Hush. Grandma loves her “cute” elderly home, which is not overcome with the unspeakable stench of death.

* Spend Valentine’s Day at “several cute DC, Arlington elderly homes!” helping the D.C. Young Republicans administer manicures to the elderly in their “Mani’s for the Grannies” initiative. Sexist says, the grannies may be cute, the mani’s may be cute, but the elderly homes? Don’t kid yourselves.

* Zack at The New Gay finally figures out why Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is so terrible. The “little-girl-lost” themes “exploit the broadest female stereotypes” while simultaneously interferring with L&O’s classic stereotypical cop-show formula:

Every episode opens with someone stumbling across a body as they go about their daily grind. Two detectives show up and make a wisecrack before the opening credits. Then they chase after a couple red herrings. Once arrested, the correct suspect appears to be evading prosecution due to a legal loophole. But then one of Jack McCoy’s interchangeable dark-haired assistants (excepting Serena Southerly) finds an overlooked detail that breaks the case.

* Hillary Clinton says she will work “expeditiously” to address policies within the State Department that don’t afford same-sex partners the same benefits and protections as heterosexual partners, including evacuation assistance in the event of an emergency. “This is an issue of real concern to me,” Clinton said in a Town Hall meeting for State employees Wednesday. “And even though, as you pointed out, all of our personnel share the same service requirements, the partners in same-sex relationships are not offered the same training, the same benefits, and the same protections that other family members receive when you serve abroad.”

* Wear your ex-masturbator status on your sleeve. “Some say masturbation is not a sin, some say that it is,” reads the advert. “But is it really okay in the eyes of God?” Check out this video from the Passion for Christ Movement for “an inside look of what goes down after church,” and, presumably, people start getting real:

photo by hweiling