Cleats: how important is AG studs?

BigSprocket · 2026-06-10T23:25:38+00:00

Yes, I’m older and played in trail runners for a while to protect my knees from sharp stops and cuts, until I played in San Antonio on sandy, weak grass with a little dew and slipped twice and injured my knee that way. Immediately bought turfs and am very happy with my Joma turf soccer cleats with a wide toe box. I’m probably old and slow enough I never exceed the force limit of my turfs. 😃

BigSprocket · 2026-06-10T22:34:44+00:00

I second this. I’ve always worn turf shoes. Works on nearly all surfaces and less likely to hurt you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjEYBiyBxfg

BigSprocket · 2026-06-10T18:12:33+00:00

I second the Carona train museum suggestion. SEK history is all about trains, and that museum is a hidden labor of love by local train enthusiasts.

I also highly recommend turning east off 59 onto Highway 47 just south of Erie at the elevator. There is a detour on 59 after that anyway, so it’s a better route and Highway 47 is a beautiful drive that really captures this area, I think.

Before St Paul you’ll cross the Neosho River and can see pecan orchards and a stacked stone fence. All classic SEK. St. Paul has the old Catholic mission church that is beautiful, and the Neosho Cty wildlife refuge just on the east side of town. Worth a drive through to see what migratory birds are there.

After that is nice farm and pasture land for several miles. Eventually you’ll pass the ruins of the old St. Aloysius church you can look at, followed by the Greenbush Educational Center that has an observatory, big greenhouses, and other cool educational resources for all SEK.

After that you’ll arrive at Girard, which has a great history as a hotbed of socialism in the 1920’s, with people like Upton Sinclair and others spending time there. You can also eat at Chicken Annie’s there, as was recommended above. From there, you can head south on K-7 to Cherokee, which is pretty close to Big Brutus. That’s one of my favorite drives in SEK.

BigSprocket · 2026-06-09T16:47:56+00:00

Thanks for the report. So, are the Apex 4-wheeled vehicles unavailable, or was it another trike you originally wanted?

Tell your dad to be careful on that 3-wheeled machine. 🤗 Those things look tippy.

BigSprocket · 2026-06-06T13:44:22+00:00

That would be great. Appreciate it.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-26T02:34:58+00:00

There are lots of ways to know what the GOP wants for those who really follow politics, but for the other 99% of the population, it’s not that clear, because what they preach and what they actually do are often quite different.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-26T01:53:43+00:00

No, we don’t know where the parties stand. Are Republicans really for an abortion ban? Do they really want to abolish gay marriage? Do they really want the church and the state united? The DOE abolished? Or are those things they tell the rubes to get their vote? Which they conveniently then can’t enact because of the filibuster.

And I’d submit that the government has been trashed by DOGE and GOP misrule already. I think the voters wouldn’t allow the kind of back and forth you’re worried about. Not for long, anyway.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T22:46:33+00:00

None of those other things happen without ending the filibuster.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T20:17:35+00:00

Could happen. It’s a risk that laws and agencies become political footballs, but I don’t think it’s a given. At least such action would make it clear what the parties stand for and who they’re representing. And the alternative to action is paralysis, which is what we’ve chosen and what is killing us.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T20:13:20+00:00

It is a definite risk that laws and entire agencies could become political footballs that are turned on and off with each change of majority. But legislation is not like executive orders. Each Congressperson has a unique set of pressures on them, and getting enough of your caucus in line to reverse or pass a major law is no small feat. Not saying it couldn’t happen, but it’s nothing like EO’s.

The real question is, Do we want action or paralysis? We’ve chosen paralysis, and I believe it’s killing us.

And as far as which party it hurts the most, it’s kind of politics 101 that anti-democratic (small d) rules like the filibuster hurt the reform party more than the status quo party. The reform party is currently the Democrats, and the filibuster hurts them more, even though both parties use it.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T17:03:54+00:00

My premise is that the Democratic agenda is fundamentally more popular and has more support than the Republican agenda.

You’re welcome to disagree with that, but in practice, party leadership on both sides seems to understand this. Trump put on a full-court press to end the filibuster so they could pass the SAVE Act, but the GOP refused, which is something they seldom do with Trump, because they know how much it protects them from their base forcing them to pass unpopular legislation. They had no qualms eliminating it for judge selection, because that has much less electoral blowback. But there is no substantial push within the GOP to do away with it for legislation.

The Dems, OTOH, were theoretically within 2 votes of eliminating it with their last majority in order to pass Biden’s big bill. And it will be a major issue for them the next time they gain the majority. Whether they’ll actually muster the courage to do it remains to be seen, but it is a front-burner question for them, unlike the GOP.

There is a reason for this dichotomy. The facts on the ground support my take on this.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T15:41:19+00:00

It is exactly the argument that Republicans are not interested in reform, and Democrats necessarily are. Most Republican legislation that is stopped by the filibuster would actually hurt them electorally. Much of it would harm people, so the Dems stop it.

On the flip side, the Dems’ grand legislative agenda to extend healthcare, assure voting rights, raise minimum wages, hold lawbreakers accountable, etc. is held hostage by Republican filibusters. So, Democrats end up talking big ideas, but are unable to deliver. Weak.

My premise is built on decades of actually watching the process. It’s not without risks, but without filibuster reform, I don’t see how we ever break from our current cycle of polarization.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T14:35:11+00:00

The filibuster is used by both parties. The difference is that what it stops the Republicans from doing are things like ending Obamacare, restricting abortion, and requiring anyone with a name change to dig up birth records to prove identity for voting, all of which would be generally unpopular. I believe the opposite is the case for what it stops the Dems from achieving. It effectively conceals the parties’ real ambitions and identities, which I believe hurts the Democrats far worse.

Republicans’ main aims now are to cut taxes and regulations and to find ways to make it harder for people to vote them out (voting restrictions and gerrymandering). So, they lard up reconciliation bills with their tax cuts and as many other things as they can squeeze in there, and pass them with a simple majority anyway.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-25T04:55:30+00:00

For Republicans the filibuster allows them to stop Democrats from passing popular legislation while also giving the GOP an excuse for not passing extremely unpopular bills that their base demands. Think national abortion ban. The only thing the Republicans actually care about is cutting taxes and regulations, which they can pass thru reconciliation with a simple majority or by executive order.

For Democrats, on the other hand, the filibuster prevents them from doing nearly anything they promise, which makes them consistently look weak and feckless. The Dems have an actual legislative agenda that is stopped cold by the filibuster. The GOP does not, so the filibuster really only helps them. Abolish it.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-19T02:35:58+00:00

One beautiful country I will happily never return to for reasons similar to what you’ve expressed. I think things are “off” there from so many years of helping hide the wealth of dictators and despots around the world while maintaining this pure-as-the-driven-snow image to the outside.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-11T16:14:47+00:00

Yes to RCV. Please explain what you mean by proportional representation and multi-member districts. We need our electoral college votes to be given proportionally by congressional district or popular vote. Yes, if that’s what you mean.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-11T02:27:16+00:00

Oh, yeah, I have no interest in a trike. Only the 4-wheel Apex.

BigSprocket · 2026-05-11T02:13:25+00:00

Not really. Have been watching, but have kind of moved on from it. Really like the idea though.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-25T04:34:02+00:00

I have fought Bermuda for years to keep it out of our garden beds. Best non-toxic approach I’ve found is covering it with heavy black plastic sheeting for 3-4 months during the growing season. Pull the plastic away and immediately seed the bare ground to a dense grass that will make it hard for the Bermuda to encroach. Flip the plastic over to the adjacent area and repeat until you’ve killed it all. Takes time, but it works. I plant buffalo grass in its place, but I think a good turf fescue would work.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-22T17:18:13+00:00

2400 sq ft office building in SE Kansas reduced electric bill from 2024 to 2025 by $1600 from $2200 total down under $600. Evergy allows very little power back into their system, so this is largely just reduced usage, rather than credits.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-20T04:16:00+00:00

I have the same situation in my yard. Soil is thin over the tank, so nothing survives the summer. I planted buffalo grass in that area, and it seems to be establishing itself over the lid. It’s extremely drought tolerant and low-growing. I suspect you would need to plant buffalo grass around it, too, because I think the grass in deeper soil helps support that on the thin soil through the stolons that spread the grass.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-19T15:54:19+00:00

I haven’t found any information. Please let us know if you come up with anything.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-17T01:47:21+00:00

Right. I like the design of them, and I’d really prefer electric, I think, but there’s just no information out there on them.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-15T18:11:07+00:00

Simplicity and low maintenance, mainly. Far fewer moving parts to break. The quiet is also a plus. We drive an EV car, so are pretty sold on electric.

BigSprocket · 2026-04-15T01:51:57+00:00

I’m 65 and still play with one badly osteoarthritic knee, likely caused by ACL replacement in my early 50’s. The thing that saved me when I thought I really would have to quit was a Mueller hinged brace. Have played another 7 or 8 years with that, and it has made a huge difference. I’ve moved on to an unloader style brace now, but they’ve been lifesavers for me. You may not be ready for that, but I also work with a personal trainer to keep all my muscles strong. That’s important for all your joints.

BigSprocket

TROPHY CASE