u/longleafnative

I travel frequently for work and rely on my MacBook Air for client presentations. Twice in the past few months my Apple USB C to HDMI adapter failed to project onto a conference room monitor. Both times I had no display output at all.

The first time a colleague let me borrow their ThinkPad to get through the meeting. The second time someone lent me a cheap generic dongle (see pic) and it worked immediately on my Air.

I returned the $70 Apple dongle and picked up a Ugreen adapter for $15 to try out.

Has anyone else run into this issue with the Air?

Could use some help troubleshooting an issue with my recently modded iPod 7. I replaced the battery and upgraded the storage. It worked great for about a week. I am running Rockbox.

I ran the battery completely down to let the device "learn" the new battery. When I went to charge it, it would not take a charge. It has appeared to be charging when I have been uploading music from my computer. I have tried several chargers and charging methods, including a computer USB port and a wall outlet.

My two theories are:

1. The Rockbox setting to charge while connected via USB is not toggled on. That should be an easy fix, but the device will not stay on long enough for me to check or change the setting.
2. The battery connector pulled loose during the mod. I seated it back down gently and securely. Maybe the connection was compromised?

The iPod worked great until the battery died, so I am hoping it is not the second issue. Any troubleshooting tips or fixes would be appreciated.

I've been on statins since age 33 and I'm now 50. My first labs at a very healthy and active 33 were very high. I'm posting pics of my current labs and would love some perspective from people who have been in a similar spot. I have tried twice to come off the statins and manage with a healthy diet and lifestyle but my labs go back to the same high results.

Attached are 2 pics with me off meds and 1 on meds.

My main hesitation at this point is the long term picture. The research on statins and cognitive effects is genuinely mixed with some studies suggesting a working memory impact in middle aged adults, others show no link, and a few even point to possible neuroprotective effects in older populations. Seventeen years in, I find myself wondering whether the cardiovascular benefit still clearly outweighs the risk for someone at my age and with my numbers.

Has anyone here made a switch after long term statin use? Noticed any cognitive changes, positive or negative? Managed comparable numbers through lifestyle changes alone? Curious what this community thinks when you see the labs.

Not looking for medical advice, just real experience from people who have wrestled with the same question.