By Jack Bergen

What's not to love about masturbation? It's easy, it's free, and it's a whole lot of fun. Believe it or not, May is actually National Masturbation Month, a tradition begun in 1995 by begun n 1995 by Good Vibrations in San Francisco after Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was fired for saying that information about masturbation should be taught in schools. Masturbation Month has gained momentum over the years, leading to events such as the worldwide masturbate-a-thon. In honor of the almighty wank, let's explore some of the different methods that you can use to breath new life into this beloved pastime.

Although most men never tire of rubbing one out, it's not a bad idea to mix things up occasionally. One way to reinvent things without spending a dime is to simply change your technique. Most guys jack off with their hands closed around their dicks, or some variation thereof. An alternate technique that can be fun is to stroke with your dominant hand while the other one rubs the head of your penis. If you're uncircumcised and your head is too sensitive for this, you might want to try pulling the skin back and holding it down at the base — or pulling your balls downward — which should cause the foreskin to remain retracted. Uncut foreskin will usually retract when you masturbate, so keeping the skin down while jerking in a normal manner can offer a brand new set of sensations.

Another good way to spice things up is to change location. If you're accustomed to jerking off in front of a computer, why not try it on your couch? Place a towel on the arm so that you won't get lube all over, straddle it like a horse, and then glide back and forth as you jerk. Another place to try is the bathtub. Get on your knees in your bathtub, use some sponges to cushion your knees, and place your dick directly under the faucet. The pressure of the water raining down while you play with yourself will feel amazing and there's no cleanup. If you want more information on various techniques, a good site to check is Jackin' World, which also has its readers rate the different methods. Get creative. How about the roof?

If you've grown tired of roughing up your suspect in the conventional manner, you might want to give sex toys a try. A popular one right now is the Fleshlight. Made from a soft, pliable super-skin, this masturbation sleeve feels like the real thing. The new Ice Mouth Fleshlight comes in a transparent case so that you get the added visual of seeing your dick sliding in and out — which makes it a lot more fun when used with a partner. One good thing about the Fleshlight is the variety of customization options that are offered, including an array of colors and differently shaped orifices that are made to resemble a mouth, an ass, or a utilitarian slit. But the best feature of the Fleshlight is its variable interior textures, which come in ultra tight, wavy, bumpy, or ribbed (for heightened sensation.)

If you like being a voyeur and watching other guys beat off, you might want to consider joining a J/O group. These clubs usually meet once a month at a public place for some group polishing sessions. Usually they have rules for the safety of all involved and will not tolerate any activities that deviate from their established limits. There are even some groups where all touching is prohibited, which is thought to put some people more at ease — but these groups usually have female members, too. A site that will help you to locate nearby clubs is Solo Touch. If you live in a small town, you might have a hard time finding a local chapter. In that case, you’ll just have to get a little bit creative. Maybe you can start your own club? Just remember — if you build it, they will cum.

Most of us have read stories about straight guys engaging in circle jerks during adolescence. They might not have gotten off on seeing their buddies pulling pud, but there's no reason why gay men can't! Circle jerk parties have increased in popularity and are a safer way to have sexual encounters. Before you throw one, just remember to set the boundaries for the party so that everyone involved knows how to behave. If you're going to throw a party you should also supply lube. Since everyone has a different preference, you might want to check out Safe Sense to brush up on the newest products. You can also find a wide selection of reasonably priced options at Cheap Lubes. There's even a new line of eco-friendly, “green” lubes for the more environmentally-conscious self-stimulators among us. I don't know about you, but National Masturbation Month is one social cause to which I'd be more than happy to devote some time.

maybe you'll even be brave enough to post your own clips. Uniform lovers will love this site. Once they’ve had a few beers and gotten naked, these real Marines (most of them straight) are like runaway trains that just can’t stop until they’ve dropped their loads. The raw sexuality of these real enlisted men is sure to arouse your patriotism in ways that no color-coded terrorist threat level ever could.

Move over XTube, because there's a new sheriff in town. Since it opened in November of 2007, Gay Tube has grown to more than 45,000 members. You'll find a huge collection of videos to keep you entertained for hours of self induced pleasure. Whether it's a clip from a movie or a homemade video, you're bound to find a category that gets you off. Who knows, maybe you'll even be brave enough to post your own video.

What is it about watching two guys going at it for the first time that gets us so hot and bothered? Maybe it's seeing them discover each other's stiff body parts, or watching virgin lips wrap themselves around a long pole, but whatever it is the boys at this site certainly deliver. From the moment these guys start kissing their clothes fly off with a wild abandonment sure to get you all riled up.

There's certainly no shortage of hot gay guys on this free site, which updates its galleries hourly. Consider-ing how much porn they offer, Eden Gay is extremely well organized and breaks everything down into specific categories. They've also gone to the trouble of reviewing sites and rating them so you won't have trouble finding the really good ones. One trick we discovered is that clicking on a picture will sometimes take you to another free site, but if you want to see a specific guy just go back and click on his pic again.