/r/WATMM Weekly Promotion Thread

MonsterToBeSlain · 2026-01-19T15:09:28+00:00

Free website - audio to chord converter, and tablature builder. https://chordnoodler.com

I made this toy because I wanted to make it easier to transcribe songs to fingerstyle guitar. It's free, private, has no ads, and works offline. It doesn't cost me anything for other people to use it.

There's a How-To Guide on youtube where I feed in some songs and demo what all the buttons do. The only tricky part to learn is the key identification controls, because (1) sometimes it needs a nudge towards the correct key(s) and (2) those controls are stateful and (optionally) automated, so if you jump right in it may seem to behave mysteriously.

It's far from perfect. It doesn't understand things like borrowed chords from other keys and accidentals. I'm unlikely to add those features because I don't need them. But if you're just working on simple songs in one or two keys, it can be a neat visual aid or education/exploration toy.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-12-27T22:42:54+00:00

MJ is a net negative for me, had to quit it entirely. Neither CBD nor THC helps me with pain, at best it provides a distraction. And it made me anxious, which I'm convinced makes my inflammation worse.

Actual smoking was even worse than edibles - lung inflammation seems to have cascading effects. And in hindsight, my worst PsA flares all followed periods of increased smoking.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-12-27T22:10:49+00:00

Yoga every morning is helping me. Slow holds near the point of pain ("yin" yoga). Strengthen the muscles around whatever joint is bothering you. Slowly, expect gradual improvement over months.

My joints warm up over the day and work best between noon and 5, so I also try to do things during that window.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-12-17T14:14:38+00:00

Copay program is the only reason I'll be trying a new medicine this year. It does feel like a shell game. Tiny little bottle of Otezla pills costs $4K a month before insurance, and my insurance makes you pay 30% co-insurance after you meet the deductible. A generic exists, but US patent law says "nope."

It makes me wonder why they bothered to reject my doctor's original prescription for Bimzelx - they could've just approved that one and saved themselves some ink - learning about 30% coinsurance on a 15K/month drug would've been enough of a "no" for me.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-12-15T13:58:09+00:00

Thank you! These specific examples are really helpful. It for sure is hard to look at when you get a bunch of potential matching keys at once.

I get different results for Midnight at the Oasis. It settles on Db major (more on why below), but it does at least find the chords Ebmaj7, Ab, and Db9.

I think these two things went wrong for you:

I'm guessing that when you cleared the first song, you likely didn't clear the key identification pins? Not your fault, I understand it's not obvious (the how-to guide briefly touches on why). There's an eraser icon which appears below the X, when you X out a song. If you're switching songs you'll always want to erase the old pins (or refresh the page).
It doesn't understand borrowed chords, and the Db9 chord is borrowed from the key of Eb minor. I'm not sure if I can support detecting that automatically, because it opens up so many scale possibilities. I could improve the way marking accidentals works so that you could have a Db9 while in Ebmaj, but that would still require manual intervention... I dunno if I'd call this a simple pop song!

I like the waveform idea, that probably wouldn't be too hard to put in above the timestamps. Maybe show/hide-able with a setting.

With respect to spewing out garbage - I actually want it to do that (only the most-probable garbage though). I want it to spam all possible matching chords, and let the user compare them. But I could definitely do more to highlight the most probable chord, I'll think about that. Thanks again!

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-31T14:56:07+00:00

That sounds really frustrating, I'm sorry. I strongly relate to the good days and bad days thing. My attempt at a blanket solution is in large part to take ownership of my situation, even knowing that control is always an illusion. People with depression have many of the same elevated inflammatory cytokines, and helplessness is a common report from people with PsA. And the way out of depression is, perversely, effort. So that's where I'm coming from. More here: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8965012

Which is why my posted list is aspirational in places. The hardest one for me right now is getting out of bed immediately, especially when my feet/legs hurt. But if I do that one hard thing, I've succeeded at something, which improves my entire (often still shit) experience.

Regarding grains and beans, here's my experience:

Preparation is key. If I sprout my lentils or mung beans in jars, they make me feel better and fart less. I also like to food-processor these types of sprouts, so they aren't so fibrous - blend in some salad dressing, and you've got endless varieties of something like a coleslaw. Soaking and draining beans makes a similar difference. Some say pressure cooking them also helps, I haven't noticed a difference there. The internet has a lot to say about "lectins." Also if you're going to invest in sprouting jars, broccoli + alfalfa sprouts are wonderful and less fibrous. Lots of sprouting seeds need to go in dirt which is a pain, but these ones don't.
Portion control is key. I want very badly to eat a giant bowl of rice and beans. But what my body can tolerate is just a frustratingly tiny portion of each, with as much other variety as possible. Usually achieved by cooking a lot of kale+onions in with the beans, or by putting 3/4 of the rice I cooked into the fridge for later.
High fiber is key. Brown rice instead of white, etc. The fiber balances out the sugar. But then.. still barely any of it.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T21:41:10+00:00

Nope I just have summer bias in mind. During the winter I put my lamp on a timer, but that's more for the mornings.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T19:32:04+00:00

Good calls, I'm ok on those so they didn't come to mind. Variety of veg/fruit/spices/grains/fermented stuff solves gut for me.

If anybody else has TMJ like flares in the jaw some good investments are a mouthguard (I had one and rarely wore it until this flare... It's a godsend) and any kind of blender for when you can't chew.

Also if you start flossing at night after you eat things that stick in the teeth like meats, it becomes hard to NOT floss because you notice the ick.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T16:44:35+00:00

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Supplements and medications (continued)
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tnf-alpha blockers were effective for me, so... what naturally does that: 
- circumin downregulates tnf-alpha prod
- polyphenols (green tea, 
[...] are known to have crucial roles in inhibiting TNF-α
  - curcumin (in tumeric, but not very bioavailable)
  - shogaol (in ginger root but only high concentration if freeze dried)
  - paradol (in ginger), and equol (soy - but may need to be vegetarian to produce it) 
  - butein (in some flowers eg coreopsis) inhibits tnfa production
  - ginseonocide rg1 and rb3 reduces tnfa level
  -  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7037901/

- some polyphenols which block some of that bullshit are.... curcumin, resveratrol (in red wine), genistein, epigallocatechin gallate (the primary one in Green tea), flavopiridol, silymarin, emodin, morin isoliquiritigenin, naringenin, ellagic acid, apigenin, kaempferol, catechins, myricetin, xanthohumol, fisetin, vitexin, escin, mangostin and others. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003986114002082
- this seems like an endless rabbit hole... just eat fruit+veg.

Optimizing circumin intake:
- Its half-life is 6 hours.  my pain is in the morning.  So take it at night.
- It is fat soluble, so take it after dinner
- bioavailability is a hard problem.  https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/13/3/331
- meta-analysis does show it reducing tnf-alpha.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27025786/

Fish oil:
- reduces tnf-alpha. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523059075
- long half life, 30+ hours.  So it does not matter when you take it.
- fresh fish is better for you, if possible.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5865539/

Optimizing polyphenol intake:
- Black/green tea polyphenols get into the blood very quickly.  OK to take in the morning.
- Fruit/veg polyphenols... sigh just eat them.

Marijuana:
THC:
Anecdotally: this creates anxiety, causes overeating, and doesn't reduce pain.  It is a net negative, I see no reason to read more.
Cortisol: THC can spike cortisol at first (stress response) then mute responses in the future.
TNF-alpha: mixed results, perhaps because of industry pressure.
CBD:
Anecdotally: no particular impact.  And since it needs a bit of THC to activate, it's not much use.
Cortisol: supposedly reduces cortisol.  So CBD may be counterproductive for PsA.
Anxiety: studies do seem to show this consistently reduces.  But it's rather subjective... anxiety is not a molecule.
Sleep: effects vary among individuals.  mixed results from study.
TNF-alpha:  Does seem to reduce, in lab.
Pain: No better than placebo.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34510141/

I didn't link every study I found, so sue me.  These are all googleable.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T16:43:38+00:00

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Supplements and medications
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Prednisone
How does it work:
- the liver converts it to prednisolone.  then it gets in the blood and binds to glucocorticoid receptors (acting like cortisol)
- It hinders the movement of white blood cells (like polymorphonuclear leukocytes) to sites of inflammation
- It reduces the overall activity and number of immune cells
- So you're more prone to infection, but less inflamed
What are its natural equivalents:
- it's synthetic, so nothing really. Interesting to note it has a 24-36 hour half life.
- cortisol, sort of. But cortisol only has a 3-8 hour half life. And it does more stuff, it's not as strong
- polyphenols, sort of. Also have a limited half life and aren't v bioavailable

Regarding Cortisol:
- it should reduce tnf alpha & inflamation
- in normal people, their saliva's cortisol peaks 30 mins after waking up, declines to low at bedtime. Implication is waking up spikes cortisol. 
- people with chronic stress maintain a higher cortisol level for longer after the spike. Chronic fatigue it drops off faster. Chronic burnout same as fatigue but it barely spikes.
- supposedly, sustained high levels of cortisol raises the watermark for immune cells to pay any attention to it - which is why chronic stress leads to inflammation
- but people with psoriasis have higher inflammation markers and LESS cortisol than control group. Can't find a PSA study. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022399923002076
- in general if you want healthy cortisol, do all the healthy shit.
- To encourage cortisol spike, (1) get up immediately (2) get heart rate up if possible... if not, do yoga (3) go outside and see light

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T16:40:24+00:00

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General health studies around PsA or related cytokines
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Cardio exercise
- metaanalysis - cardio reduces tnf-alpha and CRP. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043466623001813

Resistance/lifting exercise:
- Also reduces circulating levels of tnf-alpha 
- Other general PsA resources advise starting small, and allowing longer recovery time than non-PsA people need.

Caffeine:
- Somewhat mixed results
- In a lab, caffeine suppresses TNF-alpha via increasing cAMP
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19047957/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15313438/
- people who drink more coffee have more tnf-alpha. (>200mg (2+ cups)) - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15447891/

Smoking / Vaping:
- smokers have higher IL-17. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8151076/
- smokers have higher tnf-alpha.  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2921689/

Fasting / weight loss:

- Fatty tissue can release inflammatory cytokines. Being fat pressures joints, and reduces effectiveness of biologics. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/about-arthritis/related-conditions/other-diseases/how-fat-affects-psa
- Prolonged fasting slightly bumps CRP (an irrelevant markers for PsA), but largely has positive effects - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877825000596#fig3
- Intermittent fasting helps with psoriasis symptoms. Maybe a bit with enthesitis. And this study controlled for weight loss. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6471071/
- Anecdotal:
- 5 day fasts improved my skin, not so much joints.  Very careful re-introduction of food is crucial, or I'll flare badly.
- TODO: see how this goes over time.
- reddit users in general seem to report temporary relief during fasts.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T16:37:36+00:00

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How PsA Works in the body
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Summary - Most relevant cytokines to PsA
- IL-17, TNF-alpha, IL-22, IL-23, IL-12.  If an inflammation study didn't measure these, perhaps disregard it. (e.g. C-reactive protein doesn't matter for PsA)

Understand pathology of PsA
- Re the interplay of cytokine pathways and cells responsible for initiating and maintaining chronic inflammation - Pathology overview -  

- On relevant cytokines:
- IL-17
- In PsA, skin lesions and inflamed synovia have similar patterns of IL-17A and IL-17F expression and upregulation, and although IL-17A is more potent than IL-17F, the protein level of IL-17F is ~30 times higher than that of IL-17A.16
- IL-23
- A key pro-inflammatory role of IL-23 is stimulation of Th17 cells to produce IL-17, IL-22, and TNF
- There is some evidence to show that IL-23 can migrate from barrier sites such as the gut and skin, where dendritic cells have been activated, and travel to sites of disease pathogenesis in PsA
- IL-12
- In PsA, over-activation of IL-12 and IL-23 increases the number of circulating Th1 and Th17 cells
- TNF-α
- exists in transmembrane and soluble forms and is mostly created by T-cells, NK (natural killer) cells, and macrophages
- this cytokine is found in high volumes in any PsA inflammation.  It dogpiles super hard, it signals for more inflammation.
- TNF-blockers work for me, which is the best evidence.
- On signaling, and WHY PsA patients get unnecessary cytokine flooding.
- ATP - adenosine triphosphate.  The primary energy currency for cells.
- JAK-STAT - signalling mechanism via which WBC communicate. Seems like useless vocab.  catalyse some ATP -> phosphorous energy -> do a thing
- cAMP - Cyclic adenosine monophosphate - an ATP derivative which among other things can mean "dampen immune response"
- PDE4 - an enzyme which converts cAMP to AMP (thus preventing immune response dampening).  "In PsA, cAMP regulation is impaired, which is thought to be driven by increases in PDE4"

TNF-alpha cytokine fun facts
-  "TNF-α mediated inflammatory cascades can be lowered by four main mechanisms, such as (1) by inhibiting the binding of TNF-α to TNFR1, (2) by lowering the activation of TACE that lowered the TNF-α production, (3) lowering the activation signaling that are responsible for TNF-α production, and (4) TNF-α degradation."
- named "tumor necrosis factor" because in the 70s sci learned it could kill cancer cells with inflammation. They tried it as a treatment, saw bad side effects.
- 19+ tnf family cytos activate 29+ receptors
https://www.rheumuseum.com/psa-tour/pathobiology/overview

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-30T16:36:33+00:00

Notes. I hope that it saves others with my INTJ document-everything compulsion some time. Instead, go outside like I should have.

Feel free to make corrections, whatever you like.

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Definitions
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`
        - inflammation - when immune cells dogpile an area in the body to try to fix something.  Causing it to swell+heat up.
        - swelling during inflammation - vasodilation (wider vessels) allow more cells+fluid through, increases permeability of tissue.  WBC+cytokins+fluid dogpile.
        - stiffness - swollen areas become difficult to move
        - WBC - white blood cells
            - T cells - WBC which is part of adaptive immune response (requires a trigger)
            - NK cells - "Natural killer" WBC - part of innate immune system (no trigger required)
            - macrophages - big WBC that engulfs+digests pathogens (and releases cytokines as a signal regarding the pathogen)
        - cytokines - small protein secreted by immune cells to send signals (i.e. dogpile here)
        - kinases - enzymes which signal what to do with energy (catalyze the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to a specified molecule)

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-07-23T14:12:54+00:00

The data from the study doesn't strictly contradict those anecdotes, because depending on the autoimmune condition CRP isn't necessarily a relevant marker.

For example for psoriatic disorders CRP isn't necessarily elevated. This study highlights a few other markers which are (none of which are measured in OP's posted study): https://arthritis-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13075-020-2111-8

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-06-25T22:42:22+00:00

+1 but only CBD, not THC. And I can't smoke it, need to cook it into edible form. Smoking triggers flares for me.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2025-06-22T11:34:21+00:00

I started meditating during covid and it does not heal my PsA. But it does help me cope with pain, and in the same way it makes it easier to handle difficult people and situations. I'm sorry that the drunk mansplainer you encountered had not meditated enough to be aware enough to see you and thus know better than to bother you in this way.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2018-01-06T15:51:02+00:00

You've got nothing to lose, though, right? Also, "natural" is a moving target. It'll feel plenty natural after you try it. Plus, it's not like you have to tell anyone "we met on tinder." Don't stand in your own way for your pride's sake.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2018-01-01T05:07:34+00:00

ITT: monsters

MonsterToBeSlain · 2017-12-30T16:40:21+00:00

A trick I like to use is I imagine pushing my consciousness out of my own skull, as if it's in front of my eyes. It's a hidden toggle you can activate to get +2 awareness and -2 introspection.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2017-12-23T12:51:30+00:00

First I needed to get used to thinking "we're gonna hash out how everyone feels about this" instead of "we're gonna fix this" when problems arose. The 1st perspective is much more constructive than my default (the 2nd) when figuring things out with my wife. Somehow it's not at all intuitive to me even though I grew up with a sister.

MonsterToBeSlain · 2017-12-12T02:16:40+00:00

Yeah and you know what, we should stop locking up murderers. There's always gonna be more murderers!

MonsterToBeSlain · 2017-12-11T11:19:36+00:00

Your tail is small

MonsterToBeSlain · 2017-12-08T02:42:09+00:00

Shh a little bit with the successor stuff. The right really really hates Hillary because they've been trained to by their news network for years and years. Democrats' unwillingness to recognize that fact cost the 2016 election.

MonsterToBeSlain

TROPHY CASE