No way to treat a Lady (Gaga)

Avenue B and East 12th Street.

Activists: Pol who called Lady Gaga a slut for smoking pot must resign

Last week, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro inexplicably called Lady Gaga a "slut" during a youth anti-drug program, as the Daily News reported. This outburst came after the singer was photographed smoking a joint at her concert in Amsterdam.

Later last week, she revealed that she has struggled for years with bulimia and anorexia, both of which are alleviated by medical marijuana, whose use she has supported.

Tomorrow at noon, longtime activist and medical marijuana proponent Kenneth Toglia and others will rally at the steps of City Hall to call for Molinari's resignation.

Via Facebook, I asked Toglia why he is organizing the rally.

"I am promoting a common sense 'East Coast' perspective on medical marijuana: Lady Gaga recently announced she has struggled with bulimia and anorexia for years, a very brave stance, I believe, and one that shows, well, common sense," Toglia said. "When asked recently about her smoking of pot, she said: 'I want you to know it has totally changed my life and I've really cut down on drinking. It has been a totally spiritual experience for me with my music,' acknowledging something we all know but very few people are brave enough to say: that pot is safer than alcohol."

Plus: "I think the SI Boro Prez calling her a slut is scandalous and sexist."

In late 2000, the NYPD arrested Toglia for running a medical marijuana club at the University of the Streets at East Seventh Street and Avenue A. The authorities later dismissed the charges. (You can read more about his work in this article in the Voice.)

He has been working to help legalize medical marijuana in New York State. In addition, Toglia is offering a free pot-screening service at the University of the Streets on Thursday nights. Per an article from The Villager last month on the screenings, Toglia says that there is a cancer-causing fungus called Aspergillus fumigatu found in a lot of NYC street pot.

As for tomorrow's rally, Toglia is also encouraging attendees to dress up like Lady Gaga.

The top-11 things that people mistook for Lady Gaga in 2011

[Via Eye Heart New York]

Kate's Joint has a challenge for Lady Gaga

Thanks to @HanserHanser for passing along this photo outside Kate's on Avenue B and East Fourth Street... Hope that's not steamed tofu...

The line about 10:30 for the Lady Gaga book signing

[Photo by @IrisBlasi]

Wraps around the block onto Stanton Street...

Find out here why they're waiting in line.

Waiting for Gaga

Perhaps you saw this over at BoweryBoogie, The Lo-Down or Gothamist... Lady Gaga and Terry Richardson will be signing copies of their new photo book "LADY GAGA x TERRY RICHARDSON" at the New Museum on the Bowery. On Nov. 22 from 6-9 p.m.

But!

To be eligible for the Gagapalooza, you need to pre-order the $50 book in person starting tomorrow at the New Museum Store...

And despite the sign out front...

... a few fans/autograph collectors/curiosity seekers are already in something of a line...

There is already a 90 percent chance of a shitshow forecast here tomorrow morning.

Dinner at the East Village IHOP

We've talked enough about the outside of the new IHOP on East 14th Street. So it only seemed fair to go inside the place. We waited several weeks after the grand opening to allow the kitchen time to work out any kinks. Or something.

By Lux Living

After my incredibly popular review of the new lesbian Phoenix, Grieve put me on desk duty. [Editor's note: I did?] Only recently has he decided to wean me back onto the Internet with such high-brow assignments as reviewing new ATMs, public storage units, and the much talked about IHOP on 14th Street.

Knowing that self-induced, explosive diarrhea is more fun with a partner, I begged Marty to join me on this trip into suburban enemy territory. We met at the Blarney Cove and, after a few cocktails with a peg-legged mute named Muttly, we were off.

The new IHOP has all the ambiance of a check cashing joint on 23rd Street. If they ever hope to succeed in making this place a “late night destination for hipsters” their PR people dream of, the first thing they need to do is adjust the stadium lighting. On top of the overall retinal bleaching, each booth has its own interrogation light bulb dangling between you and your dining companion.

It was so bright I could see the back of Marty’s eyes. If you pop in here for a bite to eat after some late night drinking but before some late night fucking, forget it. All bets are off. Nobody looks good in here.

The menu is a West Virginian’s dream come true that includes Country Fried Steak, Thick-Cut Bone-In Ham Dinner, and a wide variety of burgers all of which come with bacon. Lots of bacon. The only saving grace to this health care crisis menu is the calorie count listed next to each item so the choice of how fast or slow you’d like to die from coronary disease is all yours. Onion rings are a mere 1,250 calories BTW.

We started with an order Monster Mozza Sticks which came so lukewarm the cheese was like white tar.

I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak AKA Steak-Ums on a buttered mini sub roll with onion rings. Opting for the slow death, I ate only two of the onion rings. After getting management’s permission to order from the kids menu, Marty treated himself to a large pancake that came with all the fixings to draw a face on it – strawberries, bananas, whipped cream and yogurt in a tube. His meal was far more engaging than my butter soaked white trash delicacy.

And then there were the bathrooms. Single occupancy for men. Single occupancy for women. Have fun with that late-night disaster in the making.

The one thing this place has going for it is they have the most courteous staff I have experienced in a casual dining spot of this caliber. Our waitress, April, was incredibly friendly. She entertained our numerous questions about the stupid menu, didn’t yell at me for taking random photos of the syrup, and was kind enough to ask the management if we could order from the kids menu. She checked in on us several times and we tipped her generously for putting up with our shenanigans.

Bottom line, eat at a real restaurant people.

But look! On the way home we ran into Lady Gaga!

Marty wrote about the experience here.

Madonna, Kate Middleton J. Lo and Lady Gaga in Art Around the Park

If anything, Chico knows SEO!

Crews work the weekend to keep Lady Gaga ads vandal free

On Third Avenue near 12th Street on...

Saturday!

Sunday!

Your chance to ride the Lady Gaga train

I read somewhere (not sure where exactly) that Lady Gaga ads were now adorning subway cars... Thanks to EV Grieve reader Tony for these shots of the S train in Times Square...

Five on five

Just put Lady Gaga in the headline and somebody might read it

Crazy Eddie happened by the Best Buy on Union Square a little bit ago... and caught some of the Lady Gaga fans who have been camped out here since Saturday...

...for a chance at an autograph (and maybe a shower?) ...

...during Lady Gaga's in-store appearance here tonight...

DNAinfo has all the particulars on this.

Innocent tree forced to publicize Lady Gaga's new record

East Ninth Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

For your red eyes only

First Avenue near Third Street.

The Lady Gaga Easter bonnet perhaps?

At Change of Season on East Ninth Street. Photo via EV Grieve correspondent Blue Glass.

Noted

Fourth Avenue and East 10th Street.

Lady Gaga ads bring touch of class to burned-out deli on Second Avenue

Yesterday, BoweryBoogie noted the arrival of the Lady Gaga Supreme ads on the Bowery and other parts of the Lower East Side...

I noticed a few hundred myself around.... like on the plywood at Second Avenue and East Fourth Street... home of East Village Farm & Grocery, which suffered a major fire at the start of the year...

Meanwhile, does anyone know what's happening to this space? I've seen some work done on the apartment building... doesn't seem as if anyone is living here again ... Bobby Williams took this shot the other week in front of 69 Second Avenue.

Today in pop stars walking around the Lower East Side without pants

[And thanks for the e-mails about this. I think. More via Pop Dust and BoweryBoogie]

Photo via Splash.

Why APizzA closed

Last week, we noted that ApizzA on Avenue A had closed...



Turns out the DOH was behind the closure...

According to the DOH:

Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
4) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
5) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
6) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

Meanwhile, the ApizzA bike is still on the scene.

Lady Gaga can't save ApizzA on Avenue A

ApizzA's Lady Gaga sidewalk board has been retired...



The pizza shop on A between 12th Street and 13th Street shuttered last week...

Several readers passed along this tip... However, Neighborhoodr had the story first.