In the last month or so, three of my close friends have gotten engaged. Meanwhile, I haven’t had a serious relationship for three years. For some reason, whenever I tell people that another one of my pals has a ring on her finger, they get a sad, sympathetic look on their face, like they’re afraid I might start crying or go into a deep depression. They shouldn’t be concerned, though, because I’m not the least bit jealous.

Today, more women than ever are wildly ambitious and intellectually curious. According to Harvard Business School’s e-publication “Working Knowledge,” women now make up 35 to 40 percent of business school applicants; women also make up the majority in the undergraduate populations at more than one Ivy League college.

According to the BBC, the average woman’s workweek is now half a day longer than it was five years ago—sometimes with more work waiting to be done at home. The media has coined the term “alpha female” to describe these assertive, strong, successful women who are big on work.

But how do these hyper-ambitious alpha females navigate the dating land?

In a recent column on the Huffington Post, “Why I’m Single,” writer Lea Lane lists all the reasons that she’s still single. Why? So she can send the URL to all the nosy, possibly well-meaning busy-bodies who keep asking her why she isn’t in a relationship. 

Lane presents a persuasive case; it almost made me wish for the days I, too, had the whole bed to myself. She’s one of what I’ll call the “Happies,” women who are perfectly content with their single status. They don’t want for a companion; they love their solitude and have enough friends, hobbies, and passions to keep themselves busy. Although, most Happies, like Lane, are “open to options, and do understand the beauty and wonder—and blessing—of a good relationship,” they neither actively seek one nor passively hope and pray one comes their way. The Happies say they don’t need a relationship to be content, and, by God, they mean it.

The absence of a wedding ring isn’t a tell-tale sign that cutie you’re crushing on is single. So here’s eight definite ways to tell if he’s single, you know, because we don’t want you to be embarrassed or heartbroken. And if you have any signs to add, let us know in the comments.

I have been to many social outings lately, from the Sundance Film Festival to parties in Vegas, and I keep hearing women talking about wanting to meet their husbands. Really?  Are you sure? Why not write a book or take up guitar lessons or go dance by yourself?

Couples always seem to catch a lucky break over Valentine’s Day. They can’t just be happy to have someone to spend the day with. No! That’s not enough for couples; they seem to get all the cool Valentine’s Day promotions as well. For example, many hotels are offering cute weekend getaways, restaurants always have romantic dinner specials, and the most relaxing place in the world, the spa, is offering couples massages and packages. Everywhere I look, it’s “free for couples” this, and “lovers special” that. Ugh! Well, it’s time I take my frustration out on something…

Color me excited! Britney Spears new single, “Womanizer”, is here! I love it, of course. Don’t judge.

There are online dating sites geared toward practically any highly specific interest out there, and since people are all about being green, it should be no surprise that there are tons for eco-minded people. Green Singles, Green-Passions, Earth Wise Singles, and Green Speed Dating are a few of the sites I will not be joining. I couldn’t handle being judged on yet another criterion—my carbon footprint. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

In honor of Independence Day, we asked around for the best things about being single and independent. Here’s the top ten!

10. HOOKING UP
“Kissing total strangers when you’re out at bars or on dance floors. No names, no numbers exchanged, just random frenching.”—Sonia
“Ahh, guiltless, shameless flirting with strangers.”—Jocelyn

Jessica Simpson has been hard at work on a country album for the last year and her new single, “Come On Over”, was just leaked. Check it out here and then tell us what you think. Personally, I like really crappy music (in addition to good music), so I kind of think it’s catchy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s quality.

Think we have too many lame romantic holidays in the U.S.? Don’t visit South Korea. There, marketers have cooked up even more days to make single people feel bad about themselves. White Day, on March 14, is when men give gifts to women. (Local custom dictates that women give men presents on Valentine’s Day.) Black Day is today, and it’s when singles wear dark colors and commiserate over meals of black food, the favorite being Chinese-style noodles topped with a thick black bean paste sauce. Yum. If Valentine’s Day, White Day, and Black Day aren’t enough for you, there’s Green Day in August, but it hasn’t gotten much traction. Celebrating Green Day involves drinking cheap liquor from green bottles and walking in the woods. [Reuters]

There’s only one thing I hate about being single: the constant stream of relationship advice I didn’t even ask for. I have a degree, plenty of relationship experience, a body that just won’t quit, and a tube of red lipstick—I am well equipped to survive in the wilderness that is the dating scene. Yet everyone wants to jump in on the action, from my married friends who mean well to magazine relationship experts. And, by the way, the advice is always the same: “Empower yourself so you can attract a man to latch onto.” The latest to dispense this advice is Time Out New York and their resident dating “expert” Julia Allison (you non-New Yorkers may recognize her as a talking head on CNN and Fox News). The magazine’s “Singles Issue” promises that if you let someone Photoshop and style you, you can attract a mate someday—all aspects of Allison’s marketing (yourself) plan. Other nuggets of advice after the jump.