• American Idol: all drama but no music?

• Check out 17 WTF Valentine’s Day themed sex toys!

• Glee star Mark Salling once a bird-loving hippie

• Ryan Reynolds vs Ryan Gosling: who’s hotter?

• Giuseppe Maggio photographed by Bruce Weber- HOT!

See the Red Dress Collection 2012 fashion show!

Orgasmless sex isn’t just a female thing!

A new kind of Valentine’s Day

Think you know it all when it comes to sexy time?

The war in Iraq has been officially declared over, which is great news. But America still has lots of soldiers abroad in Afghanistan and other countries all over the world. Chances are you have a friend or family member who is overseas serving in the military. Ever wonder what you can do for that military member and their family? Here are a few tips.

1. Send care packages to deployed soldiers. Baked goods that remind soldiers of home are a great idea, but simple, useful things like soap and razors are also handy.

2. Offer to babysit or help around the house. Families who have a parent or sibling overseas might need help with household tasks that their deployed family member would usually take care of.

3. Write lots of letters. The US military recommends writing short, frequent letters to keep your friend or family member in the loop. New letters will give them something to look forward to.

4. Use technology to your advantage. Many soldiers have access to email and skype now, so set aside time for a skype call or send off a quick email.

5. Buy them sex toys. RealTouch, a sex toy company, wants to donate toys to military families to help them keep their sex lives active while loved ones are abroad.

Looking through many women’s magazines and reading their sex tips and what all they tell you to buy to have great sex, I get overwhelmed. How am I supposed to afford lacy this and flavored that when I can barley afford items from the dollar menu at McDonald’s? Just because I can’t afford that stuff doesn’t mean I can’t have great sex. It’s easy to get similar items to make sex an awesome experience for cheap, but there are also still some things you should splurge on.

Take a look at our guide about what it’s okay to skimp and when you really need to pony up your pennies.

initiating the gallery...

Every Christmas we find ourselves assaulted with uncomfortable gifts. Some gifts really can take the merry out of “Merry Christmas,” and these christmas-themed sex toys are no exception.  Looking for a way to break up with your boyfriend? Buy him a reindeer musical g-string. Or maybe you want to upset a family member by purchasing them a “I Rub My Duckie” Christmas-themed vibrator.

So many offensive options, what will you choose?

Check them out right here and let us know!

Katy Perry previews her new music video.

Emma Stone has found the most f**king perfect guy.

Kim K returns to LA, chaos ensures.

3 signs you need to walk away from him.

Can’t get enough Parks and Rec? Watch spinoff episodes here!

Mariah Yeater revealed.

This new sex toy for men looks horrifying.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley covers German Vogue.

Katherine Heigl rocks some budget fashion.

Who should be in ‘The Kids are Alright’ TV show?

Celebs do the slutty costume thing too

We need to see this movie, just for the eye candy alone

How Ryan Gosling went from creepy to leading man

13 places to hide your sex toys

The greatest female movie villains

Haven’t you always wanted to see a live birth?!

Pairing a sweater dress with ankle boots

What to do when you STILL don’t have a costume yet

Do sex toys make you wilder?

Why abstinence-only education is terrifying

Being comfortable in your birthday suit

Making your packing list for back to school

Has Kate Middleton become a role model for pro-anorexia websites?

Dear Hollywood, here’s how you can stop sucking the fun out of movies

When tanning looks like this, you may want to stop

Jim Carrey has a super creepy crush on Emma Stone

Is being ‘sexy’ costing Miley?

What’s a political campaign without sex? A McCain campaign ad once accused Obama of trying to pass a bill incorporating sex ed into kindergarten classrooms. Of course, Obama doesn’t even need to utter the “s” word when McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, has the poster family for the need for sex education.

Maybe Palin’s daughter should’ve been given a sex ed lecture in kindergarten. Maybe, in the wake of the Gloucester school girls and celebrity teen momdom, we should consider revamping our sex ed policies, rather than letting Ellen Paige serve as an instructor when Juno comes out on DVD. I took sex ed. And now, I have sex. Sometimes quite freely.

There’s still a lot that I don’t know, and some stuff I know now that I wish I’d learned in sixth grade sex ed class:

-Sex is NOT synonymous with love. It can be, but it isn’t always. Sex is synonymous with physical attraction, hormones, and judgment (note that I didn’t specify “good” or “bad” judgment).

-Sex changes everything. It can burn bridges, create awkward situations, and ruin friendships. However, it can also take a relationship to the next level, or allow you to see your partner in a completely different light. It can be good, it can be bad, but either way, once you’ve crossed that line… there’s no going back.

-Sex can be fun. Why don’t they talk about Kama Sutra, tantra, sex toys, or kinky fantasies in sex ed? It’s all “have sex and get pregnant,” or “have sex and get herpes” talk. But if you’re safe and consenting, sex can turn into an amusement park with all of the different rides it has to offer.

-Sex doesn’t always work. There’s sloppy sex. There’s the sex that just isn’t going to end in mutual orgasms. There’s sex that you thought you wanted to have, until it happens. Shake it off — we can’t all be stars in a Brad Pitt love scene.

-Sex can be good for your health. The endorphins released when a female orgasms acts as a powerful painkiller*. Cramping from killer PMS? Mild exercise (like sex) can help ease the pain as well.

-Sexually active does NOT mean slutty (or stupid!). Did you know that women with college degrees are more likely to enjoy giving and receiving oral sex than high school drop outs*? How about that women with PhD’s are twice as likely to seek a one-night-stand than those who stopped at the Bachelors*?

I still feel like I’m coming up short here, ladies. All of our sex ed regimes were different– what did your teachers neglect to inform you during 5th period Health Class?

*Facts courtesy of The Sex E-Zine. Learn all you wanted to know (and a lot you didn’t want to know) about knocking boots here!

[This story was originally posted by Kathryn S.]

Get it? Got it? Good. Want some more? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

I write a lot about the things we can do to improve our sex lives, but what better time to make the conscious decision to improve our sexy encounters than the start of a brand-spankin’-new year? So here is, ladies, gents and everyone in between: my thoroughly thought-out list of sexy resolutions for 2011 – just a little something to kick start your awesome, sex-positive, and sexually fulfilled new year!

Quit faking it. If for some reason you’re still faking your orgasms, now is the time to knock it off, and start aiming for the real thing. Faking it accomplishes nothing (your pleasure > your partner’s ego), and I think all of my readers deserve some full-blown 100% orgasms. If you need some help getting there, check out the next couple of resolutions I’ve got for y’all….

Invest in a good sex toy. Whether you’re doin’ it alone or with a partner, there’s something to be said for investing in a good sexy aide. While they’re a little pricier than some other toys, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the We Vibe and pretty much all of the glass products from Love Style. And hey, if you’re into being green, you can even buy environmentally friendly sex toys now! Environmentally friendly and orgasm inducing – does it get any better?

Find your G-spot. While it’s arguable that this magic spot even exists, you owe it to yourself and your sexual pleasure to make the effort and go exploring. Either by yourself or with your partner, 2011 is the time to really try to figure out what you like. It’s nearly impossible to instruct another to do what you like if you don’t know what that is yourself.

Take some time. Instead of leaving sex and/or masturbation to the very end of your to-do list this year, make a conscious effort to spend some time alone or with your partner and enjoy your sexuality. Set aside an evening – or at least a few hours – every week where phones and laptops are shut off, and the focus is shifted to you and/or your partner, even if you’re kissing or doing a little solo meditation. I know that with work, school, and trying to remain social, this task isn’t easy – but it’ll be worth it.

Shake the heteronormativity. For those of us that fit into what the media tells us is the “norm” – white, straight, middle-class – it’s important to remember that there are a lot of people out there that don’t fit that very tight mold. Whether we’re writers, filmmakers, or just big into talking, remembering that not everyone is straight and white will help to make those who don’t fit into that stereotype to feel a lot more comfortable and welcome.  Using words like “partner” instead of “boyfriend” and “girlfriend,” and trying not to automatically make the assumption that not everyone is heterosexual and cisgendered, we make just a little step in the direction of inclusivity.

Skip the taboo. I’ve come to the realization recently that people only keep secret things that they’re ashamed of. While I don’t think it’s necessary to shout the intricacies of our sex lives from the rooftops, I think being honest about our sexual behavior and not being ashamed of our choices is a big step towards creating a more sex-positive culture. And who wouldn’t want to live in a society where sex is seen as something to embrace, instead of something to hide?

Quit the slut-shaming. One of my new year’s resolutions is to take sex-negative terms like “slut” and “whore” out of my vocabulary. By using those words to describe someone’s outfit or behaviour, we’re only contributing to sex negativity and making people feel guilty about their choices. To quote Tina Fey in Mean Girls, “calling each other sluts and whores just makes it okay for guys to call you sluts and whores.” Well said, Ms. Fey.

Learn. No matter how much you think you know about sex, there is always more to learn. Visit an expo, attend a seminar, or read some books – as with anything, knowledge is power, and the more you know, the greater your sex life will continue to be. I’m always shocked to learn that women my age still don’t know some really basic things about sex (like how the pill works), and it’s that kind of lack of knowledge that puts people at higher risk for the not-so-great aspects of sexuality.  Not to mention that ignorance breeds fear, and having an idea of what’s going on with your body is always a good idea.

Have a fun, safe and sexy new year, my lovely readers! What are your sexy resolutions for 2011?

After walking around and exploring the booths for a good hour or two, we settled into the seminar room and hung out for almost six hours, listening to facilitators talk to the crowd about different areas of sex and sexuality. We also wandered through the dungeon a few times, and yours truly even submitted to being flogged by a lovely lady who asked if I wanted a “back massage” — it was splendid.

We ended up spending nearly nine hours there, and at the end of the day walked away with a whole wealth of sexy knowledge. Here’s a few things I learned from my day at the expo:

During a seminar on “turning toys into tools” (for the bedroom), the guy presenting talked a lot about what he liked to call the “double tap.” Basically, the concept was that whatever you’re doing to your partner, make sure you’re doing something else as well. For example, use your tongue and your hands, or have sex and kiss their neck. Apparently this is a good way for those ladies who have problems climaxing to finally get there.

Glass toys are apparently the best. Not only are they incredibly clean and durable (they’re non-porous so there’s nowhere for the bacteria to hide while you’re cleaning it), but from what I hear, they also contribute to some mind-blowing orgasms. When you have an orgasm, your PC muscles contract, and usually when you’re having sex with a man or using a softer toy, whatever it is that’s causing you to orgasm just kind of absorbs the contractions. But glass stays rigid against the contractions, making them seem a whole lot stronger. Sounds pretty awesome. Oh, and it’s medical grade glass, so chances are that even if you throw it against something, it’s not going to break (though you should probably get a new one anyways).

Another great investment: ben wa balls. These little balls go inside your vagina and they just stay there until you take ‘em out. They help to strengthen those PC muscles that play a huge role in orgasm, and also, because they have even smaller balls rolling around inside of them, have little non-mechanical vibrations that happen as you walk around and go about your day-to-day business. Because of those vibrations, if you put them in at the beginning of the night – like before a date – by the time you go home you’ll be rearin’ to go. Strong PC muscles and an even greater desire to have sex? Sign me up!

What I’m getting at here is that if one of these expos rolls into your town, I would definitely suggest spending the day browsing sexy toys and learnin’ all about sex. Not only was it was a good time, and I promise you’ll learn a thing or two. And if you aren’t lucky enough to live in a town that hosts something like this, there are always books….