iadamtraylor.com

I know it seems I am constantly changing things. That's part of the fun though isn't it?
Anyways. Thanks to my sister and my friend Kate Warren for following this blog.

You guys are my only two followers.... Sad huh?

I really didn't promote this blog too much based on it being just a basic personal blog.

However, I am not getting rid of it. Just not going to be updating it nearly as much as I once did.

I've started a new blog that is going to be my primary focus when it comes to blogging.

iadamtraylor.com

Thanks.

As Simple As That

 What happened? What happened? I've heard so many different rumors about what could have possibly been the cause for LSU's horrible play last Monday night in the BCS Championship game vs. Alabama. It's actually making me sick reading some of them.

I told myself when it happened that I wasn't going to pay any attention to it. I knew that there were going to be rumors. I knew that there was going to be constant criticism all over the place. People would be wanting to know why the LSU Tigers went from a 14-0 team that had fight and confidence, to a team that looked like they were all brain dead and deflated.

I guess that's just natural to wonder. However, I don't understand why it can't just be simple. Why do there have to be rumors and speculations?  Why can't it be as simple as Alabama came out and kicked our asses all over the field and there was nothing we could do about it.  Are the rumors just a way to discredit the massive ass kicking that they laid down on LSU?

If that's the case then let's go look back at the first BCS Championship game where we actually had Mr. Saban coaching our beloved Tigers.  Did the same thing happen to Oklahoma?  Did Oklahoma stay out too late drinking and partying before that game? Was there a huge blow up fight in the locker room right before the game that lead the Saban coached LSU team to absolutely dominate on defense in that game?  Or was it just that Saban had the right plan and coached his players on how to stop Oklahoma the same way that he had the right plan and coached his Tide players on how to stop Les's Tigers last Monday night?

I want to believe that last part.  I hate hearing about athletes quitting.  I hate hearing about injustice and egos. It's part of sports and it's one of the ugly parts of it.  Coaching ego, player ego; they always get in the way.

So when I hear about the rumors of how Les and his ego kept Lee from playing at all in this game.  It sickens me. I don't want to believe that.  I also am going to tell you that if it is true. Then so what? Do you think he's the only coach to have an ego or make a mistake?  How can you love the guy one minute and hate him the next? He's not molesting kids in the shower room; he's just making judgement calls and being human.

He's also the same guy that lead our Tigers to 14-0. To my knowledge that's not a very easy thing to do.  He's the same guy that won us a championship and chose to stay in Death Valley instead of bolt for another school.  The guy has been under fire since he stepped foot on campus and yet he still does it with a smile and a grin.

I don't know if the rumors are true. I also don't care if they are.  We have a whole new group of Tigers to support now.  Whether Jefferson stayed out drinking and lost the respect of his offensive line the night before the game or not doesn't matter. He's gone.  He's not going to be remembered as a great Tiger player anyways. He botched that when he started the season off by getting in to the bar fight.

I'm trying to look ahead. I'm not worried about the why's and who said whats of our horrible loss.

To me; we simply lost a game.  There will be others that we will win.

I still am happy to see our Mad Hatter on our side lines. Regardless of a Time Out blunder; regardless of not putting in the guy that we'd rather have play.  Those aren't my decisions to make.  I don't have to stand up to an entire state and take the heat each week.  I don't have a job where I'm expected to do it all, and win it all every single year.

I am happy that coach Miles loves LSU. I am happy that we aren't sitting around with some 89 year old geezer that would let a child molestation accusation get swept under the rug. I'm glad that we don't have a guy that goes out and writes a book on honesty and integrity only to get fired by your school for hiding or covering up a federal investigation.

Les is a Tiger. He has given us many, many great moments. He's not perfect, but no one is.
I have to give credit to Alabama and Nick Saban.
They won; we lost.

It's as simple as that!

This Time It's Real!

Poet Laurette Of Tigerdom back to do this right.....
1-2- Check,
Let's do this!

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?

This time it's real.
This time it's real.

Undefeated season on the ropes again.
One more win, just one more win!
Then the damn polls gotta let us in!
Ice wearing thin. Ready to knock the Bulldogs in the chin.
Letting the moment slip away would be insurmountable sin.
We got our Tigers on a roll, rolling through the land.
Taking no prisoners and bringing teams under our command.
Like vampires we compel each team, using mind control
Then we do with them all as we please.
Before long they all be walking
'round like football player zombies.

This time it's real.
This time it's real.

So Les went out and got his guys in line.
We be gettin better by the year like a fine wine.
So hang up your cell, stop the chatter and pay attention.
Shut up all you doubters, haters, this is the new petition
Tigers going undefeated... then what ya'll gonna say?
"Well gee whiz, Georgia just wasn't ready to play,
but if they'd of scored more points than the Tigers today
then this game would have gone a complete other way"
This time it's real.
This time it's real.

Shut up you fools, giving us no respect.
No matter who we beat, no matter what the scores project.
Don't matter cause it only fuels our fire.
So go on and doubt us all across the wire.
Write your stories, your blogs, and try and rip us apart.
Tigers cleaning house, ready to rip out your doubting heart.
This time it's real.
This time it's real.

Tiger blood running through LA.
No matter what you say, no matter what you say!
We come out each time and play!
Rumbling up and down the south.
Punching all you doubters in the mouth!
No matter what we never look back!
Staying on track each time we take a hit.
From Jarett to Honey Badger to Jefferson.
Yeah... you know Tigers are the shit!

This time it's real.
This time it's real.

So watch with eyes glued to the set.
Tigers 1 defeat? How much you wanna bet?
We coming with the storm that you've never seen.
Breaking all your necks, ripping out your spline.
No mercy we gonna hit ya harder than before.
This time it's real.
This time it's war!

This time it's real.
This time it's real.

No relaxing, nope all that's out the door.
Not scared this time around.
Tigers coming with an earthquake
Hope you on solid ground!

So what more is there to say?
I think I've said it all.
Just watch tomorrow's game, and then pick back up your jaw.
Cause it's gonna be dropping to the floor
As the Tigers roll all over Georgia when we roll up on the shore.
Then on to something more.
BCS Champion is the only thing we got in sight.
Tigers winning it all.... you wanna take a bite?

This time it's real
This time it's real

- Aj to the effin' T

Rivals Are Fantastic

 

If you are a sports fan and you did not find yourself watching last Saturday's LSU at Alabama game, then maybe you should check and see if you have a soul.  It doesn't matter if you're an SEC homer or not. (Which I absolutely am, there is no other conference that even comes close to the shear power and force of the SEC.)  

This year has been rather hard for me simply because I am now working two jobs that has found me at work just about each and every Saturday.  However, I have been able to keep up through our employee radios and our guys always have the game on in our break room.  I have started to think that this may just be the ticket to my Tigers undefeated run.

Now up until this year I have bestowed a hatred for the LSU former coach Nick Saban.  However I saw something and realized something this week.  It just hit me and when it did I was actually very happy about the current state of college football. 

I absolutely love that Nick Saban left LSU the way that he did. Where as before I hated the guy.  I am completely okay with it.  Nick went to Alabama and now we have one of the greatest rivals that college football has ever seen.  I also absolutely love the respect that Les Miles and Nick have shown each other.  Isn't that what it's all about?  I know that we like to try and kill the other teams and we love to 'hate' our opponents on game day, but man I am so happy that we have teams like Alabama that bring out the absolute best in our guys.

I am also officially sold on our 'Mad Hatter'. The guy does questionable things sometimes but I can't help but watch him with that confident smirk and think to myself, 'This guy just gets it'. He just gets it.  He's having more fun than any of us.  I just came away from this Saturday and couldn't help that there was a Nick Saban and an Alabama that is going to give us hell every single year.

We don't have Urban Meyer or really even a Houston Nutt anymore.  Arkansas is always going to bring their 'A' game every year.  Now I believe that we can expect classic show downs whenever Alabama and LSU meet up.  

Anyone that doesn't think last Saturday's game was a good game obviously doesn't understand powerhouse college football. Whenever you have two of the greatest teams in football going head to head it doesn't always mean it's going to be the most fascinating games from a scoring persepective.  That being said, I do think it was fascinating. It was unbelievable. Each play was inches from being a game changer. Both powerhouse defenses were unbelievable. 

So we can sit there and hate Nick Saban and that's always fun. I can't help but be happy that he's gone. I can't help but be happy that he's on the other side giving us a great rival and someone to truly 'Fear' each year.

What a classic!

Geaux Tigers! 

photo from:  Marvin Gentry/US Presswire

iRemember: My Tribute To Steve Jobs

 RIP - Steve Jobs

I did not hear of Steve Jobs passing away until late last night.  I am mentioning this because for the past seven or eight years I have found myself going to Apple.com at least once a day.  It didn't matter if I was shopping or not.  It didn't matter if I had money or not.  I just went because of Steve.  What I mean by that is that Steve Jobs and the company that he so brilliantly created made me want to go there.  Just being on the site and seeing all the beautiful products for some reason would make me happy. The site for all those years had a simple look that still remains that way today.  Simple, yet beautiful.

I remember the very first time that I heard of Apple.  My older brother saved his money up to buy himself a computer.  This was back in the 80's and I had not become the computer geek that I am today.  I did know enough however to know that this little computer that my brother had just set up did not look like anything I'd ever seen.  It was smaller, faster, and way more innovative than anything I'd ever seen before.  My parents had gotten an IBM computer a few years before this and it was incredibly difficult to use.

I can remember that little computer that my brother had. I learned to use it very quickly. I used to spend hours trying to draw things with it.  If I wasn't drawing then I would be playing the very first version of 'Prince Of Persia' that my brother had loaded on the computer.  I also remember how neat I thought it was that you could change the color of this thing that was down in the left bottom corner called a 'Trash Can'. When you put stuff that you no longer wanted inside it; it become bloated.  Very cool!

That was my first introduction to Apple however at that time in my life I would have had no idea who Steve Jobs was.  It wasn't until years later when I had decided to enter Graphic Design school that I really became the Machead that I am today.

At that point both my siblings had Macs and I thought they were fantastic.  I can remember my very first Macbook.  I remember how from the second I got that box how much of a frenzy I was in.  Everything so simple, yet so beautiful right down to the packaging.

At school I was in Heaven.  Macs were all we used.  This was right at the beginning of the big switch from Mac OS 9 to Mac OSX.  Man was I hooked.  It didn't take me long before I wanted an iMac too.
That Christmas my older brother had a new gadget to introduce to us.  It was something called an 'iPod'. What did he say again?  One thousand songs are on that neat little white gadget? No way!

As the years went on I found myself more and more engulfed in everything that Apple was doing.  I would sit and watch each and every minute of Steve Jobs' keynotes.  There was nothing better. It was better than watching a movie.  Nobody did a keynote quite like Steve.  He could make a believer out of anyone.  Steve and his company just had a way of making each and every product that he created look amazing.  It wasn't even about how it looked.  One of Steve's catch phrases was always, 'It just works'.  Well, that is absolutely true.  Each product that I have ever owned that has the Apple logo on it has 'just worked'.

For years I have been trying to sell my thoughts and passions for Apple to my friends and anyone who would listen.  Most of them continue to want to waste their money on crappy PCs that break, get viruses and look big and bulky.

I believe that you can not deny however the impact that Steve and his brilliantly creative mind has had on our world.  Steve gave us iTunes which is the largest online retailer of music in the world.  Steve gave us the iPhone that is the best selling smart phone in the world.  Steve gave us the iPad which is the number one device in it's class in the world.

I don't see how anyone can deny Steve's greatness.

I could go on and on with my bio of Steve Jobs.  However, that's not really why I wrote this blog.
I am truly saddened by the news of Steve passing.  He will go down as one of my heroes much like, Michael Jordan and John Lennon are already.

Thank you Steve for sharing your visions with each of us.  Thank you for making this world's technology what it is today.  Thank you inspiring all of us to

'Think Different'.

- Adam Traylor

Tiger Court

Here ye, here ye court is now in session.
The honorable judge AJT deciding.
In the case of LSU Players vs. the Police Department.
Prosecuting attorneys are, Coach I, Coach II
and all the rest of our Tiger crew.
Order, order, order.....

Here ye, Here ye come one come all
I gotta tell you a story that's gonna make you drop your jaw.
Now what the hell's happened here we go again.
My patience wasn't good, and now it's really wearing thin.
Sick and tired of hearing the news that our players got in fights.
I'm ready to kick em' all to the curb and read em' all their rights.

Are you athletes or are you thugs?
It's time for you to decide.
We don't have time for your bullshit; we've got too much  
TIGER Pride.
Too many others would want to be in your shoes.
There's no excuses either for all you being in the news.
No one makes you do the things you choose.

So now you're going to jail, I call it an epic fail.
It's like you just went and cut off your Tiger tail.
It's not what Tigers do, it's not who we are.
No reason to go and get in a fight at a bar.

Haven't you learned anything at all about being a man?
I hope you gain some perspective while you're sitting in the can.

What do you all have to say for yourself.
You could have had all, the fame and the wealth.
All you had to do is do what you'd been told.
You could have gone down in history of being part of the Purple and Gold.
But now you're just another bust that we will soon forget.
Like Russell, like Perriloux; now you aint' shit.

I feel sad for you dudes that really had your chance.
Now I'm ready for Jarett Lee to get up and do his dance.

He's our only hope, but I know that he will cope.
Got his head on good shoulders and won't become a dope.

It's hard to get fired up for a season that starts out with such a blow.
But I know that Tiger Nation will come together
and be at every single show.
Rain or shine we'll be there to back the ones that are there to play.
We'll hang our heads high again and rise to the top some day.
We'll watch as Lee and the rest lead the way.

Win or lose we always stand by our crew.
It's just hard when you guys act like you  haven't got a clue.
You've been out on the field. You've stood on the Tiger Eye.
You've had 93,000 fans ready to watch you fly.

No matter what happens we will always stand by our team
Until the day we die.

- Ajt

A Great Little Story

I don't normally post pictures on my blog, but this one could not be posted without it.
So here's my story:

My girlfriend Holly and I absolutely love True Blood.  If you haven't heard of it then you probably need to check your pulse.  It's the hit series from HBO that is all about vampires with a much loved southern twang.

Each Sunday Holly and I along with her family hang out all day waiting for that evenings new episode.  Holly's mom usually cooks up a great meal and so we stuff ourselves with her good cooking and cake and then with our bellies full we gather on the long couch, turn out the lights, and get ready for True Blood.

When the DVD's come out; it's the same thing all over again.  We are usually the first to go out and buy them and then we usually have True Blood marathon parties.

About a week ago one of my good friends, Kelly called me and asked if her and Andy could barrow my season 1 DVD package.  Holly and I have both been telling Andy and Kelly about how great this show is and how they should check it out. So I was more than happy to let Kelly have it and hoped that she and Andy really got into it so that we could all sit and discuss the shows.

So last night I was out at Holly's again with a full belly and on the couch ready to watch the show.  Holly's mom had fixed jambalaya, corn bread, and fresh vanilla cake.  The perfect southern food to watch a southern show.  About mid way through the show I got a phone call from Kelly. Now normally this is a very bad thing. You don't call during True Blood unless someone's having an emergency. Even then it better be a pretty big emergency.  I answered it and really didn't catch what the call was about.  I told her that I'd call her as soon as the show was over.

So on my way back home from Holly's place I called Kelly up and she told me that she had left my True Blood DVDs back in my mailbox.  I laughed and said, "So it's not for you guys huh?". She didn't really say anything but told me that there was a note for me inside the DVD set for me to read when I get home.  My initial thought was that she had written a review for me to tell me exactly what they thought about the series.  She's always giving us book reviews and Andy and I are always reviewing movies to one another so it wouldn't be that far fetched that this was the case.

I get home and open the DVD box.  My very first thought as I saw the black marker writing on the box was, "Why the hell did she let her kids write all over my DVD box".  It took me a few minutes to read over the words and really let them sink in.  "Best Wishes For Holly & Adam".  Signed by Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, the shows two biggest stars.

Once it registered with me; my  hands started shaking and I kind of felt like a Beatlemania giddy school girl.

I instantly called Kelly and was thanking her.

The story is that Andy's mom who works in the movie industry has been driving Anna Paquin around for the past week.  So Anna had my DVD set and was going to sign it but chose to say, "Well, Stephen is coming in on Friday so I'll just wait and then we both can sign it".  I mean really?  How awesome is that?  Anna Paquin held on to my DVD box for a week so that her husband could sign it with her. It has my name and Holly's name on it.

So awesome.  I've never gotten anything like that before.

Not to mention Andy's mom is friends with the actor that plays, "Hoyt" in real life too.

That's my True Blood story.

Thank you so much Connie, Kelly, and Andy.

I love it.