If you like pirates, backstabbing, team work, backstabbing, board games, and backstabbing then CutThroats is the game for you.  Developed by Erik Moore and artwork by Kyle Rhône. In this game you can play any number of roles on a pirate ship from the Cook to the Captain. When the ship leaves port you can go on a number of different adventures that all have numerous outcomes. The hope for you and the rest of the crew is that you come back with plenty of gold. But once back at port, don’t turn your back because all …

I am quite particular in my choice of video games…I like multiplayer.  I am also a PC (non-console) player. Cloud style gaming is becoming quite a trend in the past year and a half that really opens up the ease of multiplayer games.  I jumped on board with the release of the Steam cloud gaming system.  They premiered Left 4 Dead, a 1st person shooter where you and 3 other players make your way through hoards of zombies to safety.  There are a bunch of different playing styles where 8 players can play in one game.  Left 4 Dead 2 …

It was bound to happen sometime.  I have now made it possible for those with iPhones to see my blog in a mobile format.  Use Safari to go to Piratechnical.com and you will be welcomed by this format:

You will still be able to see photos and leave comments.  Some video might be brought up in YouTube and/or not play.  I am sure there will be some updates along the way to make it look more snazzy, but for now, you don’t have to worry about zooming in and panning across to read tiny print.
Let me know what you think.

Jon Shimon won a free master class through Live Design. He has a choice of going to the 3 day lighting, sound or projection classes in New York City. I believe his choice is projections, and I might be next in line if he can’t go. (so watch your back Shimon)

Well, I have been asked this question by the locals, and tried my best to explain what theater is…
But I really just want to post pictures of some of the faces and things I have seen at USITT so far.  This is just a sampling.  I need to get a lot better at taking pictures of everyone I see.  There are probably many familiar faces in this crowd.  (and they are not all FSU folk).
Sorry some of these photos are blurry…the iPhone can only do so much.

Alan Hendrickson and I pulled off a successful* session about automation terminology at this years USITT.  Armed with nothing but a PowerPoint presentation and a laser pointer we covered the basics of stage automation.  If you were unable to attend, I will upload the handout (or swag) that we gave the attendees as they entered the room.  You can find the PDF here: Automation 101-Terminology
Below you can see Alan and I in action and the crowd that was already assembled 5 minutes before they barred the doors.  Since we ran out of our hand outs, we figure we had over …

This group benefits the ESTA Foundation’s Behind The Scenes program and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  If you are at USITT, you can donate money to this group and get a bracelet.  If you are interested keep your eyes open for Loren Schreiber.
An excerpt from their site: “The [motorcycle] riders will assemble at the Presidio in San Francisco on the morning of July 24th and head north into the Napa Valley. Over the next seven days the group will ride through Eureka, Susanville, Le Vining and then over to Truckee and Lake Tahoe. They’ll ride …

I am going to start bragging right away.  I am staying in an incredible hotel.  FSU has set aside some money for me to travel to conferences etc. and I told them to put me up at the Holiday Inn – Aladdin, because it was the cheapest one at the time right next to the conference center.  Wouldn’t you know it, it is all decked out and fancy.  I had to take a video of it to show it off.  Please bear with the loud sucking noise in the background.  That is the air intake and it has been …

I feel that I try to stay up on the new technology, science, concepts, etc.  My wife will tell you that this is true except for when it comes to pop culture, this includes social networking.   This blog probably started a couple years after it should have.  I am on Facebook, but hardly keep up with the thing.  Well now I am Tweeting.  This is just in time for USITT*.
Look to the top right of this page…this tweet is what I recently said.  Ooooh….Ahhhh….
You can click on PiraTWEETnical and follow me through whatever tweet tracking method you might use.  If …

The title doesn’t lie. USITT has created a iPhone App. You can see details on their web page here: http://www.usitt.org/USITTiPhoneAPP.aspx.

If you want to go grab it for yourself go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/usitt-2010/id358128548?mt=8