Readers of this morning’s New York Times were privileged to be present at what might be called “the birth an an idée fixe” — that is, Tony Tommasini‘s new obsession. Oddly enough, this new object of TT’s unremitting fascination isn’t something in pants, or, for that matter, something that just wriggled out of its pants.

Let’s settle in right now for five years or so of Tommasini moping on the subject of the Metropolitan Opera’s budget. The Times‘ first-stringer read that Wall Street Journal scare piece and it’s obviously keeping him up nights fretting about how “the company is drawing down nearly 6.5 percent yearly on its endowment.” Oh, the expense! Oh, the economy! Oh, the aching vulnerability! (Though, to be perfectly fair, that last exclamation was aimed at Renée Fleming‘s “nearly ideal” Desdemona.)

La Cieca wishes Mr. Tommasini would follow her example and concentrate on the art, leaving dollars and cents to the beancounters. Or, if he’s going to attempt to discuss finance, maybe he should find an expert or two to explain to him what (if anything) the numbers mean. But perhaps La Cieca wishes too much. As we have learned from past experiences, once Tony T gets a bone in his teeth, nothing, including facts, can induce him to drop it.