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Hans Joas's Faith as an Option is primarily concerned with debunking two myths: first, the idea that modernization—advances in technology and the sciences—renders religious belief obsolete; second, the argument that secularization leads to moral decay. Joas, a leading European social theorist, is more than aware that criticisms of these claims are hardly new—contemporary scholars no longer prove keen to establish a law or rule connecting modernization and secularization, and there seems to be little or no correlation between societies with higher rates of atheism and moral decline. Instead, Joas's study mainly aims to provide a series of illuminating explanations for why these views captured the imaginations of so many for so long.
Posts Tagged 'Charles Taylor'
Faith as an Optionposted by Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins
How (Not) to Be Secularposted by The Editors
In a book out next month, James K. A. Smith offering readers in a world of secularity what the author calls a "hitchhiker's guide to the present."
The theology blind spotposted by Kristina Stoeckl
I have always been puzzled by the fact that Charles Taylor starts his book A Secular Age with a long quote from Bede Griffith in order to describe a religious type of experience. It is the description of a scene experienced by the author as a school-boy: trees are blossoming, birds are singing, the author has the sensation that angels are present and that God is looking down on him. My question is: Why this quote? Why choose an image and a language of sunset, trees and birds in order to describe something for which the different languages of theology have worked out precise and elaborate codifications? I understand, of course, that in the context of the introduction to A Secular Age, Taylor uses this quote in order to make a soft claim to the human openness to experiences of transcendental nature. He uses the rest of the eight-hundred pages of the book to explore why it has become increasingly rare and difficult in our secular age to live these kinds of experiences, let alone to look for them in the context of an organized religious tradition. Most of us, he says, live our lives in an "immanent frame" and religious belief "has become one option among many."
The secular in non-Western societiesposted by Katerina Dalacoura
The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and the wider Islamist movement of which it is an instance, are in many ways a secular phenomenon. If we define "secularity" not only as the weakening of religious belief, but also as the idea that faith becomes one option among others; and "secularization" as the process of institutional and functional differentiation of modern state structures and the resultant marginalization of religious authority, then the Brotherhood, similarly to other Islamist entities, can be seen as a product of modernity and the "secular age." This transpires in two ways. First, for the Brotherhood, "Islam" is an identifiable set of beliefs that can be actively implemented and used as guidelines to reform society. Second, the parameters of the political order it proposes are defined by the context of the secular, modern nation-state.
Modernity, enchantment, and Fictionalismposted by Michael Saler
The stern visage of Max Weber looms over discussions of modernity and enchantment, as does the sunnier countenance of Charles Taylor. Perhaps they should be joined by the open faced, bluntly spoken, and allegedly poker wielding Ludwig Wittgenstein. This choice might seem counter-intuitive. Wittgenstein did not write much about enchantment, and is more often considered a disenchanter who used the tools of philosophy to dispel illusions brought about by linguistic misuse. As he wrote, "Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language."
Beyond supersessionist stories?posted by Guido Vanheeswijck
Brad Gregory's monumental and erudite book has yielded a wide range of reactions. Highly appreciative remarks (especially from the Catholic side) are countered by rather dismissive, sometimes even venomous reviews (by Ian Hunter, James Chappel, Mark Lilla, and others), as well as by more balanced critiques (those of Peter Gordon, Victoria Kahn, and Adrian Pabst, for instance). I will not dwell on the details of these divergent opinions; I would instead like to focus on the question of whether or not The Unintended Reformation is a genuine work of history. More specifically, I would like to tackle two questions: (1) What is meant precisely by the term "a supersessionist model" of historical narrative in contrast to "genealogical history"? And (2) does Gregory succeed in writing a study in genealogical or analytical history, as he claims to do, or is The Unintended Reformation itself an example of supersessionist historiography, albeit in reverse? My answer is based primarily on a comparison between Gregory's book and Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, which are often mentioned in the same breath (cf. Lilla, Hunter, Pabst).
CFP: Working with A Secular Ageposted by Claire Ma
On March 6-8, 2014, the University of Bern will host an international conference entitled "Working with A Secular Age: Interdisciplinary Reflections on Charles Taylor's Conception of the Secular."
CFP: Post-Secularism Between Public Reason and Political Theologyposted by John D. Boy
Guest Editors Camil Ungureanu and Lasse Thomassen are requesting submissions for a special issue of the journal The European Legacy scheduled for late 2014.
CFP: Religion in modern democraciesposted by Wei Zhu
From June 3rd to June 7th, 2013, the Forum Scientiarum of Tübingen University, will host an interdisciplinary summer school on the work of Charles Taylor.
Charles Taylor and Buddhismposted by Wei Zhu
For Tricycle, an independent Buddhist publication, Linda Heuman writes on how to understand problems in the transmission of Buddhism to the West, drawing on, in particular, Charles Taylor's work on secularism.
Secularism: Some concepts and distinctionsposted by Akeel Bilgrami
I am very grateful to the many commentators on my essay "Secularism: It's Content and Context" for their instructive and challenging responses and I am glad of this chance, in what follows, to try and make my essay clearer and better. It is a measure of the vibrancy of The Immanent Frame that it fetches such a high quality (not to mention, quantity) of commentary, and I hope I will be able to at least approximate some of this quality in my responses.
I'll begin with some preliminary points which I will exploit in my responses, and then speak to each comment in turn, posting the responses one at a time over the next many days.
Truth and fraternity?posted by Uday Singh Mehta
Akeel Bilgrami's essay is important and ambitious. Its importance lies in part in making clear what secularism is and should be—its philosophical foundation one might say; its ambition, in its ability to link these foundations with a wide range of issues that include the implications of giving priority to political ideals; a subtle understanding of the grounds of Islamic fundamentalism; the way in which context might deflate the all too often overextended reach and significance of secularism; the role of reason in history and its link with the moral and epistemological psychology by which even deep convictions are subject to change; the challenge of a relativistic conception of truth; and an understanding of humanism that permits a firm commitment to one's own view of the truth, while nevertheless embracing a fraternal attitude towards those who deeply disagree with it.
Protecting freedom of religion in the secular ageposted by Cécile Laborde
I want to start with a paradox. In the secular age, as Charles Taylor has amply illustrated, religious belief no longer structures our social imaginary. Instead, it has become one option, one possibility, among others: one of the ways in which we give meaning to our lives. The secular age, then, is characterised by the fact of pluralism—an irreducible pluralism of beliefs, values, commitments. Yet we secular moderns also give special primacy to freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is standardly presented as the archetypical liberal right. So the paradox is this: how (and why) do we protect freedom of religion in an age where religion is not special?
Hope, tragedy, and prophecyposted by Colin Jager
It is hard not to be convinced by Akeel Bilgrami's careful, patient, and generous exposition in "Secularism: Its Content and Context." And indeed there is much with which I agree, especially the balance that Bilgrami strikes between a care for truth, on the one hand, and the idea of internal reasons, on the other. My remarks below are offered by way of exposition and clarification, but they are motivated by a spirit of interpretation: it seems to me that the paper operates in distinct tonal registers: a primary register of hope, a secondary register of tragedy, and an unacknowledged third register, which I will call prophetic.
Cultural models and Rethinking Secularismposted by Giles Gunn
Rethinking Secularism is the title of a striking new collection of essays, edited by Craig Calhoun, Mark Juergensmeyer, and Jonathan VanAntwerpen that is rich with shrewd, and often detailed and intricate, discussions of the way the political and the social, the public and the personal, are threaded with, and frequently created out of, the interpretive, the symbolic, and the imaginary. It is also a book with whose central claim I could not be in fuller agreement: the religious and the secular do not designate different ends of a historical timeline, much less a simple binary, so much as different inflections of a process beginning, at least in the West, with the slow disintegration of Latin Christendom in the Late Middle Ages, and that we have come to recognize as the longue durée of the modern.
Charles Taylor on secularismposted by Wei Zhu
Over at the New Statesman, Jonathan Derbyshire interviews Charles Taylor on his new book Secularism and Freedom of Conscience.
Religion and state secularizationposted by Simon During
In discussing secularization, it has become conventional to note that the concept refers to various processes, of which three are particularly prominent. First, the gradual delegitimation of natural and revealed religion's truth-claims in the face of rational critique. We can call this intellectual secularization. Second, the process by which some states have constitutionally disengaged from their citizens' religious beliefs and institutions. We can call this state secularization. Third, the increase across society of knowledge, activities, values, tastes, and activities which lack religious content, as well as the extent to which, increasingly, people involve themselves with these non-religious forms. We can call this social secularization.
Secularism, belief, and truthposted by Regina Schwartz
I want to argue that one of the deep reasons for the commonality between religion and the secular is not only historical—that the values that prevailed in a dominantly religious world were not lost during the secularization processes—but philosophical: whether the beliefs that people hold are religious or secular, they are beliefs. As Steve Bruce wrote, "Although it is possible to conceptualize it in other ways, secularization primarily refers to the beliefs of people." At the extreme edges of secular and religious thought, people deny that they hold beliefs—propositions that they embrace about what is true—and say instead that they have truth.
Religion-makingposted by Arvind-Pal S. Mandair and Markus Dressler
Broadly conceived the term religion-making refers to the ways in which religion(s) is conceptualized and institutionalized within the matrix of a globalized world-religions discourse in which ideas, social formations, and social/cultural practices are discursively reified as "religious" ones. Religion-making works, sometimes more and sometimes less explicitly, by means of normalizing and often functionalist discourses centered around certain taken-for-granted notions, such as the religion/secular binary, as well as binaries subordinated to it (such as sacred/profane, this-worldly/otherworldly, etc.).
The shining and the shiny: An interview with Sean Dorrance Kellyposted by Nathan Schneider
Sean Dorrance Kelly is chair of Harvard University's philosophy department and has published on topics like cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and aesthetics. For his first general-audience book, though, he teamed up with his former teacher Hubert Dreyfus and took on the Western canon. All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age, published this year by Free Press, is a daring proposal for a new embrace of ancient polytheism. Looking back to the epics of Homer, they find resources for thwarting the nihilism that has haunted some of the most brilliant thinkers of our time. I spoke with Kelly over cappuccinos in a noisy Midtown Manhattan diner, while he was waiting to catch a train back up to Boston.
Secularism: Its content and contextposted by Akeel Bilgrami
I begin with three fundamental features of the idea of 'secularism.' I will want to make something of them at different stages of the passage of my argument in this paper for the conclusion—among others—that the relevance of secularism is contextual in very specific ways. If secularism has its relevance only in context, then it is natural and right to think that it will appear in different forms and guises in different contexts. But I write down these opening features of secularism at the outset because they seem to me to be invariant among the different forms that secularism may take in different contexts. It is hard to imagine that one hasn't changed the subject from secularism to something else, something that deserves another name, if one finds oneself denying any of the features that I initially list below.
9/11 chronomaniaposted by Justin Neuman
Under its congressional mandate to "examine and report upon the facts and causes relating to the terrorist attacks…[and] make a full and complete accounting of the[ir] circumstances," the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, better known as the 9/11 Commission Report, begins with a narrative timeline. In the simple past, in a voice devoid of interiority but rich in temporal data, the Report tracks movement in time and space.
Oppenheimer: the politics of authenticity?posted by Richard Amesbury
Mark Oppenheimer discusses Charles Taylor's work and its reception in a wide-ranging essay in The Nation.
Is there anybody out there? (Pink Floyd and Charles Taylor)posted by Charles Gelman
In the Frankfurter Rundschau, Hartmut Rosa hears the echoes of Pink Floyd in the work of Charles Taylor.
Religion und Öffentlichkeitposted by Charles Gelman
The German translation, by Michael Adrian, of The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere will be published by Suhrkamp Verlag in October.
Crafting the secular studies syllabusposted by Charles Gelman
Pitzer College having announced that it will offer a major in "secular studies," the Harvard University Press Blog compiles a list of titles essential to the subject.
"The Malaise of Modernity": a radio series on the work of Charles Taylorposted by Charles Gelman
The CBC Radio program Ideas recently ran a five-part series on the life and work of Charles Taylor, "The Malaise of Modernity: Charles Taylor in Conversation," which is now available to stream or to download as a podcast.
Listen here.
Religion's many powersposted by Craig Calhoun
To say that religion has power in the public sphere is not to say that it can be easily absorbed or that it should be. It is a basis for radical challenges and radical questions; it brings enthusiasm, passion, indignation, outrage, and love. If enthusiasm is sometimes harnessed to unreflective conviction, passion is also vital to critical engagement with existing institutions and dangerous trends. The public sphere and the practice of public reason have power too. And they not only take from religion but also offer it opportunities to advance by reflection and critical argument.
A review of Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Ageposted by Charles Gelman
Abraham Rubin reviews Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age at the blog of the Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization, Cardozo School of Law.
El poder de la religiónposted by Jessica Polebaum
El poder de la religión en la esfera pública, the Spanish language edition of The Power of Religion in the Public Sphere, will be released late this month by Trotta Editorial.
Teaching and blogging A Secular Ageposted by Charles Gelman
James K.A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin College, is currently teaching an undergraduate seminar on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, and he and his students will be blogging about the book as the semester progresses.
Of saints, separatism, and secularization (part 2)posted by Sarah Shortall
In my previous post, I discussed the ambivalent legacy of the Catholic Church in Québec in light of the recent canonization of the province's first homegrown saint. I suggested that the post-sixties rise of Québécois nationalism emerged largely at the expense of this Catholic identity, which many blamed for Québec's longtime passivity in the face of English-Canadian domination, even as the Church also played a key historical role in the survival of French-Canadian culture. In this post, I would like to suggest the ways in which this complex politico-religious legacy has shaped current debates over the "reasonable accommodation" of immigrants in Québec.
"Christians in a secular age"posted by Charles Gelman
The October issue of New Blackfriars—the journal of the English Province of The Order of Preachers—focuses on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, each essay featuring a response from Taylor himself.
Secularism and sociologyposted by Jessica Polebaum
The latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Sociology features a review by David Lyon of Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age, edited by Michael Warner, Jonathan VanAntwerpen, and Craig Calhoun (HUP, 2010).
The Utopian, no. 7: "Pain & Pleasure"posted by Charles Gelman
The latest issue of The Utopian is now online, featuring essays by Michel Houellebecq, Michael Goldstein, Damon Linker, and Alexander Lee, an interview with Charles Taylor, and new translations of poems by Heinrich Heine and Theognis.
An empirical perspective on religious and secular reasonsposted by John H. Evans
This "religion in the public sphere" thread has featured debates about whether citizens of liberal democratic societies can offer religious reasons for public laws that will be coercive on all citizens, or whether they must use, in John Rawls's terms, "public reason." . . . This normative debate is about what people should do in public debates, but knowing what people actually do would allow theorists to develop greater nuance in their analyses. When we see what people actually do, we can further inquire as to whether there are social structures that are pushing people toward good or bad behavior. For example, it is possible that the normative structure of the contemporary public sphere works so strongly against certain normative proposals that they should just be abandoned as utopian. Moreover, it is possible that we may gain normative wisdom from the collective practices of citizens. In any event, given the many hundreds of normative analyses, some empirical examinations may usefully agitate the debate.
The sun shone fiercely through the window at Starbucks (Part I)posted by John Lardas Modern
Let us recognize, from the outset, the delicious perversity of inviting comments upon comments about the comments about Charles Taylor's A Secular Age, itself a commentary, magisterial in scope, about the inability of Anglo-Europeans to end a certain cycle of commentary about themselves, their religion, and their humanity. Nevertheless, of the many thoughtful responses and salvos found in Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age, I was most struck by Wendy Brown's pointed and potentially devastating piece on the shortcomings of Taylor's "odd historical materialism."
Taylor's sense of the material world is not unrelated to his not always implicit commitment to (or perhaps nostalgia for) the ideals of a self that flourishes, unfolds, and, at the end of the day, can be sufficiently liberated from history so as to be able to take the measure of itself—in concert, of course, with others, as they liberate themselves sufficiently from those very same forces.
On the call from outsideposted by Jane Bennett
In Akeel Bilgrami's contribution to Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age, "enchantment" refers to the historical belief that God or his divine expression is accessible to the everyday world of "matter and nature and human community and perception." Correspondingly, "disenchantment" refers to that shift in perspective (encouraged by early modern science and its mechanistic model of nature) by which God was exiled from nature. Bilgrami's ultimate aim is to "reenchant" the secular age by affirming the "callings" of a world laden with "value elements." I will say more below about this interesting notion of a call from outside and its role in ethics; let me point out now that the processes of "enchantment" and "disenchantment" are for Bilgrami, as for Charles Taylor, essentially shifts in theological orientation, different views of the relationship between God and nature.
War crimes, politics, and being changed by faithposted by Annie Hardison-Moody
Although Charles Taylor is currently on trial for allegedly funding and fueling the civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone, the question of criminal trials for war crimes in Liberia has been hotly debated since the release of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) final report in 2009. . . . While some argue that a war crimes tribunal would cost the Liberian people and government a great deal of time and money, others question the connection between reconciliation and a war crimes tribunal on religious grounds.
Taylor's Constantinianismposted by John D. Boy
In the July 2010 issue of Modern Theology, Stanley Hauerwas and Romand Coles reflect on Charles Taylor's A Secular Age.
The scope of secular comparisonposted by David Buckley
As I transition my SSRC research from Senegal to the Philippines, I am constantly ruminating over the question: why compare these two places? Developing some coherent answer to this inquiry is a crucial task for helping me build theory on the idea of After Secularization.
Skyping secularism: Religion and multiple modernitiesposted by Thomas Alberts , Ruth Braunstein , David Buckley and Grace Yukich
Since our previous dispatch from the IWM Summer School in Cortona, we have settled back into our real lives in London, New York, and Washington, DC, respectively. But the discussions inspired by the summer school have continued—over email and group chats—and we wanted to share with you one recent exchange that followed from our course on "Religion and Multiple Modernities," taught by Dipesh Chakrabarty, Sudipta Kaviraj, and Charles Taylor. The course drew on examples from European and Indian history that prompted us to think about the relation between modernity (a concept that itself was called into question) and secularism.
Religion, spirituality, and the sexual scandalposted by Katherine Pratt Ewing
Religion and the sex scandal are still closely linked, though the targets of public outrage have morphed: it is often religious authorities and bearers of traditional morality whose sexual desires and actions are publicized and condemned. With so many religious institutions and their authorities rocked by sex scandals in a litany of abuse and victimhood, it behooves us to ask what, precisely, is being exposed and denounced, and, conversely, what is being protected and perhaps even obscured. What aspects of "religion" are under fire in these scandals? What role does "spirituality" play in this discursive reconfiguration of sexuality and religion?
Initial thoughts from the IWM summer schoolposted by David Buckley
In between my research trips to Senegal and the Philippines, I will be staying in Cortona, Italy, for a two-week summer school on religion and democracy with the Institut fur die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM). . . . The IWM is hosting a remarkable blend of scholars and students grappling with many of the same questions that drive our SSRC DPDF After Secularization group: religion, democracy, the secular, and modernity. The chance to spend a couple of weeks with scholars like Charles Taylor, Michael Sandel and Dipesh Chakrabarty—and in the Tuscan hills no less—is a little slice of grad student heaven.
Commentaries on our ageposted by Nancy Levene
Each contributor [to Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age] delivers a reading of Taylor's work, helping to evaluate its significance, critical flaws, and lingering questions. They are companion pieces, then, and work best with a knowledge of the book. Their strength as a whole lies in the seriousness with which they address Taylor's grand narrative and the sprightliness with which they point puzzled readers to related topics and avenues. Does Taylor's book deserve such scrupulous attention? I am inclined to weight this question from the opposite side. Some of the essays in Varieties are so thought-provoking that I feel grateful to Taylor for having occasioned them, even if his own book is rather more exasperating than, as some of his readers would have it, major or magisterial.
Antihumanism and religionposted by Martin Kavka
One of the things that intellectual historians show us, although often only implicitly, is the fluidity of the terms of debates that we take to be self-evident. In An Atheism that Is Not Humanist Emerges in French Thought, Stefanos Geroulanos shows us this fluidity by focusing on the French history of objections to (and reformulations of) humanist discourse from 1929 to 1952, a history that suggests that the rigidity of the categories of "religion" and "humanism" in Anglophone discourse is exceptional and unnecessary.
Ubuntu, reconciliation, and the buffered selfposted by Justin Neuman
Like many contributors to Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age, I share the sense that Taylor's account of Latin Christianity demands greater attention to its global entanglements. Specifically, I am concerned with tracking the processes whereby reconciliation was bound up with the concepts, practices, and vocabulary of ubuntu during South Africa's transition to non-racial democracy, and how, in turn, ubuntu has come to inflect the social imaginary of Taylor's Latin Christianity.
Higher times in the Bible Beltposted by John Schmalzbauer
Rich in interdisciplinary breadth, Varieties of Secularism in a Secular Age offers an opportunity to reflect on the reception of Charles Taylor's magnum opus. Edited by an English professor and two social scientists, it includes contributions from a political philosopher, a sociologist, a theologian, and a literary critic. Given the many reviews of A Secular Age in these disciplines, this mix of contributors is not surprising.
Somewhat more surprising is the inclusion of two historians, members of a discipline that has largely ignored Taylor's book. Three years after its publication, A Secular Age has yet to be reviewed in the Journal of American History and the American Historical Review.
What explains this lack of interest? Writing in Church History, Martin Marty notes that while "the ordinary historian has very much to learn from Taylor's use of history," it cannot be appropriated "without undertaking a significant act of translating and organizing the material."


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We expect to receive net proceeds of approximately $175.5 million from the
sale of 8,750,000 common units offered by this prospectus after deducting
estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and structuring fees and
paying estimated offering expenses. We intend to use the net proceeds from
this offering as consideration for the acquisition of our interest in OPCO.
In addition to the net proceeds from this offering, Seadrill will also
receive the following:
• 16,065,025 common units and 16,543,350 subordinated units;
• the incentive distribution rights; and
• the Seadrill Member interest.
We have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,312,500
additional common units to cover over-allotments, if any. If the underwriters
exercise their over-allotment option, we will use the net proceeds to redeem
common units from Seadrill.
The offshore drilling industry is highly competitive, with market participants
ranging from large multinational companies to smaller companies with fewer
than five drilling rigs.
The demand for offshore drilling services is driven by oil and natural gas
companies' exploration and development drilling programs. These drilling
programs are affected by oil and natural gas companies' expectations regarding
oil and natural gas prices, anticipated production levels, worldwide demand
for oil and natural gas products and many other factors. The availability of
quality drilling prospects, exploration success, availability of qualified
rigs and operating personnel, relative production costs, availability and
lead time requirements for drilling and production equipment, the stage of
reservoir development and political and regulatory environments also affect
customers' drilling programs. Oil and natural gas prices are volatile, which
has historically led to significant fluctuations in expenditures by customers
for drilling services. Variations in market conditions impact OPCO in
different ways, depending primarily on the length of drilling contracts in
different markets. Short-term changes in these markets may have a minimal
short-term impact on revenues and cash flows, unless the timing of contract
renewals coincides with short-term movements in the market.
Offshore drilling contracts are generally awarded on a competitive bid basis
or through privately negotiated transactions. In determining which qualified
drilling contractor is awarded a contract, the key factors are pricing, rig
availability, rig location, condition and integrity of equipment, their record
of operating efficiency, including high operating uptime, technical
specifications, safety performance record, crew experience, reputation,
industry standing and customer relations.
Competition for offshore drilling rigs, particularly submersible semi-tenders
and drillships, is generally on a global basis, as rigs are highly mobile.
However, the cost associated with mobilizing rigs between regions is sometimes
substantial, as entering a new region could necessitate modifications of the
drilling rig and its equipment to specific regional requirements.
We believe that the market for drilling contracts will continue to be highly
competitive for the foreseeable future. We believe that OPCO's fleet of
recently constructed technologically advanced drilling rigs provides it
with a competitive advantage over competitors with older fleets, as OPCO's
drilling rigs are generally better suited to meet the requirements of
customers for drilling in deepwater. However, certain competitors may have
greater financial resources than we do, which may enable them to better
withstand periods of low utilization, and compete more effectively on the
basis of price.
We are a growth-oriented limited liability company recently formed by
Seadrill Limited (NYSE: SDRL) to own, operate and acquire offshore drilling
rigs. Our drilling rigs are under long-term contracts with major oil companies
such as Chevron, Total, BP and ExxonMobil with an average remaining term
4.1 years as of September 30, 2012. We intend to grow our position in the
offshore drilling market by continuing to provide excellent service to these
customers with our modern, technologically advanced fleet. We also intend to
leverage the relationships, expertise and reputation of Seadrill to
re-contract our fleet under long-term contracts and to identify opportunities
to expand our fleet through acquisitions. Seadrill is one of the world's
largest international offshore drilling contractors, and we believe Seadrill
will be motivated to facilitate our growth because of its significant
ownership interest in us.
Upon the completion of this offering, we will own (i) a 30% limited partner
interest in Seadrill Operating LP, as well as the non-economic general
partner interest in Seadrill Operating LP through our 100% ownership of its
general partner, Seadrill Operating GP LLC, and (ii) a 51% limited liability
company interest in Seadrill Capricorn Holdings LLC. We will control Seadrill
Operating LP through our ownership of its general partner and
Seadrill Capricorn Holdings LLC through our ownership of the majority of the
voting rights. Seadrill will own the remaining 70% limited partner interest
in Seadrill Operating LP and the remaining 49% limited liability company
interest in Seadrill Capricorn Holdings LLC.
The following table provides information about OPCO's initial fleet:
Current Contract
Water Drilling
Year Depth Depth Dayrate
Rig Name Built (feet) (feet) Location Customer Start Expire (US$)
West Aquarius 2009 10,000 35,000 In transit ExxonMobil July 2012 December 2012 Transit(1)
Canada ExxonMobil(2) January 2013 June 2015 $ 530,000
Options ExxonMobil June 2015 June 2017 $ 530,000
West Capricorn(3) 2011 10,000 35,000 USA (Gulf of
Mexico) BP July 2012 July 2017 (4) $ 487,000
Options BP July 2017 July 2019 (4) $ 487,000
West Capella(5) 2008 10,000 35,000 Nigeria Total April 2009 April 2014 $ 544,000
Nigeria Total April 2014 April 2019 (6) $ 580,000
Tender Rig:
West Vencedor(7) 2010 6,500 30,000 Angola Chevron March 2010 March 2015 $ 206,500
(1) While in transit, the West Aquarius receives a reduced moving rate
instead of its standard dayrate under its drilling contract.
(2) Once the West Aquarius arrives in Canada it will operate under a
sub-contract to Statoil ASA. The dayrate excludes any annual contract revenue
adjustment, which is based on U.S. indices derived from the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. The adjustment usually results in an escalation in the
(3) Excludes estimated amortized rig rate charge payable by the customer
of approximately $29,000 per day relating to lump sum mobilization fee,
contract revenues and reimbursables prior to the commencement of contract,
and a $5,000 per day catering and accommodation rate.
(4) BP has an option to extend the expiration date of the contract for
up to two years from July 2017 to July 2019.
(5) OPCO will own an approximate 56% interest in the entity that owns
and operates the West Capella . The dayrate excludes any annual contract
revenue adjustment, which is based on U.S. indices derived from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjustment usually results in an escalation
in the dayrates.
(6) Total has committed to a five year extension with respect to the
West Capella beginning in April 2014. Total has the option to reduce the
term of the extension to three years in exchange for an increase in the
dayrate to $627,500 or to four years in exchange for an increase in the
dayrate to $615,000. Total must exercise any option to reduce the extension
period prior to July 31, 2013.
(7) This drilling contract is denominated in U.S. Dollars, but
approximately 27% of the dayrate is received in Euros. This table assumes
an exchange rate of one Euro to 1.27 U.S. Dollars. The dayrate excludes
any annual contract revenue adjustment, which is based on U.S. indices
derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjustment usually
results in an escalation in the dayrates.
We intend to leverage our relationship with Seadrill to make accretive
acquisitions of drilling rigs from Seadrill and third parties. For example,
pursuant to the omnibus agreement that we will enter into with Seadrill at
the closing of this offering, we will have the following purchase rights:
• a right of first offer to purchase additional interests in OPCO; and
• a right to purchase any drilling rigs acquired or placed under contracts
of five or more years after the closing date of this offering.
In addition, we will have the right to purchase the following two tender rigs
from Seadrill, either directly or through OPCO, at any time within 24 months
after their respective acceptances by their customers:
• T-15 , a tender rig barge due to be completed in the first quarter of 2013,
which is capable of drilling in water depths of up to 6,500 feet. The T-15 is
expected to enter service in April 2013 with Chevron under a five-year
drilling contract; and
• T-16 , a tender rig barge due to be completed in the first quarter of 2013,
which is capable of drilling in water depths of up to 6,500 feet. The T-16 is
expected to enter service in June 2013 with Chevron under a five-year drilling
Our registered and principal executive offices are located at 13th Floor, One
America Square, 17 Crosswall, London, EC3N 2LB, United Kingdom and our phone
number is +44 20 7063 7900. Our website : www.seadrillpartners.com.
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text:
Kristiansen's third period strike ends hopes of a conference title
Clutch free throws earn date with West Valley
You can't ice Isaac.
Garrett Morrison and Dominic Taus are double trouble.
South ended Eagle River's hockey season with a 5-0 win Tuesday, Jan. 31 in the opening round of the Cook Inlet Conference tournament at Ben Boeke Ice Arena.
The Wolves can howl for another year.
Sometimes a bad break can turn into a golden opportunity.
Wolves fall 5-0 to South in CIC playoffs


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|« Back to Article
Don't despair - kids can learn to eat right
Menu ideas can help picky eaters develop taste for simple, healthy food
By Kim Kyle Morgan | November 23, 2012 | Updated: November 24, 2012 7:49pm
Photo By Alan Warren/FreelanceCarrots with a pesto sauce at the new Revival Market on Heights Boulevard in Houston on Tuesday, March 22, 2011. The mission of Revival Market is to support regional agriculture, family farms, and local food entrepreneurs. (Alan Warren/For the Houston Chronicle)
Photo By DAVID BISHOP/HOWeelicious.com founder Catherine McCord, a chef and mother of two, says kids are drawn to food with fun names - such as Carrot Coins.
Photo By Buster Dean/StaffPancakes Friday, Sept. 5, 2008. ( Buster Dean / Chronicle ) sweet potatoes-whole; YAMS
Photo By NICK KOON/MBRWeelicious.com founder Catherine McCord, a chef and mother of two, says kids are drawn to food with fun names - such as Carrot Coins.
Photo By Renee Brock/MBRKale chips are a cinch to make and a healthy alternative to potato chips.
Photo By Courtesy photoCatherine McCord is the author of "Weelicious: One Family, One Meal."
Photo By Courtesy photoCatherine McCord is the author of "Weelicious: One Family, One Meal."
As a mother of three, nurse, and food service liaison at the John Cooper School in The Woodlands, Peggy Nix knows a thing or two about kids and mealtime madness.
Her proven, time-tested, number-one dining declaration for parents of picky eaters is wonderfully simple. No mixed foods.
"I never, ever, ever fixed a casserole the whole time my kids were growing up," Nix said. "Kids don't usually like mixed foods. At school, if we combine broccoli and cauliflower, they won't even pick out the one they like. They just say, 'I don't like that' and walk right on by."
On the topic of vegetables, perhaps the most universally hated food group among children, big things can happen with small adjustments.
"Think about it. If you're 6, a whole celery stick can be a little overwhelming," Nix said. "Celery sticks and carrots should be teeny-tiny." Keeping that in mind, remember that a kid-size serving is quite a bit smaller than an adult-size serving.
Expanding on the visual appeal, mother of two Catherine McCord said kids love food in the form of chips, muffins, pancakes or on sticks.
McCord, a chef, is the founder of the nutrition website Weelicious.com.
Giving food funky names can make things more appetizing, McCord said. Think the classic "Ants on a Log," which is simply celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins.
Adding a kid-friendly word to the back end of something they might not otherwise like can help, too. Sweet potatoes? Boring. Sweet potato muffins? Fun. Kale? Eeeeew. Kale chips? Yum. Carrots? Whatever. Carrot coins? Rich.
McCord will be in Houston to share recipes from her new book, "Weelicious: One Family. One Meal." One thing notably absent from her book is covert cooking.
"You won't find any vegetables masqueraded in my meatloaf or disguised in my dinners because I'm too lazy to go to the trouble to cook, puree and find ways to surreptitiously incorporate them into recipes," she said. "But most importantly, I want my kids knowing that vegetables rock and help their little bodies grow every day."
That's one approach Tomball mother Julie Feild took with her son, Reese, when he was a toddler.
"I would say, 'Oh wow, Reese, I can see your muscles growing' with as much enthusiasm as I could," Feild said. "He would actually look at his biceps and take another bite."
Now that Reese is 9 and playing football and baseball, he understands how nutrition helps him hit the ball farther, throw harder and run faster.
"If kids have been out running around, they may need a little more at the dinner table that night," said Dawn Bunting, a senior pediatric clinical dietitian at Texas Children's Hospital West campus. "Likewise, if they weren't as active that day, they don't need as much. Kids self-regulate what their bodies need."
If your child is super-picky and you're worried that he's shutting out whole food groups, get him involved in the shopping. Let him pick out a fruit or vegetable, then go home and find a way to prepare it together.
"Being able to help mom and dad is a big motivator," said Sonny Gornek, registered dietician at Memorial Hermann Southeast. "If they can mash it, help steam it, add the seasoning, they are more likely to try it."
And, as with most kiddo conundrums, remember that this too shall pass - in this case, hopefully, from plate to mouth.
"My kids are grown now," Nix said. "And they are foodies."
Kim Kyle Morgan is a freelance writer living in Tomball.
Tips for picky eaters
Simplicity: Most kids don't like mixed dishes.
Ingenuity: Come up with new names for the least favorite foods.
Creativity: Invent fun ways to present food - in a muffin, on a stick.
Continuity: It takes 10 to 20 tries before a child will accept a new food.
Unflappability: This is most likely a phase where your child is exerting control over the one thing in his life that he can - food.
Want to go? Catherine McCord will lead a workshop at Sur la Table 6:30-8:30 p.m. Jan. 17; $69 per person; www.surlatable.com.
For recipes: www.weelicious.com


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I lost intrest in my tamas in May. Did I leave?
Well lets look at why TamaTalk exists..
1. Admin has the motivation to keep this site rolling and the financial support to do so.
2. There are tamagotchis lovers all over the world who would like a place to talk to fellow tama lovers.
As long as their is Admin and the financial support... TamaTalk will be ongoing.
Now as far as this comment that "we'll all hate TamaTalk for some reason". That is extremely juvenile Meowbark. Children are the ones who I generally see come and go the most often here with comments about how they now "hate" tamas and they are "babyish" etc or leave because their friends have lost interest and there is noone to talk to etc.
For most, tamagotchis are a fad... a phase that will come and go and so is their presence here on TamaTalk. Those who are dedicated and collectors or have a genuine interest will be the ones who will stick around long after Bandai stop producing version after version (as was the case back in 1997). If that is all that TamaTalk is made up of one day - so be it...the conversation here may be a little more meaningful then.


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The videos from the event are now all available on the 2014 Lineup page - head over there and remind yourself of the event, or check out what went down if you weren't able to make it on the day!
So TEDxSheffield is over for another year, and we're all exhausted and happy :)
We really hope you had a great time, if you came, and thank you so much for helping to make TEDxSheffield such a success each year!
Thanks also to all our speakers, sponsors, supporters, organisers and volunteers - it's a huge team effort and we can't thank or praise you all enough!
Hopefully we'll see everyone again in 2015!
Meanwhile, here's the interview Sheffield Live did with us during the break on Saturday:
And here is the happy birthday video we made for Luciano Floridi who couldn't make it due to illness:
Chris and HerbBook your tickets now!
Our speakers
Sponsor us
We wouldn't be able to put on these amazing and inspiring events every year if it wasn't for the support of our sponsors. Please take a look at who is supporting us this year, and if you want to join them, please get in touch - we have a range of sponsorship packages starting at just a few hundred pounds, and in return your brand will be permanently associated with our speaker videos and online.About sponsorship
What is a TEDx event?
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxSheffield, where x = independently organized TED event.
At our TEDxSheffield event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.Learn more about TEDx


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Drexel University Releases New Statement On Suspected Meningitis Death
The Philadelphia Health Department tells CBS 3 its laboratory has determined that the isolate is serogroup B. This is the same serotype that sickened Princeton University students last year.
Drexel Opens CAA Tourney Play Saturday
After going 16-13 during the regular season, the Drexel Dragons are getting ready for the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The #4 seed, the Dragons will open play on Saturday afternoon against #5 Northeastern.
Drexel On The Road Wednesday At James Madison
The Drexel Dragons will look to continue their strong play on Wednesday night as they visit James Madison.
Drexel Hoping For Big Stretch Run
Just seven games remain in the regular season for the Drexel Dragons, the first of which will be Saturday at the DAC as the Dukes of James Madison come to town.
Drexel Visits Towson In Big CAA Match-Up Saturday
The Drexel Dragons will try to make it two straight wins, and get back to .500 in the Colonial Athletic Association, on Saturday when they visit Towson.
Drexel Welcomes William And Mary To The DAC Saturday
The Drexel Dragons will look to get back on the winning track on Saturday as they battle William and Mary for a second time this season, this time at the DAC.
Local College Offers Students A Place To Design & Create Mobile Apps
By Ian Bush PHILADELPHIA (CBS)–Drexel has cut the ribbon on a space for students to design and create a hot commodity: mobile apps. You don't have to be a programming whiz to make it in […]
Redick Makes Drexel Women's Hoops History
Triple-doubles in basketball don't happen very often. In fact, in the history of Drexel women's basketball, it had never been accomplished – that is until Thursday night.
Depleted Drexel Visits UNC-Wilmington Saturday
The 9-7 Drexel Dragons continue to deal with along list of injuries as they get ready to continue Colonial Athletic Association play Saturday on the road at UNC-Wilmington.
Study: Restaurant Meals Still High In Calories, Lacking In Nutrition
New research out of Philadelphia shows that a meal at a sit-down restaurant may be just as bad — or worse — for your health than eating fast food.
Drexel Fighting Through Struggles And Injuries
The Dragons have dropped three straight, and four of five after losing their Colonial Athletic Association opener on Wednesday night against William and Mary, 85-73.
Drexel Hopes To Find The Offense At Southern Miss Friday
Drexel has dropped two of its last three games as they get ready to visit Southern Mississippi on Friday night.
Drexel Hoping To Continue Early Season Statement
While Villanova's outstanding start and meteoric rise in the national rankings has garnered a lot of the headlines on the local college basketball scene, there is another city team that has been performing at a high level since the season tipped off.
Drexel Drops Donor's Name From Law School
Officials said in a statement Monday that the Earle Mack School of Law will now be known as the Drexel University School of Law.
Drexel Wins At Davidson 72-58
Frantz Massenat, with 25 points and seven rebounds, helped Drexel earn a 72-58 victory at Davidson on Sunday afternoon.


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You can now invite anyone to meet at your favorite Starbucks.
Limited-time feature
42 year old man | Studio City, CA, USA | Seeking women 35-45 within 50 miles
Active within 3 days
My life can be better with a companion
Laughter is the best medicine. I live by that slogan. I am a fun loving person and am rarely depressed. My greatest accomplishment would be to have a house on a hilltop with that special person. And my greatest challenge is to be able to run 2 miles when i am 70 years old. I have a very active lifestyle and strive for doing better in my career. I can be social at times and other times prefer being alone just with that one person. I consider myself very lucky in life. I have wonderful friends, a supportive and laid back family, a career that is very rewarding, and an unending desire to experience life fully. I would love to travel to a new destination every year and truly explore, but work has cofined me to my chair. At home, I enjoy hiking, exploring the city and spending time with friends. I consider myself an active person, but equally love spending time at home. My friends have described me as a person with integrity, class and a sense of calmness. I am looking for a person who is very flexible and diverse mentally. I would like some who can dance and be goofy at one time and be able to intelligently analyze situations when called for. I am looking for someone who is an educated professional, has enough humor to laugh at the absurdities of life, someone who is honest, kind and respectful.
Coffee and conversation , Dining out , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Museums and art , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Performing arts , Playing sports , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Wine tasting
Basketball, Billiards / Pool, Cycling, Dancing, Running, Soccer, VolleyBall, Walking / Hiking, Weights / Machines
I exercise 3-4 times per week.
Resaturants i like to go are Polo lounge, all Urth cafes, Honor bar, hotel bars and Cheese cake factory in marina del rey.
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
yes let me be the first guy to admit....I like shopping. I like dressing to impress. Going to barnes and noble in promenade and hanging out reading books. Having a picnic at the beach or park. But most favorite is an evening at the walt disney hall.
Movies, dancing, theaters, hiking, running, working out, and above all i am a audiophile who loves music from Blue grass to african tibal music.
Before i go to bed i read a book. That book can be a novel or for educational purposes.
Z{{Cta}} {{#if HasMoreInfo}} ?{{CtaSecondary}} {{/if}}
|What he is looking for
|5'11" (180cms)
|5'2" (157cms) to 7'11" (241cms)
|Body type:
|Slender, Big and beautiful, About average, Curvy, Athletic and toned, Full-figured, A few extra pounds
|No preference
|Auburn / Red, Black, Light brown, Dark brown, Blonde, Dark blonde
|No Way
|No Way
|Social Drinker
|Social Drinker
|Technical / Science / Computers / Engineering
|No preference
Software Engineer
|$100,001 to $150,000
|No preference
|No preference
|Have kids:
|Wants kids:
|Not sure
|No preference
|East Indian
|No preference
|Spiritual but not religious
|No preference
|No preference
|Bachelors degree
|No preference