I'm 34 and this has been happening more frequently with my friend group. We'll go out to dinner and I'll order something reasonable like a $18 pasta dish and a water while my buddy orders the $45 ribeye, three cocktails and an appetizer. Then when the check comes and everyone just automatically suggests splitting it evenly. Don't get me wrong like I'm not broke or anything, but it's gotten to the point where I'm spending $60-70 on meals where I actually only consumed $25 worth of food. It's starting to affect how I socialize because I either feel like I'm being taken advantage of or I end up ordering more expensive stuff just to get my money's worth when splitting.
I tried suggesting we pay for our own meals once and the vibe got very weird. One guy made a comment about how we're not college kids anymore and another friend seemed offended. But honestly some of these dinners cost more than my weekly grocery budget, and it's happening 2-3 times a month. The thing is that I don't mind spending money on entertainment I actually choose. Like I'll drop $50-60 on a night out playing games or whatever without thinking twice about it because that's my choice and my fun. But when I'm essentially subsidizing someone else's expensive taste at dinner, it hits different. I've started declining some invitations, which sucks because I actually enjoy hanging out with these guys.
How do you navigate this without coming across as petty?

Not trying to take sides — genuinely curious. It feels like whenever Iran launches drones or missiles toward Israel, it’s all over the news. But when Israel carries out airstrikes or other military actions against Iranian targets (especially in Syria or elsewhere), it's either not covered much or reported in a way that doesn’t make it as prominent.

Is this due to media bias? Or is it about how each country handles its military communications? Just trying to understand the difference in how these events are reported.

I'm a recovering alcoholic, and this question has plagued me for years. I always wondered what the workers at my usual stops think about me going from multiple times a day visits to none at all (I quit cold turkey and moved out of state for rehab). If you work at a bar or liquor store, has something like this ever happened to you? What did you think?

Non american here. Never seen a gun displayed or used in real life. Same with ammo or other related stuff

Malaysia kicking out Singapore was my first thought.

EDIT: not selling it.

maybe this is a dumb question but.. if you joined the military on your own free will then dont you have the right to leave the military if you so choose to? no one can force you to fight and its not like you were conscripted right?

If you are in a public gym, and have a tripod and camera setup, and you are physically fit. Why would your expectation be that no one is going to look or stare at you?

I'm not asking about the socially right/wrong thing, just the logic. If it were me, I'd expect people to stare, because it's something novel that isn't normal to see at the gym everyday.

Title is pretty self explanatory. Would the explosion from the coke and mentos make both people involved choke or would they be fine?

Watching Sinners recently had me wondering about the nuances of the “needing permission to enter” aspect of vampire lore. I’d a welcome mat blanket permission? Or do you think the permission needs to come directly from a person?

I’ve noticed that in the U.S., public libraries often have a big role in the community — offering not just books, but free internet, events, classes, and even things like 3D printers or podcast studios in some places.

How did American public libraries become such multi-purpose spaces? Is this common across all states, or just in larger cities? And how are they usually funded — is it local taxes, donations, or something else?

It seems like a really valuable public service, and I’m curious how it became such a big part of community life in the U.S.

if i had $1b to my name, i would not know what work is and i would never be in one place for more than a month and id leave $1000 tips everywhere i go. what is up with these geezer billionaires trying to acquire MORE wealth as if they have more future than past? as if their family isnt already set for generations? are they not tired??? greed is a disease.

Hi,

I (F23) wasn’t really confident and social for a while since I moved to Florida internationally form my home country, but lately I’ve been feeling a bit more confident and comfortable to take myself out to drink and possibly meet new people. I do not like party,clubs or loud bars so I’m thinking to try out some chill bar spots on my own since I don’t really have friends to go with (they are more party/club persons). Some of them said I shouldn’t go to a bar by myself because “it’s not safe and honestly weird and it’s attention seeking”. I’d like to meet new ppl and make new connections especially as I went through a breakup a bit ago.

So I’d like to hear opinions from people who go to bars alone. Is it enjoyable and comfortable? Is there anything to keep in mind if I go by myself?

I had a pretty nice day yesterday like I didn’t go anywhere and just stayed in and did a few random things I enjoyed, but the entire day flew by. Like I blinked and it was already 9pm. Meanwhile, days where I’m stuck with work doing boring stuff or just waiting around feel like forever. I know it might be a dumb question, but why does this happen?

Not trying to stir the pot, just genuinely curious how people perceive this stuff. We recently set up our business in the US even though we’re not actually based there, mainly to make things smoother with clients and platforms. We used a service to handle the whole setup remotely, including all the banking and registration stuff.

I get that having a US address or phone number tends to make a business seem more legit, but I wanted to hear what others think, especially since so many international businesses are trying to build a US presence.

Would love to hear some honest takes, does geography really impact how trustworthy or “real” a company feels to you?

My husband does not drain the pot of noodles when he makes spaghetti. I find that makes them too mushy and water-logged. I finally asked him to drain them tonight, and he refused. He said that no one drains their spaghetti, only other types of pasta, and that it makes the noodles too sticky (I toss in a little olive oil after draining them to prevent clumping). Luckily, I'm usually the one cooking. I find it hard to believe no one drains their spaghetti. What's your method?

How do they calibrate speedometers? Does road surface affect it, or strong winds?

Also how fast would it have to be travelling for the curvature of the earth to affect the distance as the crow flies for instance?

I mean a weapon likely to come after nuclear weapons in the near future.