The columns on these pages originally appeared online at the San Diego Jewish World under the heading "Just Kidding." They were, and are, precisely that. But, as we know, kidding is inspired by reality, sometimes enveloped in it. It's said that many a truth is said in jest, and so the light-heartedness reflects, in shadows at least, a serious reality. But, better to laugh than cry, and so I hope they give you a chuckle or two. Although the words recorded here may not have actually been said and the actions reported may not have happened exactly as written, they are certainly in character and thus, for better or worse, entirely credible.