Though the concept is not new, the push to enroll affiliates in the Net Audio Ads program is a current internet trend. I did sign up for the program. I will be up front about that. I plan on testing it on one of my medium traffic websites to see how I feel about the ads and the monetary results. I have come across several reputable websites using the ads and I have to admit they are impressively unobtrusive.

If you are looking for a way to monetize your website, blog, or social networking page, think about giving over some time to investigate the use of audio ads. You add a bit of code to each page where you want the ads to appear and a short 5-second audio clip then pays up on page load. Instead of only getting paid if a customer clicks on an ad or performs an action, you get paid for 100% of your traffic.

The rush people are in to get signed up is because there is an affiliate program that is open for all who sign up through February 1. After that, you can still enroll in the program and host the ads. Since I am already signed up, I am by default part of the affiliate program. I’m not pushing for sign ups yet, but if the program turns out to be a big money maker, I will certainly shout it from the rooftops, so to speak.

What a roller coaster it has been in Florida lately when it comes to Allstate Insurance. First, the Florida insurance commissioner banned Allstate from selling new auto insurance policies in the state after the insurance company refused to turn over documents the state had requested. Then, a judge overturned that decision, allowing the arrogant company to go ahead cherry picking policies.

And now more of the details are coming to light. It seems some of those documents the state requested and Allstate does not want to reveal are called McKinsey documents, so called because they were drafted in the early 1990s by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Supposedly, they prove that Allstate has been purposefully low-balling claims offers to its customers for years, and earning billions of dollars in the process.

Florida now is demanding the documents from Allstate and other insurers in an investigation of the companies’ business practices. Word is that the insurance companies are working together in the way they handle claims and let’s just say it is never in the best interest of the customers.

Allegedly, the documents outline the concept of the Allstate strategy called the “fast-track” settlement offer. Using this strategy, Allstate would offer insurance claimants a very low offer during the first 90 days after an auto accident, because typically it is within the first 90 days that people are the most in need of money and likely to accept a low-ball offer.

Sneaky, huh? That is just one of many ways outlined in the document that would make it so customers are paying for coverage they would never actually get. Allstate says the reason they do not want people to see the document is that it contains trade secrets. What do you want to bet they just don’t want the public tp see how they methodically cheat people?

Interestingly, McKinsey & Co. also developed other documents for Allstate involving homeowners insurance. It bears asking, what else is Allstate trying to hide from us?

It amazes me how much money insurance companies spend in trying to figure out ways around actually paying out claims to their loyal customers. Allstate is not the only company cheating their customers. Common sense tells you this.

Traveling with pets can be a big production. I’ve only flown with a pet once and that was when I flew my cat down to Florida from up North so she could live with my mom. My mom had been sick and asked if she could have Chloe, since Chloe is one of those cats who comes when you call her and stays in your lap. She is a great comfort. For whatever reason, back when I flew with her I was not given the option of having her in a carrier under my seat. She had to travel in with the luggage and that was pretty traumatic for her, but she came through just fine.

Otherwise, I have always taken my pets from place to place in my cars. When I moved to Florida, I drive down with my dog Echo. She got so hot that she spent a lot of the ride laying in one of the potted plants I had on the floor in the back. It was pretty cute. She was no trouble, but I had to go to great lengths to find hotels that would allow me to have Echo in the room with me. I wish there had been a site like OfficialPetHotels.com back then! I had a terrible time calling around to locate pet friendly hotels and it would have rocked to be able to use one website to do a simple search.

Besides those two big trips to Florida, I have only taken my dogs on short trips and due to having two dogs at one point, one of which was a huge Greyhound, I got a minivan where I could take out the last row of seats and gave them a massive play to lay in and stretch and be comfortable.

By the way, this has been a rather cathartic post to write. Echo passed away last August and Angel, the Greyhound, is gone as well. Traveling with those girls was a good experience overall and I miss them dearly. I would not have left them behind for the entire world. It’s worth the extra preparation to travel with your pets.

Just like some things in Florida are bigger, like the mosquitoes, lemons, and star fruit; some things in Florida are smaller. In particular, our deer are tiny, especially compared to the typical northern White Tail deer I used to see up in Virginia.

We have a type of deer down here called Key Deer and they are almost exclusively found, not surprisingly, in the Keys. I spent a lot of time on the particular keys (like Big Pine Key) where they are normally spotted looking around to see if I could find a Key Deer, but the only ones I have actually seen are at Homosassa State Park. They’ve got some that have been injured in the wild and are in the park to be kept safe.

Anyway, it turns out some sick freaks have been killing these endangered animals. There are only about 700 Key Deer. Last month, officials found three severed Key Deer heads together on federal property. Another Key Deer was found alive, but with a 3-foot-long spear running through its neck. That poor little thing eventually had to be put to sleep.

Since the Key Deer is protected under the Endangered Species Act, people caught killing or injuring the animals could face jail time and stiff fines.