World's 10 Best Drinking Nations

10. AUSTRALIA: A country whose former prime minister, the legendary Bob Hawke, was once in the Guinness Book of Records for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 2.5 seconds. 9. GERMANY: Germans may not be Europe's biggest beer drinkers (that honor goes to the Czechs) but they've cornered the market in celebrating its consumption. This is largely thanks to Oktoberfest, Bavaria's month-long answer to St. Patrick's Day.  8. UGANDA:  Statistically Africa's biggest drinkers, Ugandans enjoy a pot of ajono, a semi-fermented beer. "Getting a round in" here just involves passing the straw.   7. SOUTH KOREA:
Alcohol dissolves South Korea's strict social protocols nearly as easily as it dissolves brain cells. 

6. MOLDOVA:
Moldova -- the worlds booziest nation, according to the WHO, drinking the equivalent of 18 liters of pure alcohol per person in a year. Whoever markets a better hangover cure here -- pickle juice is the local favorite -- is going to get rich.   5. ECUADOR:
You know you should have brought extra painkillers when the local liquor is known as "hangover in a bottle."  4. FRANCE:
Supermarkets here rarely sell alcohol that isn't French. They're happy to eat snails, but they won't touch Belgian beer.  3. RUSSIA:
Drinking in Russia isn't something that's necessarily done for enjoyment, but something that's stoically endured. Like a Siberian winter, gloomy literature or a shirtless political leader.  2. CHINA:
Chinese Baijiu is a white spirit that can also be used as an industrial-strength cleaner.  1. GREAT BRITAIN: 
While the Irish have one date to celebrate their country's abiding love of alcohol, the British have three: yesterday, today and tomorrow.   Click here to like us on facebook


Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/15/travel/best-drinking-nations

15 Best Companies to Work For.

1. Google

Rank: 1
Previous rank: 1
2011 revenue ($ millions): $37,905

What makes it so great?
The Internet juggernaut takes the Best Companies crown for the fourth time, and not just for the 100,000 hours of subsidized massages it doled out in 2012. New this year are three wellness centers and a seven-acre sports complex, which includes a roller hockey rink; courts for basketball, bocce, and shuffle ball; and horseshoe pits.

Headquarters:
Mountain View, CA

2. SAS

Rank: 2
Previous rank: 3
2011 revenue ($ millions): $2,725

What makes it so great?
With two artists in residence on staff, the perk-friendly, privately held data analytics firm takes creativity seriously. One employee cites SAS's "creative anarchy" as conducive to innovation. New this year: an organic farm for SAS's four cafeterias.

Headquarters: Cary, NC

3. CHG Healthcare Services

Rank: 3
Previous rank: 9
2011 revenue ($ millions): $620

What makes it so great?
Employees of this medical staffing firm compete in talent shows, trivia contests, and activities like a Dress As Your Favorite President competition. Extra paid time off is given to sales teams that meet their goals. New this year: two on-site health centers.

Headquarters:   Salt Lake City, UT.

4. The Boston Consulting Group

Rank: 4
Previous rank: 2
2011 revenue ($ millions): $3,550

What makes it so great?
The elite management consulting firm maintains work-life balance by issuing a "red zone report" to flag when individuals are working too many long weeks. New consultants can delay their start date by six months and receive $10,000 to volunteer at a nonprofit.

Headquarters:
Boston, MA

5. Wegmans Food Markets

Rank: 5
Previous rank: 4
2011 revenue ($ millions): $6,335

What makes it so great?
Turnover is an exceptionally low 3.6% at the Northeastern grocery chain, which lets employees reward one another with gift cards for good service. Many workers like it there so much they bring in relatives—one in five employees are related.

Headquarters:
Rochester, NY

6. NetApp

Rank: 6
Previous rank: 6
2011 revenue ($ millions): $6,233

What makes it so great?
Employees at the data storage company often get a chance to receive special recognition. Vice chairman Tom Mendoza asks managers to notify him when they "catch someone doing something right," and then calls 10 to 20 employees every day to thank them.

Headquarters:
Sunnyvale, CA

7. Hilcorp Energy Company

Rank: 7
Previous rank: N.A.
2011 revenue ($ millions): N.A.

What makes it so great?
This oil and gas producer, a newcomer to the list, promised staff in 2010 that if the company doubles its production rate and reserves by 2015, every employee will get a check for $100,000. An earlier, met goal rewarded 400 employees with $50,000 toward a new car.

Headquarters:
Houston, TX

8. Edward Jones  

Rank: 8
Previous rank: 5
2011 revenue ($ millions): $4,577

What makes it so great?
The privately held securities firm maintains some 11,000 small offices and a close-knit culture with regular regional gatherings for ice skating, fishing tournaments, and more. Forty-four percent of new hires come from employee referrals.

Headquarters:
St. Louis, MO

9. Ultimate Software

Rank: 9
Previous rank: 25
2011 revenue ($ millions): $269

What makes it so great?
The developer of people-management software—customers include Google, Quicken Loans, and the New York Yankees—covers 100% of health care premiums for employees and dependents and treats workers to a free vacation every two years.

Headquarters:
Weston, FL

10. Camden Property Trust  

 Rank: 10
Previous rank: 7
2011 revenue ($ millions): $655

What makes it so great?
Good times are built into the business at apartment-manager Camden, whose founders are known for practical jokes and impersonations. Other benefits include discounted rentals for employees and a 401(k) that matches at least 50% for up to 7% of pay.

Headquarters:
Houston, TX

11. Qualcomm 

 Rank: 11
Previous rank: 23
2011 revenue ($ millions): $14,957

What makes it so great?
Employees at the wireless-technology company are encouraged to share ideas at an annual in-house tech conference. In 2012 engineers submitted nearly 200 papers, the winners of which were asked to present at the forum and participate in speaking events.

Headquarters:
San Diego, CA

12. DreamWorks Animation

Rank: 12
Previous rank: 14
2011 revenue ($ millions): $706

What makes it so great?
At this movie studio, fresh-juice trucks visit the campus to distribute free smoothies, and employees are given stipends to personalize workstations. After wrapping Madagascar 3 last year, the crew held a Banana Splats party, where artists got to show the outtakes.

Headquarters:
Glendale, CA

13. Quicken Loans

Rank: 13
Previous rank: 10
2011 revenue ($ millions): N.A.

What makes it so great?
America's largest online-lending company offers cash incentives to its staff to move to downtown Detroit. According to Salary.com, mortgage bankers in Southeast Michigan average $50,000 a year, but those at Quicken earn $113,000, including salary and commissions.

Headquarters:
Detroit, MI

14. Robert W. Baird & Co.

Rank: 14
Previous rank: 21
2011 revenue ($ millions): $925

What makes it so great?
Seventy-eight percent of this financial services firm is owned by non-senior management. All all hourly and salaried associates enjoy annual profit-sharing contributions from a pool that represents 10% of Baird's pretax net operating income.

Headquarters:
Milwaukee, WI

15. DPR Construction  

 Rank: 15
Previous rank: 13
2011 revenue ($ millions): $2,000

What makes it so great?
The builder has the feel of a Silicon Valley startup, with bagel breakfasts, bring-your-dog-to-work days, and even ski trips. Last year more than 200 employees and their families enjoyed three-day weekends in two cabins owned by DPR in Lake Tahoe.

Headquarters:
Redwood City, CA

 Click here to like us on facebook



Source:: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2013/snapshots/1.html

World's 10 Most Peaceful countries.

10. Switzerland: GPI score: 1.349. Though Switzerland received the lowest score for political instability, they received a 10th place finish due to mandatory military service and the amount of weapons they export (relative to their size)

9. Finland: GPI score: 1.348. Finland has consistently made the top ten of the GPI since (at least) 2007, and fell from 7th place due to other countries becoming more peaceful rather than anything they did to change their ranking.

8. Slovenia: GPI score: 1.330. Slovenia has the distinction of being the most peaceful of the 29 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

7. Ireland: GPI score: 1.328. Ireland is re-entering the top ten after falling out of it in the GPI 2011 index. They were able to reclaim a place at the top of the list “by reducing [their] military expenditure to just 1.2% of its gross domestic product and by increasing its political stability, which has far-reaching effects on internal peace.”

6. Austria: GPI score: 1.328. Austria is the third most peaceful of the European nations on the list, due to their low crime and homicide rates.

5. Japan: GPI score: 1.326. Japan is second only to New Zealand of the 25 nations in the Asia Pacific region.

4. Canada: GPI score: 1.317. Canada has consistently made the top ten with exceptions being 2008 and 2010, when the number of military casualties in Afghanistan increased.

3. New Zealand: GPI score: 1.239. New Zealand has made the top five since 2007.

2.  Denmark: GPI score: 1.239. Due to decreased military spending Denmark have moved up two spots to be tied for second place.

1. Iceland: GPI: 1.113. Iceland received top honors on the GPI for the second year in a row, as in all but four indicators they received the best possible score.

 Click here to like us on facebook

credit http://rankdchyson.blogspot.com/2013…-in-world.html
http://lonelyplanet.com