The Sacramento Chronicle

Sacramento preservation expert moves into shiny new office

MIDTOWN — The established areas of Sacramento have developed over time, with marked changes occuring to the skyline, the uses of buildings, and even the street height. No one is more aware of this than Geddy Thompkins, a local historian and vocal proponent of building preservation who just got a really nice top floor office in a glass-and-steel mixed-use building at 20th and L Sts.

“Everywhere you look in this town; history!” says Thompkins, standing in front of his platen wall overlooking Craftsman-style homes and ornate masonry storefronts. “When people don’t notice, they don’t care, and we lose these fabulous structures that are as much a part of our shared history as our familial lineage. I want to help change that attitude and get people to pay attention.”

“This place has free wi-fi in the whole building, too.” he continued.

Thompkins has been instrumental in preserving several structures in Midtown, Downtown and Oak Park, including the Sacramento firehouse on 19th St., the historic Downtown rail depot, and the Guild Theatre. He is also lending a hand in the continuing Railyards development, poring over old original photos of the Sacramento Locomotive shops in his large, open-floor-plan suite.

“I can really spread out now,” says Thompkins, “moving out of that cramped, drafty Victorian on G St. was probably the best thing that could happen for my work.”

When asked about the frontier-era hospital building that stood on the corner of 20th and L Sts for 145 years until 2009 and was constructed in part with wooden beams from the original Sutter’s Fort, Thompkins replied, “Oh — that old heap was a shitbox and nothing important ever happened there.”

‘Same socks’ office fiasco enters tense 24th minute

DOWNTOWN — Negotiations halted today on a tense standoff between office workers Bernard Torry and Jerry Singleton over what each calls a ‘felonious’ abuse of trust in wearing the same style of Sears-brand argyle sock.

“Look, Jerry and I have discussed this. We knew we had sock copies.” said a visibly flustered Torry. “I told that bastard that I had Wednesdays. I told him.”

Singleton spat back, gesturing angrily towards the floor, “These are my god-damn socks and I’ll wear them whenever I please. This is America, not Red China.”

“Well, you’re a fat fuck,” volleyed Torry before he was physically restrained by Dave the copy clerk.

Co-workers said the scandal began as an office gag - “We both knew Jerry and Bernard had the same socks, it was funny, a joke, you know?” said secretary Sally Saunders. “We all giggled, ‘you guys are going to end up wearing those argyles on the same day soon.’”

“We said we’d call them ‘The Bobbsey (socks) Twins’ or ask them if they were going to attend a ‘sock hop’ and all had a laugh — how wrong we all were,” she said, shaking her head slowly.

With both sides completely unwilling to back down or meet the other’s demands (including rolling down their god-damn highwater pants or just wearing those loafers without socks), or even stop yelling, the standoff could last the rest of the afternoon, said office staff.

Jason the IT guy stated that “both of those guys were sun-dried dicks” and he wasn’t surprised if “they had simultaneous strokes over those stupid socks.”

Office manager G. Robert Mossman was not able to be reached for comment or mediation, as his dog got into something this morning and threw up on the living room rug.

Sacramento area plays host to novel ‘extreme’ winery

LOCKEFORD — The town of Lockeford is accustomed to the sound of farming equipment, small planes, and foothills breeze winding through tree limbs.

They weren’t quite ready for the dune buggies, sport bikes, and monster SUVs.

“I go big, baby, and I don’t care who’s offended,” said Gideon Finkinny, sitting atop a hill on a specially-modified Sea-doo with tank treads overlooking Ballz2theWall Winery, Lockeford’s newest business — and possibly its oddest.

Finkinny, 32, is no stranger to pushing limits — known for years as the youngest snow-dirtbike backflipper in the country and one of the most vocal proponents of relaxing what he calls ‘bullshit’ sky surfing bans, he shifted his interest to wine-making after a revelation. “I was at this fancy party,” he said, “and all they had to drink was this fruity red wine.”

“But I got wasted on it, bro, yeah!”

After this, Finkinny said, it was his goal to become the “bad boy” of the wine industry and open the idea of drinking vintages to “all the fly brothers and sisters out there that like to be chill, be wild, whatever,” according to the company website.

Finkinny said he has encountered some opposition. “There’s a bunch of boring old dudes who just, like, don’t get it, you know? I can’t wait to show those stuffed shirts how much product we’ll push in a market they’re too lame to know about.”

Finkinny’s ideas are nothing if not original. From an underground viral marketing campaign featuring clips of packed parties called “Chugclubs,” where bottles of wine are funneled down the throats of scantily-clad women, to variety names such as ‘Murder Merlot,’ ‘ICPinot Noir,’ and ‘Tony Hawk’s Chianti,’ he is pushing the very definition of who or what a wine connoisseur is.

“That’s another thing I don’t like, that word. Conno-sir? Cona-sewer? Whatever. ‘Winebro’ works for me, brah,” he stated.

“We’re redefining this business, dude,” said Finkinny. “I’ve got this kick-ass marketing team I brought in from San Francisco, including Gage Wilklis, Diana Leuong, and my bro Skeeter who lived on my couch for awhile. And you better believe they’re gonna get this poured down the throats of all the kids out there.”

Added Finkinny, “High five.”

Roger Partinsburg, owner of the 54 year-old Bartleston Winery and Villa and Ballz2theWall’s nearest neighbor, said that he was less worried about the competition than he was the constant din of rock music and revving motors coming from the winery and compound, which features 24-hour stadium lighting for its full motocross dirt track.

“I’d put a bullet in his head myself if I thought he was worth the 34 cents the round would cost,” said Partinsburg. “But I’ll be sure to dance on his grave when he falls off ‘the world’s most dangerous tire swing’ he put up over that valley.”

Business: George’s dog-walking service clearly better than Roger’s

MCKINLEY PARK — George’s dog-walking service is clearly better and superior to Roger’s shitty ‘dog’ ‘walking’ service, the Chronicle has found.

George D. Willows, a masterful savior of all things canine, is a dog-walking statue of David, except wearing khakis and a polo shirt. He’ll walk your dogs well, and walk them right.

“I just really like walking dogs,” said Willows.

Roger F. Johnson (we’re pretty sure the F stands for ‘failure’) is the worst person ever at walking, let alone walking dogs. This guy could get lost traveling a straight line. He’s stupid, and he smells, and he’ll treat your dogs poorly.

Johnson was not attempted to be reached for comment because we didn’t want to hear his dumb drooling voice over the phone or see his ugly haircut in person.

“I don’t know about other dog walking services in the area,” said saintly Willows, holding a border collie in the crook of his arm like Christ holding a lamb, “but I know this. If you want your dogs walked around McKinley Park 4 times, I can do it.”

“I walk any kind of dogs, too.”

MIDTOWN PARTY CALENDAR HAYYY

YOU KNOW WHERE — Here’s some dumb shit for you and your ugly friends to waste your weekend away with — brought to you by the Sacramento Chronicle and its fine sponsors, including The Egg Yolker and Timmy Larry’s Discount Mismatched Shoe Barn and Restaurant.

Avalon Nightclub, 16th and H Sts.

FRIDAY: Dance to your favorite top-40 hits (incl. NeYo) pumping out of the head bartenders ipod on shuffle while you chill with many, many other people from your suburban neighborhood. Chances you’ll see someone from your high school graduating class is around 63%, so keep a close eye out. (spoiler alert: they’re fatter now)

DRINK SPECIALS: Thimblefulls of vodka for groups of tiny Asian women, $3.50

Azukar, 16th and J Sts.

SATURDAY: Get stabbed in the right bicep after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Have police question your ‘gang affiliation’ while sitting on the loading step of an ambulance. Get there early so you’ll be drunker and it will hurt less.

DRINK SPECIALS: Drinks appropriated from popular hip hop songs, incl. Gin n’ Juice and Sizzurp, $4

BLUE LAMP, Alhambra and N Sts.

SUNDAY: Dizzy-Dee and the Miller Beach Dub All-Stars present their particular brand of unlistenable, reggae inspired garbage. Spotting ground for whiteman dreadlocks and 45-year-old women with cleavage that looks like the surface of the planet Mercury.

DRINK SPECIALS: Foamy High Life that tastes like a bar rag, $2.50

CLUB 21, 21st and L Sts.

SATURDAY: The smartest DJ’s in town present ‘Letch,’ an 18+ dance night. Special guests include DJ PLYZTHRMX and a gin-and-tonic-soaked t-shirt performance from the ‘Stupid Nude Young Girls of Myspace*” tour. Arrive early, fills up fast (with gross 30-year-olds looking for a piece).

DRINK SPECIALS: Vodka Redbulls with an extra glass so you can feed half to your underage date in the back bathroom, $3

GOLDEN BEAR, 24th and K Sts.

SATURDAY: Come to everyone’s favorite ‘dive’ bar to stand around in a swarming crowd of people you don’t particularly like while a man pretending to be a disc-jockey plays music too loudly in a room where you couldn’t possibly dance.

Outside patio has 2 coveted heaters for huddling around like homeless people.

DRINK SPECIALS: Try the ‘overpriced’ cocktail, $49

OLD IRONSIDES, 10th and S Sts.

SATURDAY: See popular Sacramento local bands, including mediocre punk act Riff-Raffs, smarmy indie-noise group the Missed Connections and out-of-tune garage collective Freaxxxxxx. Come for one band and harshly judge the other two for free! (Program repeats next weekend)

DRINK SPECIALS: Whatever you sneak in

TOWNHOUSE, 21st and P Sts.

FRIDAY: Do the same thing you did on Tuesday but have the ability to sleep off the hangover the next day.

DRINK SPECIALS: Key bump of coke from that guy Sonny in the upstairs restroom stall —$ two bummed Marlboro Menthols.

*Myspace.tz is not affiliated with the once-popular social networking site.

Joke newspapers hard-hit by fake recessions, layoffs

SACRAMENTO — The Sacramento Chronicle on Friday announced a 26% cut in its fictional operating budget forcing layoffs of 45 of its non-existent full-time newsroom staff.

The cuts echo other similar financial woes other fake newspapers have dealt with in the past 2 years. In July, Denver’s ‘Good Timez Nooz’ folded, leaving roughly 450 broadly-drawn stereotypes looking for other work.

“While it’s a dark day for the ‘news,’ we will find a way to grow stronger, smarter, and work harder than ever to continue delivering jokes to our readers,” said made-up executive editor Larry ‘Ballsnack’ Blitzen. “We’re not blind — we know people are getting their satire from other sources in the 21st century. Why, just the other day I saw a young adult with an iPhone app that spun humorous yarns out of whatever keywords you could think of.”

“But we believe that the appetite for cutting edge completely false reporting still remains.”

The newsroom (you know, not really) was not the only department of the Chronicle to face cuts. The joke pre-print department was diminshed by a devestating 40% - leaving many not-real workers to have to explain to their familes (who also are probably not real at all) that ‘severe cuts’ must be made to a inactual household budget.

“There are going to be a lot of kids this year with bad news at Christmas,” said non-corporeal joking idea and pressperson ‘Slim’ Jim Mackinaw. “That is to say, if either of those things were real. Or if I was.”

Despite grim forecasts for the second half of the fiscal year, Blitzen remained optimistic.

“We are dedicated to continue bringing the best of whatever anyone wants to pull out of their ass and label news,” he said. “Well — unless we’re too tired or hungover or have other plans.”

Roger Duncan, dead at 54, invented popular tattoo trend

RANCHO CORDOVA — Roger Duncan, a man recognized for popularizing the immensely popular lower back tattoo placement known as ‘the tramp stamp’ was found dead in his Rancho Cordova mobile home Monday. He was 54.

The coroner’s office says that no cause of death was immediately apparent, and foul play did not appear to be involved. Duncan lived alone in his single-wide trailer at Fancy Estates Mobile Home Park. His property manager, Sheila Erns, stated “she didn’t hear shit” at the time of his death.

Duncan’s neighbor, Patty Kimmish, said Duncan was a “good guy.” “He was always helpin’ me change the propane bottle on the front, and he even did some work on me for free,” she said, pulling down her blouse to reveal the name “Chuck” written in cursive on her right breast. “I mean, fuck that asshole Chuck now, but still, it was the thought that counts.”

Duncan, a Sacramento native, grew up in the Gardenland area, where he completed the 8th grade. He then joined the U.S. Coast Guard, where he received a dishonorable discharge with time served for exploding a latrine. After some trouble with the law, including petty larceny and mail fraud, he found his calling.

“I was in the clink with Roge, sure,” said longtime friend Scott Walker. “He was always bored, and pissing and moaning, and so I said ‘Why don’t you shut the fuck up and start doing tattoos?’ I guess it stuck.”

Duncan started by inking crude pictures of breasts on fellow cellmates forearms, but truly hit his stride when he was released from prison and started a part-time job at Foaming Dawg Tattoo in Rancho Cordova. There, Walker said, Duncan found his major interest was in tattooing women, stating “sometimes you get to see their tits.”

“He was all about doing women. He was a T&A man, if you know what I mean, heh. That’s what we always used to say about Roge - he liked having sex with women.”

In 1987, Duncan is noted for giving the first lower-back tattoo, featuring the name ‘Candyi’ encircled with vines, to Candyi McCullen, now desceased.

“Once the other girls at the strip club saw that, Roge had steady work for years,” Walker said.

Walker estimated that until his retirement in 2007, Duncan inked around 750-1000 lower backs, of “young sluts, old bitches, and even dumb-ass dudes.” Subjects ranged from “tribals to celtic knots, Japanese characters and, you know, flowers and dolphins and shit.”

While Duncan is generally credited within the tattoo community for creating the trend of the lower-back designs, Walker believes he should recieve more recognition postmortem.

“They should have a statue made to honor this guy!” he said. “I mean, he invented the easy way to tell if a girl is going to put out. That makes him ten times better than that Churchill motherfucker for sure.”

City council to examine next round of arena proposals

DOWNTOWN — The Sacramento City Council will convene on Wednesday night to look at yet another set of proposals for a new NBA arena from local developers, citizens and visionaries. These proposals will be added to the already long list of potential locations for the much-discussed arena, including the railyards development, anchored to the Downtown Plaza mall, and the Cal Expo site.

“We are very excited to see the new round of proposals.” said Councilmember Steve Cohn, at the site of the aging Arco Arena in Natomas. “The modern arena will truly be the centerpiece of the city’s future.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson, who had been briefed on the new proposals, said in a press conference “any and all of these developments will show that the city has truly ‘arrived.’”

“I hope to bring this to a vote as soon as possible.”

The Chronicle has received several descriptions of the new proposals from a source at Maloof Sports and Entertainment that chose to remain anonymous. In an exclusive, here are some of the details:

Fred Taylor Corp., a Sacramento architecture firm, has proposed the arena be constructed in full and then dropped on an area within the Sacramento city limits using large transport helicopters. “Think of the excitement as Sacramento gets to watch the arena constructed and then wait with baited breath on its final resting place,’ states the plan. The placement of the arena would be determined by throwing a single dart at a map of the city limits. The dart thrower would be the winner of an elementary-school diorama contest.

Tyler Wittman, age 7, has suggested that the arena “be in his backyard” so he “could help out with the team when they need another player.” Amenities in this proposal include adjustable basketball hoops so Witt can slam dunk and a french-fry-making robot.

Gargantuan Industries, a San Jose-based developer, has suggested the arena be suspended a mile over downtown using a series of ‘balloons and wires.’ The proposal states that the arena would offer its patrons to truly “take flight” and “soar like Kings.” A mass transit system of large flying birds would be used as a shuttle to the main entrance and would leave every 15 minutes before and after events.

Ernie Codger, 64, of Citrus Heights, has proposed that the arena also serve as a maxium-security super-prison for ‘tax cheating bleeding hearts,’ ‘welfare queens,’ ‘lazy state-workers’ and ‘illegals’ and that it be built “where liberal scum would have to look at it every god-damn day,” namely, on the grounds of the State Capitol. He also included a rider to the proposal that would loosen restriction on concealed-weapon laws.

Denny Sanders, a private citizen from Williams, has proposed that the arena be placed on the Sea of Tranquility on the Earth’s moon. “What better way to recognize the triumph of the human spirit than building a lunar base… or, I mean, arena, on the site of the 1969 Moon landing.” reads the hand-written proposal, which includes a detailed drawing of a domed basketball court/moon base. The proposal includes plans for a ‘anti-matter transport conduit’ for rapid equipment and personnel transport, and further guidelines for a ‘Galaxy Basketball Association (or GBA)’ including rules on rocket boots and extendo-arms.

New construction project carries big buzz

MIDTOWN - A proposed construction project at 24th and J Sts in midtown Sacramento, still in the planning stages, is carrying heavy buzz from speculative local developers, residents, and the media.

“When I saw that chain-link fence go up around that vacant lot, I said to myself, Jeez, Frank, what do you think they’re gonna build there? Just like that” recalls Frank Stanley, longtime midtown resident and self-described ‘man about town.’ “I mean, these days it’s just so easy to dream. It could be a skyscraper, or a sports arena, or a palatial home for a transplanted celebrity. I just can’t wait!”

Local development consultant D.D. Emerson stated that this “Is a very exciting time” for midtown and downtown development. “This project could literally be anything, from a world-class arts and cultural center to a hot new local nightspot. The possibilities are limitless, and this is a testament to Sacramento’s continued growth and fortitude in these tough economic times.”

Local media outlets have been quick to respond to the buzz, with several local news channels reporting from the site during their morning broadcasts. Local arts and entertainment personality Cory Wheeler, standing with his fingers interlocked in the chain-links while gazing in at the site, said “I feel like a kid in a candy, store, you know? Everyone does! I mean, what’s next for this city? Could this finally be the project that gets us the title of ‘Northern California destination.’ And, as always, you’ll hear it first from me, ‘The Story.’”

In an exclusive interview with a site contractor, the Chronicle has obtained a preliminary first look at what is planned from the site.

David Rummel, a sewage and drainage expert, had this to say: “Well, this whole place is basically going to be an underground (feces) storage tank. I mean, it won’t just be (feces). No, there’ll be a little rainwater in there too, so it will kind of be like (feces)-soup. Then we’re going to cover up the big barrel of (feces) with concrete, then I think they’re going to build a cell phone store on top of it or some (feces).

“But a word of advice, friend — I wouldn’t go in there on a hot day, that whole place is going to smell (feces-ly).”

Dining and whining: Finding my sea-legs at the Mercantile Saloon

Welcome Sacramento food and drink lovers to my inaugural Dining and Whining column! I’ll be your matre’d. Fleck Whineman’s the name, nice to greet you. I’m a 4.5 month native of Sacramento, originally hailing from Bangor, Maine. I recieved my Associate’s degrees in food technology and woodshop at Bangor Community College, so I’m very comfortable as a foodist’s liaison (and still have all my fingers, ha, ha!)

Food is a passion of mine, so much so that I often have four, maybe six complete meals a day. I’ve found the options in this city are simply limitless, from “few’d couture” to “hamburgers du’jour.” I hope we can spend many wonderful years together filling our bellies with the meats and vegetables of our shared cultural harmony. And french fries. Delicious, savory french fries. And possibly a milkshake, dear reader? Ha, ha!

And so our story begins on a dreary Wednesday afternoon. I had just arisen from my second afternoon nap hungry for an afternoon drive. My meandering path through the gridded streets of our city’s fair Mid-town district gave way to a powerful rumble emanating from within my gullet. It was, my gentle reader, a hunger for both a delightful nosh and a powerful bite of community.

I left my trusty steed of 1993 Toyota Tercel hitched in a parking garage and began my dainty saunter. As if on cue, a tempest of a noreaster of a gentle breeze scooted me along westerly until I saw a lively converted Victorian. Attached was a patio filled with the din of the human experience. Ah! Here was a place to whet my appetite and whistle.

Upon stepping through the swinging door of what I learned was the Mercantile Saloon (forgive me, reader, I did know at this point it was a house of libations rather than a 4 star restaurant) I was immediately greeted with the flush of humanity.

Upon exiting the conveniently located restroom (I find it best to ‘clear ones pallate’ before any dining experience) I sat down at the front bar.

“Barkeep,” I barked. “I am a critic for the Sacramento Chronicle. Bring me your finest spirit, combined with your second finest spirit, two packets of Sugar in the Raw, and a cocktail onion. And I would like to see your menu of specials d’nom.”

The spry bartender looked me up and down with a predatory but welcoming glare. “two-fifty, baby.” He finally replied with a Mona Lisa smile. “There’s a snack machine in the corner. And don’t call me barkeep, bitch.” Lo! So alive with the out-pour and muster of the human experience!

While waiting for my beverage I took the time to glance around at the decor. The name suggested a fantasy of a life at sea, and the decor did not disappoint. With porthole style windows and ruddy wood furniture, I felt as if I was delivering kegs of spices for the East India Trading company, I did! Ha, Ha! Brightly colored flags hung from the ceiling, clearly indicating the spirit of light and togetherness that we all share as a people. I felt welcomed.

I received my beverage in a large glass typically reserved for a pint of Mr. Weiser’s famed lager-beers. The beverage was abrim with a green liquid. The barman referred to it as a ‘Nut-Buster,’ and I can only assume this is but one of many fine specials devised by their head mixologist. A sample taste revealed a biting fruit taste with high overtones of artificial watermelon flavoring, and a strong finish of potato-based spirit (what the Kamchatka bear trapper would call ‘wodka’). I must admit, dear reader, I found this beverage to be so invigorating that I might have been accused of a slurp or two at the end, ha, ha!

Shortly after I helped myself to the supply of “Munchies” in the snack machine (Slot E4 for the snack-savvy among us) and I raised a single digit in the air to indicate another beverage. The bartender, as if sensing my gesture with back-turned eyes, turned, raised another finger in response, and slid another virtuous concoction down the bar at me. I responded with a smile and full-scale tip of seventy-five cents.

As I sat on the comfortable stool enjoying my third beverage, the bar awoke with the sound of the working class man. I see, I thought to my inner monologue, this must be the bar of constructors, machine operators, and other true ‘blue collar’ fellows. What luck! I was inserted into a group of mans men, a true confederacy of brothers. Would we be crooning a shanty into the night’s wee hours, overfilled mugs of mead hoisted into the air? My mind’s senses reeled with the possibilities.

Dear reader! I must confess something to you now. After my fourth beverage I seem to have succumbed to a mild amnesia. I recount what I can recall. A Carnival-like setting, with dancing women and flashes of toned skin. The sounds of screeching tracks d’discoteque, played at high volume. True brotherhood, man and man locked arm in arm and waist to waist, celebrating the fruits of their busy day. Unfortunate splashes of wasted beverage from those who had enjoyed ‘one too many.’And much more, though obscured in visage by the banshee of the spirit - the lord of intoxication.

I arose in the early morning not where I imagined myself to be, not in my comfortable guest room at all but prone against a cinder block wall near the main railway, with my tie wrapped about my head in the style of the samurai. I dusted my sleeves and headed home for a deserved morning rest.

What had actually happened will be left to the ages and the times of legend. But I do know that I will return to the fair Merchantile whenever I am in need of a refreshing beverage garnished with the triumph of the male will.

4 enthusiastic thumbs up!

California Tourism Board to launch new campaign

DOWNTOWN - The California Tourism Board has announced they will launch a new ad campaign this spring entitled “California: It’s not all palm trees, surfers, movie stars, homosexuals, and crazy people.”

“I’m from Whittier, and not only am I not a famous actor, I have a wife, lead a stable and sane life, and have never been surfing, period.” said CTB president Jake Forscythe. “With so much attention paid to California, stereotypes are bound to appear. We just want to let the rest of the nation know we are not all longboard-riding, coconut-spewing ‘Marys’ wearing tinfoil hats who are also Brad Pitt.”

The paradigm shift comes after several years of attempts to celebrate the state’s rich diversity. Such campaigns, including ‘California: It snows AND there’s a desert!’ and ‘California: Now featuring Yosemite National Park (the Ansel Adams one)’ were largely overshadowed by national assumption that California consisted of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the OC.

“What we’re trying to do here,” says Forscythe, “is really focus the public’s attention on what we are not. We are proud of our abundance of gays, wackjobs, Body Glove bros, vapid celebrities, and tropical fauna, but these attributes are really turning off many would-be visitors.”

Forscythe cited a recent study conducted by the CTB where potential travelers were asked why they would or would not visit California on vacation.

While some positives were obvious, including desires to go to the Disneyland Theme Park and to see the ‘Joke Governor’ in person, several respondents replied with pointed vitriol, including “Too many fags,” or “Al Gore is from there and global warming is a lie” and “Way too many gays.”

“In these tough economic times, our one and only goal is to get people to bring their tourism dollars into this state,” continued Forscythe. If we can convince Mr. and Mrs. American that feather-boa wearing Californians aren’t going to kiss their sons on the lips while a surfing, pantsless and LSD-induced Paris Hilton whaps them with palm fronds, well, then we’ve done our job.”