There are some questions that you just don't have answers for. Relationship-wise, a question that has probably been around forever is - 'can a guy and a girl be just friends'? While there maybe five in every 10 people who disagree, rest assured, there will be six out of ten who will agree. Looking for a middle ground? Enter the 'fakelationship'. Emma Jones Confused? Well, an urban dictionary explains the phenomenon of a fakelationship as a friendship in which the guy and the girl talk, hang out, text, email ...well you get the drift, on a regular basis. A slight alteration in the aforementioned schedule will make either party feel like a huge chunk of their lives is simply missing. Be warned, fakelationships don't involve hooking up or casual sex — in fact, most of them are quite platonic, but the emotional connect, the dependency upon the other individual in the fakelationship runs deep. It is sort of like there is that 'someone' in your life, yet you...

Women indulge in sex not for love and passion, but for various other "unromantic" reasons— including relieving themselves of boredom, out of pity for a man and even to cure a migraine headache—says a new book. Melissa Marie Peters Why Women Have Sex by Cindy Meston and David Buss has highlighted 200 reasons as to why women have sexual intercourse. While attraction ranks way down in the list, it seems that women go to bed with their partners as a way of relieving boredom, keeping the peace, curing a headache and even as a thank you for a nice dinner. "Research has shown that most men find most women at least somewhat sexually attractive, whereas most women do not find most men sexually attractive at all," the Telegraph quoted the authors, who are both psychology professors at the University of Texas, as saying. The researchers interviewed 1,006 women as research for the book, and found some very surprising answers. One revealed that she did it for a spiritual exp...

Do you believe that your bedroom life is on an all time high, thanks to the immense knowledge you have about sex? Well, we bring you seven never-heard-before facts about the 'S' word, which are sure to leave you thinking... Melissa Marie Peters 1. Globally, lovers are having sex 139 times a year. The French are the lovemaking pacesetters, according to the Durex Global Sex Survey 2002, coming in at 167 times each 365 days. 2. Condoms are biodegradable — some of them. Lambskin and latex condoms are biodegradable, but polyurethane condoms aren't. 3. Sex-enhancing CDs are being sold for setting the mood. Try some classical options to rock your world: Shacking Up to Chopin, Making Out to Mozart and Bedroom Bliss with Beethoven are available. 4. Don't douche — it's not recommended anymore. Douching washes away the healthy bacteria in the vagina and alters the natural, healthy pH level. The practice can actually lead to the spread of infections in the reproductive orga...

Women are these days opting for secret ''lunch hour breaks'', where instead of the usual lunch, they get themselves sterilization appointments. Melissa Marie Peters A private clinic claims it is the first in the country to offer a "walk in - walk out" ten minute procedure which permanently renders a woman infertile, without leaving any scars. "Women can elect to have the quick and painless procedure when it suits them - and their partner won't be able to tell," the Telegraph quoted Cadogan Clinic in Knightsbridge as saying in a promotional ad. Consultant gynaecologist Martin Farrugia, who works for the clinic, said it was a solution for those who didn't want to tell their partners that they did not want any children, or that they felt their family was complete. Others lived "complicated lives" with multiple lovers, which meant they did not want to risk becoming pregnant. "There are many reasons why a woman might choose to have ...

Being flat-chested may once have been an embarrassment, but recent trends indicate otherwise. Ellen Shing, the owner of Lula Lu, a California-based website that caters to AAA- to A-cup sizes, said that while some women do look for padded bras, the majority "don't want to super-size themselves". Diana Morale "It's a misconception that you want to be bigger if you're smaller," The New York Daily News quoted Shing as saying. An increasing number of websites and retailers are saying, "The way you are is perfect, and here's how I can help you" and not "Here's how you stuff your bra", said Elisabeth Dale (formerly Squires), author of Boobs: A Guide to Your Girls. In fact, women with modest busts are proudly flaunting what little they've got with a deep V-neck cut or a halter-top. Twitter, Facebook and online blogs are witnessing a surge in online users "gushing about the lingerie and clothes that scream, ''Can you h...

Salvation is the destination. Love is the way. However, sex provides three interesting detours procreation, recreation and creation – on the path for one who wants to be God! Recently a swami from south India was caught on camera in what the media calls a 'compromising position' with a couple of women. There was a public uproar and he has since been arrested. The swami, in his early thirties, would have gotten away with what is perhaps the result of a hormonal surge had he not vowed to be, well, a swami. Literally, a swami is someone who is a 'master of his senses'. Popular culture tends to look up to a saint or swami as some kind of divine entity. Strangely but true, there is very little room for sexual adventure on the path to salvation. Yet, Nature wholeheartedly designs a 30-odd-year-old man's body for what Nature needs to do: propagation of the species. Nature puts forth several smart promotional schemes to get this job done through its species. The physical...

Don't let toxic people affect your well-being The company you keep is very important, especially for your well-being. Several times, we get stuck with people who bring us down with their negativity, unnecessary nagging, constant whining and pessimistic nature. And before you know it, this negativity starts getting to you, making you irritable, impatient and cranky. Make sure you first realise if they are that way just with you or everyone around them before doing something about it. Keep an eye out for these types... Lindsay Ellingson People who live in the past: Some people refuse to let go of the past. While it is okay to look back on memories, some people tend to keep bringing up painful events. They thrive on the anger and bitterness associated with those events and bring you down. Solution: Excuse yourself when they bring up the subject or tell them that you don't wish to talk about it anymore. Ones who wallow in self pity: There is nothing more exasperating than people wh...

Do you wonder why the hazel or brown or maybe that blue-eyed girl suddenly left you amidst a conversation which you felt was interesting or why the handsome hunk didn't call you back after the first date? We tell you things you shouldn't say on a date. Kayden Kross My dog is my first love! Even if a guy loves pets, he definitely doesn't want to be fed pet talk on a date. So completely avoid the topic with him - you'll know soon enough that he doesn't share the same passion. Confessed software engineer Prashant Nag, "My first girlfriend was obsessed with her dog. Whenever we met at her place, I had to bear with all the drooling and cajoling. Fearing she might feel hurt, once I requested her to lock her dog inside a room, to which she freaked out. I walked off and never called her again." My job sucks! It is a big turn off to be around a person who's forever cribbing. If you are not in a good mood, it's better to cancel the date instead of spending h...

Ninel Conde Rachel Fernandes gets the men to reveal some of those sure shot signs that the lady is flirting This one's exclusively for our male readers. But ladies, it's got more than enough of hints you can make note of and, put to use. For starters, flirting is defined as 'to court triflingly without serious intentions, play at love'. And guys, if you're wondering why we are defining flirting for you, it's because we are going to tell you what are those sure shot signs to tell that the lady is flirting with you, or to put it in street lingo, hitting on you. Opportunity never knocks twice and missing the obvious signs is not at all a good idea. So read on to know what you just cannot afford to miss. And mind it, we, quite literally, have the dope straight from the horse's mouth. Playing with her hair "If she moves her hand through her hair repeatedly or twirls the strands into a lock and lets it absent-mindedly fall across her face, it's a sure sho...

Bar Refael Not having sex on a regular basis can kill a relationship. Keep these tips handy and add some spark in your sex life... Schedule sex To ensure sex doesn't fall off the priority chart, decide in advance when to make love. Then, just do it! It may sound unromantic, but it's better to have a quickie session than none at all. Be appreciative Showing appreciation regularly not only makes you feel better about yourself, it gives a romantic boost to your relationship. It takes you back in time, when you spent time appreciating and adoring your partner. Share housework Housework can be a source of niggling arguments. So divide the jobs, and together work out who does what and when. This cuts out resentment – one of the single biggest reasons why women stop wanting sex. Bedroom spunk De-clutter the bedroom. Make the bed look inviting, use scented candles and put up pictures of just the two of you. Ban laptops, TV and everything work related. Have a good argument Voicing a d...

April Bowlby From being a shoulder to cry on to the one who spices up your world with gossip to the brainy one, there are six 'must- have' friends for every girl, writes Rachel Fernandes There's a saying... Friends are the siblings God forgot to give us. Ask any girl and she'll over whelmently agree and tell you about zillion stories about her various girlfriends. The best part about girlfriends is that each one comes with a unique personality. There's always something about her that one can associate with; be it her ability to see the lighter side of life or her wizardry with dealing with numbers or her knowledge about guy things, the list is endless. So as you raise a silent toast to them, here are the six types of girlfriends you just must have. The soul sister: Kind of a mix between a sister and a soulmate, she is an absolute must have friend. She understands your state of mind without you needing to spell out the obvious to her. Most often she's just a phon...

Julieta Gomez All of us have some vanity. Vanity is nature's insurance for self-preservation and to that extent it is a necessity. Heather Morris But it was also vanity that drove Snow White's stepmother to act in a way that eventually led to her downfall. The transition from what is part of self-preservation to that which enables self-destruction is so smooth that it is difficult to separate self-obsession from self-preservation. Snow White's stepmum was driven to ask the mirror the same question everyday: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall; who is the most beautiful of all?" Not everyone is vain about their looks alone, their vanity could lie elsewhere. Each one has something he thinks he is good at. Even ascetics have their share of vanity in their power of being austere or "proximity to the superpower". The one who is vain about her hair is careful when washing it or brushing it. The one who is vain about his house, takes pain to maintain it. Vanity is als...

Researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have offered new insights into why sexually experienced girls resume sexual activity after periods of abstinence. This information may help tailor effective counselling to prevent sexually transmitted diseases ( STDs) and pregnancy in high school girls and beyond. Characteristics associated with the risk of a teen girl having sex after a period of abstinence differed according to how long she had been abstinent. In the short term, a young woman was more likely to have sex when her relationship with her partner was good, when the girl felt good and when she was interested in having sex. Long term, sexual interest and relationship quality were the two most important predictors of resumption of sex after a period of abstinence. "Sexuality is an important developmental task for teens. They need to go from childhood to sexually mature adulthood while remaining sexually disease free and without getting pregnant. We conducted this stud...

Experts have come forward to explain the reasons behind the dwindling desire in men to make love. Danica Thrall A survey by Relate, a couples' counselling organisation, found the number of men who had no desire to have sex with their partners had increased by 40 per cent as compared with men ten years ago. Paula Hall, a counsellor with Relate and the author of 'Improving Your Relationship for Dummies', said the rise in Internet pornography and stress and anxiety around work and money may have something to indicate. "Twenty years ago, pornography was something you had to search out and buy. Now it's on every home computer, and more and more men are ruining their sex lives as a result, because they can meet their desires without their wife," the New York Daily News quoted Hall as saying. She further explained, "Extreme emotional states, such as stress and anxiety, affect men's libidos very negatively. Huge numbers of men have lost their jobs, and many m...

Rosa Acosta Stretching When it comes to choosing romantic partners, the more potential mates a person meets, the more his or her decision is influenced, concludes a new study. Jessica Hart In particular, when people have a large number of potential dating partners to select among, they respond by paying attention to different types of characteristics - discarding attributes such as education, smoking status, and occupation in favour of physical characteristics such as height and weight. A number of studies in recent years have looked at what happens to humans when faced with extensive choice - too many kinds of chocolate, or too many detergents to choose from at the grocery store. Under such circumstances, consumer psychologists believe that the brain may become "overwhelmed," potentially leading to poorer quality choice or choice deferral. Psychological scientist Alison Lenton, of the University of Edinburgh, and economist Marco Francesconi, of the University of Essex, want...

Women who spend time around peers who have a healthy lifestyle are more likely to eat well and exercise, a study has pointed out. Candice Swanepoel A survey of 3,610 women by Deakin University researchers found that they were most likely to follow the eating and physical activity behaviours of those around them. "Our study considered the impact of social norms on physical activity and eating behaviours, including consumption of fast food, soft drink and fruit and vegetables," said researcher Kylie Ball from Deakin, reports the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. "We found that women who spent time around healthy peers were more likely to also eat well and exercise," Ball said, according to a Deakin release. Ball said there are a number of reasons why the healthy habits of people around them seemed to rub off on the participants in the study. The importance of social norms in influencing a healthy lifestyle highlighted by the study o...

Dr Suman Bijlani lists women's common sexual concerns and what they mean for men Jessica Hart Wonder why your wife/girlfriend seems "off sex" of late? Why does she complain of a headache just when you are in the mood? Fact is, as with men, sex is a big issue for women too. Only, due to conditioning or lack of awareness, most women don't articulate them. Generally, women realise they have sexual problems only when: » It affects their relationship » Their partner starts complaining » When they are depressed » When they themselves get involved in an extra-marital affair. Also, the nature of problems differs slightly with age. Younger women: Sexual problems relate more to body image issues and 'performance anxiety'. Especially if they feel sex is the only way they can hold on to their relationship. Older women: Sex boils down to a chore or duty after years of marriage/relationship. It then manifests in pains, aches, lack of orgasm and other physical symptoms. ...

His career graph has been steadily on the upswing, but then, this strapping young man has written his destiny with his own sweat and blood. Candice Swanepoel With his fast and accurate deliveries, he has broken the myth that Vidarbha is a barren land when it comes to producing the cricketing heroes. After foraying into IPL 2010, he finally broke into the big league, when he replaced an injured Praveen Kumar during the World Twenty20 tournament in May 2010. All set to zoom off to South Africa after being selected in the Indian Test squad, fast bowler Umesh Yadav gets chatty with NT on his fetish for bikes and bunking classes... Celebration mode Now that he's made it to the Indian Test squad so early in his career, ask him if he has already celebrated this big moment of life, and Umesh says in his inimitable simplistic manner: "We were playing Ranji in Kochi when I got the good news. We had all got into the party mood too, but since we were totally fagged out, we just went off t...

Juliana Super Pop Here are tips on how to look good on your first date - Everyone would want to look good on a first date. First of all, selection of dress should be done keeping in mind what kind of place you are going to on your first date. Usually dates are planned at casual places. So, dress accordingly. The more formal the place, the more formal is the dress. But have two or three dresses ready with accessories to avoid panic on D-Day. Jessica Hart - You must take a shower before you get ready, even if you have had one in the morning. Smelling nice is one of the most important part of this kind of meeting. - Set your hair nicely. If possible, get your hair cut or trimmed a day or two before for a fresh and neat look. Girls should go for a simple hairstyle. - Make-up is important but more important is how to apply make-up. So girls should have proper knowledge of applying make-up. Avoid wearing loads of make-up as it will give a madeup look. - Shoes are the most important thing for...

Your likeability determines your success in both professional and personal lives. So pay attention to how you look because it will help you in making a good impression on others. Candice Swanepoel Telegraph.co.uk reports that if you want to make the right impression on people, keep the following tips in mind: Dress well: First impressions are formed instantly and physical appearance plays a big part. In the medium to long-term, people base their liking of a person on other traits and will discount their physical "ideal" if the body language appeals. Smile: When you smile, other people feel good. It doesn't have to be full-wattage all the time. Just sincere. Even when things are not going too well and you force a smile, the empathetic person picks this up and is able to delve into reasons for your mixed feelings. Expression in the eyes: This comes high in the likeability ratings. Eye contact shows you are interested in someone, both in general situations and in romantic on...

Seven sex secrets women wish their partner knew A good talk is a great aphrodisiac Many women find talk a great turn-on. For them, talking and feeling loved are very important. Good conversation during walks or while the couple is relaxing can be a great aphrodisiac. A man could tell his woman how much he loves her, which acts as a reassurance that he is with her mentally during those intimate moments. Ana Hickmann Many women are anxious about their looks For a couple that has been together for long, sometimes it is natural that women may feel that their partner may find them less alluring. Because of this some women undress only under the cover of darkness. Caring men can sense such anxieties. There is no need to lie and say she's gorgeous if she isn't, nor is there a need to say that she is not attractive anymore. One can always appreciate and praise what you do find attractive. For a woman sex isn't separate from rest of her life On the other hand, men tend to compartmen...

Men maybe complicated but when it comes to their women, they often take things at face value. He plays it safe by reading the obvious, often leaving his woman flustered and frustrated. Jillian Beyor By feigning sleep she might want him to make the first move in bed, but he conveniently chooses to toss sides and fall into deep slumber. Of course, some men do suspect there is more below the surface, but they had rather not explore that complex tangle of emotions that make up a woman's mental landscape. Here are five girly tantrums, men prefer to overlook and women can't stop sulking about ... When she says it is too expensive You are out with your girlfriend and she notices this chic designer handbag displayed in a glass shelf. She stops to give it a long look and says "This is too expensive; I cannot buy it right now". This means; why don't you offer to buy it for me. Shilpa (28), a call-centre executive, explains this best, "One time I was out with my boyfrie...

When your relationship isn't a humdrum affair, then why should your sex life be dull and lifeless? There's more to a rocking sex life than just simple, great sex. Jillian Beyor A marvelous sexual connection includes different kinds of sex, even the ones you haven't dared to experiment with perhaps. Check out the different kinds of love making acts you and your lover can indulge in for a night of passion. Experimental sex Couples in long-term relationship often opt for this kind of act as they miss the excitement and lust filled initial-days of their relationship. With time, a couple's love life loses its zing and to get it back one needs to try new things. "Try pushing the regular comfort zones. It may mean trying a new position or a new room in the house; you can even go for thrilling experiences like making love on the terrace or in the balcony or at some public place." explains Meera Wahi, married for last nine years. Why to try : There's nothing like t...