by Michael Badnarik | Aug 13, 2022 | Uncategorized
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night! My name is Michael Badnarik, and apparently, I am dead. I am not communicating with you from “the great beyond”. I merely had the foresight to write this while I was still a viable consciousness, and I asked a friend of...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 26, 2022 | Personal
[This was posted by Michael before his inevitable demise. A close friend has promised to post a final message after Michael is gone.] This is Michael. I’m not dead yet… but I probably will be before too long. I assume that you were shocked and stunned to...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 7, 2022 | Second Amendment
When I was a boy, Tarzan movies were very popular. As always, European explorers in the jungle would panic when they heard jungle drums, a precursor to an inevitable attack by the local natives. Very similar to Pavlov’s dogs hearing the dinner bell. The Lame...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 4, 2022 | Personal
DO SOME OF THAT PILOT SHIT, MAV! (No movie spoilers in this report, so read with impunity.) I don’t like movie sequels. I am almost always disappointed. I was far from disappointed with the return of Tom Cruise in his iconic role as ace fighter pilot, Capt. Pete...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 18, 2022 | Science
The ancient Greeks would look up and wonder if there was life among the stars. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will soon be able to answer the question that has fascinated mankind since we began to walk erect. Life on Earth is about to change in a very profound...
by Michael Badnarik | Nov 28, 2021 | Personal
(Lyrics by Paul Simon) Slip slidin’ away Slip slidin’ away You know the nearer your destination The more you’re slip slidin’ away It has been a month since my last post. I assume that you know I’m in the process of relocating to San...
by Michael Badnarik | Oct 25, 2021 | Personal, Second Amendment
I recently went to the theater to watch No Time to Die, the most recent James Bond action movie. It is not my favorite, but it reveals plans for a new 007 agent in the future. You can search the Internet for speculation on who will replace Daniel Craig, if...
by Michael Badnarik | Oct 21, 2021 | Personal
I’m very excited! I’m going to be volunteering at the Alamo! I will also be operating one of the tour boats on the Riverwalk near the Alamo. Naturally, I will be relocating from Austin to San Antonio in the not too-distant future. My adventure began to...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 25, 2021 | Second Amendment
There is a semi-famous (notorious?) restaurant in Rifle, Colorado where the waitresses carry guns, and patrons are encouraged to wear their guns when they come to eat. Lauren Boebert, owner of the SHOOTER’S GRILL, has gained national attention for her decision...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 13, 2021 | Political
“Birds of a Feather flock together.” Nearly every living creature on earth experiences a sense of comfort and safety when it is surrounded by others of the same species. Birds flock. Fish swim in schools. Cows gather in herds. Parents warn their teenage...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 30, 2021 | Personal
In 1985 I fled the cold and snow of the Midwest and moved to the sunny beaches of California to work on the Stealth Bomber. I lived in a gated community with so much plant life it was like living in a jungle. Unfortunately, this made my apartment too dark to host a...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 19, 2021 | Second Amendment
My birthday is August 1st, however my birthday wish will not come true until September 1st, when “Constitutional Carry” is no longer against the law in Texas. I plan to wear my shoulder holster every day after that without fail. What IS...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 13, 2021 | Political
Those of us “of a certain age” were subjected to a daily dose of stupidity called “The Three Stooges”. The characters were named “Moe, Curley, and Larry”, but they could also have been labeled “Stupid, Moron, and Brain...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 7, 2021 | Personal
When I was in college – oh, so long ago – I used to wake up at 05:59 every morning… literally, thirty seconds before the alarm clock was able to make a sound. I would collect my towel and toiletries and walk down the hall to the shower, which I...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 14, 2021 | Personal
Elaine Margarite Gima was born on March 15th, 1934. On August 29th, 1953, she married a skinny little soldier and became Elaine Badnarik. For most of her life, almost everyone knew her as Mom. It is easy for me to imagine why my father was attracted to her. She was...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 22, 2021 | Personal
In February 1988 I purchased a brand new Pontiac Trans Am GTA. A fighter jet without wings. The engine fit under the hood the way an ice cube fits in a tray. More power than rationally necessary which allowed me to dominate the highway like a Bengal Tiger hunting...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 30, 2021 | Personal, Sailing
Avast, ye Mate! Drop anchor, pour yourself some grog, and I’ll spin you a yarn. Eight Bells signals the end of a nautical watch, which could mean, four, eight, or twelve o’clock, AM or PM. In this particular story, it was meant to refer to midnight. Most...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 12, 2021 | Political
It has been rumored for a long time that the evil and corruption in Washington D.C. was going to come to an end. President Trump promised to “drain the swamp” during his inauguration speech, using language that seemed rather strong at the time. I confess,...
by Michael Badnarik | Nov 8, 2020 | Personal
The United States Marine Corps celebrates its birthday on November 10th every year. This year the Marine Corps will be 245 years old, which is interesting because the Declaration of Independence is only 244 years old. I didn’t believe it when I was first told...
by Michael Badnarik | Nov 2, 2020 | Personal
In early October, I drove to a friend’s wedding in Missouri, requiring fifteen hours behind the wheel. When I was young, I would have made that trip with only two fuel stops, and perhaps twice that many fast food stops. Leave before breakfast and arrive before...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 15, 2020 | Personal
When I was a skydiving instructor, people would often ask me how much the first jump would cost. I would tell them that the experience would cost about $250, “plus half of everything you make the rest of your life”. That answer was rarely understood....
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 17, 2020 | Science
People have often wondered aloud, “Can’t we all just get along?” Especially in times of turmoil, it seems to us that there are members of society that have difficulty fitting in. They are different from us, and rarely do we understand why. Very few...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 23, 2020 | Constitution
Dictionary.com defines civil war as “a war between political factions or regions within the same country”. That does not accurately describe the conflict that began here in 1861. The southern states seceded, which by definition is “to withdraw...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 20, 2020 | Personal
My father, John Badnarik, was born on June 19th, 1928, just before the start of the Great Depression. He had a difficult childhood, and when he graduated from high school, he joined the Army to serve our country at the beginning of the Korean Conflict. Luckily for my...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 3, 2020 | Science
Many people are justifiably concerned about the wage disparity in this country. Although it is higher in some states, the federal minimum wage is $7.25. Contrast this with the multi-million-dollar salaries of some executive CEOs, combined with the ridiculously high...
by Michael Badnarik | May 24, 2020 | Political
I had a delightful and stimulating conversation with one of my readers last night. She had several questions about my book, Philosophical Lighthouse. On page 72 I write, Tribal mentality or xenophobia, the “fear or dislike of people who are culturally different from...
by Michael Badnarik | May 1, 2020 | Personal, Sailing
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; (“O Captain! My Captain!” is an extended metaphor poem written in 1865 by Walt Whitman, about the death of American president Abraham...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 25, 2020 | Philosophical
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts …” -As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7 William Shakespeare was born on April 26th, 1564. 456...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 18, 2020 | Sailing
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call Wanted to sail upon your waters Since I was three feet tall You’ve seen it all, you’ve seen it all (A Pirate Looks at Forty – Jimmy Buffett) Nothing makes me more calm and content than sailing a boat on the...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 10, 2020 | Personal, Science
Alan is my best friend. We met in college while noticing the same very short skirt. He is 364 days younger than I am, so his birthday falls one day ahead of mine on the calendar. Naturally we would celebrate both birthdays the same weekend, back when birthdays meant...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 5, 2020 | Personal
Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. A friend of mine is a sheriff that I met at a convention of sheriffs in Las Vegas. I sat next to him at the banquet and learned that he was also a Scoutmaster in his free time. He said,...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 2, 2020 | Philosophical
I was a Boy Scout for twelve years. Later, I served as a Scoutmaster for four different troops, accumulating ten more years in the Scouting program. The BSA used to train boys how to grow up to be honorable, trustworthy men. This is something I think is severely...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 25, 2020 | Sailing
Twenty-six miles across the sea Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me Santa Catalina, the island of romance The Four Preps “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)” (Glen Larson and Bruce Belland) Shortly after I moved to California in 1985, I found and joined a...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 24, 2020 | Philosophical
[The following information is excerpted from my book, Philosophical Lighthouse.] Philosophy is your comprehensive view of the universe. Your understanding of the world around you, that you use subconsciously, every moment of the day, to make all the decisions in your...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 20, 2020 | Personal
I told this story to a fighter pilot friend of mine, and he insisted I share it with my newsletter list. [Just to be clear, my friend hasn’t landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier in years, however “once a fighter pilot, always a fighter pilot”....
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 15, 2020 | Personal
One of the constants in my life was coming home from school (elementary, high school, and college) knowing there would be a hot meal waiting for me when I got there. I hope that you recall similar happy memories. I know that food is the second strongest motivator in...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 12, 2020 | Personal
My life has been one adventure after another. I like it that way. I’ve planned it that way. My motto has always been, “never get yourself into trouble that you’re not smart enough to get yourself out of”. Every once in...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 4, 2020 | Science
I learned to swim when I was four. When I was five I would watch a black and white television show called Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges as “Mike Nelson”. Bridges’ character was a civilian diver that was regularly contracted by the Navy to perform...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 26, 2020 | Second Amendment
In 1982 I was working for Commonwealth Edison, the electric utility for northern Illinois. They sent me to Pennsylvania for eighteen months to work on my first major project: helping to build a nuclear control room simulator. My apartment had something new. Cable...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 21, 2020 | Science
Every child is born fascinated with the world around her or him. Everything is new, seen for the very first time. My parents exacerbated my curiosity by giving me a chemistry set when I was only six years old. A microscope a year later, tripled my curiosity about how...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 15, 2020 | Sailing
(“Sh-Boom”, sometimes referred to as “Life Could Be a Dream”, a doo-wop song published in 1954) It is often said that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. I’ve been lucky...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 19, 2020 | Science
Arthur C. Clark is an English science fiction writer famous for saying, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” When some of us watch a magic trick, we desperately want to know how the illusion was created. Several people have suggested...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 18, 2020 | Personal
One of the many legacies my mother left my brothers and me were two card catalogs of 3”x5” index cards that she used to create the wide variety of meals that we enjoyed, whether we were at home, or camped out in some remote forest as we visited all forty-eight of the...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 17, 2020 | Sailing
Sea Fever – by John Masefield I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by, And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking, And a grey mist on the...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 16, 2020 | Second Amendment
For anyone interested in learning about guns, or improving their accuracy, I am happy to help you. I have 35 years of shooting experience, and I was trained by the very best. I would gladly share what I’ve been taught over the years. I AM NOT A CERTIFIED...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 25, 2010 | Economy
I would rather not write about the economy because the outlook is so depressing. After reading Creature from Jekyll Island, I have been warning people about the Federal Reserve, and have predicted a complete failure of our economy for nearly fifteen years. Many people...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 8, 2010 | Economy
Definition of FREE MARKET A market economy based on supply and demand with little or no government control. A completely free market is an idealized form of a market economy where buyers and sells are allowed to transact freely (i.e. buy/sell/trade) based on a mutual...
by Michael Badnarik | Aug 8, 2010 | Political
Roger Ebert was my favorite movie reviewer because every movie Ebert liked, I didn’t, and every movie he didn’t like, I did. He was a very consistent indicator for my movie going. I use the government as my barometer of truth in the same way I used Roger...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 27, 2010 | Personal
Remembering Fred Childress No one can confidently say that he will still be living tomorrow. ~Euripides~ It is with great sorrow that I report the loss of my friend, Fred Childress. Fred was on his way home in Tennessee at the end of a month-long, cross country...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 27, 2010 | Personal
What’s in it for me? Teaching is something that comes very naturally to me, probably because I have been doing it for most of my life. I enjoy watching people’s faces light up when they begin to understand whatever I’ve been teaching them up to that...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 7, 2010 | Political
Thomas Jefferson said, “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 7, 2010 | Second Amendment
I am sorely tempted to send Chicago’s Mayor Daley a sympathy card. I’m sure he’s crying about the latest Supreme Court decision, which bluntly asserts that Chicago’s anti-gun laws violate the Second Amendment, and the rights of all Chicagoans....
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 7, 2010 | Political
On May 30th I gave a speech at the LP National Convention in St. Louis which began with a eulogy for the Libertarian Party. I think I’m pretty safe in claiming that nobody expected the speech that I gave. Let me be clear. I do not hate the Libertarian Party, nor...
by Michael Badnarik | May 2, 2010 | IRS and taxes
One of the many people I’ve met during my campaigns and political activism is Pete Hendrickson from Michigan. Pete has written a VERY popular book entitled CRACKING THE CODE which explains – very convincingly I might add – how the IRS tax system...
by Michael Badnarik | May 2, 2010 | Political
On April 19th, 1775, the residents of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts “fired the shot heard around the world” by returning fire on the British troops who arrived to arrest “terrorists” John Hancock and Samuel Adams. On April 19th, 2010,...
by Michael Badnarik | May 2, 2010 | Political
In February of 2009, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) added my name to their growing list of “radical, racist, anti-government extremists”. I was thrilled because many of my personal friends were also named, specifically Joe Banister, Tommy Cryer, Pat...
by Michael Badnarik | May 2, 2010 | Political
Many of you probably know that I “don’t enjoy the luxury of a drivers license”. What you may not realize is that I am merely one of thousands of people who refuse to ask for permission to exercise our right to travel. I recently spoke to a woman from...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 4, 2010 | Political
Eighteenth century life in the British colonies was good – until King George III started raising taxes and making onerous laws that chaffed almost everyone’s backside. Countless petitions were written, and most of them were hand delivered to London – to...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 4, 2010 | Second Amendment
I try to keep my ear to the ground, and my finger on the pulse of the people, but I didn’t know about the Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty until just recently. If you are a defender of individual rights (and by logical inclusion, a defender of the Second...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 17, 2010 | Constitution
My census form arrived today in an envelope emblazoned with a bold warning: YOUR RESPONSE IS REQUIRED BY LAW I seriously doubt that it is. Article I, Section 2, clause 3 states, “The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
I want to wish all of my readers and supporters a very HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY! I hope that you are surrounded by good friends, imbibe responsibly on green beer, and that when you say, “Kiss me – I’m Irish”, someone...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 16, 2010 | Political
Over the years I have developed a reputation for being a “constitutional expert”. (Refering to myself as “The Stepfather of the Constitution” admittedly may have something to do with that.) Two of the questions that I am asked quite often are:...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 16, 2010 | Political
If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got. Life’s lessons can be so simple to understand, but so difficult to put into practice. Most of us are no longer pursuing happiness. Instead we’re scrambling to pay...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 3, 2010 | Political
From November 11th to the 22nd I participated in a gathering of patriots from all across the country. The event was called Continental Congress 2009, and was initiated by Bob Schulz of We the People Foundation for the purpose of recording many of the...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 2, 2010 | Second Amendment
While I was recovering from my health issues, the Austin gun show was closed down by the federal Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agency working together with the Austin city police. I have attended that gun show many times in the past, and it has always been well...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 1, 2010 | Political
For the same reason that July 4th is important to most Americans, March 2nd holds a special place for those of us who hail from the Lone Star State. Allow me to share a bit of Texas history with you. After the United States acquired land with the Louisiana...
by Michael Badnarik | Feb 1, 2010 | Political
I am often asked what people can do on an individual level to restore Liberty in this country. My recommendation doesn’t cost any money, however it is very difficult for some people to do. My advice is to start thinking for yourself. Stop asking the government...
by Michael Badnarik | Jun 1, 2009 | Political
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” I am fascinated by the reaction people seem to have when they hear or repeat this quote. I believe they stand taller, breathe deeper, and their pulse may quicken with a...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 1, 2009 | Constitution
Before I begin, I would like to congratulate the staff, supporters, and readers of REPUBLIC MAGAZINE for the incredible impact they have had on our society. Someone approached me recently and said, “Hey! You’re the guy who writes for Republic Magazine!”. I assured him...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 1, 2009 | Second Amendment
“We hold these truths to be self-evident” says the often-quoted Declaration of Independence. Of course, that depends on whom you mean when you say “We”. Self-evident truths are only obvious to those that have already discovered those truths. It seems to be part of the...
by Michael Badnarik | Dec 1, 2008 | Political
The theme of this month’s magazine is to expose the “puppet masters”. I find it strange that I knew exactly what I was being asked to write about, even though most of the Internet references pointed to a science fiction novel about aliens attacking the earth. Although...
by Michael Badnarik | Oct 1, 2008 | Constitution
Shortly after I began studying the Constitution over 25 years ago, I came to the stunning conclusion that MOST of what our government does is unconstitutional. Not surprisingly, I quickly began to doubt my research, convinced that – if it were true – someone much...
by Michael Badnarik | Jul 1, 2008 | Constitution
It seems that some of the campaigns for the 2008 presidential election began before George W. Bush was sworn into office for a second term. We have been inundated for months with political double-speak, and many people will be glad when the election is over just so...
by Michael Badnarik | May 1, 2008 | Political
Why do we have government? Do we really need it? What would life be like without it? The absence of government is called anarchy. Anarchy isn’t always mob rule and rioting in the streets, although that is one possible outcome. Our current system seems to have...
by Michael Badnarik | Apr 1, 2008 | Constitution
The Real ID Act is already law; a legislative time bomb scheduled to explode upon the political landscape in May of this year, killing any semblance of privacy in this country. In order to defuse this horribly destructive ideology, we have to start with the basics. It...
by Michael Badnarik | Mar 1, 2008 | Constitution
Conventional wisdom asserts that nothing is certain but death and taxes, however this ancient rubric is being challenged more frequently, and more aggressively with each passing day. While no one doubts that the IRS will use intimidation and force to collect the...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 1, 2008 | Constitution
When my brothers and I were very young, one of our neighborhood friends taught us a wonderful, new word: ALLOWANCE. To our amazement, we discovered that a boy who lived near us was given money once a week so he could buy stuff! Without parental supervision! As we sat...
by Michael Badnarik | Oct 1, 2007 | Constitution, Second Amendment
Why is a federal agency (ATF) spending nearly one billion dollars each year trying to eliminate the Second Amendment? Our right to life becomes meaningless if we are powerless to defend that life. It is crucial for us to understand why it was included in the Bill of...
by Michael Badnarik | Jan 1, 2007 | Constitution
I’m very grateful to RepublicMagazine.com for giving me this opportunity to share what I’ve learned about the Constitution over the last twenty-five years. I hope this column will help restore the principles that led to the Constitution, a document which...
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