With a combination of emails from David and Mike, I now visualize how this
thing works.  However, an (offline) email from David suggests that it is
better for getting the lift started on the poptop, and then you should
finish lifting it without the assist.

Which defeats the purpose! I can start lifting fine, it just involves
pushing straight up on the bar, which is easy.  It's the last foot of lift
that I can't do, because I'm reaching straight up, with elbows and knees
both straight, and I don't have the strength or leverage to push the bar
forward from that position with the additional 70-odd pounds of weight on
top.

With the amount of weight Kim has (something like 200 lbs), I wouldn't be
able to do the straight up dead lift either, but I don't have that weight on
my poptop.

I think this may be a height issue.  If I were a foot taller I might have
the leverage to finish the lift without an assist.

Joy