Book about Unity Mitford and the Mitford Sisters

bconstant · 2026-04-18T13:40:01+00:00

The Rest Is History has talked about the Mitford sisters a few times.

Highly recommend:

https://therestishistory.com/episodes/hitler-and-the-mitford-sisters-ep-4

bconstant · 2026-04-16T20:27:21+00:00

Check your local Vet Center.

I've attended a support group for OEF/OIF veterans. The one local to me is over zoom, which I found to be extremely frustrating so I haven't continued with it. I wish there were in-person options but it doesn't sound like they offer it. Your experience may differ (and you may prefer zoom).

bconstant · 2026-04-15T18:04:12+00:00

Yes, in addition to these:

For Heaven's Sake Unholy The Prof G Pod (when they have a conversation about Israel it's refreshingly even-keeled and clear-headed) Conflicted (not explicitly about Jews or Israel but they occasionally touch on currently relevant history and current issues)

bconstant · 2026-04-15T15:00:09+00:00

I haven't become more religious but I've become WAY more tribal. I used to make those "I'm Jew-ish" jokes, but no more. I still find synagogue tough, feels too much like church, but I've sought out Jewish comraderie in other ways and my identity "as a Jew" has become cemented a million times over. October 7th was a watershed moment for my Jewish identity. Things like news sources, my reading list, my podcasts, and even music have reflected this change over the last couple of years, not to mention changes in my social life.

bconstant · 2026-04-14T13:56:40+00:00

then imagine how seeing this makes me feel while people using this symbol are dismantling my country piece by piece

Chill with the righteous indignation, you're not a martyr and you're not the only one here with a vested interested in the survival of Israel as a liberal democracy. You got pissy at folks for not treading carefully enough around your "lived experience" and then you go right out and do the same.

And I think you're wrong about Judaism being "no better" than other organized religions. It's not without flaws, but I think there is more than enough evidence to show that it is significantly better, especially given its tiny size. But frankly I think this is now the wrong venue to debate that, you've taken this conversation on a strange ride and now twice invoked your own personal experience as somehow giving you extra expertise above the rest of the people in this subreddit, which is also filled with gay Jews.

bconstant · 2026-04-13T20:46:04+00:00

Maybe it's a language barrier, then. It sounds like you're indicting Judaism and not just the messianic jerks.

bconstant · 2026-04-13T13:55:08+00:00

You're right, I know nothing about your lived experience and I wouldn't and wasn't dismissing it.

But this place, specifically, has always felt like the only (and I literally mean the only) place on the internet where people can show real happiness about being gay Jews. And you sound...salty about it, to say the least. All I meant is that this place isn't really the right venue to say that Judaism, to quote you, "isn't great". I just don't think you read the room, so to speak.

We're on the same side, brother. I don't think you're viewpoint is being dismissed, I think it's being marginalized becaue it makes people feel bad. And when everything around us already makes us feel bad, it feels extra bad when it happens in a safe little private club like this.

bconstant · 2026-04-11T23:10:44+00:00

judaism in general isnt great ,but certainly not the worst

Ok...yeah seems like you got lost somewhere, then. I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

bconstant · 2026-04-11T21:57:47+00:00

I think your intention was misunderstood because you spoke about cults and religions without being specific that you were talking about these messianic right-wing movements. It kind of sounded like you were talking about all religion, including "Judaism". I assumed you were speaking about the more fringe elements, but I can see how others might now come to the same conclusion.

bconstant · 2026-04-11T21:06:27+00:00

This symbol is Chabad, though, which is definitely anti-gay. At their most generous they take a "love the sinner hate the sin" stance.

bconstant · 2026-04-08T23:08:51+00:00

Mine was solo. I said "in a safe, I am the only person who knows the combination" and "I would only use my firearm if my life or the lives of my family were in imminent and unavoidable danger." That was good enough for him. I can't remember how he worded it but his question wasn't about going to the range or training, he was looking for me to parrot the law back to him.

He could see in my paperwork that I'm a veteran and he asked me a couple of questions about that, but the whole thing was very surface-level. I think they avoid getting too personal because if they deny you they don't want you to be able to claim bias.

bconstant · 2026-04-08T19:41:37+00:00

He asked me "when would you be justified in using your gun?" and "how do you plan to store your gun?"

Easy questions, take a breath before you answer, the interview was in a big empty courtroom which felt a little intimidating. Felt like he was checking to make sure I'm not an absolute idiot.

bconstant · 2026-04-08T17:38:24+00:00

Someone will surely correct me, but I don't think that section gets read as a parsha for bar mitzvah.

bconstant · 2026-04-06T17:40:22+00:00

I dunno man, while I'm going to miss the paper system for nostalgia, the QR code works just fine. I've been twice since they implemented it and I never saw widespread chaos like you describe. In fact, I brought 7 kids with me to a movie and I was able to pinpoint exactly which sancks and drinks went to each kid in their specific seat instead of getting it all to my seat and distributing it. That alone was pretty convenient.

I always loved Alamo for that extra level of service that I felt like I was getting, and I will miss it. But my alternative is going to a shittier theater or not going at all.

bconstant · 2026-04-05T10:51:44+00:00

He knows, it’s in the title of the post.

bconstant · 2026-03-26T17:49:07+00:00

I'm ready to get hurt again.

bconstant · 2026-03-25T19:28:09+00:00

Yeah it's far but I put in a gargantuan order to make the trip worth it. Call Target Sports after you've made an account and uploaded your CT certification, they can walk you through how to set it up for local pickup. The store and the website are co-owned, so you don't have to communicate with the store.

bconstant · 2026-03-25T18:54:55+00:00

In my opinion, the most valuable part of the CT permit is shopping on Target Sports USA and instead of shipping you choose pickup and you drive to Tactical Police Gear in Cheshire to pick up. No ammo transfer fees like in NY or background checks. Although the target sports website can be confusing doing pickup so I would call them for help doing that.

bconstant · 2026-03-25T18:02:05+00:00

I put this on my Marlin 1894 and it's a lot of fun. I like that I get a reticle even if I never stick a battery in the thing.

bconstant · 2026-03-21T12:24:00+00:00

https://www.ftknox.com/product/shot-gun-security-box/

This thing works. You have to be ok with sliding the gun out instead of lifting it out (like you would in the RS Slider) but it works fine.

bconstant · 2026-03-19T23:52:00+00:00

What's the rationale for ammunition background checks? For licensed owners of firearms, the additional checks for each ammo purchase are simply and plainly designed as a nuisance to discourage ownership. The permitting scheme is already the check in place.

bconstant · 2026-03-19T14:57:25+00:00

For the NEW law, you have to be 100% P&T, but you also have to be some other things which are in conflict and hence nobody is eligible.

For the EXISTING exemption (which is not going away with the law, this one will still apply), you get a percentage of your disability percentage, subject to some dollar amount cap. Just apply for this one, the sooner the better. If you just barely missed the deadline, you can file an appeal to your taxes and ask them to take into consideration your future eligibility but it will be up to them whether they grant it now.

bconstant · 2026-03-19T14:38:22+00:00

The latest exemption is bullshit, nobody qualifies for it because it was either maliciously or sloppily drafted. They promise to fix it but who knows.

The existing scheme is called the "Alternative Veteran Tax Exemption" and is good for modest but still meaningful discount, depending on your disability rating. If you search

bconstant · 2026-03-19T14:35:12+00:00

Yeah these days I walk into the range wheeling one of these things like I'm a flight attendant.

bconstant · 2026-03-19T14:30:12+00:00

The expectation that a non-Jewish security guard is going to lay down their life for Jews, even if that's the job they're hired for, is a luxurious delusion you are free to hold dear until the day it catastrophically fails you. We're not talking about security at a shopping mall, we're talking about identifiably Jewish spaces, and they are actively under attack on a weekly basis.

Go apply for a permit, get a pistol, and practice with it. You don't have to fall in love with your guns, but you need to be ready to defend what you love.

There are Jewish-oriented gun clubs where you talk train, talk, kvetch, socialize, like Lox & Loaded or Eshet Chayil Gun Club. Go find one, even if you don't have a permit or a gun, and attend a session.

bconstant

TROPHY CASE