Sunday, May 18, 2008

New Smyrna

The recreational division of my bike club decided to go kayaking this time, in nearby New Smyrna - one of the popular beach destinations for locals (the other being Cocoa Beach. Daytona is for "tourists".)

We drove out J.B.'s Fish Camp, a restaurant that also rents kayaks, and prepared for an hour or so of kayaking by lathering on sunscreen and getting the rentals taken care of. I rented a single kayak, the kind that you sat on top of, as opposed to ones where you sit inside.

The group paddled out and it was a lot of fun exploring up and down the river and beach area. We didn't go in the ocean and instead stayed on the shallower protected side - in some places the water was only a foot deep. I saw a stingray, but the picture didn't turn out.


New Smyrna
Originally uploaded by klbarrus

Friday, May 09, 2008

Dexter

I finished up watching this TV series via Netflix. It was fantastic, even if the subject matter is so odd.

Dexter is forensics expert working for the Miami police department, and his particular expertise is in blood spatter analysis. Dexter is also a serial killer, a hobby he pursues in his spare time. He only kills people that he feels deserve it, such as the child molester he kills in the pilot. Or the snuff film maker, or the repeat drunk driver, or the "coyote" couple he kills - a husband/wife team smuggling Cubans into the country and then extorting their relatives. If the relatives don't come up with extra payment, the couple kills them. Until Dexter takes them both out!

As such, the show tries to provide insight into the mind of a serial killer, attempting to explain his motivation and ethics code that he follows. Dexter also has a girlfriend with an abusive ex-husband, a sister on the police force, some interesting coworkers, and another serial killer on the loose in the city.

Yes, the main serial killer is one that is out murdering prostitutes and freezing their bodies - and thus is called the Ice Truck Killer. Things get really interesting when the Ice Truck Killer makes contact with Dexter... for example, Dexter returns to his apartment to discover a Barbie doll chopped up in his freezer. He examines the hand, which has painted fingernails. The very next victim's hand is frozen in a block of ice, with painted fingernails. Thus, the Ice Truck Killer knows about Dexter and makes contact. Will Dexter figure out who it is before the Ice Truck Killer exposes him? What does he want anyway? The game is on!

Season 1 is just 12 episodes, and I could barely wait until the next DVD showed up.