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All about the 16 Day Darwin to Melbourne Tour Package

What a jam packed adventure tour. There are so many highlights on our 16 day Darwin to Melbourne tour.

Leaving hot and tropical Darwin on the morning of day one and driving out to Kakadu National Park first you will see amazing the wildlife and waterfalls of the Northern Territory. Litchfield National Park is the next stop short hikes and swimming in abundance. Then we head down the center of Australia to Katherine Gorge, Mataranka hot springs, Daly waters and the Devils Marbles. From Alice Springs we make our way out to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and then Kings Canyon. After crossing over into South Australia we stop at the underground town of Coober Pedy, Port Augusta and onto Adelaide.

After a relaxing day in Adelaide, we drive up to the Grampians National Park before hitting the famous Great Ocean Road. Here you will finally be by the sea, marveling at the twelve apostles, Loch Ard Gorge, and the London bridge. Melbourne is the final stop where you can grab a fantastic coffee and spend a few days exploring the city or fly off to your next adventure.

Driving distance from Darwin to Melbourne is over 4000km. So plenty of time to take in the outback of Australia and get to know your fellow travel mates. As we make lots of stops, walks and hikes it doesn't feel like a long time on the tour bus. So much to see and do between Darwin and Melbourne with plenty of bucket list inclusions.

Our Darwin to Melbourne 16 day tour package includes 6 days 5 night Darwin to Alice Springs tour including Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, 2 nights in Alice Springs, 6 days 5 night Alice Springs to Adelaide tour, 1 night in Adelaide, 3 days 2 night Great ocean road tour, Meals while on tour as indicated in itinerary (11 Breakfasts, 15 Lunches, 11 Dinners) plus our super friendly, informative tour guides.

From top to bottom of Australia you will see it all on this tour.

16 Day Darwin to Melbourne Tour Package
Tour itinerary - 16 Days

  • Day 1 Darwin to Kakadu National Park
    The first stop on your adventure is the Mary River Wetlands, renowned for the 250 bird species that can be found here and the highest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the Southern Hemisphere. To get the best understanding of the area you will take an informative private two-hour cruise (included) along the Mary River where you can spot ‘crocs’ and other wildlife.

    Your introduction to Kakadu National Park is at the South Alligator River where you will also have lunch. The Bowali Visitor Centre is a good place to purchase Aboriginal arts and crafts before your late afternoon arrival at Ubirr. At Ubirr you can view a wide range of Aboriginal rock art which will be interpreted by your guide. Here you will learn about the Rainbow Serpent and climb the Nadab Lookout for excellent views over the surrounding floodplain and beyond into Arnhem Land. Tonight enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at our private campsite at Cooinda. (L,D)
  • Day 2 Kakadu National Park to Litchfield National Park
    You will spend the whole morning at Gunlom Falls* where you can swim at the bottom of the waterfall and climb to the top of the falls. Relax in a natural infinity pool with a grand view of the Arnhem Land escarpment, take a dip in the sandy middle pool and swim under a waterfall in the rear pool. You will see why this picture postcard spot is such a favourite for all who visit. There’s a chance for a final swim after lunch in the lower plunge pool before leaving the national park to travel via Batchelor to an overnight campsite near Litchfield National Park. (BLD)
  • Day 3 Litchfield National Park to Darwin
    Today is spent exploring the waterfalls, spring-fed streams and rugged sandstone escarpments of Litchfield National Park. Highlights include the large magnetic and cathedral termite mounds and swimming in and hiking at Wangi Falls (seasonal). Go for a final swim in the waterfalls at Buley Rockhole before your early evening arrival back in Darwin. Overnight dorm or Budget ensuite (Twin/Single) accommodation in Darwin is included. (BL)
  • Day 4 Darwin to Katherine (via Nitmiluk National Park)
    You will be collected from your Darwin accommodation at approximately 6.00am and then our adventure through the ‘Territory’ to Alice Springs begins. The afternoon is spent at Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park which is owned by the Jawoyn Aboriginal people. Ancient sandstone has been carved away by the Katherine River to create a deep and picturesque gorge. You may like to take a boat cruise or paddle a canoe (seasonal) through the peaceful water (both optional and additional cost) before retiring to our campsite nearby. (L,D)
  • Day 5 Katherine to Banka Banka (via Mataranka)
    A great start to the day, is a soak in the Mataranka Thermal Pools, a lush oasis fringed by paperbark trees. No trip to the ‘Territory’ is complete without a visit to the Daly Waters Pub, an important watering hole for explorers and drovers in days gone by and now a great spot for a cold beer, a bit of history and a ‘fair dinkum outback experience’! Our day winds to a close at historic Banka Banka Cattle Station where we camp for the night. (B,L,D)
  • Day 6 Banka Banka to Alice Springs
    We pass through Tennant Creek and then further along the track are the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) which are a collection of gigantic granite boulders magically balanced on top of one another. Later in the day we cross the Tropic of Capricorn (only 20% of the Northern Territory lays south of this point) then a short time later we arrive into Alice Springs. Overnight accommodation included, dinner at own expense. (B,L)
  • Day 7 Alice Springs
    Two days of leisure to either relax or explore the Red Centre township of Alice Springs. All activities and meals are at your own expense. Accommodation is included.
  • Day 8 Alice Springs to Uluru
    From Alice Springs, we journey across the rugged Outback to Uluru (Ayers Rock). Nothing will prepare you for the sight of Uluru – it’s awesome! We learn about the region’s indigenous history at the Uluru Kata Tjuta Aboriginal Cultural Centre before taking an easy walk around the base of Uluru and learn more about Aboriginal interpretations from your Culturally Accredited Groovy Guide. There’s no better way to finish the day than watching the amazing sunset over Uluru, before snuggling inside your swag under the star-studded desert sky. (LD)
  • Day 9 Kata Tjuta
    After an early breakfast, we’ll head to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) for a sunrise and visit the majestic Valley of the Winds, with its ancient rock formations and extraordinary views. The hikes here can be challenging at times with steep sections and duration of about 3 ½ hours. We relax back at our campground, take a dip in the swimming pool or join one of our adrenalin Plus options such as Skydiving over Uluru! (BLD)
  • Day 10 Kings Canyon
    Today we set out for Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), you’ll need to stop to admire and photograph the massive sandstone walls, vast canyon floor and breath-taking gorges. On the Canyon Rim Walk (3-4 hours) experience the beautiful Garden of Eden and learn more about local Aboriginal culture. (BLD)
  • Day 11 Coober Pedy
    Along the way to Coober Pedy – the Opal Capital of the World – you’ll notice the incredible change of scenery. We’ll get the chance to visit the Opal Mine and Museum where we’ll learn the history of the town. The highlight for some is visiting Josephine’s Kangaroo Orphanage, where you can meet the rescued kangaroos and baby joeys and admire (or buy) Aboriginal art and didgeridoos. Soon after you’ll get the chance to taste one of the most amazing pizzas in the outback before spending the night in a bunkhouse sleeping the way the locals do – underground! (BLD)
  • Day 12 Flinders Ranges
    After breakfast, we journey south into the foothills of the magnificent Flinders Ranges. On the way, we stop at Pimba and get a chance to view the salt lakes. We’ll stop en route for lunch before driving to Wilmington where we’ll sleep among the red gum trees. (BLD)
  • Day 13 Alligator Gorge
    We enjoy a morning walk through the stunning Alligator Gorge, which is sometimes bursting with wildflowers and amazing wildlife: you might get the chance to spot kangaroos or wallabies. We enjoy our last lunch together, before heading to Adelaide. (BL)
  • Day 14 Adelaide to Grampians National Park
    Leaving Adelaide sit back and enjoy the landscapes through the Adelaide Hills on the way to lunch at Mt. Arapiles. At the Grampians National Park you will spend the afternoon hiking to the bottom of McKenzie Falls and enjoy the views from The Balconies lookout point. Later in the day, you might see kangaroos and other wildlife come out to play. Tonight you will stay in the heart of the Grampians National Park in cabin accommodation. (LD)
  • Day 15 Grampians National Park to Twelve Apostles
    This morning you will visit the Brambuk Aboriginal Cultural Centre before doing some more hiking in the beautiful Grampians. Enjoy lunch at Tower Hill Reserve, the site of a dormant volcano, wetland, lake and home to lots of wildlife. Travelling along the Great Ocean Road highlights include the iconic Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge and the Bay of Martyrs not to mention the spectacular coastal scenery in the area, finishing the day with a sunset at the Twelve Apostles rock formation. Overnight you will stay in hostel accommodation on the Great Ocean Road. (BLD)
  • Day 16 Great Ocean Road to Melbourne
    At the Otway National Park, take a walk through some ancient temperate (cool) rainforest. Parts of the Great Ocean Road were carved by returned WWI servicemen; their legacy has created one of the most spectacular coastal roads you will ever see. Further along the Great Ocean Road are the beachside towns of Apollo Bay and Lorne. The famous surf coast includes visits to Anglesea, Bells Beach and Torquay (home of surf wear brands Rip Curl and Quiksilver). Your final stop is at the Split Point Lighthouse featured in the Round the Twist television series, before heading through Geelong to arrive in Melbourne at approximately 7pm. (BL)
Real Adventure Group Real People
Real Aussie Says:
Real Aussie Adventures is about adventure and getting involved. We don’t define by age but our trips are quite active. We get travelers from all over the world, people traveling by themselves, couples and groups. This Darwin to Melbourne tour is full of hiking, exploring, sunsets, sunrises, singing on the bus drives through the outback and learning lots about Australia.

16 Day Darwin to Melbourne Tour Package Price information AUD per person

Tour code: DM17
Camping 8 nts/ Dorm 7 nts.
Camping 7 nts / Backpacker Twin/Double 8 nts (5 x ensuite)
Camping 7 nts/ Backpacker Single 8 nts (5 x ensuite)
Camping 8 nights/ Dorm 7 nights. For travel April 1 2019 to March 31 2020
Camping 6 nights / Backpacker Twin/Double 9 nights. For travel April 1 2019 to March 31 2020
Camping 6 nights/ Backpacker Single 9 nights. For travel April 1 2019 to March 31 2020

Departure information

Wednesday year round at 6.30am from central Darwin accommodation

This trip can also be run in reverse

More information

Important Notes

Things you need to know about this tour
  • This package is a combination of safari products and therefore the guide and passengers will differ during each section. Passengers will be staying independently at the accommodation (included) between each of the safaris.
  • Camping/dorm customers will spend 7 nights in the dorm, 2 nights camping in swags and pop-up tents, 2 nights in permanent safari tents and 4 nights camping in swags only. Camping/twin/double/single customers will spend 7 nights in a private room (5 nights private facilities, 2 nights shared facilities), 1 night in a cabin (shared facilities), 4 nights camping in swags and pop-up tents and 3 nights in permanent safari tents (shared facilities)
  • Twin/double fare can only be booked by two people travelling together.
  • Sleeping bag hire is available for all customers for a $30 payment to the guide in Darwin. Passengers are permitted to bring their own sleeping bags. Please specify this at the time of booking.
  • We endorse the recommendation of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that all travellers take out travel insurance. Get a quote now.

  • National Park fee local payment of $52.50 due on departure until 31 March 2019.  National Park fees will be included in tour price from 1 April 2019. $12.50 Twin Falls boat shuttle fee payable seasonal when we visit Twin Falls.
  • The above itinerary Day 8 to Day 13 is based on the season from April through to October when the weather is mild. If you are travelling in our summer months from November to March we have a revised itinerary due to our heat management strategy. You will only spend one night at Yulara, second night is at Kings Creek Station, the third night is at Kulgera, Erldunda or Bush Camp. The remainder of the itinerary remains the same from here. No activities will be missed. See more here at Revised Adelaide to Alice 6 day Tour Summer Itinerary.

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Realbotix is the result of a dream shared by Matt McMullen, Daxtron Labs and NextOS, who bring their best efforts and individual specialties to collaborate in creating the world’s first practical and affordable human-like robot.

Even though Realbotix was officially formed as an LLC only last year, each member brings more than 10 years of experience in their respective fields and are here now to show to the world a new way of thinking about human-machine interaction.

Our aim is to connect with people and help each one in a unique way. We hope to make a positive contribution to our customers’ lives and demonstrate that our products can improve the human capacity to love.

Join us on this remarkable journey!

Matt is the artist and design director behind Realbotix, and brought the core team together. He started Abyss Creations, the manufacturer of Realdoll, out of his garage in 1997. For the past 20 years, he has been creating the "The World’s Finest Love Dolls”, as well as undertaking multiple custom projects along the way. McMullen’s dolls have popped up on more than 20 television shows and also co-starred in 10 films.

SUSAN L. PIRZCHALSKI - Robotics & Electronics

A veteran of over twenty product development projects, Susan has designed and managed everything from high-reliability "big iron" telecom systems to secure network monitoring equipment to customer-facing retail kiosks. Now, armed with 20+ years of experience in system design and engineering (including both software and hardware development), she has finally returned to her first love: robotics. As a Realbotix Associate and the Director of Engineering, she is responsible for all of the physical components the company makes with an eye towards making them with the 3 R's: Rugged, Robust, and Resilient. She brings her own unique voice (along with detailed specifications and designs) to the Harmony project.

KINO COURSEY - VR & AI Specialist

Dr. Kino Coursey is a computer scientist with a broad background ranging from developing communications technology to designing evolutionary and neural systems. He was a member of the design committee for the AIML chatbot language, and has designed and implemented numerous AI systems using commonsense reasoning, evolutionary and neural systems. His thesis focused on artificial intelligence and natural language processing using "Big Data" machine learning techniques to process Wikipedia to achieve human-level semantic association. He has been a technical consultant for Hanson Robotics, Robokind, Motorola, and IBM. At Hanson Robotics he helped develop the natural language processing tools used for the current incarnation of Philip K Dick, BINA-48, and the Sophia android. He has received grants for developing the Computational Compassion architecture and applying personal humanoid robotics to language learning and teaching interactions to autistic children. For the Harmony project he will use all of his accumulated knowledge to help develop a fun and interesting companion using the best technology available.

GUILE LINDROTH - AI & Content Specialist

Guile has been working with AI, chatbots and virtual assistants for the past 15 years. He is the founder of NextOS, the company behind Virtual Assistant Denise and much other intelligent software. He started working with Virtual Assistants with the dream to build an intelligent Nurse Companion for the handicapped, elder and children. As a System Analyst, AI and Computer Graphics specialist, he is the one behind Harmony dialogs, content and narratives. Today he dedicates most of his time creating personality and empathy for Harmony AI, pursuing the dream of one day teaching her the "Meaning of Love, respect, and friendship". When not working on trying to create the "Perfect Human Companion", he likes to be next to the ocean and in the company of his family, dogs, parrots and ducks.

YURI FURUUSHI P. MACHADO - Multiplatform Developer

Graduated in Digital Games, Yuri is a self-taught programmer and has dedicated the past 10 years on multiplatform application development. Focused on innovative technologies, he is constantly learning and acquiring new skills on today’s top technology on software. Co-founder of NextOS and leading programmer of the Realbotix application, Yuri has also played a key role on the development and programming of a series of unprecedented software involving both VR and AI technologies.

Want to become part of this?

Send us a message and help us to change the world!

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Tag Archives: Green

My new car sent me an email

We recently traded our fully electric Nissan Leaf for a plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. Unexpectedly, the Volt sent me an email yesterday. It let me know how well I was doing at driving it around (and compared me to others), … Continue reading

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On driving electric in Redding

We drove our Nissan Leaf over 33,000 miles on nothing but electricity in and around Redding over the last 3 years.  33K miles, 0 gallons of gas. We have some some observations. We love this car. It’s incredibly easy to forget … Continue reading

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Check your solar availability in Redding

Google has a cool feature that uses their mapping knowledge to guestimate your home’s suitability for generating solar power. They call it Project Sunroof. It doesn’t work everywhere, but for the addresses in Redding I tried it worked fine. Check … Continue reading

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Solar goat shades

Spotted this pastoral view in Bella Vista today. Goats taking shade under solar panels. A truly green scene. I imagine there’s a lot of livestock around here that would enjoy some solar shades.

Posted in Green | Tagged | Leave a comment

2 days left for your comments on Moody Flats EIR

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On driving a zero emissions vehicle

We have had our Nissan Leaf over a year, and driven more than 15000 miles, or 24,000 kilometers, if you prefer. We like the Leaf very much. You get used to driving past gas stations pretty easily. When I wake up … Continue reading

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Churn Creek Meadow Organic Farm delivers to your door

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Human Electric Hybrid Car from Oregon

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Increased local thunderstorm activity was predicted

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Burney’s new wind power turbines visible from Redding

RS wag Bruce Ross was wondering if you could see the Burney wind turbines from Redding. Yep. These images were taken yesterday, shimmering in the heat. This is from a ridge overlooking Walgreens and Starbucks on Lake Blvd. Image taken … Continue reading

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Tag Archives: Why men don’t approach me

Why men don’t APPROACH you sweet women. Only InstaModels.

View this post on Instagram If he cared, he'd pursue you. #EbrahimAseem Link to full article in my bio. A post shared by Ebrahim Aseem (@fuel4thebody) on Nov 28, 2015 at 5:20pm PST The most Beautiful Women hardly get approached … Continue reading

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Buffalo Cauliflower

I am going to admit something today, Roomie #1’s restricted diet can be hard for me sometimes. I don’t have a problem with her vegetarianism on it principles nor does she preach or try to convert me. She is really great about it actually and never makes a big deal about it. I just find it hard to relate to. I love to eat everything. Seriously, give me anything and I’ll try it once. I don’t make any promises that I’ll like it but I will try.

It is clear, the issue isn’t her, it’s me.

My favorite activity, my best way of showing people I care about them, is feeding people. I love to see the look on a person I love’s face when they bite into sometime I made for them that they absolutely love. That is the best gift you can give me. Honestly.

I have always had a vegetarian to cook for in some form. Way back when, it was Roomie #1 when we were in high school. Then, in college, I had another veggie to feed. Now, it’s Roomie #1 again. Sometimes, I struggle to find a recipe that I can make for everyone. I want to have a big, filling dinner that isn’t the standard vegetarian fare – pasta or curry. There is the added layer that she doesn’t eat mushrooms so meaty portobellos are out as a substitute. I am not a huge fan of soy meat substitutes so I try to steer clear of those too. That doesn’t leave all that much of an overlap. DSC_0021

One way I have found of sharing my love of good food with my dear veggies has been to make vegetarian versions of my favorite snacks, tailgating, and bar foods. These don’t have to be complete meals and are perfect for sharing. This recipe is a great one because you can make a big batch of the sauce and toss anything you want in it — even meat if you have any staunch carnivores around — while keeping a meat-free vegetarian option. Everyone gets to share the same meal but have exactly what they want! Compromise! I love this dish because it is spicy and crunchy and messy and wonderful, just like my beloved chicken wings.DSC_0033

Find a way of sharing something unexpected with someone. It could be a vegetarian version of a classic meaty snack or it could be something completely non-food related. I don’t know, share a new book with a TV watcher or take someone who doesn’t get outside much on an easy hike.

Whatever it is, find a gap to bridge. You will be surprised how easy it can be! ~ Molly

Buffalo Cauliflower

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Print

    • 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • salt & pepper, to taste
    • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 2 tbsp worchestershire sauce
    • 2 cups hot sauce, Frank’s Red Hot or Texas Pete

  1. Preheat oven to 400*; toss cauliflower with olive oil, cumin, salt, & pepper; arrange on a baking sheet; bake 15 minutes, until beginning to get brown and crispy but still firm
  2. Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt the butter; add the garlic and saute until golden; add hot sauce and worcestershire; heat to a simmer; reduce to low heat to keep warm
  3. Remove cauliflower from the oven; toss with sauce; broil on high 4-6 minutes, until the sauce caramelizes
  4. For the full chicken wing experience, serve with ranch or blue cheese, carrot sticks, and celery…and of course cold beer!

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Single Sign On with Linux VDA 1.1

Customers want things to be easier. A common request is to support Single Sign On (SSO).  Instead of having to enter credentials more than once, SSO remembers the username and password. The SSO design is secure yet provides a better user experience. SSO is a common feature for web browsers. Once logged in, the credentials are used for the site without requiring entering them again.

In Citrix XenDesktop/XenApp, the idea is very similar.  Once logged into Receiver, StoreFront, or Web Interface, the user does not need to enter passwords again for desktop sessions and applications.  Users only need to click on the icon of the desired desktop or application and the connection will be made without requiring credentials.  Even though many different hosts are involved, the hosts work together to allow the user entry.

However, this is not considered the ultimate SSO solution.  For users using Windows Receiver, there is a feature that uses the native Windows credentials from the user’s session.  If the user is logged into Active Directory on a Windows domain workstation, they will not be required to login to Citrix if SSO is properly configured.

Windows Receiver

The official title for the Citrix feature is “Pass Thru Authentication” and based on the latest feature chart, is only supported on Windows Receiver.  Setting it up is more involved than a typical installation.  Please review the knowledge article. There is a command line switch called “/includeSSON” when installing CitrixReceiver.exe.

There are several other steps so please follow the knowledge article.

Once everything is working, users only need to sign into Windows in order to use Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop.

In Linux VDA version 1.0, we did not support this feature.  To understand why requires some basic understanding of how this technology works.  We will get to that in a moment, but it is important to announce that we have added this feature in Linux VDA version 1.1.  This version of the Linux VDA can use the user’s domain credentials which are made available by the machine that the user is logged into and is running Windows Receiver.

Inside Citrix, we call this support “WD Credentials”.  WD stands for Winstation Driver, a core module in the Citrix software stack. The concept is that the credentials are provided during the connection from Citrix Receiver. These credentials are provided very early in the HDX/ICA connection between Receiver and the host (Linux VDA). In the original model, the credential data was gathered from tickets in the ICA file. Specifically, the ticket was used to request the credentials from the Citrix DDC (broker).  This was a problem since it is not possible to get Windows Receiver SSO credentials this way.

HTML5 Receiver

Over time, “WD Credentials” has been used by other Receivers as well.  In fact, some Receivers only support providing credential information this way.  For example, the Citrix HTML5 Receiver passes the user’s credentials to the VDA when requested.  If the VDA does not request it (and uses the ICA file only) HTML5 Receiver will never be able to automatically sign in. In order to support Linux VDA 1.0, HTML5 Receiver 16.0 added support for the old credential transfer.  However, this still meant that the older HTML5 Receivers could not connect and login automatically.  With the change in Linux VDA 1.1, this is no longer a problem.

Smart card

Even though the Linux VDA now supports “WD Credentials” it does not yet support smart cards.  There is an additional work item to support the smart card virtual channel.

Linux VDA

One of the hidden benefits of SSO is Active Directory integration. The credentials work for Windows resources accessed from Linux. For example, SSO allows for automatic access to user home directories. Services based on Active Directory Kerberos respect that the user has been authorized and will not request credentials from the user.  This reduces the pain of connecting network shares during login.

Linux VDA 1.1 now supports Windows Receiver SSO and all Receivers that use “WD Credentials” to exchange credentials.  This includes HTML5 Receivers prior to version 16.0. Smart card support is not there yet. With the Linux VDA 1.1 release, true SSO with Windows is now possible and the Receivers are able to use the latest Citrix credential exchange technology.

To read more from the Linux Virtual Desktop Team, please refer to the Linux Virtual Desktop Team blog here.

Live near Brisbane, Australia. Software developer currently focused on iOS and Android. Avid Google Local Guide

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Hacking with dex-oracle for Android Malware Deobfuscation

About a month or two ago, someone asked me to analyze some obfuscated Android malware. Recently, I finally had a chance to take a look. I ended up using dex-oracle along with some tricks to partially deobfuscate it. In this post, I’m going to explain the tricks and the overall process I used. This post will be useful if you deal with a lot of obfuscated Android apps.

The main problem was dex-oracle didn’t work “out of the box”. It took some “hacking” to make it work. Specifically, I modified an existing deobfuscation plugin to create two new plugins as well as slightly modify the app. It’s really hard to make completely generalized deobfuscation tools, or any kind of advanced tool, so you’ll need to know how it works in order to modify it to suit your needs.

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Remote Kext Debugging (No, really - it worked!)

This gif perfectly describe me attempting to connect debuggers to a kext using all the “simple” instructions on the internet.

Recently I had far too much time on my hands and a Kext binary which seemed to pique my interest. After spending a bit of time analyzing the binary in IDA Pro, I wanted to prove out some theories I had by debugging it. A while back I had set up MacOS to be running as a QEMU/KVM machine - though I no longer had access to the hardware that I set this up on. The purpose of the previous use case was to have lots of instances up (fuzzing) as opposed to in depth debugging, and I had never actually wondered about debugging the kernel. Anyhoo - I decided to revisit setting up a virtualized instance of MacOS and decided to go the VMWare Fusion route. I had a license on the computer I had in front of me, wanted to continually do snapshots, and just assumed it would be easy to get it working locally. Well, I was sort of right?

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HackingTeam back for your Androids, now extra insecure!

Table of Contents

Soapbox Prelude

The past few years have been interesting in terms of surveillance and nation state purchased malware. Gamma Team (FinFisher) got owned, followed by Hacking Team having all the source code for their implants being posted on GitHub. Just this year, Hacking Team lost their global license to sell spyware. I’m unsure how this really would affect their business. The linked article explains the situation better than I ever could. To quote the article, it means:

Hacking Team will have to apply for an individual [export] license for each country. It will then be up to the Italian authorities to approve or deny any requests.

Maybe someone can shed light on what this actually means? Does that mean that a license must be acquired for the country in which the implant is being deployed or does it mean the license must exist for the country which the buying entity exists? Regardless, it would seem that recently the Hacking Team has had their global license reinstated. So, in theory none of this matters… Or does it?

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Reversing GO binaries like a pro

GO binaries are weird, or at least, that is where this all started out. While delving into some Linux malware named Rex, I came to the realization that I might need to understand more than I wanted to. Just the prior week I had been reversing Linux Lady which was also written in GO, however it was not a stripped binary so it was pretty easy. Clearly the binary was rather large, many extra methods I didn’t care about - though I really just didn’t understand why. To be honest - I still haven’t fully dug into the Golang code and have yet to really write much code in Go, so take this information at face value as some of it might be incorrect; this is just my experience while reversing some ELF Go binaries! If you don’t want to read the whole page, or scroll to the bottom to get a link to the full repo, just go here.

Read More

Detecting Pirated and Malicious Android Apps with APKiD

Android apps are much easier to modify than those of traditional desktop operating systems like Windows or Linux, and there’s primarily only one way to modify Android apps after they have been compiled from source: dexlib. Even if you’re actually using Apktool or Smali, they are both using dexlib under the hood. Actually, Apktool uses Smali, and Smali and dexlib are part of the same project.

Why is this important? Any app which has had malware injected into it or has been cracked or pirated will have probably been disassembled and recompiled by dexlib. Also, there are very few reasons why a developer with access to the source code would use dexlib. Therefore, you know an app has been modified by dexlib, it’s probably interesting to you if you’re worried about malware or app piracy. This is where APKiD comes in. In addition to detecting packers, obfuscators, and other weird stuff, it can also identify if an app was compiled by the standard Android compilers or dexlib.

Read More


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Angler (Ladies)

On the front, we took the the RedZone script and put redfish scales within the print and located it on the center chest. The back design has the original tail artwork centered within scaled script with a hooked up angler and ” Get in the Zone ” underneath.t.

*See color swatch below

SKU: angler-ladies Category:
  • UPF 50+ Sun protective factor.
  • Breathable moisture wicking fabric that is ultra lightweight.
  • Appealing graphics that don’t interfere with function, and can’t wear off.
  • Tag free neck label

Color Chart

Top row: White, Seafoam, Ice blue, Silver, Electric Yellow, Electric Green, Electric Orange
Bottom row: Canary, Lime, Salt Marsh, Shell Pink, Electric Pink, Heather Gray

Additional information

Ladies Colors

Canary, Electric Green, Electric Orange, Electric Prink, Electric Yellow, Heather Gray, Ice blue, Lime, Salt Marsh, Seafoam, Shell Pink, Silver, White

Ladies Sizes

XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL

Sleeve Length

Long Sleeve, Short Sleeve


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News / Blog

How Cool Is This?

Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest news on American LNG and the impact of our export terminals on its transport across the globe. Houston-based Cheniere Energy, the nation’s leading producer of LNG, just helped the Panama Canal set a record for the number of tankers using the waterway in a single day. On Oct. 1, four LNG tankers using the company’s Sabine Pass export terminal in Louisiana passed through the canal, with two traveling northbound and two southbound. The vessels included a Norwegian-flagged tanker traveling from Mexico to Sabine Pass; a Greek-flagged tanker traveling from South Korea; a Bahamas-flagged tanker traveling from Sabine Pass to the Pacific Coast of Panama; and a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker traveling from Sabine Pass to Japan. According to the FERC, nine new U.S. LNG export facilities have been approved with five already under construction. Looks like exciting times lie ahead. What do you think?


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Jorge Pérez accuses Miami-Dade of punishing art museum for celebrating Cuban artists

jorge perez.jpg

A report by Douglas Hanks for the Miami Herald.

Real estate mogul Jorge Pérez accused Miami-Dade commissioners of punishing his namesake art museum for featuring Cuban artists when they shifted $550,000 from the Pérez Art Museum Miami to a new Miami museum dedicated to Cuban immigrants.

In an interview with the Art Newspaper, Pérez linked PAMM’s display of works by artists still living in Cuba with the recent loss of some county funds for a museum built with tax dollars and still subsidized by Miami-Dade.

“They could have taken the money from other museums on an equal basis,” Pérez told the Art Newspaper in an interview published Wednesday as Art Basel week makes Miami the temporary hub of global art circles. “They only took it from PAMM. This was definitely an orchestrated move, and it was punishment for our show.”

In approving the 2018 county budget, the county commission’s seven Cuban-American members voted on Sept. 28 to pull back $550,000 of the $4 million that PAMM was slated to receive this year. The 13-member board shifted the money to subsidize operations at a new county-funded institution called the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora in Miami.

The six commissioners who aren’t Cuban-American voted against it. There was no mention of the PAMM exhibit, “On the Horizon: Contemporary Art,” which includes pieces donated by Peréz. But the museum’s director alluded to the controversy when he said during the budget hearing that no county dollars given to PAMM went toward acquiring the Cuban art.

Pérez is the second-largest backer of the museum, behind Miami-Dade taxpayers. The county borrowed $100 million to build the museum, which opened on the Miami waterfront in 2013. Pérez has pledged or donated about $50 million in art and cash. The county also provides a yearly operating subsidy for the museum’s $15 million budget. Pérez is chief executive of the Related Group, a major player in local real estate projects and last year’s winner of the hard-fought county contract to redevelop the Liberty Square housing complex in Miami.

The Diaspora museum, which is called The Cuban, celebrates the role of Cubans who have left the island nation and moved elsewhere. It has held exhibitions of Cuban art, but only by artists who have left the island.

Esteban “Steve” Bovo Jr., the Cuban-American chairman of the County Commission and son of a Bay of Pigs veteran, said the funding shift was not punishment. “It was rewarding the Cuban Museum of Diaspora for the good work that they’re doing,” said Bovo, who voted for the funding measure. “I’m aware of the [PAMM] exhibit. I’ve talked to Mr. Peréz about it. But I did not equate what we did with punishment.”

Pérez, who was born in Argentina to Cuban parents and is a top donor to Democrats, traveled with President Barack Obama to Cuba in 2016, and blamed the administration of President Donald Trump for renewing tensions on the issue of Cuba.

“The continuing of the embargo and the rhetoric from Cuba and the U.S. against each other have not resulted in anything but the suffering of the Cuban people,” Pérez told the Art Newspaper. “President Trump is giving credence again to the very radical right-wing part of the Cuban community. And politicians are using that.”

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Sir Harry Smith Community College

URN: 138053

Eastrea Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE7 1XB

  1. Outstanding
  2. Good
  3. Requires Improvement
  4. Inadequate

Good schools are inspected around once every four years.

We can also inspect at any time if we have concerns.

We normally give notice the afternoon of the working day before an inspection. We can also inspect schools without notice.

Activity, reports and ratings

when we publish a new report

  1. Short inspection Short inspection, PDF - 05 November 2018
  2. Full inspection: GoodFull inspection, PDF - 03 December 2014
  3. Opened

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Design and evaluation for the future of m-interaction

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingEntry for encyclopedia/dictionary

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Research units

Mobile technology has been one of the major growth areas in computing over recent years (Urbaczewski, Valacich, & Jessup, 2003). Mobile devices are becoming increasingly diverse and are continuing to shrink in size and weight. Although this increases the portability of such devices, their usability tends to suffer. Fuelled almost entirely by lack of usability, users report high levels of frustration regarding interaction with mobile technologies (Venkatesh, Ramesh, & Massey, 2003). This will only worsen if interaction design for mobile technologies does not continue to receive increasing research attention. For the commercial benefit of mobility and mobile commerce (m-commerce) to be fully realized, users’ interaction experiences with mobile technology cannot be negative. To ensure this, it is imperative that we design the right types of mobile interaction (m-interaction); an important prerequisite for this is ensuring that users’ experience meets both their sensory and functional needs (Venkatesh, Ramesh, & Massey, 2003). Given the resource disparity between mobile and desktop technologies, successful electronic commerce (e-commerce) interface design and evaluation does not necessarily equate to successful m-commerce design and evaluation. It is, therefore, imperative that the specific needs of m-commerce are addressed–both in terms of design and evaluation. This chapter begins by exploring the complexities of designing interaction for mobile technology, highlighting the effect of context on the use of such technology. It then goes on to discuss how interaction design for mobile devices might evolve, introducing alternative interaction modalities that are likely to affect that future evolution. It is impossible, within a single chapter, to consider each and every potential mechanism for interacting with mobile technologies; to provide a forward-looking flavor of what might be possible, this chapter focuses on some more novel methods of interaction and does not, therefore, look at the typical keyboard and visual display-based interaction which, in essence, stem from the desktop interaction design paradigm. Finally, this chapter touches on issues associated with effective evaluation of m-interaction and mobile application designs. By highlighting some of the issues and possibilities for novel m-interaction design and evaluation, we hope that future designers will be encouraged to “think out of the box” in terms of their designs and evaluation strategies.

Request a copy

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Publication dateAug 2008
Publication titleEncyclopedia of multimedia technology and networking
EditorsMargherita Pagani
Place of PublicationHershey, USA
PublisherIGI Global
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-6056-6015-8
ISBN (Print)978-1-6056-6014-1, 1-6056-6014-0
Original languageEnglish

Employable Graduates; Exploitable Research

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Call us today! (210) 820-0220
Residential Electricians San Antonio 2018-12-05T22:21:42+00:00

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When you are faced with an electrical problem in your home you need a friendly, reliable and experienced residential electricians you can count on to get the job done right. The last thing you want is to end up having to deal with costly repairs from a faulty wiring job or installation.

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Electrician replaces an electrical outlet

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Repair, Replace, Install – Electrical Maintenance San Antonio

Residential electricians deal with all sorts of electrical issues in your home. Whether it’s moving, changing or repairing a light switch or replacing your entire electrical panel we do it all. Our residential electrician will have the experience and knowhow to deal with any job, from the simple to the more complicated tasks.

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New featured article — Panda Panda, SE8 4PA. - Randomness Guide to London [entries|archive|friends|userinfo]
Randomness Guide to London

[ website | Randomness Guide to London ]
[ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ]
[ archive | journal archive ]

New featured article — Panda Panda, SE8 4PA. [Jul. 26th, 2010|06:39 pm]
Randomness Guide to London

[Tags|, , , , ]

This week's featured article is Panda Panda, SE8 4PA, a cafe selling Vietnamese baguettes and snacks on Deptford Broadway at the New Cross end of Deptford.

While Deptford has a number of other Vietnamese restaurants and cafes, Panda Panda differs somewhat from the norm in that it's rather more modern and accessible in style — it's clean, you can see in from the outside, and it has free wireless. Foodwise, I'm not 100% convinced that it has the best banh mi or the best summer rolls in the area, but it's certainly a contender.

Notable additions to RGL in the past week include the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury and Kamil Speciality Foods in Park Royal.

Reported closures are the Royal Oak in Bexleyheath (actually been closed for some time), Blubeckers at the Hare in Harrow, and the Star in Hillingdon.

The Abercorn Arms in Stanmore also closed at the beginning of this year, but is slated to open again at some point following "substantial rebuilding and extension". Finally, the Grape and Grain in Crystal Palace reopened today following a brief closure in connection with the Jack Beard's chain going into administration (the licensees have taken on the lease).

[User Picture]From: friend_of_tofu
2010-07-26 05:47 pm (UTC)
Ooh, I might have to go to Panda Panda some time, thanks!
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture]From: nou
2010-07-26 09:36 pm (UTC)
Do let me know what you think of it!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
[User Picture]From: friend_of_tofu
2010-07-26 11:22 pm (UTC)
Of course ;-)
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)


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Robot Has No Heart

Xavier Shay blogs here

A robot that does not have a heart

Integration testing with Cucumber, RSpec and Thinking Sphinx

Ideally you would want to include sphinx in your integration tests. It’s really just like your database. In practice, this is problematic. Ensuring the DB is started and triggering a re-index after each model load is doable, if slow, with a small bit of hacking of thinking sphinx (hint – change the initializer for the ThinkingSphinx::Configuration to allow you to specify the environment). Here’s the rub though – if you’re using transactional fixtures the sphinx indexer won’t be able to see any of your data! Turning that off can really slow down your tests, and once you add in the re-indexing time you’re going to be making a few cups of coffee while they run.

One approach I’ve been taking is to stub out the search methods with RR. I know, I know, stubbing in your integration tests is evil. I’m being pragmatic here. For most applications your search is trivial (find me results for this keyword), and if you unit test your define_index block you’re pretty well covered. To go one step further you could unit test your controllers with an expect on the search method, or have a separate suite of non-transactional integration tests running against sphinx. I like the latter, but haven’t done it yet.

Enough talk! Here’s the magic you need to get it working with cucumber:

# features/steps/env.rb
require 'rr'
Cucumber::Rails::World.send(:include, RR::Adapters::RRMethods)

# features/steps/*_steps.rb
Given /a car with model '(\w+)' exists/ do |model|
  car = Car.create!(:model => model)
  stub(Car).search(model) { [car] }
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Hello! I am Dr. Matt Cline. I am a skilled and compassionate Orthodontic Specialist with extensive training and experience in traditional and cosmetic orthodontic methods.

When I built All-Star Orthodontics, my vision was to create a unique environment focusing not only on aligning teeth but building self-confidence in each of my patients. I have created a supportive and fun atmosphere that makes it enjoyable to have orthodontic treatment. I love to see confidence build in my patients as they watch their own smiles transform.

I received my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Richmond followed by Dental School at the University of Maryland, the top clinical dental school in the nation. Returning to Virginia, I was accepted into the General Practice Residency program at the prestigious University of Virginia where I served as Chief Resident. I practiced for several years as a General Dentist in Charlottesville. I was awarded Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry, an honor awarded to less than 10% of all Dentists, recognizing Dentists who are leaders, committed to continuing education, and who provide the highest quality of care to patients. My time as a General Dentist gave me the ability to diagnose and treat an array of dental issues that makes me a better Orthodontist today.

I attended a 3-year Specialty Residency in Orthodontics in New York City where I expanded upon my dental background gained high level expertise in the intricacies of jaw and teeth movement and alignment. As a licensed Orthodontist, I focus exclusively on diagnosing a treating malocclusions using braces, Invisalign / clear aligners and other orthodontic techniques and appliances.

I have been creating beautiful smiles on kids and adults in the Central VA region for many years. All-Star Orthodontics is my newest practice and offers the highest levels of patient care and customer service in a modern, inviting atmosphere. We treat patients of all ages, but are proud to specialize in treating children and teens. As a father of three myself, I love working with kids and have designed the office experience to make my younger patients excited about their smiles!


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Smilie Community Winterfest

December 8 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am EST

The Smilie Community Winterfest is on December 8, from 8-11. Join in for a delicious breakfast, crafts, many WONDERFULLY GENEROUS raffle prizes from area businesses, fun crafts, and a photo with Santa!

$20/family or $5/individual for breakfast. Crafts, FREE. Picture with Santa, FREE. Christmas shopping at our Holiday Market, by donation.
All donations will go toward Smilie Community Association to support the students at Smilie Memorial School.

December 8
8:00 am - 11:00 am
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Smilie Memorial School
2712 Theodore Roosevelt Hwy
Bolton, VT 05676 United States
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Emoji Planet Rizk Races

Is it hip to be square? You don’t have to know how to write with emojis to take part in our special Emoji Planet Rizk Races with double prizes, just keep your ? and aim for the top spots to get the big ?. The Captain has prepared three 1-hour races at 21:00 CEST three days in a row from 06/09/2017.

Just ?the competition and we promise that ?will be there for you unless he ?on the carpet again. Don’t forget that you can still level ☝ during races and get ? of Rizk rewards. Each race will reward the best players with the following cash prizes:

1st place €2,000
2nd place €500
3-4th place €100
5-10th place €50
11-20th place €20
21-30th place €10

Now when you know what to do, go conquer Emoji ?!


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July 6, 2018

“There was a spell, for the first 20 minutes or so, when it seemed Mexico might be able to trouble Brazil. Carlos Vela was getting the better of Fagner on the Brazil right and it felt that Mexico, as they had throughout the group stage, were struggling to convert decent positions into clear opportunities. But the longer the game went on, the more it became apparent that Brazil were comfortably holding Mexico at arm’s length. That first 20 minutes, though, perhaps offers Belgium the best hope there is.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Possession lost on the World Cup stage as defences learn to adapt

July 5, 2018

“No side, perhaps, is ever so much itself as when it is going out of the World Cup. When teams – or at least those with aspirations to the title – fail, they tend to fail in their own way, and become too much of themselves: self-parody is a perennial danger. And so Spain and Germany went out of the World Cup after anaemic performances in which they seemed to fetishise possession rather than it being a means to an end. That doesn’t mean juego de posicion football is over, as some of the more excitable voices on social media have claimed; it just means that two teams who played football infected by Pep Guardiola had bad tournaments. Sides who play post-Cruyffian football won the league in Spain, England and Germany, while Napoli came second in Serie A.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Manager Oscar Tabarez Wields His Influence to Mold, Adapt, Embody Uruguay

July 5, 2018

“Oscar Washington Tabarez is fascinated by history. Barely a press conference goes by in which he doesn’t, in one of his typically thoughtful answers, illustrate a point with an example from a previous World Cup. You wonder how that plays in the dressing room, in the modern world of celebrity footballers who, by reputation at least, care for nothing but their next fancy car or watch. But then you see Luis Suarez sitting next to him, gazing at his manager with rapt attention. If there were any doubt before that Tabarez is the greatest figure in post-War Uruguayan football history, it has surely gone now.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Uruguay is playing for you
“The knock came at four in morning on Sunday, April 15, 1984.  Dr. Vladimir Roslik of San Javier was informed by an officer of Uruguay’s 9th Cavalry Regiment that he was being arrested for questioning.  The next day Roslik’s wife was advised to collect her husband’s body from the Fray Bentos Hospital. Roslik, who attained his medical degree from Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow in 1969 was to be the last victim of Uruguay’s military dictatorship.” Africa is a Country

Neymar and Firmino take Brazil past Mexico and into World Cup last eight

July 2, 2018

“Beneath the fancy hair, the absurd solipsism and the antics of a latter-day Sun King, it is good to be reminded sometimes that Neymar is an exceptionally gifted footballer. It was his goal that broke the deadlock and if his influence on this game was far more positive than in any in the group stage, it was almost entirely because he played without that same furious determination to be the protagonist. But, of course, he is the same Neymar, the same diva who must always be the centre of attention. Just when everything seemed to be going well, just when it seemed there might be an argument he was growing into his role, he reacted ludicrously as Miguel Layún picked the ball from between his feet as he lay by the side of the pitch. Perhaps the Mexican midfielder did brush his ankle but the fourth official was roughly six inches away and saw nothing untoward, and neither did VAR.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson

Arrogant Germany Accepts Its Shocking, Deserved World Cup Elimination

June 27, 2018

“KAZAN, Russia – Against Sweden, when Toni Kroos whipped in his late winner, the general feeling was that this was what Germany does. This was what it has been so good at over the years. Always, somehow, finding the vital goal at the final moment. Always somehow, finding a way through. This is the essence of being a Turniermannschaft–a tournament team–that no matter how badly actually plays, it always prevails.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

World Cup 2018: Germany boss Joachim Low admits side deserved to go out
“Germany manager Joachim Low says his side deserved to go out of the World Cup after they crashed out in the group stage in ‘historic’ fashion. The defending champions finished bottom of Group F after losing 2-0 to South Korea, the first time Germany have gone out in the first round of a World Cup since 1938. ‘This is something for us to reckon with,’ Low said. ‘This is historic. I am sure this will create some public uproar in Germany.’ Sweden won the group with a 3-0 win over Mexico at the same time, which meant Germany needed to win their game in Kazan.” BBC (Video)

Germany Flamed Out In Spectacular, Historic Fashion
“Say goodbye to another defending World Cup champion: Germany, the team that won it all four years ago, is officially out of the 2018 tournament. Despite ultimately only needing a win over South Korea — the fourth-worst team in the field, according to our pre-tournament soccer power index ratings — to advance to the knockout round, the Germans were upended 2-0 on Wednesday in what was easily the biggest upset of the World Cup thus far. (Going into the match, our model only gave South Korea a 5 percent probability of winning.)” FiveThirtyEight

Germany’s approach was football suicide – I’ve never seen such an experienced side so exposed
“England fans will have allowed themselves a satisfied smile as Germany made a shock World Cup exit. Some of those celebrations will not be so quiet. Opportunities to laugh at German football’s expense are rare. Such triumphalism should be accompanied with a warning. Remember what happened the  last time a German team were eliminated in the group stages of  a major tournament? It was Euro 2000. A restructure by the German football federation brought the World Cup 14 years later, as well as a few final and semi-final appearances in between. What has been clear over the course of three poor performances is that another rebuild of the German team is needed.” Telegraph – Jamie Carragher

Germany Is Out of the World Cup. Let’s All Laugh at Die Mannschaft.
“For the first time since 1954, Germany will not be exiting the World Cup’s group stage. South Korea stunned the defending champions 2–0 on Wednesday, sending Die Mannschaft to the bottom of Group F and out of the tournament for good. As a once unstoppable juggernaut heads home, the rest of the soccer world struggles to find a word to describe the joy it is feeling at Germany’s expense. While other nations ebb and flow between ‘golden generations’ and talent draughts, Germany chugs along with infuriating consistency.” Slate

‘Over and out’: media reacts to Germany’s World Cup exit
“In Germany. Niedergeschlagenheit (noun, feminine): Despondency. German football fans, who had never seen their country fall at the first hurdle of a World Cup finals before, will recognise it as they pick up their papers on Thursday morning. Their team, the holders and one of the pre-tournament favourites, finished bottom of Group F after a 2-0 defeat to South Korea on Wednesday. Bild. Germany’s most popular newspaper is ‘speechless’ as it contrasts its front page from June 2014 – after the national team inflicted a 7-1 semi-final defeat on Brazil on its way to winning the World Cup – with its Thursday edition. The headline is the same. The story is not.” Guardian

From Elimination to Elation: Argentina Somehow Staves Off Early World Cup Exit

June 27, 2018

“It’s probably best not even to try to make sense of it. You have Lionel Messi in your side. You bring on Sergio Aguero to play alongside Gonzalo Higuain in front of him. You have taken off Angel Di Maria. You have just brought on Cristian Pavon. None of them look like scoring. Passes are misplaced. The shape has gone. Every attempt to advance, it seems, runs into a Nigerian wall. It’s the same story as against Iceland, as against Croatia. All of the ball, no penetration. And then the goal comes. You make all your plans, you squeeze in as many gifted forwards as you can, and somehow the vital 86th-minute winner is scored by Marcos Rojo turning up with no justification whatsoever to volley in a rare accurate cross from Gabriel Mercado. With his wrong foot.” SI – Jonathan Wilson

Argentina Takes Its Bad Self to the Knockout Round
“With time running out and his team on the brink of group-stage elimination, everyone in the world knew there was only one man Argentina could count on to find the winner against Nigeria. Yes, Marcos Rojo, the versatile defender who made nine Premier League appearances for Manchester United this season. Scorer of four goals in the last four years for club and country. Perhaps the last person you might expect to save his country by scoring a late goal, other than Argentina forward and chronic international choker Gonzalo Higuain. Rojo’s claim, made in an interview after the game, that he told his teammates he was going to score is either a sign of a healthy, functioning ego or grounds for a psychiatric evaluation, even considering that one of those four goals in the last four years was the winner against Nigeria in the 2014 World Cup.” Slate

Argentina Survived the Group Stage. But How Far Can Messi Carry Them?
“On a team with Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín, and Ángel Di María, few would have predicted that Marcos Rojo — yes, that Marcos Rojo; the one who scored just one goal in four seasons with Manchester United — would be the hero who put Argentina ahead of Nigeria and into the knockout stages.” The Ringer

Shambolic, frenzied, anarchic – and Argentina crisis has Messi at its heart

June 22, 2018

“It was in 1913 that Racing became the first non-Anglo side to win the Argentinian league title. For much of the century that has followed, Argentinian football has defined itself in opposition to the English, distancing itself from its British heritage. And yet, under pressure, in their frenzied desperation on Thursday, Argentina resembled nobody so much as England. This was shambolic. Too many players tried to do too much themselves. There was altogether too much running, too much frenzy, too many fouls conceded as they desperately tried to regain possession, too little thought. By the end, as Ivan Rakitic casually rolled in a sarcastic third for Croatia, Argentina were gone, any semblance of defensive structure blown to the winds.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson (Video)

World Cup 2018: Jorge Sampaoli’s approach was an utter disaster that rendered Lionel Messi useless
“There was always a danger Argentina might flop at World Cup 2018, but it shouldn’t have been this pitiful. If Argentina were going to go down, they were going to go down fighting, with coach Jorge Sampaoli a noted advocate of aggressive pressing, attacking football and quick combination play. If those tactics exposed them defensively, it was a risk Sampaoli was willing to take. But the approach Sampaoli stumbled upon somehow provided all the drawbacks without any notable positives. Argentina didn’t press high, they didn’t attack relentlessly, and it’s difficult to recall any passing moves worth mentioning, yet they were still hopelessly open defensively, conceding space on the outside of their three-man defence readily. Only poor Croatian finishing prevented them from taking the lead earlier.” Independent – Michael Cox

Mentally and emotionally burned out, Lionel Messi crumbles under the burden of carrying Argentina at the World Cup
“By the time a humiliated Argentina emerged from the dressing room in Nizhny Novgorod, it was late – in so many ways. A stony-faced Lionel Messi at least led the way here, but this time with ample support as the entire squad followed tightly behind…and right on through the mixed zone without stopping once. Argentina were at last singing from the same hymn sheet in this World Cup by not saying anything all.” Independent

As fighters, as entertainers, as a team, this Argentina project has failed
“On 21 June 1978 Argentina’s World Cup defeat of Peru went down in history as one of the most controversial games ever. The goalfest and intelligent football that unfolded on that cold night in Rosario, as the wonderful Mario Kempes found his feet on his home turf of yesteryear, were eclipsed by allegations which kept conspiracy theorists and investigative journalists busy for years. Argentina, aware they needed to win by at least four goals to progress in their home tournament, triumphed 6-0 amid rumours that an exchange of grain between the countries had been brokered in the dressing room. They went on to lift the trophy.” Guardian (Video)


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Once more with feeling!

Suffice it to say, a lot has happened in the six months since my last post. The summer came and went (sadly, it’s my favorite season) complete with five weddings, a visit from our dear friends Samantha and Michael, my 15 year friendiversary trip with one of my besties, Tessa, to Steamboat Springs, and an amazing mini vacay to Lewes, Delaware with my sister and parents.  The fall allowed me the opportunity to present at a national conference, and also brought with it an amazing new job – my dream job!  And finally, this winter began with an intensifying training schedule for, yup, you guessed it, another marathon!  I have heard you get addicted, and I think I just might be.

Colorado continues to be one of my favorite places to explore – there is so much to see!
Lewes, Delaware is such a hidden gem along the east coast, and a Labor Day Weekend family tradition!

Over the summer, Samantha introduced me to some amazing workout classes I had been

Cannot wait to see this lady in two weeks’ time!

too chicken to try before, barre and spin. During her visit and in the midst of our frenzy of fitness, she and I, along with our hubbies, decided to sign up for the Surf City Marathon and Half Marathon. Samantha and my hubby will be running the half, and her hubby and I will be running the full (because we be cray).  We spent a day scouring the interwebs for the right race-cation. After all, we had to find something to rival the Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon experience in November 2014. We narrowed it down to two races, the Napa Valley Marathon and the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, California. I guess palm trees, sea level and Pacific Ocean views won out over wine (also, the Napa Valley Marathon doesn’t allow for earbuds, which would be incredibly tough over 26.2 miles).  So here we are, a mere 16 days until the Marathon, and I am seriously excited.

My training plan had a few hiccoughs early on, including a few colds, and recently has been plagued with snow storms, but thankfully last weekend’s 20 miles felt amazing. I sprinkled the fall and early winter with local races to keep me motivated, including the Hot Chocolate 15k, the Denver Rock ‘N’ Roll Half Marathon, the Esprit de She 10k, the Pumpkin Pie 10k, the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, the Colder Bolder 5k, the Resolve 5k.  In some ways, it’s all downhill from here, especially considering the race is at sea level.

Again I made sure to incorporate strength training with running, and also incorporated some spin classes in my schedule.  This time, I gave myself over five months to prepare, both mentally and physically.  I hadn’t reduced my running all that much during the summer, so it wasn’t too much of a transition into the next training schedule. Below are the miles for my first 20 weeks of training.  Just a few weeks left before the big day – I cannot wait!

Date (Monday) WEEK Total Miles
8/29/2016 1 23.24
9/5/2016 2 12.74
9/12/2016 3 6.24
9/19/2016 4 12.05
9/26/2016 5 24.88
10/3/2016 6 18.82
10/10/2016 7 21.62
10/17/2016 8 15.61
10/24/2016 9 22.83
10/31/2016 10 18.51
11/7/2016 11 27.6
11/14/2016 12 27.67
11/21/2016 13 15.96
11/28/2016 14 18.83
12/5/2016 15 28.9
12/12/2016 16 6.28
12/19/2016 17 31.98
12/26/2016 18 28.46
1/2/2017 19 32.75
1/9/2017 20 33.31

Chocolate Made Me Do It: Denver Hot Chocolate 15K

Given that it is the fall semester on a college campus, I should not be surprised that I am finally recovered from an epic early cold season amalgamation of viruses.  After returning from the UK I came down with a nasty cold, but the following week assumed I was on the mend… until Sunday rolled around.  Last week I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed some terribly effective medication, but it all definitely threw a wrench in my fall training plan.  However, months ago I had signed up for the Denver Hot Chocolate 15K, and knowing how great this race was last year, I couldn’t pass it up.

Saturday I decided to try a medium run, so I headed out on Saturday afternoon for a solid 5 miles.  Having not partook in any physical activity for a week, I knew it’d be tough.  Unlike how I usually feel (body is great, lungs would appreciate more air in this mile high city), my legs were a bit shaky, but I could thankfully breath.  I kept a 10:25 pace, and was satisfied at the end of my five miles.  I did a few extra lunges, squats and leg lifts for good measure, and prayed that the 9.3 miles the next day wouldn’t kick my butt too badly.  Thankfully I had already visited the pre-race expo at the National Western Complex Center earlier in the day, getting my bib, AWESOME goodie bag, and some other paraphernalia from the vendors on site, like Skirt Sports, Lara Bars, and Sweaty Bands.

The Hot Chocolate race series hosts races in cities throughout the country, and I was so excited that Denver was one of those cities.  I woke early Sunday morning so as to make it to Civic Center Park (the park by the capitol building in downtown Denver) by 6:40am.  I parked at 6:30 at the Colorado History Museum and walked the two blocks to the event area.  Tents lined the parks, housing merchandise, hot chocolate (courtesy of Ronald McDonald House), bag drop-off, and the post-race chocolate bar.  A number of people arrived early, as the 5K started at 7:00am.  The 5K and 15K had separate starting times, but I found it odd that the 15K did not go first.  My only assumption was that this was designed so as not to disperse the 15K medals to 5K finishers if the two groups converged at the finish line.

Although the 15K didn’t begin until 7:50am, I arrived early so as to meet up with my local sorority sisters participating in the race.  Our sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, works closely with the Ronald McDonald House charities given it is our national philanthropy.  Knowing this race supports Ronald McDonald House charities, our group decided to make this a local alumnae event, garnering more attention and attendance.  In order to get the obligatory photo-op (let’s be honest, it’s what sororities love to do), we had to meet before the 5K race started.

We sorority girls can't resist a photo-op! Throwing diamonds! <>
We sorority girls can’t resist a photo-op! Throwing diamonds! <>
Gotta love the marshmallow man!
Gotta love the marshmallow man!

After our photo, my fellow sisters, Christie and Carrie and I waited for our start time by huddling in the merchandise tent.  It was cool, but thankfully not cold that morning, and absolutely ideal running weather.  We finally made our way to the starting line.  Christie was in corral H, Carrie in I, and I was in J.  Carrie and Christie decided to start together, but I took my place back in J, waiting for the race to start.

The race was much bigger than I expected, about 8,000 people total registered for either of the races.  Thankfully, after we crossed the starting line, I didn’t have to weave through people as much like I would for most of the larger races.  Very few people stopped to walk, and nearly everyone was considerate about their spacing and not blocking people.

Beautiful morning to run a 15K!
Beautiful morning to run a 15K!
Game faces people!
Game faces people!

We snaked our way through a good portion of the city, first heading out on 15th Street, past the CU Denver Business School (which made me happy, go Lynx!), then made our way northeast for about two miles on Walnut Street.  At this point we’d already had a chocolate (not necessarily a good idea this early in the race), water and sports drink station with amazing, friendly and enthusiastic volunteers.  Around this time I caught up with Christie and Carrie and we ran together for a bit.  After we passed the 5K mark, we were heading in the opposite direction on Larimer Street.  Another water station was available shortly afterwards, and one of my colleagues was volunteering!  At this point I separated from Christie and Carrie and kept running.  The course eventually took us left onto 20th Street, which veered into 20th Avenue.  Then I realized where we were… the dreaded hilly section.

The course took us through some fun parts of the city, and was never boring.
The course took us through some fun parts of the city, and was never boring.

Christie and Carrie ran this race last year together, and warned me in advance that the second half of the race was significantly hillier.  Thankfully the first half of the race was practically flat and primarily snaked through both business and industry sectors of the city.  The second half on the race made its way through residential areas of the city, with lovely quiet tree-lined streets, that also happened to incorporate a lot of hills.  The run from just before mile 5 to mile 6 was probably the toughest part, given it was one of those hills that never seemed to end.  Once we made it to the 10K mark, however, the course leveled a bit and the hills afterwards we more manageable.  The course dipped downward first as we headed towards mile 8 and again towards mile 9, which provided great opportunities to gain time and regain oxygen.

Along the course volunteers not only passed out water, Gatorade and chocolate, but also marshmallows (both regular and strawberry flavored), tootsie rolls, and random other themed snacks.  I didn’t partake simply because chewing a sticky marshmallow or tootsie roll while running did not seem at all appealing, and I was desperately looking forward to my hot chocolate and chocolate fondue at the end.

As we finally made it to mile 9, the next .3 miles seemed to stretch on forever along the fairly flat and wide Broadway.  Thankfully kids with incredibly clever signs (“Is your butt hurting?  It’s because you’re kicking ass!” “Keep running so the zombies don’t get you!” “Are you really doing this just for chocolate?”), and a local high-five giving priest (who also added in a “God bless you” as you ran past) were there to motivate the runners to the end.  When we finally reached the finish line, I realized again why I love races so much.  That accomplishment as you pass through is such an incredible feat, regardless of time.  More volunteers were ready with water bottles and the adorable 15K finisher medals, congratulating us on a great race.  I finished in 1:37:31, not my best time, but better than I had expected post-plague.

Victorious ending to a great race!

The fantastic chocolate bar medal - LOVE!
The fantastic chocolate bar medal – LOVE!

While I was en route, I passed an adorable couple who were running the race together.  It sounded like it was the wife’s first race and she kept looking ahead at all the runners around her, worried they weren’t going fast enough.  The husband grabbed her hand and said simply, “Don’t look ahead at those other people, don’t even think about them.  This race is about you, about accomplishing it for yourself, about beating your own time and proving it to yourself.”  And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I run: for me.

After the race, I met up with Karen (from the Esprit de She race) and waited for Christie and Carrie to finish.  We went to the

Christie and Carrie couldn't decide which was better: medals or chocolate mug?
Christie and Carrie couldn’t decide which was better: medals or chocolate mug?

post-race party area and collected our finisher mugs complete with chocolate fondue, marshmallow, pretzels, graham crackers, rice krispie treat, banana and hot chocolate.  AH-MAZING.  Best post-race treat ever.  I may have kept the mugs to replicate this idea later…

Chocolate makes me giddy!
Chocolate makes me giddy!
Totally worth the wait.
Totally worth the wait.

Given we had run 9.3 miles that morning we were well on our way to hungry, so we tried to meet up with some of the 5K ADPi runners at Snooze on Larimer, but they weren’t able to seat us, so instead we made our way to Sam’s Number 3 on 15th street.  We waited about 35-40 minutes, but it was worth it.  Where else can you get a burrito the size of your face, a side of bacon, coffee, and chocolate milk for $14?  And it was delicious to boot.

Burrito the size of my face. I could only eat half, but so worth it.
Burrito the size of my face. I could only eat half, but so worth it.

This is a race I would do every year, not just for the amazing swag (check out the incredible zip-up we got!  I may have also

The zip up is awesome, much better than most race gear!
The zip up is awesome, much better than most race gear!

purchased a neon yellow zip-up and purple ear warmer because all the merchandise was just too cute!) and post-race goodies, but for its contribution towards Ronald McDonald House charities.  The race takes place in 15 cities across the nation – I recommend it if you can find one close!

Would you run for chocolate?  Have you ever participated in a Hot Chocolate Run?  Know of any other sweet-incentive races out there?