Good-Day,

Just some quick news for you, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans. Stick-Paul is not coming back from the Holy Land for another week or so. He decided to visit several destinations in the region before coming back to his headquarters. A report on the Bethlehem conference will have to wait until he gets back.

For now, here is some more of his poetry. These two were placed together in a notebook of his. They were never printed in a volume of his anthology. Enjoy!

---

...

Today the world turned white
convulsing, it gave birth to new life
sighing, it told the story of man's existence
gazing headlong into the sun,
it revealed the meaning of all things
in the pools of its eyes

Today the world was cleansed
falling, it carried the weight of guilt
rising, it shed guilt's awful burden
reaching for truth the unchanging,
it found the whole of the universe
trembling in awe of it

Today the world is new

...

o, that passion cease!
indellible curse!
driving me into the ground
subverting my reason
corrupting my will

still, when bridled,
when fitted,
what a race those passions run!
surpassing in virtue
reason itself

...

---

Until next post.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

On the Omniverse, Time, and Relativity.

Good Day,

For those of you, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans, who have expressed interest in Stick-Paul's work on the dimensional problem and travel between universes, I have gathered a little info in the nature of the omniverse (sum of all universes). I will try to make it as simple as possible so that the slow among you can at least imagine that you understand some of it.

In the previous post on the subject - "The Dimensional Problem and Travel Between Universes" - it was explained that dimensions vary from universe to universe. Time was a constant throughout all of the known universes. Time is a practical construct that allows us to understand the interaction between universes as if it were linear. However, it is merely a measure of matter, which does not exist in the barrier between universes (note: the barrier is infinitely small and contains neither energy nor matter; it belongs to the difference in dimension and cannot be explained here in full, due to the sensitivity of Stick-Paul's research and the potential ramifications of its release). A barrier can most easily be understood as a void - timeless, mass-less, and without spatial reference.

The barriers are found between each universe and its neighbours. The universes are spherical and limitless. To illustrate this point we will take the example, used by many cosmologists and theorists to explain the shape of the universe, of the two-dimensional bug on a sphere. The only rule for this bug is that it can't pass into or off of the sphere. Stick-Paul is the rebel bug that broke that rule.

The numbers of universes is in theory infinite; and so the omniverse is also infinite, layered like an onion with no center and no exterior. Space and time wind together according to the laws of each distinct universe, separated only by barriers of dimensional continuance.

This is as much information as Stick-Paul has given me permission to divulge on this matter. Hopefully this satiates your curiosity for the time being as I am tired of explaining things to his unworthy fans which they have no hope of fully understanding to begin with.

Aloofly,

Stick-Paul's Manager

Poetry Installment #4

Good Day,

Here are another pair of poems for you, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans. Enjoy.

---

...

time may change
and heart
and mind
the body age
decay and slow
but soul
it stays
and it is yours
yours to have
yours to hold

tongue may turn
joy to pain
warmth to cold
the thought away
from home
but still
my soul is yours
yours to have
yours to hold

guided footsteps
led astray
fled away
stumble past
Will steadfast
and yet
my soul is yours
yours to have
yours to hold

...

silent in the night alone
fortune
ne'er a minute-mind giv'n
all to gift
bounty, leaven
providence
no right bestowed
merely
every grace endowed
single, separate
unity
faith that binds
flesh
mind
spirit
eternity

...

---

Stick-Paul is now in Bethlehem. He siad that he'd read all your e-mails as soon as he gets back. I'm hoping that he meant after he tells me all about his trip and the conference. He received some thoughtful e-mails on his last post and even packed one in his suitcase to take with him. He said it was material for reflection, so keep them coming. I must admit, I didn't think that you, his adoring and unworthy fans, had it in you to effect that kind of response from him. Keep sending those e-mails. He enjoys reading them quite a bit.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Poetry Installment #3

Good Day,

Stick-Paul has made arrangements for a trip to Bethlehem based on your votes in the most recent poll. He'll be going early next week. I will be sure to bring you, his adoring and unworthy fans, up to date on the going-ons at the conference when he returns to tell me about it.

In the mean time I've collected a couple more of Stick-Paul's poems for you to enjoy.

---

...

Winter takes my will,
no refuge,
no repose,
no warming light of reason,
can guide my hands to hearth.

Fevered thoughts are mine,
to stifle,
to bind,
to take what's left of that hope,
that kept me warm 'til now.

Desperate they clung,
my visions,
my dreams,
my thoughts to the warmth once held,
that no more they possess.

Phantasms all they were,
no substance,
no truth,
no tangeable existence,
on which my head to rest.

Where hides the light I miss,
of virtue,
of reason,
of blessedness that asset,
in which I sought comfort.

...

little one
delicate you are
gentle and kind
faithful and true

why do you cry
little one
why do you weep
there is no danger here

the night is dark
this is true
but the morning will come
it always does

little one
beautiful you are
tender and sweet
beyond reproach

smile for me
little one
show me your face
grace by your glance

...

---

I found these in two separate volumes, but I think they go well together; the first with its seeming dispair, and the second with its consolation. They are open to several possible paths of interpretation, though I think that the message remains fairly constant regardless of how and to what the characters and situations contained in them are applied.

Keep sending e-mails. Stick-Paul reads them and appreciates the feedback. Not many people in the poetic community will comment honestly on another artist's work, so he enjoys even your most feeble attempt at criticism. He has much more patience than I do.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

The Dimensional Problem and Travel Between Universes

Good Day,

Stick-Paul has decided to give you, his adoring and unworthy fans, a little introduction to what he calls the "Dimensional Problem". He gave me some notes of his, and asked me to summarize them and post them for you.

Here is the main idea: There are either an infinite number, or a significant number of universes. They are arranged in a theoretical sphere (not a real sphere, as each dimension is infinitely expansive, having no spatial restrictions). The more dimensions a universe possesses, the "closer" it is to the center of the sphere. The things that each universe seems to have in common with the others are space and time.

The universe that you and I live in, for example, is three-dimensional (really four-dimensional, but the time constant is left out as it effects all the other dimensions equally within the boundaries of this universe). It has no spacial limits within its realm, but is wholly dependent upon the relationship between each of its dimensions and time (T).

Stick-Paul's dimension is different. It is two-dimensional (really three-dimensional, having two spatial dimensions and T, which interacts with each of the two spatial dimensions equally.

The universes seem to be aligned according to the number of dimensions of space possessed. The universe on the outermost layer of the sphere has, in theory, one dimension and T. This is an assumption that is made on the basis that all observable universes (those that can be detected and/or visited) are known to have T. There are those in Stick-Paul's universe, he says, who believe that there is one further universe, encompassing all of the observable universes, in which T is the only dimension present. A massless universe is a useful tool when describing phenomenon in all universes. This leads us to the interaction between different universes.

To explain the interactions I will use the following picture. Please refer back to it if you cannot visualize what is written.

Universe A is the universe with only T. Universe B is the universe with a single spatial dimension and T. These two universes occupy, theoretically, the same dimension T, but have different spatial properties (universe A possessing no spatial properties whatsoever). Their interaction (a), then, is along the dimensions that they share, and so, A is affected by B in one dimension, and vv., since they share only T.

b-d (the interaction between B, which possesses one spatial dimension and T, and E, which possesses four spatial dimensions and T) would have an interactive factor of two dimensions, because that is the number of dimensions which B and E share. The higher the number of dimensions a universe possesses, the greater the factor of interaction it has with its neighbour universes.

Thus, e (of E,F) would have an interactive factor of five, since E, the universe with fewer dimensions, possesses that number of total dimensions including T. f-g would have an interactive factor of six because of the spatial properties of its participating universes. Universe A and universe Z (regardless of how many dimensions Z possesses) would have an interactive factor of one.

Thus, in our universe we should be able to observe the interaction of our universe (D) with A at an interactive factor of one, with C (Stick-Paul's universe) at an interactive factor of three, and with all of the universes toward the center of the theoretical sphere at an interactive factor equivalent to the nimber of dimensions possessed by D (four). This is, though we have not been able to see it as true, just the case.

Now, according to Stick-Paul, there is a serious problem with this scenario if one is to assume that because the universes interact in a dimension, the matter of these dimensions in the respective universes interact (extra-universally) in the same way that matter would interact within a single universe (intra-universally). Stick-Paul points out that this assumption would lead to side-affects termed "dimensional infraction" and "dimensional compaction", in which the matter of all the universes would either overlap and be drawn into and effectively static condition by the restrictions placed on it by the matter of the universe with the fewest dimensions, or it would the matter of all universes would be thrown about chaotically by the forces of the matter in the other universes, possibly, according to some calculations, leaving all universes in plasmodic states.

As an alternative to theories which make this assumption, Stick-Paul has proposed (and taken advantage of) a view of the interaction of matter between universes that is much more reasonable. He proposes that the matter of B interacts with the matter of universe C in the form of dark energy, or the deprivation of energy, in much the same way a shadow interacts with the ground.

There is a very long explanation of this in Stick-Paul's notes, but since even I understand next to none of it, it would be difficult for me to discuss it here with any level of competence. He does have a summary of it here, however, that is much simpler, though still not in layman's terms. It says that the "shadow" has numerous properties which our universe has observed in what we call "dark matter". It has other properties that we have placed in other categories, such as the seeming multiplication of dimensions, and a mysterious loss of energy. I find that fascinating personally.

As for travel between universes, Stick-Paul writes: Matter passes from universe to universe through natural tears in T. Black-holes are the effects of these tears. Matter, however, seems to only be capable of passing from a simple universe, with fewer dimensions, to a complex universe, with more dimensions in the form of energy. The natural decay of all universes that results may point to T being finite, but that is another discussion altogether. Adding a dimension to the matter of the simple universe can artificially effect the passing of matter from simple to complex. This process is one of Stick-Paul's guarded secrets, and although he trusts me explicitly I'm sure, he does not discuss it, nor does he have it written anywhere. This process can be reversed (though the reversal has not been witnessed in nature), so that matter from complex universes can pass into a simpler universe by shedding a dimension from the matter.

The whole thing is quite overwhelming, particularly when looking at it in the context of Stick-Paul's notes, which are extensive. There are so many determining factors involved in every little speculation, that I would be definitely tossed for a loop if Stick-Paul had not explained it to me personally. So, don't worry about not understanding it fully, or at all... that lack of knowledge probably won't affect your diet much.

Stick-Paul hoped you, his adoring and unworthy fans, would enjoy this little exploration. For all you math wizzes out there... try to work these problems out yourselves. I could even pass them on to Stick-paul if you wanted to send it to me in an e-mail entitled "Math for Stick-Paul", and be sure to label it all clearly so that Stick-Paul doesn't have to figure out your short-hand while he's reading your material. He's always open to new ways of thinking of things, as long as they make sense, so don't be afraid to give it a shot. You never know, he may e-mail you back if your calculations are of significant worth to him.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

More of Stick-Paul's Poetry

Good Day,

A good number of you, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans, have e-mailed me, asking me to post more of Stick-Paul's poetry. While I enjoy his verse enormously, I find it hard to choose which selections to show you. I also have to consider which selections are appropriate material to share, as much of his poetry is of a private nature though arguably of great value to those who read it.

I have passed the following selections by Stick-Paul and he has given me a reluctant "Okay" to post them. I'm sure you will enjoy them. They are not a political commentary, nor are they found in any of his great epic ballads. These selections are from his private drawer, of which I am privileged to be privy to.

In these selections you will find Stick-Paul's portrayal of personal love. He told me that these particular selections (two of my favourites)were written in haste, in a moment of inspiration, and he hasn't been able to bring himself to edit them.

Without further ado:

---

...

Surge
you anthem of life
to my love
a tune
pure

Bend
you callused knee
to my love
willing
fast

Blow
you wind untamed
to my love
caress
sooth

Tremble
you unwavering
to my love
courage
yield

Give
you timid heart
to my love
the all
give

...

where am i
do i look or see
or smell, touch, taste of love

no not i
not my own do i see
for mine is given, yet kept from me

thence it rings
my heart's death tolls tell
and tell they will in mine cut humility

who am i
am i cyrano now
that she would speak of beauty

not cyrano
not because of another
for my own iniquity do i die

i do die
at every glimpse of my love
of my love as she or i walk by

my iniquity
my own iniquity and birth
blast! the latter too early, the former too late

...

---

Here is a small note from Stick-Paul on these two selections and their composition:

---

My Friends,

I was hesitant to share these two poems with you at first. They are not the kind of writing that I am accustomed to other people seeing.

They were both composed at times when I was undergoing what I consider to be great personal growth. During these times I formed more fully my concept of sacrificial love. Moments of inspiration, as these poems are products of, were more often than not followed by the realization of certain truths concerning the content of the poems.

These poems are dear to me... as much, perhaps, for their aid in formulation of concepts as for their content. Still, it was with great reluctance that I shared these with you. Please enjoy them and consider them in the best possible light.

Sincerely,


Stick-Paul

---

Thoughts and comments on these selections are welcome. However, it would be appreciated if you would refrain from questioning Stick-Paul on the meaning of every word. General questions are preferred.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Stick-Paul Helps A Fan With Problems

Good Day,

Stick-Paul's fan bag received an e-mail yesterday afternoon from a fellow, one of you, his adoring and unworthy fans, whom we will call Terri B Moore. This is what Terri wrote:

---

Dear Stick-Paul,

I have this problem at work. Everyone there is beautiful, cheery, and eager to work at any task that's given them. I on the other hand, am 45 years old, overweight, pessimistic, and have no desire to be within ten miles of work! Seeing all those skinny, happy people makes me sick to my stomach sometimes... I don’t want to have to deal with it.

I read your poetry today, and I got to thinking... maybe Stick-Paul will help me figure a way out of this. You obviously have some insight into the plight of the worker. Would you have any advice for me? What should I do?

Here's hoping you reply,
a big fan o' yours,

[Terri B Moore]

---

Stick-Paul's response was:

---

My friend [Terri],

Your problem is more common than you think. However, it does not really have anything to do with your fellow employees. You, sir, need to either learn to deal with your inadequacies within the work place, recover a joy in the accomplishment of your work, and/or, get out of your current job and look for one that suits your preferences.

The problem you have is not the “plight of the worker”, but the plight of the automaton. Others are thriving in your situation, but you have stagnated. Something needs to change for you. I would hope that you would begin with yourself, and then, if you are still not enjoying your work, change that.

Here’s hoping you heed my advice,


Stick-Paul

---

I’m afraid that I don’t have the faith in Terri that Stick-Paul does. Personally Terri, I think what you need is to spend a year in a job that requires the most manual labour possible in a 1st world country. Discipline and hard work is what you need.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul’s manager.

Stick-Paul Back from Nepal

Good Day,

Stick-Paul has done it again! As you, his adoring and unworthy fans, may have been able to glean from some of the recent posts, Stick-Paul has been in Nepal (that little country tucked cozily into the Himalayas), where he has been helping the local populace with agricultural problems.

He chose to go to Nepal because of the following letter. In it, or rather, in the translation of it, the locals offered an entire herd of yak. Such an offer intrigued Stick-Paul. "The fact that I may have a chance to see a yak is reason enough to go. There aren’t any two-dimensional yaks you know…”

Stick-Paul always has had a soft spot for lower life forms. I think that’s why he wanted to start this site for you. In any case, here’s the letter from a man we will call Mr. Hungry in the Himalayas:

---

Dear Magnificent Stick-Paul,

Many blessings be upon you and your family, for the same blessings have been withheld from ours, and we need your aid!

The crops about our village don’t produce enough food for the people. The climate and the soil here do not allow the plants to grow. We haven’t been able to reap a sufficient harvest in four seasons!

The village purchased some fertilizer in a desperate attempt to fix the problem by enriching the soil, but I’m afraid that the fertilizer will leak into the water supply. What can we do?

Hopefully soon to be much in your debt,
[Mr. Hungry in the Himalayas]

---

Here is Stick-Paul being given a ride across a swollen river
near an Indian village on his way to Nepal.

---

Stick-Paul visited some of the agricultural areas in the region on his way to Mr. Hungry’s village. Once there, he found the village to be situated partway up the side of a valley, which was facing south-southwest. The soil was practically devoid of nutrients, save for a half-centimeter layer of fertilizer just under the surface. A river ran down the center of the valley and emptied out into a larger river a dozen or so kilometers south. There were no crops of any note.

Our intrepid hero set to work quickly, requesting that all the villagers, women and children included (I will tell you about Stick-Paul’s reasons for this if an when he asks me to post something about his version of egalitarian theory.), be called for a town meeting. He outlined the village’s options and worked with them to determine a sustainable solution for their village.

The village opted to follow Stick-Paul's advice, and engineer a system of waste management, crop rotation, and irrigation under a series of inverted, stretched, parabolic structures. These structures would be entirely enclosed so as to protect the crops from the elements and the local ecology from the change in soil and water composition. Preparation has begun on the test site already. Stick-Paul said that the villagers, especially Mr. Hungry, were eager to get started on the project. He promised to go back after the completion of the test site in order to modify the design as needed.

Stick-Paul did get to see a yak! Yes, the foul-smelling beasts were apparently as interested in Stick-Paul as he was in them. The villagers sent him back with about 40L of milk and some other yak product that was unidentifiable to me... maybe it was a kind of cheese.

Stick-Paul is now busy in his study performing his normal post-adventure routine. He has already entered the details into his log and is now doing research on elements that may be helpful to have knowledge about when he goes back; the need for which he could not have foreseen before his trip.

Stick-Paul wanted me to tell you all that you, his adoring and unworthy fans, can ask questions about his latest adventure in the form of e-mails. Make sure you entitle your e-mail "Question: Nepal trip 01" (that means the value of the "subject" of your e-mail should be "Question: Nepal trip 01"). This will make it much easier for the e-mails to be read and answered quickly.

Please don't ask stupid questions! If you want to know what Mr. Hungry's real name is, or the name of his village, we won't tell you... so don't bother. If, however, you want to know what is meant by "waste management", I'm sure Stick-Paul will gladly reply.

Make sure to register a vote in the "Where should Stick-Paul travel next?" poll on the sidebar. For some reason he values your opinions.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Answer to Question From "Mr. Inquisitive"

Good Day,

Stick-Paul received an interesting letter from one of you, his adoring and unworthy fans, and he chose to answer it last night, even though he was coming back to the Base Camp early this morning. Details of his trip, and exactly what he was doing in India and Nepal will be posted shortly. For now, he gives you a little information about life in two dimensions.

The question:

---

Dear Stick-Paul,
Where do stick-men come from? Are they born? How does someone die in two dimensions?

[Mr. Inquisitive]

---

The answer:

---

My friend [Mr. Inquisitive],

I appreciate your curiosity, whatever its source. The truth of the matter is that two-dimensional life is a good deal more complicated than you realize. That being said, I will try to answer your questions sufficiently without going into too much detail, as the concepts involved are not easily understood, especially, I have found, for those who are used to a three-dimensional environment.

Your first question was "Where do stick-men come from?". I know that it may seem strange to think about it, but stick-men come about in the same way that three-dimensional men come about. We are conceived, are born, and die. Since I suspect that you wanted a little bit of explanation concerning the matter of your questions, I'll tell you a bit about pregnancy in two-dimensions, and death in two-dimensions.

I think the best way for me to explain this is to consider it in terms of your three-dimensional geometry. Though it will be an imperfect explanation, it should give you an idea of how things work. When a two-dimensional baby is in its mother's womb, it is two-dimensional along the same axes as its mother's womb. Birth comes at the divergence of planes. For instance: a mother's womb is two-dimensional along the x-y plane, and so, during pregnancy, is the baby. At term the baby switches planes and is found to be two-dimensional along the z-y plane, where its mother and father greet it joyfully. The mother's womb then ceases to exist in the x-y plane and again belongs to the z-y plane, though its size is reduced in proportion to the size of the newborn. One may think that since the mother is existing along two different planes during pregnancy, that she becomes temporarily three-dimensional. This is not true. The mother's womb is only visible in the x-y plane because of the presence of the baby, which is attached to the mother's womb, in that plane. "Planar laws" have been formulated in two-dimensional physics to explain this phenomenon. The three planar laws that directly apply to the existence in the womb and birth of two-dimensional babies are: two-dimensional matter cannot exist along two different planes simultaneously; planar translation happens with no loss of energy; and, two-dimensional matter in a state of translation forms an infinitely small point of reference between two planes. Many two-dimensional women would balk at this oversimplification of the process, but it suits my purposes for now.

Death in two-dimensions is much the same as it is in three-dimensions. One difference is very apparent however. A two dimensional man does not die until there is no longer sufficient energy in his body to effect a planar translation. In the translation itself there is no energy loss, but in the process which makes planar translation possible - establishment of reference - there is a small loss. These losses built up, and like a battery that is emptied of charge, the matter in a stick-man's body is used up and he dies.

Hopefully at some point in the future I will be able to spend some time writing about the nature of the two-dimensional universe, its relationship to this universe, and other universes. For now, I hope I have satisfied your curiosity somewhat.

Sincerely,


Stick-Paul

---

Stick-Paul has little time to spare these days, but he enjoys talking about his universe all the same. Personally I enjoy thinking about the consequences of dimensional multiplication in infinitum. Imagine traveling to a four-dimensional universe (excluding time-space, which apparently is a constant in all the universes Stick-Paul has visited).

Stick-Paul has asked me to encourage questions about two-dimensional reality. You, his adoring and unworthy fans, can ask your questions in the form of e-mails. Sent your questions to the address provided for fan mail with the subject heading “Two-dimensional query”.

If Stick-Paul can find the time, he will probably be willing to satisfy your curiosity.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul’s manager.

Synopsis of selections from Stick-Paul's Poetry Anthology

Good Day,

I have received many confused e-mails from you, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans, in which you have expressed your inability to decifer the meaning of Stick-Pauls verse with even the remotest accuracy. I have decided to post brief synopses of the selections in order to put an end to the stream of e-mails that crowd my inbox.

The following should allow you to find this apparently elusive meaning. If it does not help, please do not e-mail me about it. Ask someone else to help you, I haven't the time, nor the patience to clarify something any further which is already so clear.

---

Synopsis of the first selection:

• In the first stanza, speaking to the workers in the commune where he was staying, the marrow of what Stick-Paul says is: ~ at the end of the day you, the workers, go to your homes, which is determined by your place (caste) in your compartmentalized society.
• In the second stanza: ~ even your leisure time is communal and determined by your caste.
• In the third stanza: ~ of the food you produce you are alotted a disproportionately meager share, and are complacent in the face of this seeming injustice.
• In the fourth stanza: ~ after you have expended your leisure time and eaten your meager rations you have only another day of work ahead of you.
• In the fifth stanza: ~ your work consumes you, and your life, becoming an end in itself, devoid of any higher purpose.
• In the sixth stanza: ~ and while you work, those who impose this way of life upon you eat of the bounty of your produce, taking what they have not worked for and spiriting it away, claiming that the lot they have determined for you is the best that is possible.

Synopsis of the second selection: (Since this selection is not devided into distinct stanzas, I will break it into its three logical sections; as, if it had been written with distinct stanzas, these sections would comprise the first, second, and third stanzas respectively.)

First logical selection: (1st hypothetical stanza)

Consciousness
the fatalist spake
a product of one's
portion take

• In the first stanza, refering to a note jotted by the author in the margin of Part I of the work The German Ideology by Carl Marx, the marrow of what Stick-Paul says is: ~ Marx seems to think that the worker derives his identity, his essence, from the work that he does. Stick-Paul makes a judgement of Marx's condition of mind in saying that he is a fatalist. This is clear from the original text but it is assumed that the reader of this selection will take Stick-Paul's assessment at face value, interpreting the entire selection in that light.

Second logical section: (2nd hypothetical stanza)

as birds their toil
to an end
brings happiness
a birdie heav'n

• In the second stanza: ~ Here Stick-Paul draws a parallel between the workers condition according to Marx and the life of a bird. He suggests that the bird, since it is devoid of reason and must follow its instincts blindly, that the bird is happy in its work, since its work determines what it is; i.e., a bird. Thus, a bird that follows its instinct accordingly attains the highest state to which it is able to ascend. The third stanza shows the other side of this parallel.

Third logical section: (3rd hypothetical stanza)

so it is
apparently
with little minds
and history.

• In the third stanza: ~ The second half of the parallel begun in the second stanza makes up the first three lines of the stanza we are addressing now. Stick-Paul suggests that the workers are, to Marx, like the birds of the second stanza. They - the workers - have no purpose outside of their work, and so are not fulfilled in any other way but through their work. In order to fulfill their purpose they must perform the task alotted to them, which they do not choose any more than the bird chooses to be what it is. Thus the worker is now an instrument of the entity that determines his task to be performed, which is in this case the state - those in power.
• Stick-Paul mentions history as being another element of the worker's identity that is determined in this way. He does this because Marx mentions it as such in his margin note.

---

Now, if you have any questions further questions about the selections, ask your friends what they think, not me. If you feel you must ask someone with an I.Q. over 3, post a comment. I may, or may not, reply. Hopefully one of you who is able will enlighten the illuminati that still can't understand, and save me the effort and frustration.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Selections from Stick-Paul's Poetry Anthology

Good Day,

You, Stick-Paul's adoring and unworthy fans, are in for quite the treat. I think I found just the selection from Stick-Paul's anthology of verse to stimulate your little brains. It says here in the catalogue at the back of the volume I took the selection from, that it was written while Stick-Paul was researching three-dimensional societal structures in Communist Mexico some years ago.

Though the beauty of this selection may be lost upon the soft crania of your societally dulled collective, it casts light on three-dimensional existence in a way that only Stick-Paul is capable of. Your tormented Freudian egos will no doubt infer all sorts of nonesense into Stick-Paul's pristine landscape of imagery, but Stick-Paul knows best.

If, by some miracle, you are capable of grasping the meaning of Stick-Paul's words in this selection, wonder at it... cherish it! Because both you and I know, that it is not due to your swiftness that you have understood, but due to the clarity of vision with which Stick-Paul writes.

Enjoy.

---

...

And oh!
What to your dwellings cast
Shaddow of labour
Crown of caste

Moments of reprise to share
Short
Executed like clockwork

Too, the maise
Rare gift
Plenty of plenty taken
None resist

Redoubled effort anew
Next
A day in which to travail

The reapers tool
Bent
Lift high to cleave
To wrent

Rapt the great feast mightily
Quick
The workers pay is honey

...

Consciousness
the fatalist spake
a product of one's
portion take
as birds their toil
to an end
brings happiness
a birdie heav'n
so it is
apparently
with little minds
and history.

...

---

True, the commentary is blatantly in opposition to the social norms of the day, but Stick-Paul tends to truth, not to popularity. Not that you would have been able to draw the parallel between the petty existence of the inerudital troglodites that make up the material of Stick-Paul's brilliant composition and the suburban sycophant formulae of today's modern "democratic" socialist and absolute capitalist states.

In any case, you, his adoring and unworthy fans, must surely be able to appreciate, in the very least, the metre of his verse. Surely that you can understand, even if you have nothing more to compare it to than your own, base, lyrical poisons.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

The Collected Works of Stick-Paul

Good Day,

The works of Stick-Paul are many and varied. He is the epitome of the two-dimensional rennaisance man, as I am sure you, his adoring and unworthy fans, already know. I would be willing to bet, were I a betting man, that you did not know the extent of his writings on the art of argumentation.

My last post showed you some of the genius of Stick-paul in this area, but that is only a small part of the work that Stick-Paul has done in this field. To illustrate, in part, how much Stick-Paul has done for field of argumentation I have gathered together a partial bibliography of his works.

Read and be in awe of his genius!

---

• How to Argue Yourself Into, Out of, Around, and Through, a Hole
• Twenty Reasons to Disagree
• Pick Me, You Don't Have a Choice
• Bluffing, Rebuffing, and Roughing It
• Don't Worry, I'll Clue You in Eventually
• Yeah, So What? You're Still Wrong
• Donc Qoi?!
• The Art of the Un-Truth, A Systematic Application
• Running One's Mouth 101
• Me, My Family, and I'm Never Wrong
• Why Does the Dumb Guy Always Talk to Me: How to Dispose of and Unwanted and Unwarranted Conversation
• Okay, So I'm Perfect, Don't Hold that Against Me (publication pending)

---

If you only knew how far above you Stick-Paul is!

Stick-Paul crossed the border between India and Nepal sometime last evening. Although I cannot divulge in which town he is staying over the next few days, he is scheduled to spend an evening or two solving some minor peasant disputes along a tributary of the river Ganga. When he last contacted me he was still in the Indian province of Bihar.

He requested that I look for a short poem from one of his anthologies that you might enjoy. I am having great difficulty with this request since the likes and dislikes of the likes of you are far beyond my realm of interest. I will most likely post a poem, or a selection from a poem, sometime in the next week.

Until then, you, his adoring and unworthy fans, will just have to wait.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Stick-Paul's 10 Steps Towards Winning any Argument

Good Day,

I just received an e-mail from Stick-Paul for you, his adoring and unworthy fans. In it he outlined steps toward winning arguments. Thank goodness for Stick-Paul's generous heart, because the last few people I spoke with couldn't even convince me of their existence! Here are the steps Stick-Paul outlined in his own words:

---

My friends,

Here are 10 steps towards winning any argument which I have devised for your benefit. Use them wisely.

---

1. Talk over-top of your opponent.
2. Accuse your opponent of talking over you.
3. Repeat your position several times without acknowledging your opponent's position.
4. Prematurely invoke closure with phrases like "end of story" and "no question".
5. Ridicule your opponent's position.
6. Choose an easily argued point and pretend that it supports your position. Don't explain why.
7. Always make several unrelated points at the same time, thus making rebuttal difficult or impossible.
8. Exhaust your opponent by using as many words as possible.
9. Veer off topic. Return only to restate your position.
10. Declare victory.

If you disagree with my assertions, do not try to contact me. If you would let me get a word in edgewise, I will explain my ideas further as follows... First, re-read the 10 items listed above, as I suspect you did not read them properly the first time. If you had, then you would have no choice but to concede that these are unquestionably the finest tactics ever conceived of by man, end of story. Your infantile attempts to discredit them are just plain stupid, what is wrong with you? As Leonardo-De-Vinci once said "Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory". Hold on, let me finish what I was saying ....... yada, yada ....... game on Saturday ....... lots of snow ....... jumper cables ....... fried chicken ....... now as I've mentioned before, these 10 steps will ensure victory in any argument. If you practice, you may one day be on the winning side of such lopsided disputes as the one you have just lost.

I trust you now have a better understanding of this subject than was previously evidenced by your lack of relevant knowledge and skill. If you wish to have better luck in the future, I suggest you read the 10 steps listed above.

Do not withhold this information from your friends and family for fear that it will negate your use of it when arguing with them. When executed properly, these steps ensure victory even when countered with similarly brilliant strategy.

---

I wrote these steps while traveling atop a train through the Indian countryside, where I was speaking with three farmers from different provinces, each speaking different Hindi dialects, about their troubles with well-water and the fertilization of their crops. Please forgive the lack of formality proper to a gentleman. I will make sure that, whatever the circumstances I am confronted with, my future letters to you will be written with greater care.

With all the sincerity available in a quasi-dimensional pseudoverse,
Stick-Paul.

---

Enjoy being able to confound those with whom you are arguing with this seamless strategy. I didn't think you deserved to be shown such marvelous knowledge, but the oft-benevolent Stick-Paul convinced me that you do deserve it... though I'm still confused on just why.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Some Photos of Stick-Paul

Good Day,

Here are some photo's of Stick-Paul from the archives. Until recently (due to a little crazed fan incident where someone had figured out where Stick-Paul's abode was from the background in one of the pictures) we have not been able to publish any photos. Luckily Stick-Paul took time out from his busy schedule to write a computer program that removes backgrounds from photographs without touching the subjects. Due to this breakthrough technology the following pictures are now available to you, his adoring and unworthy fans. Enjoy!

This is Stick-Paul confidently traversing a higher plane of existence at the peak of Stick-Land's highest mountain, Mt. Twopack.









This is Stick-Paul winning the Stick-Land strongman competition by lifting up twenty-two two-dimensional hot-dog stands... and the associated vendors for two minutes.

















This is Stick-Paul conquering the two-dimensional hyperspace... it took him two days of two-dimensional hacking (which is about twice as difficult as three-dimensional hacking for those who don't know).












This is Stick-Paul in his snazzy two-dimensional trenchcoat and bowler combo. I had to fight of the two-dimensional ladies the day he wore this. I have the scars to prove it too.
















This is Stick-Paul enjoying his casual reading time. The book he's reading in the picture is "Quantum Mechanics for Absolute Geniuses", a book in which he is referenced numerous times due to his extensive work in the field and his first-hand knowledge of interdimensional relationships.









This is Stick-Paul leaning on the lamp-post at the corner of the street, waiting for a certain little two-dimensional lady to come by... that is all I'm allowed to tell you as the story of the lucky little lady from Twoledo, Stick-Land may spark bouts of depression in the female populations of both Stick-Land and the three-dimentional universe (don't worry too much ladies, I have a feeling its not too likely for Stick-Paul to settle down and retire to the quiet Stick-Land countryside just yet.












This is Stick-Paul running the Stick-Land 1000 km marathon on his hands (a requirement of the Stick-Land Running Federation because of his incredible speed upon his feet). Last year he won the race by too much. The next competitor finished in twice the time. This hear, using his hands, he only beat the 2nd place finisher by 200 km.














This is Stick-Paul posing for his "author's photo" at the request of his publisher. I believe there is a website dedicated to this picture and the popular philosophical field, two-dimensional aesthetics. Of course, Stick-Paul encourages the persuit of knowledge, so they were given permission to use the photo.








Don't miss the next installment of Stick-Paul photos. I will publish new pictures as often as I can. Stick-Paul usually sends me a package from where he is adventuring every week or so, so I'll pass on some of the pics from the packages if I'm allowed to.

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.

Stick-Paul the Magnificent!

Good Day,

I am Stick-Paul's manager. He is too busy with his adventuring to talk to the peasantry, so I am required to do so in his place. The pupose of this blog is to report to you, his adoring and unworthy fans, on his adventures (both in Stick-Land and in our three-dimensional universe).

Undoubtedly you have wondered how Stick-Paul came to be. He hasn't told me, but I'm sure its an interesting story. Since I don't know, and since Stick-Paul will probably not divulge such information (as it is key to his mysterious persona), you will probably never hear the real story. Instead, I will tell you about Stick-Paul's adventures, his philosophy, his many memorable sayings, and miscellaneous trivia about him.

Enjoy learning about everyone's favourite two-dimensional hero!

Aloofly,
Stick-Paul's manager.