Things To Do In SW Florida

SpaceX was aiming to send up the second of two Starlink launches from the Space Coast on Sunday morning, but scrubbed the attempt with less than a minute on the countdown clock.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 of the company’s internet satellites was targeting a 10:59 a.m. liftoff from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A at the end of a four-hour launch window.

Weather was clear and the SpaceX launch director gave the go for launch, but that was immediately followed by an abort callout with 46 seconds before liftoff.

SpaceX said in an update after the scrub that the vehicle and payload were in good health, and it would try again during a four-hour window that opens Monday at 6:37 a.m.

The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 17th flight and will attempt a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic.

Falcon 9 delivers 21 @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from pad 40 in Florida pic.twitter.com/E5SANHcZZh

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 10, 2024 read more

It’s official: A villains land is being built at Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney Co. confirmed Saturday night.

“This land will be home to the villains that you know and those that you loathe, which means ‘happily ever after’ … it may feel like just a distant dream,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, which include the company’s theme parks and Disney Cruise Line.

The announcement by D’Amaro was one of a slew of expansion plans at Disney parks worldwide revealed at a D23 fan club event in Anaheim, California. Among the developments: A “Monsters, Inc.” land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the first animatronic of Walt Disney himself and even more cruise ships.

The villains area is “going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be,” he said near the end of the presentation, which lasted more than two hours and 45 minutes.

This bad-guy expansion land will feature two new attractions, which were not described Saturday evening, as well as dining and shopping, he said, without specifying where the villains area would be located. No timeframe for the villains construction was announced. read more

Disney Cruise Line isn’t slowing down on its ship expansion plans ordering up four new vessels in a new class with the first arriving in 2027.

Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro made the announcement at this year’s D23 expo held in California on Saturday along with news that a Broadway-style play based on “Hercules” was coming to Disney Destiny when it debuts out of Port Everglades next year, and teasing the largest puppet ever to take the stage on a DCL ship for Disney Treasure’s new “Moana” show later this year.

The fleet expansion means DCL will grow to 13 ships by 2031, with all of the ships to be constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The fleet currently stands at five ships with the original Disney Magic and Wonder that debuted in 1998 and 1999, followed by Disney Dream and Fantasy in 2011 and 2012 and then the first of the most recent class of ship, Disney Wish, which debuted out of Port Canaveral in 2022.

Next up is this year’s Disney Treasure, also coming to Port Canaveral, and then both the Singapore-bound Disney Adventure and Florida-bound Disney Destiny in 2025, which is the third Wish-class sister ship. A fourth Wish-class vessel will sail out of Japan starting in 2029 in a partnership with the Oriental Land Co. that runs Disney’s Japanese theme parks. read more

Jim Rossman | Tribune News Service (TNS)

I love to drive, which is good, because I get a lot of opportunities to review gadgets for drivers.

This week I’m looking at a handful of useful things to make your drive safer or more comfortable.

You’ll notice I have included two air inflators. I like them both and they each have their advantages. Pricing included is retail price, but you may find them cheaper.

Dr Well Laxon DR-6000 Vehicle Air Massage Seat

As I get older, a comfortable place to sit is becoming more important. I love driving long distances, but my hips and back start to get sore after about 90 minutes in my driver’s seat.

The Laxon DR-6000 Vehicle Air Massage Seat ($399.99, Laxon.us or Amazon.com) is designed to sit on top of your seat. It straps to the headrest and around the back of the seat.

The DR-6000 uses a small air compressor to quickly fill air chambers strategically placed on the back and bottom of the seat. There are different massage modes that provide differing levels of massage. I’m a big guy, so I liked the more aggressive settings. read more

Lezanne Winshaw | Bankrate.com (TNS)

Pet owners want the best for their furry friends, which often involves making decisions about their health care. One common dilemma is whether to invest in pet insurance or a pet wellness plan. In many cases, pet owners may want both.

Both pet insurance and wellness plans offer ways to manage your pet’s health expenses, but they serve different purposes. Understanding these differences will ensure you choose the right option for your pet’s needs.

What pet insurance is and how it works

Pet insurance is a financial product designed to cover unexpected veterinary costs that arise from accidents, illnesses and other unforeseen health issues. Like human health insurance, it provides a financial safety net for high-cost medical expenses.

How pet insurance works

Pet insurance policies typically involve paying a monthly premium in exchange for coverage of various medical expenses.

When your pet requires veterinary care, you pay the bill upfront and then submit a claim to the insurance company for reimbursement. The reimbursement amount depends on your policy’s coverage details, such as deductibles, copays and coverage limits. read more