velocityconf: @tsantero @garethr No, there's just a lot that goes into producing #velocityconf. Plus the chairs are getting ready for Santa Clara + NY! :)

velocityconf: If you don't understand your ppl, you don't understand #Ops http://t.co/DQTBLJlWza New #velocityconf interview w/ @katemats

velocityconf: RT @suzaxtell: #WomeninTech You're invited to a women's meetup on Tues May 28 in SF w/ @courtneynash @mjawili, more http://t.co/MsMZ0IK8L2

velocityconf: RT @oreillyanimals Vote Instant Wild's Digital Eyes & Ears for Wildlife Protection to win Google Global Impact Award http://t.co/Z0EetiQshZ

velocityconf: Who's up for a 5 minute lightning talk. Last day to get your #Ignite proposal in for #velocityconf CA. http://t.co/pzL0WJtQH5

velocityconf: RT @courtneynash: Bill Scott's #fluentconf keynote theme also rings true re #velocityconf: tech change is really about people/culture change

velocityconf: S Bay Area #WomeninTech (+ allies!) pls come to the #VelocityConf women's communities meetup on 6/19 http://t.co/xSY7jcyPXV

Seventeen more Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded in the country, bringing the number to 178, while the biggest one-day spike in new cases hit 663.

The body of an elderly woman, who died of Covid-19, has been lying at a funeral parlour since Monday because her family, who are in another province, cannot get the necessary documents from closed Home Affairs branches in order to travel.

South African born stuntwoman, Olivia Jackson, who was injured in a horrific accident on the set of 'Resident Evil' in 2015 has won a legal case against the company involved in the film.

Can you tell who’s who? No, nor can we.

'Little Women: Atlanta' star, Ashley Ross, has died after sustaining injuries in a car accident.

On 4 May, 2020 Minister Nathi Mthethwa hosted a briefing, updating the public on the Department of Sports, Arts and Cultures Corona relief funds, and the received applications.

South Africa's film and TV industry got the green-light to reopen but as cameras start rolling and lights flicker back on it won't be business as usual.

'Isibaya' actress Asavela Mngqithi announced that she is pregnant on Instagram.

Little Richard, whose outrageous showmanship and lightning-fast rhythms intoxicated crowds in the 1950s with hits like 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Long Tall Sally', has died.

An alleged robber, who was wounded while his two suspected accomplices were killed in a shootout with police, has been arrested.

Netcare St Augustine's and Netcare Kingsway hospitals have been given the green light to reopen.

South Africa's net death rate has decreased amid the Covid-19 pandemic over the past five weeks, despite the 186 deaths thus far, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says.

Cosatu in the Western Cape says that it is deeply concerned over the "alarming rate on increase" in Covid-19 infections in the province.

The author made sense in both the argument put forth as well as in accurately describing the actual policing festive season operations on the ground in the bustling and busy city centre of Durban.

Make no mistake, the ratings agencies are scratching their heads on whether to downgrade us to junk status or to skip directly to leaking styrofoam cup status.

Daily, social media is flooded with requests for funding by non-NSFAS students on the brink of financial exclusion at tertiary institutions, because they're unable to raise the money needed to cover historical debt so that they can continue with their studies.

With the working class resorting to online vouchers for groceries and the poor eating less bread than before, is it not impractical for the president to expect ordinary citizens to tighten their belts when MPs, Ministers and government officials' well-fed bellies belie the trouble the economy is in?

South Africans would do well to verify information which they receive through social media channels, and avoid re-posting or forwarding information which they have not properly verified.

If you’re an entrepreneur nurturing your own company to a full-blown success, you are always looking for insights and ideas to take your business to the next level, right? But you’re probably super busy as well, and don’t always have the time to figure out where you should be looking for those insights.

From smartphone-operated elevators to contactless coffee machines, businesses are trying to eliminate major touchpoints to help deter coronavirus spread in the workplace.

Joe d'Eon, Airline Pilot and host of "Fly With Me"

Authors of "Europe From a Backpack"

America's National Parks

The Amateur Traveler talks to Carole Terwilliger Meyers the author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco and Northern California. Carole comes on the show to talk about California’s traditional wine country of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. This episode focuses primarily on the Napa Valley and the many wineries that can be found there. We explore recreated castles, wine tasting , tours as well as other none wine related sites like mud baths, petrified forests, and the CIA (The Culinary Institute). We talk about restaurants and hotels, picnics and the wine train. Whether you are a connoisseur, a foodie or just a tourist, the Napa Valley has much to offer.

Chris, the Amateur Traveler himself, talks about a recent trip to New Zealand’s North Island where he went to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and took a dolphin watching cruise up by the Bay of Islands. He visited the Coromandel Peninsula with Cathedral Cove and Hot Water beach, toured but can’t talk about Hobbiton near Matamata, climbed Mt Maunganui, saw (and smelled) the geysers and baths at Rotorua, journeyed south to the Capital at Wellington, visited a ski area on a volcano and rafted the caves of Waitaomo.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Brook about her recent trip to Xi’an China. Xi’an is the capital of the Shaanxi province of China and is perhaps best known for the Terracotta Army of Chinese emperor Liu Bang, but what Brook and her husband discovered was a city that warrants more time to explore. Xi’an has a wonderfully rich history as the Chinese terminus of the famous Silk Road trading route. This link to the middle creates a Muslim influence still obvious in the mosques and markets of the city. The city is also still surrounded by its ancient wall which provides a great place for biking around its nearly 12km distance. Brook tells some of the story behind the Wild Goose Pagoda. She also dubs Xi’an the dumpling capital.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Ben Dixon about biking the route of the Camino di Santiago in northern Spain. The Camino di Santiago is a an ancient pilgrim trail that runs across northern Spain from the border with France to Santiago di Compostella. The cathedral in Santiago di Compostella reputedly holds the remains of St. James. Modern day pilgrims are sometimes drawn by faith and sometimes just drawn by the journey itself to trek for a month across the varied landscapes of northern Spain. As an American, Ben did not have a month of vacation but rather than be one of those pilgrims who only traverses the very end of the trail he chose to take on the pilgrim route on a bicycle. Along the way he stayed in the hostels that house the many pilgrims where he met people who had been walking from far beyond the border with France. Through countryside, cities and picturesque towns he rode in both sunshine and driving rain, but the highlight of the trip might not be what you think.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Guillebeau from the Art of Non-Conformity about his years volunteering in West Africa with the NGO (non-governmental organization) Mercy Ships. Chris and his wife volunteered with this organization in Sierra Leone and Liberia which gave them a very different view of West Africa. For those not familiar with Mercy Ships, they provide medical services in under-served areas of the world from their floating hospital ships. Chris was in Sierra Leone shortly after the end of its costly civil war. This episode is not about travel to lie on the beach and work on your tan (although Chris does recommend bringing your sunscreen) but about life changing travel. And no, Chris is not a doctor.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Zoë Dawes from TheQuirkyTraveler.com about England’s Lake District. This beautiful pastoral area was made famous by the poets and artists in the romantic period, most notably William Wordsworth. Not far from industrial Manchester, the lake district is still a refuge for hikers and and other tourists tucked away in northern England. Zoë describes some of her favorite hikes like the coffin trail along the shores of Lake Windermere and favorite villages like Ambleside.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere.com about his recent trip to the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands are tropical volcanic islands that are part of Spain but are located off the coast of Northwestern Africa.They are not named after birds.

    The first thing that struck me when I got off the plane was how much the weather was like Hawaii and I have heard a lot of people call it Europe's Hawaii. It is a part of Spain. There are two provinces that constitute the Canary Islands. One with its capital on Grand Canaria Island and the other on the island of Tenerife. Columbus's last stop over was in the Canary Islands. Each of the islands, and there are 7 main islands, have a very different character.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Erik Smith about his month long visit to New Zealand. We focus in this interview about the South Island of New Zealand. Erick started in Christchurch and then visited The Banks Penninsula, Lake Tekapo, the Dunedin, the Otago Peninsula, the Southern Scenic Route including the Catlins, Fiordland National Park (including cruising both Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound) Queenstown, the rainy west coast, Abel Tasman National Park, Kaikoura, and Picton.

Hear about travel to the Silk Road in China's Gansu Province as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Lee Moore from Silk Road Hitchhikers about his trip to this historic and remote part of China.

Hear about all of Canada's UNESCO World Heritage Sites as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere.com about traveling to all 17 sites. Some sites like Old Québec are easy to reach and others like Wood Buffalo and Nahanni National Parks (the last two that Gary visited) are quite remote.

Hear about travel to Namibia's Skeleton Coast as the Amateur Traveler talks again to Susan Portnoy of theinsatiabletraveler.com about her trip to this memorable reagion of Africa. Namibia is the size of France and Great Britain combined but with only 2 million people.

Hear about hiking Japan's Nakasendo Trail as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dave Grenewetzki about his experiences on this trip into the Japanese countryside between Kyoto and Tokyo.

Hear about travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the UP)  as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Schuitema from Grand Rapids Michigan about travel to the northern remote part of the Great Lake State.

A special live episode of the Amateur Traveler with three guests, Aaron Saunders, Jonathan Souza and Mary Quincy talking about the recent VikingSocial, Viking River Cruise on the Douro River in Portugal.

Hear about travel to the National Parks in Utah as the Amateur Traveler talks to Scot and Emily McKay from wingitworldwide.com about their travels in the Beehive State.

Hear about travel to the German state of Baden-Württemberg as the Amateur Traveler, Chris Christensen, talks about his recent press trip there to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the bicycle. 

Hear about a western Mediterranean cruise to Spain, Gibraltar, France, Monaco and Italy on Holland America's Westerdam where I just attended a press trip.

Hear about things to do in the Hudson Valley in New York  as the Amateur Traveler talks to Adrien Behn from the Stranger's Abroad Podcast about this beautiful region where she grew up.