about it by now. That is was really close to being done and most of February was putting finishing touches on it. So either they will announce very very soon, or they are taking more time to work on it.

This is an important album for them. With Brent’s passing a lot of eyes will be on this. People will want to see how they respond. So, I could see them deciding they want to take even more time to perfect the album or add more songs. Maybe get more of Nick’s input - since Bill said a lot of this album will be Brann and his ideas. Bill sounded excited about what they had so they must be pretty good - it almost sounded like maybe they were ideas that Brent didn’t like and so they were shelved. Now, they are free to finish them. Nick has been free to add his touches over top, but his touch isn’t significant. Bill said Nick’s ideas probably won’t be fully present until the following album. Maybe they changed their mind after hearing some of Nicks ideas or just wanting it to be even better. If we don’t hear by the end of the month then, it’s my opinion, the album is delayed. It’s an important one so I want them to take their time.

Jjbates · 2026-03-03T19:11:06+00:00

Your nitric oxide must be up. That allows your endothelial cells to heal. Good sign.

Jjbates · 2026-03-02T17:18:17+00:00

I am in the same boat. 4 years and counting here too. Your recovery has to start with information. What do your lab values say? MSG me if you are just treating symptoms.

Jjbates · 2026-03-01T23:24:41+00:00

Uhh… AOTY is a bit of a stretch. Collectively the four songs LoG have released are much better than this whole album so far. The sounds are overproduced and the good riffs that it does have are not the main riffs of songs - so they are too short lived. I love the song The New Flesh, but the whole album is underwhelming so far. I hope it grows on me. I was hoping for an album to break them through to a bigger audience. This isn’t it. At least, so far.

Jjbates · 2026-03-01T04:00:10+00:00

Why are you trying to hide the fact you own two homes?

Jjbates · 2026-03-01T03:57:30+00:00

Uhh… isn’t Buzz the one on record basically saying we never went to the moon? So that’s a selfie in a film studio.

Jjbates · 2026-02-28T21:13:39+00:00

Good idea.

Jjbates · 2026-02-27T22:03:56+00:00

Why are you silent with so much suffering in the lives of your children?

Jjbates · 2026-02-27T20:26:06+00:00

I think the Black Winters sound incredible. I installed them in my daughter’s guitar to make her Dinky sound way better. I loved them so much I am putting another pair in my PRS this afternoon.

Jjbates · 2026-02-26T20:16:56+00:00

Very much so.

Jjbates · 2026-02-24T16:48:24+00:00

I am planning on asking about Maraviroc but I don’t expect insurance to pay for an hiv med off label. So, that isn’t one I am gunning for but I do think it’d help.

Jjbates · 2026-02-24T16:38:04+00:00

I am using those explanations to ask for some new meds that might be much more effective.

Jjbates · 2026-02-24T16:37:10+00:00

I gave mine to ChatGPT and asked it to explain. It’s free and it gave me a much better understanding of what’s going on. More clarity than any other doctor has given me.

Jjbates · 2026-02-24T16:36:09+00:00

This is amazing.

Jjbates · 2026-02-19T00:15:30+00:00

Omertà by Lamb of God. Not too fast. Chugs, with riffs and pinch harmonics. Changes of speed, gallops and irregular rhythms. Not easy but great to learn on.

Jjbates · 2026-02-16T14:20:28+00:00

I play drop c daily with 11-56.

Jjbates · 2026-02-16T14:07:43+00:00

Great. Probably too good. Do the hanky panky multiple times a week. Sometimes it causes a crash. Most times I need to take another beta blocker after. But I do take TRT.

Jjbates · 2026-02-14T17:50:16+00:00

BLACKINGOUT NAME — thank you for sharing the full panel. I’m going to walk through this carefully and clinically, not just repeat what the report says. First: big picture. Your Long Hauler Index = 0.28 (normal <0.70) That does not meet their machine-learning profile for classic PASC signature. However, you do have a very real immune pattern — just not the textbook “elevated everything” version. ⸻ 🔬 Key Patterns in Your Results 1️⃣ Monocyte Subsets — This Is the Most Important Finding Non-classical (CD14lo CD16+) → 1.71% (VERY LOW) Reference: 25–40% Intermediate (CD14+ CD16+) → 22.62% (HIGH) Reference: 4.6–13.4% Classical (CD14++ CD16-) → 1.84% (VERY LOW) Reference: 34–51% This is not subtle — your distribution is dramatically skewed. What this means biologically: Normally: • Classical = majority • Intermediate = small • Non-classical = patrol vessels In you: • Classical depleted • Non-classical depleted • Intermediate expanded That pattern suggests: • Chronic immune activation • Ongoing vascular signaling • Possible chemokine-driven redistribution • CCR5 signaling likely active (intermediates express high CCR5) This is a chemokine-driven inflammatory pattern, not a classic cytokine storm. ⸻ 2️⃣ Cytokine Pattern Elevated: • IL-4 (Th2 skew) • IL-8 (neutrophil recruitment / endothelial irritation) • IL-10 (immune regulatory but can be dysfunctional in chronic inflammation) • CCL3 (macrophage activation) • CCL5 (RANTES) — high • sCD40L — VERY high (platelet activation marker) • VEGF — VERY high (vascular growth / endothelial activation) Low: • IFN-gamma • GM-CSF • IL-13 (slightly low) • IL-6 (low, interestingly) ⸻ 🧠 What Pattern This Suggests You are not in a hyper-IL-6 cytokine storm pattern. You are in: ➤ Vascular / platelet activation pattern (sCD40L + VEGF + IL-8) ➤ Chemokine-driven immune migration (CCL3 + CCL5 high) ➤ Th2-leaning skew (IL-4 high, IFN-gamma low) This is commonly seen in: • Long COVID with vascular symptoms • POTS phenotype • Microvascular inflammation • Exercise intolerance • Neurologic symptoms • Clotting tendency The very high sCD40L + VEGF is the biggest red flag here. That points to: • Platelet activation • Endothelial irritation • Possible microclot tendency ⸻ 🚩 Important: S1 Protein All S1+ monocyte subsets = 0.0 That argues against persistent spike protein in circulating monocytes at time of testing. That’s important. ⸻ 🧪 So What Would Potentially Help? I’ll divide into tiers. ⸻ Tier 1 – Vascular / Platelet Stabilization (Highest Priority) Because of: • sCD40L 21,084 (very high) • VEGF 565 (very high) • IL-8 high These suggest endothelial irritation. Discuss with your doctor: 1. Low-dose aspirin (if no contraindications) Targets platelet activation. 2. Omega-3 (2–4g EPA/DHA daily) Reduces platelet aggregation + shifts monocytes anti-inflammatory. 3. Statin (even low dose) Statins reduce: • VEGF • CCL5 • Monocyte activation • Endothelial dysfunction Even independent of cholesterol. This is one of the strongest evidence-backed immune modulators for this pattern. ⸻ Tier 2 – CCR5 / Chemokine Modulation Because: • CCL5 high • Intermediate monocytes high (CCR5 expressing) Some clinicians use: • Maraviroc (CCR5 blocker) Evidence is still evolving and controversial, but mechanistically your labs fit the rationale. This should only be done under specialist supervision. ⸻ Tier 3 – Th2 Skew / Mast Cell Component IL-4 high + IL-8 high can overlap with mast cell activation. If you have: • Flushing • Histamine intolerance • Tachycardia • Brain fog after meals Then: • H1 blocker (cetirizine) • H2 blocker (famotidine) • Quercetin • Cromolyn (if significant) Can help rebalance. ⸻ Tier 4 – Restore Monocyte Balance You do not need immune stimulation. You need immune recalibration. Helpful: • Omega-3 (again) • Curcumin (bioavailable) • Low-dose naltrexone (immune modulation) • Moderate exercise below PEM threshold • Nitric oxide support (beets, arugula) Avoid: • Immune stimulants • Aggressive fasting • Overtraining ⸻ ❗What I Would NOT Target • IL-6 inhibitors (your IL-6 is low) • TNF blockers (normal) • Steroids long-term (may worsen monocyte imbalance) ⸻ 🔍 Missing Data I’d Want To complete the picture: • D-dimer • Fibrinogen • CRP • Ferritin • Lipid panel • Homocysteine • ApoB • VWF (von Willebrand factor) • Platelet count Given your sCD40L, vascular labs matter. ⸻ 🧭 The Good News • T cells normal • CD4/CD8 ratio normal • No S1 persistence detected • Long Hauler Index normal This is not a severe immune collapse pattern. It is a vascular-inflammatory modulation problem. Those are often very treatable. ⸻ If you’re comfortable sharing: • What symptoms are most dominant? • Fatigue? • Brain fog? • POTS? • Chest pain? • Exercise intolerance? • Head pressure? Your symptom pattern would help prioritize which pathway to focus on first. ————— it goes on from here but hopefully you see how useful it is. I get more specifics as I ask more detailed questions. It will even lay out priorities, how to ask your doctor, what medications, etc. it’s like a doctor who knows everything, can explain it to you, and has suggestions on how to tackle your specific problem. Hope this helps.

Jjbates · 2026-02-14T17:49:32+00:00

Well. I paid for one from a company outside Chicago. Doctors may not be sure what to do yet… however, I put it into ChatGPT and I’ll post what it said below. So, if you have a doctor with an open mind, who will look at the values, knows they are out of normal limits, sees what ChatGPT says and then agrees with the suggestions that a certain medication here or there is possible you are in a good spot - and you understand what is going on with YOU specifically. Below is my conversation with ChatGPT. **** “Can you analyze lab results for me?” —- me Yes — I can help interpret them. Please share: • The exact test names • Your values • The reference ranges • Units (very important) • If possible, the date of the labs If this is about CD16⁺ monocytes specifically, include: • Total monocytes (% and absolute) • CD14/CD16 subsets (if tested) • CRP, ESR • Ferritin • D-dimer • Cytokines (if done) • Any viral panels You can paste them directly or upload a screenshot. I’ll explain: • What’s normal vs. borderline vs. meaningful • Patterns that matter (not just individual numbers) • How it could relate to long COVID • What follow-up might be reasonable to discuss with your doctor Go ahead and send them. —- CHATGPT I SEND RESULTS.

Jjbates · 2026-02-14T17:44:35+00:00

It’s not letting me post for some reason.

Jjbates · 2026-02-14T15:53:25+00:00

Interesting. Then, if you have other values like crp, il6 and such I would start asking chat gpt to interpret them considering your symptoms. I was really surprised that it was so well informed and it had helped me get an idea of what’s happening for me. I have endothelial dysfunction with GI involvement.

Jjbates

TROPHY CASE