Lady Gaga Does It Again

Lady Gaga's new music video for G.U.Y. from her Artpop album is another tastefully confusing arrangement of clips.

We have the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills all wearing pink shift dresses and "playing" instruments.

Giggy even has a moment of spotlight. 

Andy Cohen also makes an appearance and references God or possibly Zeus. 

There is "dance" number that may rival the Kama Sutra. 

Jesus and Michael Jackson make an appearance, and so much more. If you have 7 to 11 minutes to spare, you can watch the crazy (read: normal) Lady Gaga video. But don't say I didn't prepare you for this odd ball. 

Dear Vogue

Dear Vogue,

What, what, what are you thinking?! (See hilarious video related to that line here)

People are outraged! Sarah Michelle Geller was upset! I mean, Vogue ticked off Buffy. That's pretty serious. Her tweet and many others were quite interesting. You can check out more about that here, as well as other upset tweeters who are thinking about ending their Vogue subscription.

Personally, I am not upset about this cover choice. A little confused, maybe. I thought Anna Wintour was not the biggest fan of Kim K. so I find it odd to have her as the cover start when she has so openly been opposed to her. I will most likely be purchasing this issue if only to read Anna's editor letter. 

What do you think about this cover star choice? Will you be purchasing this issue?

WTF Wednesdays: Dog Strollers

Hello! And welcome to the newest (and first) weekly series of Culture Shock. The Wednesday Edition of WTF. This series will touch on various topics that just make you say "WTF?!" The first topic will be something that has, and will always, elude me: Dog Stollers.

Dog Strollers. Oh, you have never heard of them? You already think they are obsurd? Why yes, yes they are. And they are real. Feast your eyes on the image below.

Walking around the Upper West Side, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this very sight. I have even witnessed a double stroller fit for two dogs. Dogs have two more legs than us, they do not need to be in a stroller! Perhaps if the dog was injured, maybe it would be appropriate to cart it around in a stroller until the little guy was healed, but I have only seen healthy, four legged pups strapped into these strollers. What is going on? Dogs are man's best friend, not an American Girl Doll to dress up and push around! I just can't. 

And if the strollers were not enough, take a gander at this puppy purse.

Yep, that happened. 

See you next (WTF) Wednesday!

The Truth About Online Dating (From a Girl Who has Given Up Online Dating)

I have always learned things the hard way. Online dating was not an exception.

I would call myself an optimist. Meeting people in the city is difficult. This you have heard many times, I am sure. But it is true! So, being the optimist that I am, I signed up for OkCupid. While filling out my profile and trying to paint an accurate portrayal of myself using a combination of whit and charm,  I think I had a modern day Cinderella love story in my head. I swear I am not completely delusional.

After 3 days, based on the very strange messages I was receiving, I knew Prince Charming was going to be hard to find through the thick of the fog, but I trudged on. I chatted with a few possible bachelors and went on some dates. Some promising and others over before they began. I was starting to give up hope after quite a few dates that lead no where. Either I was interested and they were not or vice versa. It happens. Just because OkCupid said we had a 91% compatibility, does not mean it's meant to be. See, I can be realistic.

A few not-so-great dates later, I thought I had hit the jackpot. My date and I hit it off and things were looking up. We even made it to date numero dos! On our second date, we grabbed brunch in Astoria, walked along the water, and just when I thought the date was coming in an end, he asked if I'd like to come back to his place and watch a movie. Now, I know what you all are thinking, and I can honestly tell you it crossed my mind, but I pushed it aside because I was excited to spend more time together. Needless to say, he had other ideas. I will let you know now, he was unsuccessful. I was not ready for that nonsense.

On the subway home after the movie, I battled with myself as to whether getting me back it his apartment had been planned all along. I let my optimism cloud my vision and I convinced myself it was not. A few days later, as if the dating gods were looking out for me, I stumbled upon a very insightful article. (Thank you, Betches.) The article confirmed my fears and also gave me the wake up call I needed. Strongly Worded Letter to Guys Who Invite Me Over to 'Watch a Movie' was my reality check.

Okay, so now that I got that off my chest, you might be wondering what is the truth about online dating? Get to the point, lady! Okay, I am getting there.. Are you ready? Guys on OkCupid are not looking for a relationship. Even if they write under the 'Most private thing I am willing to admit section' that, "Unlike other guys on here, I am interested in a relationship," they are not. I may be behind the times and perhaps you have read or experienced this already (Like I said, I learn things the hard way), but OkCupid, and mostly likely other dating sites, are just hubs for guys to easily take their pick of women. From my experience and what I have heard of others, OkCupid is not going to help you find Prince Charming, just frogs. Lots of frogs.

Over the weekend, I deleted my OkCupid account. So, let the search continue... without using a Search Engine.

Image source.

#SuccessfulAppProblems: Flappy Bird

If you are someone who was looking for a new game because your Candy Crush has cobwebs and is so 2013, then you probably downloaded Flappy Bird. If you haven't, you missed out on angry rants and truly wanting to throw your phone at the brick wall in your apartment. Oh, that doesn't sound appealing? Well, I guess you are just great then, aren't you? I apologize, that was rude. The side effects of Flappy Bird are anger problems and thumb spasms.

Yesterday, the creator of the app removed Flappy Bird from the Apple and Android app stores. Why, you may ask? Well, according to Dong Nguyen, the app was ruining his simple life.

Is it just me or does this upset anyone else? I am not upset the app was been deleted. I would be alright if I never play that game again. I am angry that Ngugen is whining about his success. So many people have tried to create something that would be received the way Flappy Bird has been and Nguyen beat the odds, but now he can't handle the pressure? How terrible it must be to have all this pressure of a successful application that is loved (hated) by thousands and brings in about $50,000 in ad revenue per day! (Techcrunch.com)

This situation rivals the First World Problems hash tag that was become widely popular. I think a new tag trend is in the works: #SuccessfulAppProblems.

Does Everything Have to Mean Something?

The title of this post may be a bit more dramatic than the contents. This post is not about epiphanies or the answer to the meaning or non-meaning of life (depending on how you look at it). No, this post is about tattoos.
I am now the proud permanently inked girl of two new tattoos, which brings my total up to 4. I got my first tattoo when I was 19. It is small heart on my right forearm. I call it my "Tester Tat." I knew I wanted a tattoo, but I didn't know if I could handle the pain. Well, I think I can since I got three more since then, but they also have all taken less than 3 minutes to complete, so maybe I only have a three minute pain tolerance threshold. I'll have to get back to you on that.
My second tattoo I got about two years ago. It is of an elephant located on the left forearm in line with the heart. This tat did have a bit more meaning. One, I love elephants. Two, they are representative of love, wisdom, and patience. All things to be admired. So there you have it.
My third and fourth tattoos are just two days old. One is a triangle just below the elephant, and the other is an arrow on my ribs.
Like any good social media junkie, I Instagrammed an abstract photo of my arm and the tattoo pen.

Shortly after my Insty, I received The Question. "What do they stand for?" and "What is the symbolism there?"
Honestly, I was a little annoyed. While the triangle does pose meaning- past, present, and future for each three points- to be a smart eleck, I responded by saying the triangle was to show my alliance for the Illuminati. (Urban dictionary definition, actual definition in case you are new to this concept). I think some people believed me. As for the arrow, I really have no other answer, besides I liked the design. But maybe I should start to go with a Hunger Games related reason. "Oh, I got the arrow because I am a BIG Katniss Everdeen fan! Team Gail!" I think people would accept that answer before they would accept, "Because I liked it."
Yes, I agree tattoos are a big commitment, but I did not just show up at the tattoo shop and pick the first random shape that popped in my head. I did give it some thought. But that also does not mean I have some deep, emotional, enlightened purpose for my ink. I just liked the designs and I wanted them.
So, you tell me, does everything (AKA tattoos) have to mean something?

"I'm Not a Bum..."

Living in New York City, I have encountered many homeless people. I see them on a daily basis, which is not something I am used having grown up in a little rural town in Upstate New York. Everyday I see homeless people on the streets, sleeping on subway benches, sleeping on the steps of churches, jingling their cups and dare I be honest and say, agitating me when I am just trying to get from point A to point B on the subway without having to listen to a speech that ends in asking for money. At one point, I can remember thinking how annoyed I was by these disruptions. I know how saying all this makes me look, and I will followup up by saying I am not a heartless person. I am a "victim, " in the loosest meaning of the word possible, to my surrounding. Seeing these occurrences daily takes a toll on you. It does make me sad, but it also makes you immune. What I mean by this is, seeing a homeless person multiple times a day became "normal," and thinking of them as bums was my mindset. I started to view these human beings as non-human. I believe a lot of this has to do with the fact that I cannot understand how they got to this place, but I also believe I do not know how lucky I truly am. And that is what it is, folks. Luck.

After watching this video, I have a new perspective. I read this quote somewhere and it sums up my feelings and newly acquired outlook on the situation- "The only time you should look down on someone is when you are reaching down to lift them up."

So, give this 4 minute video a watch. Listen. Learn. Be grateful. Gain perspective.