The Modesty Writers Guild

so as many of you know i am working with/co-founded an organization called faceless international. while in india this last year we worked with an orginization called made by survivors. two of us in anberlin designed a bag that will help several girls be able to sustain an income and not have to work in the sex-trade industry. anberlin is giving 100% of the profit back into helping these girls and made by survivors. below is a description: Help be a part of world change by purchasing one of these bags. These bags were designed by members of Anberlin on their trip to Calcutta, India in the winter of 2006. The bags were made by girls rescued out of the sex trade. The money you pay for these bags goes toward giving these girls hope for a bright future, by providing a sustainable income. Thank you for your purchase. http://www.myspace.com/facelessinternational you can view the bag by clicking here

i have once again immersed myself into the political world, something that i never thought i would do again. politics continue to intrigue me, from the speeches to the marketing to the deceptive (which i recently explored in a book called "confessions of a political hitman" a book which talks about the dirty tricks each party does to slander the other parties candidate.) i am not here to endorse any one candidate because i refuse to use my position as a entertainer to push my political beliefs on others. but i encourage everyone to explore all the candidates and formulate their own opinions on how they see america being run. this is my first and last political blog this election season! here is a brief summary of what republicans stand for here is brief summary of what democrats stand for as someone in the comments pointed out. it was quite a task to find these biased comparisons, but if you have any comparison charts please put them in the comments! here are a fe...

dear friends, as many of you know i helped co-found a non-profit organization called faceless international. we have taken several humanitarian trips overseas with members from various bands in attempts to educate ourselves while helping others. we here at faceless have decided to broaden our horizons and begin to invite anyone who feels that they want to help better this world to come along with us on a trip. in june of 2008 FACELESS INTERNATIONAL is going to be taking two trips (june 8-17; june 18-25) to the country of Guatemala where we will devote our concentration on FAIR TRADE . this trip is designed to raise awareness, educate, and work hands side by side with the people in attempts to help alleviate poverty in Guatemala. if you are interested please contact the project coordinator at sarah@facelessinternational.com. you will need to turn in your application and $100.00 (US) deposit by January 31,2008. space is very limited so please contact sarah as soon as you can, we also hav...

it is so funny but if i go some time without writing on modesty it feels like i almost alienate apart of my family in a way. i don’t know where to begin this conversation and i am sure i won’t know when to end. i am not one of those people who stand on the side of the road and protest the war, in all honesty i try to look at the positives in the war (debatable whether the word “postive” and “war” ever belong in the same sentence). we all see clearly the negatives, i mean its war. people die. no matter if that’s one person or one million no one should die. but some positive aspects of the war in iraq currently are this. * "there are now over 100 newspapers in the free press. . . in a free iraq." this means more freedom of speech in iraq! something we americans take for granted. * "the independent central bank of Germany, it took three years after world war II to establish it-it was established in iraq in two months; that the police in germany were established after 14 mon...

this is the first chapter of my upcoming book "the orphaned anything's" due out in spring of '08 NEW CHAPTER: stabbing my brother with the plastic blade from an osculating fan... and other such thought provoking situations. that's when i know i am near waking up. the abrupt indication appears to be when i roll onto my stomach, but i might as well get up... i know i'm just going to lay here, careen a couple of times, sway a few more, and then commence to think of all the things i should be doing instead of laying here. i believe i am the only human alive to sleep in these bumbling lumbering phases. i understand now, after years of this sleep repetition, that i seem to have three, and these clumsy situation's only occur after the hours of thoughts that seem to run through my head without cease. i cannot remember a time in my life where i did not have to have a mutiny over my thoughts or memories just to fall into what some might call sleep, but i simply call...

modesty. click here to see my spin book club selection for this month. there is even a short video to check out that i did in seattle before bumbershoot. happy thanksgiving! -esteban

i love conspiracy theories, i am yet to buy into any one of them as of yet; but nonetheless they entertain me to no end. the illuminati, jfk, i even have a good friend from a very relevant band that is into the conspiracy that 9/11 was planned by the government. though i don’t agree at all its always interesting to me to hear another side of the story. my favorite has to be the the apollo moon-landing hoax theory that suggests that some or all elements of the apollo missions were faked by NASA, i.e. we didn’t really land on the moon, it was all just a sound stage with actors and such. but i once heard one of these theory that actually made me think. i was in high school and one of my teachers who had fought in several wars and was well versed in politics and government actually told me that he believed the conspiracy that the national football league was actually put together by the US government. he said they did this to take our minds off politics and government goings-on so that th...

Are we to love only those who deserve our love? Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:43-45

while looking through a financial magazine i noticed that there was a non-profit that was helping others around the world to invest in themselves and their small start up companies. 'Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique small businesses in the developing world. By choosing a business on Kiva.org, you can "sponsor a business" and help the world's working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the business you've sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.' in other words you are not donating money, (well you can if you want) but you can loan money to people in other countries who are trying to raise money to expand their small businesses. for example i loaned $25.00 to khanlar rustamov who is a 27-year-old farmer with two cows who sells dairy products to traders who, in turn, sell them in a nearby bazaar. 'H...

sometimes it gets difficult to keep forging on when it feels like no one is along side you to help. it feels a lot like high school while pursuing your goals sometimes, everyone has had the experience where you had group project in which you had the leader to delegate what needed to be done amongst the group, but when the project was due it was usually one person who ended up doing while everyone got credit for it. i guess that is the cost of doing what you love in life. even if it doesn't seem fair at moments you have to keep going. leadership is so tricky sometimes, you want to lead by example but then if you look back and no one is following are you really a leader at all? leadership requires the greatest amount of responsibility, you potentially could get the most amount of glory, but if you, your band, your project, or your company fails it rests on your shoulders completely. you have to make the best decisions and keep your own selfish motives out of your decision-making. ...

May God bless you with discomfort At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships So that you may live deep within your heart May God bless you with anger At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and To turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness To believe that you can make a difference in the world, So that you can do what others claim cannot be done To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. Amen

Man's basic vice, the source of all his evils, is the act of unfocusing his mind, the suspension of his consciousness, which is not blindness, but the refusal to see, not ignorance, but the refusal to know.'' — Ayn Rand

my side project (anchor & braille) has a new song up, called "blur". you can hear it on our myspace.com/anchorandbraille.

i think this is simply going to be a commentary, on life i guess, but random... as life should be. i have no clue what i am going to write about, but here goes. as i sat back at a random coffee shop in the middle of LA i saw a rather large car pull up in front. out came the driver who i later assumed was the daughter, she looked too compassionate and genuine  to be hired. the elderly lady in the back was helped up and began to walk rather slowly into the cafe'. but there was something peculiar about this woman, you see her legs were obviously frail; i deducted this by the slow walking pace and rather alarmingly turtle like cruise control that she put upon her own two legs. but her face. it caught me by surprise, and it wasn't a second glance look like a car accident or the likes, it was a solid wide eyed mouth open second glance. her face and neck had been, well hollywooded. her lips tripled the size of mine in weight and stature. her face was so pulled back i expected to see s...

there are three truths that i have run across thus far in my life. i am sure to find more, or add to my simple list. at the end of the day it is truth we really want, whether in politics, or religion, or love; it is truth we desire. 1. relative truth: this truth is much more based not on the philosophical definition of relative truth (as in relative or subjective) but on relative as in a personal opinion. Where as a relativist would think that what is true for me may or may not be true for someone else, i am simplifying it to the notion that this type of truth is based on personal sentiment; such as this is my favorite type of food, this is my favorite hobby, this is my favorite type of music. this truth changes throughout life, whether by investigation into other types of cultures or opportunities. 2. truth/knowledge: this is truth that crosses cultures, races, and religion. such as the law of gravity, mathematics, and basic chemistry. no matter what god you believe in, if you throw a...

While in Melbourne, Australia I found out that a person I respect was going to be speaking at the rod laver arena downtown. As a person that is always up for new experiences my manager Kyle and I set out. As we approached the ticket line a lady called us over into the comp ticket line unexpectedly and handed my manager two free tickets (worth $80 each), which we soon discovered lead us to the floor of the arena, 10 rows from the stage. The stage was set with swooping drape, and at least a hundred monks all seated in their traditional yellow and maroon garb. The music was not what I expected, but sounded more like adult contemporary. There was a quiet and almost reverent pause as the Dalai Lama the 14th carnation walked on the aesthetically pleasing stage. The first thing I noticed was his smile and awareness of the people and friends in the room, as he went to sit upon his throne like pillow structure. The center of the message behind the Dalai Lama’s message was the universal theme of...

'1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson. 3. Follow the three R’s: Respect for self Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions. 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. 6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 8. Spend some time alone every day. 9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. 12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. 13. In disagreements with loved ones deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. 14. Share your knowle...

where is the line between loyalty, truth, and friendship. this was the topic of conversation as three friends and i ventured through the confusing but well lite streets of downtown tokyo last night. my head swooned with past cases in life where i desperately wanted to say something to my friends but i shut my mouth for the sake of the so called 'friendship'. now i want to think i know better. what better place to talk such matters of life than at a traditional japanese cuisine better known as TGI Fridays. but this culture is beautiful, i have never seen a more respectful people in the entire world. The streets are clean, everyone takes pride in their profession, the art is intriquing, and the architecture is some of the most awe striking and futureistic in the world. 'Don't believe your friends when they ask you to be honest with them. All they really want is to be maintained in the good opinion they have of themselves.' -albert camus i'm sure mister camus was ...

individuality is so very culturally important to us here in the west, and for good reasoning. individuality helps us define who we ourselves are without outside influence, it keeps us accountable to our core and keeps us connected to our own unique thoughts, fears, and pursuits. when we start amalgamating into another person, i.e. when we enter into a committed, lifelong, or in depth relationship we are willingly surrendering a piece of our own being and taking on a part of theirs. recently I have seen in my life pieces of people I have known before. whether it is something I said or something as surface as something I wore, i see a reflection of those people. this is not necessarily a bad thing, and this is not necessarily from just a husband/wife, girlfriend/boyfriend relationship. this merger could be someone in your vicinity such as a family members or deep meaningful friendships. the problem lies when and where we began to lose ourselves inside the other person, it is one thing to...

there once was a hindu holy man who saw a scorpion floundering around in the water. he decided to save it by stretching out his finger. but the scorpion stung him. the man still tried to get the scorpion out of the water, but the scorpion stung him again. a man nearby told him to stop saving the scorpion that kept stinging him. but the holy man said, "it is the nature of the scorpion to sting. it is my nature my love. why should i give up my nature to love just because it is the nature of the scorpion to sting?" it should be our nature to love regardless of who we are, regardless of what has been done to us. its hard. i know. trust me. people are always going to sting you. they are going to rip into your character. they are going to be the ones in the platform telling you that your views are wrong. they are going to be in the pulpits pointing fingers in judgement. they are going to be the ones who hold your whole race responsible for the actions of one person's actions. b...