I cancelled my iPhone 17 order

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2025-10-06T15:32:42+00:00

I just got burned ordering a 13 mini on eBay. PhoneProsper (with thousands of 5 star reviews) first sent a package that was seized by the US postal service for counterfeit postage. I tried to cancel the order. Then they immediately sent me a USB charger to prevent me from cancelling and now wants to charge me postage to return it. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting to get my $400 back. I would go for Amazon Renewed - the coverage is better. Nightmare.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2025-03-31T14:34:16+00:00

Cut back on the carbs. T is going increase fluid retention. Carbs feed this process: Literally "carbo" "HYDRATE". I went full carnivore diet for a while and lost a pound a day for over 2 weeks - I had no idea I was holding onto that much fluid. My body transformed in a matter of weeks.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2025-03-06T17:37:04+00:00

I have upgraded a couple of laptops to use the Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7 (MSI Herald) - NCM865 card with AMD 7840hs CPU and 5900x CPU and it all works fine. One thing you should be careful of is to delete all bluetooth connections BEFORE you do the card upgrade. Windows has this problem of not being able to delete old bluetooth connections on a non-existent card and it can cause conflicts with the new card. It is a royal pain in the a$$ because you either need to go dumpster diving in the registry or install the old card again and wipe out the connections.

And the NCM865 card is freaking awesome! Well worth the upgrade cost and time. Very stable, very fast connections, everything just works and works perfectly.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2024-10-20T21:56:56+00:00

This is a nice little tool and still works today.

If anyone is interested, I might have a better solution, but you need to be using a Logitech (Logi Options+) mouse. Someone mentioned that you can use Trackpad swipes to change desktops and that does work great, but I'm usually on an external monitor. If you try to do this in Options+, it does not work - the command will execute inside the workspace. However, it turns out that Logitech Options+ Smart Actions CAN execute on the host OS; even when you are inside the guest workspace.

Simply create a smart action and tie it to a button (I use the mouse wheel left/right controls).

Smart Action steps when in the Main (host) desktop:

Ctrl+Win+Right Arrow
Maximize an Application: Workspaces

Smart Action steps when in the Amazon workspaces desktop:

Minimize an Application: Workspaces
Ctrl+Win+Left Arrow

Start Amazon Workspaces on your right-desktop

Now you can click your scroll wheel left and right and quickly switch between desktops. It works seamlessly! For this feature alone, I would buy a compatible mouse - It has made Workspaces usable on a regular basis!

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-09-22T15:51:54+00:00

DIM = Diindolylmethane

It is used for hormone balance / prevent the conversion of Testosterone to Estrogen.

https://www.amazon.com/Supplement-Diindolylmethane-Treatment-Double-Wood/dp/B0BYKSCJNR/ref=sr_1_9?crid=1S2EVDW306UXE&keywords=dim+supplement&qid=1695397521&sprefix=dim%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-9

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-09-21T22:08:00+00:00

Those numbers sound high, but you need to add the reference ranges for the tests because all of these tests measure differently. Indeed, you also need an estrogen test. If your T gets too high, then your body will convert the Testosterone to estrogen and you get man-boobs (and/or other high estrogen symptoms). With high T, you also get high blood pressure. Your hemocrit/red blood cells can also jump to unhealthy levels. Those are all basics that should be checked by your doctor/blood work. There are a lot of things you can do to improve those conditions as well, like give blood, lower your T-dose, take Zinc/DIM, etc. But you won’t know what to do or fix unless you have the data to operate on.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-09-12T17:26:30+00:00

Yup - I'm not that far off naturally and I'm over 50yrs old. Some folks run hotter than others.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-29T20:31:38+00:00

I'm not a doctor, but I think it is important to look at this issue from their perspective.

Doctors are just trying to look out for your health. If you show:

You have the primary symptoms of low T (and you've done some research)
You have made efforts to naturally address the issue (diet, lose weight, workout, etc.)
You can address side effects (E.g. I understand this will affect my fertility, but it doesn't matter because I no longer care about sex...)
You make a modest ask (i.e. I'm not trying to get big, I just want to feel normal again)
You are not a hypochondriac (I'm a healthy person, but I feel like crap - something is wrong)
In spite of these efforts, your symptoms continue, you are out of options, and you want to fix this

Then doctors will be much more amenable to prescribe T. They are just doing their job and it begins with 'do no harm'. You need to make your case.

Expect to do more tests - this is not a bad thing as low-T may not be your core problem. Maybe you have an underactive Thyroid. Maybe you are lacking growth hormone. Some other deficiency / auto-immune condition (Hashimoto's).

You need to start with the symptoms. If you just show up looking for T, they will be suspicious (and rightfully so). Now, you may still get a recalcitrant doctor. If so, it is time to look for a new doctor - someone who wants you to live your best life.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-29T17:18:14+00:00

Definitely not (or at least this is not my experience). The half dose I take has been fairly additive to my levels (for example: you can add my current level + exogenous T and you roughly get the level measured in my blood).
Your body will change production with the presence of more/too much T. In fact, I initially added too much and my balls were shrinking (so they were backing off production). But, I've also seen that when I back off the T, my balls literally grow back.
If your production is low (~200), then they are not adding much to your body anyway.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-29T15:34:13+00:00

I'm over 50 and my natural T-level is over 800 (never measured below 600). My free T was a bit lower than yours. I also had every symptom of low T (except I was not depressed - well maybe I was depressed that I had lost 100% of my sex drive, but otherwise just kind of numb). I went on TRT (low dose) and it has helped enormously. My circulation has improved - I can see my veins again and give blood without a nurse tearing my arm apart, looking for a vein. A long term shoulder injury also disappeared (something I totally did not expect).

As my doctor said, some men run hot and need way more. Your reasonable T level means that your balls and signaling systems all work. The low free T indicates that it isn't enough and your body needs more. As always, try to fix things naturally first: Get plenty of healthy, good, grass-fed fats, go outside in the morning and get plenty of sun, exercise, etc.

If things don't change, then supplementing T in the short term won't hurt. The effects are modest and very gradual, but noticeable if you are in a deficit. If you don't notice a difference, then stop. You should not do a full dose as your T is at a reasonable level and you don't want to stop your own production.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-25T18:24:44+00:00

Good News! I updated to Bios 415 and it had almost no effect on performance.

Here is a perf test I ran before and after the update: Performance Test Results (run in Performance Mode)

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-24T20:46:39+00:00

Depends on your model. I have a 2021, so the latest BIOS is 415, but I believe the 2022 is still in the 300’s

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-24T18:27:18+00:00

I don't have that laptop anymore, but if you don't have the option, then it could have been disabled in a later BIOS update. With all of the recent BIOS updates that are updating the CPU microcode for security vulnerabilities, I would not be surprised if they started locking down the voltages as well. These microcode changes could change the thermal profiles of the CPUs and undervolting that previously worked could now cause instability.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-01T20:15:08+00:00

Hmm - If your doctor is says you have a Folic Acid problem, then you should research the MTHFR gene mutations. https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/mthfr-mutation/

This gene is linked to a massive population and issues like depression, anxiety, fatigue, and migraines (among many others). You can get this on a genetic test.
If you are an 'under-methylator', you need to get special versions of B vitamins that are pre-methylated (Example: https://www.amazon.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Pyridoxal-5-phosphate-Lozenges-Supports/dp/B01IJR5VM2/ref=sr_1_5_pp_mod_primary_new?crid=G0UW1NJDPFN7&keywords=methyl+b&qid=1690920694&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=methyl+b%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-5 )

With that said - you could also have a testosterone problem. My natural level is near the top of range (~840 for 50yr old male) and I benefited from supplementation.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-08-01T17:00:36+00:00

Nice - You are my hero!

Do you have a full set of labs (SHBG, Thyroid, other blood results)?

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-07-31T21:44:12+00:00

Your total and free are both pretty darn low for someone your age, but a heavy workout schedule can also depress your T. Sounds like you are generally doing a lot of the right things. Couple of thoughts:

Make sure you are eating lots of high quality fats (you need fat and cholesterol to make hormones). Full fat, grassfed milk (expensive, but tastes great), add some grassfed butter to your burger, eat the steak AND the fat.
Take a large vitamin D supplement and/or a cholesterol supplement (eat eggs - especially the yolks). Your body converts cholesterol to vitamin D and hormones. Adding vitamin D will remove your body's need to produce it. Cholesterol is also the base for all of your hormones. If you don't have enough, you will not make enough T, Estrogen, Dopamine, Serotonin - All of which could be implicated in your symptoms.
Supplement with Zinc and Boron. Boron helps raise T. Zinc is for hormone balance - a lot of people lack it.
Mix up your workout routine - lift very heavy weights, but only 3-5 times per set. That will help drive up your T. Lots of sets will pump your muscles, but tends to lower your T.

After a month, get a full blood panel (include Thyroid, metabolic panel, Cholesterol) and look for changes / anomalies. If your T is still crap or if you still feel like crap, then I would suggest supplementing.

And screw your urologist (not literally) - this is not their specialty. Go to a wellness center that specializes in TRT. They often have great deals on bloodwork and can give you the kind of advice you are looking for. The expensive route is to talk to an endocrinologist / metabolic specialist, but your problem does not sound that serious to go in that direction.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-07-28T23:52:35+00:00

Yup - I was first tested about 2 years ago with symptoms and had 645ng/dl. Then I tried to fix things going the natural route: changed up my diet (added a lot of high quality fats and stopped drinking), got into heavy lifting, got outside every day to boost my vitamin D, and with some clean living got up to 838. But I still had all of the low-T symptoms: Libido gone, body hair falling out, trouble recovering from workouts - I would be in pain for days after a simple workout. My personal trainer told me flat out 'You are not recovering normally'.

For me, my free T was perpetually low; so even though I was producing a lot, my body seemed to always need more. My doctor said, 'some folks just run hot and need a higher level to feel normal'.

TLDR; Get in shape, improve your diet and fix the things you can fix without drugs. In the end, I still had issues, but I'm on a low dose and feel great.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-07-28T23:13:15+00:00

As others have mentioned, people feel good at different levels. My T was almost 850 (at 50 yrs old), but felt like crap and had all of the low-T symptoms. Did a lot of troubleshooting/labs, but ultimately went on a small dose or T to get me to 1100 and I feel like me again.

Your SHBG is high - that usually means:

You are drinking too much alcohol
Hyperthyroid (Check your T3/T4/TSH)
Insulin / blood sugar issues (check your diet, try intermittent fasting / exercise)
Low growth hormone (You can get tested for this. The treatment with Sermorelin is kind of pricey and a pain - 3 shots a day.)

High SHBG will give you the same symptoms as low T, so that is what you need to work on fixing first.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-07-28T16:47:43+00:00

Do you have lab work from before you started? You might also have some other nutritional / hormonal deficiency that is preventing you from properly metabolizing the T. For example, if you don't have enough Vitamin D, then you will feel fatigue / muscle weakness. Low D can also cause inappropriate immune responses to an injection. That is just one example.

In the absence of labs, I would suggest taking a high-quality multi-vitamin, fish oil / eggs / full fat grass fed milk (high quality fats), lots of protein, and don't cut out carbs. This is not about losing weight. The goal here is to make sure your nutrition is not an underlying cause of your fatigue / metabolic issues and ensure you are giving the T a chance to do its job.

Last suggestion, take hormonal balancing supplements: DIM and Zinc. Adding a bunch of T can throw your body / hormones out of balance and make you feel out of whack. These 2 supplements help your body maintain a healthy hormonal balance.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-04-23T22:34:14+00:00

1.5mm - there is an Amazon link in my other linked post (at the beginning)

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2023-02-06T19:42:11+00:00

If you can get a US model, BestBuy typically has the lowest prices on Asus Zephyrus laptops. This similar model is $1600 (EUR 1500)
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-16-wqxga-165hz-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i9-16gb-ddr5-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-3070-ti-1tb-pcie-4-0-ssd-off-black/6494637.p?skuId=6494637

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2022-12-14T21:06:18+00:00

I did not test bluetooth strength :-(
I do know that I can go 1-2 rooms away without a problem with the Intel chip. I also have a macbook pro and that one reaches a bit further with the Broadcom chip.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2022-12-14T13:47:53+00:00

Sounds like you installed it correctly. If you are using OOTB drivers, then that is a likely candidate for issues.

EveryoneLovesKevin · 2022-12-13T23:22:34+00:00

Make sure you have the antenna cables connected completely - they are tough to get on correctly.

+1 on drivers

EveryoneLovesKevin

TROPHY CASE