CARL SAGAN'S ALIEN NIGHTMARE

Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” darkens myths the famous astronomer spent decades debunking.

Battling the B.S.The AtticJune 6, 2026Disclosure Day, Carl Sagan, UFOs, Aliens, Alien abduction, Disclosure movement, pseudo-science, bullshit, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind Comments

THE HAT THAT WON THE WEST

From Fedoras to bowlers, hats come and go but only one became a legend — with a name behind it.

HEROESThe AtticMay 29, 2026John B. Stetson, Stetson Hats, cowboy hats, American hats, Stetson, Cowboy culture Comment

THE JUDGMENT OF PARIS

Fifty years ago, California wine went sip-for-sip against France’s best. No contest, the wine world thought, but Sacre bleu!

WONDERSThe AtticMay 21, 2026Judgment of Paris, American wines, California wines, Napa Valley Comments

SPEAKING AMERICAN -- THE WORD WAGONS

When our vast and varied American speech needed scribes, the Word Wagons hit the road.

SPEAKING AMERICANThe AtticMay 14, 2026Dictionary of American Regional English, American language, American dialects, Wisconsin Word Wagons, dare dictionary.com, American linguistics, American slang Comments

THE PRANK PEDDLERS

From Sears to Monkey Ward’s, mail order catalogs abounded. But only one sold Whoopee Cushions. (And Dribble Glasses.)

WITSThe AtticMay 7, 2026Johnson Smith Catalog, Johnson Smith Company, American boyhood, Comic books, Pop culture, Pranks, Practical jokes Comment

THE FEISTY CREATOR -- AND CRITIC -- OF MOTHER'S DAY

How Anna Jarvis created Mother’s Day but came to regret it.

REBELSThe AtticApril 30, 2026Anna Jarvis, Ann Reeves Jarvis, Mother's Day, Origin of Mother's Day Comments

THE WOMAN WHO SAYS 'NO' TO SCREENS

An early champion of computers, Sherry Turkle was among the first to ask “what they are doing to us?”

BATTLING THE B.S., Battling the B.S., REBELSThe AtticApril 23, 2026Sherry Turkle, Alone Together, Smart phone addiction, AI critics, M.I.T., M.I.T. artificial intelligence Comments

A VISIT TO THE LAST BOOKSTORE

The name was meant to be ironic, but indie bookstores are thriving.

BOOK-ISH, COMEBACKSThe AtticApril 17, 2026The Last Bookstore, Independent Bookstores, Indie bookstores, Reading, Love of reading, Best bookstores Comments

SAILING DOWN PETE'S GOLDEN RIVER

When the Hudson got filthy, a man with a banjo got busy. And The Clearwater set sail.

DREAMERS, FOLKIESThe AtticApril 9, 2026Pete Seeger, The Clearwater, Hudson River, Hudson River Clearwater Foundation, Toshi Seeger Comments

OUR BACKYARD NATIONAL PASTIME

Speed and reflexes make baseball a tough game. Wiffle ball makes it everyone’s game.

DREAMERSThe AtticApril 2, 2026Wiffle Ball, World Wiffle Ball Championship, Invention of the Wiffle Ball, American toys, Toys Comment

SOME LIKE IT HOTTER

Chiles are grown everywhere but only in New Mexico do they spice up. . . everything

American PlacesThe AtticMarch 25, 2026Chile Peppers, New Mexico, New Mexican cuisine, chile, New Mexico State University, habanero, jalapeno, ancho Comments

THE MYSTERY WOMAN WITH THE CAMERA EYE

It took years of detective work, to “find” Vivian Maier. What we found was the eye of a master.

ART-ISH, ATTIC AT THE MOVIESThe AtticMarch 19, 2026Vivian Maier, Photography, Street photogrphy, "Finding Vivian Maier" Comments

PRICKLY AS CACTUS, RIGHT AS RAIN

Rejecting modernity, embracing the wild, Edward Abbey carved his own “Abbey’s Road.”

REBELSThe AtticMarch 12, 2026Edward Abbey, Monkey Wrenching, The Monkey Wrench Gang, Desert Solitaire Comments

GERTRUDE CONQUERS AMERICA

When Gertrude Stein (Stein) toured America, a rose was a rose was a mutual love.

BOOK-ISHThe AtticMarch 4, 2026Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein tours America, Gertrude Stein in America, Everybody's Autobiography Comment

TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY!!!!

Don’t despair! From National Corn Dog Day to National Personal Space Day, every day of the year is now an excuse to party!

WITSThe AtticFebruary 26, 2026National Pig Day, National Day Calendar Comments

TUCSON'S GEM OF A SHOW

Each winter, the world’s finest rocks, and the people who love them, flock to Tucson

WONDERS, Wonders, American PlacesThe AtticFebruary 19, 2026Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Tucson, Arizona, Tucson Arizona, gems and minerals Comments

KINDER, COOLER, SMARTER!

WORKING ON CUTER. . .

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