Bishop Katharine's sermon prompted me to try my hand at the neglected genre of satirical necromancy.

If President Obama looks toward any Warren Buffet films for guidance, I will cheer for Ishtar.

1. Jorge Mario Bergoglio: Based on his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the new pope is unpredictable and trustworthy, and that's exhilarating.
2. Robert Duvall: My favorite actor of any age.
3. Bob Dylan: With the stipulation that he will play at least one song but then spend the rest of the evening as he pleases.
4. Jackson Galaxy: The most entertaining cat behaviorist on TV.
5. Nat Hentoff: My favorite atheist, music critic, and friend of the pro-life cause.
6. Peter Himmelman: The hippest observant Jew in pop music.
7. David Mamet: In honor of his work as a playwright and director.
8. Dennis Prager: With gratitude for his moral vision, his love of cigars, and his generous spirit.
9. Phil Robertson: Nobody says grace better than the patriarch of Duck Dynasty.
10. Mark Steyn: For his humor.
11. Clarence Thomas: For his much-besmirched verbal reticence on the bench and his endearing laugh.
12. Ted Turner: He’s entirely charming outside of the media spotlight.

On the menu: Jambalaya and pecan pralines, using the recipes of my late father, Lester LeBlanc.

Mollie, my weekend will be as IRS-afflicted as yours, so take heart. The LeBlancs have used accountants for most of our marriage, especially when I've relied more on freelance writing than on a salary.

This year we will lean on the wisdom of TurboTax. If I were more disciplined I would use Quicken to do more than simply reconcile our accounts. And if I had never married, I would have used the 1040EZ, counting the extra taxes as my ransom for a less stressful annual sojourn with the IRS.

Question for Mr. Prager:

In his book Ecumenical Jihad, Catholic philosopher Peter Kreeft proposed that Christians, Jews, and Muslims unite against militant secularism. Do you think such an alliance is possible?

Judith, I saw it last year on HBO (I think) and it appears that a DVD should be rolling out soon.

See also Cameron Crowe's exquisite documentary The Union, which shows John recording an album with his longtime friend Leon Russell. John's generosity overflows throughout the film. Producer T-Bone Burnett remarks on how John has reached the other side of fame, in which a star no longer has anything to lose and extends kindness simply out of a kind heart.

I would recommend Famous Dave's, but it appears the closest one to Oakland is in San Jose. It's hard to go wrong with a barbacoa fajita burrito from Chipotle. And when you're flying east, try to schedule a layover in Memphis, where the airport offers generous choices.

The acclaimed author of Earth in the Balance has not considered making a smaller real-estate footprint.