Dean
"CUDA" Allen BIO
I was born
on April 22, 1968 and raised in Stanton Heights of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. I was educated at Sunnyside Elementary, St Raphael
Middle School and Lawrenceville Area Catholic High School. Following
high school, I attended Pittsburgh Technical Institute earning
an Associates Degree in Specialized Technology. This is a fancy
description for computer-aided drafting and design, otherwise
known as CADD. My experience has rounded out to include mechanical,
electrical, process piping, and architectural fields. In the past
decade I've become an accomplished graphic designer and web designer.
At the ripe
young age of 22 (1990), I married the love of my life after about
one year of dating. We have many fond memories, but all seem pale
in comparison since our kids' arrival. They were born in 1999
and 2002. Since having kids, I've lost track of time completely.
Somehow I've
managed to fit my most-loved recreational activity - Paintball,
into a really busy schedule. I get out for paintball about once
a month for the past couple of seasons. Authoring Mission Paintball
Games and generating all the artwork is really time consuming.
Generally, the only time I can commit is lunchtime at work and
after the kids have gone to bed. Despite physical tiredness, my
creative mind won't quit. Mission Paintball Games provides an
outlet for excess creative energy.
My first paintball
experience was in the mid-1980's with high school friends. We
went to a local field called "Three Rivers Survival Games"
and played classic "capture-the-flag" using single-shot
Bushmaster markers and wearing plastic lab goggles. I remember
playing there for at least three or four occasions during my high
school years. Between 1986 and 1992, I played only a handful of
times. Years later, in 2000, I began playing recreational paintball
again. It was a lot of fun and I made a point to arrange paintball
outings on a regular basis. I often thought about "what would
really be cool" in paintball games. I had no scenario game
experience or even the time to try it. I had heard of "two-day
events" and "continuous play," but always hoped
for something to suit my schedule and budget a little better.
I played in a couple "Big Games," but found no real
satisfaction. By the end of 2003, I decided to create a new type
of paintball game that everyone could enjoy.
Many of my
interests helped the basis for Mission Paintball Games. I grew
up in an age of great action movies and video games. I've been
an avid video gamer since the age of Atari 2600. I owned a Sony
Playstation (PS1) and more recently the Microsoft Xbox 360. Among
my favorites is the Ghost Recon series that I still play today.
I'm also fond of Rainbow Six and racing games. As well, I enjoy
these PC games: Delta Force series (up to Black Hawk Down), Battlefield
1942, Battlefield 2, Call of Duty, and Company of Heroes. I joined
an online squad and built many custom maps for the Delta Force
Black Hawk Down game.
I enjoy war
movies of all kinds and have a decent DVD collection to show for
it. The World War II genre is my favorite. I also have several
westerns that I've grown an appreciation for. Other favorites
include First Blood, The Rocky series, The Lord of the Rings series.
I also enjoy reading, whenever I can fit it in. I like fantasy,
action, and suspense. My favorite authors are R.A. Salvatore,
Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and Stephen King. My favorite magazine
is Popular Mechanics. Hey what can I say… I enjoy cutting
edge technical gadgets and a bit of history. I've written four
magazine articles in the 2004-05, all of them about the action
of our own Mission Paintball events.
Finally, I
want to add my passion and skill for construction. With the talents
of creativity and design, I also like to build. I attribute this
one to my father, who is handy at many things. My experience here
includes home remodeling projects (kitchen, basement, bath, etc.).
Anyhow, this is me… I'd better get back to work!
Dean "CUDA"
Allen
Mission Masters Producer
dna@zoominternet.net
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