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趋势：借、交换或废物利用
萨什·米妮现年28岁，是澳大利亚西南部一名单身母亲，有一个两岁的女儿。她从今年1月下决心除必需品外任何新的东西，迄今为止一直没有“破戒”。
“这是我一直想做的事。”米妮说：“我曾在印尼一个偏僻的农村生活了三年，在那里，我没有买过任何东西。但一回到澳大利亚，我又很快地被卷入购物浪潮……”后来，米妮意识到自己过分沉迷购物，甚至有点上瘾。而买的东西越多，她反而越觉得空虚。
决心开始一年不购物的挑战后，从今年至今，米妮没有买过任何一件新衣服、新鞋子、家居用品或者护肤品。对于大多数人来说，这似乎简直不可思议。但是，米妮实现了这个目标。对于需要用的东西，如果有能力，她会尝试自己制作；如果没有能力但又真的有需要，她会通过借、交换或者废物利用等方式获得。
溯源：物质不是快乐之源
米妮表示，一年不购物，不只是像一些人所理解的为了省钱那么简单。“这和想省钱没什么关系。金钱对于每个人的作用都不同，它可以给我们去做一些很棒的事的自由，但金钱不是幸福的源泉。”
米妮表示，她希望能够教育女儿明白一个道理：物质不是快乐的源泉。而要让女儿真正明白这个道理，她自己必须身体力行。
对于米妮的坚持，她身边的人有些人表示惊讶和佩服，“你真厉害！但我恐怕不行。”也有人觉得不快，觉得米妮是在批评他们的生活方式。“我不想评判别人的生活方式。我只是试着改变自己的生活，如果它能够启发到一些人去改变他们的生活，那很好；如果不能，那也没问题。”米妮说。
米妮承认，她偶尔还会有购物冲动。“有一次我真的很想买一件新T恤。我甚至已经跑到商店里，但后来我想起了自己为何要设一年不购物的目标。于是我对自己说，如果这一年过后我还想买这件衣服，那么我再买。”
新潮：西方兴起“拒买族”
米妮的尝试并不是空前的。早在2006年，美国旧金山就有10个互相认识的朋友，因为受够了消费至上的生活方式，以及为了促进环保，决定一起接受一年不购物的挑战。他们将此举命名为“简洁行动”。
随着“简洁行动”的影响力渐渐扩大，得到越来越多人的响应，这一行动开始在欧美国家掀起了理性消费、拒绝浪费的潮流，得到了越来越多人的响应。很多人开始希望摆脱对物质的依赖，重新寻找生命的真正意义和快乐之源。
在美国俄勒冈州波特兰市，一位名叫凯蒂·斯坦利的44岁母亲甚至实现了连续5年没有买新东西的创举，其间还掉了此前拖欠的2万美元的信用卡债。
有人将“拒买族”视作特权阶层的矫情。对此，米妮反驳道：“我们确实享有‘特权’，物质应有尽有，很多人哭穷是因为他们把钱都花在买没用的东西上。穷人确实无权利选择买还是不买。但这并不代表我们的尝试没有意义。”
一年不购物
基本规则
1. 不买新衣服、鞋子和佩饰，“除非真的很需要，没有其他东西可取代”。
2. 不买新玩具。“我们自己做玩具，跟别人交换玩具，或者到社区游乐中心”。
3. 不买零食。“我们在家自己做点零食和小点心。”
4. 不买新的洗护用品和化妆品。“我用完现有的护肤和化妆品后，要么不用，必须用的话尝试自己制作。”
5. 不买新的居家用品，可以和朋友交换，或者废物利用。
6. 允许医药、旅行方面的消费。
记者观察
“买买买”的迷思
随着一年一度的网络打折促销活动临近，一众网购粉纷纷摩拳擦掌，蓄势待发，心中只有三个字：“买买买”。但不少人事后会发现自己其实买了一大堆并不实用的东西，费时费力又费钱。有人甚至痛定思痛，自嘲再买就剁手，被网友戏称为“剁手党”。
如今，很多东西唾手可得，很多人反而觉得喜悦和满足感越来越少、越来越短。这就是所谓的物极必反，也是欧美出现“拒买”呼声的社会背景。
一年不购物，在我看来有点极端。但这个尝试的最大意义是它能令人反思：我们的生活是不是真的需要那么多东西？我们的快乐之源是否来自购物？当然，每个人的价值观、消费观千差万别，并不是一定要一致。只不过，把视线暂时从购物网站移开，认真想想这些问题，对谁都有益无害。 (王希怡)
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About the game:
USA as a world power? In E-Sim it is possible!
In E-Sim we have a huge, living world, which is a mirror copy of the Earth. Well, maybe not completely mirrored, because the balance of power in this virtual world looks a bit different than in real life. In E-Sim, USA does not have to be a world superpower, It can be efficiently managed as a much smaller country that has entrepreneurial citizens that support it's foundation. Everything depends on the players themselves and how they decide to shape the political map of the game.
Work for the good of your country and see it rise to an empire.
Activities in this game are divided into several modules. First is the economy as a citizen in a country of your choice you must work to earn money, which you will get to spend for example, on food or purchase of weapons which are critical for your progress as a fighter. You will work in either private companies which are owned by players or government companies which are owned by the state. After progressing in the game you will finally get the opportunity to set up your own business and hire other players. If it prospers, we can even change it into a joint-stock company and enter the stock market and get even more money in this way.
In E-Sim, international wars are nothing out of the ordinary.
Become an influential politician.
The second module is a politics. Just like in real life politics in E-Sim are an extremely powerful tool that can be used for your own purposes. From time to time there are elections in the game in which you will not only vote, but also have the ability to run for the head of the party you're in. You can also apply for congress, where once elected you will be given the right to vote on laws proposed by your fellow congress members or your president and propose laws yourself. Voting on laws is important for your country as it can shape the lives of those around you. You can also try to become the head of a given party, and even take part in presidential elections and decide on the shape of the foreign policy of a given state (for example, who to declare war on). Career in politics is obviously not easy and in order to succeed in it, you have to have a good plan and compete for the votes of voters.
You can go bankrupt or become a rich man while playing the stock market.
The international war.
The last and probably the most important module is military. In E-Sim, countries are constantly fighting each other for control over territories which in return grant them access to more valuable raw materials. For this purpose, they form alliances, they fight international wars, but they also have to deal with, for example, uprisings in conquered countries or civil wars, which may explode on their territory. You can also take part in these clashes, although you are also given the opportunity to lead a life as a pacifist who focuses on other activities in the game (for example, running a successful newspaper or selling products).
At the auction you can sell or buy your dream inventory.
E-Sim is a unique browser game. It's creators ensured realistic representation of the mechanisms present in the real world and gave all power to the players who shape the image of the virtual Earth according to their own. So come and join them and help your country achieve its full potential.
Invest, produce and sell - be an entrepreneur in E-Sim.
Take part in numerous events for the E-Sim community.
