Whenever I hear of an über-exclusive thing like this, whether it's a gathering, a club, a business, or whatever, I think how much better to be the one running it than to be someone trying to get in.

Craig Thornton is a talented, hard-working kid who probably wouldn't get seated at Spago if he walked in the front door a couple years ago, but by hacking his way into the dining scene, he's got celebrities trying to figure out how to get invited to his apartment.

The lesson is, don't worry about what other people think of you, find a way to make other people worry about what you think of them.