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"The Boy Kings: A Journey into the Heart of the Social Network", a book sharing a work culture at Facebook Inc

From Facebook's company obsessed culture to its rowdy company parties, a former employee is airing some of the social network's dirty laundry in a new book that was released Tuesday.

Katherine Losse, a former employee who worked in customer service and eventually became the ghostwriter for company CEO Mark Zuckerberg, wrote the new book entitled The Boy Kings: A Journey into the Heart of the Social Network.

Losse, who worked at Facebook from 2005 to 2010, says in her book that Facebook employees were expected to be dedicated to the "the cause," a Facebook-centric way of life.

Employees would compete with their social profiles by rewarding the most-liked photos and posts with money, Losse says in her new book, according to a press release. Employees were also encouraged to live within a mile of the office and rewarded for doing so.

Losse also says employees would use a secret app built on the Facebook platform called Judgebook to quickly display images of Facebook users for company employees to score.

The Facebook culture seems to put an emphasis on attractiveness according to Losse, who says in her book during VIP parties in Las Vegas, Facebook employees would have bouncers bring women to their table, then turn them away for not being attractive enough.

Privacy is another subject Losse touches on in her book, claiming employees had access to every profile in the early days of Facebook.

Facebook has changed your email address. At least that's how many felt after a quiet but vast change in the way the company displays users' contact information.

Facebook replaced the email address users chose when they signed up and changed it to a facebook.com address. The Facebook email accounts allow users to communicate with outside email addresses via Facebook.

The changes were first pointed out by bloggers over the weekend and publicised by media outlets Monday, leading to gripes from users, usually on their Facebook pages.

The company said in a statement in April that it was "updating addresses on Facebook to make them consistent across our site."

Facebook spokeswoman Jillian Stefanki said the site is also rolling out a setting that allows people to decide which email addresses to show on their pages.

"Ever since the launch of timeline, people have had the ability to control what posts they want to show or hide on their own timelines, and today we're extending that to other information they post, starting with the Facebook address," Stefanki said in an email late Monday.

The waitresses at Twin Peaks wear skimpy plaid tops that accentuate their chests. In case you didn't catch the joke, the chain's logo is an image of two pointy, snow-capped mountains. And the sports bar doesn't stop there: It promises "scenic views."

Twin Peaks owner Randy DeWitt downplays all of that and insists that the appeal of the restaurant goes beyond the obvious. Hearty meals and a focus on making customers feel special, he says, are what really keeps them coming back.

"We believe in feeding the ego before feeding the stomach," he says. Or as the website of the mountain lodge-themed restaurant states, "Twin Peaks is about you, `cause you're the man!"

Twin Peaks is part of a booming niche in the beleaguered restaurant industry known as "breastaurants," or sports bars that feature scantily clad waitresses. These small chains operate in the tradition of Hooters, which pioneered the concept in the 1980s but has struggled in recent years to stay fresh.

Instead of relying on lust alone, the new crop of restaurants is growing by offering new themes (think: rustic lodges and Celtic pubs) and varied menus (think: pot roast and shepherd's pie instead of just burgers and wings). In other words, they're hoping maybe people really are coming in for the food.

The nation's top three "breastaurant" chains behind Hooters each had sales growth of 30 percent or more last year, according to Technomic, a food industry research firm. They still represent less than 1 percent of the nation's top restaurants, but the upstart chains are benefitting as other mid-priced options like Applebee's and Bennigan's have experienced declines during the economic downturn.

"The younger crowds want to go to a newer place, not where mom and dad took them," says Darren Tristano, an analyst at Technomic.

Tovan Adams says he frequents Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Tempe, Ariz., where waitresses wear matching tartan mini-skirts and bras that fit in with the restaurant's Celtic theme. He even brings his daughters, ages 6 and 9, with him for lunch.

"If you come in the evening, you'll see a lot of kids here," says Adams, an electric engineer who likes the menu's variety. "Everyone's still got their clothes on. If you go to the beach, it's a lot worse than being here."

Lynette Marmolejo, a college admissions worker, dropped in at the Tilted Kilt for the first time recently. She likes that the restaurant is dominated by the "corporate crowd" rather than the "college crowd." And she says the half-dressed waitresses don't bother her.

"Going to a restaurant should be an experience. We're entertainers." Rose Dimov
Waitress, Tilted Kilt

"Prices and the food - if those are good, I don't care what anybody's wearing," Marmolejo says.

Tilted Kilt, which serves dishes such as shepherd's pie and "Irish nachos" (potato chips instead of corn tortillas), had annual sales of $124 million last year, reflecting growth of 33 percent, according to Technomic. And by the end of this year, the company expects to have 95 locations, up from 57 at the end of last year.

That growth is one reason Tilted Kilt CEO Rod Lynch, bristles at the "breastaurant" moniker. He says the word implies that the company's success is based purely on sex appeal. To the contrary, he says his customers — about three-quarters of whom are men and of the average age of 36 consistently say the experience is about far more.

Tilted Kilt doesn't go so far to call itself a family restaurant. But Lynch understands the risks of crossing a certain line.

"We want to be very PG-13," he says. Its "class in all things" motto also means servers can't have tattoos, piercings or dyed hair.

Rose Dimov, a 22-year-old waitress at Tilted Kilt, says her job is no different from any other waitressing gig; make guests feel special and ensure they have a good time. As an aspiring ballroom dancer, she also says she's not fazed by the revealing outfit that comes with the job.

"Going to a restaurant should be an experience," Dimov says. "We're entertainers."

Although the name might suggest otherwise, the owner of Mugs N Jugs in Clearwater, Fla., says his place also is like any ordinary restaurant with entertainment. Sam Ahmad says his game room, pool table and karaoke are why 40 percent of his customers are families.

Sales at the restaurant grew to $3 million in 2008, from $700,000 in 1998, Ahmad says, but have since declined because of the recession. After selling a second location to a franchisee last year, Ahmad is looking to find others who want to open franchise locations under the Mugs N Jugs banner.

As for the tank tops and shorts the waitresses wear, Ahmad says they don't reveal too much. And those photos on the Mugs N Jugs website showing waitresses leaning over a pool table? Ahmad explains they are purely for marketing purposes.

"They're at an angle because they're at a pool table," he says. "When you're in the restaurant, you won't see that. She'll be standing."

Taking a cue from its much smaller rivals, Hooters is also making changes.

The company opened its first location in 1983 in Clearwater, Fla., with waitresses sporting the now famous tiny orange shorts and tight white tank tops. The chain grew rapidly at first but has struggled in recent years. Sales have fallen steadily since peaking in 2007 at $960 million, as the menu and decor grew stale.

Last year, a group of private investors bought the chain of 365 restaurants and decided to try to revive the business. In February, Hooters opened a renovated location in Atlanta to showcase its new look with upgraded TVs, an outdoor bar and a covered patio. Remodeling is slated for another six to eight restaurants this year.

In April, Hooters also beefed up its menu with items that include a Baja burger, buffalo chicken sliders and a spinach and shrimp salad. The idea is to offer dishes that draw new customers, says David Henninger, Hooters' chief marketing officer. Currently, more than three quarters of Hooters customers are male, with an average age of 45.

As part of the effort to improve its image, Henninger says Hooters is looking to showcase the life stories of its servers, many of whom are studying to go on to professional careers.

"The public can be misinformed about what we do," says Henninger, who was hired this year. "They jump to their own conclusions."

Without explaining how, he says the "curious" name of the restaurant could easily be misinterpreted. He says that the name is "part of the fun" and is about being "in on the joke."

No matter how hard they try to open their doors to a broader audience, Hooters and its rivals remain the subject of criticism. "If it's an adult entertainment business, that's fine," says Mona Lisa Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the National Organization for Women. "Where they're crossing the line is when they expose young children to the objectification of women."

Not every chain is defensive about the reputation of breastaurants.

At Twin Peaks, based in Addison, Texas, sales last year grew 35 percent to $44 million from the previous year, according to Technomic. Owner DeWitt touts the 22-restaurant chain's amenities but is under no illusions about the main attraction.

Waitresses, for instance, vary their costumes for special occasions. Around the holidays, servers dress up like Santa's little helpers. Around Easter, they dress up like bunnies.

The owner of Tilted Kilt is just as frank. "We hire only spectacular talent," Lynch said. "They have to fit into that costume."

If you hold onto an investment for longer than five days, consider yourself the new millennium’s version of Benjamin Graham.

Australian great Dennis Lillee on Monday recalled his first meeting with Sachin Tendulkar and said on a lighter note that he did the game a "favour" by rejecting the batsman when he went to the MRF Pace Foundation with an ambition to become a fast bowler in the late 80s.

Hoping to become a pacer, Tendulkar went to the MRF Pace Foundation in 1987. But his ambitions were crushed by the foundation's coaching director, Lillee who advised the then young Tendulkar to focus on his batting instead of bowling.

Asked about his first encounter with Tendulkar, Lillee, who is bidding adieu to the MRF Pace Foundation after 25 years of service, said: "I actually feel very embarrassed because I rejected him as a fast bowler. I think I did him and the game of cricket a favour. I am just joking, but I will never forget (the incident)."

"When he came back a year later he was just 15 years or so. I was there behind the nets. The first ball Sachin faced he hit it behind the bowler for a four. Sachin flicked the next ball for a four as well. The bowlers were not able to get Sachin and he was hitting them out of the park.

"When he was still batting with about 48 runs or so from 12 balls, I asked (the then head coach) TA Sekar who is this boy. Sekar laughed and replied you should know him, he is the boy whom you rejected when he wanted to become a fast bowler," he added.

Lillee said it was his fortune to have spotted Tendulkar before he made his foray into international cricket. "I was fortunate enough to see him before he made it to Test cricket and lucky enough to recognise him as the world's best.

"Sachin is a very humble man. He is the greatest player and batsman to have ever built played. He just amazes me on many counts, his eye for the game, hunger for the game and continued success," said the 62-year-old former cricketer.

Asked about the fast bowling talents he witnessed during his stint at the MRF Foundation, Lillee rated Zaheer Khan as the best, just ahead of cricketer-turned-match referee Javagal Srinath.

"To me number one is Zaheer Khan and number two is Srinath. As for Venkatesh Prasad I had always thought that he is going to be a Test player," he said.

"Irfan (Pathan), RP Singh and S Sreesanth were promising but sometimes I used to be disappointed with Munaf (Patel).

Munaf is one bowler who used to bowl at 150 plus but someone had suggested him to slow down. To me he had some natural gifts. Not many people are bestowed with such attributes."

Lillee also said that he was never on the same page with the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI). The Australian said that he loves to do things his way and that might be a reason why the BCCI never utilised his knowledge in the best possible manner.

"It was disappointing for me personally. Got to remember that I have the same relationship with the Cricket Australia too. I do not do anything unless I do them my way. I do not want other people pushing things on me," Lillee insisted.

( Source: Press Trust of India )

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The New York Times And Flipboard Partner For Paid Access
Starting Thursday, subscribers to the The New York Times will be able to flip through the full paper via the Flipboard social reader on an iPad.

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Update 11:45 a.m. EST: Ad Age reports that other publishers are responding to Flipboard's effective but free reach in a different way. Conde Nast has decided to pare down the amount of content from Wired and the New Yorker that it funnels into Flipboard's streams, prodding readers to click through to their website to read full stories. Their view, shared by others in the publishing world it seems, is that Flipboard seems to be a little too good at what it does: though its content may reach a wide audience, those readers prefer not to leave the app at all for the content providers' web pages. "... the question is, is it too beautiful?" a publishing executive told Ad Age.

Rumor: Jelly Bean Flavored Google Nexus 7 Tablet To Cost $199
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