old_contents: def balanceness(paren_series):
      indicator = 0
      for paren in paren_series:
          if paren == u'(':
              indicator += 1
          elif paren == u')':
              indicator -= 1
  
          # At any point in time, if a ')' precedes a '(', then the series
          # of parenthesis is broken.
          if indicator < 0
              reutrn -1
  
new_contents: def balanceness(paren_series):
      indicator = 0
      for paren in paren_series:
          print paren
          if paren == u'(':
              indicator += 1
          elif paren == u')':
              indicator -= 1
  
          # At any point in time, if a ')' precedes a '(', then the series
          # of parenthesis is broken, and the rest of the string does not need
          # to be traversed.
          if indicator < 0:
              return -1
  
      # If the indicator has remained greater than or equal to 0 the whole
      # traversal of the string, then no ')'s have preceded unclosed '('s.
      if indicator is 0:
          # An indicator = 0 means an equal number of '('s and ')'s.
          return 0
      else:
          # An indicator > 1 means a greater number of '('s than ')'s.
          return 1
  
subject: Complete quick attempt at function.