salon.com life (day pass required) > girlfriends are the new husbands. "Women no longer become adults within the context of marriage -- we grow up with our friends. So what happens when they leave us?"

nyt fashion & style > elana berkowitz: are you with him? why yes, want to date him? männer lassen sich beim ausgehen von wingwomen begleiten, um leichter mit frauen in kontakt zu kommen. die strategie dahinter:

In the game of meeting women, it is understood that in most cases, it's the man who does all the work. Unfortunately, women have not made it any easier for men to approach them. As a result, men have learned to work together in order to increase their success rate. The solution to the male dilemma is the "Wing Man" pickup strategy, which usually has some level of success. But some women have learned to recognize the "pack" mentality and have developed reactive strategies to counteract the wingman's pickup mission. The guy's response to such female defenses is the Wingwoman.  Its an amazing union that if properly applied has a 65% conversion rate. Surprised? Well you shouldn't be, and here's why the wingwoman approach is so effective:

Domino Affect     Women are attracted to men who have women around them more so then men who have other men around them.

Limited Resources     Women want what they can't have.

Let The Games Begin     Women are very jealous and love to compete with one another.

Icebreakers     Women tend to lower their defenses around men who have other women around them. Most women tend to see these men as having a seal of approval and being less hostile.