Mitosis Animation

By Joshua Todd

(Animation made using IStopMotion App on an iPad.) 

Mitosis has two major functions. One of which is to help us grow. The other is to help us heal from injuries. There are four steps in mitosis. the first one is Prophase.

Prophase, the "premiere"

We call Prophase the "premier" because it is the first step in mitosis, in which the chromosomes wind up and become visible.

Metphase, the "middle"

We call Metaphase "middle" because it is where the doubled chromosomes (sister chromatids) line up across the center of the cell for the spindle fibers to attach to the center of each chromosome.

Anaphase, moving "apart"

We call Anaphase "apart" because the doubled chromosomes get pulled to the opposite side by the spindle fibers to create daughter cells.

Telophase, the "twins"

We have a metaphor for Telophase it is "twin" the reason we call it "twin" is because the chromosomes cluster in the new nuclear membrane of the newly made cells.

C Major Chord Inversions

This short video shows the base chord and the two inversions for C major. The base chord is simple, key that the chord is in is the lowest chord, which is C. The first inversion takes the lowest key and shoots up an octave. The same thing happens for the second inversion. The reason why there is no third inversion is because taking the last key that wasn't put up one octave would make the base chord, just up one octave. Each provides a unique pitch for the key of C.

Principles of Civil Discourse

civ.il

ADJECTIVE

• courteous and polite

dis.course

NOUN

• written or spoken communication or debate

VERB

• to speak authoritatively about a topic

taken from Oxford Dictionaries  

1. Keep discussions civil. We are friends, colleagues, and family--each of us has a meaningful connection with our friends on social media due to the admiration and respect that we have towards one another. Likewise, each of my friends is skilled, educated, and hard working. Why else would we keep up with one another through social media if we did not appreciate these positive attributes? 

2. Expect differences. It is entirely possible to have different opinions  on issues and still have respectful discussions. Work to come to an understanding of the other’s point of view, not to agreement. This is an invitation for discourse. I am not expecting to change your mind and you should not expect to change mine. But I do expect to understand your point of view better and hope to convey mine more clearly to you. 

3. No ad hominem attacks. Why? Refer to principle 1. 

4. Keep to the topic by not hijacking another’s thread. If you wish to bring up other issues, start another thread. Those who would like to participate can post in such a thread should they wish to.  

5. Facts, not funding. Please don’t start posting that some candidate or group is funded by such and such organization or by this corporation or by those brothers. Such information gets away from the topic and facts presented in the thread and sound conspiratorial. In addition to being a distraction, this line of thought rarely produces a compelling argument. Civil discourse also means respecting the intent of person who first posted a thread. (Refer to principle 4.) Unless someone posts about political funding, striving to point to sources of funding for particular information strays from the original intent of the thread. 

6. Everyone is biased. We all have experiences and world views that paint our view of issues. Therefore everyone has bias. However, being biased does not mean that one cannot present a reasoned and factual argument. Thus, pointing out another participant’s bias in no way refutes or undermines any point that he or she makes.  (This also violates principle number 4.)

7. Respect empathy. Noting that someone is white and male is an observation, not an argument. Profound insights can be offered by others even though they do not fit a particular demographic. Keep discussions limited to the issue in the thread, not to the other participants' gender and/or skin tones.

8. Be concise. (More like a tweet than a novella.) Taking time to distill one's thoughts provides clarity to what was written and is more likely to be read. In addition, such writing respects the time of those participating and makes it easier for the other respondents to know what points to respond to. 

The Arm

Few things struck more fear into my young heart than seeing my brother, John, with a snowball. For in the skirmish that would ensue, I knew John would triumph.

There were good reasons why John was one of the pitchers for his little league baseball team. He had a great arm. He threw hard and straight. I learned early on to run when John started throwing projectiles as he was the best thrower in my family. Snowball fights were an annual tradition. John liked to instigate these fights. I’m certain that my brothers and I spent more time building and throwing snowballs than we ever did in attempting to build snowmen or snow forts. And true to form, in these battles I found that John was to be feared the most. John threw with painful accuracy and was daring in his attacks. His smirk and twinkling eyes revealed his confidence and joy at the sport we were sharing in those times. Mom and Dad were usually not around to monitor these fights. We had to fend off our older brothers’ attacks on our own. 

I suspect that John was the one in my family who perfected a special pair of snowball-making gloves that allowed the user to craft hard, near-perfect baseball-sized snowballs. Making snowballs, you see, has certain challenges. Using ones bare hands produces compact snowballs, but you could only build a few before ones hands became too numb to make more snowballs. Heavy gloves kept your hands warm, but their bulky nature prevents you from sculpting the snowball into the desired shape. My older brothers perfected a design by combining lightweight cotton gloves, which allowed your fingers to move freely while providing some warmth, and covering them with a pair of Dad’s surgical gloves. The result was a pair of gloves that allowed the one wearing them to stay warm and dry while perceiving exactly what the snow was doing beneath your hands. Again, I am not sure if John was the main engineer behind these gloves, but I remember that he used them to efficiently manufacture and dispatch numerous snowballs. 

Snowballs were not his only projectile. He also threw tennis balls, water balloons, Nerf footballs, rocks, dirt clods, and eggs; all of which tended to be thrown in the general direction of his younger siblings. I, for one, was happy to oblige these impromptu skirmishes by throwing whatever projectile he was using back at John.  One day at our uncle’s house, John decided to make the game of darts more exciting. Instead of throwing them at the target John proposed that we throw them at each other. And by proposing I mean that he started tossing them at us. And, as you have no doubt come to suspect, Mom and Dad were upstairs, unaware of this interesting turn to the game. 

Now it wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds. Well, that’s what we tell ourselves now. The goal was simple: to not flinch while we alternatively threw darts close to the feet and legs of the other competitors. And, in keeping with his throwing prowess, John won the competition as he was able to make us flinch more than we were able to make him do so. (Granted, John was called on one fault when he sunk a dart into my shoe. Fortunately, my shoes were oversized and the needle of the dart landed between my toes.) It was fun, but we did realize later that “Flinch" was not the wisest game we every played. 

John Todd enjoying time in the mountains.

Walking home up our driveway from elementary school did pose certain dangers regarding projectiles. My older siblings would be dropped off earlier by the school bus and, on occasion, would post themselves atop a haystack or behind a section of fence in the corral with an armful of rotten eggs they had gathered from our chickens. You can imagine our horror when we realized that we were under assault from these odiferous orbs. We had a distinct disadvantage as we had no eggs to throw back and no shelter, so we just had to run, occasionally throwing a rock to keep my brothers back at a safe distance, and hope that we could make it inside the house before getting hit. Our parents, I realized gloomily, could not stop the carnage as Mom was well up the road at home and Dad was still at work. 

One afternoon John opted to carry out this kind of attack on us by himself. And due to his growing skills, the attack arose in us the same fear that we had when he and my two oldest brothers had thrown eggs at us in years past. Fortunately, he ran out of eggs and went in search of some more ammo in our hen house. This was an opportunity! I knew I couldn’t match his arm, but I was stealthy. I furtively approached the hen house and locked the door just as I saw John returning.  He had two handfuls of eggs. Even though he could not throw eggs through the fence that enclosed the hen house, I ran, glancing back in time to see the familiar smirk disappear from John’s face as he came to understand his predicament. I think I left him in there for twenty minutes. That’s what happens when Mom and Dad are not on hand. The best that I can recall, John never threw an egg at me again. 

John’s skill in throwing made sense to me when I considered his interest and aptitude in physics. He enhanced his understanding of projectiles by becoming a master of Ping Pong  He was clearly the best of us at the game. He bought a book to learn more about how to play and he developed a strange way of holding his paddle that produced a great deal of spin and power when he unleashed a backhand hit. John even bought a pricey paddle with a tacky surface that could be used to generate more spin on the ball. John’s interest in projectiles extended to the field of physics, where he ended up graduating with a physics degree from CU. 

After Mom divorced Dad, and my older brothers had gone on to college, the annual snowball fights were no longer a tradition. But I do remember that John was back on Christmas break from college one year and fresh snow had fallen to the ground. And as usual, John was instigated a grand snowball fight that night. That was a fun night.

After John graduated and Mike and I went off to college, our projectile battles were no longer possible. John and I did not see each other for years as work took us to different states. But once he and Heidi moved back to Colorado, we found that we were able to visit in the summer. I was also able to stop by when my travel schedule allowed. On a visit to his home one summer I was reminded of our friendly battles as children. I found John and his son, Sebastian, enjoying playing catch in their backyard. Given John’s love for thrown projectiles, I found the scene most fitting. 

Time with John

One bittersweet and painful yearning that I have come to know coming from the passing of those we love is an enduring and anguished desire for more time, even if it would be for just a day or a few hours more with the ones we love. It seems that this life, filled with its endless duties and activities, is no substitute for having more time to spend connecting with those we love. And even though I will look on the time I spent with my brother with gratefulness, I will always long for more.

Uncle John and Joshua teaming up for a game of Guestures.

John stayed with us one Friday night in October. We were pleased he stopped by as we knew he could have traveled further that night, perhaps spending the night in Reno in order to get home sooner. In that short night John showed all of the traits that made him a much-loved brother, uncle, and friend. John had come in after 8:00 p.m. and had to leave us early the next morning for the long drive home to his family in Colorado. My sons were looking forward to their uncle’s visit all week. When he arrived they eagerly showed him their rooms, toys, cats, and new skills they had developed with yo-yos since he had last seen them that summer. They were clearly pleased that John was there, even if they were able to visit with him only for a couple of hours before they had to go to bed. Jami and I were, too. John was tired from a full day’s work and from driving from the bay area to our house in northern California. But even though he was tired, John took the time to talk with my sons, learning how their sports and school were going. Before 5:00 a.m. the next morning John was gone, and we were left wishing his visit could have been longer.

John was very smart. He applied himself in school, earning scholarships and performing well in college and graduate school. I recall my older brother’s studious nature when we were still at home, seeing his schoolbooks and assignments piled up neatly on his desk, and often observing a light in his room late at night while he completed homework. I believe he was the first of us to take honors classes. He even had a smart looking jacket for joining the National Honor Society in high school, which I thought was pretty cool. John’s hard working nature continued to motivate him to provide for his family, putting in long hours to make sure that Heidi and his children had the things they would need.

John was versed in a range of topics of scientific, technological, and mathematical in nature. He was pleased to learn that my sons had an aptitude for math and were expressing an interest in studying it in college, perhaps as mechanical engineers, in biotechnology, or as computer programmers, as John himself had done. He encouraged them to pursue this interest. The work he put in at school and in providing for his family was a great example for my sons of how hard a father and husband should work in school and in a career.

Hiking in Golden Gate State Park with John and Sebastian.

My brother was also great with kids and teenagers. This disposition was evident over 20 years go when he was a lifeguard and swim teacher in the summers as a young man. And anyone with children who spent time with John would no doubt have appreciated how engaging he was with even small children. My sons loved how fun their uncle was, enjoying his clever teasing and playful way, where John always wore a sly smile as his mind quickly thought of additional ways to make my boys laugh. John readily connected with children and was especially tender with his own young sons. Whether on a hike or an impromptu game of stickball in his backyard, John was always up to having adventures with his boys. He would often do this while holding hands with one of his sons or carrying the other on his shoulders and gently encouraging them along by lovingly calling, “Come on, Bug.”

John liked to talk. I started to appreciate this when I lived in Texas and I had opportunity to call John from time to time. During our phone calls I found that he was genuinely interested in what my work was like, how my wife and kids were, while he shared with me how his work was going and how his family was doing. At times during these calls we would also respectfully debate politics and religion, even though we had clearly different views on most of these issues. And when our travels allowed us to be together, with the kids asleep, we would talk for hours. Our conversations were interesting and usually unhurried, as is fitting with friends.

I still have his phone number in my contacts. I am most reluctant to remove it, wishing more than anything that I could call him again. I know those who also spent time talking with John will miss this too.

Heidi helping Sebastian see what his cousins are doing.

John and Heidi talked about everything. Jami and I would learn that they had thoroughly discussed the numerous domestic issues that come up in a young family that is in the midst of running a home and raising children. Both of them would laugh at the other’s take on a disagreement. In these discussions Heidi would call him, “Husband!” and he would call her, “Woman!” as part of their effort to persuade the spouse of the soundness of their own view while teasing the other one for theirs. These spats were never over serious issues, and Jami and I considered ourselves privileged that the two of them would humorously review their debates in front of us.

John was also devoted to and loved Heidi deeply. This was obvious to me when I was in college and I had not yet met Heidi, and would not for a few years. It didn’t take long for John to bring up Heidi in any conversation we had. This occurred for a period of 2 or 3 years with me never meeting Heidi due to our school schedules and due to a move that Jami and I did shortly after getting married. Invariably, every time I would see John or talk to him by phone he would bring up Heidi. I had not yet met her, and had I not received corroboration from my mom and siblings, I would have doubted that she existed. She seemed so perfect in John’s descriptions. 

Fortunately, I did get to meet Heidi after they moved back to Colorado. I now understood why John was always able to talk about her. It made sense; they were great together. We couldn’t help but think of the Heidi when we thought of John. John was very loyal to Heidi, being conscientious to do things that would benefit their marriage and working hard so that they could buy a house, even getting it remodeled, so that they could have the home that they dreamed of for their young family. 

A final trait that I wish to share about John was his sensitive nature. John cared about others, showing concern for their needs and feelings. One might not note this attribute in John when first meeting him because of his mischievous nature. After all, we often think of those who play pranks, although they may be funny, as showing a degree of callousness towards others. This was not so with John. He cared about what others thought about him. He considered the impact of his words and actions on others and would apologize if he hurt someone.

The young father playing with his first son.

Early the next morning in October I got up at 4:30 to cook John breakfast. He had a long drive ahead so I wanted him to eat something hearty. He informed me the night before that he had snacks, and really did not need me to get up. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way; it was a chance for us to talk. Over breakfast we shared plans for Christmas, looked at the weather conditions, and talked about getting together next summer when we anticipated that we would once again get our two families together. And even though I wished that he could have spent more time with us, it was a treat to have him over for the night. I never imagined that as I saw him drive away early that morning that I was seeing John for the last time. That would be the only time that John visited our home.

And more time is what we all would want. Time, I’ve realized, is one of our most valuable possessions. It should be spent wisely as it is the only asset we spend that we cannot exchange for something else should we discover that we invested it poorly. Time is also one of the greatest gifts you can give to someone else because, and when given whole-heartedly, spending time with another is a giving of oneself.

John’s death was tragic and a loss for his family, my family, and for numerous others who counted themselves blessed to have John as their friend. We all wish that we could have spent much more time with John. We all also grieve at the loss of the anticipated experiences that we know John would have brought to each of our lives were he still alive today. Now, with the time each of us has left, let us evaluate where we are investing it. May the memory of John Robert Todd motivate us to make the most of every minute, freely expressing love for our family and friends and fully living in the moments we have now. May we grow in our ability to measure the true value of what we spend our time doing and may that help us make the people we have in our lives the priority that they should be. And may each of us make time to be with Heidi and her boys to support them now and for the many years to come. I can think of no greater investment that John would want us to make to honor him than to spend time ministering to Heidi and to her sons, sharing memories of John and helping his sons to never forget how great and loving a man their father was. And as we see these two boys grow and take on those traits that we admired in our brother and friend, may we be on hand to affirm them in his sons. And I pray that God will bless these anticipated times, creating special memories for Heidi, Sebastian, and Oscar, that will cause John to live within each of their hearts forever.

 Overlook at summit of Golden Gate State Park trail with John, Sebastian, and my family.

First Memories of Grandpa

One of my earliest memories of grandpa was when he took my dad and I to one of his most favorite fishing holes. I was 5 at the time, so I remember that the horses were very big and I was afraid that they would buck me off, or step on me! But luckily I had Dad with me. He held the reigns and all I had to do was sit. I reminded Dad every couple minutes, however, not to go too fast because it would give me a tummy ache. 

Grandpa was excited to go fishing with us. I remember when we got to the fishing hole I saw a fish jump straight out of the water, and he said “There’ll probably be more of them fish when we get our lures out.” Sure enough, we caught a fish, and I was excited at first. But as I got closer, I saw that it was still moving. I got scared. I didn’t want to touch a slimy fish!

But now I like fishing very much.  Mind you, I haven’t had to gut one yet, so that may change, but this is one of my earliest memories of my Grandpa, and I like to recall it often.

--Jonathan Todd

Grandpa's Yard

My favorite thing about Grandpa’s house is his yard. There are a lot of things that I like to do in his backyard. My favorite is using my BB gun and pellet gun to shoot at a block of wood. I like doing this because we can’t shoot our guns in the backyard of our house in California. If you pump up the pellet gun, it makes a loud sound and the pellet gets stuck in the wood. Another thing I like to do in Grandpa’s backyard is play with my cousins. Last summer we played tag, volleyball, football and soccer. I also loved to play in a toy car that I could get in. I am glad that I got to play in Grandpa’s backyard. 

--Joshua Todd