u/Denan004

I've used Textra for years. Earlier this month I had difficulty sending and receiving messages. Textra rep was very helpful and I was able to send, but still had problems receiving group texts. I wasn't even getting the notification that a MMS message wasn't received, tap to try again.

I saw online that one option was to change default to Google Messages. I tried it and now group messages are working.

I didn't want to change to Messages, but for now I have to.

Any ideas?

I've used Textra for years. Earlier this month I had difficulty sending and receiving messages. Textra rep was very helpful and I was able to send, but still had problems receiving group texts. I wasn't even getting the notification that a MMS message wasn't received, tap to try again.

I saw online that one option was to change default to Google Messages. I tried it and now group messages are working.

I didn't want to change to Messages, but for now I have to.

Any ideas?

Summary-- what options are there for an executor for a person who doesn't have close relatives, and the only relatives are in another country?

A neighbor of mine is 79, has no spouse or children. They have siblings but none in the US. I only know of a sister they visit in another country, and a nephew.

I mentioned to them 2+ years ago that I had revised my will, etc., just to get them thinking about these things. Today they were asking me questions, and they are stuck on not having anyone to be their POA in life and executor after death.

I think they are waiting for me to offer to do it for them. And while I want to help and encourage them to do these things, I don't want to be the one to swoop in and do it all. It's a lot of responsibility and an unknown amount of work and possible hassles if the family gets nasty (just speculation).

I told them to consult an attorney and ask them how this might be done, and maybe the law firm can do it? I have no idea.

What have you seen people do for an executor in a situation like this? Thanks.

I have a dog and a cat, both on topical flea meds. This summer my dog would pick up some dog fleas from outside, but I figured the meds would take care of it, and he was ok with some occasional scratching. No big deal. The cat is indoor only.

Then I took in a rescue foster feral cat. She was brought right to my house from the trapper, so the rescue never checked her. I combed her for fleas, didn't see any, and gave her a bath. She was quarantined in a bathroom for 2 weeks and all seemed ok (very sweet cat). I then let her out to learn the house, and after some time I noticed her and my dog scratching more and I started getting flea bites on my ankles! We had fleas.

I found some dog fleas but then I also noticed some smaller bites from smaller fleas. I think these are "cat fleas" -- like dog fleas (which are brown, about 3 mm long) but the cat fleas are like specks of pepper (black, about 1 mm) and you can't really comb them out like dog fleas, which explains why I never saw them. Well this was new for me (I'm relatively new to cats)...

I could see them jump onto my feet, but no way can you grab them! They literally look like a grain of ground pepper.

I immediately changed my dog and cat's flea medications (per the vet) to an oral medication. (the rescue dealt separately with the foster). I started vacuuming every 1-2 days, and I sprayed PetArmour Home and Carpet spray around the house. The numbers of fleas went down dramatically, but I would still get some of these tiny "cat fleas" jumping onto my feet and getting some bites, and I couldn't catch them or comb them from my pets!! Plus, when I wore socks, if I tried to catch them, they'd hide in the weave of the socks!! Dog fleas are easier to see and grab/comb.

So to monitor the cat fleas -- I purchased a tighter weave of white socks to wear around the house so I could see them when they land, but they couldn't get through the weave as fast. Then I got some of the sticky refills for those flying insect light traps. I cut the sticky card in half and removed the cover on one side only - and I used that sticky side to nab a cat flea when it landed on my socks!! Gotcha!

So I'm continuing the routine of vacuuming and monitoring with the socks/sticky pad method, and letting the spray and vet meds do their thing. The numbers are way down and I am hopeful, though I'm going to be on vacation in the near future....

But my takeaway is that the foster cat should have been on flea meds from day 1 when in quarantine, whether they needed it or not. And I didn't see those "cat fleas" because they are seriously TINY and hop away quickly, and I have never yet caught one on a flea comb! I was used to "dog fleas" which are easier to spot and will comb out.

I have hope that in time they will be gone, and hope to update this.

PS - also - I am limiting the time my dog is outside in the yard, since that's where he's getting the fleas. It's hot out anyway, but sometimes he wants to stay outside.

I have a streaming package with Xfinity that includes Netflix peacock and Apple TV and they have worked fine so far. Suddenly Apple TV signed me out and asked me to log back in so I scan the QR code but there's no place to enter the code that's on the screen. It asked me for my email and password which I input and it says that's not valid. I tried to reset my password and it won't let me.

Any ideas on how this can be fixed? Thanks.

I want to get my ebike registered, but haven't found insurance yet.

Do they ask for proof of insurance when you register? Thanks!

I bought a step through ebike bike in 2024 because of pain and surgery and I couldn't use my old hybrid bike. I'm a casual rider.

It seems that the company, Denago, may be out of business or changing their business model. They seem to have no customer service-- I've tried contacting them different ways and no response at all and I've seen many complaints online about the same thing. Even bike dealers are having difficulty getting through or getting parts. A couple years ago Denago was regarded as a company with really good customer service and products, and now...nothing.

This made me start thinking, are e-bikes another thing that will just get enshittified --- we've seen this pattern with appliances and other technological devices. The result is things don't last long and they end up as landfill and electronic waste.

I'm just wondering about this, and now that my pain and healing have improved, I'm actually considering getting a newer hybrid bike and just going back to regular riding, though I will miss the pedal assist!. Just weighing options at this point and looking at feedback from other people. thanks.

I am replacing a ceiling light fixture. The old fixture had a black, white, and bare (ground) wire, which I disconnected.

The new fixture has a ground wire on the metal bracket (labelled GND) and labelled on the instructions, plus there's a ground wire (bare wire) from the fixture (also labelled on the instructions).

But the instructions state to connect the fixture ground wire to the junction box ground wire. They say nothing about the bracket ground wire. Does the bracket ground wire get connected with the other 2 ground wires?

Also, some videos show fixtures with a support wire. Mine doesn't seem to have that, unless the fixture ground wire can also be a support wire.

Thanks for any advice!

I'm looking for a single ebike rack for my Denago City 1, casual riding.

What I'm seeing is there's an inexpensive Young bike rack at around $225, but other racks seem to be at $700. Is there anything in between? $700 is kind of steep, plus I have to get a car hitch, too!!

I did find a 1Up at around $600 but the max wt is 65 pounds. The Denago has conflicting weights -- they claim 53 pounds, but their specs say 73 pounds (33.1 kg). Even reviews are mixed and list 53 pounds as "claimed" weight!

Anyway -- is there a mid-range single ebike rack out there? Thanks for any input!

update -- Is the "sustainable farm" worth seeing? Lots of comments about biking, but I was interested in the farm and its mission. Thanks!

~~~~~~I've been looking at a possible visit to Duke Farms in Hillsborough - I remember when it was the original Duke Gardens, and have never visited after they were turned into Farms.

I searched for reviews -- Reddit, Tripadvisor, and interestingly, the reviews are several years old. Nothing recent, which makes me wonder if it's actually still open or worth visiting. The website says it's open.

Has something changed with it? Thanks for any input!

UPDATE -- Solved!

I logged in. The export options weren't immediately visible in dark mode (as described in posts below). But now, when I clicked on the blank field, the options appeared. I switched to Light mode, and they were visible, as before.

Thank you everyone -- here on Reddit and on Bitwarden -- for all of your help! You are great !!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~original post:

I have exported my BW vault (encrypted) before.

I updated some passwords and tried to export the updated vault. The only export option is .json, unencrypted.

Is this a temporary glitch?

Q: can I just cap the live wires going to the range hood while I paint the back wall and adjacent cabinet portions? This will take several days - and I worry about the live wires!

I want to replace the original under-the-cabinet range hood (no duct/vent). It is 7.5" in height and the newer models are mostly 6" in height. So there is a difference in height that I need to repaint (cabinets on either side, back wall).

Painting the cabinets will require several days -- sanding, priming, 2 coats.

Is it OK to cap the live wires and keep my distance while I paint?

Thanks!

Q: can I just cap the live wires going to the range hood while I paint the back wall and adjacent cabinet portions? This will take several days - and I worry about the live wires!

I want to replace the original under-the-cabinet range hood (no duct/vent). It is 7.5" in height and the newer models are mostly 6" in height. So there is a difference in height that I need to repaint (cabinets on either side, back wall).

Painting the cabinets will require several days -- sanding, priming, 2 coats.

Is it OK to cap the live wires and keep my distance while I paint?

Thanks!

How strictly are ebike classes enforced on bike trails ?

With the new NJ ebike law coming into effect, I'm evaluating what to do with my ebike.

I purchased it several years ago and it's been great, but I didn't realize that Class 3 could be an issue. I had a hip problem, so using my long-time hybrid bike was difficult. I don't ride fast, or anything crazy, and not even long distance. But I don't want to go on a trail and then have my bike confiscated because it's a class 3 !!! And depending on the cost, I'm not sure I ride enough to justify having liability insurance!

I'm just thinking things through right now (go to a class 1?), and waiting for things to settle a bit with this new law. It may mean nothing -- after all, we've had helmet laws and I think we had e-moto laws, and they were never enforced.

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Original shades were in a bedroom window box -- 72" wide, 64" height 14" deep. Anchor bolts were used. When new windows were installed, the shades had to be moved inward a bit b/c the new windows were inside the window box a slight amount - no big deal.

The original shades finally gave out. I want to install new ones, but there are a number of holes in the drywall, which may limit how I can install and support a new set. There isn't a stud along the edge of the windows to screw into, so drywall anchor bolts must be used. But there are already several holes from the previous anchor bolts, and I don't think a simple patch would hold.

I'm also considering going with 2 narrower sets of shades rather than the heavy 72" wide shades -- won't need quite as much anchoring.

Any idea on what is the best way to patch/repair the drywall to install new anchor bolts? Thanks!

Note -- some holes were from the original owner/shades, some are after the windows were installed.

https://preview.redd.it/9bpvcq1mio8h1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8320b68b31ef8f3ac423af8f8f291e42cff1a5cc

https://preview.redd.it/haz71ouvio8h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d06f259813c770c30d712d0be0dc5e39c0fb77c

https://preview.redd.it/z8nya7kwio8h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee79887a4c776e9f69d480c23bc4258254e7529e

I'm currently using my 5 y.o. PC with Windows 10, and I don't want to change to Windows 11 in October.

I had an old laptop that I converted to Linux. It worked fine for a short time and then truly died.

Are there laptop brands out there that are easily converted to Linux? I've heard that some of the newer laptops have Copilot buttons and the like.

I do basic surfing, video viewing, email, etc. Not a work computer, no gaming. Pretty simple.

Thanks for any recommendations!

I'm trying to understand how dividends work for a fund, so I'm doing some sample math. And I'm still confused, so please correct what I'm thinking.

Let's say you have 500 shares at $20/share = $10,000 in a taxable fund.

A $0.50/share dividend is paid out, which corresponds to $250, which is taxable whether taken as cash or reinvested.

You reinvest the dividends, so the new shares will be purchased, but at the new lower share price - the share price drops by $0.50 b/c of the dividend. New price is $19.50

So $250 at $19.50 = 12.82 shares

So you now have 512.82 shares at $19.50/share = $10,000 total.

So you pay tax on the dividend, but it doesn't show up in your final dollar balance, it just shows as new shares purchased at a lower price?

Is that correct?

Thanks for any help. I'm not a finance person, and I'm trying to wrap my brain around how this works. It just seems weird to pay tax on the $250 dividend, but then it doesn't show in your $$ balance!

I converted from tank to tankless, and so far, so good. (I had 2 HW tank floods in previous rentals, and have always worried about them since...)

I read through the procedure to flush the tankless, but one thing confuses me. It says to connect it to a circulating pump. Do I need to purchase a separate circulating pump to do this (in addition to hoses and cleaning solution)?

I ask this because my tankless and my HVAC both connect to a pump that pumps condensation out to some drain pipe. I don't think that the pump should be dismantled to do a flush.

Just trying to understand so I do it correctly the first time! Thanks.

With the new e-bike law, I decided to ask my insurance company (NJM) about e-bike insurance, just to see. They don't have it and referred me to Velosurance.

I input info on the Velosurance for a quote. The insurance was basically for the bike and damage, and was $100/yr, but did not include liability or medical or anything. I don't think this is the "insurance" that the new law is requiring. I took it that the new law wants e-bike riders to be insured for damage they might cause....??? (liability, medical) and that they aren't worried about damage to the rider's bike!

If it's $100* just to cover my bike, I can't imagine the cost to cover liability, medical, no fault, or whatever the state is requiring. Would it be like having another car to insure?

*$100 to cover ~$800 on bike damage with $300 deductible.... hmmm.....

btw... I only ride casually -- around the neighborhood/town, and a nearby trail. Not commuting, and rarely above 10 mph (!) where I ride.

I'm wondering why it can't be an addition to my car insurance (not sure if that would be a good or bad thing).

House built in 1994. The kitchen, living room and bedrooms have phone jacks. Most are maybe 1 foot from the floor, but the kitchen one is smack in the middle of a wall -- Remember the wall-mounted phones?!?There's no option to post a photo here. bit some of you will remember these.

I covered it up with a decorative item, but I've wondered if it should be removed or sealed over and painted. I don't know that these jacks will ever be used again, as the technology has evolved.

Ideas? Thanks!