Category Archives: Investing

California Dreaming: Governor Moonbeam’s Taxation Nirvana

Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

“There is a certain amount of magical thinking going on under the Capitol dome. And the magical thinking is that the $13.5 billion can be conjured. Poof! Getting that $13.5 billion is going to take some taxes. And if it’s … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Education, Finance and Economics, Healthcare, Investing, Policy, Politics | Tagged | 5 Comments

Grover Norquist, Hypocrite on Ethanol

Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Normally, I generally agree with Grover Norquist’s calls to reduce the size of America’s bloated government. However, this recent article in The Economist made me furious. Mr. Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), an organization whose raison d’etre is to reduce the size and complexity of … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Food Security, Investing, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

There Is Still Hope For Nuclear Power

Posted on Monday, March 21, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

After all the negative news from Japan, it is heartening to see that the venture capital community is still funding companies working on smaller, more efficient, and safer nuclear reactors (See the following article at Greentechmedia). One such company, NuScale, designs … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Investing, Nuclear Power, Policy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

American Involvement in Libya Is a Bad Idea

Posted on Friday, March 18, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

Yesterday, the United Nations approved airstrikes on Qaddafi’s forces in Libya. The resolution apparently passed with ten votes, including the United States with abstentions from Russia, China, Germany, Brazil, and India. Now American forces may be fighting a third war … Continue reading →

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Posted in Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, International Security, Investing, Middle East, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Sell to Sucker: Potassium Iodide for Sale!

Posted on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

©2011 Reflections of a Rational Republican Welcome to Tulipomania circa 2011. In 1624, a tulip bulb became so valuable that some wealthy merchants were willing to pay a sum roughly equal to their annual income for it. And so now … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Investing, Media, Nuclear Power, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

I decided to break from tradition and to publish something a little less serious. I put together this little video using a program called xtranormal. It is satire on what many left bloggers write and think about conservatives. Huffington Post … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Climate Change, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Food Security, Humor, Investing, Media, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Thurston and Talbot, Unions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Saudis Shrug Off Day of Rage: Three Strategies to Suppress a Revolt Before It Starts

Posted on Saturday, March 12, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

While the world was understandably distracted by Japan’s terrible earthquake and the tsunami in its wake, I have been monitoring one local Saudi woman’s blog to get a sense of how the March 11th Day of Rage progressed in Saudi … Continue reading →

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Posted in Clean Energy, Clean Tech, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, International Security, Investing, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Smart Money Sells U.S. Treasuries

Posted on Friday, March 11, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

One of the world’s largest and most respected bond funds announced Wednesday it had reduced its exposure to U.S. government securities to zero in light of rising yields, which are inversely related to a bond’s value. Given the right’s refusal … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Finance and Economics, Investing, Policy, Politics | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Petroleum Prices and Peak Oil: Edging Towards a New Normal

Posted on Saturday, February 26, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

“The beatings will continue until morale improves.” — Unknown Today I filled up my fuel-efficient Toyota with 11.24 gallons of fuel at $3.80 a gallon. And it’s only February. I shudder to imagine what prices will be by the time … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, International Security, Investing, Policy, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Architecture of Anarchy

Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 by Sean Patrick Hazlett

“Civilization and anarchy are only seven meals apart” — Spanish proverb Instability is a positive feedback loop driven by weather, energy and food prices, currency fluctuations, repression, and demography. Adverse weather conditions, in tandem with high energy prices and a … Continue reading →

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Posted in Business, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Defense, Energy Security, Finance and Economics, Food Security, International Security, Investing, Middle East, Policy, Politics, Predictions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments