Entries by Craig Harris

Pure Imagination

The Soul Matters theme form May is Imagination. In the movie Willie Wonka, children are brought into a wondrous place where candy of all sizes and shapes abounds. Willie sings to them about the joy of letting their imaginations run free. Here is Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka, singing Pure Imagination.

How can clams save lives in Poland?

Clams and some other mollusks filter water to remove debris and pollutants. A water station in Poland has a setup wherein eight clams are monitoring the city’s drinking water. When they encounter heavy metals, pesticides or other pollutants, they close their shells. They are hooked up to computers that register whether their shells are open […]

Peter’s Place

The Share the Plate recipient for May is Peter’s Place, which provides no-cost groups and other support services for grieving children and families. They also deliver school-based educational programs on the effects of death and grief. Share the Plate receives half of all plate collections and funds received by text: $20 to 610-756-8883 for a […]

What state has a “state monster?”

Every state has designations for things like state flower, state dog, even state dessert. But Washington is the only state to have a state monster. In 1970, Washington’s governor issued a proclamation declaring Sasquatch the state monster of Washington; he even affixed a lock of the legendary monster’s supposed hair to the document. However, the […]

What animals can hold a grudge longer than their lives?

You would think that a grudge would end when an animal dies. Not so with a murder – a murder or group of crows, that is. Crows tend to live for 5-7 years. If one member of a murder has a serious grudge against someone, their murder has been known to display anger against them […]

Our Ministerial Candidate

Rev. Laura Solomon has been selected as the candidate to become the settled minister of UUCDC. Her breadth of experience, her compassion, her ability to preach and foster trust showed the Ministerial Search Committee that Rev. Laura is the person best suited to lead our congregation. On Sunday, April 27, the Ministerial Search Committee will […]

MINISTERIAL SEARCH COMPLETE!

After a nearly year-long process, a candidate for settled minister at UUCDC has been chosen! Because there are still a few I’s that need to be dotted and T’s that must be crossed, the name of this person cannot yet be revealed. More information will be provided once everything is officially set. On Sunday, April […]

The hypothalamus is a tiny part of the brain that serves many functions. Among them, it tells us to laugh when we experience a light touch to a sensitive area, and at the same time, tells us to expect a painful sensation. That’s why we tell people to stop. Laughing when tickled could be a […]

How do chimpanzees recognize each other?

Humans recognize others by their faces. And yes, chimpanzees can do that. But they also recognize each other by looking at their anogenital areas, their butts. Rear ends serve a big purpose in the chimp world. Bottoms and faces are both symmetrical, and interpreting what a behind is saying is crucial to chimpanzees’ reproductive success, […]