Nearly simultaneous truck bombs struck Iraq's Foreign and Finance ministries Wednesday as a wave of explosions killed at least 95 people, bringing the weaknesses of Iraqi security forces into sharp focus less than two months after U.S. forces withdrew from urban areas.

It was the deadliest day of coordinated bombings since Feb. 1, 2008, when two suicide bombers killed 109 people at pet markets in Baghdad. More than 400 were wounded in Wednesday's blasts.

The new American role was on sharp display as the military said it responded to onsite requests from Iraqi commanders for assistance, providing intelligence to help guide rescue crews and deploying explosives experts to clear areas of potential bombs.

U.S. transition teams assisted with security cordons and medics helped the wounded. Helicopters buzzed overhead.

"We helped the victims when and where we could, in accordance with our Iraqi allies' requests," said Lt. Col. Philip Smith, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.

The extent of the carnage shocked the Shiite-led government and dealt a devastating blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's efforts to return Baghdad to normal and reinforce his chances in parliamentary elections in January.

Al-Maliki blamed Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaida in Iraq and said the attacks were designed to foil plans to open streets and remove concrete blast walls from Baghdad's main roads by mid-September.

He said the Iraqi government must reassess security measures -- the first government acknowledgment that his moves may have been premature so soon after U.S. troops left the cities at the end of June.

"The criminal acts that took place today require us to re-evaluate our plans and security mechanisms in order to confront the terrorist challenges and to increase cooperation between security forces and the Iraqi people," he added in a departure from his usual calls on the public to hold steady in the face of an escalation of attacks.

He said an alliance of al-Qaida in Iraq and Saddam Hussein loyalists was behind the attacks, and that the government has placed Iraq's army and police forces on high alert.

The violence began when a suicide truck bomber took aim at the Finance Ministry complex in northern Baghdad, causing part of a nearby overpass to collapse. A female employee emerged from the building after the blast in an apparent state of shock, her clothes stained with blood.

Hospital officials said at least 28 people were killed and 117 wounded in that blast.

As a relationships blogger, one of the questions I get asked most often is how to have an orgasm. So, today, my dear readers, we're going to explain exactly how...

Genius sex therapist Mary Jo Rapini spoke to me on the phone, and she shared this brilliant advice...

Q: How can a woman have her first orgasm?
A: Take a hot bath or shower. You'll have a better chance of orgasm, since warm water relaxes you. Then just touch yourself. Start with the clitoris, go in a circular motion and see what type of pressure feels good. Try this for 10-15 minutes and do it a few times a week; you'll learn so much about yourself.

Q: What if she doesn't know where her clitoris is?
A: If you don't know your body parts, you could get a book or look up female anatomy online. Make sure you identify (and befriend) your clitoris. Interestingly, the only purpose of the clitoris is to give you pleasure and bring you to orgasm. It has no other function! It’s just there to help you feel good.

Q: What about vibrators?
A: I'm a big believer in vibrators. I love the Hatachi--it's gentle and waterproof! Vibrators can be very effective on the outside, on your clitoris; you don't have to put it inside you, if you don't want. (Some young women feel nervous about that.)

Q: Any last words of advice?
Masturbation is so healthy. It helps improve your mood and immune system, and reduces stress and anxiety. Enjoy!

We all know the male mind is mysterious. But turns out we women have a whole lot of “he just won’t understand” secrets ourselves. What do you think? Any of these sound familiar?


1. Everything we buy for ourselves — shoes, a skirt, even just stuff from the drugstore — really costs 20 percent more than we say. Just because it's a classic sitcom plot doesn't mean it isn't true.

2. We actually think about sex — with you! — a lot. Sometimes we think about it all day long. It's just that by the end of the day we're too damn tired to do anything about it.


3. We're just as nervous about commitment as you are.True, many girls grow up dreaming of Prince Charming, the white wedding, and happily ever after. But we're human, just like you, and when it comes down to the reality of tying our life to another person's, we get scared, too.


4. We may be modern and independent, but we still want you to be "the man." We do want you to be sensitive, caring 21st-century males, but even the most ass-kicking, take-no-prisoners woman still wants to feel taken care of by her man somehow.

5. Our ex-boyfriends were not completely terrible in bed.You know how we're always telling you things like, "Oh, yeah, you're definitely the biggest I've ever had," or "No one does it like you do"? Um, yeah. Well, we may have been stretching the truth just a teensy bit.