Making Money Through

Come next Tuesday, Michael D. Brown may well unseat incumbent Council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) because many voters think he's actually Council member Michael A. Brown (I-At-Large). But to fight the impression that he's simply riding the confusion over a name to office, Brown has put up some campaign signs around town and raised over $23,000 in campaign funds. Well, $15,000 of that was a personal loan from himself to the campaign, but hey, at least he's going through the motions.

Yesterday, Brown sent out an email to friends and supporters claiming he was close to making history, but he really needed their help to seal the deal. The email, in full:

Dear Friends;

We are in the final stages of what has been an amazing campaign. I started 10 weeks ago with no money and a few friends like you, and last week a city wide Washington Post Poll showed that I am ahead of the incumbent by 12 points among likely voters. If I win, I will make history. My opponent has spent over $200,000.00 outspending me 20 to 1. He has run TV commercials against me paid for by a political action committee funded with money from a DC businessman and has mailed and handed out tens of thousands of flyers against me. He is supported in this effort by the leading candidate for Mayor and several members of the City Council. All I have is you. Next Tuesday, September 14 is election day. My opponent will surely have people at every polling place handing out his literature and campaigning for him. I need your help now more than ever. If you can spend even a hour or two at a polling place for me, please let me know. I am working so hard and I have come so far. The friends and family that have stood up for me against great odds have made all this possible. It is incredible to me that we have accomplished so much. I know it is a lot to ask, but we are so close and we have so little resources I need your help in this final hour. If you can come to a polling place please respond to this e-mail as soon as possible. We will provide you with materials and assign you a convenient location by your home or office, Thanks for getting me this far. No matter what happens, I have been humbled by your love and support.

"Make history"? "Working so hard"? "We have accomplished so much"? Look, we know that Mendelson was hoping to cruise to victory on little more than his own name recognition, but at least there was no confusion as to which Phil Mendelson people would be voting for. And Clark Ray -- who we spoke to this week -- has actually run a campaign, spending the better part of a year raising over $150,000 and actually challenging Mendelson on the issues. Brown, well, not so much.

Sure, history will be made -- but it might be the type of history that you'd soon rather forget.

I feel we need to support films that send powerful messages to kids about courage, values, and being true to yourself.

If we don't get behind them and support them Hollywood won't make them.

Last summer I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of Rob Reiner's new film, Flipped. It's a story about two 13-year-olds in the early 1960s -- Bryce and Juli -- who live across the street from each other and how they find themselves and each other through the trials of love and friendship.

The story "flips" between the viewpoints of these young characters and, as they grow, their perceptions of each other "flip" as well.

I play Juli's mom in the film, alongside a fantastic ensemble of actors: Madeleine Carol & Callan McAuliffe (the kids), Aidan Quinn, John Mahoney, Rebecca De Mornay, and Anthony Edwards.

Flipped is not just about first love, but about how a young girl teaches a young boy about what's important in life. It's a movie about courage, character, and standing up for what you believe in.

Juli comes from a warm, tight-knit family that's low on money but rich on love while Bryce's family is wealthy but repressed. Bryce learns over time from Juli that life is not about where you come from but what you do and the choices that you make define who you are. Bryce really starts to grow into a young man of character because of Juli and her family.

Based on the beautiful novel of the same title by Wendelin Van Draanen, the film stays true to the story, humor, morals, and life lessons that made the book such a huge hit with adolescents. While the book takes place in present day, Rob chose to set the movie in the early 60's to capture that pre-Vietnam, pre-Twitter/Facebook time of innocence. It makes the film a very nostalgic experience for those who grew up in that period, as Rob did, remembering your first love and how it changed your life. It's also relatable to kids today who are experiencing that now.

Flipped was a real passion project for Rob and he was the perfect man to bring this story to the screen. He tells stories about human beings. You won't find explosions, aliens, or vampires in this movie.

From my experience working with him and counting him as a friend, Rob is a man that really appreciates and respects women and values the immense impact they have on men's lives.

I wanted to reach out through HuffPost's amazing network to all the mothers and grandmothers who want to take their children and grandchildren to see a movie this summer with a message that will surely inspire.

And if you love it, tweet about it!

Flipped is playing now in Los Angeles, Austin and Sacramento. On August 27th it will open in New York, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, and San Francisco. And then, hopefully, in theaters across the country.

This post originally appeared at The Women's Conference.

eric seiger

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