'Tell Me Something Good'

Why don't 'cha?

I don't know about you, but I'm not sure you can have a bad day with some Chaka Khan in it. Can you?

Did you love hearing your girl Chaka Khan today? Her new album, FUNK THIS, is a mixture of what you expect, and what you don't. For me, the Mary J. Blige collaboration was a revelation — as well as, let's face it — it was fun to hear her say how irritating it is when she can't walk down the street without people going, "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan..."

I thought she had a good attitude about it, but I tell you, I sympathize. Remember when that Beatles song Michelle was all the rage? Man, that song used to make my teeth hurt. Everytime I heard it I'd want to run screaming into a closet 'til it was over. I can't even tell you why it irritates me so much. The tune? Because it's my name? I have no problem with Chelsea Morning.

On to more serious matters...

Prison stories.

It's interesting how shows sometimes come together like furniture in a room — you start with one piece and then the other pieces just seem to find you. I'd heard about Rhodessa Jones because I've seen her brother's work (choreographer/dancer Bill T. Jones) and, as a longtime dance subscriber, I'm on all kinds of mailing lists. I knew she was coming to the University of Maryland. Later, I was was invited to moderate a panel discussion about her work. It was then that I got to know about her Medea Project. I saw a documentary about it.

... THEN we heard about the hearings on the incarceration rates.

And THEN we saw Howard Witt's follow-up piece in the Chicago Tribune on the Shaquanda Cotton case.

As I said, like furniture, one piece leads to another ... I hope it all fit.

Some important international news tomorrow. We hope you'll join us.