Chapman Stick/Jamman MIDI

[jessekudler@juno.com (Jesse G Kudler)]

Two questions:
What is the Chapman Stick?  I see it mentioned around these parts all the
time, but I have no idea what it is.  Is it just a regular guitar that's
favored by looper types for some reason, or does it do something
special?

Also, I'm sure this topic has been covered before, but I want to know
about a MIDI controller for my Jamman.  I have no idea what I need, how
much I should be paying, etc.  If someone can refer me to a web page or
something, that would be useful too.

Thanks,
Jesse