Uncle_Wax

April, Year 5 A tall white man with grey streaky hair donned a hard hat and walked along the outskirts of the almost complete Simian Hill brewery. He stopped and turned to admire the building, ensconced in a thickly, dirty industrial district, surrounded by incinerators, mining service and wastewater treatment. The glistening paragon of Rio Preto power in Wax Superior, the Trade HQ, stood tall in the background. He twirled his moustache as contractors walked to and fro in front of him, grabbing tools, making adjustments. A car pulled up to the work site and soon the man felt a tap on his shoulder. "When's the grand opening? You'll certainly be popular among the workers here in Simian Hill, Mr MacGregor". William MacGregor turned around, leaving his moustache twirled at the ends. "Ah, Linda. So good to see you again. I'm sure this will make a lot of people happy, but we can't exactly sell directly from the factory, can we?" "We are working on that. The mine camp is growing, so you'll not be short of a market". "Yes, but what about the bars and stores to sell it? There's a dearth of commercial zoning in the camp, which means most industrial output like this ends up in Fort Simian. Then Fort Simian is flooded with miners and contractors, mostly male-" "We are aware of the issues arising from the gender imbalance, which I dare say is exacerbated by your products, perhaps the most ubiquitous product in the region." "Exacerbated? Ubiquitous? I didn't know engineers were so well acquainted with such terms!" Linda shot William a look of disdain. He continued. "Our Mayor, the honourable Clare Bevan, is talking of capping the number of Simian Hill workers allowed into the city limits." "You've benefited greatly from the custom of our workers. Fort Simian has the luxury of having a monopoly on entertainment for the miners here". "Ah, true that, but what of the cost of the Saturday night violence, all the drunks? Fort Simian can't afford all the extra police, especially after that awful lizard disaster. Some people are even saying the city will be bankrupt soon!" "Well then, might I remind you of the employment and opportunities we are bringing to the people of your town, which, as far as I am aware, is still crippled from that lizard disaster. Our roads are crammed with your cars.". Linda sighed as she grew weary. "Look, we've given you a market, a source of income for your original market, and now a cheap location for production. Now, we are going through an important phase on this mining project, and I don't have time for this." "Alright, then farewell". MacGregor pulled out a pamphlet Linda had provided him earlier outlining the development of the Simian Hill project. He browsed through the photos showing the latest developments. Phase II of the Simian Hill project is seeing record numbers of workers flock to the site, necessitating a move to medium density housing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Alright people, we've got a brief conference in 10 minutes. We need to get our story straight on a few things before we start talking to the media. First things first: The government has had not even a year and already they are well behind in the polls. We need to keep the pressure up to bring them down, they're not making the full term, not by a mile!" Rick Green surveyed his shadow cabinet seated around him as they cheered. Since the election, the once popular government had encountered an exceedingly extreme turn in their appeal. Even the lizard disaster failed to galvanize the city behind Bevan, something that the Blue party and Rick Green were happy to capitalise on. "Now listen, the government is saying they still don't know what that lizard was, or where it came from, or anything about it. What do we call that, Mike?" Rick turned to shadow treasurer, Mike Baseball. "We call that incompetent." "And what do we call the supposed deal Bevan wants to make with Rio Preto to save the town?" "Selling out." "Good. Now, some of you will hear some rumours about Aaron Pyne's death being a murder, and I wa-" "What?! He was killed in the lizard attack, what evidence is there for this?" a junior shadow minister interjected. Green fired a scowl at the junior minister and continued. "As I was saying, I want you all to be prepared in case any questions are raised about this. We've received the police report, apparently he died of a bullet wound before the lizard attack. Now, we can't directly blame the Mayor on this one, but if you are asked any questions, I'd like you to point out the convenience of the Rio Preto deal and Bevan's insistence on going with coal rather than exploiting the oil deposits." "You want us to imply some sort of government conspiracy to murder Aaron Pyne so that they could cosy up to Rio Preto?" said the junior shadow minister, horrified. "Just stick with the line, and don't deviate. Are we clear? We need to keep the pressure on this government so they fold, the sooner the better." The group nodded in agreement. As Green left for the conference, he turned to Mike Baseball and muttered "Keep an eye on that kid, and don't let him talk to anyone." As Green entered the conference room, cameras began to flash as a small group of journalists began to mutter. Absurd and repetitive though Green's allegations were against the government, it had attracted attention in the wake of an information vacuum surrounding the lizard disaster. As the crowd settled, Green pointed into the crowd. "Moe Rackswell, Wax Superior Herald. Can you confirm that Mr. Pyne was murdered prior to the lizard attack? And has your party been privy to any developments on the origin of the lizard?"

January, Year 5. "Contracted to Fort Simian for port works. Man, or is it, wo-MAN, you must have really pissed off the Preto guys!" Enrico Gutierrez munched on a cucumber sandwich as he scoffed at Gillian Maholm's assignment to Fort Simian as part of the "license to operate" contractor team of Rio Preto. The two had worked through the nights, on 12 hour shifts, troubleshooting the new port development at Fort Simian, aimed at developing the Fort Simian coal export industry. Though their expertise came at a premium to Mayor Bevan, Maholm and Gutierrez considered it insulting to take them away from the exciting Phase II development in Simian Hill. "Anyways" Gutierrez spew forth, mid bite, "someone on-site was saying something about a Rio Preto coal mine, something big, bigger than Wax Woods, so why are we helping these guys?" "How's your hydraulics program going?" Maholm interjected, changing the subject. "Umm... yeah, good I guess. There's this new comm college here at Fort Simian, so I guess it's easier to do classes while we're staying here" Gutierrez responded. "So it's not so bad then, is it?" "Well, no, but-" "But nothing. We'll just do-" a loud rumbling was heard. Crockery neatly stacked on the kitchen sink in the small break room started to rattle, as the ground beneath Maholm and Gutierrez began to shake. "What the f*** is that? Earthquake? What the-" Gutierrez was interrupted as Maholm raised a flat palm, and her face grew stern. Gutierrez's face turned white as he peered out of the window. "Jesus Cristo". Gutierrez grabbed his phone and ran out on to the beachfront, capturing the following image: Gillian peered out at the giant reptile, which stood as a pillar darting it's head about like a dog seeking out a scent. Enrico had already fled the building, making his way along the beachfront on foot, phone faced up at the creature. From her vantage point, Gillian could see people fleeing their vehicles, stuck in a huge traffic jam, making the trip to town on foot quicker than had they remained in the cars. As Gillian watched on, the panic built into an inexorable melee as people starting running in random directions. The monster, meanwhile, appeared unmoved by the disorder emerging below it. With a sudden jolt, it swung it's head around, facing the coal mines. Without warning, it let out an enormous roar and dove into the side of Table Mount. Moments later, it erupted out of the main coal shaft at the Table Mount coal mine. Lost in a daze, Gillian heard a voice slowly closing in on her. "Get in the truck! We've gotta follow this thing!" Enrico started up the pickup. Gillian looked to her right at the city, lights still blazing amidst a foreground of abandoned cars. Thank god they've got the wind plant, Gillian thought to herself. "We can't go, that thing is dangerous! We've got to stay away from -" "Fine then, if you're not coming, I'm going on my own!" Gillian's angry protests were drowned by the sound of the truck accelerating towards the bend approaching the mountain road. Above, on Table Mount, she could see bright flashes of light against the night sky, and hear the terrifying scream of the beast. Cursing Enrico, among other things, she ran into the dock security office and grabbed a pair of security truck keys, following Enrico up the mountain. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Wax Superior Herald January, Year 5 GIANT REPTILE ATTACKS FORT SIMIAN: 121 DEAD Author: Moe Rackswell Image of the beast captured by FSB helicopters. A trail of destruction from beachside to garbage dump is all that remains of the mysterious and deadly creature that attacked during the early hours. At 3 AM on January 21st, an earthquake-like rumble from the empty beachside development and port area roused residents of central Fort Simian from their sleep. A massive line of traffic, backed up for over three hours, led from the port into the centre of the city, made up of mostly Old Town and Simian Hill labourers marking the end of the evening shift on the local coal mine developments. As the rumble continued, an enormous figure emerged from the beachside area. A loud scream was heard from the beast, and the local residents fled their cars. The beast made its way up Table Mount, stopping first at the coal mining operations, where it let out a massive breath of fire. Fleeing miners managed to take several photographs before a firestorm erupted from coal reserves, burning the coal operations to the ground. The creature continued its path of destruction through the water treatment plant, and the newly developed mid-tech industrial estate, disappearing below the garbage dump an hour later at 4 AM. The trail of destruction left 121 dead, including shadow utilities minister Aaron Pyne. Key economic assets were destroyed in the chaos, including both coal mines and their expansions, the wastewater plant and the newly developed industrial estate on Table Mount. Mayor Bevan has called an emergency meeting of the council as relief workers battle into the morning sun to repair the damage wrought by a giant reptile during the night. The beast, which is quickly earning the nickname 'Nian' from residents of the Old Town, appeared at 3 AM on the site of the beachside area earmarked for commercial development by the Red party government. Members of both the Red and Blue party were seen milling hurriedly into the City Hall, in a sign that a bipartisan response is likely in the wake of this disaster. Despite the apparent bipartisanship in addressing the disaster, very little has been said by the government. In a brief press release, Mayor Bevan outlined instructions for the general response to the disaster, in addition to the crisis management plan. In her closing remarks, the Mayor indicated that she had spoken with her counterpart Rick Green, whom she said stood steadfast with her on the matter. Photographed by mine workers fleeing the coal operation. Photographed from one of the last remaining Trade Depots. Economic uncertainty to increase Jerome Lightfoot of Sizzle Analytics, a division of the Sizzle Group, is scheduled to be part of an advisory board on the economic redevelopment of Fort Simian following the devastating disaster of the previous 24 hours. In a brief interview with the Herald, Lightfoot claims that these events are a dire blow to the local economy. "The government will no longer be able to maintain budget deficits without the financial windfall of the coal operations. Unless they are quickly re-established, government services will have to be radically cut back". On the topic of government borrowing, which has not been seen since the early days of Fort Simian, Lightfoot was equally morose. "The government will need to borrow the maximum amount currently possible, about $150,000, which might get one mine and wastewater up and running, but it's hard to say if it will be enough. Coal prices are currently depressed due to a surge in the global market. They will need to increase by about $500 per 10 tons for the government just to break even". The full interview will be televised this evening on FSB. Fleeing industrial workers capture an image of the beast. A rash of fires breaking out, resulting from the fire-breath of the creature. The creature's fire-breath on display at the wastewater plant, now reduced to ashes. Image of the morning, after the creature had disappeared. Taken from the new Table Mount industrial estate, the destruction was massive. Destroyed wastewater settling tanks. Where did it come from? A formal inquiry is to be set up by the Mayor to investigate the origins of this mysterious beast, why it so randomly attacked the city, and how to plan to mitigate for any future attacks. A spokesman for the Mayor indicated that the event was so bizarre, unpredictable, and inexplicable that it is not known at this stage whether or not planning might even be useful in preparing for such a disaster. Some citizens are even reported to have packed their belongings, fearing that their beloved city and the fruits of their labour could become ephemeral and pointless exercises at the whims of an unpredictable and unprecedented disaster. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for tuning in! As a caveat, this disaster popped up in the real game (randomly) and absolutely ruined the city. It really did bankrupt it. I've found these random and frequent disasters to be a menace throughout the game, but at the same time, a boon. On the one hand, the competitive element of the game promoted by EA/Maxis (in the form of leaderboards) does not lend itself well to random disasters for which one cannot mitigate. If there was a reason for the disasters (e.g. being in a fault zone) then options for mitigation (such as more expensive buildings or upgrades to minimise earthquake damage) would make them more palatable. On the other hand, for those like-minded individuals who find a creative outlet in the game, the inability to save games or control for random disasters adds depth to the internal narrative that develops as one develops cities and regions. Since you cannot erase time to create the ideal city, you have to deal with the events that overtake you and continue to move forward. In fact, it was a combination of reading journals on this website and the random disasters hitting my early cities that inspired me to turn them into a story!

Episode 3 now available! https://community.simtropolis.com/journal/4560/entry-21909-the-saga-of-wax-superior-part-1-episode-3/

Hu: Thanks for the comment!    ryan_mizu: Me too! But you never know in this game...

Episode 2 is now live! https://community.simtropolis.com/journal/4560/entry-21908-the-saga-of-wax-superior-part-1-episode-2/

Just a quick update: Due to moving, I won't be able to update for another few days. Given the absence, I'll post up the next two episodes before next Friday (4th October) to make up for the lost time! In the meantime, here's a snapshot of the future of the region (to be explained in good time): Wax Ridge - North

The first "official" episode in the Saga of Wax Superior has been posted! https://community.simtropolis.com/journal/4560/entry-21907-the-saga-of-wax-superior-part-1-episode-1/ Enjoy! And if there areas to improve - please let me know! As the saga progresses I'll add screenshots in here (the forum side) as a sort of 'Abstract' for each episode. Most of the content will remain in the City Journal format.

Coal mining and nuclear power - what an odd combination! The shots look great, I particularly like the one with Big Ben in the foreground at night. Like your region choice too - Horizon Archipelago is a personal favourite. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the development!

Thanks cob! The story should kick it up a few notches soon... so stay tuned ;)

The Wax Superior Herald July, Year 4 ELECTION SPECIAL: FINAL POLICY LAUNCH Author: Moe Rackswell A tough week of campaigning has seen surprises within and without. With the election tomorrow, this special edition of the Herald outlines the major policy platforms of the major parties. During the past week, tensions that had simmered in the past four years have exploded into a polarised electorate seeking to take Fort Simian in two seemingly different directions. The government has indicated a grand tourism plan for Table Mount, and an expansion of coal production to be supported by an eventual port development. The opposition, on the other hand, has proposed opening up the remaining beachside real estate for oil development and a special economic zone for the commercial centre. In the meantime, news of two city title leases in the adjacent bay area, a sex scandal engulfing the opposition leader Rick Green and rumours of entitlements abuses amongst government ministers have intensified the battle for City Hall. Three apparently not a crowd: Simian Ridge and Simian Hill titles granted The Herald reported on Wednesday that two settlement sites in the region had been granted development status. Simian Hill, on the opposite side of the bay, has been granted a mining lease following the discovery of large porphyry copper deposits surrounding the hill site. With copper prices at historical highs, and likely to increase still, a large outlay has been made by mining company Rio Preto to develop the site capacity within a year and a half. It is estimated that it will bring monthly windfalls of up to two million simoleons. The adjacent site of Simian Ridge is to be developed as the commercial and administrative centre of the region, servicing the needs of citizens at the mine camp in Simian Hill and the existing Fort Simian community. The development of Simian Ridge is to be financed partly by Rio Preto, who will establish a significant commercial presence in both cities. The announcement of the two developments, independent of Fort Simian, places further pressure on the policy vision of Mayor Bevan and opposition leader Green to eke out a niche for the fledgling city. Some fear that the economic might of the new sites may relegate Fort Simian to the sidelines, as an industrial freight producer and small time coal miner. The positioning of Simian Ridge also introduces concern over the political independence of Fort Simian, with some fearing "administrative centre" to be synonymous with "regional capital". Others, however, are optimistic, claiming that the new developments will provide greater opportunities for the locals. Sex scandal Reports surfaced midweek of a grainy video recording that some observers are claiming depicts shadow treasurer Mike Baseball engaging in lewd acts with an unidentifiable second person. The video was filmed at Sizzle Towers on the night of a Blue party function with local business leaders on the 14th storey. The creator of the video remains unknown. Baseball has vigorously denied the allegation, claiming that "it could be anyone, doing anything" in the video. And although the public have been reluctant to officially rush to judgement, the release of the video coincided with a sharp swing against the Blue party, bringing them on equal footing with the Red party after their gains early in the week. Rick Green, opposition leader, has distanced himself from the footage, avoiding questions and ending interviews prematurely. Downtown Fort Simian, with Sizzle Towers in the background. Policy unveiled In the last day of campaigning, both parties have published a pamphlet outlining their final policy proposals. The Red Party: "Raising the Profile" 1. Industry - The Red party plans to upskill the industrial base of the city with the creation of the Fort Simian Community College. 2. Coal mining operations to expand to 400 tonnes per day and a port facility. 3. Beachside development - remaining area to be residential/commercial zoning, no oil development. 4. Wasterwater treatment to be expanded, with the installation of a water pump adjacent, aiming to recycle up to 50% of water by next election. 5. Special development fund to be set aside to "raise the profile" of Fort Simian, including commissioning of a train station atop Table Mount, and the construction of an obelisk and leaning tower. Department of Tourism to be new government extension. 6. Plan to return budget to surplus before next election. 7. Taxation - Plan to return residential and industrial taxes to 9% following coal expansion. The Blue Party: "Trust, Incentive, Prospect" 1. Industry - Industrial expansion to occur on Table Mount, occupying two thirds of the available land. The opposition wishes to use this policy to place Fort Simian as the key supplier of freight for the new city titles. 2. Services - Department of Safety to be established, with construction of a police precinct in addition to existing police services. 3. Commercial - Commercial tax rate to be reduced to 4%, to encourage investment in the local economy. 4. Remaining beachside real estate to be developed into special oil zone, with an adjacent port facility. 5. Cuts to education and health to bring the budget back into surplus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The new downtown district, prepolling day.

Just an update: The election has ended, with the future of Wax Superior headed in different directions. Here is the official title shot for the saga: Most recent update on the saga: https://community.simtropolis.com/journal/4560/entry-21762-bevan-wins-narrow-victory/

A few snaps from the future of the Saga of New Wax... First: Wax Ridge, from Wax Superior (Callaghan Canyon in Edgewater Bay) The "over-over" pass in Wax Ridge North. "The city of bridge-erly love" Indulge in all the casino debauchery you wish under the cover of the mighty uber-pass. Now, to Wax Cove in New Wax (Conch Beach in Horizon Archipelago) Just a single overpass this time, over the main road. Wax Cove by night, with Wes Wax's crowning achievement, "Wax Tower" greeting visitors. Wax Cove: Heyday Decades later, Wax Cove is a bleak, barren place... But how did it get like this?

Thanks for the comment mb :) I thought a story would be a nice way to deal with the frustrations that some of the bugs cause, and turn them around into something a bit more 'interesting'. 

Thanks guys! I'll include more pics in the subsequent updates.

Really great shots here B_M. Looking forward to seeing how it develops!

The Wax Superior Herald July, Year 4 ELECTION SPECIAL: CAMPAIGN KICKS OFF Author: Moe Rackswell Fort Simian by night, July, Year 4. Four years ago Clare Bevan led the charge for the establishment of Fort Simian as the first city on the shores of Wax Superior and was duly elected as the founding mayor. Her incumbency now faces its first real challenge. I am standing with mayoral candidate Rick Green at the end of the rail line atop Table Mount overlooking the city as a cool summer breeze notches the temperature down to a comfortable 20oC. "You feel that, that's a wind of change" says Green as he extends his arms out over the city, as though to embrace it. "For years Clare Bevan and the Red party have abused the trust of the Simianite people, run up debt and deficit, lumbered industry with excessive taxes and failed to provide security for the city. The choice is clear in this election". Green is earnest and serious in his explanation of the state of affairs in Fort Simian, which by some accounts, is in a dire state of stagnation. We are at an open air conference to decide the fate of the rail line that was constructed in Year 2 but has yet to see a train pass through it. The Blue party, led by Green, are here in force to protest the development of a rail link they see as unnecessary and too costly. They say that the rail link should be either left as is, or demolished altogether, citing a lack of neighbouring communities and little potential tourist interest. The Red party, seizing on rumours of the imminent granting of a city lease title immediately adjacent, and the potential for the development of a tourist department, are pushing for the establishment of a train link in preparation for the future. As usual, the question turns back to the budget, which has been in deficit for two consecutive years. Budget woes State of the budget at the start of the election campaign, Year 4. Economic management has been one of three cornerstone arguments that the Blue party has consistently used to derail confidence in the Red government. High taxes, poor trade management, and government waste have been the catchcry of the Blue party's savage attack on Bevan's governance. High taxes, particularly on the industrial sector, have been suggested as causing an imminent wipeout in freight, leading to unemployment and commercial recession. The sluggish development of the coal sector and reluctance to establish a further major trade presence in the city are cited as fuelling the demise of the industrial sector that the Blue party claims. Crime, mortality and fire damages are cited as examples of government waste that the opposition feels ought to be reined in. "This government is clearly incompetent and poisonous" is the slogan chanted by the opposition leader Rick Green and his shadow treasurer, Mike Baseball. Local managers say that freight demand is high. The government claims, however, that the taxation environment is only a temporary fix to intermittently sluggish economic conditions. "It's impossible to look at all elements of the economy in isolation and get an accurate picture of what's happening", says Mayor Bevan. "The coal sector is set to grow in the coming years, delivering the growth needed to offset tax cuts further down the line". The government has constantly pressed the line that the budget deficit is balanced by mining royalties, which are not ordinarily counted as direct government revenue due to their dependence on market conditions. Swings in the royalty intake have seen revenues go as high as $50,000 a month to -$1000. They blame early sluggish growth on the bizarre behaviour of the global market delivery mechanisms. Vast coal reserves remain to be exploited. Typically trade depots will send a signal to the global market carriers that they have material to export, after which the market will send trucks to pick up the material in exchange for payment at the market price. During the first year of the coal sector operating in Fort Simian, however, despite full depots, trade trucks would display errant behaviour. Days would pass without a single delivery being made, then 18 trucks a day would appear and then disappear. Revenue uncertainty arose as a result, causing Bevan to increase residential and industrial taxes to minimise the small but growing deficit, until coal exports could be better regulated. The Blue party seized on this state of affairs immediately, viciously attacking the government over perceived economic ineptitude and recklessness. As Bevan brought the situation under control early in Year 3, regulating trade contracts and coal flows, the opposition focused it's attack on the specific government budget deficit as a function of taxation and service provision. "In reality, net revenues tripled, and the GDP actually increase five fold" says treasurer Mike Bowandarrow, adding that "the Blue party try to present the budget and economy as the same thing, but they are not", noticing that, despite increased taxes, commerce and industry had been booming in the previous year. "We've been seeing consistent growth, practically zero unemployment and satisfied freight and retail consumers on the whole. It's a smokescreen to focus on attack on a government deficit, especially when the treasury is growing!". The government has planned to address the perceived problems with trade and taxation by commissioning two additional coal mines to subsidise tax cuts to 9% for R and I, and 8% for C. The opposition has said that it plans to develop a trade headquarters in the city, expand coal mining operations, build a port and open up the remaining coastal property for the development of the rich oil reserves contained underneath. The opposition has not provided an estimate of the cost or time to completion of the project, and the government argues that it would pollute the beach head and stymie further commercial and residential investment. One of a vast set of oil deposits located under the bay area of Fort Simian. Site of the oil deposit, looking back at the cityscape. The opposition is also claiming that high mortality rates, poor fire response and "crime so bad that it's a state of emergency" are evidence of a government that is incapable of managing basic services. The government is claiming a small victory with a reduction in crime to only three a day from six in the previous year, claiming that increased funding post-election will see it drop to historical low levels of zero crimes per day. With two deaths a month, one building burnt down per month, and approximately 80% of school age children enrolled at the local school, the government is looking decidedly vulnerable. Treasurer Bowandarrow has promised to provide extra funding for a new police station and health clinic, in addition to an extra fire garage. The shadow utilities minister, Aaron Pyne ("Smelly Foot Aaron") rebuffed the election promise, stating "how can these clowns be trusted with public safety and services after this debacle. They have managed to get it wrong on all counts, and now they want to drive us further into deficit to make matters worse.". SFA added that "this is the worst government in the history of Fort Simian". The battle for the hearts and minds of Simianites Despite policy setbacks, Mayor Bevan still enjoys high approval ratings. The Red party has been beset by the opposition siege, seeing their preference among voters dropping to 48% in the year leading up to the election. However, although the mayor's personal approval rating has slipped four points to 88%, especially amongst commercial and high wealth residential voters, her position remains overwhelmingly positive. In contrast, Rick Green's personal approval rating has barely scratched 0.1%, a problem acknowledged by all but his party. "We are a team", says SFA, "and the public knows that when they vote for us, they get us as a united team, not a personality without a party". Still, political analysts see the unpopularity of the Blue party leader as problematic, giving the Mayor room to manoeuvre in the coming week. Jerome Lightfoot, local analyst, claims that "either the Blue party or their leader need a lobotomy, because there is nothing professional about calling the elected Mayor of our town a $%&^!. These are not the qualities people want to see in their Mayor". Press coverage of the election will continue in the coming week.