Things To Do In SW Florida

Jim Saksa | (TNS) CQ-Roll Call

Politics, it is said, is the art and science of persuasion. A politician gathers power by convincing people — but needs to get their attention first. And who better to give advice on that than those pied pipers of the internet: influencers?

That was partly why a crowd of Capitol Hill communicators gathered last Friday to hear from the likes of V Spehar and Maria Comstock, who have millions of followers on TikTok.

The other reason: networking. Hosted by the Democratic Digital Communications Staff Association, it was the group’s first in-person conference since 2019. Sessions at “Digital Day 2024” ranged from a crash course on “mastering short-form video” to tips on how to get the most out of a lawmaker’s franking privileges.

While current or former Hill staffers led most of the panels, the group also invited a few certifiable social media stars to share their secrets, including Comstock, who uses her channel to interview her dad and other self-described retired spies. And the keynote speaker was Spehar, who earned 3.1 million followers by posting short videos recounting the day’s news from underneath a desk (and from a progressive perspective). read more

Three Central Florida restaurants shut down the week of July 8-14, according to data from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Orange

Habanero’s Mexican Grill at 12185 Collegiate Way in Orlando shut down on July 9. The restaurant had 13 violations, two of which were a high priority for roach activity and cold food held at the wrong temperatures. Officials conducted a second visit on July 10. The restaurant complied with the emergency order.

Robinson’s Restaurant at 301 W. Main St. in Apopka shut down on July 9. The restaurant had 14 violations, three of which were a high priority for rodent activity, food held at the wrong temperatures and an improperly stored toxic substance. Officials revisited the restaurant on July 10. They found three violations but none were a high priority. It met inspection standards.

NY Bagel And Deli at 5001 Gateway Ave. in Orlando shut down on July 12. Inspectors found 12 violations, six of which were a high priority. Those violations included washing with a sanitizer that wasn’t at the appropriate strength, roach activity and a stop-sale on food due to temperature abuse. A second inspection took place on July 17. Officials found nine violations, three of which were a high priority. Authorities offered a time extension on those high priorities. The restaurant met inspection standards. read more

Universal Orlando is introducing a Florida-resident ticket offer that allows repeated entry to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios theme parks through Dec. 18. Its price is $199.

Buyers can move between the two parks freely with this ticket, which is dubbed the Florida Unlimited Days Ticket.

These tickets will include the parks’ holidays celebrations (Grinchmas, parade and more), which begin Nov. 22.

Universal Studios park recently has added the Mega Movie Parade and “CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular” nighttime show with drones, prancing fountains, projections and pyrotechnics. It also opened DreamWorks Land, a retheming and enhancement of its former KidZone area using characters from “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and other animated films. A new projection show called “Hogwarts Forever” is playing now at IOA.

First ride: SeaWorld’s Penguin Trek coaster has smooth moves

The ticket does not include after-hours events such as Halloween Horror Nights, parking or merchandise discounts. There is not an option that includes Universal’s Volcano Bay water park. read more

Theme park visitors reported dizziness, lost consciousness and chest pain on attractions between April and June, according to a state document released Thursday.

Eleven incidents were recorded at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, including four at Central Florida’s water parks.

Under an agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees ride regulations, the state’s major theme parks self-report guest injuries on rides that require 24 hours of hospitalization or more. The state presents those results to the public quarterly.

In April, a 60-year-old male complained of chest pain after leaving Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, a dark ride at Magic Kingdom. In May, a 76-year-old man felt faint after riding Tron Lightcycle / Run, a roller coaster at that park. A 39-year-old woman reported disorientation while exiting Space Mountain, another Magic Kingdom coaster, in May.

In June, a 42-year-old woman at Epcot reported back pain after exiting Frozen Ever After, a log-flume dark ride, and a 69-year-old man experienced dizziness on Minnie & Mickey’s Runaway Railroad, a dark ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. read more

By Sara Rathner | NerdWallet

The year is 2034. Gen Z, now ages 22 to 37, is enjoying its waning years of cultural relevance before brands focus their marketing on Generation Alpha. We still don’t have jetpacks.

But what we will still have are credit cards — only they might not resemble the ones we use now. After all, a decade or two makes a lot of difference when it comes to payment technology. Within the past 15 years or so, we’ve witnessed the rise of digital wallets. At the same time, physical credit cards evolved from having magnetic stripes to EMV chips to contactless tap-to-pay capabilities. Financial technology companies continue to threaten the dominance traditional banks enjoyed for, in some cases, more than 200 years.

“There’s been a lot of good progress, but there’s still substantially more that can be done,” says Brian Muse-McKenney, chief revenue officer of E6, a financial infrastructure provider.

Here are some ways credit cards are evolving for the next generation. read more