Here Comes The Bride….

I told you I had big news, didn’t I?

Well, guess what happened to me yesterday.

Yup, come next week, I might be a bride.

PSYCH!

No, it’s not what you think, Ross would never be that foolish.

But next week I might be wearing a wedding gown….all for show, of course.

Ken Kwapis, the director of The Office (YAY!), Malcom in the Middle, ER, Sisterhood of some kind of pants, handpicked ME to be considered for the role of a bride in the movie “License to Wed.”

Not only am I so thrilled at the chance to wear a wedding dress (because let’s face it, that’s the only reason I want to get married), but the film stars Mandy Moore (I love her), Robin Williams (whom I’ve already met…actually everyone in my family has met him and all on different occasions) AND Jim from The Office. I love Jim!!!!! He is such a cutie!

You can see some clips from the film here. It is technically in post-production but they are shooting here next week for some re-shoots and pickup scenes.

Now I have an interview with him on Thursday, which means I have 72 hours to lose weight and look great. Nothing like a motivator to get you into shape…even at the last minute.

I know I probably won’t get the part because A) I’m not an actress B) I’m not a movie star type and C) I look like crap on camera. But you know what, that doesn’t even matter.

I’m just thrilled that he picked me, just the ego-boost that I’ve needed lately, and hey, if anything, I get to meet the guy who writes and directs The Office. Maybe I can get the inside scoop on Jim and Pam, ooooooh.

In other news, a reporter from The Province newspaper contacted me about this whole blog drama on Discover Vancouver and he’s told me to contact him if the forum does not take the posting down…which they haven’t yet. If they don’t, it could make a good and relevant news story, and an interesting one because, honestly, when does free speech go too far? When does it become libel, slander and defamatory (I could tell you all of this from my Media Law classes last year but I was barely in class). Either way, it’s pretty cool that this whole negative thing has turned out super positive…and even in unexpected ways, as I will get into later.

Ah and the final triumph of the day was that Kelley Baker, whom I interviewed when I worked as the Writer and Editor for the IFA (interview is here), is coming to Vancouver next week with his popular film-making seminar that has taken North America by storm. Since I’ve been in contact with Kelley, I have another interview lined up with him soon and am currently shopping around the query to news outlets in the city. I’ll let you know how that goes and I’ll blog about what Kelly does at the end of this week, in case anyone here wants to learn how to make a “real” indie film.

But back to this whole blog drama….I promise this will be the last time I'll touch on this.

For the record, I do not think my last post was an overreaction in anyway shape or form. I have a right to defend myself on my blog and I do not think that amounts to acting anything like a high schooler, nor does it lump me in the same category as my troll. Thankfully, almost all of you are in agreeance with me.

Frankly, it is not overreacting because the person lives in my city and knows what I look like. Does this mean I’m going to be walking around looking over my shoulder? No. I know the chances of this person actually stalking me are pretty slim.

But what is eye-opening is the fact that this person, like many sick people out there, lives in a virtual world. Now, by blogging, we ourselves live in this same world as well. But to these types of people, the virtual, online world is their only world. That makes me “real” to this person. That is what makes this potentially dangerous.

I will admit, however, that I brought this on myself. The “why me” answer is simple: I post pictures of myself on my blog and I write about personal details of my life.

I was naïve to think that by inviting everyone to read me on this World Wide Web, that I wouldn’t attract negativity along with positivity. I am not anonymous and should have been better prepared for the fact that this phenomenon that we call the Internet attracts bad people as well as good, and in fact is a breeding ground for messed-up people who can not function in society, or "real life."

After all, if you are going to leave your car unlocked on the street for days, eventually someone is going to come along and steal it. The same goes for my blog, which is basically an unlocked and open invitation to parts of my life. I, we, have to prepare for that and expect it.

What I can do, of course, is shut down the blog. I admit it’s an option, but it’s what this person wants and I do not wish to appease him. What I will do though, is shut down the anonymous comments. Please, if you read my blog and wish to comment, sign up for a Blogger account. I do not wish to give these types of people a “voice” (as Steph says).

And, if that doesn’t work, I will make my blog open to invitation only. Which means that nothing will change for you regulars, its just freaks won’t be able to access it at all. I’ll let you know if it comes to it though and I have no qualms in doing so.

As for that pointless forum devoted to yours truly, I've stopped reading it and I suggest you do too. Nothing new is being said, it's just the same old things posted by the same old person. By ignoring it and not reading it, it works only in my favour now. I get the traffic to my blog from that site (up to 150 a day now!) and I don't have to waste my time with the same inane and unfounded drivel.

So, as you can see, with a little bit of bad, comes a lot of good.

Woot! (Happy Dance!)



Dancing Elmo courtesy of sodamnfunny.com.