LOL, Frank. I didn't get this monster till after my wife passed away. No one to justify it to except myself (and I have no self-control). I usually use a heavy Bogen tripod (#3233) with a full Wimberley head with this set-up, although I have used a Sidekick a couple of times.
And I'll have to plead ignorance on the MLU question. I'm not sure what that stands for.