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 a high school. veronica ’ s upbeat voiceover, in stark contrast to the world - weary cynicism of the first scene, quickly sets the scene for the moments that opened the pilot as originally aired on upn : “ this is my school. if you go here, your parents are either millionaires, or your parents work for millionaires. neptune, california : a town without a middle class. ” the dvd version adds a bit more exposition to explain the temporal shift ― a caption reads “ 20 hours earlier ” as veronica continues, “ so how does a girl end up surrounded by a motorcycle gang at four in the morning on the wrong side of town? for that answer, we ’ ll have to rewind to yesterday. ” thus we are reoriented to the story going forward, with the two versions becoming mostly identical for the rest of the episode. ¶ 36 leave a comment on paragraph 36 0 starting an episode midstory and then flashing back to reveal how the characters got to that point, a device nicknamed “ how we got here ” on the useful tv tropes wiki, is a common technique in narratively complex programs, as discussed above concerning alias ’ s pilot or in the introduction concerning revenge and the west wing. 7 however, veronica mars ’ s use of voiceover allows the explanation of the temporal jump to be more obvious than typical on other shows ― while other shows using this device like west wing and damages normally use only captions to reset their timelines, and the pilot of alias avoids any such orienting devices, veronica ’ s narration explicitly notes that we are rewinding the story, making sure that audiences can follow the complex plotting. more interestingly, the narration frames the rewind as a question, explicitly asking how she got there and providing an answer through the narrative logic. explicitly framing the story as a series of questions and answers, or “ erotetic narrative ” as termed by noel carroll, is a vital aspect of the show ’ s narrative structure, a thematic dimension that is repeated throughout the episode ( which i return to later ). 8 by framing this temporal shift so explicitly and self - consciously posing the storytelling in question form, veronica mars teaches us that it will employ complex storytelling techniques, but assures us that it will try to


the episode ( which i return to later ). 8 by framing this temporal shift so explicitly and self - consciously posing the storytelling in question form, veronica mars teaches us that it will employ complex storytelling techniques, but assures us that it will try to keep us oriented through a range of narrative devices, aiming for comprehension over confusion, clear questions and answers instead of open - ended uncertainty. ¶ 37 leave a comment on paragraph 37 0 this opening rewind is not the pilot ’ s only example of temporal complexity, as the episode contains eight flashbacks that run approximately nine minutes in total, accounting for more than 20 % of its running time. while flashbacks remain an important part of the narrative toolbox for the series as a whole, the pilot uses them far more extensively than almost any other episode. in large part, the use of flashbacks in the pilot are expository, providing backstory on the characters and situations that precede the present day timeline. these flashbacks are quite important to set - up the show ’ s major plot arcs, as they posit the three key questions that will motivate the serialized narrative plotlines for the season : who killed lilly kane? who raped veronica? and why did veronica ’ s mother leave the family? all of these major narrative events occurred long before the pilot begins, so flashbacks help build mystery about the storyworld ’ s past events, a storytelling strategy that creates the narrative universe ’ s depth and richness. the pilot ’ s extensive use of flashbacks helps set - up an intrinsic norm for the series as a whole, but also underscores how a pilot is often atypical in its storytelling strategies in order to sufficiently educate viewers on the scenario and key backstory elements. ¶ 38 leave a comment on paragraph 38 0 just as the opening rewind is explained clearly with redundancy, the flashbacks are all highly cued and demarcated as narratively distinct. the first flashback comes at the episode ’ s five minute mark, with veronica sitting outside in her high school courtyard, introducing her classmates via voiceover. in recounting her previous status as part of the “ in crowd, ” she admits, “ the only reason i was allowed beyond the velvet ropes was duncan kane, son of software billionaire jake kane. he used to be my boyfriend. ” the camera alternates between a shot of veronica sitting alone staring wistfully at duncan, and her visual perspective of him mingling with his friends. the camera slowly tracks in toward veronica at the end of her line, as the image blurs


” the camera alternates between a shot of veronica sitting alone staring wistfully at duncan, and her visual perspective of him mingling with his friends. the camera slowly tracks in toward veronica at the end of her line, as the image blurs via quick dissolve into another shot with an accompanying “ swoosh ” sound effect. the new shot of kids in the high school hallway is tinted blue, with soft focus and streaky images to clearly distinguish it from the bright colors and sun drenched lighting of the courtyard. the music shifts as well, to a breathy atmospheric vocal track from the previous subtle guitar rhythmic background in the courtyard scene. we soon see duncan and a longer - haired veronica in the center of the frame, with a jump - cut forward to a close - up of them kissing, before the image oversaturates with white light, and shifts into slow - motion. all of these stylistic techniques, from film stock to soundtrack, color scheme to hairstyling, serve to demarcate the flashback sequence from the norms established in the present - tense scenes. there is no ambiguity about this temporal shift, as the sequence is clearly framed as a subjective memory presented to us by veronica, our focalizing narrator. ¶ 39 leave a comment on paragraph 39 0 the next flashback is similarly demarcated, but differs in terms of perspective. veronica is sitting at lunch with wallace, as she asks him two related questions : “ so what did you do? … why are you a dead man walking? ” these questions trigger the similar blur and sound effect to signal a flashback of wallace reporting a robbery while working at a convenience store, with wallace narrating events to veronica. this flashback, briefly interrupted by a line from veronica, is the only scene where veronica does not appear throughout the entire episode and thus the only story material portrayed without veronica ’ s first - hand experience ― future episodes certainly focus primarily on the titular character, but feature scenes and plotlines with veronica absent, another example of a pilot ’ s exceptional status. although wallace ’ s flashback uses comparable stylistic markers as veronica ’ s, its narrative status is different : wallace is clearly retelling the story to veronica within the storyworld, while veronica ’ s voiceovers and flashbacks are internal monologues, shared only with the non - specified “ you ” of the television audience. these distinctions reinforce the important centrality of veronica as our main character, narrative guide, and focalizing figure, a status that remains consistent throughout the series. ¶ 40 leave a comment on paragraph 40


non - specified “ you ” of the television audience. these distinctions reinforce the important centrality of veronica as our main character, narrative guide, and focalizing figure, a status that remains consistent throughout the series. ¶ 40 leave a comment on paragraph 40 0 veronica ’ s second flashback, immediately following the scene with wallace, appears more subjective, motivated by a triggered memory rather than expository narration. in the courtyard to her apartment, she hears the song “ just another ” by pete zorn playing on a radio as she is walking by the swimming pool. she looks up at the radio, and then we hear a splash from the pool. veronica looks down as we “ swoosh ” into a flashback image of duncan emerging from the water, saying, “ hey babe, it ’ s our song. ” the scene shifts abruptly to veronica ’ s friends circling a large birthday cake being held out by a previously unseen woman, who says, “ happy birthday, veronica! are you surprised? ” veronica says, “ mom ” twice ― first within the flashback, and then in a quick switch back to the present day narrative, as she spins her head mistakenly thinking that another woman in the courtyard was her mother. while this flashback is stylistically cued as a memory, its narrative function is more opaque, not answering questions explicitly posed by veronica ’ s narration, but rather raising a question still to be addressed : where is veronica ’ s mother? all of veronica ’ s flashbacks offer a balance of narrative information and emotional depth, with this example furthest toward the emotional end of the spectrum. ¶ 41 leave a comment on paragraph 41 0 the next flashback comes more than five minutes later, and includes the most narratively significant revelations. while veronica is surveilling jake kane for her father ’ s private investigation firm, she narrates the details of kane ’ s prominent business and civic roles in neptune. as she begins to talk about her relationship with the kane family, we flashback to a scene between veronica and lilly kane which introduces lilly, revealing her murder and how veronica learned of her friend ’ s demise. most notably, the sequence presents an important but understated uncertainty, with lilly telling veronica “ i ’ ve got a secret — a good one, ” in a conversation that veronica identifies as “ the last words lilly and i ever shared. ” lilly ’ s secret is not highlighted as a key narrative enigma, but it returns in prominence later in the season as veronica begins to unravel the case — looking back from the end of the


“ the last words lilly and i ever shared. ” lilly ’ s secret is not highlighted as a key narrative enigma, but it returns in prominence later in the season as veronica begins to unravel the case — looking back from the end of the season, this referenced secret is the cause of lilly ’ s death, and thus its subdued placement within the pilot helps provide unity to the arc of her murder. although the events being portrayed are clearly emotionally fraught for veronica, with her best friend ’ s murder and the subsequent scapegoating of her father for a botched investigation, the tone of the narration is detached and factually - driven, with veronica presenting the story more as an investigator than someone who is emotionally involved in the case. ¶ 42 leave a comment on paragraph 42 0 this flashback thus helps situate the narrative status of veronica ’ s voiceover narration. after revealing lilly ’ s death, she says, “ but everyone knows this story, the murder of lilly kane …. and, of course, everyone remembers reading about the bungling local sheriff, the one who went after the wrong man. that bungling sheriff was my dad. ” this narration suggests that veronica is explicitly speaking to an audience within the storyworld, assuming our familiarity with the tabloid - covered events. while the narration is never overtly identified as fitting a particular frame of reference, like a diary or therapy session as found in other programs with first - person voiceover, this mode of direct address distinguishes it from a more objective narrational tone like in dragnet. whereas in dragnet there is no implied audience hearing friday ’ s narration that functions like an orated police report, veronica is clearly talking to somebody, explaining her perspectives and asking us to go along for a ride. this style of narration firmly embeds the viewer within the storyworld, making us an unspecified but important part of the diegesis that functions as a sounding board for veronica ’ s inner thoughts and plans, providing access both to details of her investigative procedures and emotional life. ¶ 43 leave a comment on paragraph 43 0 subsequent flashbacks follow these established parameters, presenting crucial backstory plot, relationships, and lingering mysteries. questions remain central to the use of flashbacks, as with the sixth flashback introduced with the voiceover, “ you want to know how i lost my virginity? so do i, ” before showing the scene of veronica ’ s drug - induced date rape. the seventh flashback is cued by another character ’ s questions ― logan is taunting veronica about her absent mother, asking,


know how i lost my virginity? so do i, ” before showing the scene of veronica ’ s drug - induced date rape. the seventh flashback is cued by another character ’ s questions ― logan is taunting veronica about her absent mother, asking, “ do you know where she is? any clue? ” veronica stares him down as he drives away, but then answers his question via voiceover : “ it ’ s been eight months since i ’ ve seen my mother. ” a flashback shows the morning after lianne left, setting up the season - long arc about her status and veronica ’ s relationship with her mother. throughout the pilot, questions are articulated either to immediately answer them to orient and educate viewers, or to establish enigmas inspiring viewers to continue watching in hopes of discovering the answers. ¶ 44 leave a comment on paragraph 44 1 the flashbacks also cue some important parallels and repetitions that draw characters together, deepen the storyworld, and cue narrative pleasure. for instance, in wallace ’ s flashback, sheriff lamb mocks wallace by saying, “ you need to go see the wizard, ask him for some guts. ” veronica interrupts in the present tense, “ ’ go see the wizard, ’ he said that? ” a comment that seems unremarkable at the time. 22 minutes later, the comment becomes clearer ― during a flashback to veronica reporting her rape, sheriff lamb cruelly dismisses her by saying, “ i ’ ll tell you what, veronica mars ― why don ’ t you go see the wizard, ask for a little backbone. ” besides clearly aligning wallace and veronica together against lamb, this parallel sets up an episodically contained revenge plot that implicates the sheriff ’ s department in exchanging favorable treatment of a strip club for sexual favors. since the show does not call attention to this parallel dialog, viewers who have been paying attention can get a brief frisson of pleasure upon recognizing the repetition. such moments of recognition and connection are an important facet of watching serial television, as drawn out links that may span across episodes or even seasons offer dedicated viewers an acknowledgement of, and reward for, their dedication and attention. although this intra - episodic repetition requires no long - term commitment, the moment helps establish the broader norm that the series will expect viewers to pay attention, forge connections, and reward their dedication via pleasurable connections and revelations. ¶ 45 leave a comment on paragraph 45 0 another narrative pleasure is signaled by a subtle repetition. around halfway through the episode, veronica ’ s


series will expect viewers to pay attention, forge connections, and reward their dedication via pleasurable connections and revelations. ¶ 45 leave a comment on paragraph 45 0 another narrative pleasure is signaled by a subtle repetition. around halfway through the episode, veronica ’ s father keith mars returns home from an attempt to collect a bounty on a bail jumper ― veronica greets him with an inquisitive, “ and? ” keith pauses for drama, and then offers a pseudo - cool, “ “ who ’ s your daddy? ”, which veronica dismisses with typical adolescent exasperation, “ i hate it when you say that. ” this exchange creates a bit of playful tension between father and daughter, as keith goes on to mockingly claim a degree of coolness that amuses veronica, but underscores their generational divide. toward the end of the episode, a parallel scene occurs as keith finds veronica in the mars investigation office at night, where she has discovered that keith has been withholding information from her about the kane murder case. he tempts her to leave with promises of pizza and the south park movie, and offers a repeated “ who ’ s your daddy? ” this time veronica sighs and smiles, and warmly replies, “ you are. ” the repeated moment reconciles the earlier tension like a musical phrase, replaying a dissonant theme with a resolved harmonious chord. this moment highlights the stability of this relationship that will anchor the entire series, as well as foreshadowing the forthcoming plot developments when veronica starts to question and investigate this precise question of her paternity. additionally, the repetition calls attention to the show ’ s well - crafted storytelling, using an overt parallel to inspire confidence in viewers that the producers are in full control of their fictional form. it ’ s a self - aware moment of narrative construction that, at least for some viewers, provides a moment of playful pleasure in admiration of the show ’ s creative craft, a moment of the operational aesthetic in action. ¶ 46 leave a comment on paragraph 46 0 as is typical of all pilots, the episode introduces and focuses our attention on a number of characters and relationships. clearly veronica is the central figure of the storyworld, appearing in every scene except wallace ’ s flashback, and virtually every character exists primarily in relationship to her. the credit sequence introduces the list of major characters in the order : veronica, wallace, duncan, logan, and weevil, with keith getting the final billing as “ and enrico colantoni, ” a position conventionally reserved


in relationship to her. the credit sequence introduces the list of major characters in the order : veronica, wallace, duncan, logan, and weevil, with keith getting the final billing as “ and enrico colantoni, ” a position conventionally reserved for more established actors in supporting roles, as well as parents in teen dramas. the actual screen time for characters is differently balanced ― wallace appears in around 25 % of the episode and keith in 20 %, a proportion that effectively establishes those two characters as veronica ’ s most trusted and stable allies in the ongoing series. duncan ’ s third billing seems contrary to appearing only in 7 % of the episode, an imbalance that persists throughout the series ― the character is narratively central to many of the ongoing arcs, but his presence is less vibrant and active than the other supporting actors, culminating in the character leaving the show midway through the second season. thomas has suggested in interviews that the character never quite worked as they imagined it, partly due to teddy dunn ’ s performance and partly because his function was too defined as isolated from veronica due to their often estranged relationship. while certainly the romantic link and familial history between duncan and veronica are core dramatic elements, the pilot shows little of their connection and effectively confines duncan to the margins over more colorful supporting players. ¶ 47 leave a comment on paragraph 47 0 logan was not initially conceived as a main character, but jason dohring ’ s compelling performance prompted the producers to make logan more central to the show and establish an ongoing romance with veronica. in the pilot, logan and weevil share nearly equal time at around 13 % of the episode time, helping to establish the two as rivals culminating in their confrontation toward the end of the episode. functionally the two characters share a volatile bond with veronica, serving both as allies and enemies at various times. these proportions also mirror a legalistic aspect of storytelling unique to the television medium ― contracts often stipulate the number of episodes per season each actor will appear in. thus the actors playing veronica, wallace, and keith were contractually obligated to appear in every episode in season one, while those playing weevil, logan, and duncan were only available for approximately 75 % of the episodes, forcing the producers to devise stories that allowed them to disappear for a week. 9 the pilot effectively establishes this balance in character prominence that carries throughout the first season. ¶ 48 leave a comment on paragraph 48 0 the pilot also establish the show ’ s norms for balancing multiple plotlines. although like many pilots,


for a week. 9 the pilot effectively establishes this balance in character prominence that carries throughout the first season. ¶ 48 leave a comment on paragraph 48 0 the pilot also establish the show ’ s norms for balancing multiple plotlines. although like many pilots, much of the episode ’ s time is spent introducing the setting, characters, and relationships rather than focusing on narrative events and storylines, the episode does introduce a remarkable number of events and plots. typically, a veronica mars episode features a self - contained a plot concerning a case that is introduced and solved within an episode, alongside b and c plots focusing on long - term arcs of ongoing mysteries and relationships. the pilot is less typically structured, with six definable plotlines : the robbery at wallace ’ s store, the investigation into the seventh veil strip club, the jake kane infidelity investigation, lilly kane ’ s murder, lianne leaving the family, and veronica ’ s rape. as is common for the show, the plotlines are not rigidly distinct, as they interweave both in terms of events and themes ― the strip club plot ends up merging with the robbery case, and the theme of sexual indiscretion and mystery permeates many of the storylines. it is therefore hard to define a clear a plot ; although the jake kane investigation takes up the most time at nearly a quarter of the episode, it blurs into nearly all of the other plotlines and lacks the resolution common of a plots in subsequent episodes. the wallace and strip club cases are resolved, but lack the central focus typical of other episodes ’ a plots. ¶ 49 leave a comment on paragraph 49 0 despite a fuzzier distinction between plotlines than will become the norm for the show, the pilot ’ s atypical multiple story threads do help orient viewers on how to watch the series. the episode ’ s self - contained plotlines ( the robbery and strip club cases ) are presented with veronica in firm control of the action, effectively rescuing wallace and manipulating the sheriff ’ s office with minimal stress and effort. these plots situate veronica as more knowledgeable of events and backstory than viewers. for most of the episode, we are unsure of the relevance of the strip club plotline and are not privy to veronica ’ s master plan to connect the case with the robbery via a videotape swap ― the connection is revealed at the moment of lamb ’ s humiliation, rather than positioning us as riding shotgun to the ongoing procedures of veronica ’ s investigations. for most episodes, the self - contained cases


case with the robbery via a videotape swap ― the connection is revealed at the moment of lamb ’ s humiliation, rather than positioning us as riding shotgun to the ongoing procedures of veronica ’ s investigations. for most episodes, the self - contained cases do little to challenge veronica ’ s investigational mastery, and they function more as games for viewers to try to guess the culprit, outcome, or veronica ’ s investigative strategy. ¶ 50 leave a comment on paragraph 50 0 the long - term story arcs, involving the kane family and veronica ’ s emotional traumas of rape and maternal abandonment, align us more closely with veronica ’ s limited knowledge, as we learn about new developments along with her and she treats us as confidants sharing vital backstory. veronica ’ s investigative approach foregrounds posing and answering questions, and the show ’ s serial storytelling follows this paradigm. in the final minutes of the episode, veronica herself asks a number of key questions : “ the lilly kane murder file — what ’ s dad been up to? … my surveillance photo from the camelot — why is it in the lilly kane file? what was mom doing there, and what business did she have with jake kane? and the million dollar question : why did dad lie to me? ” after the scene with keith in which she reconciles his deception, veronica narrates, “ i ’ ve got too many questions swirling around in my head to wait until he ’ s ready to share. these questions need answers ― that ’ s what i do. ” the narrative logic of this sequence sets up the key season - long arcs while clearly establishing the show ’ s erotetic narration, as well as making sure that these arcs will not dangle unanswered. as veronica ’ s final monologue asserts, “ i promise this : i will find out what really happened, and i will bring this family back together again, ” a statement that serves to also assure viewers that these questions do have answers that will be revealed in due time and deliver emotionally satisfying resolutions, at least as long as the network allows the show to continue to air. ¶ 51 leave a comment on paragraph 51 0 the only question during this sequence that gets answered immediately is keith ’ s “ who ’ s your daddy? ”, which prompts veronica ’ s sentimental assurance to cement the stability of their relationship in the face of broader uncertainties — although later in the season, the question of veronica ’ s paternity becomes more than joking repartee and emerges as a key storyline


prompts veronica ’ s sentimental assurance to cement the stability of their relationship in the face of broader uncertainties — although later in the season, the question of veronica ’ s paternity becomes more than joking repartee and emerges as a key storyline. this answer helps divide the long - term arcs into two categories : plot arcs that posit enigmas and mysteries, and emotional relationship or character arcs that are more clearly delimited in the moment. this division is typical of many primetime serials, where plot mysteries use complex storytelling strategies around narrative enigmas, while character arcs are more conventional in its presentation of narrative statements. these differing modes of presentation allow for distinct modes of engagement and narrative questioning ― the emotional plots about relationships encourage us to ask “ what will happen? ” going forward, as with veronica ’ s romantic entanglements and rocky relations with her mother. conversely, the mysteries frame the narrative as “ what really happened in the past? ”, privileging the forensic mode of hunting clues, connecting pieces, and positing theories alongside veronica ’ s own investigation. we know that the answers to emotional relationship questions, however temporary and fleeting, will likely arrive soon in the story, but the enigma - driven mysteries linger far beyond our expectations and take unanticipated twists along the way. ¶ 52 leave a comment on paragraph 52 0 the dual narrative modes of mystery and relationship drama are tightly tied to codes of gender and genre, suggesting that formal analysis can help illuminate broader cultural questions. robyn warhol has effectively argued that serial form has been tightly linked to “ effeminate feelings ” of sentimentality and overt emotional expression. she contends that late - 20th century modes of serial storytelling clearly bifurcate gendered pleasures by genre, with soap operas and melodramatic literature appealing to effeminate audiences, and action - adventure serials like patrick o ’ brian ’ s maritime novels and science - fiction television addressing an anti - effeminate audience. 10 but i believe that many contemporary complex serials embrace both of warhol ’ s “ technologies of feeling, ” marrying the effeminate affects of sentimentality and weepiness with the masculine responses of heart - pounding thrills and rational puzzle - solving. veronica mars is exemplary of some key ways that these appeals are balanced and structured into contemporary narrative forms, a topic addressed more in depth in the genre chapter. ¶ 53 leave a comment on paragraph 53 0 the cast of characters establishes this balance at the show ’ s core ― the titular character is clearly the female center


balanced and structured into contemporary narrative forms, a topic addressed more in depth in the genre chapter. ¶ 53 leave a comment on paragraph 53 0 the cast of characters establishes this balance at the show ’ s core ― the titular character is clearly the female center of the narrative universe, but she is surrounded almost exclusively by male figures, especially in the first season. however, veronica herself is far from a simple embodiment of feminine norms ― her present - tense persona is defined in opposition to her pre - rape femininity, with shortened hair, heightened sarcastic attitude, and an emotional detachment that alienates her from nearly all of her high school peers. as established in the opening scene, veronica eschews romantic sentiment and embraces personal risk in the service of her rational, procedural detective work. in terms of narrative pleasures, veronica ’ s core storylines fit more neatly into the typically anti - effeminate mode of action and detective drama than the effeminate realm of romantic melodrama. 11 and arguably the male characters serve more effeminate roles ― wallace as supportive counselor and confidant, keith as nurturing parent, and duncan as sensitive romantic who eventually becomes a single parent himself. even logan and weevil, who first appear as hyper - masculine, aggressive, and hostile threats to veronica, undergo a process of becoming more sensitive, emotionally engaged, and feminized throughout the season, a process of gender transformation that janice radway has argued is central to the romance genre. 12 arguably the only regular character who neatly fits into typical gender norms is dick casablancas, whose hyper - masculine doltishness is played for comic relief and restricted to the margins of the story ( and doesn ’ t even appear in the pilot ), whereas each of the more central figures embody gender contradictions and complexity. ¶ 54 leave a comment on paragraph 54 0 the pilot comments on its own atypical gender norms ― when veronica gives wallace the incriminating videotape, he thanks her and tries to get her to acknowledge that she did him a favor. he says, “ underneath that angry young woman shell, there ’ s a slightly less angry young woman, who ’ s dying to bake me something. you ’ re a marshmallow, veronica mars, a twinkie! ” veronica ’ s dual gender identity is echoed in the pilot ’ s final lines ― following veronica ’ s assertion that she will solve the mysteries and reunite her family, she says, “ i ’ m sorry, is that mushy? well,


” veronica ’ s dual gender identity is echoed in the pilot ’ s final lines ― following veronica ’ s assertion that she will solve the mysteries and reunite her family, she says, “ i ’ m sorry, is that mushy? well, you know what they say : veronica mars, she ’ s a marshmallow. ” the prominence of this repetition as the show ’ s final moment contrasts with the highly rational procedures that veronica has followed in both explicating and pursuing the mysteries, reminding us that she ’ s acting not just out of a rationalist mode of justice and detection, but a sentimental and effeminate urge for family unity and lost friendship. thus the final scene sets the stage for the broad range of gendered appeals and identities to be explored within the series, and cues us to be alert to the complexities of both character and plotting rather than assuming clear cut binaries and conventions. ¶ 55 leave a comment on paragraph 55 1 in the end, the pilot of veronica mars teaches us how to watch the series, manages our expectations for what is to come, and inspires us to keep watching. most pilots focus on establishing the setting, characters, and narrative situation, and thus are quite atypical of what future episodes might bring. the veronica mars pilot employs more flashbacks, voiceover, and exposition than typical, but also establishes many norms of tone, style, and theme that future episodes will typically adhere to. as such, it is one of the more effective pilots for a complex serial drama, performing an astounding degree of narrative work while also offering clear pleasures and moments consistent with the series as a whole. while the series as a whole might have resolved with anti - climactic disappointment, the pilot remains a landmark in serial storytelling, positing narrative questions in a style that transcends the quality of the eventual answers. and by looking at such an exemplary pilot in slow - motion, we can better understand the complex poetics involved in television storytelling, both at the beginnings and ongoing episodes of a series. ¶ 57 leave a comment on paragraph 57 0 i discuss pilots more in jason mittell, television and american culture ( new york : oxford university press, 2010 ) ; see pages 46 - 52 for a discussion of the industrial practices of pilot production, and pages 258 - 67 for a detailed analysis of lost ’ s pilot. ¶ 58 leave a comment on paragraph 58 0 see the television without pity recap for a description of the originally aired pilot at http : / / www. televisionwith


production, and pages 258 - 67 for a detailed analysis of lost ’ s pilot. ¶ 58 leave a comment on paragraph 58 0 see the television without pity recap for a description of the originally aired pilot at http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / pilot _ 84. php. for more on the series, see rhonda v. wilcox and sue turnbull, eds., investigating veronica mars : essays on the teen detective series ( jefferson, nc : mcfarland, 2011 ). ¶ 60 leave a comment on paragraph 60 0 rob thomas interview on television without pity, march 8, 2005, http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / the _ rob _ thomas _ interview _ part. php. ¶ 61 leave a comment on paragraph 61 0 the line “ that ’ s where i come in ” is distinctly featured in the 1967 relaunch of dragnet, although it certainly must appear in episodes of the show ’ s 1950s radio or television run, which are less widely available now. interestingly, the line also appears in the 1955 pilot of gunsmoke, a western featuring a dragnet - style introductory voiceover by marshall dillon. ¶ 66 leave a comment on paragraph 66 0 robyn r. warhol, having a good cry : effeminate feelings and pop - culture forms ( columbus : ohio state university press, 2003 ). warhol is careful to distinguish between “ effeminate ” audiences and pleasures versus “ female ” identity, as she acknowledges that such modes of address and consumption are not essential to a person ’ s gender identity. she uses “ anti - effeminate ” not to suggest hostility toward effeminate pleasures, but because she contends there is no corresponding term evoking a masculine mode of affect and emotion. ¶ 67 leave a comment on paragraph 67 0 charting a clear gendered dichotomy between anti - effeminate crime fiction and effeminate romance is clearly an oversimplification, as both literary and televisual examples in recent decades have blurred this boundary. see sue turnbull, “ ` nice dress, take it off ’ : crime, romance and the pleasure of the text, ” international journal of cultural studies 5, no. 1 ( january 1, 2002 ) : 67 - 82, for a discussion of such blending in crime literature. yet despite this recent blurring, highlighting the traditional gendered associations of these genres helps us understand how veronica mars productively com


, no. 1 ( january 1, 2002 ) : 67 - 82, for a discussion of such blending in crime literature. yet despite this recent blurring, highlighting the traditional gendered associations of these genres helps us understand how veronica mars productively complicates assumed appeals and pleasures of serial form. - ¶ 69 leave a comment on paragraph 69 0 - 1 i discuss pilots more in jason mittell, television and american culture ( new york : oxford university press, 2010 ) ; see pages 46 - 52 for a discussion of the industrial practices of pilot production, and pages 258 - 67 for a detailed analysis of lost ’ s pilot. - 2 see the television without pity recap for a description of the originally aired pilot at http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / pilot _ 84. php. for more on the series, see rhonda v. wilcox and sue turnbull, eds., investigating veronica mars : essays on the teen detective series ( jefferson, nc : mcfarland, 2011 ). - 3 see rob thomas ’ s site at http : / / www. slaverats. com /. - 4 rob thomas interview on television without pity, march 8, 2005, http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / the _ rob _ thomas _ interview _ part. php. - 5 the line “ that ’ s where i come in ” is distinctly featured in the 1967 relaunch of dragnet, although it certainly must appear in episodes of the show ’ s 1950s radio or television run, which are less widely available now. interestingly, the line also appears in the 1955 pilot of gunsmoke, a western featuring a dragnet - style introductory voiceover by marshall dillon. - 6 david bordwell, narration in the fiction film ( madison : university of wisconsin press, 1985 ). - 7 http : / / tvtropes. org / pmwiki / pmwiki. php / main / howwegothere. - 8 noel carroll, “ narrative closure, ” philosophical studies 135, no. 1 ( 2007 ) : 1 - 15. - 9 showrunner rob thomas describes these contractual obligations in his interview with television without pity, march 8, 2005, http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / the _ rob _ thomas _ interview _ part. php? page = 10. - 10 robyn r. warhol, having a


8, 2005, http : / / www. televisionwithoutpity. com / show / veronica _ mars / the _ rob _ thomas _ interview _ part. php? page = 10. - 10 robyn r. warhol, having a good cry : effeminate feelings and pop - culture forms ( columbus : ohio state university press, 2003 ). warhol is careful to distinguish between “ effeminate ” audiences and pleasures versus “ female ” identity, as she acknowledges that such modes of address and consumption are not essential to a person ’ s gender identity. she uses “ anti - effeminate ” not to suggest hostility toward effeminate pleasures, but because she contends there is no corresponding term evoking a masculine mode of affect and emotion. - 11 charting a clear gendered dichotomy between anti - effeminate crime fiction and effeminate romance is clearly an oversimplification, as both literary and televisual examples in recent decades have blurred this boundary. see sue turnbull, “ ` nice dress, take it off ’ : crime, romance and the pleasure of the text, ” international journal of cultural studies 5, no. 1 ( january 1, 2002 ) : 67 - 82, for a discussion of such blending in crime literature. yet despite this recent blurring, highlighting the traditional gendered associations of these genres helps us understand how veronica mars productively complicates assumed appeals and pleasures of serial form. - 12 janice radway, reading the romance : women, patriarchy, and popular literature ( chapel hill : university of north carolina press, 1984 ).


guidelines for ventilator use help premature infants breathe easier guidelines that reduce the use of mechanical ventilation with premature infants in favor of a gentler form of respiratory support can profoundly affect those children ' s outcomes while reducing the cost of care, according to a team of researchers at children ' s hospital boston. the team, led by bernadette levesque, md, of the division of newborn medicine at children ' s hospital boston and the neonatal intensive care unit ( nicu ) at st. elizabeth ' s medical center in boston, published their findings today online in pediatrics. children ' s operates the nicu at st. elizabeth ' s as part of its efforts to promote community access to pediatric care. babies born prematurely are often placed promptly on a mechanical ventilator with a tube in the airway ( intubation ) and with supplemental oxygen to help their immature lungs breathe. the excess pressure placed on the infant ' s lungs can lead to ventilator - induced inflammation, scarring, and potentially bronchopulmonary dysplasia ( bpd ), a disabling chronic lung disease. " while they are sometimes necessary, both supplemental oxygen and mechanical ventilation are essentially toxic to premature babies ' lungs, " said levesque, who is also an instructor in pediatrics at harvard medical school. " these guidelines really represent five different interventions aimed at limiting those exposures. " the study centered on five care guidelines intended to encourage the use of a " bubble " continuous positive airway pressure ( bcpap ) system, rather than mechanical ventilators, and limit exposure to supplemental oxygen. the bcpap system delivers warmed, humidified oxygen in a way that inflates a premature infant ' s lungs more gently. the five guidelines exclusive use of bcpap, provision of bcpap in the delivery room, strict intubation criteria, strict extubation criteria, and prolonged cpap with avoidance of nasal cannula oxygen before 35 weeks of age were implemented in the st. elizabeth ' s nicu by children ' s staff in 2007. " there is a long - standing but growing movement away from the use of mechanical ventilators with these children, and while there have been other large studies, they have only focused on provision of cpap in the delivery room, " levesque noted. " that ' s not the whole story, and we think that by putting all five in place at the same time we are giving these children more complete support. " the researchers compared the outcomes


neural resource allocation in visual adaptation mar 30, 2013 | 5 / 5 ( 2 ) | 9 - separate lives : neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled mar 27, 2013 | 4. 9 / 5 ( 8 ) | 0 - sizing things up : the evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance feb 28, 2013 | 4. 8 / 5 ( 10 ) | 14 classical and quantum mechanics via lie algebras apr 15, 2011 i ' d like to open a discussion thread for version 2 of the draft of my book ' ' classical and quantum mechanics via lie algebras ' ', available online at http : / / lanl. arxiv. org / abs / 0810. 1019, and for the... - more from physics forums - independent research more news stories siemens has presented the world ' s first ultrasound system with wireless transducers. the system ' s transducers, which can be easily operated with one hand, transmit ultrasound images via radio waves to the... other 25 seconds ago | not rated yet | 0 ( ap ) — a woman who lost both hands, her left leg and right foot after contracting a flesh - eating disease has been fitted with prosthetic hands. other may 18, 2013 | not rated yet | 0 ( ap ) — medical marijuana use in illinois is now in gov. pat quinn ' s hands after the state senate approved legislation. other may 17, 2013 | 5 / 5 ( 1 ) | 0 a nigerian court on friday sentenced two officials from a pharmaceutical company to seven years in prison over the sale of an adulterated teething drug which killed 84 babies in 2008. other may 17, 2013 | not rated yet | 0 ( healthday ) — many americans feel that keeping out - of - pocket health care costs is more important than staying with the same primary care physician. other may 17, 2013 | not rated yet | 0 when tumours metastasise, they can block lymphatic vessels, as researchers from eth zurich have discovered using a new method. the lymphatic fluid subsequently has to find a new path through the tissue. such... 41 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | ( medical xpress ) — flinders university researchers are breaking new ground in a decade - long journey to pinpoint the function of two closely related proteins. 31 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | ( medical xpress ) — scientists at king ' s college london have discovered that vitamin d has the


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hunger and hormones determine food ' s appeal ( medical xpress ) - - its been said that there are two kinds of eating : eating to survive, or satisfy hunger, and eating for pleasure. the pathways in the brain that control each urge have been studied independently. but now, research by howard hughes medical institute investigator jeffrey m. friedman of rockefeller university provides evidence that the two pathways are closely intertwined. by activating regions of the brain linked to food - related pleasure, friedman and colleagues discovered how the brain mediates the link between food preferences and hunger. their findings were published online november 13, 2011, in the journal nature neuroscience. appetite based on hunger, friedman discovered in the 1990s, is mediated in part by a hormone called leptin. when a mouse loses weight or is food - deprived, leptin levels fall, leading to an increase of food intake. likewise, leptin levels rise in an animal after weight gain with a corresponding reduction of food intake. the available evidence further indicates that leptin plays the same role in humans. other researchers have shown that when people are eating, the brains so - called reward center is involved. eating a food that tastes goodsuch as sugar is known to activate that areas dopamine ( da ) neurons, which are also turned on by other pleasurable stimuli such as sex and cocaine. friedman and his colleague ana domingos suspected that changes in leptin concentration might affect these pathways in the brain and thus influence how much one likes food. the high reward value of sugar and other pleasurable foods presents an obvious challenge to dieters, and understanding leptins effects on eating for pleasure might suggest opportunities to intervene with potential therapies that reduce food cravings and diminish the risk of diet relapse, domingos says. friedman and domingos wanted to investigate these questions in mice. to do so, they needed to find a way to ask a mouse how much it liked sugar. if i put a can of coke, orange soda, or diet coke in front of you, you could taste them and tell me which you liked best, says friedman. you cant do that with an animal. so friedman and domingos collaborated with hhmi early career scientist karl deisseroth at stanford university, who has developed a way to use a laser beam to turn on subsets of neurons at any time in the brain of a living mouse brain. friedman and domingos engineered mice so that da neurons were activated when the laser was switched on by consuming liquids at a sipper


way to use a laser beam to turn on subsets of neurons at any time in the brain of a living mouse brain. friedman and domingos engineered mice so that da neurons were activated when the laser was switched on by consuming liquids at a sipper, which tracks the number of licks an animal takes. by allowing the mice to control the activation of the da neurons by licking, the researchers could get the mouse to like the associated drink. then, they could determine whether that artificial activation of the reward pathway overpowered the reward signals the animal received from eating certain nutrients at a different sipper. friedman and domingos call the choice between self - induced activation of dopamine neurons or a sweetener such as sucrose an assay for liking. with the system in place, the scientists exposed mice to different pairs of three different drinks : one with sucrosenatural table sugar ; one with the artificial sweetener sucralose ; and one with water. normally, mice will prefer sucrose over sucralose and both sweeteners over water. but when the mice drank the water, the laser was switched on, activating their da neurons and sending a reward signal to the animals brain. in the first choice between sucrose and laser, the mice still preferred sucrose to the water coupled to lasersuggesting that it naturally provides more reward than that conferred by direct activation of dopamine neurons. in contrast, the mice demonstrated no preference between water accompanied by the laser activation and sucralose. when sucralose and sucrose are pitted against each other, mice choose the natural, calorie - containing sucrose the majority of the time. but when friedman and his colleagues engineered the laser to turn on da neurons when the mice drank sucralose, the mice began to prefer the artificial drink, sipping from the sucralose 84 percent of the time, indicating that the extra da activation had shifted an animals preference from sucrose to sucralose. domingos says the findings help explain why, according to the us department of agriculture, natural sweeteners have consistently outsold artificial sweeteners ever since artificial sweeteners were introduced in 1947. this experiment shows that we prefer sugar to artificial sweeteners because of sugars actions in the brain, not only in the tongue. when we artificially add those actions to sucralose, then animals will like the artificial sweetener more, she says. to test whether levels of lept


or protein that we asked for sucrose and sucralose. or test whether an animal has a liking for particular nutrients that it is deficient in. provided by howard hughes medical institute - brain ' s ' sixth sense ' for calories discovered mar 26, 2008 | not rated yet | 0 - voluntary exercise by animals prevents weight gain, despite high - fat diet may 18, 2011 | not rated yet | 0 - leptin - controlled gene can reverse diabetes jan 05, 2010 | not rated yet | 0 - sugar : just how bad is it? may 04, 2011 | not rated yet | 0 - sweet temptation : brain signals amplify desire for sugary treats jun 14, 2011 | not rated yet | 0 - motion perception revisited : high phi effect challenges established motion perception assumptions apr 23, 2013 | 3 / 5 ( 2 ) | 2 - anything you can do i can do better : neuromolecular foundations of the superiority illusion ( update ) apr 02, 2013 | 4. 5 / 5 ( 11 ) | 5 - the visual system as economist : neural resource allocation in visual adaptation mar 30, 2013 | 5 / 5 ( 2 ) | 9 - separate lives : neuronal and organismal lifespans decoupled mar 27, 2013 | 4. 9 / 5 ( 8 ) | 0 - sizing things up : the evolutionary neurobiology of scale invariance feb 28, 2013 | 4. 8 / 5 ( 10 ) | 14 pressure - volume curve : elastic recoil pressure don ' t make sense may 18, 2013 from pressure - volume curve of the lung and chest wall ( attached photo ), i don ' t understand why would the elastic recoil pressure of the lung is... if you became brain - dead, would you want them to pull the plug? may 17, 2013 i ' d want the rest of me to stay alive. sure it ' s a lousy way to live but it beats being all - the - way dead. maybe if i make it 20 years they ' ll... mri bill question may 15, 2013 dear pfers, the hospital gave us a $ 12k bill for one mri ( head with contrast ). the people i talked to at the hospital tell me that they do not... ratio of hydrogen of oxygen in dessicated animal protein may 13, 2013 as an experiment, for the past few months i ' ve been consuming at least one portion of jell - o or unflavored knox gelatin per day. i


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a muscle strain is an injury ( partial tear ) that damages the internal structure of the muscle. the tearing may be so small that one could only see it with a microscope. however, the tearing could be severe enough to cause internal bleeding and cause some muscle fibers to lengthen. if the damaged parts of the muscle actually pull away from each other, it is called a muscle rupture. a muscle strain is caused by tension or stress applied to the muscle that it cannot withstand. there are several ways that this can happen : - muscle may not be ready for sudden stress - tension may be too much for the muscle to bear ( such as, lifting a weight that is too heavy for you ) - muscle is used too much on a certain day certain areas have muscles that are more likely to be strained than others including : muscles that cross two joints are at risk. a risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition. risk factors for a muscle strain include : - athletic activities, especially those with running and jumping - tight muscles - cold weather symptoms depend on how you strained the muscle. strain while performing an athletic or physical activity you immediately feel soreness or pain in the affected muscle. if you try to use that muscle it hurts even more. the area becomes tender, and often has local swelling. in the most severe cases, there may be a skin bruise showing because of bleeding underneath. moving the nearby joints causes pain. running and lifting are common activities that cause this type of muscle strain. strain from an accumulation of stress when you do an activity that your body is not used to doing, the muscles are not in shape for that kind of activity. there may not be one specific incident during the activity when you feel pain, but the next day a muscle or set of muscles may be very sore. the muscle will be tender, and using it causes pain or discomfort. the doctor will ask about your symptoms, your recent physical activity, and how the injury occurred. the doctor will also examine the injured area for : - tenderness directly over the muscle - pain when contracting the muscle particularly against resistance tests may include : - mri scan — a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of structures inside the body ( this is uncommon for most people. usually this is done with college or professional athletes to determine when they will return to their sport. ) - ultrasound — a test that uses sound waves to examine the body - ct scan — a type of x - ray that uses a computer to take pictures of structures inside the body treatment depends


professional athletes to determine when they will return to their sport. ) - ultrasound — a test that uses sound waves to examine the body - ct scan — a type of x - ray that uses a computer to take pictures of structures inside the body treatment depends on the severity of the strain and the muscle involved. treatment usually includes : - rest — do not do activities that cause pain. if normal walking hurts, shorten your stride. do not play sports until the pain is gone. - ice — apply cold to the injured area for 15 - 20 minutes, four times a day for several days after the injury. do not apply the cold directly to the skin. - compression and elevation — this can decrease swelling. - oral nonsteroidal anti - inflammatory drugs ( nsaids ) to relieve pain and topical pain medicines ( such as, creams, patches ) applied to the skin — these medicines can also mask symptoms. if you still have muscle tenderness while taking these drugs, do not return to physical activity and check with your doctor. - heat — use heat only when you are returning to activity. then use it before stretching or getting ready to exercise. - stretching — when the acute pain is gone, start gentle stretching. stay within pain limits. hold each stretch about 10 seconds and repeat six times. repeat stretching four times a day. - strengthening — when a muscle is injured, it becomes weaker because it is not used. you must gradually regain strength. it is best to do this under the supervision of a healthcare professional. if you are diagnosed with a strained muscle, follow your doctor ' s instructions. to reduce your chance of straining a muscle : - keep your muscles strong so they can absorb the energy of sudden stressful activities. - after a short warm - up period, stretch out tight muscles, especially previously injured ones. - learn the proper technique for athletic activities. this will decrease muscle stress. - stop when you are tired. tired muscles do not function well. they do not react properly to sudden stress. - reviewer : kari kassir, md - review date : 09 / 2012 - - update date : 00 / 92 / 2012 -


section i : teaching english in china continued — teaching employment china ' s land mass is slightly smaller than that of the continental united states with climatic conditions ranging from subarctic in the north ( e. g., heilongjiang province ) to subtropical in the south ( i. e., hainan island and province ). which region you choose should depend heavily on your tolerance ( or preference ) for either very hot or frigidly cold climates. paradoxically ( and counterintuitively ), the northern regions, with the most frigidly cold and arid winters, tend to have the most oppressively hot and humid summers as well. as stated earlier in the preface, china comprises 23 provinces ( including taiwan ), five autonomous regions ( guangxi, inner mongolia, ningxia, tibet and xinjiang ), four central administrative municipalities ( beijing, chongqing, shanghai and tianjin ) and two special administrative regions ( hong kong and macau ). each province and region has something of a different feel and a history of its own, with varying local customs, sensibilities, standards and social norms, and every chinese national can readily tell you what his or her hometown and province is " famous " for — and it appears that every city in china is famous for something. before you start answering ads for teaching jobs in china, you should first give some thought to your preferred climate as well as the size of the city you would care to live in. larger international cities such as beijing, shanghai and guangzhou offer the greatest degree of diversity in western food, other amenities and creature comforts, not to mention an active nightlife, as well as many other foreigners to communicate with while, in some smaller ( especially inland rural ) cities, even the omnipresent mcdonald ' s may be hard to come by. also keep in mind that, as a rule, the more desirable the climate and living conditions are, the more selective the school can afford to be and, thus, those without degrees and experience will not be as competitive for the best jobs or, perhaps, any job in the most sought after locations ( typically in the southern and southeastern regions of china ). however, this limitation can often be overcome by a physical appearance, i. e., the ability to interview in person, especially if the school is in a rush to hire. while smaller cities in the north and west of china can afford less qualified teachers — as well as non - white, non - native speakers — an opportunity to teach english in china, they


person, especially if the school is in a rush to hire. while smaller cities in the north and west of china can afford less qualified teachers — as well as non - white, non - native speakers — an opportunity to teach english in china, they also tend to be the most provincial and xenophobic, presenting foreign teachers with some of the greatest challenges to adjustment they can possibly face. not surprisingly, the two provinces with the most desirable climatic conditions ( yunnan, with its " eternal spring " city of kunming, and the sub - tropical island of hainan province, home of the annual miss world beauty pageant in sanya with climatic conditions resembling those of south florida ) offer some of the lowest salaries for foreign teachers in the country. another issue you will want to keep in mind when selecting a teaching location in china has to do with the country ' s ubiquitous problem with air and water pollution. while it is true that every major industrial power in the world has developed at the expense of its own environment, it is also true that china ' s pollution problem has broken all records. according to its ministry of health, cancer caused by air and water pollution is now china ' s leading cause of death. according to the new york times, " ambient air pollution alone is blamed for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe drinking water. only 1 percent of the country ' s 560 million city dwellers breathe air considered safe by the european union " ( kahn and yardley, 2007 ). air quality charts derived from satellite data provided by the european space agency reveal that beijing and neighboring areas of northern china have the worst levels of sulfur dioxide pollution on the planet — due to a 50 percent increase in emissions over the past 10 years. and, according to the world bank organization, china is home to 16 of the world ' s 20 cities with the worst air pollution. finally, research conducted by the chinese academy on environmental planning reveals that 100 million people live in cities where the pollution reaches " very dangerous " levels ( watts, 2006 ). a big part of the problem is that china relies heavily on coal for about two - thirds of its energy needs. it has abundant supplies of coal and already burns more of it than the united states, europe and japan combined. a related problem is that china ' s industrial technology is antiquated and grossly inefficient, and uses up to 50 percent more energy than related industries do in the west. however, even many of its newest coal - fired power plants and industrial


is that china ' s industrial technology is antiquated and grossly inefficient, and uses up to 50 percent more energy than related industries do in the west. however, even many of its newest coal - fired power plants and industrial furnaces operate inefficiently and use pollution controls considered inadequate in western countries ( kahn & yardley, 2007 ). when considering job offers, it is also important to consider the quality of the air you will be breathing for the next 12 months. as a rule, any city in china that is known for its industrial production will also have a concomitantly poor api ( air pollution index ). in terms of air quality by region, the northeast of china will have considerably poorer air quality, overall, than eastern, southeastern, and coastal regions. if you are prone to respiratory infections, asthma or other pulmonary disorders, you should pay a great deal of attention to the air quality of the particular city you are considering accepting a job in. if you do accept a position in the northeast or in an otherwise polluted city in a different region, by all means bring along at least three courses of antibiotic treatment with you to china. see unit on healthcare in china for more information. finally, the china institute of public and environmental affairs monitors pollution levels throughout the entire country and publishes its findings online. an english version of the site is available and it is suggested that you check the various pollution levels of any city you are unfamiliar with before accepting a position there. china is not turning a blind eye to its rather serious pollution problem. in march 2004, president hu jintao first endorsed the idea of fostering a " scientific concept of development, " a slogan intended to suggest that in pursuing growth china should pay more attention to such issues as the environment and the depletion of natural resources ( economist, 2005 ). and there is every indication that this message was far more than just political rhetoric. china has implemented numerous changes in law and administrative policies intended to clean up its environment. just over the past few months, for example, china placed a ban on the use of thin plastic bags in january 2008 and, a month later, imposed a heavy carbon emissions tax on industries that fail to comply with new environmental protection regulations. in fact, the country is spending billions of dollars ( usd ) per year to address the problem of air and water pollution in response to the concern of it citizenry. a recent poll revealed that more than 10 percent of all chinese list environmental concerns as the nation ' s number


is spending billions of dollars ( usd ) per year to address the problem of air and water pollution in response to the concern of it citizenry. a recent poll revealed that more than 10 percent of all chinese list environmental concerns as the nation ' s number one issue ( as opposed to only 4 percent of all americans who list the environment as a primary concern ). air and water pollution is the fourth highest concern among the chinese after health care, employment, and the income - gap. according to the poll, the chinese rank environmental concerns higher than corruption, social security, housing prices, and the cost of education ( mongabay. com, 2008 ). the point is, improving the environment is not an issue the chinese are taking lightly. not unlike the mason - dixon line that invisibly divides the north from the south in the united states — with people of each region having their own identity as either a northerner or a southerner — china also has its own such line of division generally defined to be the qinling mountains and huai river ( huai he ) : also agriculturally referred to as the wheat / rice ( i. e., north / south ) division. like the united states, northern and southern chinese harbor both negative and positive stereotypes of one another, e. g., northerners are taller and bigger and have lighter skin, while southerners are shorter and smaller and have darker skin. skin color, as is true across asia, is a major concern to the chinese and most chinese women carry parasols with them throughout the summer months to prevent tanning. for primarily this reason, in the warmer coastal regions of china, most chinese will not go to the beach before 4 : 30 to 5 : 00 p. m., or until the sun begins to set. and even within major cities, you will find " northern vs. southern " stereotypes, e. g., beijing northerners are more cultured and sophisticated than their southern counterparts, etc. the standardized form of spoken chinese and the official language of the people ' s republic of china, as well as the republic of china ( taiwan ), is standard mandarin ( putonghua or guo2 yu3 ), based on the beijing dialect. however, there are between six to 12 main regional groups of chinese ( depending on which classification schema you read ), with mandarin, by far, being the most prevalent ( spoken by approximately 836 million people ). in descending order of prevalence, the other major groups are wu ( 77 million ), cantonese


chinese ( depending on which classification schema you read ), with mandarin, by far, being the most prevalent ( spoken by approximately 836 million people ). in descending order of prevalence, the other major groups are wu ( 77 million ), cantonese ( or yue4 yu3 at 71 million ), and min ( 60 million ; kane, 2006, p. 136 ; see map of linguistic groupings below ). to further complicate matters, virtually every province outside of the northeast has its own unique dialect ( e. g., in the way people from the state of georgia will speak english differently than those from new york ), as well as its own language, e. g., shanghai hua4, anhui hua, and hainan hua, etc. ( the last of which has nine tones : two more than cantonese and five more than standard putonghua ). thus it is accurate, although probably not politically correct, to think of every region as bilingual. the differences between the language groups are primarily spoken : the written forms are predominantly the same, and often you will observe cantonese - speaking natives of guangdong province and hong kong using a pen and paper to communicate with mandarin - speaking chinese. for those who are planning to formally study putonghua in china, the general consensus is that it is best to study in beijing or the northeast of china, e. g., shenyang, where standard beijing dialect is spoken. while it is true that standard mandarin is taught at all universities across china — often by faculty who hail from many different provinces — the essential advantage to studying putonghua in the northeast of china is that you will be immersed in the standard dialect after you leave the classroom instead of being surrounded by a non - standard dialect and, far worse, a second regional language altogether. by way of a personal example, and as an illustration of the effects of regional differences in language, i had lived and worked in hainan province for four years and acquired a vocabulary sufficient enough with which to communicate basic needs. i was able to converse comfortably with taxi drivers and waitresses, for example, and no one ever had any difficulty understanding my putonghua until i moved to guangzhou ( guangdong province ) that is. now, i must repeat myself numerous times and if the person is a native of guangdong, it is very likely they will never understand me at all ( those born in the north and northeast do, however ). i must have unconsciously acquired something of a hainanese dialect to my speech, just enough to


some thomson junior high students got a warm, fuzzy feeling while doing their math. and they ' re sharing that feeling with cancer patients. eighth - graders designed paper quilt squares using congruent pairs of right triangles cut from various sized squares. the math lesson was learned, and many others followed - - lessons of meaningful purpose, collaborative relationships, kindness and generosity. as a result, 35 real quilts will be donated to the children ' s oncology floor at the medical college of georgia. " i think they ' re pretty, " eighth - grader tierra collins said. " and it ' s good to help the sick children. " math coach sonya strong came up with the idea, which was inspired by retired teacher " mrs. nicholson " who made a quilt for mrs. strong ' s young daughter, sky, when she was going through radiation treatments for brain cancer several years ago. " this quilt is still very special to sky today, " mrs. strong said. " she still asks for it and uses it. " mrs. strong and history teacher vicki nicholson co - wrote a grant application for funds to make the quilts. the project was then approved by the mcduffie county board of education. making shapes and collages from cuts of colored paper is something teachers are accustomed to. transferring them to cloth and running them through a sewing machine was unfamiliar territory. assistant principal neal tam went to work and found some quilters called the " busy bees " at philadelphia united methodist church in harlem. " we are so grateful to mr. tam. without his assistance and diligence, we would not have ever known about the busy bees, " mrs. strong said. busy bees chris miller, janeth hitt, jana kennedy and roberta harris made child - sized quilts, using the students ' paper quilt squares as the patterns. the ladies brought several of the finished quilts to the school last week. " when the busy bees brought the quilts in, the kids gave them a standing ovation, " mrs. strong said. " the quilts exceeded anything we imagined. " not only was the project used to teach math concepts, but it was incorporated into history class where the students were learning about slavery in america - - quilts were used as maps for escapes to freedom via the underground railroad. " to help these kids understand the georgia performance standards while building character is so special, " mrs. strong said. " it was all inspired by mrs. nicholson. she is very much missed here ( at thomson - mcduffie


the baking industry is chock full of old ovens, many of which have been around for 20, 30, 40 and even 50 years. the baking industry also is full of new ovens with old designs. although ovens may appear shiny on the outside, their baking chambers and control systems merely are repeats of old designs with slight modifications at best. however, a new breed of ovens slowly is infiltrating the baking industry. these ovens apply the latest advancements in electronic controls and challenge common design theories. these ovens bake, control and manage energy consumption better than old ovens. more importantly, they solve common problems that plague most ovens in the industry. when purchasing your next oven, make sure it addresses the following issues : 1 ) baking chamber : for years, baking chambers have been painted steel finishes. but is this necessarily the most efficient method? one oven manufacturer says no, and has designed an oven that uses stainless steel in its baking chamber to improve the radiant heating process. 2 ) burners and ignition systems : as energy prices continue to skyrocket, any measure designed to save energy pays big dividends. as ovens are major consumers of energy, bakers should examine new ovens carefully to ensure that they have the capabilities to monitor burners. in older ovens, if a burner fails to ignite, gas continues to be sent to the burner. new ovens feature control systems that automatically turn the burners ’ valves off if they do not ignite, which reduces gas consumption. in addition, ovens with advanced electronic controls also alert operators that a burner is malfunctioning. a baker also should make sure an oven ’ s burners are electronically controlled through plc ’ s, which provide independent burner controls. this measure reduces gas consumption by shutting off and turning on burners during the bake cycle to maintain consistent temperatures throughout the oven. 3 ) controls : oven control is one of the most important aspects of baking, and one of the biggest advancements in new ovens. whereas old ovens use switches to control baking, new ovens feature encoder control systems that are controlled through a plc. this allows bakers to change an oven parameter automatically through a plc, instead of manually modifying switches. " your operator has more control over the oven, hence more even baking and less energy usage, " one oven manufacturer says. ovens with operator interfaces used in conjunction with plc ’ s also provide bakers enhanced controls to better manage product changeovers. "


talos was a giant creature made of bronze in greek mythology, that some writers say was the last survivor from the bronze age of man. from greek λως ; lat. talus there are suppositions that the name " talos " in the old cretan language meant the sun, and that zeus was known in crete by the similar name of zeus tallaios. according to one version of the myths he was created in sardinia by hephaestus on zeus ' command, who gave him to the cretan king minos. in another version talos came to crete with zeus to watch over his love europa, and minos received him as a gift from her. talos ' purpose was to run from his seat in phaestos around the island three times a day and to throw rocks at any foreign ship coming to crete without permission. when people from sardinia attempted to invade crete, talos made himself glow in the fire and he clutched the soldiers in a fiery embrace with a wild grimace, burning them to death. this led to the term " sardonic grin. " talos was a very strong creature that had but one weak spot on his body, the vein in his ankle. his bronze body was kept alive by an ichor contained in that single vein. when the nail is removed, talos ' s ichor flows out, exsanguinating and killing him. according to apollodorus, talos was slain either when medea the sorceress drove him mad with drugs, deceived him that she would make him immortal by removing the nail, or was killed by poeas ' s arrow. in the argonautica, medea hypnotizes him from the argo, driving him mad so that he dislodges the nail himself and dies. talos had one vein which went from his neck to his ankle, bound shut by only one bronze nail. the argo, containing jason and the argonauts, approached crete after obtaining the golden fleece. as guardian of the island, talos kept the argo at bay by hurling great boulders at it. medea convinced talos that she would give him a secret potion that would make him immortal if he would let her stop on the island. talos agreed and drank the potion, and it made him fall asleep. medea went to him in his sleep and pulled the plug in his ankle, whereupon talos bled to death ( argonautica 4. 1638 )


on the island. talos agreed and drank the potion, and it made him fall asleep. medea went to him in his sleep and pulled the plug in his ankle, whereupon talos bled to death ( argonautica 4. 1638 ). other stories say that when medea tried to land on the island, talos scraped his ankle on a rock while trying to fight her off and bled to death. according to an entirely different version, talos was killed by the argonaut poeas, who shot him in the ankle with an arrow ( apollodorus 1. 140 ). the story is somewhat reminiscent of the story regarding the heel of achilles - achilles, like talos, could not be killed unless he was shot in the heel. from ancient times various versions of this myth existed. first of all, this bronze creature talos and his special anatomy represented a mythological transformation of a technique used for creating bronze statues, which was called " lost wax. " this process of making bronze figures was common after the 16th century bce in crete, especially at phaestos, which was believed to be the mythical dwelling of talos. according to apollodorus and argonautica, talos may have been a member of the ageg of bronze generation which had survived to the age of the demigods. europa took him to crete and he stayed there, circling the island ' s shore three times daily while guarding it. he threw rocks at any approaching ship. a political interpretation of the myth tells that talos is the minoan fleet armed with metallic weapons. when the greeks from the argo defeat him, the power of crete vanishes. robert graves suggests that this myth is based on a misinterpretation of a picture of athena demonstrating the lost wax process for casting bronze, which daedalus brought to sardinia.


i have been thinking lately about how many states and locations have unique record sets that can really give a boost to those doing slave research. for example, how slave births in virginia are recorded from the year 1853, and how maryland ’ s slave statistics name the last slaveowner as well as surnames for most slaves. they may not survive for every county within a state, but if they do, you ’ re in for a treat. for those who had enslaved ancestors in washington, d. c., a wonderful set of records exist. the national archives has the following : records of the u. s. circuit court for the district of columbia relating to slaves, 1851 - 1863 ( m433 ) - these rolls include emancipation, manumission papers, freedom affidavits, and fugitive slave case papers habeas corpus case records of the u. s. circuit court for the district of columbia, 1820 - 1863 ( m434 ) both of these first two have very good information for those of us descended from slaves. christine ’ s genealogy website has indexed parts of several of these records on her website : an even more exciting set of records exist. d. c. enacted an emancipation act in 1862 where the federal government agreed to pay slaveowners up to $ 300 for each slave laboring in d. c. slaveowners applied in droves. this created the record set : records of the board of commissioners for the emancipation of slaves in the district of columbia ( m520 ) these record sets include the petitions of each slaveowner to qualify under the terms of the act. in most cases, they provided very detailed physical descriptions of the slaves, what kind of work they did, and amazingly enough, the circumstances of where and how they acquired each slave. sometimes, that can take us years to discover, if we are ever able to discover it! they even oftentimes reveal those very precious relationships among enslaved ancestors that are so hard to come by. even luckier for us, dorothy provine has published all of these record sin a wonderful book i just purchased, “ compensated emancipation in the district of columbia ”. the book is available for purchase from heritage books. this book is well worth the purchase price. mrs. provine also produced a volume called “ district of columbia free negro registers, 1821 - 1861 ”. a few examples will illustrate the richness of the records ( these are abstracted, the originals are more detailed ) : - petition of alfred y. robinson, of pg county, md for


district of columbia free negro registers, 1821 - 1861 ”. a few examples will illustrate the richness of the records ( these are abstracted, the originals are more detailed ) : - petition of alfred y. robinson, of pg county, md for edward humphrey, age 35 or 40, mulatto …. robinson inherited him from his mother elizabeth robinson and has held him for over 30 years. - petition of william gunton, administrator for william a. gunton, for two slaves, joshua and hennie. the late william a. gunton purchased joshua from william tolson, hennie was a gift from john b. mullihan of pg county to his daughter upon her marriage to his son, william a. gunton on june 20, 1848. - petition of mary a. smoot, for two persons, henry and margaret. smoot ’ s grandmother, the late mrs. mary b. smoot, left these persons to her by a will that was recorded in d. c. in june 1857 - petition of matthew mcleod, for ellen cole, age 51 or 52. he acquired title from the will of his mother - in - law, mrs. mary manning of st. mary ’ s county, and later the will of his deceased wife. - petition of anna bradley for william and james ( brothers ). bradley acquired title from her mother. william and james ’ great - grandmother, patty (!!! ) was a slave of bradley ’ s mother, elizabeth ann king, long since deceased. her mother acquired patty from john hammond, her father (!!! ), late of annapolis, md. bradley states she also became the owner of jenny, the daughter, and of mary, the granddaughter of patty (!!! ). mary was the mother of william and james and thus they have belonged to bradley since their birth. aren ’ t these records incredible?? as you can see, many slaves were employed in d. c. but were owned by people living in maryland and virginia as well as a few other states. i found some important clues regarding several owners of my montgomery county, md ancestors, who also applied under the act. christine ’ s genealogy website also has an name index to these petitions on her website. i hope if d. c. is one of your research areas ( or someone you know ) you will check these records out. and keep hope alive – a record set like this may open up one day for your state and county. we can always hope, right?


william benzon is a cognitive scientist and jazz trumpeter. his book, beethoven ' s anvil : music in mind and culture, is a great introduction to the psychology of music. the sources are well - researched, and benzon makes clear distinctions between speculative theory and observed facts. this is particularly important, given his bias towards evolutionary psychology. part of the book is an effort to determine why humans evolved to " musick " – benzon ' s general term for all activities involving music : listening, performing, composing, dancing, etc. – with several theories presented and tied to observed phenomenon from anthropology, brain scans, and linguistics. but even if you think ep is a load of bunk, the preliminary steps benzon makes are interesting in their own right. he discusses the triune and split - brain models of the mind, manfred clynes ' sentics, rhythm perception, melody perception, auditory streaming, and the creative process. benzon has a very interesting thesis that " music is a medium through which individual brains are coupled together in shared activity. " ( p. 23 ) while there are many activities that require social interactions between individuals, music is special with its rhythmic component. repeated rhythmic patterns have been shown to entrain biological functions, including cognitive functions. and as music allows many people to take part in the entrainment, either as performers or as listeners, it is particularly effective in forming cohesive social bonds. this is his favorite theory of musical ep, that music evolved as a means of allowing humans to bond in larger and larger groups ( demes and macrodemes, as termed by linnda caporeal. ) benzon tells engaging stories of music - making, and explains the science aspects very clearly yet thoroughly. i think it is too geared to social psychology for me to adopt it as a classroom text, but i highly recommend it for anyone interested in the intersections of music and psychology.


can captured carbon save coal - fired power? extracting carbon dioxide from power plant exhaust and storing it underground may be the only hope to avoid a climate change catastrophe caused by burning fossil fuels david biello, june 22, 2009 ( scientific american ) summary it is no wonder the dream of “ clean ” coal is so seductive. the use of coal as a fuel causes 40 % of all greenhouse gas emissions ( ghgs ) in the world. yet coal is especially abundant in the world ’ s biggest ghg - generating nations, china and the u. s. many of the same scientists whose opinions form the foundation of the climate science validating global climate change, like the international panel on climate change ( ipcc ), also believe the only way climate change can be stopped is by using carbon capture and sequestration ( ccs ) technology, or “ clean ” coal, to eliminate the ghg spew. there are important and prominent exceptions. james hansen, the nasa climate scientist who first called public attention to the significance of atmospheric ghg accumulations in the 1980s, staunchly opposes the use of coal in any form and has courageously committed acts of civil disobedience to stop it. the seductiveness of " clean " coal ' s promise is irresistable to politicians. leaders in the eu and australia have directed big investments in its development. the obama administration ’ s economic stimulus package allotted $ 3. 4 billion for “ clean ” coal r & d and h. r. 2454, the landmark energy and climate bill just approved by the u. s. house of representatives, allocated $ 60 billion more for “ clean coal ” test projects. click to enlarge recognizing that the coal plants that began operating after 2000 will generate more ghgs in their 50 - year lifetimes than all the human coal burning between the middle of the 18th century and the turn of the millennium, even the natural resources defense council ( nrdc ), the environmental defense fund ( edf ) and the clean air task force back legislation that funds “ clean ” coal r & d. their dream is of a technological breakthrough that will " solve the problem " of coal. the sierra club and greenpeace have their doubts. to bring the world ’ s ghg - concentration to 80 % below 1990 levels by 2050 – the ipcc ’ s prescription – requires immediate action. “ clean ” coal does not presently exist as a solution to rising ghgs and climate change. new energy and a whole science of energy efficiency are available right


below 1990 levels by 2050 – the ipcc ’ s prescription – requires immediate action. “ clean ” coal does not presently exist as a solution to rising ghgs and climate change. new energy and a whole science of energy efficiency are available right now. investing in them will build an emissions - free new energy infrastructure immediately and grow technologies that actually exist right now instead of spending money on a seductive technology that may someday be of great service. why is there no “ clean ” coal? because it is too expensive. the international energy agency ( iea ) says bringing ccs technology up to speed will take at least $ 20 billion and 10 years. the american coalition for clean coal electricity ( accce ), a coal industry mouthpiece, says it will take $ 17 billion and 15 years. but the seductive promise of " clean " coal keeps the coal industry fired up. there are 2 distinct parts to “ clean ” coal : ( 1 ) capture and ( 2 ) sequestration. both have been shown to be possible - at a price. norway ’ s statoilhydro, with experience working the north sea oilfields since the 1980s, began taking the carbon dioxide ( co2 ) out of natural gas at its north sea sleipner field and pumping it back below the 250 - meter - thick band of sandstone formations 1, 000 meters under the ocean in 1996. about 12 million metric tons of co2 has been pumped into the sandstone, which has a relatively impermeable 200 - meter - thick layer of shale and mudstone over it. statoil monitors it closely. there has been no leakage in over a decade. the sleipner experiment. ( click to enlarge ) in 1986 at lake nyos in cameroon, 2 million metric tons of naturally sequestered co2 spontaneously vented, pushing away the oxygen in the air and suffocating 1, 000 nearby villagers. sonogram monitoring shows the once liquid co2 beneath sleipner is now a thin layer on the sandstone using 0. 0001 % of the available sequestration area. statoil recently began a similar sequestration project at the snøhvit natural gas field in the barents sea, using a 150 - kilometer pipeline to inject co2 into the seabed. in 2004, bp partnered with statoil and others on the in salah natural gas field in algeria. they are pumping captured co2 into the underlying saline aquifer to stabilize the fields. where gas


( in salah ) to more than $ 90 per metric ton ( gasification ). a new power plant burning pulverized coal and using amine scrubbers, according to a u. s. department of energy ( doe ) may 2007 estimate, could capture 90 % of its co2 and generate $ 114 per megawatt - hour ( mw - h ) electricity. plants without ccs generate $ 63 per mw - h electricity. doe estimated that the gasification method would generate $ 103 per mw - h electricity. this would add about $ 0. 04 per kilowatt - hour ( kw - h ) to a consumer ’ s utility bill, making coal as expensive or more expensive than wind - or natural gas - generated electricity. at these high prices, there are small plants capturing their co2 ( the 180 - mw warrior run power plant in maryland, the kingsport power plant in tennessee ). there are more such small - scale projects planned. vattenfall will expand the schwarze pumpe operation and convert janschwalde in germany and nordjylland in denmark by 2015. australia ( zerogen ) and china ( greengen ) are both building what they hope will be zero - emissions plants using gasification ( igcc ) technology. click to enlarge the obama administration plans to resurrect the futuregen project, a 275 - megawatt igcc plant that would theoretically capture 90 % of its ghgs. it was cancelled under president bush because of the cost. but doe now has stimulus money and energy / climate bill money and a loan guarantee program to foster ccs r & d projects like futuregen, regardless of the cost. duke energy will spend $ 2. 35 billion on a 630 - megawatt igcc plant in edwardsport, ind., that could be the first utility - scale ccs project. but it will only capture 18 % of its ghgs by 2013. it will likely cost a lot more to be more efficient. american electric power will capture 3 % of the ghgs from its 1, 300 - megawatt mountaineer power plant in west virginia later this year. it will inject the captured co2 3 kilometers underground. ( the locals, already organized to fight mountaintop removal mining processes, are not pleased. ) the erora group ( kentucky ), summit power ( west texas ), tenaska ( taylorville, ill., and sweetwater, tex. ), bp and southern company also have projects in


removal mining processes, are not pleased. ) the erora group ( kentucky ), summit power ( west texas ), tenaska ( taylorville, ill., and sweetwater, tex. ), bp and southern company also have projects in the works, though many previous planned projects were set aside when the planners confronted the real costs involved. things may be different now, however. a lot of federal support is available and 2 federal policies, one requiring utilities to obtain emissions - free energy and another putting a price on emissions, make new projects potentially more economic. click to enlargecommentary the u. s. is thought to have 100 - years of storage capacity in its geologic reservoirs of permeable sandstone and deep saline aquifers. much of that storage capacity is near where many of the 4, 600 large industrial consumers burn coal in the u. s., in the midwest, southeast and west. sequestration of co2 may be relatively safe, as advocates contend. the co2 seems to dissolve into the substance of the sandstone and saline formations or, over longer spans, form carbonate minerals with the surrounding rock. because of this chemistry, some attempts to pump out co2 from trial sequestration sites failed completely. but no commercial insurance company has yet volunteered to take long - term financial responsibility for sequestration sites. if only governments will insure sequestration, the question of the cost – like the question of insuring nuclear power plants - comes into play. competing and much safer new energies will appear more expensive if the value of " clean " coal ' s federally underwritten insurance is not included in cost calculations. this is one of the ways the nuclear energy industry has deceptively created the impression its electricity is cost - competitive. the ipcc ’ s 2005 special report on ccs said a properly selected sequestration site should securely store at least 99 percent of the sequestered co2 for more than 1, 000 years. that ’ s going to be hard to validate, much less insure. igcc gasification. ( click to enlarge ) there are many potential sequestration sites, but if the world intends to continue relying on “ clean ” coal indefinitely, it will surely run out of affordable storage. it can also count on running out of economically recoverable coal, probably by the middle of this century, if not sooner. both of these limitations will make ccs coal - generated electricity more and more costly. on the other hand, the new energies that