Author Archives: Stephen Futterer

“The hardened heart that’s seeking cureIs salved by joyful laughings.So health insurer’s should procureA whopping dose of Ogden’s Nash-ings.” — My own homage to Ogden nash Living in Baltimore, one cannot help but fall into a nostalgia for its salient successes over the many years. I’ve watched “The Wire,” of course, and we once dinedContinue reading ““Ogden’s Nash-ings””

As we approach the end of our 4-year tenure in Baltimore, I am reminded of how the storied charms of the so-called Charm City remain so well-hidden. The COVID epidemic hit smaller cities hard and with less bounce-back than larger ones. As such, there is a general malaise that permeates this city in its visuals,Continue reading ““Oh, Baltimore…””

“At short intervals one hears news that the movies are about to be uplifted. Does it ever actually happen? It does not. The movies today, if the accounts of those who frequent them are to be believed, are as bad as they have ever been, and in more than one way they grow worse. HasContinue reading ““Just Another Mencken Monday””

In residency, we had an attending who was fond of saying, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” He was right, of course. What I didn’t know then was that he was quoting Stephen Covey‘s bestselling self-help book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), which I still haven’tContinue reading ““Remember the Main!””

The ampersand has enjoyed a recent renaissance in the foody world. In Denver, you have Stoic & Genuine or Mercantile & Provision. In Chicago, The Girl & the Goat, Maple & Ash, Soul & Smoke, Longman & Eagle, Owen & Engine (closed), etc. These are in the old tradition of English pubs that was referencedContinue reading ““The Boot & Bottle””