http://www.newsweek.com/id/123471
First two paragraphs:
My grandfather Arkady, a World War II refugee from Ukraine, stored
plastic bags of leftover bread crusts in his closet in case the family
went broke and hungry again. He had fled his home country in 1943 with
my grandmother and mother, but he couldn't escape the fear and dread
he felt as he ran from the Nazis. He was storing bread crusts well
after he was secure in the balmy embrace of Berkeley, Calif., living
in a house he bought for $13,000 in cash. He couldn't shake old
habits. Or were they old virtues?
Now, many decades after Arkady's arrival, I also have plastic bags in
my closet. But they're filled with nice clothes I'm giving away
because my wardrobe is too full. The biggest life issue facing me when
I open my closet door is whether to put on an Ann Taylor jacket or a
Gap sweater.........
(end of excerpts)
There are a few comments after the article - you have to click to see
all of them.
Lenona.
I loved the comment about the ridiculous tax "rebate" we're about to get. I
made $3k less in '07 than in '06, yet I owed $900 more in taxes, with nearly
exactly the same dollar amount of deductions both years. Ok, so they jacked
up the taxes and then say "rebate", like I'm not supposed to notice that I'm
getting the shitty end of the stick. Perfect.