The Vine: December 23, 2009
Hi Sars,
For some time, I’ve been engaged in a long, fruitless search for a shower caddy (of the hang-it-over-the-showerhead-variety) that does not rust. I’ve searched the usual suspects — BBB, Linens ‘n’ Things, The Container Store, Target, etc., to no avail.
Even those caddies that are coated with the white plastic/poly-something still rust — they take longer to do so, but ultimately they do, because they’re still constructed of metal. And I hate admitting this, but I’m anal enough that I feel compelled to replace the thing once the rust gets to a certain point. The idea of an all-plastic (or other rust-proof material) hanging caddy seems so simple, yet it eludes me. Please help!
Can Of Shaving Cream, You Are My Next Victim
Dear Can,
God, that Barbasol ring.I feel you.
Perhaps the readers have workable suggestions, but depending on how long the rust takes to get to that certain point, maybe just replacing it periodically is your best bet.It goes, what, a year before it starts to look nasty?And it probably costs in the neighborhood of $10-15?So it’s a buck and change a month to “maintain”?
Not to contribute to our wasteful consumer blah blah whatever, but I would get a nice-looking coated-metal caddy; sand the rust off with a Brillo pad whenever I clean the shower; and when that no longer arrests the rusting process, just chuck it and get a new one.
Hi Sars,
I’m finishing what I believe will become one of my favorite books ever, A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr.I was wondering if you or your readers could recommend any other books along that line.
Anything involving tort cases or other types of civil proceedings would be great; the bigger the story’s scope and the closer the author can get to Harr’s storytelling style, the better.My only requirements are that the books recount actual events in case I get curious and want to pull court transcripts or other public records; and that they be about civil, not criminal, cases.I’m not interested in fiction or true-crime stories.
While I’m at it, I’d love recommendations on books about the history and philosophy of American law.(I believe legal scholars refer to this as jurisprudence but I don’t want to misuse the word.)I’d prefer books geared towards laypeople, but am open to those suggested for law school students as well.
Thank you in advance for any help you or the readers can give.
I Wish They Had A Law School For Poor People
Dear Law,
The Amazon page for A Civil Action suggests, among other titles, William Bernhardt’s Murder One and John C. Tucker’s Trial and Error: The Education of an American Trial Lawyer.I haven’t read any of the books, and that last one may not have enough civil-section activity for you; Amazon also thinks you’d like this book about the Buffalo Creek mining disaster and ensuing lawsuit.
My taste does run more to true crime, so I’m not much help, but the readers can no doubt put together a reading list for you.
Dear Sars,
I just heard that Estee Lauder is discontinuing their Prescriptives line of makeup. This breaks my heart; their concealer and powder (Virtual Matte) have been lifesavers to me over the years. I don’t care if I misspelled Estee Lauder; they hurt my feelings.
I imagine that thousand of women are in the same (heartbroken, weepy) boat as I am…do you and your readers have any suggestions for similar brands of makeup?
With $30 powder and $25 concealer, I can’t really afford to stock up. Might as well get this search over with. I use Level 3 powder and Level 3 Cool concealer, if that helps.
Sadder Than When They Discontinued My Bra
Dear Sadder,
I so seldom wear that kind of makeup that I can’t really help you (I’ve had the same bottle of SPF 15 Cover Girl whatever the hell since God was a child).
Let’s hope your fellow Lauderites have found an acceptable substitute.Readers?
Tags: Ask The Readers Estee Lauder Jonathan Harr popcult retail
For the shower caddy, check out the white plastic ones at the bottom of this page:
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Command/home/us_en/products/bathroom/
I have the large shower caddy, and can attest to its rustproofness and general sturdiness.
I’ve had this shower caddy for over 3 years and no sign of rust. Got it at Bed Bath and Beyond. http://www.simplehuman.com/products/bathroom-organization/shower-caddies/adjustable-shower-caddy.html
There are websites/places that will recreate makeup for you. I had been looking for a discontinued MAC lipstick and came across one such site – too bad I forgot to bookmark it! Hopefully someone else will be able to point you to an affordable place.
Law, reference librarians are your friend. You should call one! They’d help you put together a booklist in no time. But, if you don’t have a library nearby, as well as checking Amazon also look A Civil Action up in your library’s online catalogue, then click the subject headings in its record to see books on similar topics.
Sadder,
You might try eBay. I’m a fan of a fragrance by Lancome called Trophee. Years ago, they stopped selling it in the US. I recently found someone on eBay who is selling it. Lauder may only be discontinuing it in the US. At the very least, it’s worth an eBay search on a lunchbreak.
@Law – trust me, reading law-related stuff on the side is WAY more fun than going to law school. Ahem. Anyway, check out Damages, by Barry Werth. I read it (as well as A Civil Action) in my alternative dispute resolution class in law school. It’s a really interesting story about a family’s civil suit for alleged medical malpractice against their OB, one with more complexity and nuance than appear at first blush. Another story you might look into is the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. There are several books out there – I haven’t read any of them, but Amazon reviews seem to indicate that Triangle: The First That Changed America (David Von Drehle) is pretty good. The trial for that event was rather prominent. I’ll look at old syllabi and see if anything else pops out.
@Sadder – for concealer, try Estee Lauder’s Double-Wear. The stuff is INCREDIBLE. Love. For foundation, I’m a huge, huge fan of Everyday Minerals (http://www.everydayminerals.com). Their samples are insanely cheap ($5 for 4 shades, or $2.50 each) and very generous so you can try several shades/finishes to really get your best match. The full size pots are also really reasonably priced. If you’ve never used mineral foundation before, it’s a really inexpensive way to see if it’s for you. I recommend getting a few of their empty mixing pots and a brush or two (I LOVE the flat top brush for full coverage). Their eyeshadows are also incredibly lovely and inexpensive.
I don’t have any idea how effective this is, but I’m looking for a shower caddy myself and this seems refreshingly low on metal bits:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/bath/showerTub/caddies?productId=10015471
(A thousand pardons if that doesn’t automatically make a link: I wasn’t sure.)
BBB has a teak shower caddy that may or may not be too big (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14448225&RN=864) and a new acrylic one that I hadn’t seen before but it looks cool (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=114425&RN=864). I use a metal one that I’ve had for a while and it hasn’t rusted yet, but it probably will sooner or later.
I’m now fully alarmed that Prescriptives is going away! Ye Gods! What of the Flight cream, without which I cannot live?
I’m stocking so up. Ye Gods.
How about this? Some stainless, but it says it’s rustproof:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/bath/showerTub/caddies?productId=10025832
Also claims to be rustproof:
http://www.containerstore.com/shop/bath/showerTub/caddies?productId=10013552
Sadder: I was so bummed to hear that, too! I’ve been experimenting with Bare Minerals and that’s been pretty fantastic. You can buy it at Nordstrom or Sephora (or likely some other places I don’t know about).
Good luck!
Another shower caddy option might be teak wood. It’s more expensive than plastic, but it’s got a little extra snazziness to offer. There’s possible wood maintenance to do with oil periodically but, again, snazzy.
Google teak shower caddy and you’ll get a bunch of hits.
This might not help, but I have a semi-ornate shower caddy that I got at Ross (maybe TJ Maxx?) that’s metal, but sort of a gold-ish/bronze-ish color. It doesn’t fit in my current shower, but it’s pretty enough that I just hang it on the wall. Before two years ago, though, it hung for about two years in my shower, and I haven’t noticed any kind of rusting or decomposition or anything.
If you don’t have your heart set on chrome or white, maybe keep your eyes peeled for something like this? (This isn’t it, but it looks fairly similar): http://www.bedbathstore.com/twbrwishca.html
Here’s a white plastic shower caddy that looks reasonably sturdy and inexpensive:
http://tiny.cc/K73BR
My shower caddy is about to be a shiny red because I am too lazy to buy a new one but not too lazy to spray-paint the one I have. Brillo pad, some Rustoleum, and you’ll have a shower caddy even Johnny Bench would approve of.*
*Erm, does that show my age that I remember Johnny Bench as a spray-paint shill instead of as a baseball player?
I’ve had this one for about 3 years now and I’ve not had a bit of rust.
http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Grips-1071355-3-Tier-Shower/dp/B001799PHM
I never read A Civil Action, so I can’t comment precisely on your taste in writing style, but I’m a law professor, and I’ve taught Torts (among other courses).
You might want to check out Tort Stories by Rabin & Sugarman
http://www.amazon.com/Torts-Stories-Robert-L-Rabin/dp/158778503X
It’s meant as a companion book for first year law students taking a basic Torts class, but I think it should be understandable to someone who is interested in reading the stories behind some of the greatest landmark Torts cases, with an explanation of what made those cases so noteworthy (in terms of history and jurisprudence).
Another book that has been compared to A Civil Action is Eat What You Kill: The Fall of a Wall Street Lawyer by Milton Regan Jr.
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-What-You-Kill-Street/dp/0472031600/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1
It’s about corporate law, bankruptcy and legal ethics, so it’s not torts, but the style is more similar – a true story, where you can look up more about the case, where it focuses on both the law and history along with the story.
Otherwise, I wish I was around my office, because browsing my shelves would definitely give me a better sense of which books would best give the highlights of legal history and theory for a lay audience. But we’re on winter break & I won’t be returning to the office until early January. Off the top of my head, it’s hard to think about the style and audience of books I haven’t looked at in a while.
If “Law” wants to leave an email address of any sort (anon or otherwise), I’d be happy to contact with more tips once I’m reunited with my books. Beyond that, I want Law to know that many law schools provide financial aid to students who are poor. I know scholarships are an important part of my school’s fundraising & budget, because many of our students do not come from advantaged backgrounds. I can’t say I know your circumstances, but I do hope that the price tag is not the only deterrence on your pursuit of a legal education.
They’re not strictly history/philosophy of law books, but I heartily recommend “The Brethren” by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong and “The Nine” by Jeffrey Toobin. Definitely accessible, and in fact compulsively readable accounts of SCOTUS from the second half of the 20th century on.
I will be watching these recommendations too, as I’m always on the lookout for that kind of stuff as well. I’ve got “One L” by Scott Turow slated for my Christmas plane trip.
@Law: I concur with Bria. Especially about the fun part, and Damages, which was my suggestion. You might want to look at some law school library websites – there’s sometimes a list of “suggested reading” for incoming/future law students, altho it may be a seasonal thing. Sadly, I can’t think of anything else off the top of my head.
To relieve the rust rings on the shower caddy, have you considered a shave bar instead of the can? I swapped to a shave bar and now all I have to throw away is a plastic wrapper instead of a whole can. I did acquire a wood soap dish so I didn’t have to keep peeling if off the wire tines of my shower caddy, but that depends on what you prefer. I get mine from a soaper on etsy and usually get 3 or so at a time (soap, heavy to ship). If you know anyone local who makes handmade soap, they might make a shave bar.
Law — I also love books about stuff like that, and I enjoyed John Grisham’s THE INNOCENT MAN. It’s about two men, actually, who were convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. Grisham details all the court proceedings and failings, and he uses language that is clear and precise. I really enjoyed it.
http://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Man-John-Grisham/dp/0440243831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261595918&sr=8-1
I also read The Innocent Man (well, listened to it on my iPod). Definitely a gripper.
Re law books: John Grisham’s “An Innocent Man” is about a true criminal (not civil) case, but gets into a lot of the actual jurisprudence, not just the true crime aspect.
In terms of more general books, Dominic Dunne’s “Justice” is pretty good (I’ve only skimmed it, though), and if internet law and structure floats your boat at all, pretty much anything by Larry Lessig is awesome and pretty non-lawyer friendly (to the extent that I can judge as one of his former law students).
I have a version of the shower caddy from that Kristi linked. Mine has adjustable bins so you can stand up the tall things in either one (they slide to the left and right). There is reduced amounts of metal for less rusting potential. We’ve had it nearly a year with crazy hard water, and so far so good on the rusting. I’ve seen another version at Target too, but all from simplehuman.
Looks like we all got to Grisham at the same time.
I haven’t read the following book, but have heard much of the story as it happened in MN. The book is called Class Action and is about the first successful class action sexual harassment suit. It was made into the movie North Country and the decision in the 8th circuit Court of Appeals was written by a judge that taught my first year civil procedure class years later. It is a civil case that went on for years and had lots of drama.
Law, I’m signing on to what Bria says about law school. I also like Candy’s suggestion of a reference librarian, but to amplify: try a law librarian. My experiences with them have overwhelmingly been positive. They usually know their stuff inside out, and would likely be able to help out better than your average reference librarian, especially in your questions about developments in American jurisprudence, which can go in several different directions. It sounds like you might be more interested in the litigation side of things, but there’s a significant body of writing about the development of our American system of business organizations, different theories of contracts, bankruptcy, etc., and how all that has shaped and been shaped by our private-property-owning, capitalistic society. (I’m kind of a contract law nerd, so I find this stuff interesting, but you probably won’t- most normal people don’t.) My point is that a good law librarian can help you figure out what you are interested in and recommend something. If your town has a law school, it probably has a law library. Also, take A Law Prof’s advice and email him/her- most of my law profs had some really interesting reading material on their shelves (if only it could have been assigned for class!!).
Can – I bought this chrome jobbie from Walmart that’s served me well for over six months, and not one sign of rust. Have had similar in the past and they also were champs in the no-rust department. Obviously this one requires a door/wall to hang over, but the shower-head variety falls down constantly in my shower, so this has been working really well for me. Surely there are shower-head models in the same material.
Barbasol can officially kiss my ass as well.
Many law students will be familiar with Irving Younger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Younger) who was an American lawyer/judge/academic. I’ve seen some videos of him, including his famous ‘Ten Commandments of Cross-examination’. He uses examples from his own cases and from other significant cases to illustrate the commandments, and they’re absolutely fascinating (some deal with civil cases, others with criminal). It would be well worth watching if you have an interest in courtroom tactics and advocacy (I don’t know if it’s available online but I imagine most US law schools would have a copy.)
I can’t remember whether it was in that video or elsewhere that he advised aspiring advocates to read transcripts of famous cases/cases run by excellent advocates. He also recommended reading broadly about big cases, and a lecturer showed me a list of books that Younger had recommended to students. I’ve done some searching and haven’t been able to turn it up, but someone has a list that purports to be this list on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Irving-Youngers-Recommended-Books-Lawyer/lm/Q6T9PZWDI0V6 . (It clearly can’t be, since some of the books were published after Younger’s death, but I do recognise some of the titles from the original list, including the one about the trial of Alger Hiss. Most of those books do relate to criminal trials, but they could be worth a look (if you feel like branching out); criminal trials can be fascinating from a jurisprudence/trial process point of view, separate from the ‘true crime’ angle.
I would second the recommendation for ‘The Nine’.
Another thing I would recommend is simply reading some SCOTUS cases. They are often well-written and easy to read; some of the Justices do a great job at writing in a way that non-lawyers can follow. There is a handy list of some significant SCOTUS decisions here: http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Key_Court_Decisions . The decisions often given you a great sense of the factual, legal and historical issues involved. If you’re interested in negligence, you might have a look at the classic case of Donoghue v Stevenson (UK House of Lords: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/law/hamlyn/donoghue.htm), in which a snail in a ginger beer bottle changed the history of the law.
What? They’re discontinuing Prescriptives? NOOOOOO!
Apparently I’m in the same concealer boat as the LW. Boo.
@ Can,
We had that same problem and finally broke down and bought a $40 Simple Human shower caddy at Bed Bath & Beyond. I thought $40 was expensive but after going through several cheaper ones, I should have bought it in the first place. It’s made of all stainless steel, aluminum and plastic so it can’t rust. Plus the “shelves” are adjustable and there’s a movable suction cup at the bottom to help anchor it better.
http://www.simplehuman.com/products/bathroom-organization/shower-caddies/adjustable-shower-caddy.html
Sadder, You could try looking on MakeupAlley.com. They have a swap section where you trade makeup with people. You might find someone who has a stash of that and is willing to part with it. If no swap is available they also have forums and product reviews so you can read about what might be an ideal replacement and commiserate with other people who use that line.
Sadder (and others missing the prescriptives line), check here (http://www.foxyvoxy.com/?p=1317) for a link to order your special combination online.
Hope this helps!
Law, I would recommend Little Gloria… Happy at Last, by Barbara Goldsmith. It recounts the 1934 custody trial for Gloria Vanderbilt, a small child at the time. The trial was then referred to as the “trial of the century.” The book is not solely about the trial, but much of it is devoted to a detailed account of the courtroom drama. It’s well written and readable.
Buffalo Creek Disaster is a great, easy read. We had to read it in first year civil procedure when I was in law school a few years ago. Very compelling, I thought.
@Law: I only made it through one year of law school before bailing in favor of the much more fun and interesting Humanities graduate program, but I came out with a deep love of/interest in the US Supreme Court. Two books I read in a Humanities/History of the US course that I really enjoyed were Gideon’s Trumpet by Anthony Lewis and Becoming Justice Blackmun by Linda Greenberg. You might also like Lillian Hellman’s Scoundrel Time, about testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee. I’ll probably think of more as soon as I post this…
Can, just a random thought–how hard is your water? If there’s a lot of minerals and/or sulpher in your area’s water, it may be contributing to your rust problem. Just mentioning it, if your heart is set on a metal caddy, soft water pellets could ease your pain.
I’ve got nothing on the caddy, but if the shaving cream can ring bugs you, just paint the bottom of the can with cheap nail polish before putting it in the shower.
I’m pretty sure one of those 97 cent bottles of Wet N Wild polish would take care of at least five or six cans.
Law: Although I haven’t read it, I’ve heard excellent things about Nate Blakeslee’s Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town. The first editorial review does compare it to A Civil Action. Happy reading!
http://www.amazon.com/Tulia-Cocaine-Corruption-Small-Texas/dp/158648219X
I guess your environment is probably less manageable than the type of shower caddy you buy, but we’ve had one of those standard white coated metal thingies I probably bought at the grocery store for about five years now and it’s not got a speck of rust…so I’m wondering if it’s maybe your water, as some have mentioned (although we have hard water to end all hard water too) or that your bathroom doesn’t have enough ventilation, or…etc. Or the fact you’re putting metal stuff ON it, perhaps.
If you can’t figure out or control what’s giving you such rust problems, wouldn’t a square of sandpaper and a can of white rustoleum do the trick? Just an idea!
Okay, this isn’t a shower rack, but it might solve your problem. When I moved to a place with absurdly high shower heads, shower caddies were no longer an option. I tried all kinds of things, but finally settled on the suction-cup door racks convenience stores and similar places use. This is what I’m talking about: http://tinyurl.com/yh7kbhy
I got mine free from work because I worked in a store that used them and the product reps just threw them away once the store stopped carrying or promoting that product. I couldn’t find any place to buy them online (admittedly, I only did about 10 seconds of Googling), but you might be able to score some free if you make friends with a clerk in a store that uses them. They hold a lot of stuff, and as long as your shower wall is totally clean when you put them up and you use just the tiniest drop of water on the suction cups, they will stay put for a long time. I even stuck a couple of hooks on mine for mesh sponges and washcloths and things.
@Law: Ditto the recommendation of The Buffalo Creek Disaster, which I also had to read for my first-year Civil Procedure class. If you liked A Civil Action, it’s quite similar in type.
I also highly recommend something called May It Please The Court, which is a combination of recordings and transcripts of Supreme Court oral arguments. You’d be surprised how accessible and logical oral argument is, and speaking as someone who did a LOT of oral argument in my previous life, it’s also a very suspenseful thing to be a lawyer up there answering questions you can’t always anticipate. (I didn’t like being a lawyer, but I kind of loved doing oral argument.)
You also might enjoy a book called Picking Cotton, which was co-written by a woman with the man she incorrectly identified as her rapist. He spent quite a bit of time in prison, and after the mistake was discovered, they began working together as advocates for various kinds of legal reform. It’s really a pretty remarkable story.
I definitely second/third the book on the Buffalo Creek Mining Disaster. I had to read it in college and it’s one of the very few books I didn’t sell back at the end of the semester. I still have it and re-read it every year or so.
I also definitely second the recommendation of The Brethren by Bob Woodward, if you’re at all interested in the Supreme Court. I’m a bit of a Supreme Court junkie, so I re-read that one every year as well. I’m always disappointed when it ends and I don’t get to read about the next term. Can’t say I would recommend The Nine, though — less about the cases and more about the personalities. YMMV, of course.
~Can, just a random thought–how hard is your water? If there’s a lot of minerals and/or sulpher in your area’s water, it may be contributing to your rust problem.~
I second that. Given that our well-water wreaks such havoc on our pipes that the plumber visits about as often as the mailman, I can only imagine what it would do to metal shower accessories.
@Law: Chiming in with the John Grisham, An Innocent Man, and adding Steve Bogira, Courtroom 302. Good stuff. Also liked Class Action, mentioned above. I will note that law school bears almost no resemblance to real lawyering/these books (nor will you get to read these books in law school in most cases) and also, that if you are thinking of going, and hoping for grant/scholarship money, AVOID public law schools like the plague in most states. I went to a UC law school, and I started right as the tuition hikes began, and now it costs as much as a private law school, without the financial aid packages to match (sorry, but true).
@Sad – Lauder makes a number of other brands as well. You might take your preferred stuff to the Clinique counter, another Lauder brand, and see if they can match or provide similar options. Then you’ll at least know where to go when the eBay supply runs out.
Hi everyone – Law here. I had already checked suggestions at Amazon and my local library. The former was somewhat helpful, though not nearly as much so as you all have been.
By way of background, I’ve just finished a paralegal degree and have worked in the legal field for several years. Tort litigation is my favorite area of law, but I’m also interested in contracts because it affects so many areas of life. I think I’ll tackle some of the lay materials suggested here before diving into opinions and law texts (I don’t count my paralegal textbooks because they were so poorly written).
@ A Law Prof, your recs sound like exactly what I’m looking for, not least because I currently work in the bankruptcy field. I’d welcome
further suggestions if you think of them; I’m at shannonmay46@yahoo.com.
Thank you all for such well-considered recommendations.
@Shannon aka Law
Saving your address, will contact you soon with more ideas
@Patricia
Agreed on how many interesting books never get assigned. One of my favorite classes as a student was a seminar entitled “Recent Readings in Legal Thought,” because it cherry-picked the best new or newish books that had come out by some of the top legal minds. I may even have that syllabus in a box in my office, and I’m sure a few of the books off that list would still be interesting.
The sad thing is that I’m always sent free casebooks, hornbooks & “standard law school” materials, but I have to beg if I want to review copy of anything else for use in class without buying it myself to check it out. Most law schools either allow you to buy new books on a “development” or “research” budget or, at a minimum, you can get the library to acquire the book (if they haven’t already), and then decide if it’s appropriate for class. That said, I’m sure there are other professors who would be more willing to use “non-traditional” lawschool type books and I know I’d be more *aware* of more of the books if it wasn’t something that you had to hunt down (and actively search for).
I gave up on shower caddies altogether. I bought those ceramic corner shelves from the hardware store – they match the tile, and are supposed to be installed into the tile as the tile is installed, built-in. Like this: http://tinyurl.com/yj6zq8s I’m sure I was supposed to cut holes in the tiles & insert them with mastick & add grout & all that This Old House stuff, but I just glued them on top of the tiles. I sanded the tile to give it some tooth & glued the shelves onto the tiles with silicone, duct-taped ’em in place for a day and a half to let the silicone set, and now I have four shelves in my shower. I’m sure a tile guy would just puke, but it doesn’t look bad at all to me.
That doesn’t resolve the shaving cream ring, though. For that I bought a rubbery pet-food-can lid & I put it on the bottom of the can.
I just googled “plastic shower caddy” and a bunch of shopping links come up, including this one: http://tinyurl.com/yjbqfzg which is $11 and appears to be 100% plastic.
Here is the whole results page: http://tinyurl.com/y9vpssg
Also, I use Nature’s Gate Organics Creamy Shave Gel, which comes in a tube, not a can. No more rust!