Ai Weiwei, blogging, and never having to say you are sorry.

This will be a quick post, because I am actually feeding my blogging jones while the Mrs. is on the phone. (Yes, she is Tony Danza in this household.)

Anywhoo, today is Thanksgiving Day, and everyone is reflecting on what they have to be thankful for. Here is the thing, if you are actually alive to reflect, you have a hell of a lot to be thankful for. Nothing is better than life. What you choose to do with it is on you.

Still, as an avid blogger, I am thankful that I am not living in The People's Republic of China. I was just reading about Ai Weiwei in my latest issue of GQ Magazine, and all I could do is shake my head. It's never cool when you can't freely speak your mind.

So I am thankful for being able to speak freely....most of the time. (Mrs. Field can be like the Chinese government at times, but that doesn't count)

Before I run off I want to slam the folks over at NBC. (So glad I can speak freely.) WTF were they thinking when they apologized to Michele Bachmann for a song The Roots played when she was introduced on Jimmy Fallon's show?!

"Bachmann received a letter Wednesday from Doug Vaughan, NBC's senior vice president for special programs and late night, that apologized for what happened and called the incident "not only unfortunate but also unacceptable," said Alice Stewart, the Republican presidential hopeful's spokeswoman.

According to Stewart, the letter also said the show's band, which played the song "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone as Bachmann first appeared on stage, was "severely reprimanded...."

Fallon had offered an apology via Twitter on Tuesday, but Bachmann then called for an official apology from NBC.

The controversy started Monday when the Minnesota congresswoman walked out to greet Fallon on stage, and the show's band, The Roots, played the Fishbone song.

Bachmann admitted being oblivious to the slight, telling Fox News on Wednesday that she "wasn't aware of it at all."

She insisted the treatment she received through the song amounted to "sexism," and she added that it "wouldn't be tolerated if it was Michelle Obama and shouldn't be tolerated for a conservative woman, either."
Still, she said, "I'd love to go back again."

Some of Bachmann's ire was directed toward the drummer of Fallon's house band, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson.

"If that song had been played for Michelle Obama I have no doubt that NBC would've apologized to her and likely they could've fired the drummer or at least suspended him. None of that happened from NBC and this is clearly a form of the bias on the part of the Hollywood entertainment elite," Bachmann said." [Source]

Oh please! You said that you were "oblivious to the slight", so I don't want to hear it. They would never have the balls to do it, (Wait, was that reverse sexism? I said balls.) but NBC should have told you that they will apologize when NASCAR apologizes to the First Lady and Dr. Biden for what went down in Florida. 

Here is the difference Ms. Bachmann: you are a politician running for office, Michelle Obama is the First Lady representing the office of the presidency in these divided states of A-merry-ca. The members of The Roots believe that you have lied about some of your positions and misrepresented the position of others in the past; they were just letting you know about it in a clever way.

I am not so sure that NASCAR should apologize to Michelle Obama,either. More than likely those were not NASCAR officials booing her. (At least I don't think so.) But NBC should definitely not have apologized to you.

I guess we are all free to express ourselves if we follow it up with an apology.

For that, I am not thankful.