January 13, 2009   With the New York City Opera set to announce
their new director tomorrow, that means there's less than 24
hours left to place wagers on who it will be. Now, I admit, it
seems futile to resist the juggernaut of Ryan Tracy's candidacy,
but nevertheless, let's look at the current odds.  George Steel:
2-1  Bad news: Leaving Dallas Opera before he's barely started
will only feed to the undercurrent of insecurity that results in
Texas constantly foisting demagogues on the rest of the country.
Quote from the future: "What? I'm just going to lunch. The
fully-packed suitcase is just a trendy accessory. All the kids
are doing it. Trust me."  Rudy Giuliani: 5-1  Bad News: Charles
Wuorinen's Brokeback Mountain will be axed in favor of a Frank
Wildhorn-penned extavaganza about 9/11, starring Ronan Tynan as
Rudy Giuliani. Quote from the future: "Why certainly; I'd be
happy to answer that question about our current budget shortfall
9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11."  Oprah Winfrey: 30-1  Good news: As it
turns out, a