Welcome to Jeff

OK, first things first:
I am still having a hard time believing that any kid of mine could even REMOTELY be old enough for middle school.
So, during tonight's middle school orientation for KERSTIN at THOMAS JEFFERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, I mostly walked around in a hazy state of denial.
Middle school? Nah!
She's just a lil' kid. Right?
Earlier in the day, I was just as disbelieving while exploring PANDORA.COM, located here.
Pandora is an unbelievably cool Internet radio station, developed by musician and film composer Tim Westergren and based in my BIRTHPLACE -- OAKLAND, CALIF.
The premise is simple: You type in the name of a song or artist you enjoy, and Pandora generates a streaming radio playlist featuring that artist and artists in a similar vein.
It's free (there are minimal ads) and completely legal: As a musician, Westergren recognized the importance of paying royalties.
Pandora is sweeping college campuses (I learned while interviewing students for an upcoming technology page feature for the newspaper).
I am loving it, even while I cannot quite believe it's true.
I have only created two Pandora "radio stations" thus far:
1) A station featuring artists similar in style to ace soul-jazz organist BROTHER JACK McDUFF.
2) A station with artists similar to country harmony demigods THE LOUVIN BROTHERS.
I'll make many more, of course. I'll listen to them while telling myself:
"She can't possibly be old enough for middle school... She can't possibly be old enough for middle school... She can't possibly be old enough for middle school..."