It’s new like the post below that really makes me wish I lived elsewhere.

The Washington Post is reporting on a change in state hiring policy enacted by new Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has signed an executive order barring discrimination in the state workforce on grounds that include race, sex, religion and age, but not sexual orientation.

Previous governors included sexual orientation.

There really is no way to translate this action other than that McDonnell believes that sexual orientation, in and of itself, can and should be used as a sole cause for firing state employees or denying promotion. This action by their governor is an open invitation for supervisors or managers to fire or demote employees. And it is likely to happen.

But what is even more likely to occur is abuse, harassment, and antagonizing of gay people. If a coworker calls someone a “damn pervert”, that’s not going to be punished. If the morning meeting is started by a daily f*ggot joke, there’s no recourse. If a state employee shares how they lost the paperwork of the “flaming queen in my line” to gales of laughter, that will not be illegal discrimination. And posting big signs quoting Leviticus or “protecting marriage” will not be an indication of a hostile workplace.

How can there be any respect or consideration, any objection to abuse, if the official state policy is “it’s OK to fire the queers!!”

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/

I recently found a listing of archaic laws in each state. They’re so stupid, I just had to share. As you may or may not know, I live in Virginia. Here are some of the dumb laws in my state…

♥ If one is not married, it is illegal for him to have sexual relations.

♥ You may not have oral or anal sex.

♥ Not only is it illegal to have sex with the lights on, one may not have sex in any position other than missionary

♥ A man may face 60 days in jail for patting a woman’s derriere.

♥ It is illegal to tickle women.

If you’d like to see more, or look up your own state, CLICK HERE.

People are always asking what music, if any, I listen to while I write. Here are the most popular tracks on my playlist recently:

Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis

So Far Away - Staind

You and Me - Lifehouse

Selling The Drama - Live

I Alone - Live

Weapon - Matthew Good

20th Century Boy - Placebo

Lover’s Spit - Broken Social Scene

Teacher - George Michael

Fade into You - Mazzy Star

Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad - Def Leppard

Criminal - Fiona Apple

More Human Than Human - White Zombie

Your date of conception was on or about 10 October 1980 which was a Friday.

You were born on a Friday
under the astrological sign Cancer.
Your Life path number is 11.

Your fortune cookie reads:
Be mischievous and you will not be lonesome.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 6.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2444788.5.
The golden number for 1981 is 6.
The epact number for 1981 is 24.
The year 1981 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/5/1981 and ending 1/24/1982.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rooster.

Read the rest of this entry »

Here a couple more photos of the beasties.

Jasper at 7 1/2 weeks:

Here the beasts (Diva & Jasper) are plotting world domination:

We have a new puppy friend. I just brought him home a couple of hours ago.

Jasper is a 7 week old dorkie (yorkie/dachshund mix). Isn’t he cute?

Forgive the gratuitous cleavage shot. He refuses to lay anywhere but on my chest tonight.

2009 has been a fabulous, busy year. I’ve typed my little fingers raw and appeared at several public venues. I even went on my very first airplane ride this year (yes, I’m a dork and woefully behind). Anyway, I thought I’d list the things I’ve accomplished this year (writing-wise) and my goals for 2010.

Published in 2009

Ebooks:

• Bottom’s Up: A Kinky Orgasm
• Bottom’s Up: Triplesex
• Chicken Ranch: Hunger
• Don’t Look Back
• Furtive Liaison
• Reckless Behavior
• Reckless Passion
• Tempestuous Relations
• The Hard Truth

Print:

• Don’t Look Back
• Furtive Ache
• Hard Candy
• Pyromancer

Pending releases in 2010:

• Daywalker Legacy
• Falling into Sin

Planned for 2010:

• Finish the final book in the Reckless series and finally get it submitted to my editor at Loose id.
• Complete the Chicken Ranch books and the remaining Bottom’s Up stories - there’s about four each waiting to be written.
• Finish the highly-neglected M/F story that’s been sitting on my hard drive, half finished for the last year.
• Write and submit a followup to Tempestuous Relations
• Work on Forever Mine, a long M/M/M paranormal I’ve been pondering for a bit.
• Write another M/M/F menage title.
• Possibly get around to starting the Bear-themed series I’ve never found the time to start (bear as in big, furry men - not the animal variety).

I know that probably sounds like a lot, but I might as well dream big, right? This time next year we’ll be able to look back and see what I’ve actually accomplished on that list.

And for anyone who’s curious, the link for 2008’s year in review is below.

http://www.amandayoung.org/2008/12/27/my-year-in-review/

Forwarded from Victor J. Banis

Here’s a painless way to do something good for Christmas.

Please take a moment to do this. The majority of the hungry in our country are children.

Kare 11 & Land O’Lakes are donating $1 for every person who clicks on their web site. Go to the website listed below and on the top right side of the screen where it says: You Click, We Donate. It’s that easy. Please pass this along to all of your friends. The food shelves are really hurting this year.

http://www.landolakesinc.com/company/corporateresponsibility/foundation/default.aspx

I woke up this morning to snow. Yay! (notice the sarcasm?)