Timing is everything.
Back in late winter when this space was struggling for material the opening of an exhibition by artist and former Dartmouth quarterback Max Heiges '10 at the New Release Gallery in New York City would have been not just helpful but timely. "Buff" ran from Feb. 12-March 27 and unfortunately I stumbled across it only a few days ago. Better late than never, I guess.
"I’m never going to be big enough - the resounding silent power of Max Heiges’ 60+ hand-made dumbbells (some of which are sitting on his hand-welded barbell racks), installed in what could be a soviet locker room or a 1980s dystopian Miami gym aptly named Deadlift - echoes of performative ruggedness yearning to break free. The weights are all torch cut out of inch thick (sometimes thicker) mild steel - some have been brought down to a clean polish, some have been left in their raw steely state, some have been finished and painted in a candy land palette that speaks to the delusion of contemporary virility.Stay buff, stay cool. Be as strong as steel, maintain a steely constitution. Eat like a man. Lift like a beast. Pump Iron. Pump it up. Pump your girl. Do your reps, stay on the program."
A review in Editorial Magazine (LINK):
In Buff, Max Heiges presents a collection of 60+ hand-cut steel barbells and dumbbells, turning NY’s New Release Gallery into a kitschy home-gym. Heiges uses the language of gym pursuits – graft and gains – to speak to the physical and psychological weight of masculine conventions. Traditional tomes of masculinity may demand the ability to lift heavy objects, but heavier still is the burden of expectation of strength.
Heiges’ sculptures flex in ranges of polish and glee, like shimmery slot-machine symbols brought to life. They represent a roulette of symbols to be randomly assigned, boyhood, manhood and things in-between. Gold, silver, bronze biceps, a pancake palm tree, lighting rods, love hearts and dollar signs, a dinosaur, a kinky anvil and cherries. Some barbells remind him to eat his fruit and vegetables.
To learn more about Brooklyn-based artist Max Heiges and his work, CLICK HERE.
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Following up on yesterday's posting about former Dartmouth defensive lineman Niko Lalos, SB Nation’s Big Blue View has a story headlined, Better or worse? Giants edge group gets reinforcements; Giants deeper, more talented at this position. (LINK)
The story about the team bolstering its pass rush notes that this year . . .
They shouldn’t have to turn to an unknown like Niko Lalos.
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It's a tossup what the best team is that former defensive lineman Seth Simmer '20 played against in a Dartmouth uniform.
There's no question what the best team is he'll have played against as a graduate student at Samford. (BIO). On Nov. 13 this fall Samford will be at The Swamp to take on the Florida Gators. (LINK)
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EXTRA POINT
I remember seeing on our local listserv over the past year several postings by a kid home from college offering to "detail" cars. I don't recall how much he was charging. All I know is it's not enough.
I've spent about seven hours getting our cherry red 2016 Honda Fit with just 43,000 miles on it ready to show to potential buyers and I'm here to tell you it wasn't fun.
The worst issue, by a country mile, was dog fur. And not Griff the Wonder Dog's wispy fur. No, the biggest problem was the short, stiffer, light-colored fur of his best friend, who we "dog-sat" for numerous times since we got the car. Turns out her fur embeds itself in carpet and upholstery and is almost impossible to get out. I tried a powerful handheld vacuum, our almost industrial-strength Dyson vacuum, the vacuum at the car wash and even one of those brushes you use on sweaters and nothing worked.
The only thing that proved effective was . . . wait for it . . . duct tape. I'd press a 10-inch strip into the area I was trying to de-fur, pull it up, discard it and then press another strip down on the exact same space. Before I was through I had used up the remaining half of one giant roll of silver duct tape and half of another.
It was a huge thrash but I can tell you this without boasting: The car looks great.
After we wrote the check to buy our EV the salesman asked for a second time about a trade-in. They took a peek inside the car, asked about the mileage and then offered us a surprisingly good price without driving it or lifting the hood. It was a surprising offer because they already had our check and didn't need to buy the car to get our business. They wanted it because even at the seemingly generous price they quoted they knew could make good money turning it around.
We'll toss a post up on our listserv tomorrow and hopefully my "duct-tape detailing" of a sweet car that has never had a single mechanical issue and now looks almost new will be worth it.
