we have frequently pointed to children ’ s books as fantastic resources for language learners. here, renata cossio illustrates why this practice worked nicely for her and how it can do the same for you. guest post by renata cossio children ’ s books really help when you are starting to study a language, because they tend to keep the grammar simple and the stories easy to follow. i believe, also, that whenever we start to learn something new we become children again, and that is particularly true with idioms. there is no real logic to language construction, particularly verb conjugation. the errors kids make when they are learning to speak or write are pretty much the ones we make as adults when introduced to a new language. an example : in french, if you needed to ask someone for attention ( a teacher in class, for instance ), you would say : “ fait attention! ” which translates literally as “ make attention ”. in english, you would say, “ pay attention ”, which also sounds funny in other languages if translated literally. since children ’ s books are concocted to help children with these difficulties they can assist us as well. they can also provide us with an uncanny portrayal of a country ’ s culture, for the messages provided to the little ones are usually a reflection of the people ’ s beliefs. when i was sixteen years old i moved to belgium on an exchange program to learn french. i barely spoke any of it. before i left i was given a book by my aunt – a book that most people read in their childhood, but that i had never read before : le petit prince, or the little prince, by antoine st. exupery. like most languages, maybe even more so, written french is much different than the spoken french so studying its grammar is very important. i believe i must have read the little prince cover to cover many times, and it served as a guide and as a testament of my learning progress. it made me fall in love with the french language and all its nuances and details. if you are just starting to learn a new language, then, my advice is to choose a children ’ s book written in said language and keep it with you as you study to become fluent. it will help if you become discouraged, as a reminder that no one is born knowing everything, and it will teach you the simple phrases you will need in order to start communicating. renata is a 23 - year old brazilian writer and translator who enjoys learning new languages. she


osteoporosis treatment villa rica ga by victoria l. freeman, phd if you ’ re one of the 44 million americans with porous bones, you may already know osteoporosis as a silent disease occasionally punctuated by muscle or bone pain or inexplicable fractures. what you may not realize is how bones become brittle in the first place. your body breaks down and rebuilds bone through an intricate dance between osteoclasts ( bone breaker cells ) and osteoblasts ( bone makers ) to ensure that your body has enough calcium to function properly. if you take in enough calcium, your bones will store the excess and make new bone out of it. if you don ’ t, the kidneys will hold on to their reserves, and the osteoclasts will break down ( resorb ) the bone and release the calcium into the bloodstream. up until your 30s, your body builds more bone than it breaks down ; after that, you lose more bone than your body can make. if you ’ ve taken good care of yourself all along — through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices — you ’ ll have a storehouse of strong healthy bones so your body can handle periodic calcium withdrawals. if you haven ’ t, your risk for osteoporosis later in life skyrockets. medical osteoporosis treatments include bisphosphonates ( fosamax and actonel ) or selective estrogen receptor modulators ( serms like evista ), which can slow down resorption. unfortunately, these drugs don ’ t create new bone, explains natural medicine physician jonathan wright, md, coauthor of natural medicine, optimal wellness : the patient ’ s guide to health and wellness ( vital health publishing, 2006 ). the recently publicized link between bisphosphonate drugs and jaw osteonecrosis ( bone death ), as well as the possibility of severe esophagus damage when these medications aren ’ t completely swallowed, make matters worse. given such concerns, restoring balance between breaking down old and creating new bone seems a far better solution. enter the mineral strontium, naturally occurring in seafood, whole grains, and legumes, albeit in amounts much smaller than recommended therapeutic doses. since 2002 wright ’ s patients have taken a cocktail of strontium citrate ( yielding 450 to 680 mg per day of elemental strontium ), at least twice that amount of elemental calcium, 2, 000 iu vitamin


what is chemotherapy? chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancer. chemotherapy reaches all parts of the body, not just the cancer cells. the oncologist ( a doctor with special training in cancer treatment ) will recommend a treatment plan for each person. specific treatment will be based on : your overall health and medical history your age and whether you are menstruating the type and stage of the cancer your tolerance for specific medications and procedures expectations for the course of the disease your opinion or preference the oncologist will also determine how long and how often you will have chemotherapy treatments. chemotherapy can be given intravenously ( in the vein or iv ) or by pill, and usually a combination of drugs is used. chemotherapy treatments are often given in cycles ; a treatment for a period of time, followed by a recovery period, then another treatment. chemotherapy may be given in a variety of settings including your home, a hospital outpatient facility, a doctor ' s office or clinic, or in a hospital. chemotherapy can be given before surgery to shrink the tumor and sometimes make breast conserving surgery possible rather than a mastectomy. many times it is given after surgery and may be given every three weeks or every two weeks in a? dose dense? fashion. what are the different types of chemotherapy drugs used for breast cancer treatment and their potential side effects? as each person ' s individual medical profile and diagnosis is different, so is his or her reaction to treatment. side effects may be severe, mild, or absent. be sure to discuss with your cancer care team any or all possible side effects of treatment before the treatment begins. most side effectsgo awayonce treatment is stopped. these are some of the drugs most commonly used to treat breast cancer : doxorubicin ( adriamycin ). doxorubicin is an intravenous medication. doxorubicin is red in color, and it turns urine red for several hours following treatment. women who receive doxorubicin often experience mouth sores and hair loss. this drug is most often given with cyclophosphamide. this drug combination is referred to as ac. four to six cycles of treatment over three to six months are commonly used for breast cancer. cyclophosphamide ( cytoxan ). cyclophosphamide is an anticancer drug that can be given either intravenously or orally in tablet form. the intravenous drug is clear. cy


. cyclophosphamide ( cytoxan ). cyclophosphamide is an anticancer drug that can be given either intravenously or orally in tablet form. the intravenous drug is clear. cyclophosphamide can cause irritation of the lining of the bladder and often nausea and vomiting. this drug is most often given with doxorubicin. this drug combination is referred to as ac. four to six cycles of treatment over three to six months are commonlyused for breast cancer. methotrexate ( folex, mexate, amethopterin ). methotrexate is an anticancer drug that is usually given intravenously for women with breast cancer. the drug is yellow in color. some women who receive methotrexate experience mouth sores following treatment. this drug is most often given with both cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil. this drug combination is referred to as cmf. four to six cycles of treatment over three to six months are commonly given for breast cancer. fluorouracil ( 5fu ). fluorouracil is an anticancer drug that is given intravenously. the drug is clear. for some women, fluorouracil can cause mouth sores and diarrhea. this drug is most often given with both cyclophosphamide and methotrexate. this drug combination is referred to as cmf. four to six cycles of treatment over three to six months are commonly given for breast cancer. epirubicin ( ellence ). ellence is a drug similar to doxorubicin and is given intravenously. its side effects are much the same as those caused by doxorubicin. paclitaxel ( taxol ), docetaxel ( taxotere ), protein - bound paclitaxel ( abraxane ). these drugs belong to a group of drugs called taxanes. taxol has been approved for treating early and advanced breast cancer. taxotere has been approved for treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. abraxane is approved for use in advanced or recurrent breast cancer. abraxane is a new formulation of paclitaxel that can be given over30 minutes as opposed to three hours for taxol and there is less likelihood of an adverse reaction to the drug. these drugs can


or recurrent breast cancer. abraxane is a new formulation of paclitaxel that can be given over30 minutes as opposed to three hours for taxol and there is less likelihood of an adverse reaction to the drug. these drugs can cause mild allergic reactions ( like fever, flushing, hives, and itching ), peripheral neuropathy, which is numbness and tingling in the hands and feet ; diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. capecitabine ( xeloda ). xeloda is an oral chemotherapy that is converted into fluorouracil at the cellular level and is sometimes used for advanced cancer. it can cause diarrhea, nausea, mouth sores, and hand - foot syndrome ( tingling, numbness, pain, redness, or swelling of the hands or feet ). gemcitabine ( gemzar ). this is anantimetabolite drug used in treating advanced breast cancer. for some women, gemcitabine can cause loss of appetite, hair thinning, diarrhea, and nausea. vinorelbine ( navelbine ). navelbine is sometimes used to treat advanced breast cancer. it can cause nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, and hair loss. ixabepilone ( ixempra ). ixabepilone is a new drug shown to reduce tumor size or slow tumor growth in some patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer. this drug belongs to a class of drugs called epothilone analogs, that work by binding to and interfering with structures called microtubules. microtubules play a major role in cell division. thus, cancer cell growth is slowed in the body. the drug is given by intravenous infusion once every three weeks. it can cause low white counts, low platelet counts, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet, constipation, nausea, and muscle and joint pain. all of these drugs can cause changes in your blood counts that can make you feel very tired and make it harder for you to fight infections. again, talk to your health care team about what side effects you should watch for and which, if any, need to be reported to the doctor right away. in most cases, there are things that can be done to help control or even prevent chemotherapy side effects.


frequently asked questions ideas to action is a project of the university to strengthen our undergraduate students ' abilities to think critically and to apply what they are learning to authentic problems, that is, ones that don ' t have single, known, correct answers and are therefore like most of the problems we encounter in life. it asks faculty members to be intentional about teaching critical thinking skills in their courses. it asks departments to design the curricula of their majors to include progressive development of students ' critical thinking skills, leading to a culminating experience, which might be a research project, an internship, a service learning project or some other opportunity to bring together what they have learned in solving an authentic problem. faculty members are asked to teach critical thinking skills in the process of teaching the usual material of their courses. we are also asked to use the paul - elder terminology when possible so that students can see that the same skills are transferable across disciplines. to teach critical thinking, one might not only design assignments and test questions that require application of the elements and standards but also model such intellectual operations in class and review some student work in class, noting successful applications and also some examples that could be improved ( for example, " what part of this answer could be more precise? " ). probably most of us are already giving assignments that require critical thinking. on surveys, however, students often indicate that they aren ' t aware of being taught to think critically. so we are asked explicitly to teach students the skills represented by the elements and standards. the phrase " critical thinking " refers to thinking judged by criteria. if you are using criteria other than those of the paul - elder framework, it would be helpful to let students know what those criteria are. it is hoped, however, that many faculty will use the paul - elder criteria, enabling students to see these applied across the disciplines. no. we are all asked to teach whichever of the elements and standards are appropriate for our content. teaching critical thinking can be more about how we teach than what. ( for example, it ' s not that i ' m teaching shakespeare and critical thinking ; it is that i am teaching students to think critically about shakespeare. ) teaching students to think critically about the content of our courses should lead them to learn that content more fully. click the resources link to see how some of our colleagues have implemented ideas to action in their courses. in a large lecture class, we can model critical thinking for our students. we can, for example, teach them how to handle contradictory evidence in coming to a conclusion.


to see how some of our colleagues have implemented ideas to action in their courses. in a large lecture class, we can model critical thinking for our students. we can, for example, teach them how to handle contradictory evidence in coming to a conclusion. we can design assignments that require students to use critical thinking skills. and we can show them examples of various answers to possible test questions and explain why one answer is preferable if it is more clear, accurate, precise, etc. for examples of ways in which colleagues have implemented ideas to action in large lecture classes, click on those classes under the resource tab. yes. general education classes have a key role to play in giving students a solid foundation in critical thinking skills. instructors in general education classes are asked to teach the elements and standards in a way that is appropriate for the content of their class. sacs, like most other regional accrediting agencies, now requires colleges and universities coming up for reaccreditation to develop a quality enhancement plan ( qep ), that is, to do a self - study and determine their highest priority for enhancing the education they offer. at uofl a university - wide committee, with lots of representation from a & s, held open meetings for faculty, staff, and students, invited input to a website, and studied data from recent student surveys, including the national survey of student engagement ( nsse ). the need most often expressed by faculty and students and indicated on surveys was the need to strengthen critical thinking skills and their application to authentic problems. so, on the committee ' s recommendation, the university chose " using critical thinking to foster student learning and community engagement " for its qep and initiated the ideas to action project to implement it. we must show measurable progress in an interim report to sacs, due in 2013, and satisfactory progress by our next reaccreditation review in 2017. - is undertaken after sufficient academic preparation, for example, after completion of at least 90 credits of coursework or key prerequisite courses. - is part or all of a credit - bearing course ( 400 level ) approved or accepted by the major discipline. the unit / department has the responsibility for designing the culminating experience. - provides the opportunity for demonstration of the student ' s mastery of content and use of critical thinking skills that includes reflection. - requires integration and application of knowledge and skills to address an authentic issue. authenticity includes meaningful, real - world issues, problems or concerns that are relevant to the learner and the discipline and are shaped by


use of critical thinking skills that includes reflection. - requires integration and application of knowledge and skills to address an authentic issue. authenticity includes meaningful, real - world issues, problems or concerns that are relevant to the learner and the discipline and are shaped by practical constraints of time, space, or resources. - incorporates ongoing, comprehensive feedback from students, faculty or others involved with the experience. - results in an output that can be assessed by internal or external reviewers using evaluation criteria favored by the discipline. examples of outputs include a paper, portfolio, or performance. here is the current draft of the criteria for a culminating experience. departments are invited to pilot a ce course in spring 2010 and report on its success, including any suggestions for changes in these criteria : a detailed overview of the paul - elder framework, including the elements of thought and universal intellectual standards, has been posted on the university ' s ideas to action web site : paul - elder critical thinking framework ( i2a @ uofl website ). the university ' s i2a leadership team ( i2a @ uofl website ) at the delphi center also has small booklets detailing the framework, including the elements of thought and universal intellectual standards, available in both hard copy and electronic form : see the miniature guide to critical thinking concepts and tools ( pdf - uofl login required ) by drs. richard paul and linda elder. you may be able to obtain electronic or hard copies for not only you but also your students. for more information about the booklets, contact the i2a program. in addition, various seminars and other sessions about the framework are being held across campus ; check the university ' s daily e - mail newsletter, uofl today, to find out about these learning opportunities. the implementation of i2a and the paul - elder framework of critical thinking is, ultimately, up to the academic departments and colleges of the university ( along with other non - academic entities as well ). eventually, each college will be held responsible for ensuring that undergraduate students have learned and applied critical thinking during their education. but exactly how that is done is largely up to the discretion of the colleges, and by way of extension, departments. in the case of the college of arts and sciences, it will really be up to the departments to make decisions on where and how the paul - elder framework will be infused into the curriculum. as a consequence, you need to check with your department chair and / or department curriculum committee to find out if your efforts to infuse


w cape coastal caves declared heritage site cape town - the western cape has a new provincial heritage site : a series of coastal caves at pinnacle point on the southern cape coast near mossel bay that contain archaeological artefacts and other physical evidence critically important to the understanding of how and when fully modern humans evolved. several of these caves were occupied by stone age people between about 165 000 and 50 000 years ago – the era in which scientists believe humans developed the intellectual capacity that characterises modern people and when they started developing technologies that were key to allowing them to migrate out of africa. the new site was declared in terms of the national heritage resources act and was proclaimed last month in the final western cape government provincial gazette of 2012. an application to have pinnacle point, one of only three african sites containing artefacts of human occupation older than 120 000 years, also proclaimed as a national heritage site is expected to be made soon, and it is one of six south african sites making up a proposed nomination for recognition as a world heritage site by the un educational, scientific and cultural organisation ( unesco ). several of the most significant caves occur in the sea cliffs below the pinnacle point golf estate and, several years ago, water seeping into them from the golf course destroyed some of their priceless archaeological assets. in may 2008 the wildlife & environment society of sa ( wessa ) unsuccessfully attempted to get an urgent high court interdict to force the then resorts company, pinnacle point resorts, to stop irrigating sites on the golf course to prevent further damage. us scientist professor curtis marean of arizona university ’ s institute of human origins who is leading the comprehensive research project at pinnacle point – he heads the multi - representative sa coastal palaeoclimate, palaeoenvironment, palaeoecology, and palaeoanthropology ( sacp4 ) project – said in an affidavit filed as part of wessa ’ s application that the caves provided some of the earliest evidence of modern human behaviour. “ with its astonishingly rich set of caves and rock shelters, pinnacle point is easily one of the most significant archaeological localities in the world. i do not know of an equally rich concentration of sites anywhere, ” he said. “ in my opinion there is ongoing damage ( from the golf course irrigation ) to the archaeological sites, and likely to be severe damage the longer water is allowed to flow into the caves and shelters... in my opinion, the only sure solution to the ongoing damage is to stop all irrigation. ” judge anton veld


david m. bressoud november, 2009 this past september, the association of american medical colleges ( aamc ) and the howard hughes medical institute ( hhmi ) issued new guidelines for the scientific preparation of pre - medical as well as medical students, aamc - hhmi scientific foundations for future physicians. they have moved away from the traditional medical school recommendations that focus on the titles of courses, instead explaining the competencies that students need if they are to succeed in medical school and as physicians. these two organizations have a very powerful voice, and pre - med requirements greatly influence the curricula of biology departments, many of whose majors arrive with the expectation of preparing for medical school. mathematics departments need to pay attention to these recommendations. engineers and biologists before discussing the recommendations for the mathematical training of pre - med students, i want to emphasize a point i have made before : the mathematics curriculum of the first - two years as it is now constructed was designed to serve the needs of future engineers. it also does a pretty good job of meeting the needs of students heading into the mathematical or physical sciences, but, at least on a national level, it is engineering programs that fill these classes. service to biology departments is often an afterthought. even many of the calculus classes that are labeled as being for biologists are really just traditional courses with biological examples tacked on. while we cannot afford to ignore the needs of engineering departments, our mathematics departments — if they are to thrive — must also pay attention to the needs of the biology departments. this can be seen very dramatically in the following graphs showing the pattern of intended and actual majors since 1980. the first graph is based on national surveys conducted during fall freshman orientation. the second graph is based on bachelor ' s degrees awarded in the year ending in the spring of the designated year. source : the american freshman source : national center for education statistics the messages of these graphs are ( 1 ) that engineering and the biological sciences are responsible for far larger numbers of students than the physical, computer, and mathematical sciences combined, and ( 2 ) that the dominant role of engineering among the stem ( science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ) disciplines is being challenged by the biological sciences. the aamc - hhmi recommendations in their recently released report, aamc and hhmi begin with eleven " overarching principles " that give an indication of where they are going to place their emphasis as they discuss the preparation of pre - med students. these principles include the need to understand uncertainties and risks and the ability


and hhmi begin with eleven " overarching principles " that give an indication of where they are going to place their emphasis as they discuss the preparation of pre - med students. these principles include the need to understand uncertainties and risks and the ability to examine the medical literature critically, which includes the use of statistical inference and experimental design. for the expectations of student competencies at the time of entering medical school, the first competency describes quantitative reasoning and mathematics. competency e1 : apply quantitative reasoning and appropriate mathematics to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world. this competency is comprised of seven learning objectives. two of them deal with basic quantitative literacy ( # 1 ) and logical and algorithmic thinking ( # 6 ), neither of which is commonly addressed by mathematics departments for pre - med students. four of the objectives deal with statistics ( # 2 – 4 and # 5 in so far as one considers statistical models ). only two of these objectives are related to calculus ( # 5 and # 6 ), and these objectives focus entirely on modeling dynamical systems. finding derivatives and integrals appear nowhere. knowing how to read a differential equation and to understand a model of a dynamical system are what these students need. this is completely in line with the recommendations of the biologists back in 2000 when they met for the maa ' s crafty curriculum foundations project in biology [ 4, pages 15 – 18 ]. what biologists need most from the mathematical sciences is statistical knowledge, and fairly sophisticated statistical knowledge that includes multivariate analysis. from calculus, they need both far more and far less than what is taught in the standard engineering syllabus. many colleges and universities are working on these courses designed specifically for the needs of biological science majors, macalester college among them. such courses should not supplant what we do for engineers. nor should they form a separate and independent stream. students who start in a calculus for biologists course must be able to use it as their first course in mainstream calculus. it is possible to construct a mainstream calculus sequence that begins by building an understanding of dynamical systems. the us military academy at west point has been doing this for two decades. many of the calculus reform projects ( see [ 5, 6 ] ) developed successful materials around this approach. the learning objectives and examples for competency e1 as given in the aamc - hhmi report are listed below : 1. demonstrate quantitative numeracy and facility with the language of mathematics. - express and analyze natural phenomena in quantitative terms


approach. the learning objectives and examples for competency e1 as given in the aamc - hhmi report are listed below : 1. demonstrate quantitative numeracy and facility with the language of mathematics. - express and analyze natural phenomena in quantitative terms that include an understanding of the natural prevalence of logarithmic / exponential relationships ( e. g., rates of change, ph ). - explain dimensional differences using numerical relationships, such as ratios and proportions. - use dimensional analysis and unit conversions to compare results expressed in different systems of units. - utilize the internet to find relevant information, synthesize it, and make inferences from the data gathered. 2. interpret data sets and communicate those interpretations using visual and other appropriate tools. - create and interpret appropriate graphical representations of data, such as a frequency histogram, from discrete data. - identify functional relationships from visually represented data, such as a direct or inverse relationship between two variables. - use spatial reasoning to interpret multidimensional numerical and visual data ( e. g., protein structure or geographic information 3. make statistical inferences from data sets - calculate and explain central tendencies and measures of dispersion. - evaluate hypotheses using appropriate statistical tests. - evaluate risks and benefits using probabilistic reasoning. - describe and infer relationships between variables using visual or analytical tools ( e. g., scatter plots, linear regression, network diagrams, maps ). - differentiate anomalous data points from normal statistical scatter. 4. extract relevant information from large data sets. - execute simple queries to search databases ( e. g., queries in literature databases ). - compare data sets using informatics tools ( e. g., blast analysis of nucleotide or amino acid sequence ). - analyze a public - use data set ( e. g., census data, nhanes, brfss ). 5. make inferences about natural phenomena using mathematical models - describe the basic characteristics of models ( e. g., multiplicative vs. additive ). - predict short - and long - term growth of populations ( e. g., bacteria in culture ). - distinguish the role of indeterminacy in natural phenomena and the impact of stochastic factors ( e. g., radioactive decay ) from the role of deterministic processes. 6. apply algorithmic approaches and principles of logic ( including the distinction between cause / effect and association ) to problem solving. - define a scientific hypothesis and


factors ( e. g., radioactive decay ) from the role of deterministic processes. 6. apply algorithmic approaches and principles of logic ( including the distinction between cause / effect and association ) to problem solving. - define a scientific hypothesis and design an experimental approach to test its validity. - utilize tools and methods for making decisions that take into account multiple factors and their uncertainties ( i. e., a decision tree ). - critically evaluate whether conclusions from a scientific study are warranted. - distinguish correlation from causality. 7. quantify and interpret changes in dynamical systems. - describe population growth using the language of exponents and of differential calculus. - explain homeostasis in terms of positive or negative feedback. - calculate return on investment under varying interest rates by utilizing appropriate mathematical tools. hhmi - aamc. 2009. scientific foundations for future physicians : report of the aamc - hhmi committee. association of american medical colleges. washington, dc. www. hhmi. org / grants / sffp. html pryor, j. h., s. hrtado, v. b. saenz, j. l. santos, and w. s. korn. 2007. the american freshman : forty year trends. los angeles : higher education research institute, ucla, supplemented by the 2007 and 2008 reports. www. gseis. ucla. edu / heri / 40yrtrends. php the data are from the national center for education statistics. 1990 – 2009. digest of education statistics. us department of education. nces. ed. gov / programs / digest / ganter, s. and w. barker. 2004. curriculum foundations project : voices of the partner disciplines. maa : washington, dc. www. maa. org / cupm / crafty / cf _ project. html smith, d. a. and l. c. moore. 2009. calculus : modeling and application. 2nd edition. online only : www. math. duke. edu / education / calculustext / callahan, j., d. a. cox, k. r. hoffman, d. o ' shea, h. pollatsek, and l. senechal. 1995. calculus in context. w. h. freeman : new york. www. math. smith. edu / local / cicintro / cicintro. html access pdf files of the cupm curriculum guide 2004 and the curriculum foundations project : voices of the partner disciplines. purchase


marc washington ’ s perspectives : was culture of ancient roman empire african? the roman forum, formed in the 6th century bc, gave us the model for our senate and governmental institutions. however, when discussing the foundation of rome, never is an african ( phenotype given to woolly hair & full facial features ) origin considered. this page focuses on the possibility that rome was settled by african tribes. a. village in africa & ancient rome : both in rome and ancient and contemporary africa, circular huts are made of thatched rooves with walls of wattle and daub. a model of the reputed village of romulus, rome ’ s eponym, is on display in a palantine museum ( a : b ). it is identical to those made in africa still today ( a : a ). it is anecdotal that history preserves for us the fact that it was 7th century bc etrurians who taught the romans how to use tile for rooves in place of thatch. africans ( by phenotype ) of etrusca ( c : c : ii, iii, iv ) may have been among the change agents. b. senate in palantine “ rome was founded in the year 753 bc … the king was also the chief priest. there was also a senate which had 300 members who were appointed by the king and held office for life. they were chosen from the elderly men of the oldest families of the city ; hence the name senate, which is derived from senex, the latin word for old. the head of those old families were called patricians, from pater ( zeus was pater ), the latin word for father. ” this same form of government and social organization is common in most traditional tribes in africa still today. in rome, the council of elders met in the marketplace bringing their chairs just as the council of elders do today in traditional african villages meeting outdoors in the market place ( pic b ). c. latin in african pre - conquest rome : j. williams writes in the journal britannia an article entitled “ new light on latin in pre - conquest britain, ” that the celts and other indigenous peoples used latin before the conquest iniatiated by caesar ( 55 - 54 bc ) which itself used latin ( 1 ). this is not new knowledge since it is commonly known that etruria taught the romans the latin alphabet ( see c : c : i ) & from the 6th through 1st century, we see etruscans ( african by phenotype


1 ). this is not new knowledge since it is commonly known that etruria taught the romans the latin alphabet ( see c : c : i ) & from the 6th through 1st century, we see etruscans ( african by phenotype ) in their art ( c : c : ii, iii, iv ). additionally, in stela preceding the birth of caesar, latin is seen in bulgaria of 250 bc in the background of a stela showing the goddess artemis ( c : a ) & on the slab upon which the goddess hera is shown ( c : b ). africans were early users of latin before the conquest and earlier and ultimately brought by phoenicians ( e. g. see d ) who gave us the alphabet. d. canaanite = hebrew = semite = phoenician and in europe = briton, celt, roman, gualite, moor i. e. the immigrant population? the canaanites ( sons of ham ) were a hebrew tribe and therefore semetic. from the jewish encyclopedia we read : ” the term ‘ canaanites ’ was also applied to the phenicians. it gradually obtained the meaning of ‘ traders, ’ as used in isa. xxiii. 8 ; ezek. xvi. 29, xvii. 4 ; zeph. i. 11 ; job xl. 30 ( a. v. xli. 6 ) ; prov. xxxi. 24 ; ( possibly also in zech. xiv. 21 ). ” it was the phoenician ( see d ) who colonized and named the cities and countries of europe. this raises the question of the population in britain & elsewhere being known as the celts, in rome as the romans, in gaul as the celts as one - in - the - same. were they people who bore the same tradition and culture as the patriarchs who founded the roman senate and a model for our own?


by dave sigworth, publicist of the maritime aquarium we don ’ t mean to keep repeating ourselves but we ’ re back today on the topic of sharks and how the populations of many shark species around the world are perilously low. sharks, of course, are among the top ( or apex ) predators in the oceans. but the oceans lose millions of sharks each year to the by - catch of commercial fishing, shark finning and sport fishing. habitat loss contributes too. exact numbers aren ’ t known but the best estimate is somewhere between 26 and 73 million sharks per year. this is troubling for two reasons : 1 ) taking predators out of a habitat throws the natural balance of things out of whack, and 2 ), at this rate, we ’ re in danger of some species disappearing altogether. daily through feb. 24, the maritime aquarium is offering you a chance to join us in going “ shark raving mad ” – mad, because we ’ re mad ( or crazy ) about sharks ; but also mad because we ’ re mad about what ’ s happening to sharks. special offerings each day include stations where aquarium educators will help you to learn more about sharks, shark adaptations and threats to sharks. kids can make a fun shark hat. at 12 : 15 & 3 : 15 p. m. daily, a 40 - minute bonus “ add - on ” programs about sharks will culminate with each participant feeding the animals in the shark & ray touch pool. ( there ’ s an additional cost for that of $ 30 in addition to admission. reservations are suggested. ) there ’ s one more thing that visitors can do to help sharks – and, if you can ’ t join us at the aquarium, you can still do it from home very easily : create a “ shark stanley ” that will be displayed with thousands of others from around the world in hopes of influencing cites delegates in bangkok next month when they meet to consider protections for sharks and rays. ( cites is the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. ) here ’ s all you need to do : click on this link for “ shark stanley ” : http : / / goo. gl / pe38w download it and print it out. cut out “ shark stanley ” and take a photo of you with it. then email the photo with your name and nationality to firstname. lastname @ example. org. simple as that. they ’ re hoping to collect 5, 000 photos from all 176 cites countries. this is just


this site contains a number of links to awesome websites, school projects and lessons. bay backpack - chesapeake bay program / noaa everything chesapeake is right here! learn some creative ways to integrate the chesapeake bay and environmental issues into your classroom lessons. search through the bay backpack ' s books, multimedia, curriculum guides, individual lesson plans and online data sources about the subjects you are teaching in class. mpt presents bay video and lessons. bayville online field trip! thinkport ' s newest online field trip, bayville has launched. in this online experience, students become virtual research assistants for a video production company looking for significant stories about the science of the chesapeake bay. watch this site for further developments! chesapeake bay - introduction to an ecosystem full document from noaa ' s chesapeake bay program and epa clean air partners - lessons on air quality, climate change. http : / / www. marylandpublicschools. org / msde / programs / environment / envteacher / sign up for the air alert from clean air partners national sustainability education standards education for sustainability listserv for k - 12 educators launched! the u. s. partnership has launched the first national listserv for k - 12 educators focused specifically on the topic of education for sustainability. free jason project curriculum have a look at operation : resilient planet and its multimedia components, standards alignments and more. download a full - color, 32 - page curriculum sampler and follow dr. sylvia earle, the renowned oceanographer and national geographic society explorer - in - residence, as she leads jason argonauts on a mission to help restore chesapeake bay! go to jason. org, log in, and register — it ' s free! also see operation : infinite potential - restructuring the energy portfolio american museum of natural history searchable catalog of lessons and learning materials for kids and families science bulletins - videos and data visualizations about global biodiversity, earth? space science, human biology and evolution ebsco offers free environmental database ( pdf file ) ( american libraries direct ) ebsco publishing is using its expertise to make it easier for others to go green. it is making greenfile, a bibliographic database of information about environmental concerns, freely available. greenfile allows anyone on the web to access information on such topics as global warming, energy conservation, natural resources, and pollution.... ebsco publishing, feb. 26 globio ' s e - newsletter makes keeping up - to - date on globio and the educational resources


on such topics as global warming, energy conservation, natural resources, and pollution.... ebsco publishing, feb. 26 globio ' s e - newsletter makes keeping up - to - date on globio and the educational resources we are developing for children, parents, and educators easy - and easier to share! if you would like to stay up - to - date on what globio is doing to help kids learn about science, biodiversity and the world around them, please use the sign up link here. every october, thousands of growing native volunteers collect native hardwood tree seeds, such as acorns and walnuts. these seeds are donated to state nurseries, which grow them into seedlings. in the spring, volunteers plant seedlings grown from seeds collected two to three years prior along the banks of rivers and streams in their communities. awesome lessons about environmental history and forests! titles of the 9 modules : if trees could talk check out these classroom resources to engage your students in studying about earth day... school & classroom projects the amphibian project - multiple sources of amphibian curricula ; conceptual and hands - on projects for all grades recycle cell phones planning a low impact car wash fundraiser fundraising - phones, dvds, inkjet cartridges dnr ' s school check - up guide get your free copy of the new guide with lessons on energy, waste, and water assessments for your school! project wild links to md vsc baltimore outward bound established in 1986 as the first urban - based outward bound program in the united states, the baltimore chesapeake bay outward bound center focuses its programs on the youth and communities of baltimore and the state of maryland. the gale science resource center a one - stop resource for all science needs. maryland library card needed. links to school system environmental pages note : some school systems use the state curriculum and do not list it separately. contact the science or environmental science coordinator in that system for more detailed information. environmental education centers are listed under " organizations ". allegany co. public schools baltimore co. public schools calvert co. public schools carroll co. public schools caroline co. public schools charles co. public schools frederick co. public schools garrett co. public schools harford co. public schools howard co. public schools kent co. public schools montgomery co. public schools prince george ' s co. public schools talbot co. public schools washington co. public schools national renewable energy lab ( usdoe ) solar sprint / hydrogen fuel cell car competition for middle school national atlas website u.


does anybody know if there exists a mathematical explanation of mendeleev table in quantum mechanics? in some textbooks ( for example in " f. a. berezin, m. a. shubin. the schrodinger equation " ) the authors present quantum mechanics as an axiomatic system, so one could expect that there is a deduction from the axioms to the main results of the discipline. i wonder if there is a mathematical proof of the mendeleev table? p. s. i hope the following will not be offensive for physicists : by a mathematical proof i mean a chain of logical implications from axioms of the theory to its theorem. : ) this is the standard approach everywhere in mathematics. for instance, in griffiths ' book i do not see axioms at all, therefore i can ' t treat the reasonings at pages 186 - 193 as a proof of mendeleev table. by the way, that is why i did not want to ask this question at a physical forum : i do not think that people there will even understand my question. however, after bill cook ' s suggestion i made an experiment - and you can look at the results here : http : / / theoreticalphysics. stackexchange. com / questions / 473 / is - the - mendeleev - table - explained - in - quantum - mechanics so i ask my colleagues - mathematicians to be tolerant. p. p. s. after closing this topic and reopening it again i received a lot of suggestions to reformulate my question, since in its original form it might seem too vague for mathematicians. so i suppose it will be useful to add here, that by the mendeleev table i mean ( not just a picture, as one can think, but ) a system of propositions about the structure of atoms. for example, as i wrote here in comments, the mendeleev table claims that the first electronic orbit ( shell ) can have only 2 electrons, the second - 8, the third - again 8, the fourth - 18, and so on. another regularity is the structure of subshells, etc. so my question is whether it is proved by now that these regularities ( perhaps not all but some of them ) are corollaries of the system of axioms like those from berezin - shubin book. of course, this assumes that the notions like atoms, shells, etc. must be properly defined, otherwise the corresponding statements could not


¶ 2 leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 the beginning of a narrative is an essential moment, establishing much of what will follow, including whether any given consumer is motivated to keep consuming. if we want to understand contemporary serial television storytelling, we need to examine how programs begin. in this chapter, i explore a range of techniques that various complex television series use to launch their storyworlds, and highlight how these techniques might be taken up by viewers, both within the media industry and those watching at home. via a close analysis of one exemplary television pilot, veronica mars, we can get a better sense of the poetic importance of serial beginnings for a broad array of programming. ¶ 3 leave a comment on paragraph 3 1 all series start somewhere. such a statement should be self - evident, but it ’ s actually a bit more complicated than it might seem. first off, to highlight a beginning is to suggest the parallel of an ending — but as i discuss in the endings chapter, serial television concludes far less frequently than it begins. second, for daytime soap operas and other long - running series like doctor who or the simpsons, textual beginnings are so far removed from present day experience that few contemporary viewers actually experienced them ( at least in sequence ), making the notion of a clear origin point of an ongoing story moot for most viewers. even with shorter lived serial television programs, viewers frequently enter a series midstream, suggesting that the beginning of a story is less uniform than we presume, at least in viewing practice. one of the goals of season openers for most ongoing series is to invite new viewers in, enabling them to follow the action midstream and thus serving often as micro - beginnings to reorient old viewers and welcome in new ones. so any discussion of the beginnings of a serial narrative must admit that viewers can and do enter into the story at places other than the designated starting line. however, given the rise of the boxed dvd model that enables viewers to consume a series chronologically, there has been a growing tendency for viewers to start at the beginning of a series, as they recognize that many complex television programs are most rewarding when watched from the start. and for commercial television programs, that start is the unusual entity called the pilot. ¶ 5 leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 a television pilot must accomplish numerous tasks. within the industry, it serves as the test run for a potential series, providing the blueprint for the program going forward as well as assembling the cast, crew, and production routines that will be


0 a television pilot must accomplish numerous tasks. within the industry, it serves as the test run for a potential series, providing the blueprint for the program going forward as well as assembling the cast, crew, and production routines that will be responsible for creating the ongoing series. a pilot is also an argument for a show ’ s viability, first for the audience of network executives fishing for a hit, and then for prospective home viewers who must be persuaded to keep watching. a pilot presents an encapsulation of what a series might be like on an ongoing basis, while providing an exceptional degree of narrative exposition to orient viewers within an often complex storyworld. it must introduce a cast of characters via shorthand, such that their personalities and relationships are clear within moments, but in original enough ways that they do not seem like stereotypes or overly - familiar clones of conventional characters. it must establish the show ’ s genre as a means of mapping viewers ’ horizon of expectations, while making the case for why the show will not be “ just another ” conventional example of what they have seen before. through all of these facets, pilots must encapsulate the strange alchemy required by commercial television that new shows be simultaneously familiar and original. thus pilots are at once the most atypical episodes of commercial television, and the highly conventional means by which television series get sold to both networks and viewers. 1 ¶ 6 leave a comment on paragraph 6 4 i contend that the chief function of a television pilot is to teach us how to watch the series, and in doing so, make us want to keep watching — successful pilots must simultaneously be educational and inspirational. pilots must orient viewers to the intrinsic norms that the series will employ, presenting its narrative strategies so we can attune ourselves to its storytelling style. frequently such storytelling strategies are presented in a pilot ’ s opening minutes, providing an immediate invitation to watch a particular way, and thus we can see understand much of a pilot ’ s ability to educate and inspire by looking at the opening moments of a number of examples. as one of the landmarks of complex television, twin peaks ’ s pilot provides an important template : it opens with two and a half minutes of opening credits combining languidly paced shots of a lumber mill with dreamy theme music, demanding our viewing patience and immediately setting a meditative tone. to viewers today, the credits are a striking anomaly, both in their length and placement, as most contemporary programs either forgo opening credit sequences entirely, or precede shorter sequences with


music, demanding our viewing patience and immediately setting a meditative tone. to viewers today, the credits are a striking anomaly, both in their length and placement, as most contemporary programs either forgo opening credit sequences entirely, or precede shorter sequences with a teaser sequence to immerse viewers in the narrative. twin peaks ’ s pilot follows the credit sequence with an opening scene both pays off and disrupts what preceded it : we open on josie preparing for her day in a continuation of the initial languid tone. we then follow pete to the shore, where he finds laura palmer ’ s dead body, iconically “ wrapped in plastic, ” and calls the sheriff ’ s office with a comedically clueless reply from receptionist lucy. within the show ’ s first five minutes, we ’ re taught to expect jarring juxtapositions in style, ironic undercutting of serious moments, and a dreamy quality in which viewers are left unsure how to emotionally respond to the action — is pete ’ s discovery played for laughs, melodrama, or both? these tendencies are reinforced throughout the pilot, which also establishes more than a dozen characters, key plot points and relationships, and the intrinsic norm that each episode takes place within one day of story time. the show ’ s open ended mystery and intriguing tone inspires viewers to want to keep watching, while the narrative form and style teaches us how to engage with the ongoing series. ¶ 7 leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 opening moments of other pilots demonstrate their similarly dual educational and inspirational roles. pilots for complex comedies must establish their style of humor as well as storytelling form. arrested development begins with a scene on a boat, with ron howard ’ s off - screen narrator introducing the characters, graphic captions providing their names and roles, and techniques like freeze - frames, flashbacks and cut - aways to newspaper clippings, photos, and maps to create a highly reflexive, self - aware pseduo - documentary television style, all within the first two minutes of the series. the opening sequence also plants seeds for arrested development ’ s complex narrative structures, as lindsey comments that she has the same blouse as a “ gay pirate ” on another boat — later in the episode, we learn that she is referring to her husband tobias, who is wearing her actual blouse, drawing a connection across narrative time involving both foreshadowing and delayed gratification of a joke that becomes even more ornate as the series progresses. the episode establishes a comedic style demanding attention to varying streams of information,


is wearing her actual blouse, drawing a connection across narrative time involving both foreshadowing and delayed gratification of a joke that becomes even more ornate as the series progresses. the episode establishes a comedic style demanding attention to varying streams of information, where the onscreen visuals ( including graphics and cut - aways ) may contradict or reinforce the characters actions and voiceover narration — as when lucille bluth says “ i love all my children equally, ” immediately followed by a flashback to her saying “ i don ’ t care for gob ” earlier that day — or serve as a callback to previous moments, or music cues can undercut or comment on narrative action, all for a joke. the pilot makes it clear that the show ’ s style and narrative structure will be unconventional and demand attention, setting our expectations for what is to come, even as the series become much more self - assured and effective in its complex playfulness in subsequent episodes. although it was not a highly - viewed pilot in its first broadcast, it ’ s not surprising that many viewers were turned off by the need for careful attention and scrutiny in a manner atypical of most sitcoms, and thus the episode inspired only a small niche of viewers to keep watching, even though it created a cult - like fervor among that group. ¶ 8 leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 another comedy pilot that works to establish its serial norms and core concept is how i met your mother. the series opens with a graphic reading “ the year 2030 ” over a shot of two teenagers looking into the camera, when the offscreen voice of “ future ted ” says, “ kids, i ’ m going to tell you an incredible story : the story of how i met your mother. ” although stating the series title in the pilot ’ s first line may seem a bit heavy - handed, this opening line establishes both the contours of the series story and the mode of its telling : we know instantly that himym will use self - conscious techniques like onscreen graphics and voiceover, as well as framing the narrative scope for us. it proceeds to demonstrate an attitude toward self - mockery, as the daughter asks “ is this going to take awhile? ”, with future ted quickly saying “ yes ” — an answer that seems even more apt as the series is airing its seventh season as i ’ m writing this. the narration then sets the stage as “ 25 years ago, ” as we are introduced to the program ’ s key settings and five main present - day


that seems even more apt as the series is airing its seventh season as i ’ m writing this. the narration then sets the stage as “ 25 years ago, ” as we are introduced to the program ’ s key settings and five main present - day characters, encapsulating their relationships and backstories through reflexive devices like freeze - frames, embedded flashbacks within flashbacks, split - screens, and the voice of future ted answering questions posed in the present - day story. the pilot also references the program ’ s transmedia strategy, as barney mentions that he ’ ll be writing about something on his blog, an in - character paratext on cbs. com where the fictional character reflects on each episode ’ s events. additionally, the pilot establishes a number of running gags and references that appear throughout the series, such as a blue french horn that ted steals for robin, or catchphrases like barney ’ s “ suit up! ” most importantly, the episode seems to be building toward a romance between ted and robin, narrating the tale of their meeting and first date, but ends with future ted telling his kids “ that ’ s how i met your aunt robin, ” and promising that the true story of meeting their mother will take awhile. ¶ 9 leave a comment on paragraph 9 4 himym uses its retrospective frame story to create an embedded narrative enigma of the mother ’ s identity, with key unknowns lodged in the temporal gap between 2030 and the present day story starting in 2005. this flashback narration creates the sense that standard forward - moving narrative statements in the present day story can function as narrative enigmas due to the additional information provided by future ted. as the first season progresses with ted pursuing a relationship with robin, we know from the pilot ’ s future reveal that this is not the titular relationship motivating the frame story, and are thus encouraged to analyze the ongoing series for potential clues as to the mother ’ s identity, a task that forensic fans have taken on via discussion forums and sites like the himym wiki. while these embedded enigmas are not the conspiratorial mysteries found more commonly on dramas like the x - files or lost, they do provide a point of engagement for many fans, adding a layer of reflexive analysis for fans to discuss, and pointing toward the operational aesthetic in focusing viewers on the program ’ s storytelling mechanics via its self - conscious narrative devices, playful reversals, and nearly endless deferment of the title ’ s promised plotline. this storytelling structure serves to differentiate


, and pointing toward the operational aesthetic in focusing viewers on the program ’ s storytelling mechanics via its self - conscious narrative devices, playful reversals, and nearly endless deferment of the title ’ s promised plotline. this storytelling structure serves to differentiate himym from other shows about a group of white friends in their late - 20s hanging out in new york, most notably friends, as the show can mix that well - established formula with more complex narrative devices to engage viewers in both the operational aesthetic and long - term enigmas. the pilot sets this stage effectively and efficiently, both educating viewers on the show ’ s intrinsic norms and central characters, and inspiring us to keep viewing both for its effective use of comedy and reflexive narrative enigmas. ¶ 10 leave a comment on paragraph 10 2 dramas can similarly establish their narrative norms quickly within a pilot. alias opens with a scene of sydney bristow with bright red hair being beaten and tortured by chinese soldiers as they all argue in unsubtitled mandarin. the scene plays out for a minute, ending with her handcuffed to a chair staring at a door where seemingly her interrogator will arrive. we then cut to another door, where a stereotypically crusty professor enters into a wood paneled classroom to collect exams from students, including a brown - haired, healthy sydney bristow. the story proceeds forward from this point without clear temporal, spatial or character orientation to explain this transformation, allowing viewers to piece it together as the episode continues and we realize that sydney is both an astoundingly proficient and stylish secret agent ( who ends up imprisoned in taiwan on a mission at the episode ’ s climax ), and a down - to - earth graduate student. these opening moments teach us to expect disorientation ( both temporal and linguistic ), a strategy that the pilot script by j. j. abrams makes clear is by design : it describes the arrival of the professor with the staging directions, “ is this a flashback? a flash - forward? all answers in time. but meanwhile … ” this moment also instructs us to anticipate unexpected and unexplained juxtapositions between sydney ’ s dual careers — from the start, such purposeful confusion is established as one of alias ’ s intrinsic norms, as the program invites us to keep watching and pay attention to try to sort it all out, a mode of engagement that becomes more essential as the plots twist and reverse throughout the pilot and subsequent episodes. this device of starting


alias ’ s intrinsic norms, as the program invites us to keep watching and pay attention to try to sort it all out, a mode of engagement that becomes more essential as the plots twist and reverse throughout the pilot and subsequent episodes. this device of starting a pilot at a moment of climax and looping back to explain how we arrived at this point has become popular for many complex series, including breaking bad, damages, and veronica mars, as discussed more below. ¶ 11 leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 other dramas use their opening moments to establish their own unconventional intrinsic norms. pushing daisies opens with a shot of an exaggeratedly lush field of bright yellow daisies, with a young boy and his dog running in slow motion. a british man ’ s voiceover says, “ at this very moment in the town of couer d ’ couers, young ned was 9 years, 27 weeks, 6 days, and 3 minutes old. his dog digby was 3 years, 2 weeks, 6 days, 5 hours and 9 minutes old …. and not a minute older. ” at that moment, digby is hit by a truck, marking a clear tonal blend of lush stylized beauty and stark presentation of death, as framed by a storybook - style narrative voice, juxtapositions that proved to be a hallmark for the series. the narrator is a key intrinsic norm, providing an authoritative voice from outside the storyworld to allow for swift and densely - packed narrative momentum, while providing specific details ( like the precise age of characters ), often prefaced with the phrase, “ the facts were these. ” the sequence goes on to explain the precise premise for the supernatural scenario, with ned ’ s gift to reanimate the dead with a touch and the rule that another touch would kill the reanimated person or animal, while portraying the emotionally scarring moments from his youth where he learned about his power. pushing daisies ’ s “ pie - lette ” faces the challenge of needing to convey a very elaborate fantasy premise, establish an unconventional storytelling mode and visual style, and create a compelling emotional hook to a show that could otherwise be seen as a whimsical novelty. it succeeds in all of these tasks, while also creating a core model of weekly mysteries layered with larger character and plot arcs, as well as distinguishing itself as a truly unique program within a medium that rarely sees such distinctiveness in style. the most successful pilots announce what they are, providing a template for both the producers and viewers to move forward


with larger character and plot arcs, as well as distinguishing itself as a truly unique program within a medium that rarely sees such distinctiveness in style. the most successful pilots announce what they are, providing a template for both the producers and viewers to move forward within the ongoing series. ¶ 12 leave a comment on paragraph 12 4 some pilots establish themselves clearly in some ways, but confounding expectations in others. terriers is one of the most critically adored single - season series of recent vintage, with a distinct tone and style that is clearly established in the opening of the pilot — the episode starts with scruffy friends hank and britt chatting idly about being broke and having songs stuck in your head, as they prepare for some sort of job, seemingly as part of a pool service business but revealing itself to be a theft of a man ’ s dog. one of these idle topics turns out to be more consequential in the long run, as hank recalls finding an empty carton of milk in his fridge but cannot remember drinking it — although he attributes this to early senility, in future episodes we learn that his sister is actually secretly living in his attic. such subtle cues toward future plot developments are central to terriers ’ s storytelling mode, where shaggy, loose banter often contains important narrative information that reveals itself in hindsight. the opening also speaks to one of the show ’ s challenges in finding an audience, as the title seemed to indicate that it would be about dogs, and the initial dog - stealing caper might mislead viewers to think dogs will be a more central focus of the ongoing plot. the fact that they are low - rent private investigators who get embroiled in high - stakes real estate corruption is revealed quite slowly, as the pilot invites us to become part of their daily routine of witty banter and hustling for money, rather than get inspired by a compelling narrative hook. for many ( including me ), this was a more rewarding approach, as the palpable friendship drove the action that eventually become quite complex and narratively rich, but the show ’ s minuscule ratings suggest that this appeal was far too narrow to sustain itself on commercial television. ¶ 13 leave a comment on paragraph 13 0 sometimes a pilot presents its intrinsic norms in ways that viewers might not recognize as such, especially when they involve episodic routines. six feet under ’ s pilot opens with family patriarch nathaniel fisher dying in a brutal automobile accident, with the rest of the episode portraying the consequences of his death upon


ways that viewers might not recognize as such, especially when they involve episodic routines. six feet under ’ s pilot opens with family patriarch nathaniel fisher dying in a brutal automobile accident, with the rest of the episode portraying the consequences of his death upon his family and their funeral home business. as the series goes on, it becomes clear that nathaniel ’ s death was the first of a pattern : every episode begins with someone ’ s death, who becomes that week ’ s stand - alone plot for the fisher family business. later the pattern becomes more elaborate, with misdirections and thwarted expectations, occasional deaths of characters already seen in the series, and one exceptional birth, but the pattern was launched in the pilot ’ s opening minutes. similarly, lost ’ s pilot established the structure of interwoven flashbacks off the island — in the pilot, it was just to the airplane prior to it crashing, focused on three characters ’ perspectives, but that model clearly couldn ’ t be sustained for long. going forward, most episodes centered flashbacks on one characters ’ pre - island life interwoven with the more recent island events, until the end of the third season radically altered lost ’ s storytelling structure. nevertheless, the pilot developed the intrinsic norm that we would leave the island to expand the time and space seen within the series, and established the visual and sonic cues for how the program switches to and from flashbacks. ¶ 14 leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 an interesting recent series highlights the challenges and possibilities of complex drama pilots in teaching us how to watch and inspiring us to keep watching, as awake debuted in spring 2012 with a highly - acclaimed first episode. some programs face the burden of explaining their defining high concept, and the premise of awake is seriously high concept : police detective michael britten gets into a deadly car accident with his family, and when he sleeps, he switches between a reality where his wife was killed but his teenage son survived, and one where his son died but his wife didn ’ t. the premise is easy to describe, but hard to convey what it means as a series — the most common refrain from critics prior to the show ’ s debut was doubting how it could work as an ongoing serial. a close analysis of the pilot suggests that the answer is provided, less in terms of the concept and more about the tone, characters, and approach to storytelling. ¶ 15 leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 as always with a pilot, the opening sequence is the key to set the parameters for what is to come. the show opens with the


concept and more about the tone, characters, and approach to storytelling. ¶ 15 leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 as always with a pilot, the opening sequence is the key to set the parameters for what is to come. the show opens with the car crash, presented with painful violent energy culminating in three shots : unconscious wife hannah, unconscious son rex, husband michael waking up. this last shot pulls back and rotates in corkscrew fashion to show the inverted wreck of the car, visualizing michael ’ s world turned upside down. over this shot, we hear the voice soon to be revealed as michael ’ s therapist dr. lee say, “ so tell me how this works. ” michael ’ s voice replies, “ i don ’ t know. i close my eyes, i open them. same as you. ” we then cut to a shot of hannah and michael grieving at a funeral, clearly suggesting that rex has died. lee ’ s voice then says, “ let ’ s just start at the beginning, ” to which michael says, “ no. ” we cut to michael sitting in his therapy session to continue his line, “ let ’ s start it right now. ” ¶ 16 leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 this first 50 seconds is not particularly rich in narrative details — we learn that there was a car accident, and presumably rex was killed in the accident — but it does provide some key clues on how to watch the show. first, the camerawork and editing is established as unconventionally stylized and free - roaming across time frames without explicit motivation, encouraging us to pay attention to visual style in a way that few network programs do. the dialog sets up two poles for how to approach the story that will prove to be crucial — dr. lee takes an analytic tactic, as befits his profession, trying to understand how things work and grapple with the situation ’ s origins. michael wants to live in the now, downplaying that anything unusual is happening to him. these poles of engagement help structure the show ’ s narrative, as his dual ( and dueling ) therapists want to make rational sense of what ’ s happening to michael as he flips between reality and a presumed dream, while michael just wants to enjoy his split lives where he effectively can live without loss. as he says at the end of the pilot, “ when it comes to letting one of them go, i have no desire to ever make progress. ” contrasting with the midstory start of alias and other pilots, awake ’ s


live without loss. as he says at the end of the pilot, “ when it comes to letting one of them go, i have no desire to ever make progress. ” contrasting with the midstory start of alias and other pilots, awake ’ s insistence that we begin in the present tense seems to distinguish itself from other high concept complex television. ¶ 17 leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 these dual approaches mirror how we might engage with the unusual scenario as well — we can try to make rational sense of it to solve a mystery ( “ so tell me how this works ” ), or we can enjoy the now by accepting the premise as it is, not as a problem to be solved. much of complex television fosters a mode of forensic fandom where viewers are encouraged to solve such high - concept puzzles, to ask “ why? ” and presume there ’ s an answer to be found by drilling down and analyzing, much like with therapy or academic analysis. but awake ’ s pilot invites viewers to side with michael, not only as the story ’ s protagonist, but as a role model for accepting what we ’ ve been given without wanting to know the reasons why — as viewers, michael asks that we don ’ t focus on cracking the mystery of what is “ really ” going on here, or deduce which reality is real. the rest of the pilot focuses our attention on what matters most : michael works on rebuilding his relationships with son and wife in the wake of the massive losses that each suffered, but he was spared from, at least in part. michael learns how to make his condition an asset for doing his job, as experiences in each world seem to inform the cases he solves in the other. michael develops coping strategies to orient himself across realities with colored bracelets as visual reminders, a technique mirrored in the dual color schemes and film tints that the show uses impressively to demarcate ( and subtly blend ) the two realms. ¶ 18 leave a comment on paragraph 18 2 in many ways, the pilot might be seen as situating awake within a specific subgenre : the supernatural detective drama. although very different in tone and style, there ’ s a parallel here with the show medium, which focused on allison dubois, a psychic who worked with the police to solve crimes. on medium, there was never any issue as to whether allison really was a psychic or how her powers worked — we simply accepted the fantastic premise that she communicated with the dead and enjoyed watching how it offered a twist on procedural cop plots and


solve crimes. on medium, there was never any issue as to whether allison really was a psychic or how her powers worked — we simply accepted the fantastic premise that she communicated with the dead and enjoyed watching how it offered a twist on procedural cop plots and impacted her personal life. pushing daisies operates similarly, with no effort to explain why ned possesses his supernatural gift, but focusing on how that talent affects his life and relationships. michael can be seen similarly as a character with a special, somewhat inexplicable gift that both enriches and complicates his life. one way to read the pilot is to conceive of the series ’ overarching narrative not to “ start at the beginning ” to understand what is happening, but to “ start it right now ” to understand how his condition matters to him and others in his life going forward. ¶ 19 leave a comment on paragraph 19 1 other high concept series in recent years, like flash forward, the event, and day break, all fell into a trap where concerns about a compelling central mystery overrode all other storytelling imperatives, such as characterization, relationships, and a clear sense of narrative tone and place. often, these series launch with what is termed a “ premise pilot, ” where the chief storytelling goal is to set the narrative gears in motion to establish the program ’ s core narrative scenario — subsequent episodes will differ dramatically once the core situation is in place. awake ’ s pilot starts midstream with britten already immersed in his narrative situation, while still educating viewers about this scenario sufficiently to make sure we understand the premise — we never see britten experience his first “ cross - reality ” awakening ( and still have not, after five episodes as of this writing ). instead through its compelling writing, performances, visual style, and emotional realism, awake ’ s pilot suggests that the series cares more about going forward with its character - driven storytelling than solving the mystery ; however, the pull of forensic fandom might make it seem like the goal of the show is to provide answers to the mysterious concept, rather than exploring its consequences in the lives of characters. a pilot is always a promissory note for what is to come ( if ratings are high enough ), more than a blueprint to be followed, and much can change as a series develops. awake ’ s pilot asks us to accept michael britten ’ s wishes by accepting him for who he is, not trying to solve his problem, and letting viewers become immersed in both of his lives. ¶ 20 leave a comment


change as a series develops. awake ’ s pilot asks us to accept michael britten ’ s wishes by accepting him for who he is, not trying to solve his problem, and letting viewers become immersed in both of his lives. ¶ 20 leave a comment on paragraph 20 2 this survey of different pilot strategies has focused on some of the most acclaimed examples of debut episodes, hailed by fans and critics alike. of course, many pilots start in a very different place than where they end up, as shows frequently take awhile to find their footing. this is most true in comedies, where ensembles often need time to develop a rapport and writers learn which relationship dynamics work best. the pilot to parks & recreation looks little like the series that many hail today as one of television ’ s best sitcoms, as the characters were more extreme in their personalities and the show focused on an overarching plot arc of building a park that was dropped quickly in the second season. cougar town ’ s pilot reflects the program ’ s initial concept of a middle - aged woman dating younger men that was quickly jettisoned after a few episodes, and even all - time classic seinfeld shows little of the structural flair or intricate dialogue that later typified the series. dramas can also start quite differently than they end up, as with justified beginning with more of an episodic procedural focus until the series began to emphasize longer plot arcs by making boyd crowder into a more central foil for raylan givens in the back half of the first season, a shift motivated by the producers ’ choice to keep boyd alive after his planned early death due to the strength of walton goggins ’ s performance. dollhouse aired a first episode that downplayed its longterm plot arcs and conspiracies, a mandated shift away from creator joss whedon ’ s more serialized pilot as demanded by the fox network — the original pilot was included on dvd, and fans encouraged new viewers to start with it instead to get a more authorially sanctioned version of the series. while we could certainly learn much by examining pilots that fail to reflect their subsequent series, or that fail altogether in attracting an audience or even making it to the air, to understand the way complex television programs can launch with effective momentum, it is more instructive to take an in - depth analysis of an exemplary case of a serial beginning. ¶ 22 leave a comment on paragraph 22 0 the “ pilot ” episode of veronica mars is a remarkable piece of television. it manages to introduce more than


more instructive to take an in - depth analysis of an exemplary case of a serial beginning. ¶ 22 leave a comment on paragraph 22 0 the “ pilot ” episode of veronica mars is a remarkable piece of television. it manages to introduce more than a dozen characters and relationships, probe numerous backstories, plant the seeds for three season - long story arcs, establish a genre mixture of teen melodrama and film noir, and convey a tone combining complex mystery, snarky humor, relationship drama, and social commentary ― all within a running time of just over 40 minutes. close analysis of a pilot episode such as this can yield greater insight into the way that television tells stories, and how pilots work to launch an ongoing narrative universe. to understand the educational and inspirational strategies employed by veronica mars, we need to zoom in closely on the pilot ’ s formal mechanics and structure, detailing the strategies used by the producers to start the narrative as both a window onto the series as a whole and the broader function of pilots, and outlining the ways that a hypothetical new viewer would make sense of this serialized beginning. such close analysis can also help us understand the complex intersection of gender and genre that veronica mars plays with so compellingly, an aspect that only becomes clear after a slow - motion walkthrough of the episode ’ s storytelling strategies. ¶ 23 leave a comment on paragraph 23 0 when approaching vm ’ s “ pilot, ” there is a further complication ― the episode aired on upn originally on september 22, 2004, in a different form than the version released on the season 1 dvd that came out a year later. the most important difference between the two versions concerns how each open, which i have suggested above is crucial to the functions of pilots. the upn - aired pilot begins in the sunny parking lot of neptune high, with veronica ’ s voiceover setting the scene featuring class conflict and teen politics in beautiful southern california. 2 this scene was pushed back to after the opening credits in the dvd version, which starts instead with a pre - credit flash - forward to veronica staking out the seedy camelot motel along with a highly - noir style voiceover narration, a moment that will be returned to at the 18 - minute mark of the dvd - version of the episode, echoing the “ in media res ” strategy from alias discussed above. yet another version might be imagined from the original pilot script available on creator rob thomas ’ s website ― this script mirrors the dvd version, although with a number of changed names like the town


echoing the “ in media res ” strategy from alias discussed above. yet another version might be imagined from the original pilot script available on creator rob thomas ’ s website ― this script mirrors the dvd version, although with a number of changed names like the town of playa de costa instead of neptune, or logan hewitt instead of logan echolls, a few altered plot points, and saltier language and content more appropriate for thomas ’ s original pitch for cable distribution rather than broadcast network. 3 or we might seek out the original unaired pilot that upn bought, which circulated amongst television critics and in bootleg versions online, following the structure of the dvd version, but with a few minor differences in casting and dialogue. ¶ 24 leave a comment on paragraph 24 0 i ’ m choosing to focus on the dvd version as my analytic object, not because of its status as thomas ’ s “ preferred ” final edit, but rather since the series exists beyond the timeframe of its initial airing, and any attempt to revisit the narrative is bound to turn to the published dvds. while certainly the original aired version set the stage for the show ’ s small but dedicated initial fanbase, our long term engagement with the series will by necessity treat the dvds as the permanent lasting text for viewers since 2004. however, we can learn something from these changes. upn ’ s decision to eliminate the opening flash - forward was certainly trying to make the show easier to comprehend, avoiding the temporal leap that might confuse a naive viewer. but it also redefines its initial genre emphasis ― by starting with the high school scene, the upn version cues viewers that this will be a show about teenagers, with a brave and active heroine guiding us through the perils of adolescence. as thomas said in an interview, “ the network handed me a note that basically said that since the show is about high school, it should start in the high school …. they were sure that getting young people to watch would be too tough with the original pilot. ” 4 thus even though upn bought the show based on the original pilot, the network reimagined it to fit the genre emphasis that they felt better suited their brand and target audience. ¶ 25 leave a comment on paragraph 25 0 a close look at the dvd version, following the template of the script and unaired original pilot, reveals a vastly different genre tone, starting with a dire proclamation via veronica ’ s voiceover that locates the opening far from the confines of high school drama : “ i ’ m never getting married


the template of the script and unaired original pilot, reveals a vastly different genre tone, starting with a dire proclamation via veronica ’ s voiceover that locates the opening far from the confines of high school drama : “ i ’ m never getting married. you want an absolute? well, there it is. ” the televisual style helps set the tone, with the mellow bass groove of air ’ s instrumental “ la femme d ’ argent ” ( a music cue thomas iterated in his original script ) accompanying a slow crane up on the late - night scene outside the camelot motel, highlighting the red neon glow of the “ no vacancy ” sign. the visuals cut to a shot of a draped window with a silhouetted couple having sex, while the voiceover says, “ veronica mars, spinster. i mean, what ’ s the point. sure, there ’ s the initial primal drive. ride it out. ” for the first - time viewer, the impulse is to try to piece together the emerging story information from the scattered textual cues, following a cognitive process i discuss in the comprehension chapter. we now know that we ’ re hearing veronica ’ s voice, but don ’ t have much to help orient us as to where we are and who this veronica mars character might be. might she be the long - haired passionate woman seen atop her lover in this shadowed shot? the language of “ primal urge ” and “ ride it out ” suggests an erotic link, while veronica ’ s emotionally detached vocal tone suggests a more distant observational role. ¶ 26 leave a comment on paragraph 26 0 our hypotheses shift along with the camera, as a continuous shot pans right to follow a man in an ill - fitting feminine bathrobe walking by the window and descending the stairs to fill his ice bucket. veronica continues, “ better yet? ignore it. sooner or later, the people you love let you down. and here ’ s where it ends up : sleazy men, cocktail waitresses, cheap motels on the wrong side of town. and a soon - to - be ex - spouse wanting a bigger piece of the settlement pie. ” this sequence directs our attention away from the shadowy lovers and toward the larger significance of the camelot motel, whose mythical name evokes a reference point of a glossy surface with hidden secrets of infidelity and betrayal. veronica cues us that these people are merely stand - ins for a larger situation of adultery and distrust, thematic signifiers rather than actual characters. this moment


evokes a reference point of a glossy surface with hidden secrets of infidelity and betrayal. veronica cues us that these people are merely stand - ins for a larger situation of adultery and distrust, thematic signifiers rather than actual characters. this moment highlights one key task of a pilot : sorting out which people are actual characters, and which are simply people inhabiting the world, more like props or parts of the set decoration. the continuous camera movement helps establish a broader narrative impulse toward mystery and problem - solving, as we seek answers to questions that are then redirected and reframed, often away from red herrings and misleading dead - ends. and the sequence helps us rank the relative reliability of the different sources of information : we trust what we see, but veronica ’ s voiceover appears to be more authoritative in helping us interpret and prioritize the images. thus we view the visuals as objectively true, but the voiceover provides the preferred subjective approach toward the action that includes us among veronica ’ s intimate confidants. ¶ 27 leave a comment on paragraph 27 0 the next sequence solidifies this relationship. the visuals jump to a reverse angle nestled in the c of the neon camelot sign, with the other side of the no vacancy sign centered over the deserted street, save for four parked cars. the camera slowly zooms in, but after only one second, it cuts to a medium shot of one of the cars, continuing the zooming pattern in a somewhat disorienting jump edit. the voiceover ties the action to our protagonist : “ that ’ s where i come in. ” this cliched bit of dialog evokes film noir, although it might be more directly derived from the noir - influenced television crime show dragnet. 5 veronica ’ s line clearly sets up her authority as expert on adultery and betrayal, an expertise that will later be revealed as involving more than a professional knowledge, and coalesces all of the previous film noir cues : the sleazy motel, surveillant gaze, tawdry affairs, and cynical worldview. just 40 seconds into the series, we already have a clear genre demarcation and an evocative persona for our titular narrator, who thus far seems exceptional primarily for being a woman in a masculine - dominated genre. ¶ 28 leave a comment on paragraph 28 0 what we don ’ t yet know is that veronica is in high school, the key revelation that upn sought to foreground. the next shot alludes to this aspect


in a masculine - dominated genre. ¶ 28 leave a comment on paragraph 28 0 what we don ’ t yet know is that veronica is in high school, the key revelation that upn sought to foreground. the next shot alludes to this aspect of her persona, as we enter the car on a close - up of a book entitled calculus of a single variable. the book ’ s connotative meaning will matter more later, as we learn of veronica ’ s attributes as a singular free agent with a talent for problem - solving, and a key variable within a number of puzzling calculations ― in fact, “ calculus of a single variable ” would be an apt title for the episode as a whole. for now, it serves as a small enigmatic detail in an otherwise genre - consistent storyworld. as the shot drifts from the book toward a camera, veronica continues, “ $ 40 an hour is cheap compared to the long - term financial security sordid photography can secure for you. your offspring. your next lover. ” we are still deep in the milieu of noir, as veronica reaches for a steel thermos ― a concession to the teen drama, as were it a hard - boiled adult noir, she would certainly be drinking whiskey out of a flask. the first bit of veronica we see is her right hand, which is adorned with an ornately designed thumb ring. when paired with her anti - marriage proclamation, the thumb ring instantly marks veronica as a non - conformist with her own individual style. in contrast to the feminine norm of wedding and engagement rings marking a coupled status, veronica ’ s thumb ring highlights her status as both single and variable. ¶ 29 leave a comment on paragraph 29 0 the shot continues to follow the thermos as veronica pours herself a cup of coffee. a seven - second pause in the narration accompanies our first glimpse of veronica ’ s face, giving us time to drink in the close - up sight. certainly she is young, but we cannot be sure of an age yet ― actress kristen bell was 24 at the time of the show ’ s debut, but easily passed for younger. she is looking off - screen to her left, and the pause in narration gives us time to do the spatial calculations to gather that her viewpoint is the perspective from the first shots, and that it is she who is surveilling the lurid action at the camelot, an activity consistent with the noir style. the earlier voiceover, point - of - view shot, and


viewpoint is the perspective from the first shots, and that it is she who is surveilling the lurid action at the camelot, an activity consistent with the noir style. the earlier voiceover, point - of - view shot, and facial close - up confirms that our perspective is the same as veronica ’ s, making her our focalizing guide to this still - emerging narrative universe. ¶ 30 leave a comment on paragraph 30 0 bell ’ s youthful beauty contradicts her cynical, cold narration which continues as she pours and drinks some coffee : “ but do us a favor if it ’ s you in there : dispense with the cuddling. this motel tryst, it is what it is. make it quick. the person sitting in the car across the street might have a calculus exam in five … make that four hours, and she can ’ t leave until she gets the money shot. ” this sequence helps narrow down the possibilities of veronica ’ s narrative status and identity. her glance to the car clock as she corrects the timetable for her exam grounds the voiceover within the present - tense thoughts of the character, ruling out a retrospective commentary on the action. the mention of the calculus exam identifies her as a student, although she could be either advanced high school or college, and strengthens the link between the textbook and character. most importantly, we realize that veronica leads a double life ― private eye by night, student by day ― setting up the tension between the dual worlds that will dominate the series. ¶ 31 leave a comment on paragraph 31 3 at this point in the teaser, our first question has been answered in a cursory manner ― who is this voice lecturing us about marriage? ― but deeper questions are raised about the character : who is this veronica mars, why is she so bitter, and what ’ s the deal with her double roles as student and p. i.? any further pondering is interrupted by the off - camera sounds of revving engines and a musical shift into a faster driving synthesizer groove. veronica looks up and we get an eyeline match to a band of motorcycles driving down the deserted road. the editing pace quickens to match the music, with 11 cuts in 15 seconds reversing between veronica watching the bike gang and the bikers turning around to park in front of the hotel. the shots emphasize the contrast between the bright vehicle lights and the dark night streets, with the lights reflected off veronica ’ s car and mirrors. this shift in music and visual style changes the


the bikers turning around to park in front of the hotel. the shots emphasize the contrast between the bright vehicle lights and the dark night streets, with the lights reflected off veronica ’ s car and mirrors. this shift in music and visual style changes the show ’ s television cop show allusive frame of reference from dragnet to miami vice, with the latter ’ s glossy neon style masking something dangerous and sinister beneath the surface. veronica deadpans ( in spoken dialog rather than voiceover ), “ well, this can ’ t be good, ” suggesting a calm exterior but raising doubts about her future safety. ¶ 32 leave a comment on paragraph 32 0 the next sequence begins with a shot tilting down the length of the vertical camelot motel sign, ending on street level as the lead biker rolls to a stop in the center of the frame. a series of reverse angles show veronica staring down the biker, who removes his helmet, beckons her to roll down her window, and then menacingly says, “ car trouble, miss? ” we end with a shot of veronica inhaling as she ponders her next move before we cut to the credits, starting with upbeat music and a vastly different image of a smiling veronica sitting in the sun. in just under 1 : 40, this teaser has set - up a great deal of information and context for the episode and series as a whole. we have established the title character as a savvy and brave young woman, juggling life as a student and paid private investigator. the neo - noir style serves to set a cynical and world - weary tone, with clever narration encouraging a more sophisticated take on conventional crime stories. the frank sexual content of adulterous motel trysts signals a level of maturity unexpected in a program that will later be shown to be based around a high school. and the cliffhanger ending suggests that suspense and action will be a prime ingredient of the dramatic action. ¶ 33 leave a comment on paragraph 33 0 it ’ s not hard to see both why thomas might have preferred this opening for the pilot, highlighting maturity, unconventionality and suspenseful noir, and why upn forced the more typical opening at neptune high to appeal to its core teenage target audience with a more familiar milieu, style, genre, and set of characters. these two openings highlight the central challenge of any pilot : demonstrating how the show is both freshly distinct and yet familiar enough to be recognizable and comfortable, striking the delicate balance between similarity and difference that structures commercial television as a format. the up


of characters. these two openings highlight the central challenge of any pilot : demonstrating how the show is both freshly distinct and yet familiar enough to be recognizable and comfortable, striking the delicate balance between similarity and difference that structures commercial television as a format. the upn opening starts with the familiar and slowly complicates it with intrigue and genre mixture, while the dvd version puts us in the midst of something unconventional for television, a young female - centered noir, and then links it to the more conventional facets of teen drama. both educate viewers on the show ’ s norms and inspire them to keep viewing, but clearly each approach speaks differently to various subsets of the potential viewing audience. ¶ 34 leave a comment on paragraph 34 0 to further analyze the veronica mars pilot, we could continue such a slow - motion replay of the episode, highlighting how each shot, sound, line, and sequence adds to our understanding of the storyworld and sets the stage for the series. but the length needed for such an analysis would turn this chapter into a book, along the lines of roland barthes ’ s s / z! instead, we can zoom out and look at some of the broader trends and strategies that play out across the entire episode, and consider how they work to teach viewers how to view the series as a whole. such an account builds on a model of narrative comprehension explored by david bordwell for film and explored more in the comprehension chapter, exploring how a text draws upon both external norms ( like genre and stylistic conventions ) and intrinsic norms unique to the film itself to cue viewers how to construct the story in their minds and posit answers to ongoing narrative questions. 6 for a television series, a pilot is the primary site for establishing intrinsic norms for the ongoing series, and making clear connections to the relevant external norms of genre, narrative mode, and style. ¶ 35 leave a comment on paragraph 35 0 one aspect that quickly becomes apparent is that veronica mars will tell its story using complex narrative techniques. the pilot contains a number of hallmarks of such narrative complexity ― direct address voiceover narration, frequent flashbacks and jumps in timeframe, and long - term mysteries and story arcs that will traverse the entire season and beyond. all of these techniques clearly situate veronica mars within the mode of narrative complexity within minutes of the pilot ’ s opening, establishing particular intrinsic norms that will guide viewers throughout the series. after the opening credits, we are brought back into the storyworld not at the moment of cliffhanging suspense, but into the sunny parking lot of