Prata's Potpourri- vintage Christmas photos, the Friendly Agnostic, Panspermia, Pop Culture Christmas Cards, and more

Potpourri: a combination of incongruous items.

Jeopardy! Potpourri: a category of game show answers collected from unpicked clues in previous games.
Prata's Potpourri: a collection of links to interesting and quirky articles.



10 Rare, Vintage Photos of Christmases Past That Will Make You Feel Warm and Fuzzy Inside
If the past is a different country, as the saying goes, we invite you to take a trip via these charming images to celebrate the holidays in a simpler, smaller place.

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The Inspiring Story of the Friendly Agnostic
My friend James Bell wrote:

And did you ever hear of the HAVEN OF REST Quartet... for years they had a radio broadcast... I never heard of them or of it... but A MUSIC LOVING AGNOSTIC DID!

And she wrote them, complemented them on their fine music and for the fact that they never asked for money. She told them that she 'was not one of them'... that she was AGNOSTIC and would never become a Christian; and therefore, certainly did not want anyone contacting her. Thus gave no name or address... only signed her letter as... THE FRIENDLY AGNOSTIC.

She said that she did have one request.... but since she was not one of them... she would understand if they did not honor it... she said she always listened on Mondays... and that of all the songs the Quartet sang... one above all others was her favorite... maybe on some Monday they could sing it again--- "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood!"

WHEN THE QUARTET received the Agnostic's letter... they prayed and decided to sing "There is a Fountain Filled with Blood" EVERY MONDAY!  As the year went forward... the Agnostic... wrote letters...finally giving her name and address... and a number of months, SHE WAS FULLY CAPTURED by the amazing grace of God!

Apparently preserved by the narrator of those Haven of Rest programs is the story and a reading of the letters. Listen to the quartet... and listen to EACH OF THE AGNOSTIC'S LETTERS being read... this is an amazing story!

Note: You can listen while you are doing other things... and then give full attention when the various letters are being read!

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A Geeky Collection of Pop Culture Christmas Cards by P.J. McQuade Featuring Movie Characters

Brooklyn, New York-based illustrator P.J. McQuade has created new geeky collection of Christmas cards and ornaments for 2015 featuring pop culture characters from movies. McQuade features memorable characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mad Max: Fury Road, Ghostbusters, Step Brothers, and more. They are all available to purchase online from Etsy.

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Double facepalm moment of the month: we're all just sperm-spatter?

Panspermia Theory Mars

A theory called panspermia, which dates back to the 5th century BC, posits that certain life forms can hop between planets, and even star systems, to fertilize them with life. Following this theory, some scientists suspect that the first life on Earth never formed on our planet at all, but instead, hitched a ride inside planetary fragments from Mars that were flung into space after a powerful impact and eventually fell to Earth. We could be the aliens!

Because of course that's not how it happened

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For photographers, here is a link to a page showing inspiring or interesting Instagram streams. Lots to look at.

20 Absolutely Fascinating Instagram Accounts Every Photography Lover Should Follow

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This is hilarious and totally adorable.

A new amusing holiday-themed commercial for Fresh Pet features cats and dogs dressed as elves. The adorable workers diligently keep lists, build toys and wrap gifts, each with a set of handy human hands to keep the line moving along for Santa. With each share of the video, Fresh Pet is also donating meals to animals who need them. For each share of this video, Freshpet will donate one fresh meal to a pet in need from our network of pet rescues and shelters.

Enjoy!