Watts Consulting

More than you ever wanted to know about Alabama native Joe Watts

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New Business Cards for American Mining

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Just wrapping up the design of new business cards for American Mining Insurance Company. They have been using the exact same business card for the last 10 years or so. A new look to go with the new parent company, W. R. Berkley.

And, on another work-related note, I finally handed off the Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama art calendar for 2009 off to the printer yesterday after some very small revisions, just started gathering information for a newsletter for Alzheimer’s and even got to do a photo shoot with a judge running for election here in Jefferson County (I actually did the shoot almost two weeks ago). I wrapped up yet another Sierra Club Alabama chapter newsletter this week–sent it to press Sunday morning and it should be in the mail tomorrow or Monday (fast turnaround).

Another Step in a Long Journey

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I wanted everyone to know that after two LONG and grueling days of extremely difficult to hear testimony complete with extraordinary lies and even the crocodile tears of false remorse from the defendant (at the coaching of an unscrupulous defense attorney) coupled with a very well done prosecution from District Attorney Greg Griggers of Marengo County, it took the jury all of 5 minutes to convict the man that murdered my mother of the charge the D.A. was after: a conviction of murder. Hearing the jury foreman read the verdict around 5:30 p.m. last night (Friday) was such a relief after sitting in the courtroom hearing things that a son, a daughter or even a complete stranger should never have to hear or experience. It was obvious all along that there really couldn’t be any other conclusion, but you just never know.

Unbelievable that people could put families through such crap for what really was a foregone conclusion at the start, but thank God that the jury could see through the obvious lies and attempts to lessen the evil that exists in some people. We still don’t know what the actual sentence will be in terms of years–that will come later, around Thanksgiving, when each of us has an opportunity to provide an impact statement. (I’m hoping, of course, for the maximum, and that could keep the guy in jail until he dies, I think.) But a murder conviction is the most that we could ask for, so a weight has been lifted off my shoulders somewhat and I’m hopeful that things can get back to some semblance of normalcy for me for the first time in 18 months.

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts and positive energy and for just being there to listen. And for those of you who didn’t know about my Mama, you missed an opportunity to know a very special person–but don’t worry, I’ve got some plans to go into her history in some more detail in the future.

The Week Ahead: September 2, 2008

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Wow, this is shaping up to be a crazy week. I just wrapped up my monthly newsletter for the AIA Birmingham and I’m gathering information together to get going on the Sierra Club’s Alabama Sierran. My friend Vance is planning to come over to discuss the Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama 2009 calendar and their fall newsletter on Thursday. I just stopped by the printer to look over a proof for Alabama Communities of Excellence’s (ACE) September workshop (yes, that’s next week!). I’m in the middle of gathering together a group of folks to work with ALDOT’s sign department on a signage policy for tourism in Alabama, particularly as it relates to scenic byways, but I think it will have broader implications. So much to do, so little time to do it.

On top of that, I’ve gotten interested in Twitter (you can find me at www.twitter.com/joewatts/). It seems to hold some real promise for good marketing. We’ll see. I’m hoping to use it for the alabamafrontporches.com website.